End of the Year Bash

With the New Year just over 24 hours a way, Four Corners still has some unfinished business from 2011. Apologies for the delay, but, as you can imagine, things got quite busy around the holidays, and I was, after all, just returning from South Africa. But here I am now to fill some of the gaps.....

Unfortunately November never got its own "Next Destinations" list, and now with the end of December already here, consider the list below for both months. You will also find below a brief recap of my and Joe's few hours walking around Frankfurt, Germany, awaiting our flight to Cape Town, and a (very) short review of "Cowboys and Aliens". Look to my next blog post for the beginning of my Uncle Paul's (Correspondent Paul? Nice ring to it.....) time in Istanbul, Turkey.

November/December Next Destinations List-

1. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia- Some of you may have heard about this place. The Salar de Uyuni, located in southern Bolivia, is a massive salt flat, the largest in the world. That may not sound all that exciting, but it is actually a big draw for tourists, and I myself am pretty intrigued. There appears to be some pretty neat things to check out at the flats, including a large train graveyard containing the rusting skeletons of old trains. Train buffs (its ok...I know you are out there) might take interest in that. Take a look at the Wikitravel site for a start: http://wikitravel.org/en/Salar_de_Uyuni#b, and this website for some photos and info on the train graveyard: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/where-locomotives-come-to-die/7130

2. Rwanda- I'm sure some are probably scratching their heads over this pick. Yeah, some pretty terrible stuff went down in Rwanda in the early 1990s. Since, though, Rwanda has picked itself up, dusted itself off, and has become a model of economic development and stability in Africa. The capital, Kigali, is safe, clean, and easy to get around. Checking out the Genocide Museum there is probably worth it. The country also is one of the best places to come and see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, and looks to have some stunning natural beauty. Better yet, tourists haven't totally overrun the place yet. I recommend looking at the Lonely Planet site, they certainly talk up the country: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/rwanda

3. Yangon, Burma- At the risk of my readers thinking that I have lost the plot, I am still going to recommend visiting Burma (Myanmar officially, but the preferred name of the political opposition, whom I support). This, like Rwanda, has had some bad press in the past, but bear in mind that political reform appears underway and the country is beginning to open up. I for a long time have been curious about Myanmar, and am very interested in visiting there. Yangon, the largest city and commercial hub, has lots to offer in terms of sites and things to do. Burmese, despite being some of the poorest people on earth, are also some of the friendliest and open people as well. Don't count this country out, and injecting some tourist cash will probably be well received by the locals. http://wikitravel.org/en/Yangon

4. Koln (Cologne), Germany- I don't think I am presenting anything unique here, Koln (the German name) is already a popular place for tourists in Germany, but I think it is worth giving mention anyway. With a wealth of history, the city is filled with sites and things for a visitor to do. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/germany/north-rhine-westphalia/cologne

5. Charleston, South Carolina- I haven't really been giving the US of A a lot of play on these lists, so I am going to try a little harder. I have it on good word that Charleston is supposed to be a really neat place, filled with southern charm, and is a lovely place to just stroll around. The New York Times and Lonely Planet both have some info for ya: http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/11/travel/11hours.1.html and http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/the-south/charleston

12/08-Frankfurt: For at least a few hours, at least.

Ten hour layover. Having to pass away double-digit hours in the lead up to the 11-hour flight from Frankfurt to Cape Town was a daunting prospect. When I told people about the length of our layover, they grimaced. Luckily, thanks to some of that famous German efficiency, having to hang out for 10 hours in Frankfurt can be something to look forward to. A high speed train zips passengers from the Frankfurt airport strait to the city's train station in the heart of town in just under 15 minutes. So, after passing through customs and finding Joe on the other side standing there waiting, we set out to stroll Germany's financial capital.

We emerged from the Frankfurt Hauptbanhof and headed in the direction of downtown and, ultimately, the city's old town. The city is surprisingly compact, and easily walk-able. The first thing we encountered was the Occupy Frankfurt movement, a colony of tents in front of the headquarters of the European Central Bank. Nobody seemed to be paying them any mind, and they weren't really obstructing anything or being a nuisance. Oh well, move on folks, nothing to see here. We continued on, already getting into conversation (I could tell Joe and I were gonna get along fine) and walked along the city's main shopping thoroughfare (packed with shoppers and couples out for a stroll), at the end of which there was a small square filled with stalls selling vegetables, fruits, and bratwurst. Eventually we made it to the old part of the city, where, apparently, it was Christmas. The place was absolutely jam-packed with stalls selling all kinds of stuff, crafts, toys, ornaments, but mainly food, cookies, cakes, and all kinds of holiday deserts on offer. Christmas lights were strung up, and one part of city even had a carousel set up (with some older men riding on it-which was a bit weird). Lots of people were out to partake in the fun, and I was glad we were there to bear witness.

We emerged from the festivities and crossed the  Main River via bridge, which afforded us some nice shots of the city skyline. There wasn't much on offer on other side, but by this time we were freezing our asses (we only had sweatshirts on-it was still Germany's winter, mind) and stopped into a cafe for, well, mainly the warmth, but a little something to eat too. We headed back over to the other side, once again strolled through the Christmas market, where I grabbed a bratwurst (I was still hungry, and, its Germany, I  mean, you gotta have a brat). By this time the sun was setting and the temperature was dropping with it. Joe and I both nodded in agreement when he mentioned that maybe it was time to head back and get ready for the long trip south. It wasn't a lot of time, I think we were in downtown Frankfurt for just a few hours, but it was an enjoyable time, I'm glad we could do it, and its now another pin on the map.

