Yesterday we slowly got moving, one of the first days that Forbes wasn't up out of the gates, pacing the room planning the day's events and shaving. I told him if he keeps shaving like that he won't have any skin left. It's a subconscious habit that helps him think and is part of his routine. So of course Johann and I both teased him whenever possible. Or as they say here and the UK, "taking the piss out of him".
We went to a mall in the old town of PE though in a better part than the CBD. Brekky and coffee followed by an hour on our own shopping. I have been diligently searching for that one pair of shoes that I simply cannot live without but disappointingly, none of them made my wallet quiver in anticipation of making such a necessary purchase.
After arriving back at the hotel I went with Forbes to the market on the beach that he went to yesterday where I purchased a few more wooden animals. I started calling Forbes "Noah" because of the amount of animals he has purchased; the only thing missing is the ark.
Back to the hotel for kitty naps. Speaking of which the hotel has two cats that hang out in the lobby so they know if I'm missing to look for me there. One is white and the other a replica of the old Morris cat from tv.
Stretching and yawning, we walked down to the beach since I realized I had never touched (or seen) the Indian Ocean before. The water was cold though not totally unreasonable for swimming. A family in fact was all running in and out of the water playing around. As with most places outside the US all the males in the family wore speedos.
Me standing by the Indian Ocean.
We strolled along the beach to Barneys, a local seaside pub with awesome views. We sat on the patio with a beer in hand to watch the sunset, to be my last in South Africa for this trip. We meandered along the beach back to the hotel. The rest of the evening consisted of ordering pizza, draining the remainer of beer still in the fridge, a bit of the Tour de France on the tube, and bed.
The view from Barney's patio.
Forbes on the patio of Barneys.
This morning we got up before the alarm. I didn't sleep too well thinking about getting things together and what I have to do when I get home. The car was loaded, we checked out and got to the airport with plenty of time for breakfast. I browsed the shops for a few more trinkets and met the other two at their gate. My backpack is getting very heavy now with one bottle of wine and one of olives that I've been carting around since Stellenbosch. And the paintings I bought in Cape Town are slightly cumbersome but will hopefully fit in the overhead compartment.
I just said goodbye to Forbes and Johann since they are continuing on to Durban where they will stay for four nights. Forbes then goes back home for one night, on to Germany the next day for a few weeks to be with his partner Jan, then back to London for a few nights and on to Marakesh with Jan. Finally he and his friend Ben whom I've met are going to Scardinia until a few days before their school term begins. Johann will fly back to Bloemfontein to be with his mother for a few weeks and then to Dubai, followed by Italy. One of the benefits of living in Europe is that you can be in one of many countries in an hour by plane. Right now there are so many discount European airlines competing for business, you can get a flight to most places for under $100. I even saw one promotion that said certain flights out of London we starting at £.50 which is about on dollar. You still have to pay airport taxes which are $40, give or take, but still a great deal. A benefit of living in the UK specifically is the pound is the strongest currency in the world right now so things are much cheaper for them, even in other parts of western Europe because they are all on the Euro currency.
There are many Americans waiting for the flight to Joberg. Up til now, I've only seen (or heard rather) a small number of Americans in the county which is a nice change. Most of the other tourists we come across have been either British or German. I suspect the rest of them will be on my flight to Atlanta.
This will probably be my last post for this trip unless something happens between now and when I arrive home. My plan is to update the blog when I get home with pictures that correspond to the events. All of the posts from this trip have been done by sending an email from my Blackberry device. It's very convenient, the only problem is once it's sent, it's sent so if I find a misspelling, the only way to fix it is to login to the website and do it. Since we've not been to any internet cafes, there hasn't been a chance. This has been the longest I've been without a laptop in probably 10 or 12 years.
Tah for now.
