Stellenbosch and the surrounding winelands are really beautiful. I can’t believe that so far no matter where we have been we have been surrounded by mountains – they seem to follow you everywhere. It’s very impressive. And of course you need the mountains in the winelands as they are a main ingredient to the environment for making such delicious wine!! I had the same whilst in the wine region in Argentina.
But I don’t really have much to tell you about our time in the winelands. We were very lazy & the weather has been lousy! Our second night we got absolutely blazing drunk with the staff of the hostel who kept plying us with shots of tequila. A great bunch at the Stumble Inn so if you’re ever in the region & are up for a party stay there!! George , Tina & Sharon are loads of fun & real big party animals – we had a blast. Although not so much the following day. To say we were feeling rather delicate is a slight understatement, so we spent another day just lounging around doing nothing, recovering & preparing for the wine tasting tour the following day.
There are so many wine farms in Stellenbosch, Paarl & Franschoek (the golden triangle of wine making) it’s impossible to decide which ones to go to. We had a quick look in the brochures & considered doing a self drive but in the end went on a tour as it’s much easier & much more fun in a group. We visited 4 farms (Simonsig, Fairview, Boschendal, Tokara) & unlike in Argentina where you tour around the whole farm & get given the process making spiel every time, here they get down to business! The first farm told & showed us how they make the wine & from then on it was in & straight onto the tasting! Brilliant! One of the farms even had a cheese tasting session to go with it which was great! Now I’ve never really been a South African wine drinker – I don’t know why – because they are DELICIOUS!! If you are a fan of red then you must try & find a Tokara Red Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 or earlier. Hands down the best red wine I have ever tasted! We brought a bottle of wine at every farm as they were so cheap!! Fairview also have some great wines, especially the Rose. Ah the whole day was just fantastic & finally, thankfully it had stopped raining! There was for certain a fair amount of drinking done & we met some great people on the tour as well which always make the day nicer.
The day after was time for us to leave Stellenbosch sadly & head down to Hermanus for some whale watching. The drive was beautiful. South Africa really is a stunning country! There is soooo much land, the further we have come along the coast the more the land just stretches out before you.
The weather had cleared up a little but was still cold & really windy. Apparently as with most of the world the seasons here are messed up here too because of global warming. It’s not supposed to be this bad for this time of year!
On arrival Tymon & I had a our first little spat. I’d been in a really bad mood all day & he wasn’t feeling great (bad stomach) & we were trying to decide where to stay next. We weren’t really talking to each other so communication was low so we had a little argument about how long we were staying somewhere & what days as we were planning the shark cage dive too. He walked off back to hostel ahead of me & cooked dinner while I stayed in the room & did my nails. Just gave each other some space & made up later. I mean we’re going to have these moments obviously! We only really see each other for about 4 days a week in total back home so we’re doing pretty well if you ask me! ;0)
The following morning all was fine & we headed off on the coastal trail to find the whales. We considered a boat trip but it was quite expensive & were told that they really do come close to the shore. However there were no whales to be seen! We walked & walked along the trail but still nothing & then finally as we neared the end we spotted them. And they were really close. It was amazing. We climbed the rocks as far out as we could get to watch them. There were 3 including a baby we think & while the photos & videos make them look miles away still, in the flesh they really are very close to the shore. It was so great to see them. We continued along the trail & then decided to head back to the hostel & head to the next stop. And finally I managed to do my first run. I was wearing my running gear under my clothes so I ran the trail back to the hostel & it felt great!! It was only a little run – 3km, but still felt great to be running after more than a month!
