For our Cape Town holiday we had compiled a list of things that we simply had to do, most of them, as you’d expect, quite touristy.

Today was Cape Point day, a journey which pretty much takes the whole day if you go about it nice and slow.  It involves cruising along the toenail of Africa, the actual peninsula of the Cape Peninsula.  We headed out along a part of the M2 highway, up towards where it makes a t-junction at the foot of The Mountain and headed towards Muizenberg on the M3.

Boulders Beach – Jackass Penguins in Cape Town

Muizenberg is, in my mind, a bit of a surf spot, although I believe the waves are small, but abundant. It was sunny, yes, but warm it was not and none of us had any aspirations to go in the water. I’m sure Muizenberg has other things going for it also, but we skipped it anyway and headed on past Kalk Bay and Fish Hoek towards Simons Town, home of the famous Boulders Beach Jackass penguin colony – the Journo had her heart set on this one.

Guided by plenty of penguins-this-way signs, we had no trouble finding the place.  It has changed much since the last time I visited some 4 or more years ago.  There’s a dedicated parking lot for one, but one small tourist van and a Malaysian-made Proton Gen2 aside (about which we were well excited), it was deserted.  The usual array of hawkers exhibiting their non-unique wares were lining the side-walk, clearly with no business, but not looking as keen as you’d imagine either.

Getting to what is now a fenced-in beach requires a short walk through a quiet neighbourhood. Entrance is R40 per adult, part of which, they say, goes to the conservation of the penguins. You never actually touch the beach, and of course, neither do you the penguins, although The Journo tried aplenty.

Wooden walkways guide you amongst the dunes and above the nesting penguins.  Some are in natural nests they’ve fashioned out of holes and rock spaces for themselves, and others make use of more modern conveniences in the form of fibreglass jars, planted in the ground to provide shelter against large seaguls eyeing a penguin egg for breakfast.

The sun was bright and glaring off the white beach sand, and there were penguins everywhere. But everywhere!  The Jounro was excited and kept on asking how we could touch them, the Sausage was amused and I, well, the novelty of the penguins wore of quickly for me. Especially after taking pictures from every conceivable angle. A penguin is a penguin is a penguin.

Cape Point Nature Reserve

Having had our fill of penguins we headed towards the Cape Point Nature Reserve a 20-minute-or-so drive away.  Several sightings of baboons and sweeping views of the blue False Bay merging with the even bluer skies made the trip a visual feast.  Entry to the park, if I remember correctly, is R60 per person.  Inside the park we saw more baboons, but for the wealth of animals there aparently is in this relatively remote part of Cape Town, this was all we saw.

Our brief (and expensive) lunch at the restaurant was entertaining.  Cape Point Nature Reserve Tip: Sit inside, because outside they only serve really expensive starters. The waiter was kind enough to point out that the starters are about as expensive as they are small.  Inside are bigger and undoubtedly more expensive main courses.

Another reason to sit inside is that sometimes they have operational challenges with baboons and birds, who are regular attempted-diners at the restaurant. I.e. they will come and hijack your food.

On this particular cold and breezy afternoon we only saw birds.  Clear signs warned not to feed the animals, especially the baboons, as they can get quite aggressive.  The birds, however, don’t wait to be fed. The Journo was about to finish the last bite of a sandwich, when a black bird swooped in, experty weaved his way through the umbrellas, and snatched the last bite out of her hands literally just before she bit into it. We weren’t quite sure whether to be shocked or amazed at this bit of real life National Geographic happening right before us. The Journo certainly wasn’t amuzed.

During our meal there was also some other commotion as people peered over the cliff down to the ocean below.  Far below us we could make out a whale.  It’s not quite whale season yet, but clearly there are some around and we were very excited to be seeing this one, albeit at such a distance.  We watched in awe for a bit and managed to get a few shots in which you can at least imagine seeing a whale.

We still had the actual point of Cape Point to reach, but by now we were cold and lazy, so we decided to take the Funucular up the steep hill. You can’t actually walk to the very south-westerly tip of the African continent, but we damn well went as far as we could, enjoying the absolutely breathtaking natural beauty of our surroundings.

The sheer cliffs plunged into the ocean some 100m below us, covered with greenery that dropped starkly into a deep blue ocean below.  On one side waves crash ferociously against the cliffs and on another it becomes saffire blue as it washes onto a bright, white beach. Cape Point must be one of the most spectacular scenes of nature on this planet.