In-Flight Movie Review-Cowboys and Aliens: The name says it all.

Don't. Just don't. Yeah, its got Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig, and it takes two of America's favorite movie topics and brings them together. I, for one think that is an awful idea, and I was only proven right. The acting, or, more to the point, the dialogue and lines are pretty laughable, as is the story line. Even the action is kind of bush league. I wasn't expecting much out of this one, but I was still hoping to at least be entertained. It failed even in that regard. The only good thing about this flick is Olivia Wilde features prominently in it. Ms. Wilde is gorgeous. Beyond that though, a waste of time. I'm glad I was confined to an airplane. I knew I should have just re-watched "The Debt".

Verdict: I already said it, but here it is again: Don't. Grade: D
If you liked this movie you might also like: I'm not even going to bother.......

Hope that wasn't too much for you to take in folks. Again, look here for my Uncle Paul's breakdown of he and my Aunt Elena's trip to Istanbul. Other than that, have a happy new year, and hopefully 2012 will be filled with more globe-trotting for the Four Corners. Happy travels.

Movie Review- Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol: Never Mind the Total Ridiculousness

A Tom Cruise movie getting praise in the media? Crazier things have happened. I mean, when the dearly-departed Kim Jong-il punched his ticket, a crane (the bird) landed on a statue of him in Pyongyang and bowed its head in sorrow. Has to be true though, North Korean media reported it. Anyway, the fourth, yes fourth, installment of the Mission Impossible series has been getting, shall I say, impossibly good reviews from critics. Salon.com even labeled it the action movie of the year. With my good friend and wingman Nick Decker back from Buffalo, we set out last night to see a flick. He had reservations about the new Sherlock Holmes (my original pick) so we decided on the holiday season's top action movie.

Lets say for starters that I am a huge fan of the second Mission Impossible. The acting, action, and story-line were all solid, and you can't beat the soundtrack (it was done by Hans Zimmer after all....). MI3 was decent, so given the rave reviews this new one was getting, I had pretty high expectations.....

I was disappointed. MI4 is so ridiculously over-the-top, plot-hole ridden, and cliched that I could only shake my head. First off, the plot-line is basically ripped right from the popular video game series "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare". If you don't know what I mean here, just think: Russians, nuclear weapons, and potential third World War. Really, I mean, involving the Russians and nuclear weapons, can't we possibly come up with something a little more original? I won't go into any further detail for those who want to see it, but if you are at all well-versed in action films, the story is going to feel pretty damn stale. Some of the action sequences don't even make an attempt at realism, but do demonstrate the super-human abilities of Tom Cruise. I will say, however, the action is still entertaining. Its high octane, thrilling stuff at time, and the choreography is decent. I was a big fan of some of the martial arts employed in the film

My biggest gripe with this film though is the humor. Yeah, you read that right. Call me a ogre or whatever, but I say I am an action movie purist, and I still like my thrillers/action films to take on an air of seriousness (good example? MI2....). This movie got WAY too cute at time and threw in jokes (many of them not that funny) where they weren't needed. Nothing better demonstrated this than the inclusion of Simon Pegg. I like the little Englishman, I find his movies (like Hot Fuzz and Shawn of the Dead) to be entertaining affairs, but he has no place in a film like this. I was a bit nervous about his being in this movie, and my fears were justified. He's too damn goofy. The attempts at being funny also included making Jeremy Renner (fast becoming a favorite actor of mine) look like an absolute dope in some scenes, despite his being a trained assassin. Where is the Renner from "The Town" or "Hurt Locker"? I think to best sum it up, MI4 played out more like an action-comedy. That is fine, I can get into those as well, but not for a Mission Impossible film. MI2 has a low (5.8) rating on IMDB, and this one already has a 7.9. I don't put a whole lot of stock in what the voters on that website think (One word: Oldboy. A long story, maybe I will tell it sometime), but even taking this into account, I thought MI2 better embodied what an MI film should be like. Still high-octane, but more serious and not cutesy. I came to MI4 looking for another M12, instead I got "The Rundown" (what I think is a good example of an action-comedy).

Verdict: If you like the fast-paced fight-scenes, shoot-outs and stunts, and don't get annoyed by the cliche's and silly humor, then for sure see it; MI4 fits this bill very well. However, if you are more of a purist like I am, and can't stand when a flick of this genre tries to be funny, then don't bother. Grade: B-

If you liked this movie you might also like: If you like this movie, you are probably easily entertained, not that there is anything wrong with that.

Out of Africa: Back to Whitesboro

We can officially call this one a wrap. The pin is in the map, Cape Town has officially been visited. Its a long way there, but well worth the trip. In the spirit of the holiday season, the coming days are going to be filled with activity on this space. Here is what my reader's have to look forward to:

1. Cape Town photos. I am currently posting them to Kodak, but look for some here as well.

2. Frankfurt recap.  I didn't get a chance to describe our day in Frankfurt, Germany, on the way to Cape Town, but I will give the low down later in a post.

3. The November (yep, its a ways overdue) Next Destinations List. I promise to get that up soon.

4. My Uncle Paul's recap of his trip to Istanbul, Turkey in October!! Paul has kindly described his experience in Istanbul for us, becoming the Four Corner's first official correspondent. I will be posting it in chunks however, he didn't mince any words, and it comes to about nine pages in a word document. Paul has a PhD in English, so I wouldn't expect anything less. It is a good view onto what it is like to take a tour (in this case, the one offered by FC's main advesary, Rick Steves-DAMN HIM!!) something that I cannot give an account of, so  I think it will be valuable to post here.

