Days 35 - 37

Day 35

Seren and James had got in touch with our school friend Ross Jones-Davies the previous night, so at about 11 we headed over to his parents house. They have a really beautiful house on the other side of Cape Town to where we are, on a very attractive Golf Course and they were very kind in inviting us to spend the day there. After drinking some Champagne to celebrate our arrival in Cape Town, we had a very delicious lunch in the golf course, and then headed down to a beach called Fishhoek, where we played Frisbee, and even went swimming in the freezing cold Atlantic…we were then invited to stay for our first Braai of the trip and then because it was late, to stay the night; it was the first time we’d slept in a bed since our night in the Cobra Restaurant and Resthouse, back on the outskirts of South Luangwa in Zambia, so we all slept very well that night.

Day 36

We had a very scrummy breakfast of cereal, fruit salad and joghurt, and toast and then Ross and his dad took us to see a cricket match at Newlands Cricket Ground, where they are members. It was a provincial game between the Cape Cobras (the local team) and the Nashua Dolphins who had Jayasuriya playing for them, and even a few people now familiar to Seren, such as Johann Louw who he hit for a rather spectacular 6. We had seats in the members stand so when Johann was out for a duck we were trying to get Seren to go over, ask for an autograph and remind him of their acquaintance, but being the modest soul he is, he refused. He also refused to tell anyone that he was an international cricketer and has refused continually to do that on the trip…not even in the attempt to get a free drink…modesty, what can you say. The match went quite quickly in favour of the Dolphins, who won by over 100 runs, but it was a really fun day, filled with good food, yummy drinks and a couple of doughnuts! In the evening we said our farewells and thanks to the Jones-Davies and headed back to our campsite for supper and a game of Slap-Jack (a more violent version of Beggar-my-Neighbour).

Day 37

It was another, reasonably leisurely morning and then since the weather was really beautiful we decided to make our trip up Table Mountain. We first went to Camps Bay, which is sort of on the way, for a drink and another game of Frisbee, so that there would be time for the queue to die down - apparently before about 2 there are loads and loads of people. We went up a little after lunchtime; the cable-car ride was so much fun - the little cars have circular floors that revolve round so that you can appreciate all the different landscapes and it travels at 10m/s; I know that certain people would have hated it because of the height but we all enjoyed it. At the top we walked around for 2 hours, taking in the incredible views of the city and the sea. From the top of Table Mountain, Cape Town looks very beautiful, and even its road system that so confused us looks ordered and well laid-out; it reminded me strongly of Legoland and the wonderfully intricate but tiny replicas of cities they house there…I wonder if they’ve made on of Cape Town. This thought voiced aloud as we all sat looking at one particular view lead onto a long discussion of lego and its merits and it turns out the James, Robert and I have a similarity in an obsession with lego in previous life - we discussed methods of building, motives and even what we had each most treasured in our lego boxes…ah happy reminiscences. We finally descended from Table Mountain at about 4, and headed back to Salty Crax, for haddock chowder (thanks mummy for cooking inspiration) and a soak in the hot tub. Another very successful day in Cape Town passed.

---

---