HIGHLIGHTS OF SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA

Friday 23rd: Table Mountain
Table Mountain had lured me...... it was a magnificent central feature to this city. Like all great cities, this one had a stand out feature and at 1,087 meters it certainly stood high and proud over this city. I decided the time had come to scale it. I fully intended walking it but the cable car seemed so much easier and alluringJ. I had seen various road signs pointing out the direction of the cable car on M62 so checked my map(s) and set off from my hotel in the centre of town. Only 3-4 km so should be easy!!!!! Did not count on the M62 be a gradual then severe ascent? The cable car was set at 302m and I thought that easily attainable but I was not used to walking in these temperatures. When I arrived at a Visitors Centre I was soaked in sweat and was still a way off from the cable cars, but undeterred I forged ahead. When I got to the cable cars I was fairly tired but delighted to finally be here. And then I realised that the cable cars were closedLLL. I had walked all this way, 1¾ hours, only to be told that it was too windy and cold at the summit and there would probably be no access todayLLL. It was just breezy at the cable car terminal but another +700 meters it was meant to be blowing a gale. Our safety was paramount and to be fair it seemed the South Africans were not interested in just taking your money but also wanted to ensure you got value for money.
Well the only redeeming fact was that I was overlooking a lovely sprawling city as well as Lion’s Head and Rump (Signal Hill). Camera at the ready – click click clickJJJ. I also realised from the road signs on the walk up that there were routes to Camps Bay – supposedly an excellent beach - and up to Lion’s Head / Signal Hill. My trip had not been totally in vain as I had learned more about the geography of this city and had a really good bit of exercise. I must have stayed up there about an hour just taking in the majesty of this mountain. To be fair it is only the size of Snowdon and far smaller than Ben Nevis – facts that surprised me as I expected it to be far higher, but it is so much more impressive than both. Partly because it is so close to the ocean and far more accessible or just that I was in a lovely warm country and having a fabulous time rather than standing in freezing cold Wales or Scotland looking at a big hill? I don’t know what it was but Table Mountain was impressive from only a third of the way up and I could not wait to scale the remainder, but that would be for another day.....

Week 2: Sunday 25th January à Saturday 31st January
Sunday 25th – Robben Island
My first excursion whilst here and well worth it. Robben Island is 11km from V&A dock, although its closest proximity to the mainland is only 7km. So a 20 minute ride on a boat, where we had a video to watch re: Robben Island and the boat.
We were met at the dock by some coaches and our guides for a tour of the island which came in two parts. The first part was a short drive around the island escorted by Johnny our driver and guide. He was an interesting chap. An ex-resident who was careful in thought and speech. He showed us the sights of the island apart from the prison which is what we wanted to see above all else for obvious reasons. He set the scene and explained some of the history of the island; the demographics and important buildings i.e. his ex-home!!!! Once we had seen various buildings, birds and shorelines it was onto part two of the tour and time to leave Johnny. Our next guide (did not get his name) was an ex-inmate of the prison and he would gave us a thought provoking insight into life in the prison; what category of prisoner dwelt in each cell block. The cramped conditions must have been awful and I was amazed an ex-inmate would want to go back and recollect stories etc. Our guide was interesting and got us to where most wanted to be – Mandela’s cell block and his cell. Whilst walking around I had a brief chat with our guide and questioned him about how it felt to come back in a professional capacity and his feelings. He was not bitter and did not regret anything he did which resulted in him being locked up. He even found it somewhat therapeutic going back and facing what must have been some of his darkest days. Nevertheless, he was well balanced in thought and I respected him for his beliefs and convictions (terrible pun I know).
My final night in 5 * luxury; I watched two games of football on television and relaxed. I would miss this but it was expensive and I had to return to reality at some stage and the hostel looked very nice when I first visited it back on the 18th. I was worried about sharing a dorm with strangers. Partly because I am not a great mixer / socialiser and partly because I had a lot of valuable electronic equipment with me that I was very worried about losing. Oh well tomorrow is another day and another chance for new experiences.