5. A review of "Cowboys and Aliens", which I watched on the flight from Frankfurt to Toronto yesterday.

So there you have it. Give me a day or two to get over this jet lag and get back into the swing of things and I will be sure to get you the above-mentioned material.

In the meantime, I leave you with a couple of neat items picked up on the internet today:

Lonely Planets Top Travel Destinations of 2012:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/europe/travel-tips-and-articles/76856 (countries)
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/england/london/travel-tips-and-articles/76861 (cities)

Time Magazine World at 7 Billion: Fastest Growing Cities of Tomorrow:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2097720_2097718_2097717,00.html

Cape Town Day 8

So here it is, my last full day here in beautiful Cape Town. Joe's flight was not until seven this evening, so we still had some time to enjoy the city together.

There is a rather large market comprised of stalls selling textiles and crafts that is set up in Greenmarket Square, maybe a 10 minute walk from our hotel. We set out for there after breakfast. Mom, in an email to me last night, requested a bag that could be taken grocery shopping (so she doesn't have to use plastic bags. Part of her Green Initiative I suppose), and I figured I could maybe nab one there. It didn't take long to spot one that I liked, made by a large black woman who kept on calling me "baby". As I was "her first customer of the day" she knocked down the price by 50 rand. I doubt this was true, but the new price was agreeable enough that I didn't feel the need to bargain. Both parties in the transaction were satisfied. With my new purchase in hand, we moved on.

The two of us just wandered about for a few minutes, then decided to give our a walk a bit of direction, and went down to the V&A Waterfront one last time. It was an incredibly beautiful day today, so why let it go to waste? We strolled through the crowds briefly than parked ourselves on a bench for a while. Joe stopped in once more into Dodge City, where he got a little something to eat. We hung around for a bit longer, but eventually had to head back, Joe had a plane to catch.

Things have been quiet since Joe hopped in a taxi destined for Cape Town International. I went back for a bit to Greenmarket Square, as I wanted to pick up a few more items for people back home, and sat down on a bench and people watched for a while as well. I also strolled Long Street, looking for nothing in particular. I finished off with a meal of chicken and chips in the hole-in-the-wall next to our hotel and made a quick stop into a grocery store. And now here I am, in for the evening.

I have a flight at the same time tomorrow, so I still have part of the day. I probably won't do too much exploring, I think Joe and I covered a lot of ground and saw everything we wanted to see. I can say that Cape Town was a fantastic place to visit, and I think I can speak for Joe as well when I say we had a thoroughly enjoyable experience here. The weather (for the most part) was unbeatable, the back drop of Table Mountain alone must make Cape Town one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and some of the natural beauty here on the Peninsula is second to none. While not an architectural spectacle on the order of say, Istanbul or [insert any number of European cities here], the city center ain't too shabby either. The wrought-iron balconies of Long Street reminded me of my time boppin' around the French Quarter of New Orleans with my partner in "all things cool", my Uncle Paul. Cape Town isn't without its flaws though. Going out at night, even with someone else in tow, can be a hassle. Joe and I had to grow accustomed to pleas for monetary assistance and offers of drugs. Even during the day, you can't be guaranteed that a persistent beggar won't catch site of you. At night things certainly do feel uneasy, and during our stay here we were sure to keep our night-time dinners to Long Street, patrolled by a number of Public Security Officers. Cape Town is statistically one of the most dangerous cities in the world. While much of the violence is sequestered in the Cape Flats, evenings in the City Bowl do not feel safe. It is not the most pedestrian friendly city either, with the left-side driving likely to confuse most westerners and the beginning, and little discipline is shown by South African drivers. As our guide Ursula put it: "As pedestrians, we have no rights here". Public Transportation could be a little more convenient as well. Without it, the costs of seeing some of the city's farther reaches like Camps Bay and the rest of the Peninsula quickly become pricey endeavors.

But it is difficult to find any city that is perfect. Despite its flaws, Cape Town offers so much, and as one of the world's iconic cities, really should not be missed. With proper travel practice and situational awareness (a good tip from John Cusack...I hope my readers remember what I mean here), one should have a wonderful time in South Africa's Mother City. I know I did.

This is going to be my last post for this trip. I don't think I will post up anything tomorrow before my flight. Look for an update upon my return to central New York late on Sunday. This is Adam Kwiat, Cape Town, South Africa. 

Cape Town Day 7

The gorgeous weather returned for Joe's final full day in Cape Town (I know, I know, I'm not to happy about that either-my newly designated Travel Partner has to leave a day before I do....) though it was still a bit cooler than earlier in the week. We really only had one major thing left on our list to see: Bo Kaap.

Bo Kaap is a neighborhood (not far from our hotel in fact) that is the heart of Muslim Cape Town. Located in a steep area, the district is characterized by narrow streets and brightly colored homes, which are its main attraction. In actuality, the painting of homes really began relatively recently, maybe twenty years ago, by an ambitious resident that wanted to re-gentrify the area.

