Bafana Bafana

My first big soccer game... and in SA just after the world cup:) The fact that Bafana Bafana hasn't played a game in Cape Town for the past few years made the match so much more special. Tickets were sold out immediately... SA played against the yanks. The game was part of Mandela challenge, charity event  created in order to raise money towards Nelson Mandela children's  fund...

Even though we (SA) lost, the experience was one of a kind. Africans really take their soccer seriously:) Streets were full of people in yellow jersey days before the match. The actual night of the match was all about the vuvuzelas, dancing and loud disagreements with the umpire. In general people were not bummed about the lost, but  it was obvious that the bafana bafana boys could do much more. It was as if they were afraid to take chances, no one was really ready to take on full responsibility...so it never came to an actual shot at the goal. eish, did they drive me crazy...

Check out a short video capturing the atmosphere:)

Real Africa at last

My head is so full of impressions that I don't even know where to begin:) Today was just about the most beautiful day so far:) Aftera braii deja vu I decided that this European lifestyle of Cape Town is not what I came to see and experience. So in the morning we took Frans legendary car  and drove into the townships.

Our first stop was Langa or "Sun", the oldest Township in Cape Town. Nowadays Langa is full of government build houses so there are not many shacks left. Life seems to run at is own pace here especially on weekend when all the people are in the streets. The main mini bus station is packed with people buying freshly chopped up chicken and. Once you get out off the car your senses pick up this intense smell of chicken , flesh  and death all mixed with nicely spiced chicken on the braii. What a contrast:)

 

By coincidence we ended up adopting a football team from Guguletu. The boys were more than happy to pose for the camera. The team consists of football enthusiasts and a team  manager who is basically a guy volunteering his time to set up games and sometimes his own money to get the boys to the tournament sites. Maybe I can help them get a sponsor or something at least for some essential equipment. We'll see.

Further down we drove through my all time favourite, Philipi.I might be a little bias since I work there but the township really has the most character of all. Shacks everywhere, laundry hanging and drying in the African sun, streets full of colours and different scents. On the weekends everyone seems to be out in the streets, than again what can you do inside of a 2x2m shack? We caught quite some attention with or car and Julian in the back. Usually you don't see many "whites" driving like that:)

The kids were running around, chasing the car or just posing in front off the camera and than grabing it to see how they look. One can just jump of the car and play with the little rascals which is exactly what we did. Man, did we have difficulties getting rid of them:) They just wouldn't let go of the car. Little limbs were hanging from all sides and just waiting to fall under a wheel:) crazy little things...

After Philipi we paid a visit to Kanghelani in Delft. Delft is a new settlement full of houses build by the government. People are lining up on waiting lists for this brick boxes . The place looks like a desert but the amazing people light up the place.

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We met a family of five just on a way to church. Like the majority of the inhabitants of these informal/formal settlements they too originate from Transkai. Thembas family waited 15 long years to get this little home of theirs and now they are on to bigger things and brighter future.

More pics:)

Krom River Hike

Being here made me realize how spoiled we Slovenians are. Coming from such a small and diverse country, where everything is within 2h reach:) Mountains, vineyards, the whole 46km of our sea.. That is the reason why I'm not so easily impressed by Cape Town, but I can understand why other people fall in love with this Mother city almost instantly. Beautiful beaches, magnificent mountain rising from the sandy coastline, botanical gardens, natural parks and on the other side rich cultural and especially night life:)

Last weekend we hiked up this river gorge full of pools. It reminded me of Iski Vintgar. W went all the way up, to the waterfalls which were beautiful. In order to get there quit a bit of easy climbing had to be done and some of the people I went with were more equipped for the beach than climbing.. But we all made it to the top and dipped in ice cold water. It turned out that all that beach stuff won't come in handy after all:)

The river has this orange colour that makes you think twice before you jump in:)  On the way we had a chance to enjoy cactuses, fynboss, termites, bugs...something totally different to what I'm used to back in Europe.