Next stop – the one you’ve all been waiting for – the one I’ve been waiting for – Gansbaai!! The shark capital of the world! We’d been recommended to stay at a place just outside of Gansbaai called Kleinbaai (Little Bay) at The Marine Guest House which did a great deal for the shark dive & a free nights stay, & we had booked in for 2 nights. Most people & books will tell you that there is nothing going in Gansbaai so stay in Hermanus & travel in for the dive, but that’s rubbish. I mean there isn’t much going on but it’s lovely – especially Kleinbaai. A beautiful small coastal village & the guest house we were staying in was right on the sea front with fantastic views!! And it was fab!! A big lounge with an indoor BBQ fireplace & pool table & for the second night we would have the place to ourselves. We had a nap (something we’ve become quite fond of doing around 17.00pm) & headed to the light house for dinner – a lovely old school thatched house with an open fire & the local inbred family holding an open mike evening! Hahaha. We found ourselves sitting next to another Dutch couple so joined tables & had a very civilized evening, after which we headed back to get a good nights sleep as they next morning we would be up at the crack of dawn to go swim with the big fishes!! I couldn’t believe that after years of dreaming of this moment it was finally here!! I was sooo excited & of course a little nervous, but I just couldn’t wait. I was like a little kid on Christmas Eve. I was going to see Great Whites!!
The morning of the dive I was a little hyper and the weather was a little better. Still very windy & cold but it was dry at least! We met at the company quarters of Shark Diving Unlimited who is actually owned & run by Mike Rutzen who if you google, you will find out that he is the second person ever to free dive with great whites! He is very famous & has done a lot of documentaries & the photos he has of him free diving with them is incredible!!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6trY0RdVEU)
After a hearty breakfast (I didn’t want to get sea sick) we wrapped up warm & headed out onto the boat. As soon as we got onto the sea I knew I was going to suffer! It was sooooo rough. The boat was going up & down on waves about 2 metres high & I was holding on for dear life. It was a bit like car sickness. I had to be facing front & see the sea! It was only about a 15 minute ride out but it felt like a life time. When we’d anchored up and the engine stopped I really felt rough, but before I knew it I heard that the first shark had shown up & we were barked at by the skipper to get a wetsuit, get changed & in the water. It was soooooooooooo cold, so getting undressed, bouncing up & down, feeling sick & getting in a wet cold wetsuit was not exactly how I had imagined this whole thing going down. But I managed to get into it, get a mask & before I knew it I was looking from the edge of the boat at a great white shadow swimming by! Just as I was taking in the moment & in complete awe a crew man was pushing me out onto the cage & I was in! Knees on the bar infront & back on the foam lining at the back of the cage. It was this point that the nerves set in slightly. The boat crew have quite an army mentality to get you dressed & in the water so you don’t really have time to focus on what you are doing or how cold the water is, which is good I guess. Once in the cage it’s the oddest feeling. You have to stay above water while they bait in the shark & then once it comes in they shout at you ‘down down down’ which is when you take a deep breath a drop down into the cage. Now unfortunately I had picked up a dodgy snorkel mask so as soon as I dropped down it filled up pretty quick which made me panic like hell. I took in a few mouthfuls of sea water & kept coming up to breathe but you shouldn’t be up when they tell you to go down as if the shark is above water & sees your head bobbing about it could be a dangerous situation, so they guy kept pushing me back under. It was horrible & I missed quite a bit of moments of the shark coming by. But when it does – my god they come so close & they are magnificent! I had one moment where it was baited in & came straight for the cage & head butted the cage compartment I was in. I shat my pants! Ah it was such an incredible experience not to be missed by anyone!! I have such a morbid fascination for these animals but they are beautiful and so peaceful in their own way. Unfortunately we only saw fairly small ones of about 4 metres, but it was still so amazing to see them. We had about 3 at one point circling the boat. After about 20 minutes in the water the next group (Tymon) got in & he managed to get some really great footage underwater as I was good for nothing. It was great watching them from the boat too & then I had one more chance to go in the water. I made sure I got a better mask this time & it made such a difference!! Ah it was brilliant! I loved it! I really wasn’t scared & it was such a privilege to be in the water with these animals! I wouldn’t say I’m cured of my fear but it was an awesome experience.
