The Safari

As you can see that's the lion that greeted us in our safari. We drove up to Inverdoorn yesterday and started our safari late afternoon. Mr. Lion in his rest was unperturbed but we were not allowed to get out of the safari truck.

There is, of course, Mrs. Lion, Mr. Lion's hard-working partner. We did not want to upset this one.

But there are so many other animals in this reserve including zebras, elands, springboks, hippos, rhinos and the imposing elegant giraffes, the topiary makers of the bush.

The Capetown Castle and Waterfront

Today, we spent the day in the city as tomorrow we go to a safari for a few days. We headed for the waterfront only to realize when we arrived there that I have not placed the battery back in my camera. Tom left his purse in the hotel so we were far from happy. We decided to go back to the hotel and got everything we needed.

After recovering from our lapses, we went to the castle first and that was great as we were just on time for the noon hour cannon. What a show that was but what was more interesting was our encounter with Michael. When we arrived in the castle, we were so exhausted from our memory lapses of the morning that we just plopped ourselves on one of the empty tables in the coffee area. And Michael inherited us so we started talking. He told us he came from the same village as Mandela and described this for us. I twas quite interesting but Michael unhappily was called.

The castle museum is worth visiting as it tells the story of how the Cape was settled and the presence of the San people in the area.

After spending some time learning about Cape history, we moved on back to the waterfront to enjoy fresh oysters and sushi. Our lady server is from New Jersey. What a pleasant surprise. We enjoyed the boats we can see from the restaurant coming in and out of the harbour. It was an enjoyable experience. Tomorrow will be the animal world.

Hermanus

Hermanus was today's destination in our drive around the Western Cape. We followed the route by the water and the smell of the ocean is quite a change from the roses and rosemarys. Once a small fishing village, it has now become a major resort because of the presence of large numbers of southern right whales from June to early December. As it was a Sunday, the beaches were full. We found a beautiful open restaurant right on the waterfront and enjoyed mussels cooked in sauvignon blanc with lots of thyme, celery, and onions.

You can dive here, kayak, rent a boat and go fishing or just do some crayfishing. We were welcomed by a group of seals as the whales are no longer around.

The Penguins of Simons Bay

It was really the penguins that brought us to Simons Bay and Cape of Good Hope. How can you not love them? The penguins found this bay a worthwhile residence in 1987 and since the price of real estate in this area has really been rising and tourist numbers as well doing the same, why move? All they have to do is some usual tricks for the tourists and they are given comfortable five star nests and an audience so delighted with them. What more could they ask for?

Cape of Good Hope, Kalk's Bay, Cuba to Cape

Remember your World History Lesson? I could very well remember memorizing this for the test and here I am standing right here looking at the ocean watching for those Spanish Galleons circumnavigating the world.

We then had lunch at Kalk's Bay. The waterfront all the way from Capetown was full as it was the weekend so it was hard to find parking but we were determined to have a taste of the fish and seafood fresh from the area so patiently we went on our hunt for parking and found one as someone was just leaving. And lo and behold, just below where we parked is the famous new year party restaurant called Cuba to Cape.

The interior is like that of a Paladar, those old houses transformed into restaurants with the servers wearing the Cubana outfits and Che Guevara T-shirt and hat.

The menu is like an old newspaper in Cuba.

The food is superb. I had Paella and Tom had Boulliabaise and we truly enjoyed these.

Cape Agulhas, Southernmost Tip of Africa

Today, we went driving once again and enjoyed the beautiful mountains of the Overberg. Route 62 is just so beautiful and along the way, we passed by Montagu, a tiny, pretty town with hot springs. Here, we loaded up on dried fruits which we enjoyed in the car. Then, we had lunch in Swellendam in an old prison that was converted into a restaurant. The fish and chips were to die for. The fish has an almost tempura type coating.

But the big find of the day was Cape Agulhas. We saw the sign: Southernmost Tip of Africa and just headed for it. When we arrived there we also saw the sign on one side is the Indian Ocean and on the other, the Atlantic Ocean. The Great Divide of the two oceans that we really wanted to see.

!Khwa TTU

Remember the gods must be crazy? We did so when we saw that there is the San Cultural and Education Centre at Izerfonteine, we proceeded there and we were lucky enough to get a guide to bring us around the 850-acre property which used to be part of the traditional hunting ground for the San people.

They have developed this place to show people about the San culture through the plants they traditionally use and the paintings of the older San who expressed their experience through graphics. We learned so much about the way the San people lived.

Bains Kloof Pass

When in the Western Cape, one must try driving through some of the famous mountain pass. We tried the Bains Kloof Pass built by Thomas Bain between 1848-1852. It is such a winding fun and once on top, you are rewarded with spectacular views of the plains down with speckles of rain and sun to make for dramatic photos.

We went through Bains Kloof driving from Stellenbosch to Wellington and even when it was raining, the sun lights up some parts of the valley and you have a photographer's delight. We went up the pass via Wellington and got out in Ceres, Capetown's fruit capital. Got some cherries and drove off to Tulbagh.

Tulbagh

Tulbagh was the day's surprise. We picked up some brochures in Ceres and Tulbagh looked really interesting. Our destination was !Kwah Tuu but the detour to Tulbagh looked short and interesting. And that was one good decision.

Tulbagh"s Church Street is the best example of 19th century Dutch colonial street.The street is not just a historical delight but also a culinary one. Most of the houses as often happens when tourists come have been transformed into guest houses or restaurants. So, we went in one of the restaurants that has an interesting common name, Restaurant 29. It looked like a garage but inside is an artist gallery but what attracted us was the sign, Belgian cooking. We badly wanted some coffee.

The Belgian Lady who owns the place has once lived in Canada (Aylmer, Whitby and Kingston) so the conversation became quite animated. Moreover, just outside is a peacock that kept pecking on the owner's dark blue shiny car. My husband thought that this is one ugly peacock who kept seeing his ugly face reflected on the car so he kept pecking on it. The gentleman owner was peeved as his car is almost classic but his wife kept feeding the peacock as her way of luring the peacock away from the car. The husband thinks of the day when he'll see that peacock in his pie, it's rightful place as far as he is concerned.

Franschoek

On our second day, we woke up early and drove to Franschoek. We did not realize how close it was so when we arrived there, nothing was opened yet. We walked around and enjoyed the heritage left by the French Huguenots. They have a monument there with records of the first Huguenots who settled in the area.

The place has now billed itself as Capetown's culinary capital so we settled ourselves in one of the restaurants and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Tom had a boerworst and mileiepap, a traditional South African breakfast.

When you visit Franschoek, don't miss this place. Franschoek Motor Museum.

Stellenbosch, South Africa

The flight to South Africa was very pleasant. We slept very well in the plane and we did not have much wait time.So we arrived in Capetown refreshed. We picked up our car in the airport and drove out. It took us just about 30 minutes to reach our hotel, The Asara at Stellenbosch. Being in the wine country, we decided to stay in a wine estate which is a Chateau et Relais hotel. It is very nice and check in was a breeze with a pleasant glass of sparkling wine from the estate itself.

We cleaned up and immediately drove out to Stellenbosch to have a sense of where we are. Stellenbosch is a university town and it is a beautiful place. We walked around and got engaged in one of the stores where local women were weaving silk. We learned much about what they're doing and got a souvenir that the women just finished the day before. Satisfied that the place is interesting, we went back to our hotel where we had a very tasty dinner of springbok and Kudo with wines from the estate. My appetizer was something special:snails on bone marrow. It was delicious!

Battambang, Cambodia's New Art Capital

Battambang is now claiming to be Cambodia's new art capital after local artists launched its first arts festival. The Explo, short for explosion or exploration, attracted many foreigners and Cambodians from the art community as local artists painted on large blocks of ice, humans and other media their creative imagination could conceive.

Battambang art has in the past already been sung by Cambodian composers, most famous of which is Sinn Sisamouth considered to be the King of Khmer Music so although still laid back compared to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, Battambang's artistic spirit continues to spark creativity. In fact, one of its students at the Battambang Institute of Technology recently won the prize in the national competition for the best computer graphics.

This initiative was spearheaded by two gallery owners in Battambang, Canadian David Ramjattan and Loven Ramos, after a successful art show in February, 2011. But at the heart of this creative stimulus in Battambang is a Cambodian NGO, Phare Ponleu Selpak. Founded in 1994 to develop the arts among the Battambang youth, Phare runs an art school and gallery. Two of its graduates just opened a gallery, Make Maek.

Another boost to the local artists is the opening of the art gallery,Sammaki, which now hosts workshops, tea parties for local artists with its artist in residence, Bo Rithy.

So watch out for the next art explo in Battambang next year and come with money if you are a collector. The galleries are now selling art from Battambang's artists in the 3 to 4 digit range and foreign collectors have now discovered Battambang as the place to go to.

My Son Vietnam

When we went to Hoi An, My Son attracted our attention as this was the religious center of the Champa Kingdom so spent a day there and the temple ruins say much of the Champa people of Vietnam. When you go, go early morning so you can enjoy the spiritual quiet of the place.

You can also see here the destruction of the bombing during the Vietnam war. Indeed sad. To know more about My Son, here's a good link: My Son Vietnam

Pchum Ben in Cambodia

Phnom Penh streets were empty during Pchum Ben. Everyone who could went to their home province to pay homage to their dead. They believe that during Pchum Ben, the dead spirits come to their local temple and if you are no there to visit them, they will feel really bad. Businesses are closed for several days road accidents always go up at this time but nothing can stop the people from going home.

They bring food to the temple and offering as well. You should see them with wads of 100 or 500 riel and depending on how many bowls are left out in the temple, these are all filled. The more temples you visit, the more blessing you get.

Summer in Muskoka

We just came back from a two and a half month summer in Canada. We had so much fun with family and friends at our summer cottage. Muskoka Lakes is one of the most beautiful places in Canada.

The best is always the Rib Night, a tradition we have had for years now.

The new feature is the floating dock, the only one in the lake right now. We bring this out in the middle of the lake and just float it in a spot we choose so we swim in different places, have different views as we lounge in the dock and dive in different spots. Awesome. Isn't that fun?