TRY!

5/2/09
Yesterday we started the morning with a hike up Lion’s Head. Lion’s head is much smaller than Table. It’s a diverse hike with beautiful views of the beaches (Camp’s Bay and Clifton) and Table Mountain. Jamie and I hadn’t hiked it yet, so Cara led the way. From my apartment (the city/waterfront side), the skies where mostly clear and the temp was warm. Only as a second thought did we grab long sleeves (just in case!). Walking out the front of the building (the mountain side), we were met with cool air and gray skies ?!! We went on with our hike anyways. The fog was passing quickly so we decided we were safe. It was a fine hike until about halfway up….when it began to rain. Lion’s Head is a trail with lots of (metal) ladders and rocks. Swallowing our pride, we agreed it was in our best interest to turn around. We continued walking all the way into town (to make up for the lost miles) for breakfast. We ate at Caramello’s and it was delectable! Cara and I had scrambled eggs, bacon (which, PS, is not like American bacon) and gouda on a croissant. Jamie had an omelet. Not only do South Africans know how to enjoy a meal, they also know how to cook one! I have yet to have a disappointing meal…unless you count the fast food Jamie and I had a couple weeks ago, but that was a fault of our own.

Later in the afternoon, we ventured to the waterfront. We usually take a cab there but I’ve run to it a few times, and we wanted to attempt the walk. Since it was “Workers Day” (Labor Day?), the city was desolate. When they say “holiday” in Cape Town, they mean it. No super sales, extended hours, or even alcohol. People here take their holidays and relaxation seriously…one of the very few things we Americans DON’T take seriously.

Today was Cara’s departure day! :( I made my fabulous croissant French toast for breakfast, then Cara, Jamie, Lucy and I walked (about 2 miles) up to Table Mountain National Park to hike the base trails. They wrap around Table Mountain and provide glorious views of the mountains, the city, and the waterfront. I spotted the coolest bird I’ve ever seen…well, it rivals the Lilac-Crested Roller I saw on the safari. This bird had 3 or 4 flowing tails that made a beautiful flapping noise when in flight, which was very close to the ground. I read later that they do this to impress the females. We tried, to no avail, to get lost in the woods so that Cara might miss her flight. She wasn’t buying my insistence on turning right off of the dirt path up into the rocks and shoulder high grass…I should know better than to try and fool such avid hikers as ourselves…

This evening Jamie, Murray (Jamie’s friend who led us up Table Mountain), Martin(Murray’s father) and I attended a real live Stormers game! The Stormers are the South African professional rugby team. They were playing the New Zealand Chiefs tonight. Murray got word that we were interested in going and made the arrangements. Our seats were incredible; about 5 rows from the field just before the Try Line (Goal Line). The best part: the tickets were R65 (less than 10 USD)!!!! And a bottle of water: R10 (just over a dollar!!!) The popular snacks at rugby games are doughnuts and biltong (beef jerky). They also sold chips, soda, ice cream and burgers. I saw maybe 2 hotdogs. The most entertaining vendors were the guys with the packs of hot chocolate on their backs. A hose swung around to the front for pouring. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but there were none that I witnessed. My best purchase of the night was a rollout sign that read, “TRY!” ...R10!! I love that sports are an affordable form of entertainment, as it should be! Sometimes, I can’t help but think that this third world country has a better handle on lifestyle than the almighty US of A…

thanks tami!