West Coast

I decided spontaneously to take a day off and do yet another one day road trip. This time we went to the west coast peninsula.You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get a sea-kayak without having to take a guided tour. But here, in Langebaan we finally got the thing and we set out into the unknown African waters...alone. We paddled through Shark bay, swam in some other bay and had seals escort us on the way back. 

Life here seems very laid back and local fishermen confirmed our observations:) I guess the lifestyle reflects the Lagoon...life in the calm waters, sheltered from harsh environment of the outside world.

More pictures....

Cape Point

Today is the day when I can cross out another thing on my must see list. Oh no, there were two. One was Cape point and the other Chapmans Peak drive.

Although the weather wasn't a t its best we still went ahead with our trip since we had a chance to enter the park for free:) It was well worth it but I will definitely be back. That 2 day hiking trail sounds too appealing... I can already imagine walking on the edge of those cliffs listening to the sound of waves tumbling down on the sandy beaches beneath...

Some people still mistakenly believe that Cape Point is the southernmost tip of Africa and is therefore the point where the cold Benguela Current of the Atlantic Ocean and the warm Agulhas Current of the Indian ocean collide. Wrong!

Want more pictures? Klick here:)

Montagu getaway

Finally I managed to get away for the weekend:) We met sa couple of guys on monday and on friday we were already off to our  first climbing adventure. It was about time I got to see outskirts of Cape Town and experienced some wilderness.

I couldn't wait to pitch up a tent and spend a night camping....in Africa. How cool is that. Before dozing off Tom was kind enough  to giving us last minute African camping tips., "When camping in Africa never ever leave your tent open, always check your shoes before putting them on and..." eish, I forgot the third one...hope it wasn't something very important:)

Obviously I had to go all the way to Africa to start climbing again. Couldn't have picked a better place to get back into this beautiful sport:) Luckily I'm still fit enough to do the thing and surprisingly even remember some belaying techniques not even this SA climbing dudes know. Thanks Jaka and Misko:)

As far as climbing is concerned Montagu is the real deal. Hundreds of kloofs with hundreds of crags and hundreds of routes. From a well known Legoland to.

Once again it turned out that the best things in life are for free... after a loong day climbing we decided to try our luck in the near by hot springs. All sweaty, with sand in our shoes and smiles on our face we kind of walked in pass the guard and there we were...in the middle of pool paradise surrounded with magnificent rocks that were barely seen in the vague moonshine. As if we weren't lucky enough....we managed to find a private pool with a private jacuzzi. It doesn't get any better than that:)

The whole week was like that. I kind of felt as if my birthday celebrations were never going to end:) First the Table mountain hike and spending the night there. I never imagined I would celebrate my birthday on this magnificent mountain. Than there was this spontaneous dinner for my flatmates and I got a massage for my birthday. Man, was that awesome:) Then then next morning Fran surprised me with a wet suit....I have my very own wet suit now, who would have thought. Thanks Frannie:) And as if all of this wasn't enough I went away for the weekend to this amazing  trip on top of all got a free spa entrance aplace and on... From now on you can all call me Lucky Bastard:)

Whale coast roadtrip

Roaaaaaad triiiiiiiip:) Short but sweet. John, Julian and me went on a whale hunt down the coastline towards the southernmost tip of Africa (Cape L'Aghulas). On the way we saw a pack of baboons, a lot of penguins doing nothing but standing and catching sun rays, whales doing pretty much the same:)

The coastal ride was amazing. Mountains raising directly from the sea, rocks just lying around all over the place.. Once we got a bit inland the landscape changed every few minutes. Amazing! From vineyards to fields, from mountains to vast grass plains and in the middle of that beauty is this strip of gray concrete, connecting everything and giving us such freedom and joy...the open road.

You can find more pictures here:)

Table mountain

Only two weeks into our stay in Cape Town and we've already climbed this magnificent mountain. On a hike we enjoyed a company of a true hiking enthusiast and the best tour guide we could have asked for. Steven knew everything there is to know about the mountain, its trails and interesting African flora.

Must admit that we took the best way up and down. The trail took us all the way around the mountain so we had the chance to really enjoy the view. Lions head, twelve apostles .. you name it we saw it.