Blogs from Hout Bay, Western Cape, South Africa, Africa

It was our last weekend in South African and it was certainly one full of animals. Megan and Byron were visiting family for the weekend but luckily were able to make time for to visit Boulders Beach in Simons Town. Somewhere Alex was going to love. It is about 30-40 minutes drive from Constantia, with the most stunning coastal views along the way. Boulders beach is a fantastic area surrounded by African penguins. You can pay to visit Boulders beach and get on the beach but there is a perfectly free walkway allowing you to get just as close to the Penguins. Megan and Byron set off on their long drive and we set off to World of Birds in Hout Bay. It cost us 95 rand each, (just over £5) and what a fabulous little ... read more

Back in Hout Bay the guys were getting ready for night of revelry at Sean's bar, Forex. I don't know what inspired it, perhaps a suggestion from Martin or another Dutch intern, but it was King's Day and that would be the theme that night. Still, that wasn't happening till later in the evening and we had a few hours yet. The day passed one way or another until the four of us, Sean, JP, myself and Legend, headed out for a walk up to Chapman's Peak. As I think I mentioned the Chapman's Peak road was visible from Sean's patio. It ascended in a series of gradual inclines and bends from sea level at Hout Bay itself to a few hundred feet a.s.l. at a point opposite the mouth of the bay where there was ... read more

Hoje foi um pequeno regresso ai Brasil (exceto pelo vento!!!) Ontem me aproximei bastante de um brasileiro (sim, brasileiro, mas só falamos em inglês entre nós) chamado Jonas, brother mesmo, gente boníssima, temos dado boas risadas juntos. Organizaram um passeio para Llandudno. O dia estava lindo, bastante vento, mas um Sol quente em torno de 29ºC. Dia extremamente agradável e mais de 30 pessoas juntas de várias nacionalidades amontoadas numa praia praticamente deserta. Praia de filme, mar AZUL, AZUL, AZUL!!!! Areia extremamente macia e pedras emoldurando esse cenário. Lógico que nem tudo são flores, no caso, é areia!!! Metade da praia veio dentro do meu nariz, orelha, cabelo e espalhado pelo corpo... Vento constante variando com sopradas bem fortes quase enterraram todos nós na areia. O mar? Não me pergunte, não entrei, mas imagino algo em ... read more

For lunch on Monday the boys and I took a drive from Camps Bay to Hout Bay, driving around the 12 Apostles to this tiny little fishermans village. Not far from here, maybe 15-20 minutes. We drove to the docks and got a nice wiff of the unloading area -- WHEW that smelled bad! We walked around the small marina area and off to this nice little place that Ryan remembered called Dunes to have lunch. It was this old fashioned looking, but re-done house right on the water, with a white picket fence and a jungle gym set in the sand for little kids. Really cool little venue that people can rent for their private parties. AMAZING views. We ate delicious lunch there and headed back to Camps Bay. Just a little venture before Orrin ... read more

Thursday 12th February A slow start to the day as the big drive of yesterday had taken it’s toll: leaving me rather red faced on account of too much sun and too little suntan lotion. We decided to head for the Cape Peninsula and aim for lunch at the Mariner’s Wharf in Hout Bay, which in fact is a busy fishing port. We drove into Cape Town and out past the superb new football stadium at Green Point where the world Cup Final will be played next July (if you go to the Atlantic Coast to Cape Point map and zoom in firstly on Cape Town then centre the map on Green Point and zoom in progressively. On the map it will say Metropolitan Golf Club but if you switch to the satellite image you will ... read more