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Published: August 6th 2007
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As we sat watching Dominic gyrate his hips back and forth while pantomiming the baboon mating process, I couldn’t help but laugh about how his professional demeanor had digressed. Gina and I had thoroughly relaxed by our third morning in Cape Town; So, too, had Allan and Dominic, who by this point consistently had us in stitches and seemed more like friends than guesthouse hosts. The hospitality they’d shown us over the first two days at Twenty Two was unparalleled by any other accommodation in our lives. The third day was no different.
Once Dominic was satisfied that his standup comic routine had us choking on our breakfasts, he paused to ask what our plan was for the day. Having realized not long after our arrival that we had not nearly allocated enough time to explore everything around Cape Town, Gina and I prioritized attractions and decided that our last day would be spent in the South African wine country. Dominic and Allan, who by this point dragged himself from the confines of their suite for his morning coffee and cigarette, were all too happy to help us plan our day. Within minutes, our itinerary was laid out, including a
reservation for lunch.
Not in any hurry that day, Gina and I spent the morning blogging and completing some errands before leaving for Franschhoek. Like a caring parent, Dominic advised us to stay on the N1 freeway to and from the wine country to avoid the seedier township elements along the N2. His explanation was that people along the N2 were known to drop debris on passing cars to force them to the shoulder, where unsuspecting motorists are promptly robbed.
Lovely. Gina and I grabbed the box of souvenirs that Allan helped us pack the previous evening and began our day - it was almost noon. As the skyscrapers of Cape Town faded into the rearview mirror, the countryside opened up to reveal a landscape reminiscent of Napa. The only discerning factors were the random township (shanty town) and the throng of people walking along the freeway. We arrived into Franschhoek a few minutes before our lunch reservation at Rueben’s and found ourselves enchanted with the little town. After Gina and I gorged on a scrumptious meal of springbok (an antelope-like game animal) and lamb, we decided to ship the packages we’d carried from Cape Town at the
adjacent post office. Nearing 2P.M., we abandoned our plans of wine tasting and instead opted to explore the shops lining the main street.
Over the course of a few hours, we managed to make a dent in my wallet with souvenirs and two return trips to the post office before calling it a day. By the time we made it back to Cape Town that evening, Gina and I were pooped and decided to stay in rather than venture out for dinner. Allan and Dominic inquired within ten minutes of our arrival whether we needed help finding or booking a restaurant for dinner, to which we relayed our intent to likely order a pizza. A few minutes later, Dominic returned, seemingly inspired by our simple dinner plan, and asked what type of pizza we’d like as they had decided to stay in with his sister Claire for a low key night.
While the meal ended up low key, the evening was anything but. Once the pizza arrived and the wine started flowing, everyone started sharing their funniest stores - with Allan and Dominic trumping most of ours. A pact of silence was sealed that night as our darkest
secrets and craziest moments were laid out for the entertainment of the others, culminating with Gina’s obnoxious baboon imitations. Allan was so amused, he decided to document the moment by recording her as his ringtone. Violating some unwritten rule, he also decided to photograph us.
Likely to show his friends the woman who makes monkey noises. Leaving the following morning was a sad event. Allan and Dominic rose earlier than usual to see us off and walked us to our car like old friends. When Gina and I exchanged hugs with them, we hoped it wouldn’t be the last time.
If the past 3 blogs haven’t made it apparent enough, we would HIGHLY recommend the Twenty Two guesthouse in Cape Town to anyone traveling that way. You will not be disappointed and may even make new friends.
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darby
non-member comment
springbok?
better than venison?