Once the cage was hauled back in I hurriedly got changed out of the wetsuit in the toilet falling all over the place trying to get warm & dry. It had started raining by now I was so cold & wet through as I couldn’t really get dry on the boat.
We headed back to shore & I was just concentrating on the horizon trying to keep the sickness at bay. Suddenly someone spotted a whale so the engines were turned off & we drifted a while to watch the whale at which point but stomach had had enough! I couldn’t hold it back anymore & rushed to the side of the boat & let it go – pretty much all over the whale!! Haha. Tymon was filming the whale & like a gentleman didn’t scan down to me puking my guts up but he told me to look up as it came in really close. It was stunning & all of a sudden did a small breach before diving back deep under. It was a complete bonus which just made the day. And after being sick I felt soooo much better! I felt sorry for Tymon who wasn’t sick but felt really rough!! I’ve never enjoyed being sick so much in my life!
So all in all a wonderful morning. We were back in the lodge having some hot soup by 10.30am & by 12.00pm we were at the house of Mike Rutzen, The Sharkman! Tymon wanted a portrait for his collection & he was packing to go on a 6 week expedition to Mozambique so his mother invited to the house to meet him, which was an honour.
We then headed back to the guest house where we both had much needed hot baths, set the fire going, got some meat on, opened a bottle of red wine, played pool & enjoyed the view of the sea on what was the longest day EVER!!
So that’s about it for now. Next stop Struisbaai – the most Southern Point of Africa.
So check back later!!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Driving The Cape
After a leisurely start to the day (a little too leisurely as we were almost too late) we picked up the car! It was another gorgeous hot day in Cape Town so we decided to hit the beach for the first time. We headed to Camps Bay which is where all the trendy bars & restaurants are, grabbed some lunch & laid in the setting sun for an hour or so. The beaches are lovely, although it wasn’t that hot & you can definitely tell it’s Spring as the water is FREEZING!! Ice cold, so not exactly perfect beach conditions!
Sunday we were invited to a baby shower! The guy who Tymon had MC’d with (Neil) is expecting his first baby in about a week & was having a family gathering in a park. We thought it was in Cape Town so didn’t think we’d have a problem when we booked tickets for Robben Island on the Saturday for Sunday afternoon. However, when we found out it was in a town called Muizenberg which is half way down the Cape peninsular we realized that we wouldn’t make it there & back in time so had to change the tickets. Thankfully they didn’t charge us extra like we had been told, & off we headed to the baby shower. It was perfect timing really as we had been planning on heading down the peninsular anyway to Cape Point.
On arrival it was a real family affair & it was so lovely of Neil to have invited us. His family were so friendly & made us feel at home immediately. It was great to be mixing with a typical South African family going about their general business. They made us feel so welcome & the mother in laws were a fountain of knowledge & information. They shared their experiences & thoughts on the apartheid & the new president & the state of SA today & how it affects their daily lives. Neil & his family are ‘coloureds.’ (You’ve got ‘the blacks’ – who are the African influx, ‘the coloureds’ – who are basically the indigenous people made up of all races due the slave trade back in the day & ‘the whites’ – the Boers who were Dutch who basically are the reason for the state of SA & its history! The European’s are single handedly to blame for the mess in SA, especially the Dutch Boers (farmers) who came with their religious beliefs that whites are the only race that should be on this planet!)
While life for Neil & his family is not hard by any means the older members certainly are inspiring & I felt privileged listening to their stories of how it was for them during the apartheid.
As the days have gone by here in SA I am becoming more & more bowled over by the fact that this country is based on race. Everything about it screams division of the races - still…so many years on. Even Tymon & I get funny looks for being a mixed race couple. While I’ve certainly seen some poverty stricken countries before when on my travels in South America, I have never come across a country so one sided in the poverty.
I have not seen one white person working. You will not find a white person working in a hostel or hotel (as a cleaner I mean), in a restaurant or in a supermarket. Nor will you will find a white person patrolling the streets looking after the cars or selling the big issue or African memorabilia at the traffic lights. They are all black or coloureds. Mostly the Africans.
