Change In Plans

Greetings from Cape Town.  My sister and her husband and two sons have been here since Christmas Eve, and we have had a great few days together.  This short post is about what we have been doing.

Yesterday morning, Boxing Day, we made a valiant but ill-fated attempt to climb Table Mountain.  It was windy when we woke up, but nowhere near as bad as many other Cape Town days we have experienced.  Unfortunately, the cable car was closed, so our idea of “climb up, ride down,” didn’t work out.  We walked about two thirds of the way up (about 500 meter climb), but the responsible parents in the group figured we should turn around.  As we shuffled back to the car in the strong wind (Tallulah happily on my shoulders), with the clouds socking in the view from the top, we all agreed that it had been the right call.

On our way to lunch, we stopped at a little carnival, and all of the kids rode the ferris wheel, and did the bungie cord slingshot.  They seemed just as happy with this as an alternative to mountain climbing.

As the wind died down, we spent the late afternoon on the beach.  Zola and his cousin, Andrew, and I swam and bodyboarded in the cold Atlantic.  Everyone else played on the beach and watched a great sunset.

This morning (the 27th) we organized a large group to go down to the Indian Ocean side and go surfing.  The logistics were slightly daunting to me: three families (including our neighbours here in Llandudno), six surf instructors, a 45-minute drive in multiple vehicles, wetsuits and board rentals, and 90-minute lessons in the very choppy water.  It all went off surprisingly smoothly, and everyone seemed to have fun.  Being at the beach in the sunshine makes it all a little easier.

For a late lunch, we sat outside at La Colombe in Constantia, which was just rated the best restaurant in South Africa.  The food was off-the-hook amazing.  The best part, though, is that the restaurant is on a wine farm, with a lot of outdoor space, including a cricket pitch.  We sent all of the kids (plus a few kids from other tables) off to play cricket in the sun, while adults enjoyed peace and fine cuisine.  The kids came back, gobbled down their lunches, and went back out to play.  Very civilized approach to the three-hour lunch.

After a quick visit to our friends, Ryan and Paula, we ended up back down at the beach at Llandudno.  The wind had dropped to nothing, and the water was very calm.  Andrew, Zola and I bodyboarded for about 90 minutes (wetsuits help), and everyone saw another amazing sunset.

We were barely able to get the kids to eat bacon and eggs for dinner, before they fell asleep.  The house was completely still by 10 pm.

South Africa is a great place to be on vacation.  I think that Su and Dave and kids are having a fun time.