A few days ago, I posted a picture of a fishing boat being launched in the waves,. Today I saw them bringing the catch in, and here is the same boat sitting on the beach.
Notes from the Cape Posts
We spent the weekend at Gold Reef City for annual Toastmasters conference. We arrived in a beautifully warn Thursday afternoon, and we had a couple of hours to spare before the formalities started. So what better way to spend it than wondering around the theme park.
The theme park is made to look like and old mining town, complete with mine trucks full of ore, old houses, and mining equipment strewn all over the place. It is a little cheesy, but not too over the top. The theme park is home to the (real) Crown Mines #14 shaft, which stretches over 3500m deep, and it its time was the deepest shaft in the world.
Today, you can travel down the shaft to a depth of about 250m and get a taste of what it is like working in a gold mine. being a theme park, there are the usual set of rides such as roller coasters and ferris wheels.
Ferris wheel, note the soccer balls.
One of the many roller coasters.
Sign for town square. The whole park is laid out to look like Johannesburg around 1900.
There are peacocks wondering around all over the place, in particular around the Protea Hotel where we stayed. The rooms have just been redone, and it is very nice.
Old steam engine.
Gold Reef City is a great place to spend a day, but in honesty, a day is probably long enough, you could probably even get away with 1/2 a day if you were pressed for time.
The ferris wheel at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg, taken late at night. I didn’t have my tripod with me, so a table and cell phone became my extra camera gear :-)
Today was not a very inspiring day, so here is a simple pic of our national flower, the protea.
The Langebaan skyline at sunset. I love the silhouette effect of the skyline, especially the outline of the roofs. It reminds me of a dessert oasis at sunset.
Ok, so it was 2 sunsets in a row, however this pic is really different from yesterday’s pic.
This was taken at Langebaan, standing on the balcony of our holiday house, watching a west-coast sun setting over the lagoon. Even though winter is coming, we still get the best weather this time of the year, and it was just wonderful standing outside enjoying a wind-free evening.
Langebaan is a small holiday community about 100km North of Cape Town. It is home to the West Coast National Park, and (although I cannot confirm) the largest lagoon in the Southern Hemisphere.
I have been going there since I was a little boy, and I still find it to be an amazing place.
With winter arriving, the sun is setting a little earlier each day. Today had been quite a cloudy and windy day, with bright blue sky intermingled with large winter clouds. While driving home from work, I noticed the most remarkable sunset over the mountains, and because I just happened to have my camera with me :-), I had to stop and take a few pictures.
This is a HDR shot taken from Muizenberg beach, looking over Constantia towards the bottom end of Table Mountain.
Zandvlei on a still autumn morning. A very peaceful place to take a walk.
Today was the Two Oceans Marathon, a 56m race around the Cape Peninsula. It has been running since 1970 (when there were only 26 entries), and now there are just under 11000 entries.
Now, while I am crazy enough to race around Cape Town on my bicycle, I am not crazy enough to run the marathon*. However, I was more than happy to take some photos.
Meditation
Happy to see you too
Keeping the stride
The Sangoma
* Update (2015) – yes I apparently am crazy enough to run around the peninsula
I have been working in Durbanville for a couple of months now, and I am still trying to figure out the good spots to go for lunch. Today I found one more great spot, courtesy two friends who live in the area that treated me for sushi for lunch.
We went to a little spot called Maz Sushi. My hosts have been there several times, the restaurant seem to attract many regulars, which is always a good sign.
The restaurant is a very simple and functional spot (perspex table covers and paper napkins). However they have a good (and cheap) wine selection, including some really great wines. We shared a bottle of Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc, which cost about R90.
The sushi is great and really good value for money. Everything is made to order, and there is a huge selection. They also have a variety of platters, from a simple 4 item platter, through to huge platters (50+ pieces). I enjoy the platters because you always get a good selection. Oh, and they also cater for functions and take out :-)
Did I enjoy the food? Absolutely.
Will I be back? Without a doubt! Great food, well worth the visit.
Maz Sushi, 112 Edward road, Durbanville (cnr Durban and Edward road), 021 910 1102
Tuna and salmon sashimi and rolls
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