I guess when a person is travelling, what they most want to experience is the essence of a place. To my mind that includes the people, language, food, architecture, history, landscape, fauna and flora.
In the picture is what I consider the ugliest building in Cape Town. It’s called the Good Hope Centre. It looks as if someone tried to copy the Sydney Opera House.
Why they would want to do that when we have such beautiful Cape Dutch architecture to draw from I will not know. But then, back in the day, the Sydney Opera House went down like a lead balloon. As did the glass pyramid addition to The Louvre.
Cape Dutch architecture is unique to the Cape. South Africa has some fine British style architecture from various periods, as would be expected of a colony. Herbert Baker stamped his mark here. And then there are the traditional huts. They vary in style from region to region. Mud, grass, painted, not painted, rounded, square, and so on. The style is usually an indicator of the people living in the region. I got bitten by a tick sleeping in a Swazi hut some time back but they are cute and cozy. Informal shacks can also be seen in and around Cape Town. Many of the residents have permanent homes back in the Eastern Cape and make temporary homes as there is more work in the Western Cape. Look out for them coming in from the airport.
And then for some reason South Africans have gone berserk for Tuscan style homes. Less so in the Cape but huge in Jozi. Whole faux Tuscan villages exist. A bit overly themed for my liking but hey, some people love it.
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
I can’t help but always make references back to my home. My trip to the Shetland Islands, in the picture, was no different. The first thing I didn’t know was that the Shetland archipelago consists of over 100 islands of which only 15 are inhabited. And that doesn’t take into account the other Scottish islands such as the Hebrides to the west or islands in other parts of Scotland. That’s a lot of islands. The ferry services are geared up to move people, cars, cargo and even livestock back and forth.
One doesn’t associate South Africa with islands because we don’t have many. Madagascar, our neighbour, is the largest island in the area. Mozambique has a few islands and further out in the Indian Ocean are the islands of Mauritius and Seychelles.
The most famous South African island is Robben Island. So named by the Dutch after the seals or robbe found there. It has been home to prisoners and lepers since the Dutch discovered it. We also have the Prince Edward Islands of which Marion Island is one. They are close to the antarctic and are used as a weather station and for research. They are uninhabited except for the staff who manage the research done there. Maybe the fact that it rains 28 days in a month there might also have something to do with it. And then there is Seal Island off False Bay. It’s pretty much a big rock full of seals and birds. Nice to see at a distance, a bit smelly close up.
British newspapers and TV news regularly report the death of yet another soldier in Iraq. It seems as if every other day there is another casualty in this war. Obama has said he intends to make good on his word to remove all American soldiers from Iraq.
Thank goodness South Africa is not part of this. Our boys are not dying in a war.
But that’s not to say we haven’t had our own troubles. Much like Ireland, during the Apartheid era we had vigilante and legitimate armies battling each other for control.
Back when the ANC was banned, they had an army known as Umkhonto we Sizwe. Which means – Spear of the Nation. MK, as they were known, had camps and bases in our neighbouring countries. Their aim was to liberate the African people.
The South African government had it’s own army and there was compulsory conscription for all white males when they completed their schooling. These young men on both sides were fighting a war on the borders. Many of those boys did not cope with the horrors of war. We all know someone who is damaged from the experience. Today both armies are one. The two merged when the ANC was unbanned and the New South Africa was created. One day the soldiers were enemies and the next they were on the same side.
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
South Africans tend to drink their beers chilled and lagers prevail. The brewing industry is pretty much monopolised by South African Breweries. They are a mighty lot. In 2002 they acquired Millers, the 2nd largest beer in the USA by volume, and relocated the brand to South Africa.
Micro breweries do exist but nothing like they do in Britain. In the photo are some of the ales found in Britain. You have got to love the names they give them. Bishops Finger, Black Sheep, Thirsty Ferret and Seven Giraffes are not unusual names.
South African beers to try are the SAB brands but you can also visit Mitchell’s Brewery at the Waterfront for one of their draughts. Our local Zulu Blonde beer won the Wetherspoons award for best beer this last year. That deserves a try too.
We have been on the move for the last week. When I first arrive somewhere else my impressions are always coloured by what I know from life at home.
First thing I noticed is that a cup of tea is half the price of a cup of coffee here in the UK. It’s the complete opposite in France. There coffee is the cheaper option. By far. Their tea comes in muslin bags. In South Africa a basic coffee and a cup of tea are similar in price.
We went into a computer store as we have been having a problem with one of the laptops. And lo! Their guy on the helpline was based in Cape Town. I wanted to speak Afrikaans on the spot. I know someone who works for a UK mortgage company in Cape Town. She does applications and deals with customers from a Cape Town office.
In the picture are the street lights in Adderley Street from the Soccer Cup.
Today is my last day in Cape Town for a while. Will be using the new R50 airport shuttle bus which I am told is just the business. It’s quick, comfortable, spacious and you roll your luggage right onto the bus. It’s also a lot cheaper than an airport shuttle services which charge up to R350 now.
The whales are doing their thing here in Table Bay. Our yoga teacher had the mast of his yacht flattened by the flick of a whale fin. Most whales here are Southern Right Whales. They are big creatures and if they decide to roll about in the water right where you happen to be, they can inflict serious damage.
