Cape Town bound.....
We have a later wake up call this morning. Soon we will walk down to the Krystalle Gallery and make a stop at the salt works before we arrive at the airport for our two hour flight to Cape Town.
But first we have our morning tradition, The State of the Colon address. Most everyone has had at least some rumblings and others have been sick enough to begin a course of Cipro for traveler's diarrhea.
Immodium is traded like Kruegerands here.
Some blame symptoms on the malaria medication. It seems the ones who opted for the once a week dose are more impacted than the once per day people. Food for thought. Then there is a contingent that thinks it is the water which can't be avoided should you eat salad. Tony says all the tap water is fine, but I consider him indigenous.
Colleague Joe, who always looks bandbox fresh in his oxford cloth shirts, had kudos for the laundry at the hotel. He sent lots of items out at 9AM and they were impeccably done, folded and stacked at the foot of his bed on his return...and all for a very reasonable price of around $15.00 U.S. Waiting for this laundry stop might be a good idea.
We walk a block down the street to the Krystalle Gallery, a museum and retail store for semiprecious gems. The xeriscaped entry sports large boulders of stone. Inside we enter a courtyard where there are troughs of multicolored tumbled stone also used in the landscape.
Entry to the museum area is through a mine-like tunnel, darkened to approximate the miner's work environment. This opens to the world's largest quartz crystal cluster, a towering, murky mass of rock. Before us are windows behind which women are stringing beads, placards with explanations of the different gems and a high end jewelry store. There were some unusual pieces here, especially the pieterstone which is marbled in lovely way.
Upstairs are sparkling display cases of many different stones and two lower end stores. It was an interesting experience and nice shopping.
Wimpy is waiting for us to board for a trip to the salt works. Located just outside of Walvis Bay's most prestigious coastal neighborhood, south of the harbor, we pass some very elaborate estates with various architectural styles. Each is walled. Security is certainly a concern, but even if the homeowners were totally safe, there would still be a wall because it is part of the African culture.
In the larger cities, such as Cape Town, neighborhood patrols are very popular and have produced a reduction of 70% of crimes. Tony tools around his neighborhood with his two dogs. From his description of his "pets" I think Tony is perfectly safe!
The salt works is a huge area flooded with sea water. Natural evaporation produces the salt, 95% of which is sold to South Africa for industrial use. Six to eight months are needed before the salt can be mined. This is one of the largest mines in the world producing 850,000 tons of salt a year.
In this same area, flamingos live at the water's edge, flocks of them. Their coloration depends on their diet. Mud prawns and krill dug out of the sand sustain them. The deepest fuchsia is found on the underside of their wings with the rest of the body a paler pink. I don't believe that I have ever seen flamingos fly. They make a beautiful site flying at top speed fifty feet off the water. Sorry I could not get a focused shot of that.
Wimpy takes us to the airport which is a small, but modern facility, a definite improvement over the previous terminal...a tent. There is only one gate where we wait for our 52 seat South African Airlines plane to arrive.
We see it but can't imagine where it went; no plane appears at the gate. Soon they make a boarding announcement and we follow some locals who seem to be in the know. Yes, we follow them and follow them all around to the far side of the terminal, walking on the sand. When we asked why the area in front of the gate was not used we were told it was only for the President!
The Namibians certainly have some interesting ideas about justice. I think I'll just stay out of trouble.
We approach South Africa from the west, Cape Town laying at our feet. The largest city in South Africa, the Mother City, it is the legislative capital of the country.
With a population of 3.7 million in the South West Cape province, one of nine, it is anchored by the beautiful Table Mountain. The elevation is 3500 ft above sea level with a Mediterranean climate.
Cape Town was born after a ship wreck in 1647. The stranded made note of the temperate climate and good rains in the winter and a city soon sprang up at the foot of Table Mountain.
There are no minerals here. The economy is based on agriculture. Wheat, rye, barley and oats are grown along with stone fruit and grapes. Sheep are raised and dairy is an important industry.
Three universities call Cape Town home. Siemens and Bosch provide some light industry. Textiles are also important. This industry was started by Indonesians who worked closely with Jewish businessmen.
It is rush hour for our transit and we pass several of the 80 golf courses on the freeway.
Our hotel is the Table Bay Hotel nestled next to the water and attached to the Victoria and Alfred Mall on the waterfront. That was not a typo....it is Alfred.
It is an elegant space with beautiful tropical arrangements scattered throughout. Our room looks out over the Atlantic and is well appointed. They are crazy for Valentine's Day here. On return from our group dinner, we found rose petals strewn all over the room and bathroom...the not quite honeymoon suite!
We have a later wake up call this morning. Soon we will walk down to the Krystalle Gallery and make a stop at the salt works before we arrive at the airport for our two hour flight to Cape Town.
But first we have our morning tradition, The State of the Colon address. Most everyone has had at least some rumblings and others have been sick enough to begin a course of Cipro for traveler's diarrhea.
Immodium is traded like Kruegerands here.
Some blame symptoms on the malaria medication. It seems the ones who opted for the once a week dose are more impacted than the once per day people. Food for thought. Then there is a contingent that thinks it is the water which can't be avoided should you eat salad. Tony says all the tap water is fine, but I consider him indigenous.
Colleague Joe, who always looks bandbox fresh in his oxford cloth shirts, had kudos for the laundry at the hotel. He sent lots of items out at 9AM and they were impeccably done, folded and stacked at the foot of his bed on his return...and all for a very reasonable price of around $15.00 U.S. Waiting for this laundry stop might be a good idea.
We walk a block down the street to the Krystalle Gallery, a museum and retail store for semiprecious gems. The xeriscaped entry sports large boulders of stone. Inside we enter a courtyard where there are troughs of multicolored tumbled stone also used in the landscape.
Entry to the museum area is through a mine-like tunnel, darkened to approximate the miner's work environment. This opens to the world's largest quartz crystal cluster, a towering, murky mass of rock. Before us are windows behind which women are stringing beads, placards with explanations of the different gems and a high end jewelry store. There were some unusual pieces here, especially the pieterstone which is marbled in lovely way.
Upstairs are sparkling display cases of many different stones and two lower end stores. It was an interesting experience and nice shopping.
Wimpy is waiting for us to board for a trip to the salt works. Located just outside of Walvis Bay's most prestigious coastal neighborhood, south of the harbor, we pass some very elaborate estates with various architectural styles. Each is walled. Security is certainly a concern, but even if the homeowners were totally safe, there would still be a wall because it is part of the African culture.
In the larger cities, such as Cape Town, neighborhood patrols are very popular and have produced a reduction of 70% of crimes. Tony tools around his neighborhood with his two dogs. From his description of his "pets" I think Tony is perfectly safe!
The salt works is a huge area flooded with sea water. Natural evaporation produces the salt, 95% of which is sold to South Africa for industrial use. Six to eight months are needed before the salt can be mined. This is one of the largest mines in the world producing 850,000 tons of salt a year.
In this same area, flamingos live at the water's edge, flocks of them. Their coloration depends on their diet. Mud prawns and krill dug out of the sand sustain them. The deepest fuchsia is found on the underside of their wings with the rest of the body a paler pink. I don't believe that I have ever seen flamingos fly. They make a beautiful site flying at top speed fifty feet off the water. Sorry I could not get a focused shot of that.
Wimpy takes us to the airport which is a small, but modern facility, a definite improvement over the previous terminal...a tent. There is only one gate where we wait for our 52 seat South African Airlines plane to arrive.
 |
| Presidential Parking Spot |
We see it but can't imagine where it went; no plane appears at the gate. Soon they make a boarding announcement and we follow some locals who seem to be in the know. Yes, we follow them and follow them all around to the far side of the terminal, walking on the sand. When we asked why the area in front of the gate was not used we were told it was only for the President!
The Namibians certainly have some interesting ideas about justice. I think I'll just stay out of trouble.
We approach South Africa from the west, Cape Town laying at our feet. The largest city in South Africa, the Mother City, it is the legislative capital of the country.
With a population of 3.7 million in the South West Cape province, one of nine, it is anchored by the beautiful Table Mountain. The elevation is 3500 ft above sea level with a Mediterranean climate.
Cape Town was born after a ship wreck in 1647. The stranded made note of the temperate climate and good rains in the winter and a city soon sprang up at the foot of Table Mountain.
There are no minerals here. The economy is based on agriculture. Wheat, rye, barley and oats are grown along with stone fruit and grapes. Sheep are raised and dairy is an important industry.
Three universities call Cape Town home. Siemens and Bosch provide some light industry. Textiles are also important. This industry was started by Indonesians who worked closely with Jewish businessmen.
It is rush hour for our transit and we pass several of the 80 golf courses on the freeway.
Our hotel is the Table Bay Hotel nestled next to the water and attached to the Victoria and Alfred Mall on the waterfront. That was not a typo....it is Alfred.
It is an elegant space with beautiful tropical arrangements scattered throughout. Our room looks out over the Atlantic and is well appointed. They are crazy for Valentine's Day here. On return from our group dinner, we found rose petals strewn all over the room and bathroom...the not quite honeymoon suite!
I remember when i did time. X months.
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