Aside from the restaurant and interesting technology talks, the evening was made even more enjoyable by Perdeberg wines, who sponsored a couple of cases of red and white. Perdeberg is currently running an innovative competition, called Clink to Win. They're giving away a whole lot of wine each month - apparently one lucky guy recently won 156 bottles of Perdeberg wine in one go! I bet he suddenly has a whole lot of new friends... ;-) Visit www.clink-to-win.co.za to find out how to enter.
Monthly Archives: March 2008
A different kind of pretty
At that time the city centre simply couldn't house the large numbers of people arriving from Europe and the northern parts of South Africa, and so the farms on the slopes of Lion’s Head had to be sub-divided to make space for the exploding population.
Taxi!
Generally one finds taxi ranks near large shopping malls, train stations and in certain suburbs. These taxis drive predefined routes and pick passengers up and drop them off along this route. Never having used such a taxi, I'm not completely sure of how the cost of the trip is determined - I don't believe there's a flag (since passengers are getting on and off all along the route) so I imagine it's up to the discretion of the driver or his assistant.
Minibus taxi drivers are notorious for not obeying traffic laws. They're almost a law unto themselves, passing on the yellow line, pushing their way between cars to the front of the queue, and driving faster than perhaps they should be. Normal cars play the chicken game with taxis, to see who will back down first and generally unless the car clearly has the upper-hand, the taxi wins.
I thought the Puma was a cat…
Pretty little houses
Bollards in Bo Kaap?
At the time I never gave this bollard a second thought, but considering it now, I wonder who placed it up top of this flight of stairs, and where exactly they got the it from. Perhaps it's from the era when the current Cape Town city was still under water, forming part of Table Bay? ;)
Where are we today?
Kerry-Anne is away this week, attending the 2nd Annual New Media Marketing Conference, held by IQPC in Johannesburg. So, for the next few day's I'm on my own, looking after CTDP, with no Internet connectivity at home, and trying my best to make sure that my grammar is up to her standard. She's so demanding in that way. ;)
I’d bet Dias wished he had one like this
On his initial voyage Dias never actually landed anywhere near Cape Town. For thirteen days his ship was caught in a raging storm, after which he laid anchor at Mossel Bay (a few hunderd kilometers up our east coast). When Dias eventually turned back and found Cape Town, he named it Cabo das Tormentas, the Cape of Storms. King John II of Portugal later renamed it to Cabo da Boa Esperança, meaning Cape of Good Hope, because it opened up a sea trade route to India and the rest of Asia.
Note: This really really big propeller can be found outside the Mediterranean Shipping Company's offices in Martin Hammerschlag Way.
De Hel
De Hel is translated by Google Translate as Hell - the place of fire and brimstone. I'm not sure why it got this name, although perhaps it's because of the dense vegetation that leaves (*groan*) one strangely disoriented.
This afternoon Kerry-Anne and I went to seek out geocache GCTMP6 along this walking trail in Constantia. After quite some walking and fighting our way along a path that was somewhat overgrown in parts, we found the cache hidden among the roots of a huge tree. Although moderately tiring, the walk was great - the greenery and untouched natural forest was really very beautiful.
The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon
For some reason I'd always had the impression that anyone taking part in a marathon would be slim and look super-fit, but this was not so - there were plenty of people who were slightly or moderately overweight. There were also old people and young people, black and white, South Africans and internationals, making for really colourful and diverse scenes.
Take a look at our Cape Town Daily Photo Extras blog for more photos of today's marathon.
Construction in our backyard
To give some perspective, right in the centre of this photo, in the distance, is the Ratanga Junction theme park. Slightly to the right (almost out of sight) is the temporary home of Madame Zingara's tent, "a place of sensual indulgence, baroque splendour and sheer fantasy". If you're visiting Cape Town, you really have to visit Madame Zingara's - it's quite an experience... and while you're there, say hello to Marcel, a friend, and the most awesome magician we know!
Spectacular spectacular
Watching the sun rise and set from our balcony is spectacular when the air is quiet and the only sounds are those of the ibis, falcon and seagull. It's so calming to watch the ducks and geese paddle, chase each other and forage for food in the dam below. This really is an awesome place to live, and I'm a little sad that we'll be leaving in a just over a week.
The rich and famous
I remember that I tried skiing once many years ago. I did reasonably well until I ended up with a ski on either side of the boat's wake. I quickly had to make a decision - either let go of the ski rope or learn the splits in a hurry. I still can't do the splits. ;)
Iced toes
The water at Clifton is just a little on the icy side. When I say "a little on the icy side", I mean of course that you might lose a toe if you step too hard on the way out. Durbanites, who are accustomed to the bathtub waters of their own coastline, are often taken by surprise by this, and can usually be quite easily spotted: they're the ones wearing 8mm wetsuits at Gordon's Bay (which, in case you're wondering, actually has very swimmable water indeed - by Capetonian standards, anyhow).
Clearly these ladies are braver than I - the longest I've managed to stay in the water at Clifton is about 30 seconds. And that was just up to my ankles. Nearly lost a toe too, on the way out...