Staying with spectacular, our return journey was supposed to include a drive along Chapmans Peak, a scenic drive as famous for its sweeping views of the Atlantic ocean as it is for rock-falls and avelanches. Unfortunetally, to prevent this very threat of rock falls, it is closed for maintenance, and, says the locals, God knows for how long.  So we had to drive through Constantia and Newslands to get to Hout Bay, which is where we wanted to sample supposedly famous seafood.

Hout Bay, seafood and Soap (Girls)

Being from Kota Kinabalu, the sea-food capital of Malaysia, the Journo and Sausage had no low expectations.  We parked near Hout Bay harbour and walked around a bit to explore and this is where me met the Soap Girls. But that’s a whole post by itself, although I will say this, I will go back to Hout Bay for the sole reason of meeting up with the Soap Girls again.

So what about the seafood, man?

Based on a recommendation by the Soap Girls we chose the Lookout Deck, situated on the Harbour Front near the yacht basin (if I was the Mariner’s Wharf, the other seafood restaurant, I would do something to impress those convincing girls). The portions where generous (the 3 of us were stuffed from 2 portions) and the fish was tasty, but did it beat the seafood in Kota Kinabalu?

Well, this entry is about Cape Town, so let’s move on

Cape Town Travel Tip 3: If you’re going to go to Betty’s Bay, I would recommend the Jackass penguin colony there over Boulders Beach. It’s cheaper (R10), less crowded and the walkway is closer to the ocean so there is a lot of penguin-in-the-waves action.

Our first full day here in Cape Town, and although the skies are blue and it seems like a sunny day, it’s still freezing for our Borneo-warmed bodies.  We dressed-up as if for the ski-sloped and took my mom’s energetic dog for a walk, using him as a means to explore the neighbourhood I haven’t seen in 4 years before picking up our Cape Town Rental Car.

I lost my driver’s license some time ago and I was unable to get it replaced while in Malaysia, so before we could pick up our rental car, I had to get that sorted.  The plan was for the Journo and the Sausage to hang about the local mall, N1 City, whilst I crossed the road to apply for a new license and get a temporary one for our travels.

Driver’s License Shuffle

N1 City has changed much  with loads more parking and shops, so I knew the 2 of them would be occupied for at least as long as it took me to get sorted.  We also had our first South African breakfast at Maxxi’s, a place my mom visits every now and again for breakfast.  It was clearly popular with the retired crowd.  Breakfast chips also featured on our plates for the first time here. Yup, chips for breakfast.

I took me about an hour and 90 minutes to sort out my driver’s license – this includes a damn long walk to the Goodwood Traffic Department, which technically is just across the road from the mall, but practically has only one entrance, and as I walked the wrong way around the block, it was at the far end of the totally fenced-in property.  I also needlessly queued for 15 minutes in the wrong line because the signage wasn’t clear, and then had to wait about 30 minutes to get my eyes tested.  And now I have to wait 8 weeks for the actual license, managing with the immediately-issued temporary license until then.

With my license sorted we were ready to secure our Cape Town car rental.

Cape Town Car Hire With Aroundabout Cars

Even before we left Malaysia I did some research about car hire in Cape Town, because not only is car hire expensive, but often you’ll end up with a small car and limited mileage, which could seriously cramp your self-driving holiday style.  After much research, I discovered that the best-value car hire company in Cape Town is Aroundabout Cars.

With Aroundabout Cars car hire we managed to get the best rate for our 14 – 30 day rental period as well as unlimited mileage.  With the Sausage, being Malaysian, as the primary driver and our Super Cover insurance rate, we also got a total excess waiver.  Super Cover is simply a more complete insurance cover option, and the excess waiver means that, should the worst happen and there is an accident or the car is stolen, we wouldn’t have to pay any excess .

Oddly enough, if I, with my South African passport, registered as the primary driver, we would be liable for something like R2,500 in excess.

I had spoken to Megan, the fun and friendly Aroundabout Cars rep, via Skype (aroundaboutcars) to arrange the pick-up of the rental car.  She instructed us to go to Imperial Rent-a-car first and then come around to their offices situated almost on the corner of Bloem and Loop street. We wanted to rented a car with 4 doors as the Sausage and myself are tall people and 3 doors would be just too cramped. Plus, on our travels we would have a decent amount of luggage, so we needed to rent a slightly roomy car.

