SOUTH AFRICA ADVENTURES

WALKS ON THE BEACH

Almost everyday I go for a walk on the beach. 

Tide is Out

And every time I go I see something different or unusual.  This beach is also an off-leash dog beach for most of the walk.  One day I saw a man with two Newfoundlands (BIG dogs) coming towards me.  One of them locked eyes with me and made a beeline.  I steeled myself for a jump up, but he just wanted me to pet him.  One my way back I decided to sit on the dune for a little meditation.  All of a sudden a big head landed in my lap.  Yep the same Newfie.

The variety of dogs is astounding and most owners have more than one.  The cutest combo is this one:

Note The Tiny White Fluff Ball

I spoke with the owner asking the type of breed the tiny white fluff ball was and she is a maltese puppy.  One rogue wave and she's a goner!!!

The ocean in front of the beach is famous for sharks - Great Whites!!!!  One afternoon I heard a siren.  Joanna called me and said that is the shark siren and means get the HXXX out of the water!!!  Of course I had to immediately head to the beach to see if I could see it and NO I did not go into the water even a toe’s depth. 

Bringing In The Catch

But I did watch fishermen bring in a whole load of yellow tail tuna.  As I was videoing the men up to their waist in the water I prayed it would not turn into a grizzly shark attack!!  

Rather than say too much about the beach, I will now share photos and a video of my observations and experiences:

Massive Amounts Of Seaweed One Morning

She Has This Ball By A Tiny String

Shark status flag.  There are four:

Green means clear viewing, Black means viewing not clear, Red means high alert and White means get your butt out of the water.  Have decided the white as the most urgent flag is due to the Great Whites that swim here.  Today while I was on the bach the shark siren blew twice - in a row and the flag changed to white!!!  I looked and looked for the shark, but did not see anything.  Then as I was approaching the other end of the beach where I leave it I spied what I thought was a fin!  It turned out to be a surfer and I couldn't believe he was in the water after the TWO shark sirens.  All of a sudden he came out of the water and I shouted didn't you hear the shark sirens?  He said no but I looked down and saw a shark swimming under me which is why I came out.

Massive numbers of Blue Bottle Jellyfish

One day there were 10's of thousands of Blue Bottle Jellyfish all over the beach. They sting if you are in the water with them, but are harmless once they wash up.  If you step on the they pop really loud!

Other Critters:

Sea Urchin

Sponge

Jellyfish

Don't Know!!!!

Another Jellyfish

Cormorant Surfing

Sand Snails Feasting On Blue Bottle

Another Buffet

They Come In Many Colors And Sizes

Blue Bottle Jellyfish

Much Love To You All,
Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara

SOUTH AFRICA ADVENTURES

MY COTTAGE AND ACTIVITIES

As I have mentioned Joanna and Ady’s cottage is ideally located  across the main road from the beach and the side road from the wetlands.  Mountains all around and just breathtakingly beautiful.  More about walking the beach and wetlands in my next blog complete with pictures.

The cottage

The Cottage With Fire Get-a-Way Car

is spacious and yet cozy.  I love being in it and feel right at home.  To give you a peek inside here are some pictures.

Living And Dining Coming From Main Bedroom

My Bed - Cozy

Looking Out To Sitting Porch 

Kitchen

Scullery

More Kitchen

Even More Kitchen

Bath

Second Bedroom come on down!

Outside Patio

Since my arrival and after the fire drama, I have attended three events.  Joanna and Ady belong to a wine tasting club that meets once a month.  Luckily for me it takes place on the second Tuesday of each month so I will be able to attend two of them.

South Africa is known for its wines and the area I love is the Stellenbosch area.  Bob and I visited that area in 2000 during our first visit to SA.  Andy’s friend Clare picked us up and the four of us set out.  We left early enough to stop at one winery called Annandale before getting to the chosen one for the club’s tasting.  Annandale winery had delightful red wines.  I even liked their Merlot and bought  a bottle, which is a first because it is the first Merlot I have ever really liked!!!  Their port is to die for and a few of their other reds lovely.  I bought one of their specialty blends that comes in a 1.5 liter bottle with no label!  We couldn’t even taste it because it is made in such small quantities.  One part of the process that makes their wines so unique is the fact they leave them in the barrel to age for 7 to 8 years.  Thus we were tasting and buying wines from 2007 and 2008. 

Next we join the club members at a winery called Uva Mira way up on the slopes of the Helderberg mountain.  The views were spectacular and the weather that day perfect in both temperature and clarity.  Their specialty is Sauvignon Blanc of which we tasted two.  They were lovely wines, but I prefer the ones from New Zealand.  Their reds were very good.  Lunch was served after the tasting and presentation about the winery and its short history.  Not only did I enjoy the wine tasting, I met some lovely people and plan to get together with some of them in the near future.

Once a month Joanna attends a market fair with her goods she brings back from her travels all over the world.  She organizes and takes groups to exotic destinations like Butan, India, Cuba, Egypt, Burma (Myan Mar), etc. 

She brings back scarves, clothing, jewelry, and other trinkets to sell.  Needless to say I cannot resist a market day even if my buying is minimal these days.  However, I was one of Joanna’s best customers.  She has lovely little pendants and earrings that make great gifts and are easy to tuck into the corners of suitcases.

I enjoyed walking around and speaking with the other vendors and in doing so met a South African whose son lives in Bend, Oregon!!!   He is an extreme sports photographer.  Indeed a small world.

On Saturday night we were invited to dinner at Clare’s house.  Clare’s next door neighbor and a couple from the wine tasting group were there also.  John is a former Ambassador from Australia and he and Gail have lived many places including Cairo!!  We had many lively conversations including establishing  a name for a new country whose name shall not be mentioned in this blog because my grandchildren read it :-))).  We gave it a flag, a bird, a currency - great fun.  And even though we said it would be best to not discuss politics, religion or women’s rights, we managed as the night wore on and wine flowed freely to discuss all three!!!  All in good fun though.  Part of the flowing wine was the mystery untasted bottle from Annandale.  It was delightful and I am happy I invested in it to share.

We had such a good time I wanted to invite them to a dinner at “my” cottage.  Gail suggested they all bring a dish, so I am (with the help of Joanna and Ady) having all of them and a couple of others from the wine club in on March 25.  I love to entertain and am looking forward to the event.

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara 

SOUTH AFRICA ADVENTURES:

ARRIVING CAPE TOWN 2 March 2015

After a very smooth flight our plane arrives early by about 15 minutes.  My luggage is first off the plane and I am through to the outside quite fast.  This was a domestic flight as my first point of entry was Johannesburg and is where I went through customs.  Since I am so early I am not surprised when Joanna is not at the exit point from the baggage claim.

Once outside I call her driver - no answer, so I call her husband, Ady.  He tells me there is a huge fire causing them to have a very slow go and will still be about another 1/2 hour.  No biggie.  I settle in to wait.

My Cottage

Joanna arrives and off we go to her place in Kalk Bay.  I am renting one of the three cottages they have on their land.  A huge fire was not an exaggeration and it did cause loads of traffic due to detours. 

We get to the cottage, unload my luggage and take off for the bank and the phone store.  The grocery store will have to wait until tomorrow.  Ady cooks us a fabulous dinner and we watch the progress of the firefighters over the internet and news.  We decide it is not necessary to evacuate.

Wetlands

The next morning Joanna and I go for a walk in the wetlands across the road from her house and my cottage.  Their place is ideally situated in front of a mountain, across the side road from the wetlands 
and across the main road from the ocean beach.  The walk is beautiful.  We meet a young woman who tells us she is there to see what the fire situation is at the

Ocean View

country club located at the end of Joanna's side road.  The fire is up in the hills above the club, but isn’t a threat as yet.

Tuesday is Joanna’s movie day and also her eyebrow waxing day this week.  We head off for those activities and the grocery store.  We see the new Johnny Depp, Gwenyth Paltrow movie.  Really cute.  Next groceries.  That accomplished we begin the drive back.

As we travel around we could catch glimpses of the fire on the various mountain sides.  It is located in several areas and is more intense in some than in others.  As we drive we watch the fire literally make a path that forms a thin ring around the top of one of the mountains. It now has closed roads that were open this morning causing afternoon traffic to be quite heavy.

Joanna has a fabulous but old Jaguar that overheats when standing still.  By this time so many roads were closed, even the freeway was bumper to bumper with people trying to find a way home.  We stop at The Toad for a drink and snack in hopes the traffic will thin out and to allow the car to cool off.

After over an hour we realize the traffic is not about to thin out, so we get back in the car and manage to get home without the car dangerously overheating.  We decide to check out the status of the fire at the end of her side road.  Sure enough the fire is much closer to the houses and the country club than it was this morning.

Almost as soon as we arrive back at Joanna’s the police close the road to all except local traffic and fire fighting trucks.  By this time it was too late for helicopters to continue their flight back and forth to the ocean

Going Back For Water

to fill up their buckets and drop them on the fire.  The big question is whether we should get ready to evacuate.  I had only unpacked a little so it is easy to get packed up again and stash the luggage by the door.  

