A week or more ago (while we were away in Bloemfontein watching the soccer) one of the Tidewater Marine guys emailed me about chartering a helicopter and taking photos of two boats due to pass by Cape Town's Table Bay. The two boats were the Gubert Tide and Desoto Tide, en route from Singapore to the West Coast of Africa (somewhere near Côte d'Ivoire).
I read a little about the boats and found that they're reasonably new vessels, launched only this year and now being deployed to their new home near Côte d'Ivoire. Apparently, these two are Diesel-Electric-powered boats, which I understand makes them a little special in that they're not quite as bad for the environment as many other ships - they reduce CO2 emission by 30% and are lighter on diesel than traditional diesel-powered vessels.
Enough about Tidewater and the boats for now, and back to the helicopter trip. If you have the opportunity you absolutely HAVE TO take an early-morning flip in a chopper around Cape Town. I now understand why this city is often considered the most beautiful in the world. But, don't take my word for it - visit again tomorrow, because I'll be posting a few more early-morning aerial photos of Cape Town. Early morning is a beautiful time to see the city and its mountains.
Take a look at this article to read more about the two vessels.
I took this photo this morning at about 07h50, at a location just past the Table Bay Hotel at the V&A Waterfront. I overheard several people say that the sunrise this morning was the best that they'd seen in a long time, perhaps even the best ever!
Yesterday I gave a clue as to what I'd be doing today, but given that only Hilda from My Manila commented on the post I'm guessing that the clues must have been too vague. Well, either this, or the Internet is ignoring me... :-/
Today's clue in the photo above is the last one and will surely help narrow it down. In fact, I'm sure by now you have a fairly good idea of what I did this morning. Still, today's clue will help you uncover only one half of the puzzle... with the other half still represented in the second clue from yesterday's photo.
Although this photo was taken on Sunday, today's weather was pretty much the same; I thought it appropriate to share this photo because it gives two clues as to something fun I'll be doing early tomorrow morning... before heading off to work. Have a guess, and remember, I did say two clues. :)
Today is Kerry-Anne's birthday and at this stage she's received so many messages from people on Facebook, Twitter, on her cell phone, and in her mailbox that she's spent the whole day just getting through them all. I never knew that she knew so many people! So, believe me, if she hasn't yet responded to your message, it's not because she's ignoring you.
Thanks to the people who've contributed to the "Drummer-girl project" that I started for Kerry-Anne; we're up to R700 already! One of the contributors even offered to let her use his electronic drumkit every now and again! Why didn't I think of that!? An electronic kit with headphones! ;)
I took this photo yesterday while sitting at Blouberg beach, which is on the east side of Table Bay. Table Mountain is to the left and the famous Robben Island to the right of this picture - both just out of frame.
The two subjects of this photo sat on the fence for a long while, seeming not to talk, just looking out to sea. It was interesting watching the couple because due to the fact that they weren't sitting right next to each other I found myself wondering if they were uncomfortable with each other (being on some kind of "first date") or perhaps they'd been arguing and now sat silent, or maybe they were simply friends enjoying the warm sun (even though the sea breeze was a little cool). I felt that in some way the ships anchored in the bay were a silent reflection of the couple.
On a different topic, tomorrow, 7 July, is Kerry-Anne's birthday! If you will, take a guess at how old she will be. She won't be offended if you guess wrong, promise. ;) If you want to help and have a moment, have a look at the "Drummer-girl Project" that I devised in order to get her the drum kit she's been hounding me for.
I just can't believe the weather that we're having this year. I'm sure it's usually cold with a fair share of rain in July!
We took a drive out to Blouberg beach today to take a few photos and have some ice-cream at the seaside. Clearly similar thoughts about ice-cream at the seaside went through many people's minds. It seemed as though wherever I looked there were people eating ice-cream!
The only sad thing about the weather we're having is that most tourists only visit the city in the summer months and so miss out on these clear and sunny winter days. What I hope for is that next year we have similarly good weather for the 2010 Football World Cup - it'll make our visitors' stay in Cape Town extraordinarily awesome!
I mentioned in the previous post that we visited Kink Bar Boutique for a birthday get-together. What I didn't mention though was that the bar's name contains the word Boutique because, while most people socialise downstairs, some people wander upstairs to the little lingerie and... well... toy shop. ;-)
Before fully realising the nature of the shop I took a walk upstairs to see what it was all about. Needless to say I was quickly scared off by the beautiful garments and the ladies browsing them. :P I didn't even have a chance to take in all the goods that were for sale. I've since taken a quick look at the catalogue on their website (rated 18+), so I have a pretty good idea of what I missed out on...
We, together with a number of other friends, joined Catherine and Joe to celebrate their respective birthdays at Kink Bar Boutique - a popular hang-out that we'd never actually visited until the party.
Kink is a small bar, with a dark and red Moulin Rouge feel about it... and in fact, at one point I noticed scenes from the movie playing on the projector screen in the photo. We had a couple of drinks inside and then wondered out the front to chat with friends for an hour or two.
The people enjoying the vibe at Kink seemed unpretentious, friendly and easy to talk to. The girls were pretty, and I'm led to believe that the guys were generally not too bad looking either. :) Even the waitresses mingling through the crowd were friendly and seemed to appear at the right time, just as another drink was required.
Kink's a nice place to enjoy a couple of drinks with mates before heading off to one of the local dancing spots. I'm pretty sure we'll be visiting again sometime soon.
I mentioned graffiti, and its often un-artistic form, in the previous post. This photo is taken at the Kuilsrivier crossing of the N1 national highway - about 30 kilometres from the city centre.
Reflecting on the photo caused me to wonder if the 26 painted on the wall was a reference to the 26s prison gang prevalent in the Cape Town area. As I understand it, the 26s, 27s and 28s are three prison gangs with different roles. I won't get into it now, but it seems as though the 26s are focused on accumulating wealth "which was to be distributed among all three segments, through cunning and trickery but never violence", according to this article.
I have no idea who Dratlock is. It may not even be someone's name, nickname, or callsign. Does anybody have an idea as to who or what it is?
I've posted photos of graffiti in Cape Town before, mostly of mural art rather than instances of vandalism. The reality is that just like any city ours has its fair share of graffiti that is not always the most appealing or artistic type. Plenty of tax money ends up being spent on cleaning up the mess instead of on improvement projects, or benefiting the community in some way. The City of Cape Town is however in the process of drafting a by-law to address graffiti. The by-law will put in place a graffiti unit that will focus on the problem and be in a position to lay civil and criminal charges against offenders.
I remember years ago when we visited Sydney my nephew mentioned that kids under 18 aren't allowed to buy spraypaint at all... and in fact may not be in the possession of such unless in the presence of an adult! This law is much like the law that prevents kids in South Africa from buying cigarettes. The reality is that many kids under 18 manage to buy smokes anyway, so I don't believe limiting who may buy spraypaint would be very effective. In fact, it would have totally sucked if this law were in place in South Africa when I was younger. I remember buying loads of paint in my youth to spray everything from skateboards to science projects, and even shoes! Seriously.
If you are an artist, then don't worry too much. It seems as though the by-law will cater for graffiti artists, providing areas for them to express their art... which I must say, is often just astounding.
This site is where (presumably) high-voltage current, carried from huge electricity pylons and copper wire, meets the earth, heading underground to nearby homes. The signs posted around the fence are supposed to help you with first aid in case you need to assist someone who's been electrocuted.
Of course, it goes without saying that when someone has just been electrocuted, it's highly unlikely that you'll have the luxury of time to read this board or surf the web for an answer. So take a moment, read this article, and do some more research on how to give first aid - you could save someone's life and prevent yourself from getting injured in the process.
Four points that may be obvious, but are key to remember, are:
Come on now, admit it, everyone loves playing with Lego... don't they? After chatting with several friends who have kids I've decided that guys (and perhaps a few girls) have kids only so that they can justify buying Lego. I believe that our stand-in photographer Mandy has no kids and is unashamedly a Lego-lover (which is why we have this photo today!).
An interesting thing that I discovered from the Wikipedia article on Lego is that Ole Kirk Christiansen, Lego's inventor, actually used a patented design by Hilary Harry Fisher Page called Kiddicraft. Kiddicraft was developed in the 1930s, while Lego materialised in the 1940s. Lego (due to its remarkable success) eventually succeeded in purchasing the rights to Kiddicraft in 1981.
Aren't we all lucky that Ole "leveraged" the Kiddicraft design? Were it not for this small part of history, it's possible that millions would never have experienced the joy of Lego!
The area around this signpost is littered with dolosse - big concrete blocks used to break the force of the waves hitting the retaining wall of the V&A Waterfront's parking area.
Even if you were a strong swimmer accustomed to braving the icy water, and even if the ocean looked particularly calm, the small waves ebbing and flowing would quickly crash you against the barnacle-covered concrete dolosse, making your swim at best rather unpleasant, and at worst, fatal.
It's strange how apparently calm waters can actually be very rough seas for humans, when combined with immovable objects like these dolosse. This sort of "apparent safety" is presumably also the reason that I see parents driving with their young kids unrestrained in their cars. If you do on occasion allow your kids unrestrained in a vehicle, imagine for a moment running as fast as you can into a sheet of glass. It takes a lot to make me angry - but this does.
If you're a parent, take a moment to visit the Childsafe website and read the Arrive Alive article on ensuring that your children are kept safe while in transit.
Thank-you to Mandy for helping out with photos, including this one, while we've been touring around the country for the Confederations Cup.
Bennie managed to snap this photo when a member of the Cannon Society fired this half-pounder cannon. I'm surprised not to see the cannonball floating in mid air! :)
Some time ago cannons fell under the Firearms Act, which meant that they were governed by the same restrictions applying to modern firearms. The Cannon Society petitioned the authorities, and to satisfy the South African Police they drew up an official safety handbook, set up a code of conduct, and agreed to training courses for gunners. Today cannons and antique muzzle-loaded firearms have been deregulated and no longer fall under the Firearms Act (although a competency certificate obtained through proper training is required).
Thankfully we haven't been in Cape Town to experience this week's storms, which seem to have been an illustration of why the Dutch at first called the area the "Cape of Storms". Mandy, on the other hand, has been there, but absolutely refused to walk about in the rain taking photos of the carnage! (Which I completely understand.)
As quickly as the storms arrive, they disappear, leaving in their wake blue skies and, in this case, torn banners. Normally, once the storm has subsided, we find that our beaches and seaside roads are covered in foam and debris from the ocean. One good thing resulting from these kinds of storms is that the skies are cleared completely of all the smog that would have hung low in the air, obscuring the beautiful nature that surrounds the city.
Roots in Observatory, a bar with its own man-made beach, is quite unlike other bars in the city. Take a look here and here to see what I mean - isn't it awesome when people play with fire?
Apart from the beach-away-from-the-sea feel, at Roots you can have a few drinks with friends while watching sporting events on a big screen. They also host live music acts catering for a wide variety of tastes, from Reggae/Rock/Fusion bands like Tidal Waves to Afrikaans metal bans like Fokofpolisiekar.
If you're not sure where to find Roots, they're at 96 Station Road, which is right here on the map.
As our holiday in Bloemfontein and Johannesburg draws to an end, thanks again to Mandy for helping us out with our daily photos from Cape Town!
Substitute photographer, Super Sleuth Watson, attended the opening of the These Four Walls fine art gallery in Observatory. While this was the opening, the gallery is certainly not new, and has in fact been running from a small flat in Woodstock for some time.
The idea behind These Four Walls is for it to be a gallery with a semi-informal atmosphere where "average people" are able to purchase original works of art at affordable prices. What I like about the gallery is that their website's homepage has a link to photos of the works displayed in the current exhibition.
These Four Walls is at 169 Lower Main Road in Observatory, and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10h00 to 17h00, and Saturday from 10h00 to 13h00. Most artists don't paint to make money, they paint to express something for others to enjoy. So, if you find yourself in the area, if you love art, and even if you're not shopping, visit the gallery and stimulate your creativity.
Mandy discovered this block of concrete demarcating the location of an old heliport close to the breakwater, just behind the V&A Waterfront parking area. The photo reminded me of an adventure helicopter trip offered by the Huey Club in one of their famous Huey HU-1 military choppers - which we often first hear (they have a distinctive sound), and then see flying over the city. You may remember these helicopters from movies like Full Metal Jacket or serials like M.A.S.H.
Quite some time ago a friend told me of an adventure helicopter trip, called the "Combat Mission", that he went on in one of these choppers. What they do is take passengers on a trip that involves low-flying over the city, Waterfront and up the West Coast. Pilots put the choppers into steep climbs and hard banks... WITH THE DOORS OPEN, to simulate a real combat situation. Thankfully there's nobody shooting rockets or machine-guns at this joyride!
The Huey Club lists the cost of the trip as R1500... but I haven't been able to find out how long the flight-time is. At that price, I can't believe that it's more than about 30 minutes, though.
Jet Skiing is one of those sports that I think many people would love to try, but either it's too expensive, or they live too far away from the ocean and its waves to make one of these water bikes a worthwhile investment.
I'm sure many people know that you can hire a Jet Ski for the odd bit of fooling around, but what's always bothered me with this is that jet skis are dangerous and I don't know how to read the ocean - I do know that it's not something to toy with, though. A colleague of mine, who rides his jet ski regularly, told me of an incident where he helped someone who had paralysed themselves by landing incorrectly after jumping the ski... that's not a place I'd like to be!
But there is another option if you're visiting Cape Town and would like to take a tour of the coastline on a jet ski (and want to drive the machine yourself). Bugaloo Adventures have a Seafari jet ski package for R600 that puts you on a jet ski with a guide on a separate ski. The guide rides alongside you, keeping one eye on the ocean and one eye on you to make sure you're staying safe, and helps you learn how to ride the ski. It's a pretty cool idea, don't you think? I'm just waiting for Bugaloo to offer us a free ride, so that we can review the actual experience! :D
To help us out while we're on vacation, today's photo was taken by Bennie Vivier - the guy who, when I started getting into photography, was kind enough teach me about the subtle technical aspects of the art.
Football World Cup logistics, organisation, and the vuvuzela
The Green Point soccer stadium, seen here from the Cape Town Waterfront area, looks to be fast approaching completion. There are still tall cranes looming over the empty stadium, but far fewer than you may recall in photos that I posted in 2007 and 2008. Just take a look at the progress made since June 2007!
If you've been following our recent posts you'll know that we're away from Cape Town on holiday for two weeks, and that Mandy J Watson has been kind enough to help out with a couple of photos, including this one.
This evening Kerry-Anne and I were privileged to watch South Africa and Spain battle it out in a Confederations Cup match in Bloemfontein; since this tournament is a trial run for next year's World Cup, and in light of this photo, I thought I'd give you a reportback on my experience from a logistics and organisation perspective.
First, I guess I should state that I'm not a sports fan, so I think I'm able to view the situation objectively without the excitement that allows fans to overlook the negative aspects of the experience.
So, objectively:
It was easy to find parking and it took a matter of 5 minutes to get into the stadium, and head up the stairs to our seats.
Finding our seats was fairly easy... we just looked at our ticket, consulted the boards, entered through the correct gate, read the signs, and we were good to go.