Our rented car, given the other options, was a Toyota Yaris, and we were expecting the hatchback.  However, after we filled out the necessary forms at Imperial, we were taken to the car only to see it was the bigger Toyota Yaris sedan. Bonus!  We drove over to Aroundabout Cars, sorted out the payment and were on our way with our rented Toyota Yaris 1.5 sedan for R225 per day with unlimited mileage and a complete excess waiver.

Cape Town Travel Tip 2: According to my research Aroundabout Cars has the best deals for car hire in Cape Town (and they do other parts of the country too).

We arrived this morning after the flight, which didn’t feel as long as the 13 hours that it was.

I haven’t been on Malaysia Airlines in four years, in fact, I haven’t been on any long-haul flight in four years. It seemed less cramped, but that might just have been the excitement of going home. The in-flight entertainment is also way more advanced in that every seat can control every movie, which means at whatever time you feel like watching a movie, you go to the appropriate channel and if the movie is half way, for instance, you simply rewind it and watch from the start.

Previously I spent long-haul flights playing games, but this flight was ground breaking, because I fell asleep not too long after take-off and slept until two hours before we landed at Joburg. We were also lucky to sit in a section where the service was attentive and a super-friendly stewardesses brought us plenty of fluids.

We landed at Cape Town International Airport under clear blue skies, but icy cold weather. My mom, sister and brother-in-law met us at the airport and several rounds of hugs and greetings ensued and then introductions as I formally introduce the Journo and the Sausage to their South African hosts.

After settling in at home to the accommodations my mom prepared for us, we went to Cape Town’s biggest mall, Canal Walk, to pick up some braai supplies, but decided to go walkabout first before we buy things that would have to stay in the car. Whilst at Canal Walk we also changed some money, because we lucked out on Rands in Kuala Lumpur.

It was an exceptionally expensive exercise and we only did it once. In Malaysia there’s a rate on the board, which is a rate not far different from the international rates you can get from sites like xe.net for instance, and this the rate at which you exchange your money. In South Africa however, the poor rates displayed on the board is just the start.

Before we exchange money xe.net said the Ringgit vs. the Rand was something like 2.35 – we looked around the various exchanges at Canal Walk, but they were pretty much the same. Eventually we got a rate from Rennies. The board displayed something like 2.15 – but we needed money so took it. However, once they converted our Ringgit to Rand, they take a commission off the Rand they give you as well, so I worked it out that effectively our rate was something stupid like 2.05. That’s a big loss for your average tourist.

We decided then that exchanging money here like this is going to make our holiday more expensive and we would start using our cards wherever possible. Much later in the holiday I needed more Rand and drew money from the machine. I got a rate virtually the same as the xe.net rate and currently it doesn’t seem like I paid transaction fees, although that could still come at the end of the month.

Something else that also incentivised me to do this is that as a South African passport holder I must provide a utility bill with my name and address on it to prove where I live. WTF!? My Malaysian friends only needed to show their passports.

So Cape Town Tip Number 1 is don’t exchange money here: just draw it from the ATM.

As we went through the Waterfront looking at prices of stuff, I realised Cape Town has become a very expensive place, certainly much, much more expensive than I anticipated.

We had a BBQ that night, but the 3 of us were completely floored and had to cut it short because we simply couldn’t stay awake. The South African adventure begins.

Looking for the 2009 Tri Nations Rugby Tournament? Try this link instead.

Tri Nations Rugby Tournament 2008: After a wait, which, in my opinion, was way too long, the Tri Nation Rugby finally goes to Cape Town, South Africa this weekend as South Africa takes on New Zealand this Saturday, on green turf!

“I’m getting slightly moist”, said my friend as he quipped in a needlessly graphic way about his excitement for this game.  I can’t tell if he means he’s going to wet himself or whether he’s referring to something more sexual.

Nevertheless (shaking-vivid-image-from-mind), at 1305 GMT this Saturday, 14 Aug, the Springboks come up again their nemesis, the All Blacks, on the green-green grass of the Newlands Stadium.

What? A little history?

Yeah, the history of the Newlands Stadium is interesting, if not colourful.  The actual grounds of the stadium was bought way back in 1888 (which must make it hugely auspicious for the Chinese) and saw the first game played in 1890 in front of a meager 2,400 people.

Today Newlands stadium can seat over 51,000 people in a relatively modern, recently’ish renovated concrete stadium.  It’s still one of South Africa’s most beautiful stadiums, set among the greenery and the slopes of the wet side of Table Mountain.

The stadium is accessible by all modes of transport, but the trains will bring you closest.  Going by car is what many people do though, in spite of the fact that you have to park blocks away and walk your way in.

The walk is often part of the game, as along the way loads of people will be throwing a braai (BBQ) and having a tipple before moving on to the stadium for some serious rugby.

Future of Newlands Stadium

Now is the time to enjoy the rugby games, especially the international ones, that are being hosted in the historic stadium of Newlands, because soon it might not be used so often anymore.

Currently in progress, and hopefully completed before the 2010 soccer world cup in South Africa, is the Greenpoint Stadium.

Until recently, possibly one of the most neglected stadiums around, the Greenpoint Stadium actually occupied some prime property in Cape Town and, to be fair, hosted some epic concerts and sporting events.

It was an obvious venue for the high-profile football matches scheduled for the 2010 world cup, but the stadium was ill equipped for the hordes of people expected and, besides, was in serious disrepair.

Somebody somewhere made the decision that it would in fact be easier to virtually rebuild the stadium instead of the substantial upgrades it would require.  The future Greenpoint Stadium is slated to be able to house 68,000 people.

Not living in Cape Town I’m not up to date with the latest goss of its progress, but I would love to know if it will be done in time for 2010 and what will be done regarding parking, access and traffic in general, as it’s literally pushed into a corner of Cape Town which isn’t traffic friendly at all.

Back to the Rugby

But I digress.  Back in Rugby land not only do the Springboks have their work cut out for them this weekend as they meet the All Blacks on their home turf, but the poor Springbok coach Pieter De Villiers does too.

There is forever an issue with colour balance in the Springbok team and I read, nearly chocking on my coffee, that black and coloured people of Cape Town traditionally support the All Blacks!  Race, I tell you, is one of those nasty dividers equaled only by religion.

Why can’t we all just see each other as human and practice a unifying religion like, say, rugby?

What I would like to see is the entire crowd at Newlands Stadium dressed in green, the way the staunch All Black supporters at the Dunedin Stadium were dressed in black when they met the Bokke there.

And no boo’ing or hissing when the All Blacks do something good or bad, just nothing but a deafening silence.  Or not, as the Bokke did break a nearly 100 year old record that day at Dunedin, but still, an all green crowd would be amazing.

The Springboks doesn’t have an easy ride either way.  They played 3 games so far and lost 2 of those, so they’re a little behind in the standings.  Check out the standings table for the dire picture.

But Bokke to the end! If it can be done, they can do it.  Go Bokke, I don’t mind what colour my Bok is, as long as he’s green!

I’ve missed several weeks. Several weeks. Lots have happened. First on the time line, I met a lady. Some call her Zee, and although I love her full name, I will stick to Zee to protect the innocent.

We met online, and she took a fat chance first to reply my email, and after knowing me for about a week, to meet up with me for a coffee. It was at the same time the most wonderful and dumbest occurrence ever.

Most wonderful why? Because of the type of person she is, easy to talk to, open, approachable, comfortable… she really coaxed me out of this black hole I had been finding myself in. You know, closed of between 4 walls, picking up the shards of my life in post-separation-pre-divorce stage and generally feeling very sorry for myself. She’s a ray of sunshine, no, she is the sun – I really find it difficult to be depressed when even I only think about her.

We chatted daily for the week before we met. She’s a very interesting person from a large and loving family, and herself has had many experiences, some good, some bad, but all which have contributed to the first class character that she is today.

Dumbest why? Well, at the same time as I met her, I also applied for and gained employment in China.

You see, my little boy from my recently wrecked marriage stays in Malaysia and he’s growing up with English as a 3rd language, so although he can communicate relatively well, it’s not as good as is in Hakka, a Chinese dialect, the language of his primary care giver.

So I seeked employment in Asia to be a) closer to him for visiting, and b) to be able to learn at least one of his primary languages. I would have done this before if only I could find someone that would employ me without a University degree. But that has never happened before, until of course, I met Zee.

I continued befriending her anyway, because I never thought I would fall for her as I did. It happened while we chatted really, some time before we met. The afternoon we did meet for a coffee in a crowded place the way they recommend you should meet your internet acquaintances, I was well and truly smitten. Our coffee lasted for 2 hours, mainly due to this blabber mouth being dumb-struck and Zee just being her usual comfortable self, coaxing conversation.

We had 3 more dates after that and lots of chats in between. The last time I saw her, and when I had to say goodbye for the last time, it was well and truly difficult… and that was after a mere 2 weeks.

Alas, distance is a killer. This I know.