African Adventure - Onward and Northeast-ward!

Welcome back!
Wow, what a whirlwind it has been since our last post. Tonight we sit in a hotel room in Johannesburg reminiscing about what an absolutely life-changing experience this has been thus far.  I think we may need to rewind a little and get you caught up on what we've done!

The last time we spoke Michael and I were ringing in the New Year in a fabulous little town called Knysna on the south coast of the western cape.  We had embarked on a few adventures, but had no idea what was in store for us as we continued our travels.  Somehow I managed to convince Michael that repelling off the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town was a great way to "see the city" :) With only a few days in Cape Town, we could only hope for good weather.  We were slightly disappointed when we awoke on the big day to find clouds pouring over the top of Table Mountain, much like one would see at a waterfall.  Our suspicions were confirmed when we arrived to board our cable car and the board read "0% visibility, conditions poor".  With the wind picking up, the abseiling company would likely not run a tour the next day, so this was possibly our only chance.  Michael was a good sport and let me drag him to the top of a VERY cloudy Table Mountain.

Table Mountain on our way up the cable car

The consolation was that at least the abseiling tour was still running, and repelling down a cloud could also be very cool.  Well we were rewarded for maintaining such a positive outlook, because although this is what it looked like as we prepared to repel 112m down a mountain sitting 1000m above sea level,

suddenly as though they were never there, they disappeared exposing the most breathtaking view we had ever seen. FYI - this also made it significantly scarier as we could now see EXACTLY how far down it was:)

Seconds after setting us on our way our guide shouted that he hoped we enjoyed the surprise half way down. By the time I could understand what he was saying, I had reached the half way mark when all of a sudden the rock wall in front of us disappeared leaving us hanging helplessly by two ropes 945m above the ground - as frightening as it was, it was also the most adrenaline-pumping, exhilarating feeling I'd had since sky diving in New Zealand! Unfortunately there's no photo as taking one would have meant letting go of the ropes, and we all know how that would end:)

Our adventure concluded with a 35 minute hike back up Table Mountain. We had to be quite careful not to get distracted by the beautiful view, because the only thing between us and the city down below were a large number of unfriendly rocks and prickly bushes.

Along the way we came across this sign - two things came to mind: 1. No need to state the obvious AND 2. Perhaps it was a clever use of sarcasm?

Our arrival back at the top reminded us to stop for a moment and be thankful for a few things:

A. Some how this beautiful place existed

B. We were fortunate enough to experience it

C. The creation of the zoom lens!!!

These photos do this place absolutely no justice, but we hope they inspire you to start planning a trip down to this beautiful country!

2. Our next adventure took is down Chapman's Peak Drive from Noordhoek to Hout Bay.  Along the way we made a little stop to visit the African penguins near Simon's Town - much like those on Philip Island near Melbourne, Australia, these cute little guys swim all day and perch themselves along the beach at night....not a bad life!

The drive around Chapman's Peak was absolutely stunning. Armed with our cameras we managed to snap over 100 photos...here's a sneak peek.

Some have decided to "lave their mark"

3. Meeting the baby Cheetahs at the Cheetah Outreach Sanctuary

4. And of course who can forget our adventures with South African wine. Needless to say, it's been a tough few weeks:)

The sculptures at Delaire Graff - Stellenbosch

The cellar at Delaire

The vineyard at Delaire

The vines of Vrend en Lust - Francenschoek

Vrende en Lust 

The cellar of La  Motte - Francenschoek

La Motte

La Motte

The View from Haute Cabriere

Michael and I are now in Tanzania.  Tomorrow our day begins at 630am with an early wake up call and a drive out to Tarangire National park for a game drive. Bring on the BIG FIVE!

We will leave you with a little HAPPY NEW YEAR message from Brenton-on-the Sea

Happy New Year from Knysna

Hello again!
I hope your 2012 has been as wonderful as ours has so far! Sitting by the pool yesterday Michael and I began to discuss our new years resolutions.  I recently started reading a book called The Happiness Project, the story of a woman who has a wonderful life but decides she is going to consciously work at making it even more wonderful - be truly happy.  Each month she focuses on a new resolution; not only the process of thinking about which resolution she need to make in her life, but actually implementing it. Michael and I have decided that the remainder of our trip will be devoted to developing our resolutions, and a plan to actually put them into action.