We had seen at the nearby tourist center that walking tours of Bo Kaap were available, so we went for that. At 11:00 we joined our guide, a German woman named Ursula, and a few other tourists to began our tour. We got a little more than we bargained for, as Ursula first took us around the city center. At first I thought we would be shorted our time in Bo Kaap, which is really all we wanted to see, and we had already done everything we wanted in the city center. It worked out though. Ursula ended up showing us some neat things that we had over-looked, primarily a couple of cathedrals and a couple of art-deco buildings (I'm still an architecture buff at heart). Apparently Ursula had her own opinions on architecture, which she didn't mind sharing with us. After showing us the old city hall, done in a Victorian style with granite imported from Aberdeen, Scotland, she pointed out the new city hall, which she described as "a monster". A modern walkway built between the South African Mutual Building (very neat art deco designs on that one) and another fell afoul of Ursula as well: She said she thought it was "awful". We also picked up quite a bit of the city's history, which had pretty much passed us by before. Ursula was a very knowledgeable and friendly lady, and was able to give us info on the city without boring our tits off. I think both of us enjoyed having her lead the way.

Eventually we came to where Joe and I most wanted: Bo Kaap. We didn't spend much time up there, but I don't think it is warranted, its pretty small in area. We first went into Bo Kaap's oldest mosque (there are ten in the area, all very small, squeezed between other buildings). Afterward we walked the streets, lined with, again, brightly painted homes. Again we got the low-down from Ursula, who said she remembered when all the homes were simply white-washed, but now the colorful paint-jobs are acting as a tourist draw. She took us along what she said were probably Bo-Kaaps most iconic streets, where Joe and I got in some photography (well, maybe for Joe, I just snap photos. I am going to get there though, you watch) after yesterday's quiet day.

Before leaving Bo Kaap Joe inquired about walking up Signal Hill. Signal Hill abuts Bo Kaap and is the location of the city's Noon Gun, a cannon that fires everyday at noon, an old tradition carried over from sea-faring days. Walking up Signal Hill was also something the two of us had wanted to check off. Ursula confirmed that, yes, we could make the steep walk up there, but stated that there is a lot of "nonsense" going on up that street. She said she had been mugged there multiple times. Never mind then.

After two brief stops in a Dutch Reform church and an underground market, we said our goodbyes. As it was already well past lunch time, we were both feeling the hunger pangs, and dropped off our gear and headed down to the waterfront to our new favorite establishment, a little diner called "Dodge City" that served a special called the "steak and shake", a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake for the equivalent of under 7 bucks. After filling up, we decided that we couldn't let the nice weather go to waste and first strolled around the waterfront, finally settling down on a bench that faced Table Mountain, giving us a clear view of the city's iconic feature. There we sat in the warm sun, enjoyed the breeze, people watched, and chatted until my watch told us that it was probably time to head back.

We hung out for a bit, then set out on Long Street for a light dinner. We settled on the Long Street Cafe. We both ordered the chicken wings (quite good actually, a nice tangy, with a touch of spicy, sauce). Joe went for a drought beer, and I got a glass of mango juice, very manly, I know. Apparently the waitress who dropped off our drinks (different from the one who took the order), thought so too. She came over and asked who had the beer, gave it to Joe and then, when giving me my mango juice, literally LAUGHED IN MY FACE. Yeah, what kind of pussy goes to a place with a bar and gets a mango juice? Way to strip a guy of any confidence. Dinner was enjoyable otherwise, food was good, so was the conversation. 

So tomorrow Joe head's back to the United States of Awesome. I will be headed back at the same time, but on Saturday. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed having him as a travel partner. He fit right in, and I think we did really well here in the city on the Cape.

Cape Town Day 6

So that bad weather from yesterday? It carried over to today, unfortunately. After breakfast we waited for a break in the weather and set up Long Street, towards an area of the city known as Gardens. Gardens is in the northern part of the city running up to the bottom of Table Mountain, and is primarily residential. We didn't get very far though, as the wind began to pick up and the rain started again.

We decided to drop exploring Cape Town's suburbs for the moment, and headed back down Long Street in the direction of the Waterfront. Our destination was our "rainy-day" option, the District Six Museum. The museum gives the history of an area of the city known as District Six. Once a vibrant multi-ethnic community, in the 1960s the district was declared a "whites only" part of the city by the apartheid government, and whole families had their homes bulldozed and were forcibly moved to the Cape Flats (mentioned in my first post, the city's most dangerous area). We had to stop a couple times on the way down there as the rain stopped and then started again, finding cover under awnings, chatting as we waited for a break.

The museum was disappointing. It was far too small, and didn't really offer that much. The story of District Six is an interesting and sad one, and I don't think the museum did it too much justice. Our guide book said that if you can only visit one museum it should be this one. Not so sure about that. Yes it is right to try an learn something about one of the more brutal actions taken by the apartheid government, but both of us weren't all that impressed. 

After leaving the weather looked like it might finally have finished being a bitch, so we used the rest of the afternoon to go down to the waterfront to grab a quick lunch and to finish off our souvenir shopping. Crowds were still out in full force, and even the sun managed to enter the stage.

After completing our shopping lists we rested up a bit and then made out again for Cape Town's northern suburbs. We explored a residential area known as Oranjezicht. By this time the sun was sticking around, and made for a pleasant stroll through the quiet streets (well, it took some work, the streets are pretty steep. They basically run up the side of Table Mountain, mind). It was an interesting walk. There are some nice homes up there, it is obviously a very wealthy area (we looked at some ads at a property development shop on the way up, looks like some homes can go for 1 million bucks up there), but it feels like a place under siege. Most of the homes had high walls with the logos of security services pasted on, warning off any would-be thieves. It didn't end there, nearly all had some form of sharp object on top of those walls, mainly spikes, like you would see on the top of a gate. Others were a bit more extreme. Barbed wire wasn't altogether uncommon. Some were a little more creative, with clusters of nails sticking out (one house went so far as to put fake leaves over the nails, a bit conscience about their look perhaps). Our personal favorite though was the (quite common) electrified fencing running on top of the garden walls. Yes, you read that right. Electrified. Fencing. I guess I am not in Whitesboro anymore. As we walked by a few homes, some unhappy-sounding dogs were there to greet us. One scared the absolute shit out of me, rushing the gate as we passed. Sneaky bugger. Suffice to say, fear of crime apparently runs pretty high in Cape Town's suburbs. I looked at the statistics for Oranjezicht. 90% of the residents are white.

After another brief rest at the hotel room, we set out for our last adventure of the day: ostrich. We went back to the nearby restaurant recommended by the hotel for an ostrich burger. Obviously a very popular place, we had to wait a few minutes, but eventually got a table. It didn't take us long to find our prey on the menu, and both ordered the ostrich burger, known as the Big Bird at this place (the Royale Eatery, it's called).

Verdict: It was pretty good. I think Joe was a bit more impressed than I was, but I would give it a satisfactory rating. It tastes pretty good, and is healthier for you than beef. South Africans may be on to something there.

And so ended what will hopefully be our quietest day. We have some things planned out for tomorrow (weather permitting of course). You know where to find the details..........

Cape Town Day 5

For starters, sorry I can't come up with any cool/catchy titles on this trip; when I've been putting up these blog posts, I've been so tired nearly all creative abilities have abandoned me. Anyway.....

Today was slow compared to yesterday's adventures, and the festivities were hampered by some miserable weather. Things looked ok when we got out of bed, but in the afternoon the Cape Town deluge struck.

You may remember mention of a Hop on Hop off bus tour with two lines, red and a blue. Well, we had already done the red, so today we were gonna give the blue a shot. We picked up the bus at the nearest stop just a view blocks down and off of Long Street, and were off. The first stop was the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Gardens cover a swath of land at the foot of Table Mountain. As two budding photography enthusiasts (full disclosure: Joe is SO much better than I. He actually knows what he is doing. I really should give my camera manual a closer look. He does seem to have a better camera though, I will use that as my weak defense), we thought it might offer up some photo-shooting opportunities. It was a bit windy and chilly, a sign of things to come, as we took to the grounds. The area did offer some decent views of Table Mountain, but on the whole we weren't that impressed with the Gardens. It is a nice place, don't get me wrong, but many of the plants and flowers look like they have seen better days. The flower that Nelson Mandela himself planted looked pretty sad. There were still some nice scenes to be taken in, but we headed up making it a short visit.

We hopped back on the blue line to the next stop, Groot Constantia. GC is South Africa's oldest wine vineyard, established 1685. You are correct in thinking that we had already visited a vineyard, but you may remember hearing that the scenery there wasn't considered to be anything to write home about, and that visit was more for gift-purchasing (cat out of the bag). This time we were more interested in exploring the vineyard grounds. We caught a lucky break at GC, as the clouds broke and the sun shone, warming the air and bringing more color into our photos. We both had a really good there, neither of us has ever been to an active vineyard, and I'm not sure that many exist that had GC's surrounding natural beauty. The vineyards seemingly stretch up onto the slopes of Table Mountain. Combined with the clearing sky, we were treated to some beautiful images. The grounds were very well kept to, with flowers planted to break the monotony of green vines, and the grass areas were mowed immaculately. Just another gem offered up by Cape Town.

The next stop on the line was the World of Birds, Africa's largest bird sanctuary. We both thought this would be neat to check out. Well, we got to check out some of it at least. After having passed through just a couple of avaries (which did have some pretty sharp looking species, including everyone's favorite kookaburra), the rains came, and came. We found ourselves running for cover (I cut across one dirt area between paths, scaring the shit out of a number of birds not kept in cages). As soon as the rain seemed to let up, and we began our tour again, it would just start up again. It rained really hard at some intervals, even with rain gear we didn't want to venture out. After a few failed attempts we gave up on it and decided to catch the bus for the long ride home.

After drying off, we still had to fill our bellies. We decided that ostrich burger was on the menu, so after asking at the front desk where we might find the elusive bird, we set up Long Street for the recommended establishment. Seeing a line at the door, we had a look down the street at the Long Street Cafe, which I mentioned to Joe I had seen in some photos online when researching our trip. We decided to give that a try. While the music was a bit loud for regular conversation, it was a nice establishment, with a spacious eating area and friendly (and cute) staff. Prices were decent as well. We both went for the ribeye (less than ten bucks)-and were both happy with the result. Our server's name was Lovejoy, which, I mean, you really can't beat a name like that. As it was still drizzling out after we finished, we called it a day and now here I am, recalling the day's events. 

And so completed what was probably our quietest day of the trip. Rain is again forecast for tomorrow, so we may have to look for some indoor activities. Come back tomorrow to find out how we managed.  

Cape Town Day 4

Awesome, awesome day. Joe and I had booked a tour through a local operator to take us to Cape Point and surrounding areas. Pickup was supposed to be at 9 this morning, but we got a phone call from the front desk at 8 saying the tour had arrived. After rushing down and seeing our driver, a nice white fellow named Raymond, sitting in the van outside the hotel, we apologized for making him wait. That was ok, we were told, we lucked out, no one else had booked for today, so we had the tour to ourselves. Raymond (he preferred that over Ray) allowed us to grab breakfast quick, and then we were on our way.

