Thursday, March 11, 2010
New Capetown Soccer Stadium
In less than 100 days, South Africa will be hosting the World Cup Soccer Championship and everywhere building and refurbishing is going on to get everything ready. Most of the activities will take place in Jo'Burg (Johannesburg), but Capetown has built a new stadium and is putting in extra bus lanes
in preparation for the games that will be held here.
in preparation for the games that will be held here.
Thatched Roofs
The most amazing sight was an area where all the houses had thatched roofs, just like in England in the Shakespeares time. The gorgeous white sand beaches here are used to train a stable of champion race horses.
Two Oceans Restaurant
The impossible happens at Cape Hope - a restaurant with low prices and excellent food - overlooking the point where the currents from the Indian Ocean mingle with the currents of the Atlantic Ocean. As an added treat, someone was having a Birthday and the staff sang Happy Birthday to her - only the song was in the tribal language Xhosa (Mandella's tribe) and it was sung in beautiful harmony with a joyful chorus
that stunned me.
As the singing continued, these birds listened in to a nearby conversation, waiting for any treats that might fall.
that stunned me.As the singing continued, these birds listened in to a nearby conversation, waiting for any treats that might fall.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
I like the guy in the background getting into the picture. Don't you love my "Viet Nam" hat? It has been a lifesaver.
The Cape's Baboon Problem
Packs of baboons roam free throughout the Cape and have become somewhat of a problem. They break into beach houses and destroy kitchens looking for food. In the short time I've been here I've run into them several times on open stretches of highways. They like to sit in the road while they are grooming, which tends to create traffic problems.
Free Range Penguins on the Cape
You just pull into a parking area and the penguins are wandering around everywhere on the shore. There is one section fenced in to try to protect the penguin nests from the tourists, but the penguins are free to roam.
Just Nuisance
This is the name of the dog who is the subject of this sculpture. He lived in the town that is a port for the South African Navy and became a mascot for them. He travelled extensively with his Navy friends and is now immortalized in this bronze sculpture.The Trip South to Cape Hope
On a typically beautiful day, Frank (my guide) and I headed
south on a circular trip aound the peninsula that ends in the Cape of Good Hope. We took the gorgeous scenic route along the east coast down and returned via the west coast. It felt like the Rt 1 trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
south on a circular trip aound the peninsula that ends in the Cape of Good Hope. We took the gorgeous scenic route along the east coast down and returned via the west coast. It felt like the Rt 1 trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco.Capetown Deja Vu
It took me a while, but I finally realized why I'm so drawn to this city. It has all the best parts of California in a small concentrated area. The beaches are California white sands.Saturday, March 06, 2010
Capetown Lion
This is as close as I have come to seeing an actual lion in Africa. It is a lovely painting that hangs in the lobby of the condo complex where I am staying. My guide Frank said that most of the Americans who come here are surprised that Capetown is an actual city and not a jungle with wild animals running throught the streets and the locals wearing loincloths. I had to admit that before coming here, I had no idea what to expect. It has been a wonderful surprise. I could easily live here.
Bok
One of the South African women on the tour was annoyingly describing how good each of the various bok tastes and the many different ways they can be prepared to eat. How can anyone eat these beautful animals? And what was she doing on a tour in a conservation park that is trying to keep these animals from becoming extinct?
Wild Animal Park in Worcester
A 2 hour drive northeast of Capetown takes you to a wild animal preserve. Getting to the safari jeeps was hindered by an elephant blocking the road.
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