The end of the Garden Route Adventure- Days 5-7.

Almost Tip of Africa

Welcome to the final installment in the Garden Route Series!  Congrats if you made it this far.  You can find Day 1, Day 2,  and Days 3/4 hyper linked here.    Day 5 brought the longest drive in our journey, but some of the most scenic views.   We woke early and left Mossel Bay and headed to Cape Point.   We passed many coastal towns and one of the largest and most famous townships in South Africa, Khayelistsha.  It is the second largest in South Africa, with a population of over 400,000 people.

Khayelitsha Township

Cape Point

The Cape of Good Hope is located in the Table Mountain National Park.   We made our way through the park, stopping at several points to take pictures, our ultimate goal was the Cape of Good Hope.   It was incredibly windy, it felt like we'd be blown into the ocean.   Luckily, we arrived right before 2 tour buses and didn't have to wait long to take picture in front of the sign.

Leaving the Cape of Good Hope, Phil decided to ignore Google and "take a short cut".   This short cut in fact was a pretty intense mountain pass.  Luckily for us, it was two lanes and tar.  It could have been worse.  The views of the bay from the pass were absolutely amazing.

We checked into the Vethos Villa in Camps Bay.   On a previous trip, I had stayed in the business district close to the wharf.    I guess it depends on what you are into, but I would definitely recommend Camps Bay over the business/wharf area.    There is more restaurants, a grocery store (and the beach!) within walking distance, there's a red bus stop right there and a short Uber to Table Mountain and the Wharf.     I felt that in Camps Bay we had more access to activities and night life and it felt safer:  there was just a whole lot more people around and shorter walks to points of interest. Vethos Villa is nice, more of a small hotel/lodge.  The hostess was nice, the rooms were clean and stocked with beach towels and a full bar.  The bathroom door was clear glass, which was a little strange, but fun to harass Phil when he was trying to have private bathroom time.  There was a large common room that always had coffee service and light snacks.  The only complaint was that there was supposed to be parking and we were told all the spots were taken.   There was ample street parking, so it really wasn't a problem.

The first night after check in, we walked down to the beach to play in the surf and watch the sunset. Dinner was on the promenade at The Raj.   The Raj had fantastic  service which we have found hard to find in South Africa as a whole.  There was a large and diverse selection of food (including a large vegetarian selection) and cocktails.

After dinner, it was an Uber ride over to Long Street to check out the night life and a DnB event.   The club had a balcony over Long street, which allowed for some great people watching.  There's a lot of opportunistic crime on Long street.   From our vantage point we could see all the pick pockets walking around... the are pretty obvious from above.  Almost all have backpacks and either walk back and forth or hang out in the shadows.   There was also a TON of police but it wasn't really clear what they were doing.   They seemed to be checking bars, but maybe not.

Our morning began fairly early, taking an Uber after breakfast to Table Mountain.   We had purchased our cable car tickets in advance, but there as a still approximately an hour wait, even though we arrived shortly after opening.  We had considered hiking up the mountain- but heard/read varying reports of time and difficulty  I think we still would of tried, but I wasn't feeling so great when we woke up.   There are some trails on top of the mountain, so we did hike around those... which offered some great views and picture ops, that I hadn't gotten to see the first time.  

After Table Mountain it was off to the V&A Waterfront, which is incredibly crowded and touristy.   We needed to do some souvenir shopping and the V&A Waterfront has a market with upscale Arts and Crafts.   I had eye'd a vendor the first time I was at the market and was happy when Phil also picked the same artist, without me pointing her out.   The vendor we chose sells art made in the townships from recycled materials.   When we can we try to support independent artists or groups supporting the community, rather than just buying something mass produced from a tourist shop.   We also bought some small gifts for our co-workers and some carved animals for our living room.

Dinner was at the sushi place on the strip, which was okay, followed by gelato and a walk on the boardwalk.

Our guide was a political prisoner in the '80s.