Raymond was an older fellow (a pensioner, as he called it), but was very talkative and incredibly knowledgeable. Basically the whole time he delved into Cape Town/South African history and facts and figures, and even went on some tangents, such as explaining the origins of the words "marmalade" and "yankee". We were a bit perplexed about why he would do that, but we were happy to let him ramble on.

Once again, the weather couldn't have been better (I really know how to pick 'em) so we were in for a pleasant trip. First stop was a quick one at a bluff overlooking Camps Bay that gave a great view of the beach and the Twelve Apostles that overlook the area. After the obligatory camera snapping, we were on the move, moving beyond Camps Bay. After passing through Hout Bay and a nearby nudist colony (we didn't bother stopping......) we came to Chapman's Peak Drive, one of the world's most iconic roadways. Looking out onto a bay known as Chapman's Bay, the drive really does have some stunning views, almost unbelievable, in fact. Raymond stopped at a turn-off and let us get out, snap photos, enjoy the breeze and the scenery. From there the next stop was the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and Cape Point, the very tip of the Cape Peninsula. The drive there took us through some quaint, peaceful-looking villages, but all are still considered part of Cape Town proper (citizens vote in CT municipal elections, for instance). Before arriving at the Reserve, Raymond had us stop at an ostrich farm. That's right, an ostrich farm. They are raised for their meat here in SA (Raymond informed us it tastes like beef, but is low in cholesterol). Beef can be pretty pricey here, so the birds offer a tasty substitute. The area surrounding the farm was very pretty though, so we got in some more photos.

After entering the Reserve, our first stop was to be the African continent's southwestern-most point, a short drive from Cape Point itself. On the way there though we got lucky, and came across a herd of baboons crossing the road. There were numerous signs warning against feeding them, as I guess they can get quite violent. They looked pretty lazy to me, and seemed busy picking bugs and all kinds of other shit off of each-other, but we photoed from the safety of the van anyway.After-wards we made it to Cape Point, where Raymond told us to take our time and he would wait. We could have taken a funicular or taken a fairly steep climb up the hill to the point and the (now defunct) lighthouse that sits atop. We went for the climb. It made for good exercise, as it got us both sweating and made my thigh muscles feel like they were on fire (out of shape, apparently), but we finally made it and took in the views. Below the lighthouse there was yet another point that juts out even further, so we hiked down there as well. After an Indonesian family (one of the girls was super cute-hard to go for it in such a place though) cleared out, we had the spot to ourselves, enabling us to capture the surrounding ocean-view and the cliffs across False Bay (the body of water separating the Cape Peninsula from eastern SA). The walk back was much easier (all downhill) and what better next stop than to go see some penguins?

Boulder's Bay has a famous African penguin colony, and after a short drive we joined in with groups of other tourists to catch site of the little beggars. Onlookers have to stand on a deck built just over the beach (very close though, penguins were walking under the deck) so you can get a good view of them. Man, have they got the life. The basically just waddle around or lay on the nice warm beach, occasionally going swimming to catch some food. Raymond put it this way: "They eat, sleep, and have sex, its the life". Agreed Raymond, agreed. Apparently they mate for life, so you could see couples of penguins standing next to each other just hanging out. Not the most romantic birds I guess, but very loyal. Amongst the tourists were some Chinese women with a Chinese tour guide. I could understand their conversation, and, upon seeing the little baby girl of some (I think) English tourists, one of the ladies said "look, a little penguin!" and tried picking up the poor child and take a photo with it. Well, the girl didn't like that so much, and starting bawling. The guide advised the lady to put her down, "she doesn't like it", he said. I can always get a kick out of Chinese tourists I guess, I had to have a laugh at it. Anyway, sorry for the tangent.

After having our fill of penguins on the beach we had one more stop to make. Driving from Boulder's penguin colony and through nearby Simon's Town, we came to Klein Constantia, a wine vineyard. Here Raymond said we could try out some wines and snap some photos of the grounds (Raymond said they weren't the best looking of the wine-growing vineyards, but, I thought they were pretty damn nice). We were allowed to try seven different wines. Now, as you may know, alcohol isn't really my thing. I appreciate that people really get into it, and that's fine, but I really can't stand the taste. By about the third sample (which of course we not all that much, just a small splash) I was ready to toss in the towel and just throw up everywhere. I held my cool though and was able to take in all seven, though I had to tell the poor bastard giving us the samples (who was watching me force the stuff down) to just give me a teensy amount of the seventh wine (the sweetest of them, as it were) or else they might have a mess on their hands. Joe, I could tell, knew what he was doing, and was even able to pick out his favorites and obviously could appreciate the descriptions of each of the wines the worker was giving. They all made me want to kill myself, was about the extent of my analysis, but I kept that to myself.

After taking in some of the wine-making operations and the vineyards, we hopped back in for the short ride home (We basically drove around the Peninsula. The drive out was long, but from Klein Constantia back into the city bowl it was quick). We were thoroughly bushed, and already we have required quick naps to recharge our batteries. Ray dropped us out right out front where we began, and we said our goodbyes. He paid us the compliment of saying we were one of his better tours, and that he thoroughly enjoyed it. We let him know we felt likewise.

So how was that for some travelin' action? Tomorrow should be a bit more tame, but you never know with the Four Corners. Be sure to see what we have in store.....

