We spent a pretty awesome afternoon at Mzoli's, in the heart of the township of Gugulethu. Technically, Mzoli's is a butchery. But I doubt you've been to a butchery quite like THIS before. Instead of trying to explain how it works, I'm going to suggest you visit Andy's blog, and read his excellent description instead.

It was the first time either of us had been to Gugulethu, and Andy, who organised the outing for us, took us on a little walk around the block after lunch. The people were overwhelmingly friendly to us, both at Mzoli's and while we were walking through the neighbourhood. I imagine we stood out a little - there aren't too many white faces in Gugulethu on any given day. :-)

In short, we had a great time, and if you're looking for a different, close-up view of vibrant township life, then see if you can make lunch at Mzoli's part of your visit to Cape Town. A number of tour companies offer trips to Mzoli's and the surrounding township, but if you want an arguably more authentic experience, I'm sure we'd be able to find a fair number of ordinary Capetonians who'd be happy to take you. I'm certainly up for another visit.

Visit Cape Town Daily Photo Extras to see more of our photos from Mzoli's.