Apart from the signs giving directions, it seemed that at almost every turn there was a friendly official ready to point us in the right direction.
The venue wasn't too crowded, and the seating wasn't cramped.
The queues at the ladies' toilets were VERY long at half time. This is normal, of course, but that doesn't mean it's okay.
I've never been a fan of the vuvuzela (that long plastic trumpet that South African supporters blow at soccer matches), but to be honest, it really wasn't so bad. They weren't too loud and I have to say that they did add to the atmosphere significantly. They are an integral part of South African soccer culture and it just wouldn't be the same without them.
The only time that the trumpets did become annoying was after the match while we were walking through the Loch Logan shopping mall next to the stadium. Googols of fans blowing trumpets in a confined space made of reflective tiles and glass isn't good for one's ears!
My only suggestions are:
Think about where you will park your car before the time and how congested the area will be after the match.
Buy ear plugs from a music store - you'll still be able to enjoy the atmosphere, even if you find a vuvuzela positioned right next to your ear. :)
Tigresse, which can carry 60 passengers, is, according to its owner, the largest sailing catamaran in African waters, rivalled only by the Fujicat, a sister catamaran.
At R110 for a one-and-a-half-hour cruise, it's not at all expensive (in my opinion). If I were you however, I'd consider doing the sunset cruise with champagne for R180. Their website notes that they offer a champagne cruise, and even though I know they really mean sparkling wine, please insist on REAL champagne from Champagne... just to make the point! ;)
We're currently on vacation so credit for today's photo of Tigresse goes to Mandy from brainwavez.org.
If you read yesterday's post you'll have gathered that Kerry-Anne and I are away in Bloemfontein (for the Confederations Cup). We decided that it wouldn't be fair to stockpile photos before we left and subject our readers to them over the time, so I've enlisted the help of a couple of friends to supply us with photos.
Mandy, blogger, writer, gadget-freak, and owner of brainwavez.org kicked off today with this shot of the Garcia D'Avila moored at the Cape Town Waterfront. This warship found its way to Cape Town in support of the Sea Power for Africa Symposium held at the CTICC (but I think they're actually in SA to support Brazil in the Confederations Cup!). Mandy mentioned that the public were actually being allowed to board the vessel for a short tour. We're not sure if they're still giving tours, but if you're in the Waterfront, stop by and try your luck. ;)
If you have a moment, visit brainwavez.org. The homepage lists article summaries, which link through to the main articles. Unsurprisingly, the first article I read was a review of a silly, yet fun game, Death Dice. (I'm on level 7 at the moment ;) ).
Yesterday was the first day of our semi-vacation to Bloemfontein, a city in the the Free State province of South Africa. The plan was for us to catch a 06h30 flight to Johannesburg, then hire a car and drive about 400km to Bloemfontein, with three hours to spare before the Spain vs Iraq Confederations Cup football match being held at the Mangaung stadium.
We stopped packing at about 1am yesterday morning... and woke up at 3am to finish packing. (Note to self: don't catch a 06h30 flight, ever). We arrived at the heavily congested Cape Town International airport, where queues were doubling back on themselves and stretching far out of sight.
Through much running and scrambling we managed to board the Kulula plane on time... and then sat patiently for an hour or so, waiting to taxi to the runway. It turned out that the reason for our wait was that a micro-switch controlling the aircraft flaps had malfunctioned. After much investigation the pilot announced that we were to disembark, as it would take some time to repair! Argggghhhh! Not only was this inconvenient, but the three-and-a-half-hour delay would cause us to miss the football match - the whole reason for our trip!
We sat in the airport lounge to drink a depressing cup of coffee, and in the midst of our disappointment and anger at the situation, we hit upon a plan. Kerry-Anne checked online and found that Mango, one of only three operators that fly to Bloemfontein, had an 11h15 flight that would fly directly to Bloemfontein, arriving in time for the match; while I went to find out whether we could get our baggage off the Kulula flight before they started boarding again.
Some quick talking from our side, and quick thinking by Ameen Sabardien (one of the Comair supervisor-type guys), got our baggage removed from the Kulula flight just before it was to depart (in fact, the boarding doors had already closed!).
We purchased new tickets from Mango (at a cost of around R1,100) while Ameen collected and returned our luggage to us and arranged for our car hire to be moved from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein. He was really amazing - when nobody else really wanted to help - he did.
After all the racing we managed to make it to Bloemfontein in time to see Spain and Iraq take to the field. The only challenge that we now face is claiming the R1,100 for our Mango flight back from Kulula!
An interesting piece of trivia is that Mango Airlines brand almost everything in orange - as I guess you're able to see from the photograph. Bloemfontein is a city in the Free State, which use to be called the Orange Free State... which perhaps is why they have Bloemfontein as one of their destinations. :P
I'm not one to buy curios, furniture, or other goods from road-side sellers. Perhaps I should, but it would be on rare occasions that I'd stop and browse, let alone buy. After taking the photos of the tyre swing seats I wandered over to a lady selling birds made of some kind of metal - possibly copper - hey, possibly copper from old hot-water cylinders!
I found out that the cost for these (what I'm assuming to be garden statues) ranges from R180 for the large, more detailed birds at the back, to R150 for the large, but less detailed ones in the second-last row. The price decreases along with the size of the bird, all the way down to R50 for ones about the size of a shoe-box.
At the end of last month I posted a photo of a swing made from an old car tyre. Today I happened to spot a road-side vendor selling these tyre swings pretty close to where I live. Don't you think it's far better to put these tyres to use as a swing than to have them lie about polluting the environment? I just wish that they would make swings for big people. Perhaps some old 4x4 tyres would work nicely... heh, one could even have a premium-class swing made from BMW run-flat tyres! :D
I didn't think of it at the time, but I should have asked the vendor (sitting in the far right corner of the photo) how much these cost. I can't believe that they would be expensive, so if anyone is interested, leave a comment and I'll stop by to find out for you.
If you'd like one for your kids (or even for someone else's), you'll find this vendor just up the road from the Stodels Nursery in Bellville. I've marked it here on Wikimapia.
Why not consider buying two of these and some tough rope, and then setting them up in a field or forest somewhere where someone would use them? You'd support the vendor and possibly make some kids (or skinny big people) happy at the same time... the butterfly effect, you know! :)
I have to draw your attention to the little story that I've been putting together in the lasttwo posts. The first photo in the series was of graffiti found underneath the fly-over, the second photo revealed where the first was taken, and now this one was shot from precisely the same spot as the first, but with the photo centred on the location in Kerry-Anne's photo on 8 June. So, by now you should have a fairly complete perspective on this particular interchange. :)
While lamenting over the boredom she endured in high school, Kerry-Anne failed to mention that this fly-over is one of her most loved roads in the Northern Suburbs, if not in the entire province! The way this fly-over rises into the air with a perfect crossfall camber, banking 90° to the right, is simply awesome for people who (really) enjoy driving their cars.
Now, don't get me wrong; I'm not suggesting that one needs to exceed 120km/h to take pleasure in the bend, but I do suggest that if you haven't yet driven this route you should give it a try. Take note however that you should keep left as you take the bend, as the roadworks on the R300 extend onto this fly-over and cause the right-hand lane to come to a potentially dramatic stop. Remember folks, be safe, Arrive Alive. ;)
The lorry that you see on the left is making its way away from the city along the N1 national highway, about 30km outside of Cape Town. The fly-over that you see rising from the centre of the photo carries vehicles from the N1 onto the R300, one of the major routes used to reach the country's second national highway, the N2, about 20km from this point.
The centre of this photo is where I shot the photo in yesterday's post. I have to say that I had an eerie feeling listening to (and feeling) cars, trucks and huge lorries whizzing by only metres overhead. It kinda reminded me of climbing up the Sydney Harbour Bridge (which carries a highway as well as a metro rail system!).
I found this piece of graffiti at a spot that locals often pass by but would never know is there unless they derailed whatever day-to-day activities preoccupied them and explored places that they would normally not.
Whether you live in Cape Town or in some other part of the world, look around you as you travel the same route that you travel most days, and identify the places that you've never explored before. They may take you off your beaten track and they may waste a few minutes of your day, but you'll never again wonder "what's behind that wall?", "what does that store sell?", or "what does that suburb look like?". Heck, perhaps you'll even start your own {mycity}dailyphoto.com!
I'll be darn impressed if any of you know where this photo was taken. All will be revealed in the next exciting instalment of Cape Town Daily Photo. ;)
I mentioned in yesterday's post that we spent a great evening tasting BenRiach whisky, but I didn't tell you that the event was held at Sinn's Restaurant at Wembley Square. (You might recall us blogging about Sinn's in the past).
It was the first time we'd eaten a meal at the restaurant - previously we'd only been there for snacks and drinks (very good snacks and drinks they were, though!).
Our food was absolutely excellent (French onion soup, filled chicken breasts on a bed of mushrooms, and malva pudding with koeksuster/Amarula ice cream were a few of the options on our set menu), and the service was great. The waiters were incredibly polite and very efficient, and the portions of food were impressively generous.
If you're a fan of value for money, then don't miss their winter specials - R99 for a 2-course meal or R125 for a 3-course meal, both including a glass of wine. If you're looking for a cosy but stylish spot for dinner, I can definitely recommend Sinn's.
I'm sure it will amuse you to know that when we were leaving Kerry-Anne and I spent five minutes trying to work out why on earth the pay-on-foot parking machine wouldn't take our parking ticket, till we realised simultaneously that I was, in fact, trying to put the parking ticket into the automatic teller machine, conveniently located next to the pay-on-foot machine. And I can't even blame the whisky - its effects had long since worn off. :D
I'm not sure how many of our readers drink whisky, but if you do, then you'll understand when I say that our evening out at a whisky tasting was fantastic... especially when the BenRiach guys served up, amongst others, their finest 20-year-old!
The BenRiach Distillery in Scotland was first established in 1898, and only 5 years ago purchased from the Chivas Brothers by three entrepreneurs, two of whom were South Africans... which is how I imagine this bottle of 16-year-old gold received its name. In total we tasted five bottles, ranging from the 20-year-old, to a fine 10-year-old (which I actually enjoyed more that the 20 year old).
The most interesting things that I learned from the evening were (a) that a "single malt" is a whisky that comes from a single distillery and is made from a single type of malted grain, and (b) that most of BenRiach's casks (the barrels in which the whisky matures) are second-hand bourbon casks purchased mostly from the USA (thank you, Jack Daniel's!). :)
Die Burger, first published as long ago as 26 July 1915, is a super-popular print newspaper read mostly by Afrikaans-speaking South Africans. The name is essentially a direct translation of The Citizen, which I would imagine to be a popular name for newspapers all around the world.
Die Burger is owned by Naspers, a large corporate that owns other well-known print brands such as Huisgenoot (and YOU), Drum, Fair Lady, City Press, Shape, Daily Sun, City Press, Beeld, etc. Many years ago Naspers formed a pay-television company, M-Net, and a television signal-distribution and communications company, MultiChoice. The company expanded in later years to create a large Internet service provider called MWeb, then launched the Media24 division (with it's *24 brands), and in more recent years started buying stakes in hot-shot digital startup companies like MXit and Blue World Communities.
People have often referred to large software companies such as IBM and Microsoft as "The Borg" due to their strategy of buying out the competition's software to add to their growing portfolio of solutions. It's become apparent to me that, due to their size and pervasiveness in the market, in some ways Naspers is becoming South Africa's own Borg of the media and publication sector...