Monday 26th – Arrive at the Backpackers & African Travel Centre
Time to move from luxury to..........................a hostel and all that entailed. The dorms were something I dreaded and when I got to The Backpackers I succumbed to the lure of a private single room. In retrospect it would have been better to share with strangers as I would have been forced to be more sociable, but I chose the easy option – CHICKEN!!!!! It was not expensive either and as The Fountains Hotel had undercharged me – charged me for seven not eight nights and left the laundry costs off as well, I was flush and decided that a single was the best option.
My room was called Penguin; it had a comfortable single pine bed, a table, dressing table /chest of drawers, ceiling and stand alone fans plus a safe. Showers and toilets were all communal – I could have opted for the single with en-suite but the price was starting to get restrictive so communal it had to be.
The actual hostel itself looked very nice. Complete with pool table, DSTV (S.African version of SKY so that I could watch English Football) and a small swimming / plunge pool.
I got all my stuff sorted and decided to see how far away the V&A was from my new home. Judging by the map, it looked a fair bit further and it certainly was; but I keep complaining about my waistline and lack of activity, so here was a chance to extend my walks and being fair walking around this city was far easier than Paris, Roma, Barcelona or London.

Wednesday 28th –Table Mountain
Usual routine then checked the weather – it was clear blue skies and only the faintest of breezes so I thought today would be the day I finally reached the top of Table Mountain. The walk to the cable car was 1½ à 2km shorter from The Backpackers than from The Fountains, so a far easier amble. It was a warm day again – most had been 26-28 degrees Celsius – so I expected to sweat and duly obliged!!!!! After just over an hour and a quarter, I reached the cable car junction and again it was closed. I could not believe itLLL. True it was a bit breezy but that extra 700 meters obviously makes a lot of difference. The big difference this time though was that the officials in charge said to form an orderly queue as the weather was improving and there was a chance that we could go up within the hour. True to their word we did indeed get to the summit within an hourJJJ. The cable car was large enough to hold 65 people. My first thought was that with so many crammed inside the views would be restricted but the company responsible for constructing the cable car had a cunning plan. The floor rotated, so that in the time it took, to raise you c700 meters to the summit, you actually completed a full rotation of the cable car and had seen the panoramic views from every angle possible – ingeniousJ.
The first thing that hit me once at the top was ................ the wind. It was freezing!!!! I had been warned it can be a few degrees cooler than at sea level but this was ridiculous. But worse than that was the breeze - it had turned into a force 5million gale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok an exaggeration but you get my point. Undeterred it was time to take in the views on offer and get Mr Nikon clicking again. The best thing about being so high up was that I finally got an appreciation of just how big this mountain was and that there were so many parts to it. The mountain forms just a small part of Table Mountain National Park which stretches all the way to the Capes at the southern tip of this peninsula. Maclears Beacon is the highest point at 1087meters, 22 above the cable car, not that you notice it from the ground or at the summit. The plateau is obviously the main part and the part that is photographed more often than not but there are so many facets. Devil’s Peak and The Twelve Apostles are also spectacular. In fact from Camps Bay you get a far better view of the Twelve Apostles but from here at least you learn that they exist, because from Cape Town, city centre and the V&A Waterfront they are pretty well hidden. You can also see The Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point on a clear day; they were visible today - just. There are three different walks to follow and at 10am and noon there is the chance to go on a guided tour. I went it alone – I know you’re shocked at that very surprising news!!!!! I had a small map with the gratis leaflet I was given on paying my cable car costs. So off I went in very blustery conditions which did actually have a great bearing on events. The walk was easy but I wanted photos from various precipices and from all sorts of weird and wonderful angles but it was just not possible as I was too chicken to go anywhere near the edges for fear of being blown over the edge. Now I know I have jumped out of a plane at 10,000 feet during this adventure but looking over a cliff some 2,000 feet with no safety harness, ropes etc was far scarier. The scariest spot without any question was Platikipps Gorge. Sheer and nothing to stop you falling 700 meters!!!!!!!!!!! One brave, or was that foolish, chap actually got to the edge but his girlfriend was not impressed by his heroics!!!!! There were also two Brazilian sisters, who were also quite daring and I volunteered to take a few photos for them and they reciprocated. I walked the entire way around the plateau in over an hour and it was not only great for its views, but there was wildlife here too. Butterflies and lizards a plenty. With butterflies come flowers and the word Proteas, which I associated with the Rugby Union team, was given new meaning. It is in fact a beautiful flower. There were also descriptions of the views and a little about the geography of the mountain. No guides needed just 10 information boards, a map and I was as happy as LarryJ. Ok I was freezing by the time I had got all the way around but it had been well worth it. Another tourist spot visited and another crossed off of my list of things to do in South Africa.

The next few days were very quiet, as I geared up for what I would only describe as the main reason I came to South Africa – cage shark diving with Great Whites. Car was arranged and I decided to just chill out, some more. It was really quite addictive doing nothing although some of my colleagues would probably say I had been on such an addiction for years!!!!!!




Week 3: Sunday 1st February à Saturday 7th February
Sun 1st – Cage Shark Diving
Was due to be picked up at 5.30am and for the first time since I had arrived in Africa, my lift was late!!!!!!!! Well it had to happen eventually but 40 minutes late was excessive in my humble opinion, especially when dealing with such an early start time!!! Oh well, a bad start but I got in the people carrier to be welcomed by another looney who wanted to swim with these terrifying animals. David was a young lad with a biology degree and a fascination for marine animals. He was pleasant and chatty and we got on well. Onto Camps Bay where we collected Ian; a travel agent by trade and another very well travelled and interesting guy. Incidentally the only person I had ever met who had been to Kazakhstan and he even said it was his favourite place in the world – now there’s a recommendation for you intrepid travellers. Next were Siegfried and his lovely girlfriend Tessa. They were Dutch and as with most Dutch people spoke better English than the English!!!!! And finally to the Westin Grande in Cape Town where we collected an Asian couple from Durban, who were on honeymoon. What a weird way to spend your honeymoon – possibly getting eaten by the world’s most feared and dangerous animal. All aboard the people carrier so it was onto Gaansbai, Dyer Island and shark alleyJ. Obviously we chatted about our love of sharks on the journey down and especially about how we were feeling. All apart from me were a little scared. That’s not being macho or anything; agreed I was nervous but never scared throughout the entire day, even when I did come face to face with a beastie......laters......
It took about 90 minutes to get to our destination where we were offered breakfast. That’s it fatten up the tourists before feeding them to the sharks. In fact the guys who were in charge of our boat had great t-shirts with a picture of a great white and an inscription saying “Where are the tourists – the last one tasted great!!!” All monies paid up in full and I even bought an underwater camera for this expedition.
The head man – Rosie, not his real name – was a great laugh and a veritable feast of knowledge about sharks and the locale. We chatted for a while and he was not only very interesting but also very amusing. He, and his crew, made us all feel relaxed and comfortable during our stay on his vessel.
After about an hour I decided to do a bit of sunbathing on the front of the boat and after only a short while I heard cries of “Shark!!!!!” My first sighting was very brief and it as only a tiddler, 2½-3 meters. He disappeared as quickly as he arrived but returned within a few minutes. Rosie asked for the first seven volunteers and I was too lateL. Desperately wanted to get in but had to wait my turn. Then Rosie decided to turn away the Indian chap from Durban – another honeymooner – idea was that honeymooners would dive together, so I was in chosen to make up the numbers as and part of the lucky first group to get in. Had been a long time since I had worn a wetsuit and had forgotten how snug they were. I eventually managed to get my enormous calves and thighs into the wetsuit and was ready for my dive with my favourite water based animal. I was joined by Siggy and Tess so in we got. Tess was quite apprehensive but once in was cool. The shark reappeared and swam passed the cage – close enough to look into his cold unnerving black eye!!!!! He was as close as was possible and it was an amazing feeling to be so close to the world’s greatest predator. Not scarey at all – was this because he was small or that the cage was between us and five rows of razor sharp teeth made us feel exceedingly safe? Whatever it was, it was an exhilarating experience and I had achieved another of my lifetime ambitions!!!! We remained in the very cold water for a while and waited patiently for the shark’s return but it seemed he had gotten bored with us was off to do some tourist spotting elsewhere. Hence we were advised to get out of the cage and sit on the edge – rather that than freeze. We needed patience and were duly rewarded. A far larger - 3½ to 4 meter specimen appeared out of the murkJ. In we got for more swim pasts and excitement. The crew do bait the shark and use it to get him near us which is a bit fake but we wanted to be up close to a Great White and this was the only safe way. We had 20 minutes with him swimming this way and that, after which he swam off. Out of the cage and big smiles all round. Everyone on the boat wanted to know what it was like and we all were speechless!!!! It is extraordinary but not scarey at all. A bit like the sky dive, it was an unreal experience that had to be savoured and if you let fear get in the way the experience would be diminished. Rosie said we could keep our wet suits on as there could be another opportunity for a dive once everyone had been in but I was more than happy with what I had witnessed and decided to watch from on deck. This actually gave me the chance to chat to a Turkish lad, living and working in The Cape. He was an experienced diver and had actually free dived with Great Whites. He was very interesting and I could now appreciate why he was not scared of free diving with these supposed monsters. We are not part of their natural food chain and it is only inquisitiveness that draws them to us. If we are not threatening to them and fully understand their body language etc it can be possible to free dive with these animals but I will wait a while before I try it!!!!!
The next seven prepared to dive and this included David and Ian. They got really lucky in that their shark decided to thrash about whilst trying to extract the meat from the hook. It thrashed about right next to their cage and we thought we got an excellent view from the deck but their view must have been tremendous. In hindsight the lads informed us that all they could really see was lots of white water and bubbles and although they knew what was happening it seemed we had a better view from on deck.....but obviously not the excitement of being a few inches from a thrashing and feeding shark!!!! After this the day was fairly quiet and the sharks lost interest in us, soothe crew decided to take us seal spotting off Dyer Island and to see Shark Alley for real –we had actually just spotted sharks in the bay not shark alley. A short cruise out to sea and that unforgettable stench of seal!!!!!!! Yes they are cute and graceful as they frolicked in the sea but the stench is terrible. Half an hour was enough and soon we were back on shore watching the DVD the crew had filmed during our trip. Everyone bought a copy as it is something you cannot describe but I also wanted proof for the sceptics who thought I would never do this..... the DVD will be available later this year after my sister and a close friend have seen it!!!!!
Got back to the hostel and decided to have a Basil Pesto fettuccine which was a big mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday 2nd
Sick as a parrot – I suspected the fettuccine but obviously Dr José could not prove it. It was a day in bed – just wanted my friend here to nurse me but she was 10,000km awayL