Beach-time – it’s almost over
Summer always seems to end far too abruptly - and I'm pretty sure that it's getting shorter each time around! So, as we head towards winter you should expect to see a few more beach pictures, as Kerry-Anne and I make as much use as possible of the few remaining warm days.
Fair Cape Downhill Challenge
After two days of tough competition in the baking sun, Michael Zietsman came out tops with Anton Pratt, Richard Dweza and Tibor Hery following close on his wheels. Congratulations guys, you were cooking! ;)
Take a look at our Cape Town Daily Photo Extras blog to see more photos from today's event. Also, if you'd like to find out more about downhill skating, visit the South African Gravity Racing Association's website.
Remember And Give – UCT RAG floats procession
Students work in teams to design and build floats based on a theme (this year's theme was "Homegrown Heroes"); the floats are then driven up and down Adderley Street in a colourful, energetic and wonderfully noisy procession. Each student has a collection box, and as they walk, run or... um... dance alongside their floats, they creatively request donations from the spectators lining the streets. All the money they collect goes to SHAWCO, a student-run organisation that concentrates on youth and community development programmes.
We took a LOT of photos today - visit Cape Town Daily Photo Extras to see more than 100 photos of the floats procession.
If you enjoy Cape Town Daily Photo, please don't forget to vote for us in the SA Blog Awards - click on the SA Blog Awards logo at the top right, and then hit the Submit button at the bottom of the voting page. There are just a few days of voting left!
Their milkshake brings all the boys to the yard
Not just their milkshakes, actually - their burgers too; and not just the boys either - apparently Salma Hayek (who, according to my sources, is definitely a girl) was quite taken with Royale's gourmet burgers and milkshakes too. This shot was taken inside Royale Eatery, a funky diner-style restaurant on Long Street, renowned for their huge gourmet burgers and heavenly milkshakes.
We had our burgers with sweet potato chips, which turned out to be an excellent choice; Paul had a Honeycomb milkshake, which was so good, I tried to steal it while he wasn't looking; and I had a Plum and Grape milkshake, upon the recommendation of our delightful - and very pretty - waitress. (Paul mentioned in passing that if he were a single guy, he's spend a lo-o-o-ot of money at Royale, 'cos they've got some of the loveliest waitresses in town.)
Lots to see and do
We thought we'd post this one today: firstly, because the colours are rather pretty, and secondly, in case you're in Cape Town, and didn't realise that the UCT Rag Floats Procession was taking place this weekend.
And if you're not in Cape Town, don't worry - we'll make sure we get up early enough to get some photos of the floats as they make their way up (or is it down?) Adderley Street on Saturday morning. Stay tuned. ;-)
House on the hill
I'm sure we've mentioned before that the beachfront area in Camps Bay is one of our favourite parts of Cape Town - particularly in December, when the streets are jammed, the beaches are full of holidaymakers, and the restaurants are packed with beautiful people.
The houses aren't too shabby either, as you might be able to see from this shot. Camps Bay is an affluent neighbourhood, and a high proportion of the properties here are owned by foreigners.
In fact, a UK woman has apparently just paid R44 million (that's around $5.6 million or 3.6 million Euros) for a double-storey building on the beachfront - and she plans to demolish it!
Sunset or sunrise?
So what would your guess be, sunset or sunrise?
La Piazza
We'd already had dinner, so I think it must have been the proximity of so many nice restaurants that made us hungry all over again. But, we stood fast and resisted the tempation to order some kind of post-dinner snack.
Many kilos on a tiny saddle
109 kilometres around our peninsula is no joke. For guys like Robbie, it's a very serious and well-planned race. For many of the 40,000 other cyclists, it's a day of fun, with little training and often little planning. I've heard reports that up to 65 people were taken to hospital as a result of road accidents, fatigue, kidney stones and heart attacks.
A colleague of mine is presently trying to convince me that I should take part next year. I keep having to explain that I don't have a bike and it's really very difficult to cycle with a camera in hand. :)
Visit Cape Town Daily Photo Extras to see a few of the other shots we managed to take.
Mzoli’s Meat
It was the first time either of us had been to Gugulethu, and Andy, who organised the outing for us, took us on a little walk around the block after lunch. The people were overwhelmingly friendly to us, both at Mzoli's and while we were walking through the neighbourhood. I imagine we stood out a little - there aren't too many white faces in Gugulethu on any given day. :-)
In short, we had a great time, and if you're looking for a different, close-up view of vibrant township life, then see if you can make lunch at Mzoli's part of your visit to Cape Town. A number of tour companies offer trips to Mzoli's and the surrounding township, but if you want an arguably more authentic experience, I'm sure we'd be able to find a fair number of ordinary Capetonians who'd be happy to take you. I'm certainly up for another visit.
Visit Cape Town Daily Photo Extras to see more of our photos from Mzoli's.
A beautiful day for a wedding
Hadeda squawk patrol
The Hadeda (a type of Ibis) is a very very loud bird. They're pretty common to the Western Cape, and very common to the dam right behind our apartment. The Hadeda is easily recognised by its loud squawking, which sounds much like haa-haa-haa-de-dah - hence the name Hadeda (pronounced haa-di-daa).
As I mentioned earlier, I broke my camera. Two of the pins that plug into the memory card snapped off! Anyway, I was referred to Tim Fisher at Cape Camera Repairs. Having heard of repairs taking weeks I was dreading not having my camera for even a few days. Imagine my surprise when he assured me it would take only a day or two to repair. Well, he kept to his word and so I guess today's post is compliments of Tim at Cape Camera Repairs. Thanks Tim!
I you have a moment please visit our extras blog where I've posted three more Hadeda photos taken this evening.
Edit: A friend kindly informed me that these birds are indeed not of the Hadeda Ibis variety, they are in fact from the Sacred Ibis clan - differentiated by their white plumage. Thank-you Riaan!
Counting cranes
These cranes are over at the construction site of Green Point Stadium, one of the stadiums that will host several soccer games during the 2010 World Cup. In the middle of February, city spokesperson Pieter Cronje apparently said that a third of the stadium is already complete, and that it's well on its way to being completed on schedule, by 15 December 2009.
I find the presence of the cranes on our skyline really inspiring - to me, they're a symbol of progress and growth.
If you're very, very observant, you might have noticed that the SA Blog Awards button to the right has changed a little. That's because we've been nominated! Yes indeed - we were thrilled to discover that we've received nominations in three categories: Best Photographic Blog, Best New Blog and Best Travel Blog. If you enjoy our blog, please click on the button to vote for us, and while you're there, have a look at some of the other nominated blogs and vote for those you fancy. What an awesome first birthday present for Cape Town Daily Photo!
Happy birthday to us…
Thanks to:
- Eric, for unknowingly inspiring us to start this blog
- Alice, Jules, Jenty, Joy, Abraham, and ALL the other regular commenters - it's always great hearing from our readers, and it really makes a difference to our levels of enthusiasm :)
- All the other City Daily Photo bloggers, especially those who visited our blog right in the beginning and made us feel that we really were part of a community
- All our friends in Cape Town (and the rest of South Africa!) - it never ceases to delight me when I'm introduced to someone who lives in this city and they say, "Oh, YOU'RE the guys who do Cape Town Daily Photo!" It's fantastic to know that so many of our fellow Capetonians and South Africans read our blog regularly.
- And finally, thank you to you, whoever you may be - even if you've never left a comment and we've never met, the fact that you visit here means the world to us.
We still have plenty (PLENTY) to show you in and around Cape Town, so don't you worry, we'll be back tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. And so on and so on, until you get tired of us.
Survivor Century City
I shot this photo early this morning from our balcony. Kerry-Anne said it reminded her of one of those lengthy immunity challenges in CBS's Survivor. You know - the ones where contestants are compelled to stand on a pole for hours on end. Our friend here lasted for several minutes before taking a dive off into the water - in search of a peanut butter sandwich no doubt. (Peanut butter? Google here.)
A room with a view
We've been listening to the birds in the reserve all day, and it really does feel as though we're on holiday here. I feel more relaxed than I have in a very long time, and I'm looking forward to exploring this part of Cape Town for a change.
By the way, we have an important milestone coming up this week... do come back on Tuesday to see what it is. :)
March Theme Day: Graffiti or street mural
Today's photo was taken in the city centre, on Darling Street just up the road from the Castle. The mural is of Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko, Cissie Gool and Imam Haron.
Take a look at our CTDP Extras Blog for more graffiti and street art around Cape Town.
Sorry for being late with today's post. Since our move we've had limited internet connectivity - and that which I do now have is also kindly sponsored by Milieu Properties. Jeanne-Piere, you're a star! :)
Please use the links below to visit a few of the 144 City Daily Photo blogs taking part in today's Theme Day.
Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, Aliso Viejo (CA), USA by Rodney, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Bandung, Indonesia by Guntur Purwanto, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chicago (IL), USA by U R us, Chicago (IL), USA by b.c., Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Cologne, Germany by April11, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Detroit (MI), USA by Taittems, Dunedin (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Evry, France by Olivier, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Guelph, Canada by Pat, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Inverness (IL), USA by Neva, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Le Guilvinec, France by ds2944, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Jsaltao, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Mainz, Germany by JB, Maple Ridge, Canada by Susan, Mazatlan, Mexico by Kate, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico, Mexico by Poly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montréal, Canada by Douber, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Mumbai, India by MumbaiIteanu, Naples (FL), USA by Isabella, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK by Cassie & Chris, Niamey, Niger by Dinabee, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Ocean Township (NJ), USA by Josy, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Radonvilliers, France by Deslilas, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Rome, Italy by Giovanni, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation by Lark, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seguin (TX), USA by Thien, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, St Francis, South Africa by Sam, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Terre Haute (IN), USA by Zann, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Torun Observer, Toulouse, France by Julia, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Wroc?aw, Poland by Loompi, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn