As Cape Town is getting ready for the Final Draw on 4 December 2009 for the 2010 FIFA World Cup something’s have to be put in place. The area between Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and the top of Long Street will be a controlled access and exclusive zone in terms of the City’s 2010 By-Law. This means that certain restrictions and rules will apply as from 20 November till 4 December. Visitors customers and businesses will have normal access, except during specific events during this period of time especially on the day of the draw. (4 December)

The final draw will take place at the CTICC while public viewing area will be at the top of Long Street. Normal trading will take place for  business but no advertising linked to the 2010 FIFA World Cup or the Final Draw will be allowed without permission from FIFA.

FIFA gets major portion of the money needed to stage such and event by selling sponsorship and broadcasting rights. This is the reason why City’s 2010 by – law will manage advertising, vending and public open spaces during this event.Terms such as “World Cup 2010″ “FIFA” “2010 South Africa”may not be used in advertising, promotions or merchandising without license.

It’s illegal for any non-rights holder to make, publish or display any kind of statement, communication or advertisement which implies there is an association with FIFA or the WORLD CUP.

Today, five of us went wine tasting. I didn’t think I would make it as I was feeling feverish and had muscle pain all night but I was fine in the end. I wasn’t really surprise to feel like this as everybody has been ill but it is funny how I felt awful during the night and was totally fine during the day.

We started our tour by going to the Old Biscuit Mill, which is a food market. We bought some breakfast and food for a

Just one more I promise....

 picnic. Then, we went to a first winery call Vergelegen. The Sauvignon Blanc was very nice. Afterwards, we went to a second winery call Blaauwklippen. My favourite wine there was the zinfandel.

I went on a wine tasting trip to France earlier on this year and the main difference for me was the size of the places. If they have Chateaux in France, here, they have manors that go on forever! And the impressive thing is that a lot of them were privately own until very recently.

We finished our day by visiting the town of Stellenbosch in the middle of the wine region. It reminded me of some of the small towns on the east coast of America. It was very peaceful and friendly. I had a great day.

I would like to write an entry for today. I would like to write something about South Africa that sums up my experience here, my feelings for the place, the reason why I am ready to leave, and the reason why I feel at some point that I must return.

I don’t usually get involved with my holiday plans. I mean, I usually leave it to The Pretty One to organise everything. It is lazy of me, and I don’t excuse it. I also feel that I should be more proactive about where I go. I fly in and out of places and I am a stranger. I perhaps read a guide book, but my history is sadly lacking. My history and my geography. It is ignorance on my part, that I need to address. I excuse it by hiding behind the vale of business travel, but it is shameful.

In South Africa I have visited places which I heard about as a child. Places that perhaps I never thought I would visit. It was a country that wasn’t on my radar, and probably would have remained off it, were it not for my best friend being here. But South Africa is a wonderful country, with wonderful people. It is a contradiction. It is Africa, but not Africa. Soft Africa for me. I intend to return both here, and to the continent.

Leaving, I will take some new friendships with me. People who I hope to be able to stimulate and hope will be stimulated by me in the future. People with a different perspective, but one I now truly value. A South African friend who has experiences and an intellect that astounds me, and has perhaps seen more of the real world growing up here and in her time in the UK, having to swallow at times any sort of national pride, as well as her language to prevent her being a target of bigots putting everyone in the same boat. It is more real than I can ever hope to learn from my well meaning visits to historical tourist traps. I will write about these at a later date, because I am sure of their value, but I know, in my heart of hearts that a lot of it is appeasing the feeling of ‘needing’ to have a ‘real’ experience in the country. It is about ticking that box and moving on. In Cape Town, you have to go to the top of Table Mountain. In Cape Town you must go to Robben Island. I suppose a holiday is a holiday, but as intelligent people, perhaps we should challenge ourselves more than we do. Small bite-sized chunks of history, zoo type tours of less privileged areas is a disservice to yourself, those involved and history itself.

Just a thought.

Okay – I must admit. I used to be one of those 2010 world cup skeptics. First of all because I am not a soccer fan. Yes,

The 2010 world cup soccer will be the world's biggest party! PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIRIAM MANNAK

sure, I do indeed watch the soccer world cup every four years, as well as the European championships. And yes, I do cheer for the Orange team. I am Dutch after all.I like the atmosphere more than anything else.

But I cannot – not in the least – classify myself as one of those folks who  weeks prior kick-off goes beserk and paints her house, face and cat orange. Yes – that actually DOES happen in The Netherlands. Dutchies go absolutely nuts when it comes to their national team playing in international soccer events such as the world cup: they wear, think, dream, and talk nothing but orange. Even members of the anti-Monarchy movement voluntary join the Orange madness (lets not forget that it is no coincidence that orange is the Dutch national – it is the Royal family’s surname). Me, well, I do not even own an orange shirt.

A second reason why I once classified myself as a 2010 skeptic was that I simply did not see it happen- the 2010 world cup in South Africa. Although I love this country with every fiber, every molecule of my heart, I was doubtful whether the country could pull  it off. We are talking about ten stadiums, of which the bulk had to be built from scratch. We were talking about massive infrastructural projects, such as the Integrated Transport System which had to provide decent public transport for South Africans in the years to come.

There have been so many political debates and fights around world cup 2010, and quite a few setbacks. The construction of certain stadiums, including the one in Cape Town, have experienced massive delays, and the local mini taxi industry has tried to sabotage the transport system over and over again.

Anyway – with the Final Draw approaching – it seems that the 2010 world cup bug has managed to sink its fangs deep in my soul. Everything seems to be on track: Stadiums are almost finished or are finished, like the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, which was opened this weekend. This stadium – from what I can see – is so beautiful it makes me wanna cry (well, almost). And Cape Town’s 2010 soccer stadium seems to be well on track as well.

Speaking of Cape Town: It seems that all is in place for the Final Draw, which is scheduled for 4 December 2009. The municipality is doing a great job in keeping everyone informed about what’s gonna happen, which roads will be closed off and what side events are on the agenda. A spectacular 2010 music festival for instance, to be held in Long Street.In other words: Cape Town – my city! – is ready to welcome the world for the Final Draw of the  2010 world cup! In addition, Cape Town is thinking about very innovative ways to deal with a possible accommodation shortage! So yeah, it seems that all ducks are in a row to make 2010 a year to remember!

In other words: I cannot wait! This soccer converted person is a 100% sure South Africa will keep to its promise, and that is that it will host the best world cup soccer in the history of FIFA! Let the games  BEGIN!!!!

Source: Miriam Mannak

Things I Will Miss

• friends & family – but that goes without saying
• Rocky the Dog – we can’t take him with us read more about him here
• public transport - our public transport system is great, particulary in London. I love just jumping on the tube or a bus and ending up in a different part of London although I won’t miss rush hour (not that I have to do it often)
• the London museums – the V&A is my favourite, but I’ll enjoy finding the equivalents
• wandering the streets - it’s not quite so easy to just wander the streets in Cape Town during the day, having lived in London all my life until now there’s nowhere I wouldn’t be happy to walk around on my own. I love just wandering around if I’ve got a few hours to spare in central London and finding places I’ve not been to before. We had this great box of 50 London walks which took us to places we’d never been to before – even after living in London for 30+ years.
• walking around at night – there are very few places I worry about walking around at night on my own in London, even in the rougher parts of London we lived in, but in Cape Town you just can’t walk around at night – I’ll miss that.
• Kew Gardens – I love Kew it’s just fantastic, but we’ll be really near Kirstenbosch Gardens so that’ll do nicely!
• nights out – we won’t be able to afford to go out for dinner or any of the other stuff we are used to doing here but actually that’s ok, we are choosing a different life deliberately and that is exciting
• our local pub The Queen Adelaide (and pubs in general) – we’ve met some great people there and had great fun at the weekly pub quiz & at events like Beer & Carols (it’s Thursday 17th Dec this year)
• Fat Face – my favourite shop!

Things I’m Looking Forward To

• the weather – enough said, no more horrible grey British winters & summers that last a day or two!
• learning to live in a new culture & learn new languages – we like a challenge & this is particularly exciting, we won’t have a clue how things work when we arrive so it’s going to be great fun learning as we go
• living in a multi-cultural community again – I love living in Putney, it’s great but compared to other parts of London I’ve lived in, culturally it’s very samey. The majority of people are either English or white South African – everyone is lovely & great fun to be around and there are a lot of cultural similarities but I like a bit of diversity. The place we moving to is quite ethnically mixed, as is the church – which for South Africa is unusual. It’s because we are right near the university so there are students from all over Africa. Think Walthamstow or Leyton (places we loved living in) with a mountain and beautiful weather.
• the outdoor life – the beaches, the mountain, the wine farms, the safaris …
• did I mention the weather?
• the wine, the food, the braais!
  
• living a simple life – it’s been so liberating getting rid of everything we own, the aim is then to learn to live a simple life & not collect a whole of new stuff!
• seeing our friends in their home environment – it’ll be great to see lots of our South African friends who have either moved back or who come to visit, it’ll be lovely to welcome them home.
• the challenge of addressing extreme poverty – there are real issues, affecting real people in the UK but I’m looking forward to see whether what I’ve learnt is any use with a different level of poverty than anything I’ve experienced before
• the beginning of the social enterprise movement in South Africa – I’ve been involved in social enterprise in the UK for the last 7 years, it’s only beginning to find it’s feet in South Africa & it’s incredibly exciting to think about getting involved in the sector when it is so new.
• the church – of course the reason we are making this move is because Dave has got a job as Vicar in St. Peter’s, Mowbray in Cape Town. I’m looking forward to getting involved more than I have been before – not in a traditional vicar’s wife sort of way – but working alongside Dave running the church.

I’ve been hard at work on a paper for a class I’m taking called Global Labor.  I am, predictably, writing about South Africa and its economic development; in this particular case I am examining the pros and cons of an economic development model focusing primarily on foreign direct investment from multinational corporations as opposed to promotion of small business and microenterprise (also talking a bit about microfinance as well, because seriously, I can’t help myself, but I won’t go into that here) and the resulting effects on labor conditions.  I swear my thesis is more concise than that.  However, to properly introduce the paper, I am writing a brief section on the  history of apartheid and its socioeconomic legacy in present-day South Africa.  It has me so furious that I’ve posted little Macintosh sticky notes on my desktop to remind myself I’m writing a paper on labor conditions and I must STAY ON TRACK so I don’t get an F.  Since I can’t write about apartheid for that paper, I figured I’d write about it here.  Most of us outside of South Africa who know about apartheid know that it was bad, that it was government-enforced segregation, but haven’t fully studied the policies and the ramifications of their effects.  I don’t purport to be an expert, but what I do know I want to disseminate here.

Apartheid, literally meaning ‘apartness’ or ’separateness’ in Afrikaans, was an official policy implemented by a joint English and Afrikaner government in 1948.  Officially, it was purported to enable the races to maintain their cultural heritage and allow each to develop organically according to their own unique characteristics,

The open grassy area was once the vibrant neighborhood of District 6; it was destroyed as part of the Group Areas Act. via Chris&Steve on flickr.

but its reality was much more sinister.  Most of its laws and policies strengthened or made official what already existed in South Africa, but other aspects of apartheid took extreme steps to enforce a division between the races.  One Act, actually a series of Acts, that is still readily apparent today are the Land Acts.  The first two were established in 1954 and 1955, but it was the third act, the Group Areas Act, which made legal the official removal of Blacks, Coloreds and Indians from their homes, businesses and communities and their physical relocation to the townships.  At the time, segregation was not official but it did exist.  Non-white South Africans had their own vibrant, thriving communities; they weren’t as wealthy as the white neighborhoods, but they were perfectly viable in their own right.  Apartheid physically removed anyone who wasn’t white from these areas and deposited them outside city/town limits; in the case of Cape Town, this meant removal to the Cape Flats, approximately 10 miles outside of the City Bowl (the heart of the city). The District 6 Museum in Cape Town is a moving testament to all that was lost during the relocations; the most heartbreaking part is that the destruction of District 6 was only one of thousands of non-white neighborhoods that were lost.

But it gets worse.  The physical division was reinforced by policies that made it illegal for non-whites to be in white-designated areas (and vice versa, though it would have been unusual for whites to go to non-white areas anyway).  Then there was the Act that made it illegal for whites and non-whites to have sexual relationships, or to get married (it was deemed “immoral.”  Seriously.  It was called the Immorality Act).  Then non-white South Africans were deprived of their South African citizenship through the establishment of ten highly disenfranchised, disempowered Bantu “homelands” to which all non-whites automatically belonged.  While independent in theory, the homelands were still entirely dependent upon the white South African government. Non-whites were given separate and inferior medical care.  They were deprived of their right to vote.  They were deprived of a decent education,

Map of the Bantustan states, via Britannica. Click to view larger.

because the resources available to non-white schools were poor to nonexistent, teachers (if there were any) had little to no training, and the tertiary system was mostly white by default (because policy designated them white universities, or because merit-based entry was nearly impossible to achieve for non-whites who had had inferior educational opportunities while growing up).  Although they earned less than whites, they were taxed more.  Ultimately, less than 20% of the population ended up with 87% of the land in the country and 75% of the wealth.

Ironically, these policies make no economic sense whatsoever.  If 80% of the country is unable to realize their earning and production capacity through deliberate lack of resources and training, there is no way that the country’s economy can realize its own economic potential– it’s operating inefficiently by not utilizing its human capital.  The implementers of apartheid effectively shot themselves in their collective foot by cutting out 80% of the economic pie, putting it in an airtight Tupperware and attempting to forget about it in the back of the fridge.

In all seriousness, however, this has resulted in horrible socioeconomic disparities that largely continue today.  While better opportunities are available to non-Whites, the bulk of the unemployment rate is shouldered by the same disenfranchised populations.  Much of the violence heard about occurs in the

Khayelitsha, via andrew_m_howe on flickr

townships, as does nearly all of the poverty.  The HIV/AIDS crisis also affects far more non-whites than it does whites.  All of this has its roots in education; with access to a good education, it becomes possible to achieve nearly anything.  Lack of education decimates opportunity levels, and that in turn reduces opportunity to earn a decent wage.  The systematic socioeconomic degradation of the non-white population took decades, and will likely take as long to repair.  But it can be repaired, and it is being repaired, slowly but surely, and that’s the most important thing to remember.

Sala kahle.

When I got out of bed at 4.45am this morning, I did so with a spring in my step.

As I shaved, bleary-eyed and fuzzy-headed, I couldn’t suppress a grin (which added to the challenge somewhat…)

I didn’t just jump in the car, I leapt.

Even an hour and half of traffic, roadworks and contraflows couldn’t dampen my spirits.

After I parked the car, the crispness of the early morning air bit through my shirt, but my shivers were more from excitement.

I quickly downed a coffee to keep me awake for the drive back.

And then, when I saw them, I was whole again.

J, Ollie and Ella appeared round the corner and passed through the doors into the arrivals hall.  I bounded like a demented spaniel up the walkway and enveloped J in a hug that seemed about a week too short. She turned to her friend T who she’d been staying with and who’d accompanied her on the flight back from Cape Town to assist with the twins and gave one of those looks that women are trained to deliver: the one that says ’sorry about him – I’m going to have to have him fixed one day…’

In front of the double buggy, I squatted and cooed and grinned like a loon. Ollie, who had apparently only just awoken (after sleeping right through the landing, the disembarkation, passport control and the luggage retrieval) appeared to be considering either crying or feigning death to escape.  Ella meanwhile, in the true spirit of the moment, smiled her six-toothed smile and filled my heart with 10000 watts of tungsten light.

By the time we’d walked back to the short stay car park at Heathrow Terminal 1, I’d already lifted Ollie out of the buggy and was leaping about with him.  I was determined that even if he’d forgotten me in the two weeks that we’d been separated, that he would quickly love this strange man who kept cooing ‘dadadadadada’ in his face. Thankfully, it appeared to be working.

Even as they all slept in the car on the way home, a warmth spread through me and my smile got so broad it’s a wonder my whole head didn’t shear off at the jaw. They were all home. My family – and my heart – was complete again.

A truly great day.

It was the two Danish girls’ last day at placement today. They were very sad to leave but they told me that they are planning on coming back within a year for a year. I don’t know if I would do that but I totally understand why one would want to.

The children were very cheerful and in a good mood. One of the older one even attempted to show me some African dancing moves. All my children have so much rhythm, even the little ones. I might take African dancing lesson when I go back to London.

Something that strikes me whilst working with the kids is what they eat. I have never seen 3 years old eating fresh fish (not fish fingers) back home or cutlets of lamb with the bone on. They also drink very hot tea (too hot even for me to drink). It makes me wonder if we don’t over protect our children in the western world.

After placement, a few volunteers and I went to the waterfront. We went shopping first and then had dinner on a

The girls at Quay-4, Waterfront, Cape Town

terrace. It was lovely. There was a live rock band call Aking. I think they are quite famous here because a lot of people seemed to know the words to their songs.  I liked them.

It is so funny to go from placement in the morning to something like that in the evening. It is like two completely different world altogether. A very interesting city…

Well, it is goodnight from me for tonight.

Seth Rotherham

The Prudential Eat Out Awards winners

Restaurant of the Year
La Colombe

Chef of the Year
Chantel Dartnall of Restaurant Mosaic

Service Award
Rust en Vrede Restaurant

Woolworths TASTE Bursary Award
Joy Mavi

Top 10
1. La Colombe – Chef Luke Dale-Roberts”Unique, sensory, complex and bold flavour combinations on local hand-crafted crockery.”

2. Restaurant Mosaic – Chef Chantel Dartnall”
A modern spin on French classics, perfectly executed.”

3. Rust en Vrede Restaurant – Chef David Higgs”Gorgeous attention to detail in every dish. Beautiful crockery and dining room.”

4. Terroir – Chef Michael Broughton”An exciting menu with the finest sauces and some classics revisited with a modern philosophy.”

5. The Roundhouse – Chef PJ Vadas”The food is modern, simple and very special.”

6. The Restaurant at Grande Provence – Chef Jacques de Jager”
A chic winelands setting. The sophisticated menu boasts wonderful local ingredients.”

7. The Greenhouse at the Cellars – Chef Peter Tempelhoff”
Food is full of flavour and excellent technique is followed through in every dish.”

8. Roots – Chef Philippe Wagenfúhrer”French cuisine with Asian inspiration in a stunning bushveld setting.”

9. 9th Ave Bistro – Chef Carly Goncalves”Good service, modern flavours, simple ambience.”

10. Overture – Chef Bertus Basson”Modern winelands architecture combined with utterly mind-blowing views. Unique fresh flavours and combinations.” As well as
The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais – Chef Margot Janse
“Adventurous flavours using local ingredients with interesting plating. An elegant and contemporary space.”

Information supplied by
Eat Out Magazine
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom – let your email find you!

I went up to Saldanha on Monday to give a presentation on the Psychology of Survival. Then back for a night-flight in a helicopter that evening. Wow, what a thrill.

Leaving aside the long wait, some anxiety about flying with a trainee pilot, sitting around while he practises landing from different heights (800m, 600m, 400m, 200m) and so on, the flight itself was exhilirating. We had breathtaking views of the city at sunset and then there was the sheer thrill of being up in the air and looking down on everything.

It was scary and exciting at the same time and I’m sure the anxiety adds to the enjoyment since all that fear of crashing in a ball of flame on the ground gets transformed into the joy of apparent weightlessness as you drift over the city in the magic light of sunset.

We got to see the new Cape Town Stadium which is hosting the World Cup Draw next Saturday and it’s beautiful. Unfortunately I had my camera on the wrong setting and so my stadium shots were blurry. But at least the mountain was looking good.

***

Thinking about my fear of flying led me to realise that I’ve never actually read Erica Jong’s 1973 novel, which is “a comic, picaresque novel of sex and psychiatry that challenged conventional views of women”.

Before rushing off to get the book I thought I’d read a couple of reviews to see how this feminist classic has weathered the intervening 36 years. Joanne Barkan does a very good re-reading in the Fall 2009 issue of Dissent.

Here she summarises the plot:

Twenty-nine-year-old Isadora Wing (who’s recently been on the reading circuit with her first book, a volume of erotic poetry) is travelling with her Chinese American psychiatrist husband to a convention of psychoanalysts in Vienna. Emotionally frustrated and sexually bored in her marriage, Isadora is tormented, on the one hand, by her yearning for adventure, sexual rapture, freedom, and creativity, and on the other hand, by her need for the security and protection of a husband. She opts, at least temporarily, for adventure by taking off on a frenzied, buzzed-on-beer road trip through Western Europe in a sporty convertible with a “swinging” Jungian analyst whom she’s met at the convention. Two and a half weeks later, he dumps her in Paris in order to join his children and his current girlfriend for a long-planned vacation in Brittany. Completely unprepared for this, Isadora falls apart for a day but emerges from her panic with some of the confidence and strength she’s craved. She heads to London and the hotel where she and her husband had planned to meet before flying back to New York. He’s out, but she gets the key to his room. The book closes with her soaking in the bathtub, feeling contented, when her husband walks in. Will she stay with him or leave? She doesn’t know, but in either case, she’s convinced that she’ll be fine. (Joanne Barkan, Dissent, Fall 2009)

The novel seems to have been equally shocking and liberating at the time and while not very well written, Fear of Flying helped to break the mould of women’s identities. As Barkan says, it “encouraged so many of us to get our stories straight”.

If you’re interested, also check out this article by Rebecca Mead in The New Yorker.

A Western Cape Tour Of Exciting Train Rides
Who will ever forget the first time they boarded a train and took a ride through rushing scenery and arrived at new destinations in something very different to a car? The sheer speed and power of the massive carriages and never having to stop until the destination is reached make train rides the great fun they are. Since most people on the planet are regular users of a car, the fun of train travel is unfamiliar to most. Regular transport trains for commuting on a daily basis to work, school, etc. can be crowded, but along the coast of the Western Cape, leading down to the Eastern Cape, train rides and services in the interests of tourists are fun. These train rides form part of an experience, instead of being a means to get somewhere. The rides journey through beautiful scenery and are a great way to see the sites of the Cape. A perfect way to take these train rides to explore the surrounding areas is to partake in a self driven tour and visit these exciting rides.

A typical tour of the sort would start in Cape Town, the Mother City of South Africa. The town has a lot of accommodation available ranging from five star hotels to comfortable backpackers. Trains are available for day trips through the Boland and wine country, one of the prime attractions of the Cape. The area has some of the finest wine establishments in the world and South African wines are widely considered to be of a very high quality. Cape Town also offers malls, a theme park, beautiful beaches, theatres, a cable car to the top of Table Mountain and many museums as the area is rich in culture and history. After two days in Cape Town, the tour heads to Stellenbosch, approximately a 40 minute drive away.

Stellenbosch is a historical town situated in the heart of the Winelands. The town thrives on its wine industry and farms as well as a world class University and breathtaking scenery. The Daisy Train is a local service running from various stations in Cape Town including Stellenbosch which travels to local towns of interest. Destinations for day trips include Vredendal, Darling and Botriver. The Daisy train is economical and fun and a great family outing. The accommodation in Stellenbosch ranges from B&B’s to hotels, to camping sites to guest farms. Other activities in Stellenbosch are of course, wine tasting, hiking, visiting the museums, playing golf, a crocodile farm, a giraffe reserve and butterfly world. After spending days three and four in Stellenbosch, the tour heads to Worcester for days five and six.

Worcester is situated in the Breede River Valley and is famous for its wine route, brandy cellars and Karroo National Botanical Gardens. The accommodation in Worcester is available as B&B’s, hotels, self catering, resorts and guest farms. The train rides available in Worcester are short day tours, long day tours and an overnight tour on the Hexpass Express, running on a railway which was abandoned and then remodelled for at train to take visitors through the beautiful scenery and historic sites. A tour guide accompanies visitors on the journey and explains the important historical facts of the area.

After spending two days and nights in Worcester, the tour heads for George. George is the ‘Capital City’ of the world famous Garden Route. This is an incredibly lush and beautifully vegetated area with the Outeniqua Mountains as a backdrop. George offers B&B’s, game lodges, hotels, guesthouses, backpackers, camping and self catering as accommodation. The train journeys from George travel through the Outeniqua Mountains. There are two train services which operate in the area, both available for day trips. The first is the Outeniqua Power Van which takes a gentle trip through the mountains, going through the various tunnels and scenic areas. The second is the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, a steam train running between George and Mossel Bay, a 52km journey on the country’s only scheduled steam train. There is also a transport museum at the start of the Journey in George. After spending day seven in George on the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe or the Powervan, the tour heads back to Cape Town.

After returning to Cape Town, the final two days of the tour can be spent exploring the city once more. The local railway runs a train service between Cape Town and Simon’s Town which is a beautiful journey. There is also the option of taking one of the luxury trains departing from the station which travel across the country, one even travels to Cairo. After two more days in Cape Town the tour is over and instead of a trip spent sitting mostly in a car, most of the trip has been on luxurious trains exploring the beautiful surroundings of the Western Cape.

Tour Spa Baths in the Western Cape
A spa holiday brings up thoughts of complete luxury, pampering and indulgence. And so it should! Spas are an exquisite way to pamper your body and revitalize yourself. The term “spa” first came about in Belgium where a town called Spa treated illnesses caused by an iron deficiency with drinking iron bearing (chalybeate) spring water. And so the tradition has grown to not only help one’s health but one’s happiness and serenity as well. South Africa has many spas available boasting organic and indigenous beauty products and highly skilled beauty therapists, not to forget the incredible scenery and wildlife of the area. The Western Cape has fantastic spa facilities set amongst a scenic route with wine farms and rustic charm. The perfect way to explore these spas is a self driven tour through the Boland to Hermanus.

The ideal start to the tour would be Cape Town, the Mother City and host to all things modern, glam and cosmopolitan. The accommodation available is a range from five star exclusive hotels to comfortable backpackers. However, if participating in a spa trip, it would be worth finding accommodation at some of the various spas in the area. Many of the exclusive hotels in the area are host to their own spa facilities. Unforgettable pampering and indulgence are available in areas such as Newlands, Camps Bay, Sea Point, Constantia, the V&A Waterfront and Durbanville. Other exiting activities available in Cape Town are festivals, wine farming, a theme park, beautiful beaches, award winning restaurants and state of the art shopping malls. After spending two days in Cape Town, the tour moves on to Paarl.

Paarl is situated approximately a 40 minute drive from Cape Town and is part of the Winelands area. The scenery is peaceful yet dramatic and provides the perfect setting for visiting the spas available. There are two main spas, one on a golf resort and the other in a hotel resort with a wellness centre. The accommodation in Paarl is varied, ranging from hotels to B&B’s but as aforementioned, it would be ideal to stay at one of the spa facilities which offer accommodation. Other activities to keep you entertained in the area are wine tasting, golf, hikes, museums, a nature reserve and horse trails. After two nights relaxing and playing in Paarl, the tour heads for Arniston.

Arniston is a quiet town built in a quaint seaside style and founded when a boat named the Arniston floundered of its coast. Today there are many wrecks to be explored off the coast and make an ideal snorkelling excursion. Other activities available are bird watching, whale watching and exploring the nature reserves. The town has one spa which doubles up as a hotel, providing the perfect place for a stopover. The town also offers accommodation in self catering cottages and guest houses. With amazing scenery, situated just outside the little fishing village the spa is a great place to unwind and relax. After spending a night in Arniston, the tour moves on to Hermanus.

Hermanus is a world famous seaside town, namely due to the whales which come to visit in spring to mate and calve. Humans flock to this town just as the whales do to spend quality time in the amazing and vibrant area! Hermanus has six spas and some available are part of major resort hotels, providing an amazing town for indulgence and fun! Other activities available are shark cage diving, whale watching, art galleries and vineyards. The accommodation available is anything from exclusive five star hotels to backpackers and many of the spas are part of hotels. After spending two wonderful days in Hermanus, the tour heads back to Cape Town for the final two days of the tour.

Back in Cape Town, the Mother City is available for all the exploring and spa needs you may have. If the first two days were spent at a city spa, why not try a country spa or seaside spa as Cape Town offers all of these. And after nine days of sheer luxury, the tour comes to an end on day ten.

Today was the first day on the bike since the trip to Cape Point. I had climbed Table Mountain in the meantime, and this had given me majorly achey legs. This had been bugging me the last couple of days, and I knew that I had to get back on the bike and sort it out. The problem was though, that I knew that this was going to be far from fun.

We set off this morning, and my head was not in it at all. It was one of those rides where you know you need to ride, to pull yourself back into it. I was riding against myself, with no real want to do anything rather than complete what I had set out to do.

I was struggling.

Alex, on the other hand. Well today he flew. Good legs, and perhaps spurred by my (perhaps obvious) reluctance. He dropped me. Not once, but twice. On a day when I just wanted to get it over with, finding the will power to muster the energy to chase someone down didn’t come easy. In fact, by the time I had resolved to chase him, it was energy wasted, he was too far out.

Good on him I say. It will be remembered.

Work was good today. When I arrived, we fed the kids and then, we took them to the dormitory while the playroom was being cleaned. The children started jumping on the beds and that is when we discovered that one of the kids was still in its bed. The poor little girl wasn’t woken up for breakfast and she looked puzzled and sad to see that all the other kids had already eaten and were all dressed. I went and got her breakfast but I felt so sorry for her. Poor thing….

I was assigned to the little ones today and spent a very long time being assistant nappy changer for about 20 kids. I only did it for a day but believe me, those ladies deserve a medal! At lunchtime, the older ones came to join us. There is a new boy with us. His English is excellent. He is at the centre because he is burned on most of his torso. As you know, kids can be really tough amongst themselves when they play and every time a kid hit him and he started crying, my heart skipped a beat. Luckily, he never cried for too long so I guess if he can live with it, so should I.

After placement, the other volunteers and I went to Ko-Kaap, which means Upper Cape Town. It is an area situated on

Ko-Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa

 the side of a mountain and has got fantastic views on the rest of the city. Ko-Kaap is a Muslim area where all the houses are painted blue, green, yellow, pink, etc… It is very pretty, an apparently a very safe place. Then, we went to the Slave Loge, a museum on the history of slavery in South Africa. It was extremely interesting.

Finally, we all came back to the home base where some of the American volunteers had prepared a traditional Thanksgiving diner of turkey, stuffing, Brussels sprouts and pumpkin pie. It was delicious.

“Cape Town has in recent years become one of the most popular locations for fashion photography, commercial and film productions.”The entertainment and tourism industries are important cornerstones of the Western Cape’s economy, the city and market is ready for a true international lifestyle and fashion brand. Readers of the Daily Telegraph have voted Cape Town the Best World City in its 2008 travel awards. South Africa itself also secured a place in the top three best non-European country categories. Cape Town was also recently voted one of ten cities in the world that are most likely to become a global sustainability centre by 2020.

Over the past two weeks five members of Radio Dialogue in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe have been interning at Bush Radio’s studios.

This training is a continuation Bush Radio and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung’s (FES) attempt to assist in the development of the community radio sector in Southern Africa.

Rosie Chauke and Thandazani Nkomo checking the local papers

The visit comes after we conducted station based training in Bulawayo. (see story here) The five interns have been placed in different departments in order to enhance the skills they already have.

Radio Dialogue is a community radio station which aims to give people of Bulawayo a voice. At the moment it does not have a broadcasting licence but has managed to engage the people of Bulawayo in its activities.

Bush Radio's Denisia Adams with Radio Dialogue's Munya Gova in studio

The radio station is in touch with the community through recorded broadcasts, road shows and focus group meetings which all aim to give people a platform to air their views on issues affecting them.

Rosie Chauke, a youth coordinator from Radio Dialogue says her duties include working on various projects. “We have activities such as debate camps, drama competitions, talk shows and public speaking competitions for those youth that are still at school,” said Chauke.

Sakhisizwe's Busisiwe Mtabane (front) with Sanele Njini from Bulawayo

Chauke, who was based in the Bush Radio Newsroom, says through this training she expecting to get a better feel for broadcasting.

“It has been my greatest wish to do this and now I have finally got a chance to do this and I’m so excited, though at first I had cold feet and was very nervous,” added Chauke.

She concluded that being in the newsroom is an experience, because at their station she only read the news, whereas at Bush Radio she got to do compiling and conduct interviews.

Emmanuel Nkomo from Radio Dialogue selecting music with the help of Victor J

Thandazani Nkomo who is also based in the Bush Radio Newsroom added; “It’s been a nice experience for me being at Bush Radio. We had an opportunity of going on air. It is a dream we hope to realise in Zimbabwe soon.”

Bush Radio will be conducting follow-up training again in Zimbabwe to see the progress of the interns and to see what they have implemented from their stay at our little station.

Emmanuel (centre) hosted a staff development session on drumming

*The Radio Dialogue interns can be heard on Bush Radio 89.5 FM or online between 09h00 – 16h00 and will conduct a special on-air programme on Friday the 27 November between 14h00 – 16h00.

Gentlemen..start your Mo’s!

How much stash do you have.

Because Movember is nearly coming to an end and Bravado is throwing an end of Movember party this Saturday 28th in celebration.

Did you read that.

They are giving away 1% of turnover from the entire month in support of the fight against prostate cancer. Round of applause please.

Don’t know what Movember is? Where you been hiding brother? At the beginning of November anyone who wanted to show support starts with a cleanly shaven face then for the entire month each mo bro must grow and groom a moustache.

Like such..demonstrated by Bravado’s very own Brett Saunders:

Nice peach fuzz there Brett.

Bravado is also giving away some sick prizes for best Movember moustache…rumour has it that the best mo-bro is gonna win a weekend away for two at Harbour House in Hermanus and the mo-ho (thanks i coined that) with the most original facial hair is getting a R500 meal voucher.

The after is at superclub Chevelle where a further VIP treatment prize is also up for grabs.

Bravado is located No 1 Portside Mall,Green Point,Cape Town,South Africa. Phone                +2721 433 1496       

Good times.

Reviews from the following places will be added….ah….shortly…..

CAPE TOWN – lotsa seafood, great meals at the vineyarrds, not to mention a trip to the latest place to be seen, JARDINE….

JOHANNESBURG - best prawns I’ve EVERRRRRRR had (at 2 different places), RIDICULOUSLY delicious meals eaten in the company of lions and ellies AND some great burgers too!

HONG KONG - the world famous China Club and the funky rooftop hang, Aqua….

SYDNEY – more phenomenal Thai than you can poke a stick at…

STAY TOOOOONED!