Cape Town Days 2 & 3

Alrighty, in for the evening after a nice dinner at the Indian restaurant just down the block from our hotel. I have lots to tell folks.....

So, about yesterday. There is this Hop on Hop off bus system especially for tourists that visit certain points in the city (two different lines-red and blue, there is lots of overlap, but blue has longer route). We hopped on a red line bus for a ride to one of its prime stops: the Table Mountain cable car. We were told at the ticket booth to expect chilly temperatures at the top, but that wasn't going to stop us. We piled into the cable car (the system was built decades ago by a Swiss engineering firm) with a bunch of people and rode up into the clouds-literally. Heights really aren't my thing-so riding in the clear-glass cable car made my legs wobbly and I felt my stomach tighten a bit, but luckily it was a quick ride.

It was chilly, and windy, but man....the top of Table Mountain offers fantastic views over the city and surrounding areas-really some of the best views I have ever seen. We walked about the immediate area working our cameras overtime (easily going to break 1000 photos this trip) looking for some Facebook-profile photo material until it began to rain a bit. There was a cafe near the cable car station where we took shelter until the rain passed, and Joe grabbed something to eat. We sat at a picnic type table next to a white South African family from Johannesburg, who chatted us up while we sat. As soon as the weather cleared though, we said our goodbyes and got back to business.

And so began the trek. With the weather better, we decided to walk the mountain in its entirety. We were both fitted with shoes fit for hiking (some went up with flip-flops or designer shoes-genius) so we figured, why not? It was awesome. I was worried that it might be too time consuming, as we had other things we had planned for the day, but walking the loop from the cable car station and back took maybe two hours. There weren't that many people venturing out that far, but a German couple did end up following close behind us. We walked to one end of the mountain known as Maclear's Beacon-the highest point on the mountain. Keep in mind, nearly all 360-degrees of the mountain have a great view of something. Our starting point (after leaving the cafe) which was behind the cable car station, had maybe the best, giving way to a series of rock formations known as the 12 Apostles. Don't worry, photos are going to follow.

From Maclear's Beacon we began to head back, and this route (which was demarcated with little paintings of footprints) took us really close to the edge, on the side facing the city bowl. No railings. No warnings. Just don't be stupid. It wasn't anywhere near "slip and you are dead" but definitely close enough to make one a little more cautious. This spot had the best views of the city however, so it was well worth walking around. By this point it was approaching 3 o'clock, and we wanted to move on to our other targets. We picked up the pace a little and, upon arriving at our starting point, shook hands, having conquered Cape Town's most famous site. Chalk that one up as a victory.

After taking the cable car down we got back on the red line, heading towards Camps Bay. Camps Bay is a  rich area fronting pristine beaches on the Atlantic Ocean on one side of Table Mountain. During the Apartheid era it was the heart of white privilege, and it kind of still is. The beach was packed with people from all races, but the homes facing the water, some of which were very nice, others a bit kitsch, all probably incredibly expensive,  were likely all white-owned. Anybody hanging out on balconies were all white. The customers in sitting in the restaurants lining Victoria Road (the road running along the beach) were also all white. We just walked a ways up the road, enjoying the sun (high up on Table Mountain it got a bit hairy, but below in the city the weather was perfect all day) and snapping some photos of the homes and of the beach area. Heading back to pick up the bus we grabbed something to eat in a sandwich shop that seemed to specialize in low-fat, healthy foods, but was still inexpensive. "Rich people eat healthy" was how Joe summed it up.

We rode the red line to one more place, Sea Point, an area with large, open parks and a promenade running along the water. We walked the length of the promenade past the city's World Cup stadium, all the way to the V&A waterfront. By now we were sufficiently sun-burned, tired, and our leg-muscles were burning, and the sun was beginning to set. We caught the bus one last time to retire to our hotel and a good night's sleep.

Not enough for ya? I will make today's tale a quickie, it wasn't as jam-packed. Today we did Robben Island, the location of the former prison were Nelson Mandela served much of his prison term. Our tour wasn't until 2:00, so we slept in and took it slow in the morning. We were still out the door by 10:30, and first checked out South Africa's parliament building and the surrounding area, which had a large public park known as the Company Gardens. Company Gardens made for a nice stroll (weather=perfect, again). We even got to witness some real African wild-life, like squirrels (including a real fattie munching on peanuts someone gave him) and some ducks. Its real perilous, out here in the African wild.

Our ferry to Robben Island left from the V&A, so we strolled down and hung out there until our time came. The ferry was delayed a while, as the second leg of some international boating race was just departing this afternoon from Cape Town. I guess that explained the huge crowds down there.The ferry was filled with fellow travelers and the half-hour or so trip across Table Bay was a windy and cold one (sweatshirts recommended), but you get a great look at Table Mountain and the city. After arriving, we were immediately put on buses and whisked to the prison, where we all coalesced around our tour guide, the friendly Zozo (his real name was like a mile-long, so he had us call him this). Zozo, like all the guides on the island, was a former prisoner on Robben Island, so had intimate knowledge of the prison's operations. He was incredibly hard to understand, English wasn't his first language (he had a funny way of speaking, he would speak slowly, seemingly for the group's benefit, than would speed up at random spots: I..came...here...in nine..teen...seventy...seven....andthenstayeduntilnineteeneightyfivesofiveyears.) He was a very friendly, very funny guy though, we really enjoyed following him around. The tour wasn't all that much. He took us to the prison courtyard where prisoners were forced to break rocks, and then to a line of cells, where we were shown Mandela's cell of 18 years. We ended off in another cell block (where SA's current president, Jacob Zuma, was placed) where Zozo gave a rabble-rousing speech where he thanked everyone in the group (ostensibly representing the international community) for our part in bringing down the Apartheid regime. It won him a round of applause. As we left, I thanked him and shook his hand, and he had met Mandela at one point so....this is the hand that shook the hand.......

The tour offered a bus ride around the island with commentary from the driver (our's was a really cool dude wearing one of those Bob Marley hats and spoke like he was stoned). We were driven past some historical sites and some spots related to the prison, but the best part was the last part, where we stopped at a viewing point looking across the Table Bay to the city and Table Mountain, and had time to snap some photos.

Joe and I chatted on the ferry ride back, so it went by quick, and, after a short walk from the waterfront we are back in our room. There is no time to slow down though. Tomorrow is a big day, as we will be taking off on a tour to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. Be sure to come back and see how it went.

Cheers. 

Cape Town- The begining.

Well. That was quite an adventure. Today's main event was a hike up on Table Mountain, the iconic mountain that looks like, well, a table, that serves as a backdrop to the city. Before I get into that though, let me just give you a quick rundown of yesterday's events.

After the 11-hour flight from Frankfurt (on which I sat next to two pretty cool dudes, one from Norway the other from Switzerland-Joe and I couldn't get seats together-the plane was absolutely packed too) we arrived in Cape Town (I'll call it CT from here on in, if that's acceptable) at around 10:00 local time in the shiny, world-class-looking airport. Taxis aren't THAT cheap (certainly cheaper than the US or Europe) but they weren't much more than the alternatives, so we hopped in with an Indian cabbie to our hotel downtown, an area known as the city bowl. The drive in afforded us our first view of Table Mountain the nearby Lions Head (a large, very tall rock formation shaped somewhat like-wanna take a guess?) and also took us past an area known as the Cape Flats-an area separated from the bowl by Table Mountain that is poverty, crime-ridden and comprised mainly of shack dwellings that is likely one of the world's most dangerous places). Driving by the flats offered quite a contrast to the ultra-modern airport that we were coming from.

After resting up a bit in our, if I may say (I booked it), stellar hotel (view of Table Mountain, on the city's most famous street, free breakfast, free internet-though a bit dodgy-and quite affordable) we set out to explore a bit of the City Bowl, ambling towards the city's famous Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Long Street, the location of our hotel and, again, CP's most famous street, has a number of buildings that would not be out of place in New Orlean's French Quarter, and thus served as a nice starting point. The immediate impression is that this can't possibly be in Africa-it has a distinct European feel. The weather was absolutely gorgeous though-which isn't very European, not in December at least.We turned off onto Shortmarket Street which ran in front of Green Market Square, a small public space filled with stalls selling purses and crafts (at the time, at least). There we grabbed lunch of pizza (Joe) and chicken and chips (me) at a little eatery. It was pretty cheap, and I enjoyed my lunch (I didn't get ill either, so that's a good sign). Re-fueled, we made our way down to the waterfront.

It was mid-afternoon, and the waterfront area was packed with pedestrians and diners-most of them probably tourists. It is primarily shops and restaurants in the area, though the city's dockyards abut the pedestrian parts. Neither one of us is big shoppers, but this was just our first day, and we do plan on going back, so we just strolled around a bit, and stopped to listen to a street band that had drawn a large crowd. It was composed of one crooner (who was sweating profusely-he was dancing too) one dude banging on the inside of what looked like a giant bowl with drumsticks, and two guys on, I don't know any other way to describe them, giant xylophones. I would say that their music was "pretty dope". Good stuff.

Still tired from the long haul, we headed back early, stopping in a grocery store for some provisions. The store was definitely first world (actually had more snacks than you would see in America) but was still pretty cheap compared to its western counterparts. We grabbed a quick dinner in the burger joint next to our hotel, and called it a night.

It's quite late here now, so I will have to pick up here tomorrow. I will be sure to catch up then, I don't want to be a day behind each time, but we are bushed from today's escapades. Come back to hear about them, along with tomorrow's activities (again, I will try to catch up).

Cheers.

Welcome to Cape Town

It took a while (over 33 hours, i believe) to get here, but I have finally arrived in Cape Town or Kaapstad, as its called in Afrikaans, South Africa's Mother City (the local nickname for it). I am falling asleep as I write this, so this is just a quick post to state my arrival, and there will be more to come (expect to hear about my friend and travel partner, Joe, and my day in Frankfurt, waiting out a long lay-over. We just wandered around downtown in the middle of gorgeous 70 degree weather with a breeze. Whats it doing in upstate NY? Rainy and miserable? Anyway, look for a discussion tomorrow night for today's events as well as tomorrow's activities, when hopefully I won't be preparing to pass out.

Cheers my chinas (pronounced chaw-nuhs....SA English for buddy, pal). 

End of November Next Destinations List

I know I am quite late here, but....the wait will have to continue a little while longer. I have been distracted by work and getting ready for the next adventure (which you will be able to read all about here), so look for the Next Destinations List after my triumphant return.

Another note, internet in Africa is not known for its quality, in the event that I cannot get to my blog...don't panic. I will be keeping detailed notes, and will post everything at some point, either while in country or after I get back.

Again, a new list will be up later in the month, after the Cape Town Excursion.

Cheers.