Tues 3rd - collected car
A nice white Opel Corsa 1.4 Lite. It was absolutely basic; no air-con, no electric windows, no power steering but it was mine and thus my passport to wherever I wanted to go in The Cape. The only drawback was that my guts were in turmoil and I could not go too far. A quick tour of the streets in Cape Town and another quite night near a toilet.

Thurs 5th – Boulders Bay
I was feeling far better today so I decided to check out the False Bay area. Ultimately wanted to see penguins at Boulders Bay and was far from disappointed. Drove through some scenic countryside but again it was very windy – something I had become used to but it was very annoying and painful. My forehead had windburn for a couple of weeks and was badly burned – wore my safari hat a lot but the burn and perpetual peeling persisted. Stopped off in Fish Hoek and Simons Town where I had a very nice lunch. Spicy calamari rings and rice!!!!
Onto Boulders Bay and those Dave Wiseman look-a-likes!!!!! There were two separate areas reserved for watching these adorable animals. One was on a small bay surrounded by boulders funnily enoughJ. They sunbathed and swam with those on the beach. Not many here but enough to whet the appetite. The second spot had far more penguins relaxing in the sun on a far larger beach. There are various species of penguin and these were African Penguins – amazing that!!!! It was a very windy day and the sand was being blown all over the place and was quite painful at times. So I did not get to spend as much time with them as I would have wanted but again a worthwhile trip.

Fri 6th – Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Most who know me would think it strange of me to want to wander around a Garden centre whilst on holiday but this place was always mentioned in glowing terms so my inquisitiveness got the better of me. Kirstenbosch was only a half hours drive north of the city and looked easy to find so off I drove. As predicted 35 minutes later I had paid my admission and was in the gardens. What makes this place exceptional are not actually the gardens themselves but its setting. It is located at the base of Table Mountain and affords new views I had not seen before. This mountain dominated the city like no other feature I have ever seen.
As for the gardens they were well laid out and I spent about 3 hours ambling around admiring the views, flora and fauna. There are plants here that were planted by Nelson Mandela and all sorts of Proteas that were unique to South Africa. There was the magical tree, which had been blown over in the winds a few years ago but the gardeners had saved although it now grew in two halves at 45 degree angles in separate directions. Bizarre!!!! There was also an otter pond but no otter – they are nosey and engaging but also like their privacy – I could be an otter!!!!!
A lovely morning, relaxing and calming which was why I was away from home after all. Definitely recommend this place to anyone whether green fingered or notJ

Sat 7th – Sunbathing at Camps Bay
I had not really done any sunbathing thus far although I did have a fair tan at this stage, due to all the topless walking around I did. As I had the car I decided and Camps Bay was definitely the best and beach near to Cape Town -15 minutes from the hostel – it was time for a day of relaxing by the sea. Camps Bay is on the other side of Table Mountain, so a drive up and over afforded great views of the mountain and coastlineJ. Camps Bay gave me a new view of Lion’s Head and the Twelve Apostles. It was a stunning place to have a beach resort. Not a big resort which made it even better but had all the facilities required i.e. bars and restaurants. I had a lovely day doing nothing apart from baking and admiring the views – countryside and female!!!! Julia was always on my mind now and I could not wait to see her again, and that stopped me from doing what comes naturally on a few occasions- god knows why because she is in a relationship after all and sleeps with Z.... Just read this and realised what a prat I am – oh well nothing new there then!!!!!!!!!! Was on that beach from 10 to 3pm and after sweating about 10kg decided enough was enough...... The location was fantastic but I needed shade from the blistering heat. This was the hottest since I had been in Cape Town, 36 degrees!!!!!!!! Even the locals said it was extremely hot, as Cape Town usually averages around 26-28 during their summer season, so this was very hot.


Week 4: Sunday 8th February à Saturday 14th February
Sun 8th – Cape Point & of Good Hope
Again I chose a Sunday for my major activity of the week. Seemed sensible as the roads were far quieter and I could escape the blistering heat. Departed the hostel at 8am and was on my way.... I had done most of the route already as it follows the same one I used to get to Boulders Bay. The scenery as per normal was exceptional down the coast road and I just kept having to stop off and take photos of the coastline. Rugged and harsh but this was the Cape of Storms, as the locals referred to the region where silky sand lined beaches were few and far between on this part of The Cape’s coastline. Nevertheless, it was amazing to see a landscape where mountains met see in such close proximity. Eventually reached Cape Point & of Good Hope entry gates and paid my entry fee. Do we have to pay to access our National Parks in England – I think not but out here you pay for everything and are expected to tip as well – more of that later!!!!!
Opted to head for the lighthouse on Cape Point first and see where that led me. This was an amazing place that made Land’s End and The Needles look pretty average – sorry England but the landscape here is so much bigger and more dramaticJ. The lighthouse is about 300m up a hill, but a footpath and steps have been built into the hill to help us old and infirm bodies!!!! Eventually go to the top after numerous stops for photos. This was a dramatic place and I can see why photographers have spent hours trying to get the perfect photo of this place. The light the coastline is all tremendous and it does not matter where you look there is always something different to catch your eye. I loved it here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was what I expected but even more soJ. At the lighthouse I did my usual trick offsetting my camera to timer so that I could take photos of myself – yes I am sooooooo vain!!!!! There was a nice American lady who was also single doing the same, so we decided to help each other out and take photos for each other. She was pleasant and we had a chat about downloading photos onto MySpace and onto memory sticks etc. This has no real significance to me but I only mention this because it has some significance later on!!!!!! I left the American lady behind after an hour on this hill and at the lighthouse. Cape Point was spectacular but there was more to come. Cape of Good Hope was in the distance and there was a walk you could do to get there rather than drive. I decided that I was here to walk the country not drive it so took the estimated 1½ hour hike to Cape of Good Hope. It actually took me a little over three hours as Mr Nikon was keen on clicking at every opportunity. There was a lovely beach in between the two Capes which I did not go on but had excellent waves for those surfer types. The views, the mist rolling in off the sea, lizards, borax, birds, proteas etc etc etc, it was a delightful stroll, even though it was now midday and +35 degrees!!!!!!!!! But what a lovely day as the wind had dissipated and you could walk without being blown off your feet. Eventually reached the Cape of Good Hope - well not exactly. I reached a vantage point well above the Cape, but within 50m. Nicola had sent me a photo of her and Alan at the CofGH and I could now see exactly where they had been. OK I was not actually at the Cape but I was extremely close and had a better view of the surrounds from up there. I fact it was a pretty scary place as there as a sheer cliff face which I would not stand on, so lay on the ground looking over the edge. Some woman in the distance started taking photos of me!!!! NO it was not the American lady from the lighthouse but some French lady who came over and said that it was a very dramatic photo and apologise for not asking to take a photo of me before doing so. It was ok by me and if her partner did not mind then so be it. She took identical photos with my camera which was nice of her and Julia and Jo have since seen these great photos. Even a silly one of me doing press ups on the cliff edge!!!!! I stayed up there for half an hour taking in the scenery etc and was so happy.
Stress – explain what that is again
Ah well as much as I would have liked to, I could not stay there forever so it was the long hike back. Did not take as long on the way back as Mr Nikon was tired!!!!!!!!!
This was definitely another highlight of my trip to Africa. The most breathtaking scenery and beautiful landscapes.
In retrospect I could have gone home now. I had achieved everything I really wanted to in Africa and was now looking forward to Bp and India. The next 10 days were pretty uneventful although I probably did not make the most of my time in South Africa which was a shame but I was relaxed, tanned and happy.

Monday 9th
Julia dumped me again. Jealousy got the better of her again!!!!!!!!!!
We were having our usual morning chat when I mentioned the American lady at the lighthouse and then suddenly she did not want me to come and visit her. She had had problems controlling the green eyed monster in a previous relationship and it was bothering her again. Her crazy decision to solve this was to break off contact with me as she cannot control her jealousy. And now she was so involved with me she was getting jealous when I mentioned another woman even if it was in total innocence. Not going into too much detail here but eventually calmed her down and we are ok now and I am still going to Budapest for a fun week.

Thursday 12th: Fish Hoek & Seals
Had not been south for a few days and as the breeze had died down I figured a trip to the beach at Fish Hoek would be a good idea. The last I was there it was blowing a gale and there was no chance of walking down the beach let alone sunbathing. Got there in good time, 10am, and went for a stroll down the beach. There were the usual joggers and old folks power walking then there was little old me just strolling along without a care in the worldJ. Ok I was starting to get lonely and very reliant on Julia again BUT I was happy as larry. Where did that saying come from? I digress, I as happy and enjoyed my stroll to the far end of the beach and back again. It was not a lengthy walk, probably only a kilometre there and obviously the same back. At the far end I stopped to take a few snaps and relax. The tide was out, the sand was golden and I did not have a care in the world apart from where was I going to put my towel for a spot of sunbathing. By noon I was back at the car, hiding my camera and retrieving my sunbathing kit. After another ice cream, I had developed a liking for the mixed chocolate and vanilla cones, I headed for a spot on the beach to relax and soak up the rays. Only stayed there a couple of hours as the tide was starting to roll in pretty quickly so decided it was time for another stroll down the beach. I like sunbathing but anything more than a couple of hours is more than enough and I get itchy feet. The walk up the beach this time was far more eventful!!!! Almost reached the far end and a strange shape lay on the each a few meters ahead. It as a dead seal pup; am no expert o such things but it looked like it had only recently died as there was no decaying in evidence, not that I spent much time being CSI Grisham!!!!! On I marched and then not only another dead seal pup but a dead penguin as well. Three dead bodies washed up since I had my initial walk this morning. Oh well I suppose it is just nature at work, no matter how harsh and upsetting. Walked on and finally got to the end of the beach where I decided to rest up on some rocks for a while. Just as I say down another seal pup, but this one was alive and kicking, or should that be waddling in their comical manner. Well into the sea it went but it did not seem to want to go out too far which would have been ok but there were quite a few dogs around and I wondered what they would make of a seal pup if they spotted it? Well my question was answered pretty quickly as one of the Labradors on the beach suddenly spotted the seal pup and headed straight for it... Alas another Labrador (chocolate) also spotted the seal pup and they made haste for the pup!!!! The owners of the dogs did not realise what was going on so, Mr Baywatch here, waded through the surf and latched onto the dogs before they had seal pup for dinner!!!! It was my good deed for the day and whilst the dog owners looked on quizzically as this stranger collared their pets once they realised I did what I did it was smiles all around. Time to head back to the car and home, aka chez Backpackers.
Good news awaited me as Julia’s search for a job had been successful at last and she was due to start on Monday 2nd March, after I had had a week with her.

Friday 13th: Big Bay
The best beaches were to be found to the north of Cape Town but the wind was extreme at times. As a result it was kite boarder territory. The beaches were sandy and golden so I decided to take another trip up there. Along the N1 then R27 to Mindleberg and over the river Diep. It was only a 30 minute drive but I found Big Bay again and this time there was only a light and warming seas breeze with no kite boarders to spoil the view. The main reason to revisit this bay was that around the rocks the seas converged and the surf covered a small spit when the tide was in but I hoped the tide was out so that I could have access to the rocks and rock pools. Fortunately the tide was out and I had access to the rocksJ. I decided to investigate the rocks. I scrambled over quite a few and sat down and admired the panoramic view. The air quality was very good today, so I could clearly see Robben Island. After a while taking in the views of the island and that mountain I decided that instead of sunbathing I would go on a walk up the beach. The beach stretched out for miles so I thought it was time for a leisurely stroll on a secluded and quiet beach. Must admit I wished Julia could have been with me but that is not possible so I just ambled along the sands and enjoyed the scenic location. Don’t know how far I walked but after an hour I decided it was time to head back.

Saturday 14th: Sterling EQ
This was a very quiet day. I was feeling a little subdued; possibly homesick and itchy feet. I had been here too long now but my itinerary meant I had to spend a few weeks here or in India and this was by far the better option. I knew there were concerts at the V&A Waterfront every Saturday and Sunday at 5pm so I decided to give it another shot. During the mid afternoon there had been a demonstration of some Korean martial art. They seemed very proficient but it was far from great entertainment. Only a couple of hours to while away, so an ice cream and seal watching was the order of the day. Again so relaxing and enjoyable. I loved the V&A; it was a far superior version of Gun Wharf or West Quay. Perhaps it was its location, with that mountain as its backdrop and the lovely warm summer sun but I was at home here and would definitely miss this place. It was vibrant without being over the top; it was not just for young backpackers who wanted to get plastered and rowdy but it catered for all sorts. At 4.30pm four rather attractive young ladies waltzed onto the stage with their instruments. This was a South African version of Bond. Both female quartets although this one different in that a violinist was replaced with a flutist, and a very glamorous one at that!!!!! If truth be told all four were rather lovely, although the flutist was gorgeous. But I was obviously more interested in the music Lol. They did a sound test for 15-20 minutes during which time the crowds’ gathers and the amphitheatre was as full as I had ever seen. Had seen a few concerts and most were dreadful – young lads playing really loud awful rock /grunge, but this was a pleasant surprise. The concert commenced at 5pm with a jazzed up version of Beethoven’s5th then some Offenbach and Mozart. They were as good as Bond although the leader – the flutist knew she was very sexy and played on it, but we are blokes and enjoyed watching her wiggle her hips!!!!! They played for 45 minutes and did not stick to jazzed up classics. Being from South Africa they played some traditional tunes as well as a couple of Latin numbers. They ended with Carmina Burana and Bach’s Toccata & Fugue, to rapturous applause. It was a thoroughly enjoyable concert and I now have their website, www.sterlingeq.co.za on my laptop favourites so that when their debut album is released on March 27th I can hopefully download a copy.

I will do a summation of my dislikes and likes later on but this should keep you going for a while.