[imagesource: Needpix]

David Bester might have been the first baby ever to travel up the cableway to the top of Table Mountain, but his parents had good reason to take a two-week-old baby up to the top – the Cableway House was their home.

David’s father used to be the cable car operator on the mountain, and along with his wife and baby son, lived among the clouds for the first year of young David’s life.

It was only when he started crawling that they decided the top of a mountain was no place for a curious toddler and moved down.

But this January, David and his family returned to his first home to celebrate his 79th birthday – as guests of the Cableway Company:

“Just imagine being a young toddler, exploring the natural beauty of the mountain. Sadly, I don’t have any photographs left over from those days, but it was a moving experience to again see my childhood home.

The Aerial Cableway is one of Cape Town’s most popular tourist attractions, and this December the company celebrated a staggering 30 million passengers milestone.

The cableway was opened on 4 October 1929, by the Mayor of Cape Town AJS Lewis, and has since been upgraded three times, the last being in 1997 when rotating cars were installed.

“It was an honour welcoming David and his family back to the mountain, a site that has such deep personal significance for him. Birthdays are special occasions – and a birthday such as David’s is perhaps even more so.

To get an idea of how special it must have been living here, take a look at the promo video for Table Mountain Cableway:

We’re glad that David got to visit his old home for his birthday.

Pro tip: Table Mountain Cableway offers free rides to South African citizens during the month of their birthdays.

[source:goodthingsguy]