Our First Days Learning The SA Ways

Friday March 17th –

We slept fitfully until around 8:30 am.
I woke up with a headache due to some allergies still hanging on but other than that it had been a great sleep.
As soon as Mike and I were ready to go out, we four headed for breakfast.
Our hosts were maybe regretting telling us to sleep until we wanted, because they were ready to eat 😜

‘Pajamas and Jam’ was the restaurant they took us to and I think it was easily one of tastiest, most interesting restaurants we’ve been to. Ever.

It used to be a scrap shop and they converted it into a bit of a restaurant/store, keeping the style of scarp/antique ish decor.

Desserts made right there, graced display tables near the entrance.
An eclectic energy surrounded us as we sipped our lemon grass and spinach juices and enjoyed their taste, which I described as a deliciously sweet yard in our mouth 😋

Breakfasts were ordered and after much contemplation over the large and interesting selection, I opted for the semi adventurous option, the Super Bowl.

Brown rice topped with papaya, honey, peanut butter, almonds and a few greens.
It was delicious and I’m super curious about trying to replicate it back home 😁

Once our meal had been fully enjoyed, we explored the diverse collection of antique like things they had for sale before leaving there and going to an old, Dutch owned estate.

He, ‘Willem Adriaan van der Stel’ , began it in the 1700’s, coming from Holland and planting many things and buying some of the most slaves owned at that time, for some of the cheapest prices.
A list of the slave names and prices was shown and a many were purchased for less than our breakfast meals had cost.

The many type of plants and trees resulted in some very nice gardens.
Seeing bamboo, palm trees and camphors all within a few feet of each other.

A rose garden (my middle names inspiration) was walked through and the smell wafted around us as we explored the multiple different varieties before ending our walk and going over to a nearby cafe for some drinks.

They had at least 20 different bean varieties to choose from, to make whatever coffee you wanted, but since it was +26 ish out, so I opted for the homemade lemonade and just a sip of Mikes hot coffee 😉

Then we drove to ‘Kogel Bay’.
Conversation was shared along the drive (which went along the sea side) but what stuck with me most, was that the beach we were headed to had shark spottings, baboons and a few recent drownings because of currents 😳🦈🐒

We trekked down a little boulder ridden path and found ourselves upon a lovely white sand beach.

Waves crashed into the sand, washing up shells and their occupants.

We found a place to sit a while, snack on our chips and get some liquids in us.

(Something I’ll have issues with while being in the warmth, keeping my h20 level up…
I’m an awful water drinker 😬)

Just as we got up and began walking back to the car, the baboons rained down the hillside.

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The outlines of monkeys dotted the hill and as they climbed down, it looked like they simply free fell with a steadying hand (paw?) out just in case.

Jolien and I wandered a bit closer and they were smaller than I expected but the males were still plenty big enough to unsettle as they came closer too.

They ignore woman but as soon as the guys pick up a rock or two, they back off.

We headed back the direction we came from, deciding how we wanted to spend the remainder of the day but during the decision making, we were taken to a shell shop 😬🐚
Yeah, taking Jess to a shell shop, obviously they don’t know me well 😜

Though it was astonishing to see that amount of shells and crafts made out of them, the big charm is still being able to find them yourself😉
I got many ideas how to display my previously found shells though 👌🏻😏

A BBQ had been spoken about in conversation and that got Mike and Craig talking about actually having one, since it’s a pretty common South African thing to do, but to do so, meat had to be purchased so that was done next.

The BBQ couldn’t happen that night, so pizza was ordered and we took it back to eat at their apartment.

(Which happens to look out over the sea 😉👌🏻)
The pizza was devoured and then rest time came for all.

Evening brought on coffee, tea and more conversation 😊

Saturday March 18th –

We got to sleep in again but this time with a little more awareness of the time and an urge to get out of bed to explore more.

The plan was to head to Cape Town and tour around a little bit, but first, breakfast.

Mike and I shared a mix of sourdough French toast and hollandaise eggs.
It was nice but I think it’s going to be hard to beat the experience and taste of the first meal we had 😉

We drove on to Waterfront Cape Town and wandered through a crafts market and a food market.

You can guess which one we bought things at😏

The craft market was set up like an indoor one we’d see back home, booths and some real stores mixed in, all offering a large variety of items.
We could have spent awhile there but when you know the chance is low to take something bigger back, the quick skimming becomes necessary😋

The food market had an energetic feel, all the venders making a different dish and people teaming around you.
A meringue caught my eye… and then my husbands wallet 😋

It was a good one though and worth buying, so I enjoyed that as Mike enjoyed a banana and Nutella crepe😏  ‘Truth coffee’ was also  tried, as Craig recalled something about reading how good it was and we figured why not try it when it was literally right in front of us? ☕️

It was good 😊

We moved on, walking along enjoying the weather and checking out the odd shop.
Some musicians were playing and Mike was drawn in by the upbeat, local sounds.
The man selling their CD’s came around asking if anyone wanted to buy one and Craig passed him off on Mike, who couldn’t resist 😏

Looks like badly recorded, South African music is in my future 🙄

Another market was walked through in the Bay Harbour area.
The music and atmosphere were high energy and we explored the humid indoor/covered tent set up with interest, squeezing through the crowd of people.
Food stands had displays of their actual, plated meals spread out, making everything seem either extra alluring, (or repulsing) it was a good idea👌🏻

It pulled me into trying some chilli poppers and a deep-fried Oreo.
I don’t know why, but I just assumed the chilli poppers would be some mild peppers… they were not.
Instead they were hot from being fried, plus hot as in spicy, battered and stuffed, they were sort of enjoyed but not totally, because of the burning sensation taking over my whole head.
I squished out the filling and ate it with the batter, leaving a pile of overly spicy peppers on my plate 😜
The Oreo was good, but now that I got trying it out of my system, I won’t need one badly again.

I found some hair feathers to purchase in reciprocation of Mikes CD buy 😏
Making us ‘even’, having each bought something which the other found pretty dumb 😋

Just outside of the market a little ways, was the spot Michiel had taken a picture during his last trip to South Africa.
A picture I later painted for one of his birthdays, and now stood at it myself in real life.

If you would have asked me if I thought I’d ever see the place as I painted it back then, never would I have answered yes.

The drive back then began, taking the Chapman’s peak drive and eventually passing by the shanty towns and a stretch of land with white dunes on one side and ocean stretching out on the other.

A braai (South African BBQ, pronounced like ‘BRY’ ) was planned for that evening, so we headed over to the friends of Craig and Jolien to have it with them.

The BBQ was lit and waited over and the other family members that appeared brought side dishes.
Everyone mingled and talked and a feeling of being immediately welcome washed over us.
We spent the evening all together, enjoying the food and company… and many jokes about Canada 😋