Umzimvubu ((Port St John's)

This is the view from my bed. 

We drove for seven and a half hours from Port Alfred to Port St John's ( Umzimvubu) and here I am enjoying spectacular views.

When here eight years ago with my daughter Jen, who knows about these things, she arranged a star gazing meet just before dawn, to spot Orion rising over the Indian Ocean. He looks like our Orion only he's upside down. Then the sun came up and it was magical. You don't forget mornings like that.

My father had died the week before, so we went to Third Beach and I made a wreath from the flowers that grew in the forest that came right down to the water's edge and I threw it into the sea. I scratched his name alongside my mother's in the rocks, and tomorrow I shall go back to check that they're still there. Not visible to anyone who didn't know where to look.

And yes Dad, if I see the goat I gave you for Christmas that year, I shall be sure to say hello.

Third Beach ....

Is now the Silake Nature Reserve:

Nomvouzo Cingo, my African sister, joined us. She represents the ANC in the Eastern Cape Parliament. We are very proud of her.

She took this, and I guess I ought to put it up. It was windy...

Tomorrow we head for Lower Kroza, my home in Africa. There is no running water, let  alone wifi, so I will post again when I am able. 

Small Game Hunting

You may envy me this:

A balmy 24 C thanks to the gentle breeze courtesy of the Indian Ocean that you see in the background there. The town between me and same body of water, is Port Alfred.

We came here three years ago with Hannah and Luke, and I took some stunning pictures of a perfect beach, which I subsequently lost to a fumble with the card-thing. So we had to come back. This time the card is doing fine, but the battery is flat and the cheap-from-China recharger won't. No use trying to off-load blame, it's all down to me. At least this time I have back up, thank you Apple! 

They say travel broadens the mind, but mine being quite broad enough, I leave to it's own devices, and am busy broadening my backside. The 'Bar One Chocolate Cake (and ice-cream) ' at The Links restaurant last night bearing witness to my abandonment of self control. I have however, exercised pretty religiously for thirty minutes every day, including the hated water aerobics in the pool you see before you. Those who love me know I took up belly dancing (hip-drop, hip-drop) because I nearly died  of boredom with water aerobics. At least the form has redeemed itself today.

I have never seen myself as prey before, but last night I came under a determined attack by a killer. I have repeated, slightly shame-faced, I admit, the tale of how, when I was last here in the amazing Republic of South Africa, I convinced myself on returning home that I was incubating dengue fever (because all the symptoms on the internet fitted... ). In fact, I had the worse dose of good old-fashioned 'flu ever,  and am now first in line for the free jab come the season.

I am cautious. Not sufficiently so as to take the tablets and gain immunity, but enough to stay out of malarial areas, slather myself in Bushman Jungle Strength Bug Deterrent, and cover up in the evenings. However, I am still not comfortable in the presence of mozzies, so that menacing high-pitched whine  of the  marauding female at 11pm last night, had me up and armed with a towel in pursuit of her. All the thrills and spills of a regular hunt without leaving home.

Success came with a final foray at 11:45. A wily and worthy opponent hit the deck, stunned by an overarm  swipe from the left, to be finished off with a quick pinch between right thumb and forefinger: Classic  tactics.

My triumph over the species was short-lived. Nobody told me that mosquitoes can get you in the morning. And a revenge attack caught me off-guard at breakfast. I am awaiting developments.

The Morning After...

We found out that Sunderland were through to The Cup Final.  

I am an indifferent Football Fan as my regular readership is aware, but even I, at my most cynical, could not fail to ride the roller-coaster with the Family Fanatic as Sunderland, with the help of the Man U goalkeeper, won it all, then lost it all, in the final two minutes of a 120 minute slog. Abject despair turns to absolute incredulity as Sunderland triumphed in the Penalty Shootout - a device that is not generally approved of in this neck of the woods, but which delivered the goods, just this once. 

So Sunderland are going to Wembly, and so I believe is Ray, courtesy of a future son-in-law. 

It being advisable to get the celebrating in before the actual game, for the obvious reason that it may not be appropriate after it, we went out and got drunk.

Penguins and Minnisotans

First, it's summer! The lovely beautiful heat washes over me and I stand there, in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, just feeling that this is what Paradise was like.

I'll skip the plant lists. 

Lunch was a hoot, because the Replacement Hat blew off my head four times during it. We were at the "Moyo" where I had the fillet steak and Ray had the oxtail in a miniature potjke, which looks like a witches couldron. 

I am thankful for the wind, because it kept the temperature down to around 24c...

The Replacement Hat was purchased in The Little Shop at the Botanical Gardens, because the Original Hat stayed in the Hotel Room, for reasons best known to itself. 

The rest if the day is best shown in pictures:

Oh! I almost forgot - We met the Minnisotans at dinner here in The Doubletree Hilton. We had a wonderful time swapping stories. So this is what is great about getting away from you all - telling the same old stories to people who have never heard them before. 

:)