We went to bed not knowing what we might find in the morning.  At about 6AM when I get up to use the bathroom  I decide to look out the window that faces the mountain behind the cottage. 

Fire On The Ridge Above My Cottage

Imagine my surprise when I see the ridge above all covered with flames.  I call Ady and ask if they know about that.  He does not.  I dress and walk up to their house to learn the plan of action.

We spend the rest of the day watering down the land around the house and the cottages.  Joanna calls all of her casual workers in to take part.  At some point the copper piping had been stollen from in back of my cottage so there is no spigot.  I got the brainy idea to take the hose from the front of the next door cottage and bring it into my cottage under the front door and out the back door.  Bernice next door helps me guide it through.  We breathe a sigh of relief when it is ample to do the job.  We spray all around the sides and back.  The issue is the possibility of the fire jumping as they tend to do here and also the large amount of ash now falling from the sky.  One hot ash will be all it takes to light the brush on the mountain side behind us.

Fire Above The Country Club

There were many fire status messages on FaceBook from all over the area.  We meditate and pray for rain which does materialize even though it was not predicted.  The rain is small, but it happens three times over the day and early evening.

By the end of the day the fire seems to be under control and is gone from the ridge, so we decide we will stay put.  I still did not unpack thinking I will be ready if the wind comes up and fans the roots during the night.  The night before Ady had pulled one of their cars down to the bottom of my steps.  I ask him to leave it there for one more night.

All through this excitement I was sure in my heart all will be well for us - and it was.  The next day dawns bright and clear except for a smokey spot up and away from us.  The helicopters start to fly in water to further soak the roots as the dawn brightens the sky.

I unpack.  It seems like I have been here a month, even though it is only two 1/2 days!!!!

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara

EGYPT ADVENTURES 2015

POLITICAL CLIMATE

Some of you have expressed a desire to know about the political climate now that Egypt is in its 4th year after the revolution.  My view can only come from what I have observed, what my friends have expressed and what new people I have met are willing to share.

It appears everyone, except one person, likes Sisy.  They see him as a miracle who really genuinely cares for the people and popped up out of nowhere to lead the country.  Even though he is from the military he is a far cry from Mubarak and miles above Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.  The one person who is not sold on Sisy, but also severely dislikes the Muslim Brotherhood, wishes the revolution had not taken place.  This in retrospect, of course.  At one point back in 2004 he told me he hated Mubarak!

Sisy is pushing for Islam reform of the Qu’ran and the passages that inflame the terrorists like ISIS or Dash as it is known here.  He, and others, feel those passages may have served a purpose in original times, but serve no purpose now except to pit muslims agains muslims and to create chaos and misunderstanding across the whole world.  He is actually exposing himself to violence from fundamentalists by expressing this view.

It also appears everyone, without exception, is very disappointed in Obama and decisions he and his government have made (even the German clients of Ahmed’s gave a thumbs down) particularly in relations between America and Egypt.  Some even say they hate him.  They say Obama and our government support the Muslim Brotherhood.

Putin visited while I was here.  It was quite the occasion and was seen as a positive move by the Egyptian people.  He was here to broker deals to fill in where America has left holes in sales of arms, planes, and other support.  The very interesting and somewhat unnerving fact is that they are dealing in each others currency.  In other words they are by-passing the World Bank and the American Dollar to trade in Egyptian Pounds and Russian Rubles to make the purchases. 

Does anyone else see the significance of this in terms of the strength and status as the world currency for the good old USD???  Not only that but now the relations with a pivotal country in terms of a gateway to the Middle East (yes, I know they are in Africa) has soured and is in bed with a country we are, at best,  back in a cold war status.

Didn’t our administration realize if Morsi and the Brotherhood remained in power for 3 more years it would have been devastating for Egypt not mention the repercussions around the world?  The brotherhood has proved to be a very violent entity - you should see some of the propaganda they still broadcast on TV.  So what if they were elected in a democratic election.  The true colors shown bright and clear after they won. 

One of my friends stated he had no idea how violent the Brotherhood was until after the election.  He is not alone in this observation.  Another of my friends voted for them and is now ashamed and chagrined he didn’t know how violent they were.  He says he realizes voting for them was a huge mistake.  I have a feeling they pulled the wool over many eyes which is why they could win.

As far as touring is concerned, the atmosphere is fine.  Now is a GREAT time to see everything.  Now when tourism is down and places are not crowded. It is no different than other times before the revolution.  The presence of police is more obvious like it was in the 1990’s, but that is a good thing.  I felt perfectly fine everywhere I went.  Knowing the anti-American sentiment before I arrived I debated about admitting I was American and claiming Canada as my country.  But I bit the bullet and admitted my true country.  I always got a thumbs down for Obama, but no one blamed me for my government’s decisions.

Now, on to South Africa.  :))))

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Mom

EGYPT ADVENTURES

CARTER HOUSE & ISIS TEMPLE

Back in 2012 during my stay in Luxor Mohamed took me to Carter’s house where he lived during his discovery of King Tut’s tomb.  At the time it was in the same state as when he left and was not open to the public. 

Carter House Today

It did, however, have a guard keeping watch.  A small amount of baksheesh (tip) and we were in!!!  No furniture, per se, was left and it was a dreary place at best.

Sandra informed me of an article she read stating that Carter House was now restored and open with a replica of King Tut’s tomb in the desert behind the house.  I put it on my list of “must do”.  Mohamed and I set out on morning to buy the ticket so I can visit the site.

The ticket booth guy says $5.00 please!  I said $5.00 American?, can’t I pay in LE?  No, you must pay in dollars.  Can you change a $100 bill?  Astonished look - no!  Mohamed got involved at this point, but ’twas to no avail.  We spent the next 15 minutes or so dashing around to various shops to buy the dollars needed for the ticket.  I paid 50LE for the USD needed.  The exchange rate is 7.60LE to the dollar which means I paid 8.00LE for my $5.  Was worth it.  Back at the ticket booth Mohamed asked why the ticket (the only attraction in USD, by the way) is in USD.  He was told an American company provides the tickets and the Egyptian government needs to pay for them in dollars.  True??? Who knows, sounds good, but this is Egypt!!!  :-)

The house is spectacularly restored.  Each room is furnished with authentic style of the time. 

Bedroom

Walls and floors are cleaned and restored - all in all a fabulous restoration job.  I imagine seeing it in its pre-restoration state made me appreciate the effort that much more.  I was particularly taken with the authentic correspondence and post cards under the glass on his desk.

Desk

The movie showing the discovery was well done.  Have read there used to be a hologram of Carter wandering around, but that did not happen while I was there.

For some reason I pictured the replica of the tomb as it was when Carter found it, but it is not.  It is a replica of the tomb as it looks in the Valley of the Kings today.  Again a wonderful job with clear explanations on the walls of what you are seeing and the history needed to understand the significance of this find.  This must be the first replica of the planned many to be built in order to preserve the originals from crumbling and eroding.  The humidity of the breaths of visitors as well as light, etc is causing the colors to fade, and the plaster to fall off the walls.  It was said that once the replica was done, the real tomb will be closed to visitors.

ISIS TEMPLE:

On another day we set out across the desert to visit another newly opened site: Deir el-Shelwit ancient Egyptian temple to Isis from the Greek-Roman period. It stands on the West Bank about 4 km south of Medinet Habu.

Note Red Arrow Pointing The Way

All along the way to guide us through the desert we come upon these rocks.

The importance of the Isis temple of Deir el-Shelwit is because Graeco-Roman era religious buildings are rare in this area, and this is the only one not associated with the Theban Triad but with Isis.  

According to inscriptions on the propylon, construction of the Isis temple started around the beginning of 1st century CE. No earlier building is known to have stood on this site. According to one theory the temple's construction started under the reign of Nectanebo II and reached its finished form during the Greek-Roman era. Or the Ptolemaic era as it is also known. 

On the walls of the temple and the pylon the cartouches of Hadrianus, Antoninus Pius, Galba, Otho, Vespasianus and Julius Caesar can be seen. 

This is an exquisite little temple with ornate and unusual carvings. 

Isis Leading Her Sister Nyphtus

Even though it is small, I spent quite  a bit of time studying the walls. One scene in particular captures me as I have not seen anything like it before and can not tell you what it means, but it is pictured below.  What captivated me is the little tiny head poking up out of what appears to be a dressed and ready to cook duck or goose.  The head has a blue crown and two long feathers.  This could be Amun Re, but why he is there popping out of a goose or duck body is a mystery to me.

Pile of Offerings Note Tiny Blue Head

As we leave the temple Mohamed gets very excited and wants me to get my phone out to take a picture.  It is a bird - too late he flies away, but wait he just went around to sit under the eve of the other side.  He is a tiny owl, probably a barn owl.  If you look carefully, you can see him.

Tiny Owl

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara