Like the cool wedding on the beach, and the amazing shanty towns on the edge of Cape Town - WOW - what a way to live!!! The sunset is here in Hermanus - sorry the pix of our room came out darker than on my Picassa! The yellow building is the guest villa we are in. Just had to add this 'cause when I went back and added the pix, there wer some I hadn't mentioned.
Keep in mind I am doing this 3rd world country style - 2 computers and a memory stick.
Tomorrow we're off to George to start our trip along the Garden Route. We will be going to the ostrich farm (to ride or not to ride is the question!!!) and a place where you get up close and personal with the big cats!!
Tom was ready to go swimming in the cage with the sharks today, but missed the boat, so to speak. By the time we found out about it at breakfast (an Aussie kid had gone yesterday - said it was quite the adrenaline rush!!) OUR GUEST HOUSE OWNER CALLED BUT THE BOAT HAD LEFT. Poor Tom, was really up for it - oh well, the ostrich ride will probably put his back out just as much!
Interesting re: safety here, the lady of the house here just told me that the beautiful paved walkway along the beach in front of our window should not be walked by a woman alone even in broad daylight.
YIKES - I was going to do that today and then had a sleep instead - sometimes you get saved. I was shocked to hear this - looks just like the path in Maui along the ocean that I walk alone every morning at 7 AM. - and the one in front of our condo in Victoria - I could not endure this lack of freedom!!
I hope the Private Game Reserve will let us relax on this being afraid of 2 legged animals - the 4 legged ones sound less dangerous!!!!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Whales in our bedroom!!!
I have told you most of the details about hermanus. These are pictures of our guest house/room, the whales right outside our glass doors - lay in bed and watch them!!
There are some pix here of the craft stalls run by the native blacks - I'll leave it up to you to guess what I bought YOU!!!!
And I must confess, I've done the same thing as the woman in White Masai - I found a gorgeous black Masaii man that I fell in love with - bringing him home - Tom is dealing well with it!!!
The pictures in the stalls have one with me and my facy-dancey headband, and one with a very niv\ce gal selling wooden stuff.
Ron, the dude in the stall with the wall hanging - weeellll, that's what I bought for you - I know your background doing your video work here makes you appreciate such an expensive piece of art.
Now, I hope the pix come through - I am doing this on the house computer and trying to transfer my pix on an info stick from Picassa2.
If it screws up, at least this post lets you know I am alive. Please send me emails - I can get them!!! I am homesick - miss my friends and Canadian freedom!
I'm Back!!!!!!!!
And it hasn't been easy, but I am dedicated to you all!! It has been a total bugger to get wireless to work even at guest houses that say they have wireless! The first place in Cape Town was awful to get any connection.
We are now in a wonderful seaside resort town called Hermanus. It is gorgeous, and we are staying at the Hermanus Beach Villa Guest House - take a look: http://www.hermanusbeachvilla.co.za/
Our suite is deluxe. I am having trouble with connecting in my room, so the wonderful owners who I find much more hospitable and helpful than the ones in Cape Town are letting me do this in their office.
I have finally warmed up - the weather changed today and I actually wore a t-shirt and capri pants today. Last night was cool (no central heating again) but they put a hot water bottle in your bed at night, and have an electric blanket.
The scenery is amazing! More in my next post!
We are now in a wonderful seaside resort town called Hermanus. It is gorgeous, and we are staying at the Hermanus Beach Villa Guest House - take a look: http://www.hermanusbeachvilla.co.za/
Our suite is deluxe. I am having trouble with connecting in my room, so the wonderful owners who I find much more hospitable and helpful than the ones in Cape Town are letting me do this in their office.
I have finally warmed up - the weather changed today and I actually wore a t-shirt and capri pants today. Last night was cool (no central heating again) but they put a hot water bottle in your bed at night, and have an electric blanket.
The scenery is amazing! More in my next post!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Freezing in South Africa!!!!!
I truly have never been this cold in my life!!!!! Everyday since I have been in Cape Town I wake up in the morning freezing, put on layers of many odd combinations of my summer clothes to try to stay warm all day, wear socks in sandals, looking like I just got off the boat, and wear my green fleecy that has Victoria Canada embroidered on it over my red nightgown to sleep at night!!
Let's remember, that I am below the equator here! The "unseasonably" cold rainy weather continues. It isn't slightly raining, it is raining so hard that building an ark has crossed my mind.
Up this morning and when some blue sky and sun appeared we decided on an adventure day/drive. We drove the Western Peninsula around Cape Town. This included going to the Cape of Good Hope.
This was a place I was really looking forward to because I am a huge reader of "sailing on difficult sea adventures" books. I started a book just before I came by the title of Cape Hope - One Man's Dream, A Wife's Nightmare! I have read soooo many books on the terror of sailing around this big hunk of rock where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean - very cool (meant both ways!!!).
Today we saw a pod of 6 HUGE whales VERY close to shore - Tom must have shot 100 pix in rapid succession, CNN style. We also went to a shorleine famous for its penquins - too cute - I really think parrot Togo wouldn't mind if I brought one home. But they stink - we got up really close to them and the holes they live in - stinky!!
The most outrageous thing I loved was seeing all the baboons running around at the ocean at Cape Hope. They are nasty, mean animals, but I think they are cute. It's spring, so there were lots of babies running and tumbling around playing with each other!!! One mother baboon was still carrying her baby underneath her - it was tiny with fresh pink ears and clutched like death to her.
Lunched at a lovely restaurant at Cape Hope that had a very nice INTERIOR dining room, with a propane heater INSIDE (like the ones at Earls, or our deck!!), but the other 3 vetoed that idea and we dined OUTSIDE overlooking the water, where it was VERY windy, and, aside from the 5 minutes that the sun provided some warmth, bloody cold!!!!!
It took the whole day to drive the peninsula and see many interesting sites and a few shops we checked out.
Tonight we had a wonderful dinner at the beautiful home of friends of Gary & Denise. Lovely people with 3 grown sons and a daughter. Very bright, sophisticated people - very enjoyable.
And for the really SORE point - I am using their computer to write this post. I still can't get the wireless at the guest house. Had a few nasty words with the owner this morning - we were just trying to make the point that they are in the business of serving tourists from all over the world, and since we aren't paying a cheap rate, being cold was not great!!!
The guy who owns it with his wife is quite cocky. When we suggested this morning that it might be a nice convenience if they had some power converters and plugs for people from other countries, he said he wasn't there "to wipe our butts, and we were quite free to go somewhere else if we chose" - obviously graduated from some school of public relations!!!!!
The wife was really embarassed and put a portable radiator heater in our room - very nice of her. He keeps blaming MY COMPUTER for the reason I can't get on. Funny, it works at the cyber cafes, you turkey. He needs to upgrade his system!
I am sooooo frustrated about the computer - this blog was important for me to do and the pics are good. Don't know how this will resolve. Our friends are NOT big computer people so don't understand my frustrations with this.
I hope things will change when the weather changes - probably won't be until after we leave Cape Town on Friday. This all underlines what I already knew: I am very North American, have to have central heating,a plug for a hair dryer and curling iron, some tv channels (we can only get CNN on our room TV., I need to have the pleasures and conveniences of home, and next time I go to a third world country, can you spell H-I-L-T-O-N??????
Some of my friends told me this - any third world country is fun to experience if you have top level accomodations with all the North American luxuries. Some people scorn that, but I freely admit to being a person who likes creature comforts (LIKE HEAT!!!!),some luxury, room service, being able to easily take a cab (like to a cyber cafe, which is what I want EVERY stupid day now!!)I wasn't prepared for this, but Gary keeps telling me that this is a country with a 1st world infrastructure, but is a 3re world country. Gary & Denise tell us that it is too dangerous to take a cab here to go anywhere - could get mugged etc. Others say it IS safe if you use a certain company.
Gary is an awesome driver of the huge Mercedes van we have, and has given us a great tour with all info today. We have enjoyed meeting their friends. Were out at dinner last nights with friends - we found it most pleasurable to visit with their 2 20+ daughters and the finance - think I mentioned that. These kids were much more our contemporaries.
Ellen, when you told me to take my boiled wool sweater/jacket, why didn't you just go and put it in my suitcase??? Oh yeh, I remember, Tom said "we're going to Africa for shits sake, you won't need a huge boiled wool sweater - there's no room for it and you'll never wear it." Well, if I courier all my short-sleeve t-shirts and cute capri pants home, could you send my heaviest boiled wool sweater and some long johns, please - HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
I REALLY need to warm up before I am going to feel I like this country - I'm not just cold, I am freezing, as in, colder than I have EVER been at home even in the winter.
Today was fun, but I would still rather just be warm - I'm becoming obsessed with warmth - weird!!!!!!!!
Well, WARM thoughts to you all, N-J!!!!!
Let's remember, that I am below the equator here! The "unseasonably" cold rainy weather continues. It isn't slightly raining, it is raining so hard that building an ark has crossed my mind.
Up this morning and when some blue sky and sun appeared we decided on an adventure day/drive. We drove the Western Peninsula around Cape Town. This included going to the Cape of Good Hope.
This was a place I was really looking forward to because I am a huge reader of "sailing on difficult sea adventures" books. I started a book just before I came by the title of Cape Hope - One Man's Dream, A Wife's Nightmare! I have read soooo many books on the terror of sailing around this big hunk of rock where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean - very cool (meant both ways!!!).
Today we saw a pod of 6 HUGE whales VERY close to shore - Tom must have shot 100 pix in rapid succession, CNN style. We also went to a shorleine famous for its penquins - too cute - I really think parrot Togo wouldn't mind if I brought one home. But they stink - we got up really close to them and the holes they live in - stinky!!
The most outrageous thing I loved was seeing all the baboons running around at the ocean at Cape Hope. They are nasty, mean animals, but I think they are cute. It's spring, so there were lots of babies running and tumbling around playing with each other!!! One mother baboon was still carrying her baby underneath her - it was tiny with fresh pink ears and clutched like death to her.
Lunched at a lovely restaurant at Cape Hope that had a very nice INTERIOR dining room, with a propane heater INSIDE (like the ones at Earls, or our deck!!), but the other 3 vetoed that idea and we dined OUTSIDE overlooking the water, where it was VERY windy, and, aside from the 5 minutes that the sun provided some warmth, bloody cold!!!!!
It took the whole day to drive the peninsula and see many interesting sites and a few shops we checked out.
Tonight we had a wonderful dinner at the beautiful home of friends of Gary & Denise. Lovely people with 3 grown sons and a daughter. Very bright, sophisticated people - very enjoyable.
And for the really SORE point - I am using their computer to write this post. I still can't get the wireless at the guest house. Had a few nasty words with the owner this morning - we were just trying to make the point that they are in the business of serving tourists from all over the world, and since we aren't paying a cheap rate, being cold was not great!!!
The guy who owns it with his wife is quite cocky. When we suggested this morning that it might be a nice convenience if they had some power converters and plugs for people from other countries, he said he wasn't there "to wipe our butts, and we were quite free to go somewhere else if we chose" - obviously graduated from some school of public relations!!!!!
The wife was really embarassed and put a portable radiator heater in our room - very nice of her. He keeps blaming MY COMPUTER for the reason I can't get on. Funny, it works at the cyber cafes, you turkey. He needs to upgrade his system!
I am sooooo frustrated about the computer - this blog was important for me to do and the pics are good. Don't know how this will resolve. Our friends are NOT big computer people so don't understand my frustrations with this.
I hope things will change when the weather changes - probably won't be until after we leave Cape Town on Friday. This all underlines what I already knew: I am very North American, have to have central heating,a plug for a hair dryer and curling iron, some tv channels (we can only get CNN on our room TV., I need to have the pleasures and conveniences of home, and next time I go to a third world country, can you spell H-I-L-T-O-N??????
Some of my friends told me this - any third world country is fun to experience if you have top level accomodations with all the North American luxuries. Some people scorn that, but I freely admit to being a person who likes creature comforts (LIKE HEAT!!!!),some luxury, room service, being able to easily take a cab (like to a cyber cafe, which is what I want EVERY stupid day now!!)I wasn't prepared for this, but Gary keeps telling me that this is a country with a 1st world infrastructure, but is a 3re world country. Gary & Denise tell us that it is too dangerous to take a cab here to go anywhere - could get mugged etc. Others say it IS safe if you use a certain company.
Gary is an awesome driver of the huge Mercedes van we have, and has given us a great tour with all info today. We have enjoyed meeting their friends. Were out at dinner last nights with friends - we found it most pleasurable to visit with their 2 20+ daughters and the finance - think I mentioned that. These kids were much more our contemporaries.
Ellen, when you told me to take my boiled wool sweater/jacket, why didn't you just go and put it in my suitcase??? Oh yeh, I remember, Tom said "we're going to Africa for shits sake, you won't need a huge boiled wool sweater - there's no room for it and you'll never wear it." Well, if I courier all my short-sleeve t-shirts and cute capri pants home, could you send my heaviest boiled wool sweater and some long johns, please - HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
I REALLY need to warm up before I am going to feel I like this country - I'm not just cold, I am freezing, as in, colder than I have EVER been at home even in the winter.
Today was fun, but I would still rather just be warm - I'm becoming obsessed with warmth - weird!!!!!!!!
Well, WARM thoughts to you all, N-J!!!!!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
I'm In Shock!!!!!!!!!
The flying was easy - the bed pods rock!!! South African Airways is sooooo superior to Air Canada- not that that would be hard!!!
We are in Cape Town SA! It is cold and pissing rain - good job I brought only summer clothes!! It is very much like Victoria in the spring when the weather is bad.
At the last minute I threw in my jeans and jean shirt - bought an animal SA t-shirt yesterday, have it on UNDER my shirt, and that may be my uniform until we get to better weather - hopefully soon!
I am having a LOT of culture shock! Like for central heating! Also at the last minute I threw in a HOT WATER BOTTLE for Africa - sounded dumb to me too, but my grandma always travelled with one. she was from Chilly England, my grandpa from Scotland, and she was smart, so I thought I'd be smart too - thank you grandma - it saved my life last night.
The guest house in Cape Town is lovely, but absolutely freezing - a small, kinda heater, no thermostat. The bathroom ceramic tile floor is heated, and last night I SERIOUSLY considered taking my blanket and pillow onto the floor to sleep!!!
The bed is too hard, and Simon, my back isn't as good as it was! I stood in the shower this morning in hot water - Meg, I see why you do that - it was finally comfortable!!!
Worst of all for me - my f***ing computer couldn't pick up the wireless at the guest house. They're not computer people and don't understand the thing!!!
We've come to a mall, hopefully to get my computer FIXED, cause we thought it must be the computer - I didn't think it was - I've travelled all over out of the country and been able to use wireless, and it wasn't me, it is their weak, weird service.
Second day on African soil and it is going to take some culture adjustment. I thought the staff in Maui businesses were slow and not clued in - this makes Maui look like Bill Gates!!!! Maui is in the fast lane - but maybe it is just us and we haven't found the smart, fast, clued in people yet.
The fabo, young smart, clued in guys at SEATTLE coffee company got me onto their wireless - but they are young and in the groove. I am sitting in a hot, small back room in a tiny coffee place with a lot of noise - nice to be hot though!!!!
Wanted to get a blog post off so that you didn't think we were faking coming. Hope my next post is a bit more positive!!
I REALLY REALLY REALLY wish Laura was along with us - she "gets me" more than even Tom, and she is so fast and quick and bright, that in these situations she makes me laugh and see the humour in disaster - I NEED HER!!!!
Meg, you may be the only one understanding my problems!!!! Ron, "Happy Ass" is not happy - bet you're sorry I can't call, huh?????
Welcome to Africa!
We are in Cape Town SA! It is cold and pissing rain - good job I brought only summer clothes!! It is very much like Victoria in the spring when the weather is bad.
At the last minute I threw in my jeans and jean shirt - bought an animal SA t-shirt yesterday, have it on UNDER my shirt, and that may be my uniform until we get to better weather - hopefully soon!
I am having a LOT of culture shock! Like for central heating! Also at the last minute I threw in a HOT WATER BOTTLE for Africa - sounded dumb to me too, but my grandma always travelled with one. she was from Chilly England, my grandpa from Scotland, and she was smart, so I thought I'd be smart too - thank you grandma - it saved my life last night.
The guest house in Cape Town is lovely, but absolutely freezing - a small, kinda heater, no thermostat. The bathroom ceramic tile floor is heated, and last night I SERIOUSLY considered taking my blanket and pillow onto the floor to sleep!!!
The bed is too hard, and Simon, my back isn't as good as it was! I stood in the shower this morning in hot water - Meg, I see why you do that - it was finally comfortable!!!
Worst of all for me - my f***ing computer couldn't pick up the wireless at the guest house. They're not computer people and don't understand the thing!!!
We've come to a mall, hopefully to get my computer FIXED, cause we thought it must be the computer - I didn't think it was - I've travelled all over out of the country and been able to use wireless, and it wasn't me, it is their weak, weird service.
Second day on African soil and it is going to take some culture adjustment. I thought the staff in Maui businesses were slow and not clued in - this makes Maui look like Bill Gates!!!! Maui is in the fast lane - but maybe it is just us and we haven't found the smart, fast, clued in people yet.
The fabo, young smart, clued in guys at SEATTLE coffee company got me onto their wireless - but they are young and in the groove. I am sitting in a hot, small back room in a tiny coffee place with a lot of noise - nice to be hot though!!!!
Wanted to get a blog post off so that you didn't think we were faking coming. Hope my next post is a bit more positive!!
I REALLY REALLY REALLY wish Laura was along with us - she "gets me" more than even Tom, and she is so fast and quick and bright, that in these situations she makes me laugh and see the humour in disaster - I NEED HER!!!!
Meg, you may be the only one understanding my problems!!!! Ron, "Happy Ass" is not happy - bet you're sorry I can't call, huh?????
Welcome to Africa!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Thanks God We're Off!!!
YIKES - it's 3:00 PM and Laura will be here at 4:30 to pick us up.
Now, the fun begins - if being locked in a metal tin can for 22 hours can be called fun!!!!
I was packed last weekend, I packed Tom on Monday (I know, I need a wife like me!!) and we have been very organized and calm. Even went to the Faculty Club for dinner last night - really chilled!!!
Well, except for the suitcase Nazi! That would be Tom! My gawd, I made the worst mistake.
When I was at McLaren's Luggage (the best luggage store in town - say hi to Dave!!) I bought a new case, some accessories, and, stupid me, a neat little hook and scale gizmo that WEIGHS YOUR SUITCASE!!!!
Crap, had I known where that would go I wouldn't have toched it. On Thursday night, my suitcase all zipped up, Tom "steams" up to me it INFORM me that my case is 72 pounds - we are allowed 70 in business!!!! So crucify me - we are actually allowed 3 checked bags totalling 150 pounds - 2 pounds, big friggin' deal!!!!
Nope, the stress of leaving the business when the market was PLUMMETING down got to him, and it came out in the weigh scale!!!! Now that the market in down 1,000 points, it has been hell here.
For 2 days Tom has just walked around and weighed every damn case as it was packed. Laura was here last night and had to calm Big Daddy down!!!
Her suggestion - why don't you take one of the 50 suitcases you have in the basement, put all the gift crap you are taking over in it, lighten your cases CONSIDERABLY, and then chuck it there if you have to!!!!
That's my girl - from my gene pool! It worked wonderfully - took the extra weight off and I thought everyone was sooooo happy!!!
Today has been bedlam again - first Togo has gone to The Spa - that would be the vet clinic, for $30 a day (anyone want this job - it is a hell of a lot of money for a month!!) and Tom RE-WEIGHTED EVERYTHING - the boy has to settle down!!!!!
All is done, I'm calm, Laura is laughing hysterically at us, but tearing up a bit - we are very close and miss each other a lot. That's what phones are for - what the hell - so I have to call her a lot - only $$$$$$$!!!!!!
First to Heathrow - about 8-9 hours, we have a day room at the Hilton at terminal 4 for the day tomorroow (get the London tomorrow morning) and then tomorrow evening get on South African Airways for the 13+ hours to Capetown!!
I am ready to kill the cabin crew after 7 hours from Van. to Maui - this is like doing that trip and turning around and coming back to Van. - YIIIIKES - no telling what I will morph into after all that time.
But we have beds in bussiness - YUP BEDS - so maybe we'll survive!!!! Gotta go get dressed. Please remember us in your prayers (sign of anxiety???)
I have 5 rosaries with me, the 20 religious medals my dad gave me are pinned to my bra (will be interesting in security - hell, I'll just pull up my shirt and show them!!!) and I will be saying a LOT of Hail Mary's!!! I'm a rebel Catholic until I have surgery or travel, then I am hard core.
Here we go - oh no - Tom just walked down the hall with the weigh scale..............
Now, the fun begins - if being locked in a metal tin can for 22 hours can be called fun!!!!
I was packed last weekend, I packed Tom on Monday (I know, I need a wife like me!!) and we have been very organized and calm. Even went to the Faculty Club for dinner last night - really chilled!!!
Well, except for the suitcase Nazi! That would be Tom! My gawd, I made the worst mistake.
When I was at McLaren's Luggage (the best luggage store in town - say hi to Dave!!) I bought a new case, some accessories, and, stupid me, a neat little hook and scale gizmo that WEIGHS YOUR SUITCASE!!!!
Crap, had I known where that would go I wouldn't have toched it. On Thursday night, my suitcase all zipped up, Tom "steams" up to me it INFORM me that my case is 72 pounds - we are allowed 70 in business!!!! So crucify me - we are actually allowed 3 checked bags totalling 150 pounds - 2 pounds, big friggin' deal!!!!
Nope, the stress of leaving the business when the market was PLUMMETING down got to him, and it came out in the weigh scale!!!! Now that the market in down 1,000 points, it has been hell here.
For 2 days Tom has just walked around and weighed every damn case as it was packed. Laura was here last night and had to calm Big Daddy down!!!
Her suggestion - why don't you take one of the 50 suitcases you have in the basement, put all the gift crap you are taking over in it, lighten your cases CONSIDERABLY, and then chuck it there if you have to!!!!
That's my girl - from my gene pool! It worked wonderfully - took the extra weight off and I thought everyone was sooooo happy!!!
Today has been bedlam again - first Togo has gone to The Spa - that would be the vet clinic, for $30 a day (anyone want this job - it is a hell of a lot of money for a month!!) and Tom RE-WEIGHTED EVERYTHING - the boy has to settle down!!!!!
All is done, I'm calm, Laura is laughing hysterically at us, but tearing up a bit - we are very close and miss each other a lot. That's what phones are for - what the hell - so I have to call her a lot - only $$$$$$$!!!!!!
First to Heathrow - about 8-9 hours, we have a day room at the Hilton at terminal 4 for the day tomorroow (get the London tomorrow morning) and then tomorrow evening get on South African Airways for the 13+ hours to Capetown!!
I am ready to kill the cabin crew after 7 hours from Van. to Maui - this is like doing that trip and turning around and coming back to Van. - YIIIIKES - no telling what I will morph into after all that time.
But we have beds in bussiness - YUP BEDS - so maybe we'll survive!!!! Gotta go get dressed. Please remember us in your prayers (sign of anxiety???)
I have 5 rosaries with me, the 20 religious medals my dad gave me are pinned to my bra (will be interesting in security - hell, I'll just pull up my shirt and show them!!!) and I will be saying a LOT of Hail Mary's!!! I'm a rebel Catholic until I have surgery or travel, then I am hard core.
Here we go - oh no - Tom just walked down the hall with the weigh scale..............
Who is Khuluma Umfazi?
I meant to tell you about this on my first post, but I was so freaked just trying to get it working that I forgot!!
So, is she a black South African woman that we are going to visit in Zululand? No, but the Zulu thing is close!
Her picture is here (not that I was wanting you all to have my picture - I just need picture posting experience so that I won't get upside down ones again!!!!)
Yup, it's me N-J, but I needed a name much more exotic than my present "formerly Marilyn Monroe's" name. In my first blog I told you that in Scotland I am known as a "Bletherer" - person who loves to talk - and does a good job of it, I must say!
Sooooo, Khuluma Umfazi is (loosely translated) the zulu words for "Talking Woman" - fits, doesn't it????
Ooooh, Aaaaw, comments on the pic accepted - cheap shots on my talking also accepted!!!!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)