Thursday September 30th, 2010
For no other reason than the fact that I can never think of good blog titles, I have titled this blog "On this day in history....", so On this day in history: We saw a variety of historical and educational sites today.
After breakfast at the B&B and a few different attempts to get money from the atm for Grandpa (finally successful), we went on a guided tour of the Bo-Kaap neighborhood, a neighborhood of cobblestone streets tucked into the fold of Signal Hill of Table Mountain. The Bo-Kaap neighborhood is famous for its streets lined with buildings that are painted in an array of bright colors. Bo-Kaap is a known as a predominatly Muslim neighborhood in Capetown, although there are Christians as well. The community members residing within the B0-Kaap neighborhood tend to be descendants of slaves, who were imported to South Africa by the Dutch, in the 1700's. The slaves tended to be from Indonesia, Java Malaysia and other areas of Asia. They were/are known as Cape Malays, although not all are of Malaysian descent. The slaves were political exiles, convicts, skilled craftsman, artisans, famous scholars and religious leaders.
We started the tour at the Bo-Kaap Museum, where we met up with our tour guide, Shereen Misbach-Habib, a member of the Bo-Kaap community, and a political activist who fought to end the apartheid. We walked through the museum with Shereen, sat and talked with her, got a ride to Shereen's car from her daughter to Shereen's car/house, drove around the Bo-Kaap nieghborhood viewing the sites, visited a cemetery in the community, stopped at Shereen's Mom's/Sister's property (restaurant, garden etc.), saw the 12 p.m. firing of the Noon Cannon and went back to Shereene's house for tea and traditional Indian food, consisting of cucumber and tomato salad with ground black pepper and sea salt, veggie samoosas, spinach balls and koeksisters (the sweet donut type dessert I have previously mentioned). We also had red grape juice and tea.
After our tour with Shereene, she dropped us off at the Jewish Holocaust Museum, which ended up being closed because of a Jewish holiday. We walked on to the South African National Gallery. The current display there is of South African art. I was glad we went there and saw it, before the display ends on Sunday. I have really found my enjoyment of art museums to be greater than I initially realized.
After the National Gallery, we walked through the Company Gardens, stopping off at the outdoor cafe for coffee and a snack. The gardens were beautiful, and seemed to be a very popular place for people to rest, work and play. The oldest tree in the Company Gardens was a pear tree, which was 300 years old. The tree was protected by a fence and had large metal braces holding it up. Grandpa, Grandma and myself all agreed that unfortunately, the tree did not look healthy.
After the gardens, we went to the Slave Lodge museum. Over 3 centuries, The Slave Lodge has had a variety of names including Government Offices Building, Old Supreme Court and SA Cultural History Museum. The Slave Lodge, is the original name of the building, and now the current name of the building. The Slave Lodge was built in 1679, and was initially a windowless, brick building.
For dinner we ate at an Asian restaurant, Chef Pon's, which had dishes from a variety of regions in Asia. I had a chicken/prawn noodle dish, Grandma had a seafood mix entree, and Grandpa had wonton soup and a prawn entree.
The night of course ended with the customary rounds of cribbage :D
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
First few days in Capetown
Well, it sure is easy to fall behind on the blog! Between putting it off, and writing blogs to only end up offline from wireless with the blog not saved, it sure does happen quick, having a few days to catch up on! So this blog will be about the past 3 days we have had in Capetown. We arrived here in Capetown Sunday night and started touring first thing Monday. After a B&B breakfast of fruit and toasted foccacia egg sandwiches, we set out in our rental car to see the sights. The first thing that immediately came up for us again, was the challenge of finding our way around in a new place, which happens to be a city with tight streets, crazy traffic and goofy pedestrians!
We started at the District 6 Museum, an apartheid history museum covering the forced removal of the black residents in the District 6 neighborhood. My favorite aspect of the museum was the story written about the racing pigeons who were let out to fly by their owner. The pigeons were set out to fly from the relocated neighborhood and did not return home as they should have, to the new location. The pigeons' owner, drove past the location of the old home (which had been bulldozed after the forced relocation), and 50 or so pigeons were sitting there, as if that was still their home.
After District 6 Museum, we set out looking for the car rental place, needing to trade in our rental car due to an ongoing problem with standing water on the left (front and back) side of the car. It was during that time, looking for the car rental place, that we decided to for go trading the car for another, and turn it in and be done with driving altogether. We reasoned that a cab would not be much more money, if any, and would be much easier and safer than trying to find our way around Capetown.
After turning in the rental car and recruiting a cab driver (John) for the week, we headed down the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (VA Waterfront). Upon arriving at the VA Waterfront, we went to the Capetown Aquarium, an impressive display to all of us. At the Aquarium, we saw impressive aquariums of both Indian and Atlantic fish, coral and marine life. We also saw a frog display, as well as the penguins. We were pleasantly surprised when the penguins came marching up the ramp we were standing on. They had security guards with them, as well as an entourage of fans following them. They were making their daily transfer from one area of the aquarium to another.
After leaving the Aquarium we went the Hildebrand Restaurant, where Grandpa had veal marsala and Grandma and I had the lunch combo of cajun chili prawn skewers, kingklip fish and malva pudding.
After lunch, we wandered around the water front, taking in the scenes and shops of the waterfront. The evening was finished up with the standard rounds of Cribbage.
Tuesday 9-28-10
We started out the day visiting the Castle of Good Hope, which was built by the Dutch in 1666 and is the oldest surviving building in South Africa. At the Castle, we came across the Social Project Art Gallery, which had some of the most amazing artwork I have ever seen in my life. We also thoroughly enjoyed the Carnival Display, which showcased the history and tradition of the annual New Year's Carnival season, which starts on Christmas Eve with the Christmas bands/choirs. The Carnival season runs until approximately March. While at the castle, we stopped into the cafe for a coffee break. Grandma and I indulged in some dessert. Grandma had lemon meringue and I had chocolate cake.
After the Castle of Good Hope, we walked to City Hall, a stunning building from the outside. We only made it into the traffic violations/court area, where a security guard told us he could help us momentarily. After sitting on a bench for a while, we decided there were other things to see, and left City Hall in search of the public library. The library was another beautiful building, both similar and different to the Port Elizabeth library, as well as libraries in the US.
After the library, we walked to the Trafalger Flower Market, a place that I was of course in awe of. There were hundreds of buckets of beautiful flowers, all waiting to be purchased. The many varieties of roses were my favorite flowers among the market.
After leaving the Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope, we stopped off at a seaside restaurant, the Blue Bell. Grandpa had hake and chips and Grandma had sole and chips. I had a seafood sampler basket of calamari, hake, crab bites and some other funny (tasted good) seafood rollup tube thingys.
After lunch, we went to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, which were well kept, stunning and beautiful. The variety and layout of the gardens was very impressive, and well accentuated by the mountains bordering the park. The gardens were serene and enjoyable, up until I got separated from Grandpa and Grandma. After a good hour of looking for them, with the help of our cab driver on the phone, I was able to track them down and we went on our way. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at the B&B.
We started at the District 6 Museum, an apartheid history museum covering the forced removal of the black residents in the District 6 neighborhood. My favorite aspect of the museum was the story written about the racing pigeons who were let out to fly by their owner. The pigeons were set out to fly from the relocated neighborhood and did not return home as they should have, to the new location. The pigeons' owner, drove past the location of the old home (which had been bulldozed after the forced relocation), and 50 or so pigeons were sitting there, as if that was still their home.
After District 6 Museum, we set out looking for the car rental place, needing to trade in our rental car due to an ongoing problem with standing water on the left (front and back) side of the car. It was during that time, looking for the car rental place, that we decided to for go trading the car for another, and turn it in and be done with driving altogether. We reasoned that a cab would not be much more money, if any, and would be much easier and safer than trying to find our way around Capetown.
After turning in the rental car and recruiting a cab driver (John) for the week, we headed down the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (VA Waterfront). Upon arriving at the VA Waterfront, we went to the Capetown Aquarium, an impressive display to all of us. At the Aquarium, we saw impressive aquariums of both Indian and Atlantic fish, coral and marine life. We also saw a frog display, as well as the penguins. We were pleasantly surprised when the penguins came marching up the ramp we were standing on. They had security guards with them, as well as an entourage of fans following them. They were making their daily transfer from one area of the aquarium to another.
After leaving the Aquarium we went the Hildebrand Restaurant, where Grandpa had veal marsala and Grandma and I had the lunch combo of cajun chili prawn skewers, kingklip fish and malva pudding.
After lunch, we wandered around the water front, taking in the scenes and shops of the waterfront. The evening was finished up with the standard rounds of Cribbage.
Tuesday 9-28-10
We started out the day visiting the Castle of Good Hope, which was built by the Dutch in 1666 and is the oldest surviving building in South Africa. At the Castle, we came across the Social Project Art Gallery, which had some of the most amazing artwork I have ever seen in my life. We also thoroughly enjoyed the Carnival Display, which showcased the history and tradition of the annual New Year's Carnival season, which starts on Christmas Eve with the Christmas bands/choirs. The Carnival season runs until approximately March. While at the castle, we stopped into the cafe for a coffee break. Grandma and I indulged in some dessert. Grandma had lemon meringue and I had chocolate cake.
After the Castle of Good Hope, we walked to City Hall, a stunning building from the outside. We only made it into the traffic violations/court area, where a security guard told us he could help us momentarily. After sitting on a bench for a while, we decided there were other things to see, and left City Hall in search of the public library. The library was another beautiful building, both similar and different to the Port Elizabeth library, as well as libraries in the US.
After the library, we walked to the Trafalger Flower Market, a place that I was of course in awe of. There were hundreds of buckets of beautiful flowers, all waiting to be purchased. The many varieties of roses were my favorite flowers among the market.
After the city centre area, we caught a cab to the waterfront area, where we took a steamboat harbor tour. The boat we were on is the only steamboat in South Africa. The engine was manufactured in St. Louis, Missouri. The engine ran at 135 rpm a minute. While out in the harbor we saw boats, seals. Specifically, we saw the boat that does the maintenance on the communication cables that are buried in the ocean.
We ate dinner at Mama Africa, a restaurant serving traditional African dishes. Mama Africa is known for it's live music, which was really high quality. Grandma had cheese and spinach pancakes. Grandpa and I had the wild game platter, which had crocodile, kudu, ostrich, springbok and venison sausage. Grandpa said the sausage was spicy and seemed similar to venison sausage in the US.
Wednesday 9-29-10
We went to see the penguin colony at Boulder, a National Park. There seemed to be at least 50-75 penguins relaxing on the beach. On our way to the Cape of Good Hope, we saw many baboons on the side of the road. They were a variety of sizes, featuring 2 little babies! Although the baboons are known to be agressive, they did not show agression towards us, although John our cab driver/tour guide informed Grandma "Mam, please roll up your window". We went onward to Cape of Good Hope (National Park). Along with Cape of Good Hope, we also went to Cape Point (in the same park). During this time, we saw wild ostrich right off the shore. At Cape Point the Atlantic Ocean is on western side and the Indian Ocean is on the eastern side. The most south western point of Africa is at the Cape of Good Hope.
After leaving the Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope, we stopped off at a seaside restaurant, the Blue Bell. Grandpa had hake and chips and Grandma had sole and chips. I had a seafood sampler basket of calamari, hake, crab bites and some other funny (tasted good) seafood rollup tube thingys.
After lunch, we went to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, which were well kept, stunning and beautiful. The variety and layout of the gardens was very impressive, and well accentuated by the mountains bordering the park. The gardens were serene and enjoyable, up until I got separated from Grandpa and Grandma. After a good hour of looking for them, with the help of our cab driver on the phone, I was able to track them down and we went on our way. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at the B&B.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Day 2 and 3 driving to Capetown and we've arrived!
Day 2-Saturday 9-25-10
Today (Day 2 of Garden Route journey) was another full day of driving, full of mounainous views and mountain driving. Breakfast at the hotel was the hotel restaurant brunch buffet. We had fresh fruit, yogurt, muesli, eggs, hash brown hotdish, sausage and cinnamon crepe rolls. When we left the hotel in Knysna this morning we set out on the highway looking for George, passing through Wilderness on the N2. George is the town where the 5th NMMU campus is located. The other 4 campuses (South, North, 2nd Ave, Missionvale) are located in the Port Elizabeth area.
For lunch we stopped at a cute roadside restaurant, the Gila restaurant, a family owned operation located in Calitzdorp. I had a salmon salad, which was probably one of the most colorful salads I have ever had. It had a variety of greens, cantalope, tomatoes, dual colored sprouts, oranges, onion, purple cabbage, and lemon. The dressing was balsamic vinegarette and oil. Grandma had chicken pie with salad and vegetables and Grandpa had a traditional Afrikaans dish, ostrich bobotie, a mild curry dish, with rice, slad and vegetables. For dessert Grandpa had chocolate cake, and Grandma and I tried some apple cinnamon fudge.
After Calitdorp, we drove onward through Ladismith and then to Barrydale. We planned to stay in Barrydale, but when we arrived there, we decided we wanted to treck on further til Swellendam, because we still enough daylight to proceed.
We stayed at the Marula B&B in Swellendam. Swellendam is the 3rd oldest town in S. Africa, behind Capetown and Stellenbosch. It is full of B&B's and restaurants. The Marula B&B is owned by a German couple, who moved from Germany 3 years ago to start a new life with the B&B. Fillip, the husband, worked in Germany as a motorcycle dealer, and said he needed a change from his work-a-holic lifestyle. His wife, Marion, was a nurse. They remodeled/own the B&B, and Fillip does motorcycle tour guiding. The B&B was absolutely stunning, with decorated with African flare, and a spacious dynamic garden yard area.
For dinner we ate at a local place in Swellendam, called the Woodpecker Deli & Pizzeria. The atmosphere was really unique and quaint. Grandma and I shared a margahreta pizza and Grandpa had pork schnitzel. After dinner, Grandma and I played our daily rounds of cribbage. Tomorrow we will be back on the road for a short jaunt to our destination of Capetown.
Day 3
Today at the B&B, breakfast was fresh fruit, yogurt and museli, toast, eggs and bacon.
After breakfast, we packed up the car and hit the road for the final stretch of driving to Capetown. While we anticipated a short stretch of distance, we did end up with a full days worth of sightseeing, driving and a large/slow traffic jam.
The driving today was less mountainous, although still a good amount, but more rolling plains and vast farmland.
From Swellendam, we drove to Bredasdorp, stopping off at the Shipwreck Museum. I found the Swedish plate money ("coins") to be the most interesting thing at the museum, as well as the extensive curio collection of antique cosmetic, pharmaceutical and beverage bottlewear.
After the Shipwreck Museum, we headed on to the southern most tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas, where we also climbed the lighthouse. As always, from what I've found, the coastlines were absolutely stunning in color and beauty.
From the southern most point of Africa, we drove on to Hermanus, best known for whale watching.We stopped off for a few minutes, and were able to spot a few whales surfacing just a ways out from the shore!
While stopped in Hermanus to see whales, I realized we had missed a call from Conifer Capetown. I called them back and let them known we were en route and getting close. Little did I realize just a ways down the road, we would come upon a series of major traffic delays.
We hit traffic coming out of Hermanus, likely because of both the Whale Festival going on in Hermanus, as well as the 3 day weekend due to Friday's national holiday, Heritage Day. The first stretch probably lasted a half hour, and I was relieved when we started to move along. Soon after we came to another jam, this one going up the mountain and then down to the bottom. We were probably sitting in that one for an hour and a half. In parts of that jam, the visibility was very low, due to heavy fog. The highlight of that traffic jam was the baboons sitting on the guardrail watching the traffic go by.
Today (Day 2 of Garden Route journey) was another full day of driving, full of mounainous views and mountain driving. Breakfast at the hotel was the hotel restaurant brunch buffet. We had fresh fruit, yogurt, muesli, eggs, hash brown hotdish, sausage and cinnamon crepe rolls. When we left the hotel in Knysna this morning we set out on the highway looking for George, passing through Wilderness on the N2. George is the town where the 5th NMMU campus is located. The other 4 campuses (South, North, 2nd Ave, Missionvale) are located in the Port Elizabeth area.
For lunch we stopped at a cute roadside restaurant, the Gila restaurant, a family owned operation located in Calitzdorp. I had a salmon salad, which was probably one of the most colorful salads I have ever had. It had a variety of greens, cantalope, tomatoes, dual colored sprouts, oranges, onion, purple cabbage, and lemon. The dressing was balsamic vinegarette and oil. Grandma had chicken pie with salad and vegetables and Grandpa had a traditional Afrikaans dish, ostrich bobotie, a mild curry dish, with rice, slad and vegetables. For dessert Grandpa had chocolate cake, and Grandma and I tried some apple cinnamon fudge.
After Calitdorp, we drove onward through Ladismith and then to Barrydale. We planned to stay in Barrydale, but when we arrived there, we decided we wanted to treck on further til Swellendam, because we still enough daylight to proceed.
We stayed at the Marula B&B in Swellendam. Swellendam is the 3rd oldest town in S. Africa, behind Capetown and Stellenbosch. It is full of B&B's and restaurants. The Marula B&B is owned by a German couple, who moved from Germany 3 years ago to start a new life with the B&B. Fillip, the husband, worked in Germany as a motorcycle dealer, and said he needed a change from his work-a-holic lifestyle. His wife, Marion, was a nurse. They remodeled/own the B&B, and Fillip does motorcycle tour guiding. The B&B was absolutely stunning, with decorated with African flare, and a spacious dynamic garden yard area.
For dinner we ate at a local place in Swellendam, called the Woodpecker Deli & Pizzeria. The atmosphere was really unique and quaint. Grandma and I shared a margahreta pizza and Grandpa had pork schnitzel. After dinner, Grandma and I played our daily rounds of cribbage. Tomorrow we will be back on the road for a short jaunt to our destination of Capetown.
Day 3
Today at the B&B, breakfast was fresh fruit, yogurt and museli, toast, eggs and bacon.
After breakfast, we packed up the car and hit the road for the final stretch of driving to Capetown. While we anticipated a short stretch of distance, we did end up with a full days worth of sightseeing, driving and a large/slow traffic jam.
The driving today was less mountainous, although still a good amount, but more rolling plains and vast farmland.
From Swellendam, we drove to Bredasdorp, stopping off at the Shipwreck Museum. I found the Swedish plate money ("coins") to be the most interesting thing at the museum, as well as the extensive curio collection of antique cosmetic, pharmaceutical and beverage bottlewear.
After the Shipwreck Museum, we headed on to the southern most tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas, where we also climbed the lighthouse. As always, from what I've found, the coastlines were absolutely stunning in color and beauty.
From the southern most point of Africa, we drove on to Hermanus, best known for whale watching.We stopped off for a few minutes, and were able to spot a few whales surfacing just a ways out from the shore!
While stopped in Hermanus to see whales, I realized we had missed a call from Conifer Capetown. I called them back and let them known we were en route and getting close. Little did I realize just a ways down the road, we would come upon a series of major traffic delays.
We hit traffic coming out of Hermanus, likely because of both the Whale Festival going on in Hermanus, as well as the 3 day weekend due to Friday's national holiday, Heritage Day. The first stretch probably lasted a half hour, and I was relieved when we started to move along. Soon after we came to another jam, this one going up the mountain and then down to the bottom. We were probably sitting in that one for an hour and a half. In parts of that jam, the visibility was very low, due to heavy fog. The highlight of that traffic jam was the baboons sitting on the guardrail watching the traffic go by.
Once the traffic got moving, we thought we would have a short final stretch into Capetown to our B&B. It was not that simple, as we got lost looking for our B&B. It may have been easier to find had we not hit the traffic jams and arrived in Capetown after dark, but that of course was not the case. After driving all over and calling the B&B a few times, we finally pulled off at the Caltex gas station and waited for our B&B host to come and get us and guide us "home". Once we arrived at the B&B, we ordered dinner from Mr. Delivery, a place that delivers food from a variety of restaurants. We had chinese-chop suey, spring rolls and chow mein. We were in bed shortly after that, tired from a full day.
The B&B we are staying at is a beautiful old Victorian 2 story home that was remodeled last year. Grandma and Grandpa are on the first floor, and I am in a room on the 2nd floor. My bedroom and bathroom and quite the tranquil retreat. I have found the decor of my bathroom and bedroom to be inspiring ideas for decorating my place when I return to the States. My bedroom is spacious, bright and relaxing. The ceiling has a high vault, the floors are wood, and the color scheme is white and gold, with simple wood and orange accents.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Day 1 of the Garden Route
Today Grandpa, Grandma and I started our journey along the Garden Route to Capetown. It was fun and exciting to get out of Port Elizabeth to see some new sights and to take in the environmentally diverse coastal region of beaches, mountains and farmland. We took the N2 freeway out of Port Elizabeth and drove an hour or two until lunchtime, where we stopped in Jeffrey's Bay, a beautiful surfers haven, known as the South African Surf capital. The Billabong Factory is in "J-Bay", as well as the annual Billabong surf tournament.
We had lunch at a really cute cafe, the Lavender Cafe. Grandma and I had tea, Grandma having English Breakfast, and myself having Slimming Red Tea. The tea pots were totally awesome. Although Grandpa had coffee, he agreed the tea pots were pretty cool, and bought one to bring back to the States.The tea pot is clear glass, with a loose tea tube that goes into the pot for the tea leaves to seep. The tea pot is set on a base that has a tea light candle in it, which keeps the tea hot. A sand/salt hourglass timer comes out with it so you know when your tea is done. For our meals, Grandma had vegetable stir fry cous cous and Grandpa and I had seafood stew. The meal came with a basket of really good bread. For dessert we had what I will call a sweet biscuit-I left official names of everything we ate in the car. It was a fried fritter, glazed in honey and chilled.
After lunch, we drove onward, stopping of to view the dramatic river valley of the Storm's River. It was here, that we ran across the director of my department where I am interning. The world sure can be a small place. Thankfully, he suggested we stop next at Tsitsikamma National Park, where the river meets the ocean. He told us he feels that the area is the most beautiful place in all of South Africa. It was indeed! Huge crashing waves and stirring water set against the lush moutain side.
After Tsitsikamma, we drove onward to Plettenburg Bay, another stunning coastal view, and then on to Knysna, where we have stopped for the night. Here in Knysna we are staying at a hotel, which Grandpa says reminds him of a lodge in the Rocky Mountains. We had dinner at a rib joint across the street from the hotel. Grandpa and I had racks of ribs, and Grandma had chicken schnitzel. After dinner, Grandma and I faced off at cribbage, and she again won the series. After a full days driving along the Garden Route, we are all tired, but looking forward to what tomorrow's drive will bring!
We had lunch at a really cute cafe, the Lavender Cafe. Grandma and I had tea, Grandma having English Breakfast, and myself having Slimming Red Tea. The tea pots were totally awesome. Although Grandpa had coffee, he agreed the tea pots were pretty cool, and bought one to bring back to the States.The tea pot is clear glass, with a loose tea tube that goes into the pot for the tea leaves to seep. The tea pot is set on a base that has a tea light candle in it, which keeps the tea hot. A sand/salt hourglass timer comes out with it so you know when your tea is done. For our meals, Grandma had vegetable stir fry cous cous and Grandpa and I had seafood stew. The meal came with a basket of really good bread. For dessert we had what I will call a sweet biscuit-I left official names of everything we ate in the car. It was a fried fritter, glazed in honey and chilled.
After lunch, we drove onward, stopping of to view the dramatic river valley of the Storm's River. It was here, that we ran across the director of my department where I am interning. The world sure can be a small place. Thankfully, he suggested we stop next at Tsitsikamma National Park, where the river meets the ocean. He told us he feels that the area is the most beautiful place in all of South Africa. It was indeed! Huge crashing waves and stirring water set against the lush moutain side.
After Tsitsikamma, we drove onward to Plettenburg Bay, another stunning coastal view, and then on to Knysna, where we have stopped for the night. Here in Knysna we are staying at a hotel, which Grandpa says reminds him of a lodge in the Rocky Mountains. We had dinner at a rib joint across the street from the hotel. Grandpa and I had racks of ribs, and Grandma had chicken schnitzel. After dinner, Grandma and I faced off at cribbage, and she again won the series. After a full days driving along the Garden Route, we are all tired, but looking forward to what tomorrow's drive will bring!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
A little bit of this and a little bit of that in PE
Grandpa and Grandma have had a very eventful week here in Port Elizabeth. The last two days we spent travelling around the city, taking in sites including the museums and restaurants.
Yesterday (Wednesday)I spent the morning at work and Grandpa and Grandma walked to The Boardwalk to do some shopping. After I worked a halfday, we went to Blue Waters Cafe for lunch. Blue Waters is right on the ocean, and our table looked out over the blue ocean water and the pier. Grandpa had calamari and chips, Grandma had a spinach and feta tramezzini and chips, and I had camembert chicken with cranberry sauce, vegetables and rice.
After lunch we walked out on the pier, which extends at least a couple hundred feet out over the ocean. The sun was out yesterday and really intensified the blue green colors of the water. We really got a kick out of watching the 25 or so school kids just having a blast down in the water next to the pier. These kids were just having a riot of a time, totally energized by the splashing, (probably really cold), Indian Ocean waves!
Upon leaving the pier, we went to The Nelson Mandela Art Museum, which is housed in two buildings. In the first building was an entrance statue of a woman made from recycled VW metal. The exhibit on this museum was beadwork, which was really intricate and beautiful. The second building was paintings, an exhibit of architecture prints and a video piece. The evening was spent napping and playing cribbage.
Today, after I worked a halfday, we had lunch at The Boardwalk. We ate at the Indian cuisine restaurant. We went there knowing we were going for the bunny chow experience. Bunny chow is curry stuffed in a (large) quarter loaf of french bread. Grandpa had a mutton (lamb) bunny, and Grandma and I had chicken bunnys. Dessert was soft serve ice cream.
After lunch, we went to the Castle Hill Museum, an 1800's era home in the Central city area. The home was well preserved and had a lot of interesting artifacts to look at. I enjoyed the quilt that had approximately 6,000 octagon fabric pieces in it. I also enjoyed the needlepoint that was made from fish scales, as well as the metal wire needlepoint.
After the Castle Hill Museum, Grandma and I went to the beach and collected shells and laid on the beach. The wind was strong and the surf was really large. The waves really had a tranquilizing effect, the way they were rolling in, with the wind blowing against them, creating a white back spray off the rolling wave.
After the beach, we spent the evening hanging out at the B&B, enjoying the last night at the PE Conifer B&B. Grandma and I played cribbage, with Grandma skunking me twice! The cards were just not dealt in my favor tonight! Tomorrow morning we hit the road for Capetown. We will spend 2-3 days driving on the Garden Route, and will arrive in Capetown on Sunday or Monday. I look forward to reporting back safe travels and exciting sites. Cheers until then!
Yesterday (Wednesday)I spent the morning at work and Grandpa and Grandma walked to The Boardwalk to do some shopping. After I worked a halfday, we went to Blue Waters Cafe for lunch. Blue Waters is right on the ocean, and our table looked out over the blue ocean water and the pier. Grandpa had calamari and chips, Grandma had a spinach and feta tramezzini and chips, and I had camembert chicken with cranberry sauce, vegetables and rice.
After lunch we walked out on the pier, which extends at least a couple hundred feet out over the ocean. The sun was out yesterday and really intensified the blue green colors of the water. We really got a kick out of watching the 25 or so school kids just having a blast down in the water next to the pier. These kids were just having a riot of a time, totally energized by the splashing, (probably really cold), Indian Ocean waves!
Upon leaving the pier, we went to The Nelson Mandela Art Museum, which is housed in two buildings. In the first building was an entrance statue of a woman made from recycled VW metal. The exhibit on this museum was beadwork, which was really intricate and beautiful. The second building was paintings, an exhibit of architecture prints and a video piece. The evening was spent napping and playing cribbage.
Today, after I worked a halfday, we had lunch at The Boardwalk. We ate at the Indian cuisine restaurant. We went there knowing we were going for the bunny chow experience. Bunny chow is curry stuffed in a (large) quarter loaf of french bread. Grandpa had a mutton (lamb) bunny, and Grandma and I had chicken bunnys. Dessert was soft serve ice cream.
After lunch, we went to the Castle Hill Museum, an 1800's era home in the Central city area. The home was well preserved and had a lot of interesting artifacts to look at. I enjoyed the quilt that had approximately 6,000 octagon fabric pieces in it. I also enjoyed the needlepoint that was made from fish scales, as well as the metal wire needlepoint.
After the Castle Hill Museum, Grandma and I went to the beach and collected shells and laid on the beach. The wind was strong and the surf was really large. The waves really had a tranquilizing effect, the way they were rolling in, with the wind blowing against them, creating a white back spray off the rolling wave.
After the beach, we spent the evening hanging out at the B&B, enjoying the last night at the PE Conifer B&B. Grandma and I played cribbage, with Grandma skunking me twice! The cards were just not dealt in my favor tonight! Tomorrow morning we hit the road for Capetown. We will spend 2-3 days driving on the Garden Route, and will arrive in Capetown on Sunday or Monday. I look forward to reporting back safe travels and exciting sites. Cheers until then!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Township tour etc
The last two days, just like the rest have flown by! I worked Monday, and Grandpa and Grandma went on a township tour. Although the township tour was described by both as depressing, they both enjoyed it for the value of seeing and understanding the history and struggle of the people living in the townships.
In the township, Grandpa and Grandma visited a home and a daycare. The kids were very cute (4 and under) and sang the national anthem for them. The national anthem is composed of the 11 different official languages. There was one little boy who stared at them the whole time they were there, with a worried look on his face. Grandma thought he was as cute as can be and wanted to put him in her pocket and take him home. I saw a picture of him and agreed. He was a jolly looking little fellow, dressed up like a little business man with a round serious face.
While the living conditions of the people in the township were cramped and basic, Grandma and Grandpa reported that the people were very clean and happy. The children were dressed in neat, clean uniforms, and Grandma was impressed how clean all the clothes were hanging on the clothing lines. What did stand out to them in regards to negative aspects of the township, was how much litter there was around. There was trash everywhere. Grandma and Grandpa discussed that if everyone went out and picked up 5 pieces of trash, the township would be so much cleaner. The tour guide reported that a challenge that the townships face in regards to litter is that the construction companies come out to the townships to dump their waste, which is absolutely appalling.
In the evening we went out for fish and chips. I had fried fish and calamari with rice, Grandma had fish and chips, and Grandpa snoek (game fish) with jelly, chips and coleslaw.
Yesterday (Tuesday), I had another day off. We went to the South African Air Force Museum in the morning. There were a variety of planes to look at, as well as artifacts and art. My favorite display was over the rescue vessel and supplies a pilot would have if his plane went down in the ocean. It was interesting to see the how a person would manage while lost at sea. For lunch we went to the Ethiopian restaurant that is tucked behind the convenience store in the Central area. While we almost didn't find the restaurant, because it is tucked away in a convenience store, we eventually found it and had an enjoyable lunch. Beverages for the meal are purchased in front, in the convenience store. Lunch was quite the feast and very filling. We had a lamb dish, a beef dish, 3 different kinds of lentils/peas, salad, cooked cabbage, potatoes and carrots and homemade cheese. The homemade cheese was Grandma's favorite part of the meal. The cook/waitress/owner(?) is a very sweet lady, who talked about her hopes of expanding the restaurant into a venue that was more restaurant like. I reassurred her that the food makes up for the venue!
After lunch we visited the library, which is like something out of a movie. The front of the library is dramatic, a gothic feel of architecture. Inside the library, the walls are lined floor to ceiling with books. On the second floor of the library, which seems to be the main area, there are balconies off the main floor with floor to ceiling books. The windows are stained glass, as well as the dome in the ceiling. After visiting the library and walking around for a bit, we headed back to the B&B and then Grandma and I picked up my friend Ethelyn and headed down to the beach for some shell hunting. After the beach, we went back to the B&B for a dinner of our Ethiopian leftovers and bread pudding with custard.
Today, once I am done with my halfday of work, we will be going to the Nelson Mandela Art Museum. We are taking in the last of the sights here in Port Elizabeth, because we leave for Capetown on Friday!
In the township, Grandpa and Grandma visited a home and a daycare. The kids were very cute (4 and under) and sang the national anthem for them. The national anthem is composed of the 11 different official languages. There was one little boy who stared at them the whole time they were there, with a worried look on his face. Grandma thought he was as cute as can be and wanted to put him in her pocket and take him home. I saw a picture of him and agreed. He was a jolly looking little fellow, dressed up like a little business man with a round serious face.
While the living conditions of the people in the township were cramped and basic, Grandma and Grandpa reported that the people were very clean and happy. The children were dressed in neat, clean uniforms, and Grandma was impressed how clean all the clothes were hanging on the clothing lines. What did stand out to them in regards to negative aspects of the township, was how much litter there was around. There was trash everywhere. Grandma and Grandpa discussed that if everyone went out and picked up 5 pieces of trash, the township would be so much cleaner. The tour guide reported that a challenge that the townships face in regards to litter is that the construction companies come out to the townships to dump their waste, which is absolutely appalling.
In the evening we went out for fish and chips. I had fried fish and calamari with rice, Grandma had fish and chips, and Grandpa snoek (game fish) with jelly, chips and coleslaw.
Yesterday (Tuesday), I had another day off. We went to the South African Air Force Museum in the morning. There were a variety of planes to look at, as well as artifacts and art. My favorite display was over the rescue vessel and supplies a pilot would have if his plane went down in the ocean. It was interesting to see the how a person would manage while lost at sea. For lunch we went to the Ethiopian restaurant that is tucked behind the convenience store in the Central area. While we almost didn't find the restaurant, because it is tucked away in a convenience store, we eventually found it and had an enjoyable lunch. Beverages for the meal are purchased in front, in the convenience store. Lunch was quite the feast and very filling. We had a lamb dish, a beef dish, 3 different kinds of lentils/peas, salad, cooked cabbage, potatoes and carrots and homemade cheese. The homemade cheese was Grandma's favorite part of the meal. The cook/waitress/owner(?) is a very sweet lady, who talked about her hopes of expanding the restaurant into a venue that was more restaurant like. I reassurred her that the food makes up for the venue!
After lunch we visited the library, which is like something out of a movie. The front of the library is dramatic, a gothic feel of architecture. Inside the library, the walls are lined floor to ceiling with books. On the second floor of the library, which seems to be the main area, there are balconies off the main floor with floor to ceiling books. The windows are stained glass, as well as the dome in the ceiling. After visiting the library and walking around for a bit, we headed back to the B&B and then Grandma and I picked up my friend Ethelyn and headed down to the beach for some shell hunting. After the beach, we went back to the B&B for a dinner of our Ethiopian leftovers and bread pudding with custard.
Today, once I am done with my halfday of work, we will be going to the Nelson Mandela Art Museum. We are taking in the last of the sights here in Port Elizabeth, because we leave for Capetown on Friday!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Church and the Seaview Lion Park
This morning I joined Grandpa and Grandma for breakfast at their B&B. We had yogurt with fruit and granola, as well as omelettes (ham, cheese, onion and some sort of red pepper salsa with balsamic glaze around the edge of the plate), as well as coffee and orange juice. After breakfast we went to church at Oxygen Life, the church I have been attending in Walmer. The worship music is definitely top notch, and will be something I miss when I am back home in the States, as well as missing the friendly community within the church.
After church we went to the Seaview Lion Park, about 45 minutes outside of Port Elizabeth. It stormed last night (loud thunder claps!), and was gray, foggy and misty today. On our way out to the park, Grandpa and I endulged in some good ol' McDonald's, trying out the South African quarter pounder. The drive through the Seaview Lion Park was pretty rugged, winding through the woooded mountainous terrain. Thankfully our little Chevy Aveo warriored through the park well. We saw some deer like animals, Grandma thought they were called prong(?), although I kept thinking she was saying prawn, like the seafood. These were different than the kudu in the fact that had straight horns instead of the kudu's spiral horns. We also saw peacock, zebras and of course lions. The lions were enclosed in big fenced settlements. We were bummed that we had to view the lions from behind the fencing, until the worker informed us we could go into the fenced areas if we were in our car. I drove us in, and if we got any closer to two of the lions I would have ran over one of their paws! The lions were large, and had a variety of colors and manes. We saw probably at least 8 or 9 full size lions within those enclosures.
After leaving the lion enclosures, we drove on through the park and up to the top of the mountain (large hill/cliff?) where the lion cubs were housed, as well as the restrooms and a restaurant. Two of the lion cubs (5 weeks old) were being bottle fed. For being a 5 week old cat, the lion cubs were pretty big! I'd say comparable to a mid sized dog. The view from this peak point was awesome. I then understood why the park is called Seaview. We had 180 degree view of the ocean, out past the rolling green terrain. The other 180 degree view was of the winding and rugged park terrain. While the ocean was a hazy view from the fog, I still found the view to be picturesque. When we returned from Seaview, we took naps, which I know for myself was much needed!
This evening we made dinner at the B&B. We had chicken, salad, guacamole/crackers and toast. For dessert we had milk tart, a traditional African dessert. Milk tart is a pie that is similar to a custard pie in America. After dinner, Grandma and I went to the gas station to get a deck of cards so we could play cribbage. We played a 3 game series and I won 2 of the games, making me the winner of tonight's series. Tomorrow I have a full day of work, and Grandpa and Grandma are going on a township tour. I will be sure to interview them tomorrow night after their township tour, so I can report back to you their reactions. Until then, Cheers!
After church we went to the Seaview Lion Park, about 45 minutes outside of Port Elizabeth. It stormed last night (loud thunder claps!), and was gray, foggy and misty today. On our way out to the park, Grandpa and I endulged in some good ol' McDonald's, trying out the South African quarter pounder. The drive through the Seaview Lion Park was pretty rugged, winding through the woooded mountainous terrain. Thankfully our little Chevy Aveo warriored through the park well. We saw some deer like animals, Grandma thought they were called prong(?), although I kept thinking she was saying prawn, like the seafood. These were different than the kudu in the fact that had straight horns instead of the kudu's spiral horns. We also saw peacock, zebras and of course lions. The lions were enclosed in big fenced settlements. We were bummed that we had to view the lions from behind the fencing, until the worker informed us we could go into the fenced areas if we were in our car. I drove us in, and if we got any closer to two of the lions I would have ran over one of their paws! The lions were large, and had a variety of colors and manes. We saw probably at least 8 or 9 full size lions within those enclosures.
After leaving the lion enclosures, we drove on through the park and up to the top of the mountain (large hill/cliff?) where the lion cubs were housed, as well as the restrooms and a restaurant. Two of the lion cubs (5 weeks old) were being bottle fed. For being a 5 week old cat, the lion cubs were pretty big! I'd say comparable to a mid sized dog. The view from this peak point was awesome. I then understood why the park is called Seaview. We had 180 degree view of the ocean, out past the rolling green terrain. The other 180 degree view was of the winding and rugged park terrain. While the ocean was a hazy view from the fog, I still found the view to be picturesque. When we returned from Seaview, we took naps, which I know for myself was much needed!
This evening we made dinner at the B&B. We had chicken, salad, guacamole/crackers and toast. For dessert we had milk tart, a traditional African dessert. Milk tart is a pie that is similar to a custard pie in America. After dinner, Grandma and I went to the gas station to get a deck of cards so we could play cribbage. We played a 3 game series and I won 2 of the games, making me the winner of tonight's series. Tomorrow I have a full day of work, and Grandpa and Grandma are going on a township tour. I will be sure to interview them tomorrow night after their township tour, so I can report back to you their reactions. Until then, Cheers!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
City Tour and Bayworld Aquarium/Museum
Another day has come and gone here in South Africa! While I'd love to get comfortable and stay for a while, this update is going to be brief, as today was a full day and I am now finding that in the wee hours of the night my neck is really sore-the type that gives the feeling of a headache. But enough of that, that's time and space that I could be updating you on all the different aspects of our day.
This morning Grandpa, Grandma and myself were toured around Port Elizabeth my the manager (owner?) of the B&B, a lady named Alida. We saw a lot of beautiful historic architecture, as well as some fabulous scenic viewpoints of the city and the ocean. We visited the Donkin Reserve, a memorial site for Elizabeth Donkin. There, stands a pyramid and a lighthouse type tower. A gargantuan South Africa flag is flown there. This is the 4th largest flag in the world. We saw the oldest hotel in South Africa, the Phoenix. We visited the opera house, where Alida took photos of us bowing on stage. We saw the library and the World Cup stadium as well, and probably a few other things I am forgetting. The tour was very informative and very interesting as well!
Upon arriving back at the B&B from touring the city, we had lunch. We kept it light, knowing we needed to save our appetites for the South African buffet Admiral's that we would be having for dinner. For lunch we had salad, fresh fruit, butternut squash and homemade guacmole with salt and vingegar "crisps", more commonly known as Pringles. After lunch we went to the Bayworld Aquarium/Snake Park/Museum. Bayworld sure had an ecclectic variety of things to see. We started in the snake area and then took in some museum displays until the penguin/seal show started.
The penguin/seal show was outside at the outdoor pool ampitheater. The penguin sure was cute and put on a show. ***Interesting fact: An oil spot the size of a nickel on a penguin can kill it. Out came the seal next, her name was Gabby. Let me tell you, I do not think I have ever seen another animal as smart as this seal. I started to think maybe animals are smarter than we give them credit for and we could really be in for a shock if we started to work with the animals in the manner that the trainer was working with this seal. Gabby waved at the audience and smiled at the audience. Gabby, let me remind you is a seal, cued the audience by clapping her flippers together when she wanted applause. She did acrobatic type strength demonstrations, as well as demonstrating the importance of not littering trash. She swam in the pool and retrived the trash that the trainer had placed in the water. She swam it up onto the platform and placed it in the bucket, as the trainer explained the importance of picking up trash because seals can either ingest it or become tangled in it. I will definitely be posting video of Gabby the seal for you to see for yourself!
After the penguin/seal show, we finished up looking around at the displays in the museum. After we left Bayworld, we took a drive about a half an hour out of Port Elizabeth, along the coast. This was one of my first scenic tours/views that I saw when I arrived in Port Elizabeth in July, and I knew the views of the ocean were a must. We pulled off at a stop off point and took pictures and stood and took in the awesomeness of the ocean. On our way back to Summerstrand, we were lucky enough to spot monkeys playing up on the electrical wires! There had to be at least 6 up trapezing on the wires! They have such long tails as well. There will be video coming of them as well!
We stopped off at the Pick & Pay grocery store and got a few things before heading out to dinner at Admirals, in Walmer. Admirals has 110 different items, many being very exotic and interesting. There was kudu, kangaroo curry, fried worms-which look like caterpillars, and many other interesting delicacies. There are of course more common standard dishes as well. Grandpa and I both tried the worms, kudu and kangaroo, although I was unable to swallow my one bite of worm. Grandpa and I both thought the kudu and kangaroo were tough to chew. Some of the other dishes we had were: prawns, sweet potato, pumpkin, a variety of salads, mushroom soup, fried banana, samoosas and boerwors (sausage). There were quite the variety of desserts. We all enjoyed the bread pudding, and the creme brulee was good as well.
Again I find myself reporting that at the end of the day we sure were tired. It was another great day with new and interesting ventures. Tomorrow mornign will be here soon though, so it's time for me to go. I'll be joinging Grandpa and Grandma at the B&b tomorrow for breakfast, and then we will be heading to the church I attend, Oxygen Life. We are not quite sure what we will be doing after that, but am not worried because there is still of course plenty that we have not seen. You can really only scratch the surface in 2 days!
This morning Grandpa, Grandma and myself were toured around Port Elizabeth my the manager (owner?) of the B&B, a lady named Alida. We saw a lot of beautiful historic architecture, as well as some fabulous scenic viewpoints of the city and the ocean. We visited the Donkin Reserve, a memorial site for Elizabeth Donkin. There, stands a pyramid and a lighthouse type tower. A gargantuan South Africa flag is flown there. This is the 4th largest flag in the world. We saw the oldest hotel in South Africa, the Phoenix. We visited the opera house, where Alida took photos of us bowing on stage. We saw the library and the World Cup stadium as well, and probably a few other things I am forgetting. The tour was very informative and very interesting as well!
Upon arriving back at the B&B from touring the city, we had lunch. We kept it light, knowing we needed to save our appetites for the South African buffet Admiral's that we would be having for dinner. For lunch we had salad, fresh fruit, butternut squash and homemade guacmole with salt and vingegar "crisps", more commonly known as Pringles. After lunch we went to the Bayworld Aquarium/Snake Park/Museum. Bayworld sure had an ecclectic variety of things to see. We started in the snake area and then took in some museum displays until the penguin/seal show started.
The penguin/seal show was outside at the outdoor pool ampitheater. The penguin sure was cute and put on a show. ***Interesting fact: An oil spot the size of a nickel on a penguin can kill it. Out came the seal next, her name was Gabby. Let me tell you, I do not think I have ever seen another animal as smart as this seal. I started to think maybe animals are smarter than we give them credit for and we could really be in for a shock if we started to work with the animals in the manner that the trainer was working with this seal. Gabby waved at the audience and smiled at the audience. Gabby, let me remind you is a seal, cued the audience by clapping her flippers together when she wanted applause. She did acrobatic type strength demonstrations, as well as demonstrating the importance of not littering trash. She swam in the pool and retrived the trash that the trainer had placed in the water. She swam it up onto the platform and placed it in the bucket, as the trainer explained the importance of picking up trash because seals can either ingest it or become tangled in it. I will definitely be posting video of Gabby the seal for you to see for yourself!
After the penguin/seal show, we finished up looking around at the displays in the museum. After we left Bayworld, we took a drive about a half an hour out of Port Elizabeth, along the coast. This was one of my first scenic tours/views that I saw when I arrived in Port Elizabeth in July, and I knew the views of the ocean were a must. We pulled off at a stop off point and took pictures and stood and took in the awesomeness of the ocean. On our way back to Summerstrand, we were lucky enough to spot monkeys playing up on the electrical wires! There had to be at least 6 up trapezing on the wires! They have such long tails as well. There will be video coming of them as well!
We stopped off at the Pick & Pay grocery store and got a few things before heading out to dinner at Admirals, in Walmer. Admirals has 110 different items, many being very exotic and interesting. There was kudu, kangaroo curry, fried worms-which look like caterpillars, and many other interesting delicacies. There are of course more common standard dishes as well. Grandpa and I both tried the worms, kudu and kangaroo, although I was unable to swallow my one bite of worm. Grandpa and I both thought the kudu and kangaroo were tough to chew. Some of the other dishes we had were: prawns, sweet potato, pumpkin, a variety of salads, mushroom soup, fried banana, samoosas and boerwors (sausage). There were quite the variety of desserts. We all enjoyed the bread pudding, and the creme brulee was good as well.
Again I find myself reporting that at the end of the day we sure were tired. It was another great day with new and interesting ventures. Tomorrow mornign will be here soon though, so it's time for me to go. I'll be joinging Grandpa and Grandma at the B&b tomorrow for breakfast, and then we will be heading to the church I attend, Oxygen Life. We are not quite sure what we will be doing after that, but am not worried because there is still of course plenty that we have not seen. You can really only scratch the surface in 2 days!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Addo Elephant National Park
(Friday September 17, 2010) Today was a great day. Grandpa, Grandma and myself journeyed around Addo Elephant Park, a national park about an hour out of Port Elizabeth.
I picked them up from their B&B at about 8:30 this morning, after making a quick stop at the hardware store to look for an adapter/converter for Grandma's curling iron. She made it very clear that she did not want to be in pictures until her curling iron worked and she could remedy her "fuzzball" hair. Good news awaited me this morning when I arrived at the B&B and found out that the gate I "bumped" into last night in the rental car, had been put back on track! Sweeet!
We took the N2 highway out to Addo. The stretch of highway we were on at certain points runs right next to the ocean, so very scenic freeway driving! A ways out towards Addo, the region becomes more desolate and mountainous, and we began to see more townships. Townships are the areas where coloured people and black people were segregated to live during apartheid times, and still live currently.
This week has been National Parks Week in South Africa, so our trip into Addo was free admission. After making a pit stop at the restrooms/park reception, we drove into the reserve and got started searching for wild roaming African animals! As we entered the gates to the reserve, Grandpa spotted a deer like animal (kudu I think), but I was cruising along to quickly to be able to stop and see. The next fifteen minutes produced no animals as we drove through the preserve, and I really started to hope that we would at least see something, knowing we would be bummed if we drove through an elephant park all day and never saw an animal. No worries though, because after the first 15 minutes of our drive, the rest of the day was filled with exciting animal sightings. First were the kudu. The slightly deer like animals, the males with large spiral horns. We at one point, got good speed driving along a pack of kudu that were running, and actually felt like we were racing the kudu.
Soon after the kudu, we had an elephant sighting. The first sighting was brief, and the elephants disappeared from our vision and the road veered away. We kept on though, hoping and knowing it would be a short matter of time again until we would see more of the 400+ elephants within Addo. When you know something is there within the parameters of the reserve, it makes you really bound and determined to find it! Along the way we spotted big tortoise, birds, a kudu skeleton, warthogs and a small cat like animal that was really giving the birds overhead a scare. We had a variety of great elephant sightings, from the lone elephant who was pacing away from us along his trail, to the two elephants we watched wander in to the watering hole back near base camp. There were 3 elephants a bit off the road grazing as well, where a very brief appearance was made by a baby elephant.
Lunch was spent at the restaurant back at base camp. The restaurant had a fun lodge feel to it, with everyone sitting at heavy duty wood picnic tables. Grandpa had fish and chips, Grandma had a veggie burger, and I had garlic chicken penne pasta. After lunch we headed back out on the trail and were excited to find that the animals were really out and active. We saw many more warthogs, tortoise, as well as some ostrich. The afternoon reached an exciting finale when we found the lions we had eagerly been searching for throughout the day. 4 lions, a pride Grandpa informed us, were just off the road a ways stretched out, lazy and yawning. We sat and watched them for a while, as intrigued as the other cars and the tour bus stopped off along the trail watching and snapping photos.
While we did not see the water buffalo or snake Grandpa was hoping to see, I think we were all pretty thrilled with our sightings and photo collections! The drive back from Addo was relatively smooth, aside from getting slightly lost. We had dinner at a chinese restaurant near the B&B and the beach. We shared a pot of Chinese tea, and ordered the group entree combo. I, thinking I knew what I was ordering, ordered the prawn crackers for an appetizer, expecting something similar to shrimp toast to come out. We were indeed surprised when some pork rind looking multi-colored pastel styrofoam crisps came out on a plate. They were good though and worked well to dip in the soup. Dinner was a spring roll, egg fried rice, a sizzling beef dish, cashew prawns and a chicken dish. Dinner was enjoyed by all, and we left feeling full and tired after a full day of animal pursuits! We are not quite sure yet what the exact plan is for tomorrow, but morning will be here before I know it, so I am on my way to bed now so I can be fresh for whatever our next adventure is! Good night!
I picked them up from their B&B at about 8:30 this morning, after making a quick stop at the hardware store to look for an adapter/converter for Grandma's curling iron. She made it very clear that she did not want to be in pictures until her curling iron worked and she could remedy her "fuzzball" hair. Good news awaited me this morning when I arrived at the B&B and found out that the gate I "bumped" into last night in the rental car, had been put back on track! Sweeet!
We took the N2 highway out to Addo. The stretch of highway we were on at certain points runs right next to the ocean, so very scenic freeway driving! A ways out towards Addo, the region becomes more desolate and mountainous, and we began to see more townships. Townships are the areas where coloured people and black people were segregated to live during apartheid times, and still live currently.
This week has been National Parks Week in South Africa, so our trip into Addo was free admission. After making a pit stop at the restrooms/park reception, we drove into the reserve and got started searching for wild roaming African animals! As we entered the gates to the reserve, Grandpa spotted a deer like animal (kudu I think), but I was cruising along to quickly to be able to stop and see. The next fifteen minutes produced no animals as we drove through the preserve, and I really started to hope that we would at least see something, knowing we would be bummed if we drove through an elephant park all day and never saw an animal. No worries though, because after the first 15 minutes of our drive, the rest of the day was filled with exciting animal sightings. First were the kudu. The slightly deer like animals, the males with large spiral horns. We at one point, got good speed driving along a pack of kudu that were running, and actually felt like we were racing the kudu.
Soon after the kudu, we had an elephant sighting. The first sighting was brief, and the elephants disappeared from our vision and the road veered away. We kept on though, hoping and knowing it would be a short matter of time again until we would see more of the 400+ elephants within Addo. When you know something is there within the parameters of the reserve, it makes you really bound and determined to find it! Along the way we spotted big tortoise, birds, a kudu skeleton, warthogs and a small cat like animal that was really giving the birds overhead a scare. We had a variety of great elephant sightings, from the lone elephant who was pacing away from us along his trail, to the two elephants we watched wander in to the watering hole back near base camp. There were 3 elephants a bit off the road grazing as well, where a very brief appearance was made by a baby elephant.
Lunch was spent at the restaurant back at base camp. The restaurant had a fun lodge feel to it, with everyone sitting at heavy duty wood picnic tables. Grandpa had fish and chips, Grandma had a veggie burger, and I had garlic chicken penne pasta. After lunch we headed back out on the trail and were excited to find that the animals were really out and active. We saw many more warthogs, tortoise, as well as some ostrich. The afternoon reached an exciting finale when we found the lions we had eagerly been searching for throughout the day. 4 lions, a pride Grandpa informed us, were just off the road a ways stretched out, lazy and yawning. We sat and watched them for a while, as intrigued as the other cars and the tour bus stopped off along the trail watching and snapping photos.
While we did not see the water buffalo or snake Grandpa was hoping to see, I think we were all pretty thrilled with our sightings and photo collections! The drive back from Addo was relatively smooth, aside from getting slightly lost. We had dinner at a chinese restaurant near the B&B and the beach. We shared a pot of Chinese tea, and ordered the group entree combo. I, thinking I knew what I was ordering, ordered the prawn crackers for an appetizer, expecting something similar to shrimp toast to come out. We were indeed surprised when some pork rind looking multi-colored pastel styrofoam crisps came out on a plate. They were good though and worked well to dip in the soup. Dinner was a spring roll, egg fried rice, a sizzling beef dish, cashew prawns and a chicken dish. Dinner was enjoyed by all, and we left feeling full and tired after a full day of animal pursuits! We are not quite sure yet what the exact plan is for tomorrow, but morning will be here before I know it, so I am on my way to bed now so I can be fresh for whatever our next adventure is! Good night!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Grandpa Gary and Grandma Connie have arrived!
It's official! As of today, my paternal grandparents Gary and Connie West have arrived here to Port Elizabeth, South Africa! The day has already been full of adventure, so I'm really going to try and keep up on the blog while they are here, because we are planning to have 18 days of jam packed adventure. With some rest of course because they, and me for part of the time, are on vacation!
Grandpa and Grandma left Minnesota two days ago (Tuesday September 14th, 2010) and trekked along across the world. They flew from Minneapolis, MN to Atlanta, Georgia. During their Georgia layover, they met my Grandfather's brother and sister in-law, Norbert and Svetlana for lunch. Onward from Atlanta they went, trekking on to Amsterdam. From Amsterdam they flew to Capetown, arriving yesterday (Wednesday) and staying overnight in the Conifer Beach House bed and breakfast. The Conifer is where we will be staying for our trip in Capetown, and while here in Port Elizabeth, Grandpa and Grandma are staying in the Conifer Beach House bed and breakfast as well.
I picked them up from the Port Elizabeth airport this afternoon (Thursday). The anticipation has really been building since this last weekend, as I have been so excited for them to get here! While I waited for their plane to land, I went into the airport travel bureau and stocked up on tour/sightseeing brochures, which I later dropped all over the floor. I was eagerly waiting outside the baggage area, on the other side of the glass, keeping my eye out for them to be coming off the plane. With a purse, a bag full of tour stuff, a camera and a lot of anticipation and excitement, I alternated between standing right near the baggage door and sitting in a chair a bit of the way down, just out of sight of the baggage area. After sitting down thinking they must still be sitting on the plane, it wasn't 5 minutes later that they emerged, luggage in hand. I looked up from where I was sitting and had to do a double take because I could barely believe my eyes that they were standing in front of me!
After booking my return ticket for Capetown, we headed over to the car rental place at the airport, to pick up the car we "hired". All went smooth getting the car, except for the fact that I forgot my driver's license. Thankfully the guy said it would be no problem, as long as I came back today with my license. When we left the aiport in the rental car, it was a bit more awkward driving then I imagined. I'm used to what I think is probably a standard stick shift, with 1st, 3rd and 5th gear on the top and 2nd, 4th and Reverse on the bottom. Not in this car. Our Chevy Aveo has Reverse, 1st, 3rd and 5th on the top and 2nd and 4th (I think that's how it's laid out) on the bottom. That combined with shifting with my left hand, driving on the right side of the car in the left lane, and lots of traffic circles (roundabouts), was enough to make driving feel like quite the challenge initially! Thankfully I only pulled in front of one car and ran one stop sign before getting the feel of things.
After showing Grandpa and Grandma my place, retrieving my license and doing a driving tour of North and South campuses, we drove back to the airport, dropped off my license at the airport and then headed to the Conifer Beach House B&B in Humewood, to get Grandpa and Grandma checked in. The room in which they are staying is really stunning and comfortable. There is a dining room, full kitchen (they have an oven and heat!), sitting area, bedroom area and bathroom (with a bathtub!). The place is really light and airy and is decorated beautifully.
After sitting and settling in for a bit we decided it was time to venture out a bit and get dinner. The Boardwalk is really scenic, close by and has plenty of restaurant choices, so I decided we should have our dinner there. I was able to smuggle the car into VIP parking, where Freeman the parking attendant assured me he would keep a close eye on it. The only stipulation was he wanted to earn something out of the deal . With only large bills in my wallet and a bit of change, I was glad when Freeman happily accepted my R7 in coins (1 dollar) as the trade to sneak the car into VIP parking. At The Boardwalk, we ate at 34 Degrees South, a really good seafood restaurant, named for the degrees of, either latitude or longitude. Ah, shoot, I should have either read the background in the menu, or at least paid better attention in Geography class. I had a salmon sandwich on baguette and a Greek Salad, Grandma had prawn curry and Grandpa had a seafood platter that had prawns and fish and some really good rice, as well as a Greek salad.
What would a good trip be without challenges right (great learning and growth)?! Well the night produced a slight challenge when Grandpa (I'm not calling him out cuz my oops is coming don't worry!) realized he did not have his credit card. After ravaging through all of our stuff, and not finding the card, we left to go in search of the card (last used when we picked up the rental car). I called the rental company, who said they did not have the card. When we got back to the B&B and searched through everything, producing no card, Grandpa decided it was time to go call the credit card company. He returned a bit later with a defeated look on his face. Much to Grandma's and my surprise, he reported he had found the card before he had to call and cancel it. He had put it in a compartment in his wallet that he never usually uses. Glorious! Such good news.
We sat for a bit and talked and looked through the tour brochures, deciding that tomorrow we will go to Addo Elephant Park, because it is National Parks Week, so admission to the park will be free. After chatting for a bit, and realizing how tired we all were and how early we have to be up tomorrow, we decided to call it a night (yep my oops is coming). We said our good nights and Grandma and Grandpa sent me on my way with concerned warning to be careful on my way home, driving the night time roads alone for my first time. Well I didn't get very far before coming across an obstacle. As I was backing out of the driveway, the big wood gate driveway door that electrically slides open and closed began to close. It was when I heard the the bumper smash into the gate that I realized the gate was closing and I had just hit it. Ugh that feeling when you know you've hit something! Thankfully there are only two small scratches in the bumper, but I knocked the gate off it's sliding track, and we were unable to manually push it closed. The door would close and then open and 1/4th of the way, continuing to do this opening and closing electronically on it's own. I am really hoping it is just a matter of lifting the door back on the track and resetting the electronic mechanism. We shall see what morning brings for this one! Well that's day 1 of Grandpa and Grandma's adventures here in South Africa with me. I should be going to bed, because we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow out searching for elephants at Addo Elephant Park!
Grandpa and Grandma left Minnesota two days ago (Tuesday September 14th, 2010) and trekked along across the world. They flew from Minneapolis, MN to Atlanta, Georgia. During their Georgia layover, they met my Grandfather's brother and sister in-law, Norbert and Svetlana for lunch. Onward from Atlanta they went, trekking on to Amsterdam. From Amsterdam they flew to Capetown, arriving yesterday (Wednesday) and staying overnight in the Conifer Beach House bed and breakfast. The Conifer is where we will be staying for our trip in Capetown, and while here in Port Elizabeth, Grandpa and Grandma are staying in the Conifer Beach House bed and breakfast as well.
I picked them up from the Port Elizabeth airport this afternoon (Thursday). The anticipation has really been building since this last weekend, as I have been so excited for them to get here! While I waited for their plane to land, I went into the airport travel bureau and stocked up on tour/sightseeing brochures, which I later dropped all over the floor. I was eagerly waiting outside the baggage area, on the other side of the glass, keeping my eye out for them to be coming off the plane. With a purse, a bag full of tour stuff, a camera and a lot of anticipation and excitement, I alternated between standing right near the baggage door and sitting in a chair a bit of the way down, just out of sight of the baggage area. After sitting down thinking they must still be sitting on the plane, it wasn't 5 minutes later that they emerged, luggage in hand. I looked up from where I was sitting and had to do a double take because I could barely believe my eyes that they were standing in front of me!
After booking my return ticket for Capetown, we headed over to the car rental place at the airport, to pick up the car we "hired". All went smooth getting the car, except for the fact that I forgot my driver's license. Thankfully the guy said it would be no problem, as long as I came back today with my license. When we left the aiport in the rental car, it was a bit more awkward driving then I imagined. I'm used to what I think is probably a standard stick shift, with 1st, 3rd and 5th gear on the top and 2nd, 4th and Reverse on the bottom. Not in this car. Our Chevy Aveo has Reverse, 1st, 3rd and 5th on the top and 2nd and 4th (I think that's how it's laid out) on the bottom. That combined with shifting with my left hand, driving on the right side of the car in the left lane, and lots of traffic circles (roundabouts), was enough to make driving feel like quite the challenge initially! Thankfully I only pulled in front of one car and ran one stop sign before getting the feel of things.
After showing Grandpa and Grandma my place, retrieving my license and doing a driving tour of North and South campuses, we drove back to the airport, dropped off my license at the airport and then headed to the Conifer Beach House B&B in Humewood, to get Grandpa and Grandma checked in. The room in which they are staying is really stunning and comfortable. There is a dining room, full kitchen (they have an oven and heat!), sitting area, bedroom area and bathroom (with a bathtub!). The place is really light and airy and is decorated beautifully.
After sitting and settling in for a bit we decided it was time to venture out a bit and get dinner. The Boardwalk is really scenic, close by and has plenty of restaurant choices, so I decided we should have our dinner there. I was able to smuggle the car into VIP parking, where Freeman the parking attendant assured me he would keep a close eye on it. The only stipulation was he wanted to earn something out of the deal . With only large bills in my wallet and a bit of change, I was glad when Freeman happily accepted my R7 in coins (1 dollar) as the trade to sneak the car into VIP parking. At The Boardwalk, we ate at 34 Degrees South, a really good seafood restaurant, named for the degrees of, either latitude or longitude. Ah, shoot, I should have either read the background in the menu, or at least paid better attention in Geography class. I had a salmon sandwich on baguette and a Greek Salad, Grandma had prawn curry and Grandpa had a seafood platter that had prawns and fish and some really good rice, as well as a Greek salad.
What would a good trip be without challenges right (great learning and growth)?! Well the night produced a slight challenge when Grandpa (I'm not calling him out cuz my oops is coming don't worry!) realized he did not have his credit card. After ravaging through all of our stuff, and not finding the card, we left to go in search of the card (last used when we picked up the rental car). I called the rental company, who said they did not have the card. When we got back to the B&B and searched through everything, producing no card, Grandpa decided it was time to go call the credit card company. He returned a bit later with a defeated look on his face. Much to Grandma's and my surprise, he reported he had found the card before he had to call and cancel it. He had put it in a compartment in his wallet that he never usually uses. Glorious! Such good news.
We sat for a bit and talked and looked through the tour brochures, deciding that tomorrow we will go to Addo Elephant Park, because it is National Parks Week, so admission to the park will be free. After chatting for a bit, and realizing how tired we all were and how early we have to be up tomorrow, we decided to call it a night (yep my oops is coming). We said our good nights and Grandma and Grandpa sent me on my way with concerned warning to be careful on my way home, driving the night time roads alone for my first time. Well I didn't get very far before coming across an obstacle. As I was backing out of the driveway, the big wood gate driveway door that electrically slides open and closed began to close. It was when I heard the the bumper smash into the gate that I realized the gate was closing and I had just hit it. Ugh that feeling when you know you've hit something! Thankfully there are only two small scratches in the bumper, but I knocked the gate off it's sliding track, and we were unable to manually push it closed. The door would close and then open and 1/4th of the way, continuing to do this opening and closing electronically on it's own. I am really hoping it is just a matter of lifting the door back on the track and resetting the electronic mechanism. We shall see what morning brings for this one! Well that's day 1 of Grandpa and Grandma's adventures here in South Africa with me. I should be going to bed, because we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow out searching for elephants at Addo Elephant Park!
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