So we challenge you all to do the same! But make this year different to how others may have been - make the resolutions of 2012 really count.  After all, when it is time for us to leave this wonderful world, how do we want to the world to remember us???

We have enjoyed a lovely breakfast in the tea garden of our guesthouse in Knysna, and now it's time to go and enjoy the beautiful sunny day. Today we will put into action our first three resolutions:

1. SLOW DOWN - let's not live in 6th gear anymore (Given the past year, I am pretty certain this will be more of a challenge for myself than Michael)
2. Be active! Be REALLy active! Every day appreciate that God gave us strong, functioning bodies and minds, and show our appreciation for that gift by USING them, both of them!
3. Spend more time in nature - get out of the hustle and bustle of the city, and appreciate how beautiful the world is around us.

Yes these may all sound cliche and corny, but that doesn't make them any less important.

So enjoy the process of developing your resolutions. Write them down. Make them real.

Below are some pictures of our trip that emulate the resolutions we have set out thus far.

A local enjoying some down time in Camps Bay

Visiting V&A waterfront in Cape Town - Table mountain in the distance

Being silly at the V&A

The beautiful colours of Clifton Beach

Looks like 1st gear to me...or perhaps even park.

The days of innocence

Dance your heart out!

Off to enjoy a midday nap and some reading on the porch!

Until next time!

Lessons in South Africa - Part Deux

Hello again friends!
It is mid afternoon on the final day of 2011 here in South Africa, the sun is shining, and Michael and I are passing time poolside before getting ready for the big night.  As the days have passed and we have shared discussions on our thoughts so far, we continue to struggle to find a way to accurately describe SA to our family and friends.  The best I can come up with thus far is that it is a more rugged and outdoorsy version of many European countries, with a unique flare.  Regardless of how we describe it,  Michael and I are absolutely in LOVE with the country, and are already planning our next trip back (or at least I am:)

I thought I might use this blog to share a few more lessons we have learned in our time here. Enjoy!

Lesson 1
Beware of sharks....and trains???
At our first official stop (which was pretty much the first place Michael determined we were NOT in fact being followed by anymore 'white cars' :), we ventured out on to a lovely beach. It was Christmas Day so there were many families out having a "braai" (this is the equivalent to a North American BBQ). After parking our car and checking the locks 5 times, we took our first steps on to South African sand....and it was bliss.  However, before we hit the beach a sign caught our eye:

                                    "Be Shark Smart" - the low down on how to NOT get eaten
This created slight concern however it wasn't until we saw the BLACK SHARK FLAG meaning the water was so rough they couldn't actually tell if there any were sharks around on this particular day.  It was then that we decided walking in the sand would suffice as it would suck to get attacked by a shark on our first day.  Oddly we had to walk over what appeared to be train tracks as we exited the parking lot onto the beach.  I made the assumption that they had to be old tracks that were no longer in use as there were small children playing to and fro barefoot in the sand along the track line.  A few minutes later as Michael and I sat peacefully enjoying the breeze in our hair we heard a dull hum. The hum quickly got louder and deeper until it turned into a "chug-a-lug", and sure enough as the children scattered, out of no where came a train zipping by at top speed.  No need for safety rails here folks, it's South Africa!

Moral of the story: Don't worry about the sharks because you will likely get hit by the train first

                                   Ah the beach....and the shark flag....and the train tracks! Welcome to SA!

Lesson 2:
A good view can make anything taste good!
After the close shark/train encounter, we finally reached our destination at Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope.  It was Christmas Day and as this was one of few things that were open to the public, there were throngs of visitors at the Cape.  Our first stop was going to be a special Christmas Day lunch at the restaurant, which we had heard had a beautiful view. Note the words 'WAS GOING TO BE' because  we arrived to learn that the masses had managed to consume every morsel of food, leaving us celebrating the birth of Christ with pre-packed roast beef sandwiches and a bag of peanuts :(  Seeing the silver lining, at least we had the view!!! Merry Christmas to us!!!