Did you know that during the apartheid 14% was the amount of land in SA ‘the blacks’ were allowed to be on while they actually made up 80% of the population? Did you also know that they were made to carry around with them a Dom Pas which means Stupid Pass? I know all over the world there was a racial awakening that took many years and many fights to overcome but this, here in SA in truly unbelievable. It’s history can stop you in your tracks when you hear about it all. Especially for someone like me who only takes the time to learn this stuff or really even acknowledge it once I am travelling & immersed in a place. I knew nothing about the history of SA or the apartheid – an embarrassing statement to make, but a true one.
Anyway, it’s not all doom & gloom! :0) After the baby shower we headed a bit further down the peninsular to Simon's Town which is where we were staying for the night. It’s the naval base of Cape Town & a lovely sleepy little town. We arrived quite late & I was exhausted. I’ve been developing some sort of cold over the last few days, so what with that & a few sleepless nights I was feeling pretty crappy & we were lucky to find a place to eat that night when we headed out after my nap!
Yesterday was an early start as we had a lot to cram in. First stop, the penguin colony at Boulders Beach. It’s basically was it says on the tin – a beach with a colony of penguins. Very smelly, but worth the trip.
Next – the drive to Cape Point which is the very end of the Cape Peninsular. A very nice coastal drive into the National Park & then vast amounts of rough land. We were even lucky enough to see a family of ostrich with a little baby – soooo cute! We took a brisk walk up the steep hill to the top to the lighthouse where the views were beautiful. A full 9,533 (or something like that) to Amsterdam!
After that we headed back to CT to catch the boat to Robben Island. Now, Robben Island – what can I say? Ok – so VERY touristy – but soooo worth the visit, especially to listen to the talk given to you in the maximum security prison by an ex prisoner. What a life he has lead. Our guide had been recruited in Angola to join & later train the armed special forces to go on secret political missions. Of course in this time he came privy to highly powerful information & was arrested whilst on a secret misson in SA & incarcerated in 1986 on Robben Island. He was sentenced to 18 years, although in the end due to negotiations by high powered associates he only served 5!
You only get to see the island from a tourist filled bus so you don’t really get the feel of things and even though there is a community living on the island made up of people working on there, it still presents an eery emptiness & humbles you when you think of the political champions & their endurance on that island.
After returning the to the mainland we got in the car & headed out to Stellenbosch – the winelands!! Oh yeah! We arrived last night – after a very stressful drive. It was only stressful once we were in town trying to find the hostel as it was pitch dark & as we found out this morning, the street names are on the floor!! Helpful!! So you can imagine the atmosphere between us what with me feeling ill & Tymon with no nicotine patch in a stressful situation! Haha!! But we finally found it, pitched the tent & found a great little pub in town where we got a stiff drink & curry!
This morning we awoke to rain as it has been getting colder but now the rain is here. We decided to chill today as it’s been a rather hectic 6 days staying in a different hostel each night & constantly on the move so we’re here for 3/4 days which is nice. I have felt like poooooo! And to my horror it’s hayfever!! So not only have I already suffered once this year in Spring in NL I have to go through it again in Spring here too!! Typical! Got some tablets so fingers crossed that should keep it at bay. I also had hardly any sleep again as my air mattress kept deflating! It’s only the second time I’ve used it so I couldn’t believe there would be a puncture but low & behold we tested it this morning & the whole bottom of the mattress was busted with holes all over the place!! So that was good money down the drain! Luckily there’s a camp store in town so we went & got another one. So fingers crossed I’ll have a better night tonight.
So that brings me up to date. I’m sitting here in the hostel, wearing my thermals as it’s bloody cold!! Tymon has just got the braai (BBQ) going & I have a bacardi & coke in hand. Later I’ll be looking at the wine estates to choose where to go tomorrow. So....I’ll write again after we’ve spent a few drunken days in the winelands!!
Go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Me.Like.Travelling
Eeehh ooohhh (African speak for anything!) Lols
x
Sunday we were invited to a baby shower! The guy who Tymon had MC’d with (Neil) is expecting his first baby in about a week & was having a family gathering in a park. We thought it was in Cape Town so didn’t think we’d have a problem when we booked tickets for Robben Island on the Saturday for Sunday afternoon. However, when we found out it was in a town called Muizenberg which is half way down the Cape peninsular we realized that we wouldn’t make it there & back in time so had to change the tickets. Thankfully they didn’t charge us extra like we had been told, & off we headed to the baby shower. It was perfect timing really as we had been planning on heading down the peninsular anyway to Cape Point.
On arrival it was a real family affair & it was so lovely of Neil to have invited us. His family were so friendly & made us feel at home immediately. It was great to be mixing with a typical South African family going about their general business. They made us feel so welcome & the mother in laws were a fountain of knowledge & information. They shared their experiences & thoughts on the apartheid & the new president & the state of SA today & how it affects their daily lives. Neil & his family are ‘coloureds.’ (You’ve got ‘the blacks’ – who are the African influx, ‘the coloureds’ – who are basically the indigenous people made up of all races due the slave trade back in the day & ‘the whites’ – the Boers who were Dutch who basically are the reason for the state of SA & its history! The European’s are single handedly to blame for the mess in SA, especially the Dutch Boers (farmers) who came with their religious beliefs that whites are the only race that should be on this planet!)
While life for Neil & his family is not hard by any means the older members certainly are inspiring & I felt privileged listening to their stories of how it was for them during the apartheid.
As the days have gone by here in SA I am becoming more & more bowled over by the fact that this country is based on race. Everything about it screams division of the races - still…so many years on. Even Tymon & I get funny looks for being a mixed race couple. While I’ve certainly seen some poverty stricken countries before when on my travels in South America, I have never come across a country so one sided in the poverty.
I have not seen one white person working. You will not find a white person working in a hostel or hotel (as a cleaner I mean), in a restaurant or in a supermarket. Nor will you will find a white person patrolling the streets looking after the cars or selling the big issue or African memorabilia at the traffic lights. They are all black or coloureds. Mostly the Africans.
Did you know that during the apartheid 14% was the amount of land in SA ‘the blacks’ were allowed to be on while they actually made up 80% of the population? Did you also know that they were made to carry around with them a Dom Pas which means Stupid Pass? I know all over the world there was a racial awakening that took many years and many fights to overcome but this, here in SA in truly unbelievable. It’s history can stop you in your tracks when you hear about it all. Especially for someone like me who only takes the time to learn this stuff or really even acknowledge it once I am travelling & immersed in a place. I knew nothing about the history of SA or the apartheid – an embarrassing statement to make, but a true one.
Anyway, it’s not all doom & gloom! :0) After the baby shower we headed a bit further down the peninsular to Simon's Town which is where we were staying for the night. It’s the naval base of Cape Town & a lovely sleepy little town. We arrived quite late & I was exhausted. I’ve been developing some sort of cold over the last few days, so what with that & a few sleepless nights I was feeling pretty crappy & we were lucky to find a place to eat that night when we headed out after my nap!
Yesterday was an early start as we had a lot to cram in. First stop, the penguin colony at Boulders Beach. It’s basically was it says on the tin – a beach with a colony of penguins. Very smelly, but worth the trip.
Next – the drive to Cape Point which is the very end of the Cape Peninsular. A very nice coastal drive into the National Park & then vast amounts of rough land. We were even lucky enough to see a family of ostrich with a little baby – soooo cute! We took a brisk walk up the steep hill to the top to the lighthouse where the views were beautiful. A full 9,533 (or something like that) to Amsterdam!
After that we headed back to CT to catch the boat to Robben Island. Now, Robben Island – what can I say? Ok – so VERY touristy – but soooo worth the visit, especially to listen to the talk given to you in the maximum security prison by an ex prisoner. What a life he has lead. Our guide had been recruited in Angola to join & later train the armed special forces to go on secret political missions. Of course in this time he came privy to highly powerful information & was arrested whilst on a secret misson in SA & incarcerated in 1986 on Robben Island. He was sentenced to 18 years, although in the end due to negotiations by high powered associates he only served 5!
You only get to see the island from a tourist filled bus so you don’t really get the feel of things and even though there is a community living on the island made up of people working on there, it still presents an eery emptiness & humbles you when you think of the political champions & their endurance on that island.
After returning the to the mainland we got in the car & headed out to Stellenbosch – the winelands!! Oh yeah! We arrived last night – after a very stressful drive. It was only stressful once we were in town trying to find the hostel as it was pitch dark & as we found out this morning, the street names are on the floor!! Helpful!! So you can imagine the atmosphere between us what with me feeling ill & Tymon with no nicotine patch in a stressful situation! Haha!! But we finally found it, pitched the tent & found a great little pub in town where we got a stiff drink & curry!
This morning we awoke to rain as it has been getting colder but now the rain is here. We decided to chill today as it’s been a rather hectic 6 days staying in a different hostel each night & constantly on the move so we’re here for 3/4 days which is nice. I have felt like poooooo! And to my horror it’s hayfever!! So not only have I already suffered once this year in Spring in NL I have to go through it again in Spring here too!! Typical! Got some tablets so fingers crossed that should keep it at bay. I also had hardly any sleep again as my air mattress kept deflating! It’s only the second time I’ve used it so I couldn’t believe there would be a puncture but low & behold we tested it this morning & the whole bottom of the mattress was busted with holes all over the place!! So that was good money down the drain! Luckily there’s a camp store in town so we went & got another one. So fingers crossed I’ll have a better night tonight.
So that brings me up to date. I’m sitting here in the hostel, wearing my thermals as it’s bloody cold!! Tymon has just got the braai (BBQ) going & I have a bacardi & coke in hand. Later I’ll be looking at the wine estates to choose where to go tomorrow. So....I’ll write again after we’ve spent a few drunken days in the winelands!!
Go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Me.Like.Travelling
Eeehh ooohhh (African speak for anything!) Lols
x
Friday, October 2, 2009
Table Mountain
Last night was a nice & relaxed evening. We came back after our walk around town familiarising ourself with the city centre & set we up a BBQ in the courtyard of the hostel (when I say we you know I mean Tymon). We went to the supermarket & brought a HUGE piece of steak - it is cheap here! I thought it was going to be expensive but it's great - we can still stick to our budget & do lots of nice things.
Last night Tymon also had his debut MC gig in SA! Lols - talk about no rest for the wicked. A friend of a friend from SA is a DJ here so he invited Tymon to go with him to MC! I didn't go with him as being typically me - I was tired & just wanted to chill. I knew it would be a late one as indeed it was. He came back at 4am this morning!! He had a good time though & said it went well. He also said that if we wanted to climb table mountain we should be up at about 7am - which considering the time wasn't going to be likely! He was also advised that we should check before heading to the mountain as if the wind was as strong as it had been yesterday it would be likely that the cable car would not run up & down & that would mean that it would be a real mega hard climb in the wind both up & down.
However when we awoke this morning it was a glorious scorcher of day & hardly any wind. We checked the website & it said there was a light wind so we decided to go for it!
It took us about 10 mins in a cab to get to the mountain trail we wanted to do & off we went. We climbed Platteklip Gorge & was told it would take anything from 1.5 hours to 4 hours (depending on how fit we are!) We aimed to make it in 1.5 hours!! :0) Within 30 secs I was deep breathing & inhaling through my nose & out of my mouth just like running. And this was nothing, Platteklip is up - relentlessly up! That's the only way to describe it. It's the most direct route to the top but as the leaflet says "It's not a route to be trifled with! The going can get tough." And tough it did get. It was soooooo hot! About 30 degrees & 40% humidity so it was a looong steep climb. But it was amazing. Hard bloody work but felt really great the higher we got & when we looked back behind us it instantly gave us the kick to keep going harder & pushing on up! And of course I was thinking of all those calories I would be burning! Tymon was pushing me all the way to keep up with his manly pace which I have to admit I was really surprised about. Considering he never works out & up until 5 days ago smoked a lot of 'doobies' - hahaha - he had quite the spring step in him!!
Finally after....1 hr 45 mins (ahh just out of our goal)we reached the top! What a moment!! The views are stunning. You first reach this little rest area & then there's another 10 mins or so of gently climbing up to the table top. On one side you can see the ocean spreading before your eyes with the sun setting (only of course if you're up there at sunset!) & the other side you can see the whole of cape town beneath you. Beautiful!
Check out the photos to see what we saw!
http://picasaweb.google.com/Me.Like.Travelling
After a little picnic on the rocks overlooking the town we headed to the bar for a well deserved beer before getting the cable car back down just before closing!
Tonight is pretty similar to last night. The taxi dropped us off at the supermarket & we got more BBQ stuff before taking the first 'precarious' night walk back to the hostel. Needless to say we were walking rather fast paced! Lols. But it was fine. We also realised that it would infact be cheaper to eat out rather than buy stuff & cook at the hostel! But Tymon needs his fire & to exercise the Bear Grills within!!
Although unfortunately he doesn't quite have the stomach of Bear Grills! We accidentally picked up some lamb sausages ( well I say accidentally - we did ask the lady in the butcher section & she said they were beef) but on putting it in his mouth he spat it straight out & said he was off to get a pizza!
So now we're just chilling, & planning where to next. We get the car tomorrow so then the real adventure begins!
Laters
x
Last night Tymon also had his debut MC gig in SA! Lols - talk about no rest for the wicked. A friend of a friend from SA is a DJ here so he invited Tymon to go with him to MC! I didn't go with him as being typically me - I was tired & just wanted to chill. I knew it would be a late one as indeed it was. He came back at 4am this morning!! He had a good time though & said it went well. He also said that if we wanted to climb table mountain we should be up at about 7am - which considering the time wasn't going to be likely! He was also advised that we should check before heading to the mountain as if the wind was as strong as it had been yesterday it would be likely that the cable car would not run up & down & that would mean that it would be a real mega hard climb in the wind both up & down.
However when we awoke this morning it was a glorious scorcher of day & hardly any wind. We checked the website & it said there was a light wind so we decided to go for it!
It took us about 10 mins in a cab to get to the mountain trail we wanted to do & off we went. We climbed Platteklip Gorge & was told it would take anything from 1.5 hours to 4 hours (depending on how fit we are!) We aimed to make it in 1.5 hours!! :0) Within 30 secs I was deep breathing & inhaling through my nose & out of my mouth just like running. And this was nothing, Platteklip is up - relentlessly up! That's the only way to describe it. It's the most direct route to the top but as the leaflet says "It's not a route to be trifled with! The going can get tough." And tough it did get. It was soooooo hot! About 30 degrees & 40% humidity so it was a looong steep climb. But it was amazing. Hard bloody work but felt really great the higher we got & when we looked back behind us it instantly gave us the kick to keep going harder & pushing on up! And of course I was thinking of all those calories I would be burning! Tymon was pushing me all the way to keep up with his manly pace which I have to admit I was really surprised about. Considering he never works out & up until 5 days ago smoked a lot of 'doobies' - hahaha - he had quite the spring step in him!!
Finally after....1 hr 45 mins (ahh just out of our goal)we reached the top! What a moment!! The views are stunning. You first reach this little rest area & then there's another 10 mins or so of gently climbing up to the table top. On one side you can see the ocean spreading before your eyes with the sun setting (only of course if you're up there at sunset!) & the other side you can see the whole of cape town beneath you. Beautiful!
Check out the photos to see what we saw!
http://picasaweb.google.com/Me.Like.Travelling
After a little picnic on the rocks overlooking the town we headed to the bar for a well deserved beer before getting the cable car back down just before closing!
Tonight is pretty similar to last night. The taxi dropped us off at the supermarket & we got more BBQ stuff before taking the first 'precarious' night walk back to the hostel. Needless to say we were walking rather fast paced! Lols. But it was fine. We also realised that it would infact be cheaper to eat out rather than buy stuff & cook at the hostel! But Tymon needs his fire & to exercise the Bear Grills within!!
Although unfortunately he doesn't quite have the stomach of Bear Grills! We accidentally picked up some lamb sausages ( well I say accidentally - we did ask the lady in the butcher section & she said they were beef) but on putting it in his mouth he spat it straight out & said he was off to get a pizza!
So now we're just chilling, & planning where to next. We get the car tomorrow so then the real adventure begins!
Laters
x
Thursday, October 1, 2009
We're Here
Yesterday was such an odd day. I can't really explain how I felt. I was a bit numb I guess which is the best way to describe it. Like walking in water. Everyone kept saying "oh you must be so excited" but in all honesty I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel like later that night I would be getting on a plane & flying to South Africa to begin the trip.
Even at the airport it was like we were going on holiday for a week or two, or flying back to Holland.
But low & behold after a long, extremley turbulent & sleepless flight we stepped on Sefrican soil at 8am this morning.
It's been a beautiful day, if a little on the windy side, & table mountain looms above us & around us at every angle it seems.
The cab ride into town took about 20 mins & we passed several townships (the SA shanti towns) but it was not like I was expecting. Not as bad I guess & nothing compared to the likes of Brazil for example. They're working hard building houses for the people so there's a lot of building work going on as well as work for the World Cup next yr.
To be honest we've not really seen much yet. We took a walk today along Kloof Street & Long Street which again were not really what I have been expecting. I think I thought it was going to be a lot more lively - a bit like the strip in Magalluf or something, but it seems quite nice & civilised. I have to admit also that it's not as scary as I thought. I mean don't get me wrong there are several hustlers on the street but it doesn't feel overly dangerous. But we're still a little nervous as we're expecting it all the time. Tymon says he curious as to whether they mug with you with guns or knives...I hope we don't find out!
So not a very exciting post - just to say we arrived safely & it feels very stange to say that we're in Cape Town!
First picks of the leaving parties are on. Click the link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Me.Like.Travelling/LeavingParties?feat=directlink
Laters...
Even at the airport it was like we were going on holiday for a week or two, or flying back to Holland.
But low & behold after a long, extremley turbulent & sleepless flight we stepped on Sefrican soil at 8am this morning.
It's been a beautiful day, if a little on the windy side, & table mountain looms above us & around us at every angle it seems.
The cab ride into town took about 20 mins & we passed several townships (the SA shanti towns) but it was not like I was expecting. Not as bad I guess & nothing compared to the likes of Brazil for example. They're working hard building houses for the people so there's a lot of building work going on as well as work for the World Cup next yr.
To be honest we've not really seen much yet. We took a walk today along Kloof Street & Long Street which again were not really what I have been expecting. I think I thought it was going to be a lot more lively - a bit like the strip in Magalluf or something, but it seems quite nice & civilised. I have to admit also that it's not as scary as I thought. I mean don't get me wrong there are several hustlers on the street but it doesn't feel overly dangerous. But we're still a little nervous as we're expecting it all the time. Tymon says he curious as to whether they mug with you with guns or knives...I hope we don't find out!
So not a very exciting post - just to say we arrived safely & it feels very stange to say that we're in Cape Town!
First picks of the leaving parties are on. Click the link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Me.Like.Travelling/LeavingParties?feat=directlink
Laters...
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