In the morning we were off to Robben Island by ferry.   We were treated to views of whales breaching and the African penguin colony that lives on the Island.  The island houses the prison that held political prisoners, including Mandela, during Apartheid. Our guide was an ex political prisoner who was imprisoned in the '80s.   I read the Long Walk to Freedom, so it was especially interesting to see the places that Mandela had described in such detail.   Having read the book, I was able to whisper- fill in details to Phil.   An aside, I highly highly recommend this book, especially if you are coming to South Africa.   I gained deeper understanding of South African culture and history. I think it allowed me to really connect on a deeper level and thus enhanced my experience here.  It also gave me a good jumping off point in beginning conversations on the Apartheid.

After Robben Island it was lunch at the Waterfront before heading off to the airport.

And this ends our trip on the Garden Route!

Stay tuned for my reviews of Chobe National Park (Botswana), Livingstone, Zambia and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

And always feel free to leave comments or direct message me!

Weekend Wrap Up: OMG only 2 weeks left

hike awesomeness

ACK!   This is my last full weekend in Joburg.   I'm alternating between being so sad that I'm crying in the back of my Uber and being almost  kind of ready to start the next exciting chapter of my life.   I've been living it up, trying to get in as much friend-time as possible and trying to do all my favorite things one last time until next time.

Dark team lunch pic.

My mentor and I.  Sniff.

This week we had a little combo work going away party/ groom's party at the restaurant in our office park which was fun and incredibly thoughtful.   My mentor gave me a sparkly journal with a back-story about my professional development that made me a little teary eyed.   She also gave me a cat bag... she knows me too well.  My co-workers also picked out a super cool red African influenced purse that perfectly matches my red power pumps.  Score.

Cat bag!!!!

 Then began a string of "lasts".

Pre-crowds at the night market

My last night market at the Full Moon Market with my friend and her man.  The full moon market is a smaller version of the Art on Main Market that is held on Sundays in Maboneng.   Maboneng is my absolute favorite area of the city.   It's an up and coming area that so many art galleries and public graffiti/murals and craft breweries and cafes, all while still keeping it's grit and urban-ness.  The garden and hall is open on night market days and is packed with unique food vendors.  I knew I was coming back on Sunday, so we just relaxed on the roof top patio with cocktails, people watching and listening to the latin music of the salsa night.

Jozie skyline from top of the hike

There's animals down there!

Saturday brought my last hike with my hiking group at Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve.    The beginning of the 9k (a little less that 6 miles) hike was a real challenge.   It was rocky and at a sharp incline.   We were also going at a pace that made me start to believe that I might be asthmatic.  Our hike leader this round was an incredibly fit, no-bull shit drill sergeant who had us going at a near jog and kept shouting "you are all lazy.  push harder.  this is not a picture taking hike".    It got easier once we got to the top and she seemed to back off a bit after our lunch break.   She even let us stop to watch the zebras and the wildebeest.   (Last random hike zebra.  sniff).  Our group was fantastic this hike (it's never not) and we had great conversations.   Even more sadness that there isn't more time to hang with my new friends.    

My last time having Hipster cocktails in jars Bryanston.

I did sneak in one new friend drink night, with a brand new expat from Belgium, who is also doing a 6 month stint.   The ladies I met suggested drinks at The Social on Main in Bryanston, which is a very hipster craft cocktail  bar near Sandton.   There's cocktails in jars.  The girls ended up bailing, but it was fun sharing all my stories and advice and in return learning a whole lot about Brussels and EU politics.   It's a rare occasion that I actually feel smarter when I leave a bar.

Market on Main

Today I was supposed to go eat waffles with co-workers at a market next to my favorite hiking spot, but its over an hour drive each way, so I wasn't particularly feeling it because my priority was to make it to my favorite spot one last time for one last Arts on Main. (until I come back, of course).  


 It was the right decision.  I had a fantastic afternoon... the weather was perfect- warm and sunny, the market was packed and vibrant.  I ate lunch (my last Durban bunny chow)  with an older women and her two grown children and they told me all about township wedding traditions  (they were hunting down some needed items for an upcoming wedding).

Bunny Chow

Street Art Vendors

I wandered around all the galleries and vendors sipping on craft brews from Smack Republic Brewery , this little microbrewery that's tucked in between the galleries.  After a very long texting session with Phil, we decided on 2 prints from Iwasshot in Joburg :).  Iwasshot is an organization that gives street kids disposable cameras to photograph street art in order to generate an income and get them off the street.  They also have a gallery, a work shop and a skills development lab.   Pretty rad.

New canvas art for the "Africa" shelf

A main part of the market is roof top salsa.   I met the gentleman, Sam, who founded Rooftop salsa 4 years ago.   He is a retired journalist from the US.  He came to South Africa 14 years ago on assignment and never left.    I feel you, Sam.  Having to leave Jozie is breaking my heart.  Jozie you have official beat Tokyo as my favorite city that is not Chicago.

Gallery Beer 

And because you were all wondering... Bob is doing wonderful.  We had a little scare this week, where he stopped eating and got very pale, but he's back to snacking on his flowers  and his color has come back.    He currently likes hanging upside down, pooping a lot, inching between flowers.  He dislikes flowers that are not Gerber Daisies and being interrupted from naps.     Speaking of Gerber Daisies I need to find more ASAP.   He's destroying the two I have left and the flower market didn't have any in stock this weekend.   The red flowers that sort of kind of look like daisies aren't cutting it.

Bob

Travel: Garden Route Days 3 & 4: Cango Caves and Mossel Bay

Welcome to our review of the Garden Route Days 3 and 4!!  For those of you that are new to the party  Day 1 and Day 2 are hyperlinked here.  I left off in Oudtshoorn and that's were we begin today.   Our first adventure of the day was Cango Caves.    We were presented with 2 tour options-  Heritage and Adventure.   After making sure we fit through the cardboard demonstration holes in the lobby, we choose Adventure-  which means lots of climbing and sliding and tiny spaces.   And you know how much I love tiny spaces  (not too much- I once got stuck (paralyzed)  in fake caves at the St. Louis museum).    I kept telling Phil, every time I did something that made me uncomfortable, he would have to do something that involved heights. I learned really fast that our relationship really doesn't work that way.   No romantic balloon rides in our future.
My recommendation for Cango Caves is to book in advance, especially in summer and over holidays.   We had to wait a couple of hours for the next available Adventure tour, but it wasn't too bad.  It was a beautiful day and there's a cafe with an outdoor seating area.    The tour itself starts with the Heritage tour and then continues on deeper into the cave.    It's moderately difficult and there a plenty of spaces that require duck walking or wiggling around on your belly.  I got slightly stuck at one point where you have to wiggle up a tall narrow slit and they slide down at the top on your stomach.  I got to the top but then beached myself.  Phil had to push my feet while someone pulled my arms.  Also I smashed my knees and head quite a bit.   I would get tired of squatting, forget where I was and just stand up.  Each time I was no less surprised how hard rock is.

Next is was back down the  mountain.   We decided to skip the Ostrich Farms- because riding ostriches is weird and pretty much animal abuse and the Swartburg pass because 1 lane dirt road mountain passes are scary.  Our next stop was Mossel Bay for the birthday leg of our journey.  After being non-stop go go go go go, it was nice to stop for a couple nights.

Hubs trying to steal my swing

It was a little chilly as the sun set

Our guest house in Mossel Bay was 3 Colors Guest house, which is up on the hill with a fantastic view of the bay.  Excellent location- A quick walk down to the ocean and a little slower hike back up (for the record, I beat Phil up the hill 3/4 times).  Our room was one of two that opened directly on to the pool and deck.   Right in front of our door was a basket chair that swung out over the pool.  I immediately claimed it as my birthday chair and vowed to spent a lot of quality time in my chair with a bottle of wine.  Breakfast wasn't included in our booking, but available at a nominal charge.  And it was fantastic.  I had stuffed french toast one morning and an omelet the next.  There was also amenities such as a common room with an expresso machine and fluffy pool towels in the room.  AND 2 fluffy dogs that come to visit the rooms.  We highly recommend this B&B.

Hi fluffy new friend

looking for sea treasure

After we settled in, it was down to the ocean to play in the tidal pools and to find some dinner.  We choose Delfino's which had plenty of outdoor seating right on the Ocean.   I ordered my bottle of wine (I think I ordered pizza) and Phil ordered a couple of Cape Velvet's, a South African liquor and calamari.  The food was decent, but the server wins all the points for packing up my wine as take away and aiding me in sneaking it out.   It had a party for one on a swing that it needed to attend.    

I finally got my bottle of wine

The next day began with a hike of the St. Blaize Trail.   The entire trail is about 13.7 kilometers.    We started at the entry point near our guest house and hiked about 2 hours up toward Donna Bay and then back all the way to the light house and restaurants.  So about 4- 4.5 hours total.  The entire hike is said to be about 6, but I think that is point to point and not round trip.  The website lists the hike as moderate difficulty, but we found it pretty easy.        A note, part of the hike is on private property and the gate is only open certain times.  The hike was along the coast with breath taking views and lots of little creatures to see.

St. Blaize Trail

St. Blaize trail

We had booked a sunset cocktail cruise, but unfortunately it was canceled due to high waves.   bPhil did book a fantastic spot in town  for dinner, Route 57.  It is owned by a golf pro.  We had a cute little table for two on the porch, with lot's of great people watching.  The food, service and ambiance was amazing.   It is a perfect date night/ special occasion spot.

That ends days 3 & 4.    Stay tuned for the final installment of our Garden Route trip-  the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Town.

view of tidal pools from the trail

Dassie on the trail

Weekend wrap up- Destroying Bathrooms and Dancin' it Out

Hi readers!

So, I'm pretty big on not having fears and facing fears that may pop up. My brother has a lot of weird fears, like a fear of cubed ham.   I do have one irrational fear, maybe just as strange as cubed ham- getting locked in a bathroom.  I've locked myself in a building once, over a holiday weekend, but never a bathroom stall... until this week.  The bathroom door at our plant has a weird skeleton key that you lock from the inside.   I have been wary about this lock from day one...sometimes i don't even lock it because I don't trust it.  This time I unfortunately did lock it and it broke leaving the dead bolt locked.    The way the bathrooms are there's a long hall way off the hallway of offices with two 1 stall bathrooms.
  Most people work from the main office and not the plant so there aren't too many people around.    When the key would not turn the bolt, I had a horrible fear that I wouldn't be found for hours.   I was shaking the door in hopes that the lock would miraculously open, when I heard a little voice way down the hallway-  "Are you okay in there?"  I was discovered!   I would not die in a bathroom!  It took a bit of effort to coax my male coworker into the bathroom, but once he was there he  did give it his best shot to free me.   We tried the key from the outside.   They handed me a screw driver from though a window and I tried to take the lock off.  Nothing was successful, so we had to call in the plant engineers.  By this time, I had  crowd.   I was kneeling on the toilet lid trying to talk to people in the courtyard though the window when... CRACK!   The lid shattered and I feel in the toilet.  Just when I thought the day couldn't possibly get any worse.  The engineers finally broke the door, freeing me.    Luckily, I don't get embarrassed easily.   I'm just going to say that incident report I had to fill out was hilarious. I laughed a lot that day.  Probably more than I have in years.

So it's been a pretty exciting week for me in South Africa.  Besides conquering my biggest fears,  I've been hustling and busting my ass to get everything done in the three weeks I have left in this amazing country.    Work-wise I've been busting my ass on what I'm now affectionately calling my "senior project".  One of my objectives was to design a prototype.  I had to review insights work, come up with an idea, develop recipes, produce samples in the pilot plant and then complete necessary analytical.  I spent several 12+ hour days this week in front of a deep fryer, leaving work smelling like a short order cook.

I got my hair did

By Friday I was ready for some fun.   Despite leaving work at nearly 8 pm after arriving before 7am and being on my feet in safety shoes all day, I grabbed my friend and dragged him to & for Toy Toy, this techno night that I love.  The club reminds me of an old Chicago club in the 90's/early 2000's- Crobar, but much smaller.   The vibe is similar though.    Luckily, my friend enjoyed it was well.   Although we didn't stay too late (relative), I only got about 2-3 hours of sleep before needed to rush to DNA Salon for my first (and only) haircut in SA.   The place was already packed at 8:30 am.   I absolutely loved my experience there.  I've been searching for this kind of treatment for years!    The stylist sat down with me before we started and showed me pictures and dye samples and looked at my pictures.   She gave some great input and suggestions.   Although sitting in a chair in a crowded salon while someone messes with you hair for 4 hours is not the most fun thing to do with no sleep and a slight hang over, it was well worth it.   I loved the end result.  I highly recommend DNA salon in Bedford Centre Mall.

After lunch I was hoping to sneak a nap in at home, but my friends dragged me off to Soweto for what was supposed to be a tour.  Soweto, one of the last touristy places I needed to check off my list.  Soweto is a bustling township outside of Johannesburg that was at the center of the Apartheid struggle as well as Nelson Mandela's official residence.   I uber'd over to Vilakazi Street street, wearing my sneakers, ready to tour.   She gives me a call and says, you are in front of the house, go take a look and meet us at the bar across the street.  We'll be drinking and waiting for you.  Perfect!  Pub crawl is more my thing.

The house is the original that Mandela owned with his first wife Evelyn in 1945.  Later his second wife, Winnie, and their children lived there while Nelson was in prison.  The house was restored in 2008, as it was destroyed by police during Apartheid.   The house now contains artifacts and awards pertaining to the struggle for freedom.    It was interesting, but only took about 20 minutes to read everything.


Then I was off to the Sakumzi.  Sakumzi is a tradition African bar/restaurant.  The original plan for my work farewell lunch was Sakumzi, but it was veto'd.  My friends still wanted me to check it out.The vibe was fun.  It's outside shared seating on picnic tables. There's both a buffet of traditional African food and an a la carte menu.    I found them sitting at a long table with a large group of new friends. The new friends were all in a motorcycle club  together and were touring around SA, with their next trip actually being Myrtle Beach next month.

 They ended up picking up the entire tab, which I was surprised and grateful, so I thanked them and then I thanked them some more when I realized none of my friends had acknowledged their generosity.  After they left, my friends were like "What are you doing??  Why did you thank them??"  And I was like "Why didn't you??"    Their response was "because they are men.  They were supposed to pick up the tab."  This started a long discussion.   Apparently, they don't believe in saying thank you, even to their significant other's... because it is expected, so why thank them for doing what they are expected to do.   I found this strange and then went on to thank pretty much everybody we encountered for everything, much to my friends' dismay.

I wanted to go to a shebeen next, which is a type of township bar that has political history.   My friends looked at me like I had lost my mind and took me to Chaf-Pozi a local bar underneath the Orlando Towers instead.  The towers are old cooling towers from a now defunct coal power plant.  The  have been painted all funky and re-purposed as an adventure center, where you can bungee and abseil and what not.  This was obviously not open that late, but I did get a few cool night shots of the towers and got to check out an almost shebeen, or at least the closest thing to a shebeen the girls would take me to without male escorts.  We met some people on the way out and all headed to a News Cafe in Woodmead.

News Cafes are a chain of bar/restaurants.   I have one near my place, but I don't understand how every News Cafe I've been to is substantially better than the one near me.  This one was particularly fun and our new new friends brought more new friends, whom were really really into Chicago hip hop and totally schooled me.   They wanted to drag me to some afters hip hop party, but I figured 48 hours was past  my no sleep limit and it was time for a nap.

Night cap at News Cafe

My happy this week, is my pet caterpillar, Bob.  Bob is getting so big (he's actually even bigger now).  He likes eating flowers and napping.  He dislikes being petted and picked up.  (I totally miss my fur babies, can you tell?)

Bob.