Cape of Good Hope

The historic light house - built in 1860 at 249m above sea level, it was often covered by the clouds, resulting in ships crashing into the point. A new one was built in 1911 at 87m above sea level.

Michael and I at Cape Point where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet (a little windy up there:)

Cape of Good Hope

NYC - 12,541km away. Up for a swim?

Moral of the story: A beautiful view and good company can make any meal a great meal!

As it is almost 2012, Michael and I want to wish every one a very happy and healthy new year. May you have a wonderful start to 2012!!! We know we will!

Good bye for now!

From Knysna with love!

Lessons in South Africa - Driving INTO oncoming traffic is BAD!

Michael and I arrived in South Africa bright and early Christmas morning to a clear blue sky and 27degrees! Despite it being a mild winter in Ontario this far, it felt great to be under the warm African sun. The first obstacle - the car!

FYI - in SA they drive in the RIGHT hand side of the car, on the LEFT hand side of the road.  All was well until that first right hand turn. Let's just say there was a fellow at the stop lights with a few choice words and gestures for Michael. We were feeling a bit tired from the lack of sleep but there's nothing like driving into oncoming traffic to get you going.  Quick recovery though, and on to the hotel we went! I was thankful Michael was driving!

I spent a great deal of time before leaving for SA trying to talk Michael out of his paranoia. You see, many people had shared their thoughts on safety of tourists in SA with Mike (remind me to thank those people - you know who you are!!!) - the regularity of carjackings, muggings, abductions - you know, the usual.  Needless to say, the first day sounded a bit like this:

Mike: What's this guy doing in the car behind us?

Cat: I think he's just driving.

Mike: Do you think he's following us? So far I don't think we have any followers. Hard to know though, every body drives a white car!!!

AND

Mike: What is this guy on the bike doing?

Cat: I'm not sure honey.

We proceed to drive around the block looking for a parking spot and return to the same corner to find the guy on the bike is gone.

Mike: Oh great! Where did this guy go now?!? He's probably going to rob us!

Cat: Or maybe he's just riding his bike???

It did NOT help that when we pulled in front of our hotel there was a family of homeless folks sitting on the sidewalk opposite the entrance, with one of the members having a nap right in the middle of the road. 

Even I was freaked out, and instantly contemplated driving right by and switching hotels.  But thankfully we decided to stay as this was a one time occurrence/coincidence (perhaps a little prank from above!). The Dutch Manor Antique Hotel is a 200 year old building filled with antiques from various places in Africa spanning the last few hundred years in the Bo Kaap area of the city. The family who owns it was absolutely wonderful to us, we had a brilliant stay, and would definitely return!

Moral of the story  - 1. There is as much crime in South Africa as there is in Toronto

2. The Honda Jazz does NOT give Michael the same thrill behind the wheel as his beloved Lexus!

Hallo aus Deutschland!

I think it's fitting that my first official entry is from abroad.  December 23rd Michael (Bloggers, meet my husband Michael!) and I set out on an African Adventure. Our first stop was Frankfurt en route to Cape Town.  It being Christmas Eve, we had few expectations for places to visit, but we were lucky enough to stumble upon a little German tradition.  The emptiness of downtown Frankfurt was almost eery, and this prompted us to make our way back to the airport.  Frankfurt airport lounges = EXCELLENT, and not a bad place to have to be stuck if you're in an airport. This was our destination until we noticed throngs of people making their way to Paulsplatz und Mainkai in Romberg where the annual Frankfurt Christmas Market is held. (If you have never been to a German Christmas market before, it is something that can't really be explained - even Scrooge will feel like putting cookies out for Santa Claus!)  The lovely Starbucks lady explained that at 5pm every Christmas eve all of the churches across Frankfurt ring there bills in unison.  Hundreds of people come from all over the city to stand around the giant Christmas tree, drinking mulled wine (more like a moonshine cider with a hint of cinnamon) and eating German pretzels.  Stumbling around aimlessly and finding something this wonderful is my most favourite aspect of traveling!

Romberg (Frankfurt main quay)

Mulled wine ("German Christmas moonshine")

The Classic German Pretzel

"Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree"