One Week Left

Turning Lemons into Lemonade

Camp's Bay Braai

The Ellerman House

The Wine Country & Boekenhoutskloof

Stellenbosch & Franschoek

New Places

Sunday morning started later than expected, usually Tom and Denise are up early, but perhaps due to the jet lag or the vacation mode, they've been waking up relatively late this weekend. Bomber headed to the gym early Sunday and met us at breakfast having already worked out for the day. We enjoyed another nice Mt. Nelson breakfast, complete with delicious fresh fruit and a nice omelette. The weather didn't look quite as nice as it had the previous day, but we didn't let that deter us from a day of sight seeing. We headed out a bit after noon to Hout Bay and the Bay Harbour Market.

Denise shopping at the Hout Bay Market

The Market was not dissimilar from Old Biscuit Mill, however it sold more crafts than foods. Denise enjoyed the chance to shop around a bit, find some table cloths, shoes among other things. Bomber and I got a couple of beers and hung out, we weren't in the mood for too much shopping. It was a cool

Off the Beaten Path

Unlike earlier in the semester when my Grandmother, Brother and Sister visited Cape Town, I did not have a schedule planning out the stay. I was waiting to see how the weather was and what they felt like doing. Also, since they had been to Cape Town before there were many tourist traps that could be avoided. I was happy about this, because at the end of a 4 month stay in Cape Town the last thing I wanted to do was take the tram up Table or go out to Robben Island. So, I decided I'd show them the side of Cape Town they never saw when they were previously here. They slept in, still adjusting to the jet lag, which worked to my favor. So at about 10:30, we went down stairs to grab some breakfast and discovered it was a beautiful day outside. The first stop was the Old Biscuit Mill, a spot where tons of Europeans and Americans head to, but rarely ones who are just on vacation for a week in Cape Town. As a foodie, I knew Denise would love the Old Biscuit Mill. With endless options, all delicious, the difficult part was only picking which treat she'd enjoy. Bomber was in vintage vacation mode, ordering Bloodies and insisting on refills before the Sun had peaked in the sky.

at the Bloody Bar in the Old Biscuit Mill

Denise enjoyed a falafel, one of my personal favorites and in her own was in vacation mode (eating gluten). So after a hearty brunch, and having established vacation mode was on, we continued our journey on this beautiful day. I brought them by my flat in Mowbray to see where I stayed when I wasn't being accommodated at the Mt. Nelson by them or my grandmother. The barred windows are a far cry from the Mt. Nelson, but I've become accustomed to my spot and have grown to like it. The rental car made this whole process much easier, and after showing them my flat we took a little tour of campus. Walked around, saw the views and sights and showed them where I spend my weekdays.

Denise and I on UCT campus

With such a beautiful day on our hands, we didn't let the views and vistas end at UCT but ventured up above to Rhodes Memorial. Sight after sight we climbed higher and higher and could see the city and Mountains beyond us. Then we scooted over to Kirstenbosch to see the famous Gardens and relax a bit in the sun and beautiful nature. Denise enjoyed seeing all of the plants and flowers, while Bomber and I imagined how nice of a golf course could be made on the parcel of land they used for the Gardens. We didn't stay too long at the Gardens, the sun was falling from the sky and I knew just the place to take them for a nice sunset. So we packed up the car and headed right to The Bungalow in Clifton to enjoy a Cape Town sunset and get a few cocktails.

Denise enjoying the view

We had enjoyed the weather out for the day and had a relatively low-key day. We walked a bit, saw some sights and they enjoyed seeing some beautiful places they hadn't known to see 5 years earlier. After such a big meal the night before, we decided that we would see if we could have some nice simple fish at the Codfather in Camp's Bay for Saturday night supper. We headed back to the Mt. Nelson to shower, relax for a bit before heading to 20h00 dinner. The Codfather is a simple, understated restaurant, but their fish is fantastic. They serve it simply, with minimal spices and seasonings, so that you can enjoy the fish. You walk up to the counter, pick the piece of fish you want, select the size of it and then they cook it and serve it with rice and vegetables. Much more like a nice home-cooked meal, without all of the heavy rich sauces and marinades many restaurants use.

Denise and Bomber enjoying the Sunset from the Bungalow

We got into a nice rhythm of ending nights in the Planet Bar at the Mt. Nelson with a couple of Caucasians. We were happy the weather had cooperated, and hoped that the streak would continue through the weekend. After finished the last drip of Lebowski's in the bar we headed up to bed , hopefully finishing the period of jet lag adjustment by the following morning.

Bomber & DG arrive in Cape Town

Just about 24 hours after classes at UCT ended for the semester, my Dad and Denise arrived in Cape Town to spend a week here in my break between UCT classes and UCT Exams. It was surreal when I got the text from them saying they had arrived. Even though I hadn't seen them in 4 months, time has flown by so quickly here it felt as if I'd only been in Cape Town a few weeks. But here I was done with classes, with precious little time left in the Mother City. So, I left Mowbray on the Jammie down to Hiddingh Campus to meet them at the Mount Nelson, where we'd be staying for the first couple of nights. I didn't tell them before they came, but I'd run out of money about a week before they came to Cape Town, but because they'd provided so much for me didn't feel comfortable asking them for more, especially right before they fly down to Cape Town. So the week before they arrived I had been purging, eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly or skipping some meals. But at least, they pulled up in their rental car and I would be able to discontinue my sub par diet.

Room with a view at Mt. Nelson

They arrived on a nice day and were excited to be off the plane and into the city. So, after a quick shower and lap around the hotel, we took to the streets. I led them down the Company Gardens, past the South African Museum and the National Gallery, further down past St. George's Cathedral. They recognized parts of the city from their honeymoon here 5 years earlier. We then cut down Wale Street and intersected Long Street. Walked up Long and stopped at Lola's for a quick bite to eat to introduce them to the city.

Enjoying a bite at Lola's

Having seen enough of the city for the afternoon, we headed back to the Mt. Nelson so they could relax a bit and get ready for dinner. We enjoyed some cocktails before dinner in the Planet Bar at Mt. Nelson and then took a nice stroll over to Savoy Cabbage, a restaurant that I hadn't been too that came highly recommended. The restaurant was known for its Tomato Tarte that the New York Times put on it's "10 Things to Eat Before You Die" list. The restaurant was surprisingly empty, with only a few tables taken, but we didn't let that deter us from enjoying some delicious food. The winners from our table were the Cheese Souflee appetizer, and I enjoyed my "3 Little Pigs" which was pork prepared three different ways. It was a nice relaxing meal with very good food and some delicious wines. We had a nice Sauvignon Blanc and a Cabernet Sauvignon with the meal. Being weary from the long day of travel, we headed back to the hotel for a night cap.

Enjoying drinks at the Mount Nelson

About a year ago I introduced my Father to the film the Big Lebowski, a cult classic and one of my favorites. "The Dude" as he is known as, is known for his signature cocktail which he drinks nine of during the movies. Anyways, we have come to enjoy the White Russians (also known as Caucasians) after meals as a night cap. So, we enjoyed our Lebowski's before they headed off to bed for some much needed rest and I headed to Long street.

Brocq and I at the Dublinner

It so Happened that Matt Carter, Lawrenceville '09 who is from Johannesburg, was in town for a few weeks and I met up with Brocq and Matt after leaving the Mt. Nelson. So I journeyed down Long to Slug and Lettuce to meet them for a few beers. We ended up running into Ross, Levi, Bryson, Dillon and a huge group of girls at Waiting Room and joined them. Having started early with a cocktail before dinner, wine throughout dinner, a night cap after dinner, a few beers at Slugs and then drinks at Waiting Room I was having quite a time at Waiting Room which then parlayed into the dance floor upstairs at the Dublinner.

live music at the Dublinner

It was a fun night, seeing Tom and Denise again and seeing Matt in Cape Town with LeBrocq. But it came to an end relatively late and I scooted back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep for what promised to be an eventful week full of adventure.

Stormer's Game & Mzoli's

One Month Left in Cape Town

I sit here today finding it hard to believe that I only have one month left in Cape Town. Time has flown by the past 3 and a half months and I've had incredible experiences all over Cape Town, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and even Zambia for a few moments. After returning from spring break in early April, Cape Town changed from a place I was abroad to a place I felt that I knew so well it was my home, at least for the time being. I have become accustomed to so many things that will disappear in a month's time, so I want to make sure I make the most of my final month here and leave knowing that I've experienced everything I can in Cape Town. The things that will be the strangest to leave are the things that I've become accustomed to that stood out so prominently in my first few days; like having several locks on my door, bars on my windows, fences around my apartment, minibusses yelling "Wynberg" at me constantly, internet not working, sayings like "is it?" "how's it?" "you keen?", not to mention all of the characters from the Rugby squad. However, we decided that we wouldn't let our final weeks slip away.

With only one month left, the final month began with a bang. It was Cinco De Mayo this Saturday and there was plenty of reason to celebrate. Classes would be ending in just about a week and we had but one month to enjoy Cape Town. So Allie, Natalie and Demi planned to host a bunch of people for a fiesta with typical Mexican food and drink all day Saturday.

Cinco De Mayo

After a day of drinking and hanging out in the beautiful weather, a large group of us went to Ponchos, our favorite local Mexican restaurant for dinner. It was a fun day, filled with few memories and delicious food. After the whole day of festivities there was very little energy at the dinner table and few made it out after dinner was over. I headed back to sleep, having enjoyed my day of Mexican heritage.

Demi didn't make it to dinner and called it a night in Mexican attire early

I woke up the next morning, not particularly looking to pick up a glass of alcohal, but ended up joining a group of friends to head over to the Constantia Wine and Food Festival. Jake, Karina, Sarah, Alix, Louise and I comprised the group and we headed out before noon to spend the day tasting wines, cheeses and foods in beautiful Constantia. We arrived just after noon and it could not be a nicer day. I had only driven through Constantia to this point in the semester, so I was excited to see how beautiful it really is.

Tom and Denise spent part of their honeymoon in Constantia and always raved about it. It did not take long to see why they loved it so much. The views of the mountains and beautiful vineyards and terrain make it seem like you are in Tuscany. Hard to believe it is only a short cab ride away from Mowbray, but it is. We entered the ground and were given a wine glass as we entered,. Many of the girls were not sure they were going to be able to ingest wine after the Cinco de Mayo festivities, but I felt great once I saw the breuatiful sights and sun.

Walking around the grounds of Constantia Uitsig

We got acclimated in Constantia by first walking around the grounds. They had horses, a huge reservoir and vineyards every way you looked. It was incredible and we walked around with our first glass of white from Constantia Glen admiring the sights. I decided after a couple of minutes that I wanted to go back to the tents and get more wine and cheese. So we split up into smaller groups depending on what everyone wanted to do. I hit the wine with Sarah, Alix and Louise and found some delicious wines, particularly Sauvignon Blancs and Blanc de Noirs.

Enjoying the sights with some delicious wine

Not wanting to simply take from the vendors (and also because they never give you a full glass) I headed to the tents the third time around with the desire to get a nice meal and a full glass of wine. I went with a nice Bland de Noir and had an incredible Steak Tartare. The food and wine was so nice I felt like I never wanted to leave this festival. I struck up a conversation with a few local residents. They were two older men, in their late 40s or early 50s and they told me that they lived here, drove to work in Cape Town and had been to Chicago for business several times.

The band came on around 16h00 and things started to fill up

We shared a few more moments before we parted. It made me realize how many alternatives there are to a traditional American suburban lifestyle. As I stood there in Constantia with children running around the field playing with their soccer and rugby balls I considered how great of a place this would be to live and raise a family. I appreciated the experience of being abroad so much in that moment, because as I experienced a new place I realized how many places there are in this world I haven't been and how many opportunities there are out there. Sometimes we get far too caught up in the hustle and bustle of New York and Boston in the Northeast. The mentality is that I need to live here, work there so I can make this much and do this and that. But traveling and seeing the world helps me appreciate that sometimes when I feel cornered into a situation, there are many different places, and ways to live your life. It seems so obvious, but sometimes I forget that.

One final look before leaving the Festival

We headed back to Mowbray, sad to leave the Constantia Uitsig area, but incredibly happy that we'd been. I arrived back and was reminded that I ahd agreed to go to dinner that night with the Lehigh girls and their friend who was visiting in town. So, fresh off of a day of eating and drinking, I headed out to Clifton to enjoy an evening of eating and drinking.

at the Bungalow

We ahd a nice dinner out in Cliftona nd dinner was unexpectedly quick. We talked a bit at dinner about how time was winding down and we only had precious little time to enjoy Cape Town. With Tom and Denise coming in just over a week I realized that once they got here, I'd essentially be on vacation from everyone for a week then come back to Mowbray and only have 5 or 6 days until I leave. This conversation gave us some energy, so when we returned form  dinner around nine, we decided that we were going to do the irresponsible thing and not do our homework or get a good night's rest for the week. Rather, we decided that we would go out tonight and celebrate Bryson's 20th birthday which was the next day by hitting the Casino.

I can't tell you how everything happened, why everything happened or when everything happened. But by 02:30 one member of our group had been kicked out of the casino, 3 people had won over R1000 on the blackjack table ($160), Bryson had been getting served free drinks all night, Dillon and I were both in suits and we were all without a concern in the world, despite the fact that we had class in 6 hours. Rather than going home from here we decided that with our luck on the tables and with Bryson enjoying his birthday we would go to a club in town.

Perhaps it was the suits we wore, perhaps it was the fact that we were oozing with confidence from our casino winnings, but whatever the reason was, we were escorted to a VIP table in the middle of the club because of the way we appeared to the club management. Naturally we ordered some Cuban cigars and some Patron ad a way to reward ourselves for doing the irresponsible thing. It was one of the nights that defined my stay in  Cape Town and brought us closer. Everything just went our way that night. We returned to Mowbray around 5h00 and kept enjoying ourselves, much to the dismay of those who decided to do the responsible thing and get a good night's sleep. That Monday of classes was miserable, but none of us would have traded it for anything. It was a great way to live in the moment and make the most out of what could have been an ordinary boring Sunday night.

Devil's Peak and Table Mountain

Overnight Safari

A Weekend for the Okes

The weekend kicked off early this weekend, when Bryson and I decided that we would play a friendly golf match on Friday afternoon over at Mowbray Golf Course. It was a beautiful day and though I had a rugby game that evening, I decided it was too nice of a day to pass up. So we headed over in the early afternoon and teed up for a quick round of nine.

Started out with weekend with a round of Golf with Bryson

The course was surprisingly nice and in decent condition. We played a match and he took an early lead though I fired back to take a one stroke lead with one hole to go. He had the tee and poked one out and a bit to the right. Being the idiot I am on the tee box I decided to not play not to lose but rather to play to win it independent of what he does. So i teed up the driver and went deep left, lost my ball, and lost the hole by two strokes and he won one up. It was an unfortunate loss to start the weekend, but it was fun. I hurried back home to rest and relax a bit before the rugby match.

Couple of okes sporting the new UCTRFC warmups

We had just recently gotten our club kit for the rugby team and tonight was the first opportunity we ahd to don our kit. Fresh jersey, sweaters, bags, polo shirts, the whole nine yards. We were playing False Bay that night and it was a bit chilly, so our kit arrived just in time. The Americans stayed put on the bench in the first half, which at this point we were fine with. We were laughing so hard this game due to a couple of characters on the team, including Alan (old oke) and Emlyn, who are characters from sitcoms brought to real life. Though we all got minimal playing time, it ended up being one of the more memorable games we had because of all the laughs and the fines sessions afterward.

After the match we gathered in the locker room as usual for fines. The previous fines session, Levi and I had been pouters (the worst job), where we are constantly filling the beer cups for those being fined. This time we had free reign to enjoy the fines and be as involved as we could. Last time I caused a stir by fining Doug for going to Harvard and this time Doug was the fines master. As probably the least likable guy on the team, Doug had a hard time controlling the rest of the squad while he was in charge. We sang songs, I even contributed an original verse to the team favorite "I Wish Wll the Ladies," and soon a mutiny formed against Doug, and we tried to vacate him from the Fines Master role. It was a great evening and start to the night. We made plans with some of the okes, but failed to meet up with them as we had other plans in store for the night.

Club 31 is located on the top floor of the ABSA building in Cape Town

With the positive energy we had generated in the fines session, and the extra energy we had after not playing much of the match, we decided to go to one of the swankier clubs in Cape Town. Club 31 is a club with mainly young professionals in their late 20's and early 30's. You actually have to be 23 years old to get in, but we were able to swindle our way through the door and make it upstairs. We spent hours here and had an amazing night. All of the energy and drinks we'd enjoyed with the okes in the locker room ensured that we'd have a blast and it ended up being a pretty late night. Some didn't return home until about 5h15. That would have been fine, except the following morning was our fishing expedition.

The sunrise as we leave Hout Bay Harbour

The truck arrived at 5h45 to pick us up and bring us down the coast to Hout Bay. I got about an hour and a half of sleep, some got less, and Kevin got none. Since we had so much alcohal in our systems, so little sleep in our systems and we were about to go on a 2 hour boat ride out to the deep to fish we knew it would be difficult to be comfortable on the boat. So, we decided that we would continue drinking on our ride out to Hout Bay and out on the boat. If we stopped we would presumable feel the effects sooner.

Kevin, Mike, Me, Ross and Doug from Left to Right

This hypothesis did not pan out as fact as we discovered. We all began to feel sick about an hour and a half into the boat ride out. Miky Yu was the first to give some chum to the fishes overboard, though many of us were soon to follow. Before the day was over everyone but Kevin had vomited overboard multiple times. Ross was reported as the leader in the clubhouse with double digits. For the first couple hours we had very little luck with fish. We had about 4 fish after 5 hours of fishing. We were all becoming hungover, were vomiting or were sleeping. It was not our finest hour at sea. However, at about 14h30 we cleaned up our act and really started to catch some fish.  

giving all my strength to a sizable Yellowtail

 At roughly 15h00, the fish began to come. Between s15h00 and 15h45 we caught roughly twenty-four Yellowtails. This feeding frenzy was incredible. I caught seven in roughly a half an hour. Everyone on the boat caught a fish and we could not put on bait fast enough to catch all of the fish we had at our disposal. For lack of a better phrase it was like shooting fish in a barrel. 

giving my catch a smooch

With the huge amount of fish we caught, we decided that a braai was in order. So as we headed back to shore with all of the fish we could carry, we got on our phones and invited everyone to come to Charlton House so that we could braai the Yellowtail and a bit of Tuna for all to enjoy. The fish made us feel so much better we were drinking beers again on the way back to shore, despite being in the gutter just an hour or two before.

Back in Hout Bay with enough Yellowtail to last a couple of weeks

It was a roller coaster of emotion and a roller coaster of nausea. But it was a heck of a day and the braai was a great way to cap off the weekend. Truly a weekend for the okes. Everything from Golf, to rugby to Club 31 to a day on the open sea made it a memorable weekend. Weekends like this help illustrate how versatile Cape Town and how many different activities one can experience in the very same city. There is no other city in the world I'd rather spend a semester abroad.

Parents Flock to Cape Town

Since returning to Cape Town from break, there has been a huge influx of parents coming to visit my friends. With several different groups of parents coming in such a short time, I have been privileged to have multiple opportunities to meet many different parents and families and be spoiled with beautiful dinners and activities. So much so, in fact, that I have yet to go grocery shopping since returning from break because I have only had 2 dinners at home in over a week. This has led this past week to feel more like a vacation than a return from vacation. So here is how the week went after returning Monday night from what was supposed to be my break:

Tuesday
Allie turned 21 recently and we spent Monday night at Addis In The Cape Ethiopian Restaurant with a group of friends. A very interesting setting and food style, I was happy to have the opportunity to try more traditional African cuisine. 

Ethiopian 

The sponge bread pancake style in which Ethiopian food is served was a cool was to enjoy the meal with a group of people. They served us several different courses on huge pancakes split between 5 or 6 people. We had 3 or 4 tables worth of people who had gathered to celebrate Allie's big day. Demi's parents, who know Allie from home were there, though Allie's own parents had just left. The food was delicious and even more delicious was the dessert that was ordered for Allie that we all had a chance to enjoy.

Allie with her 21st Birthday cake at Addis

After the meal was finished, Dillon insisted that we would head to a rooftop bar he knew just around the corner. One of the many cool things about Dillon is that he will take you places you would never see otherwise. After walking through what seemed like dozens of doors, and elevators, we arrived at an incredible rooftop bar with a view of the whole city. It was a very cool spot and made for a special evening for Allie's 21st birthday.

Wednesday

I was lucky enough to be invited to join the Gagliardi family, as well as Allie, Natalie and Dillon to another evening at the Chef's Table. I last was at the Chef's Table about 2 months ago when Sally, Peter and Sarah were here. Needless to day, this was not just a meal, but really a special event that is hard to forget. With a stellar cast, once again this promised to be an amazing evening.

Me, Allie, Natalie, Mr. Gagliardi, Demi, Dillon and Mrs. Gagliardi from left to right

Highlights from the meal included the squid ink risotto and beetroot prepared 4 different ways on one plate. This time around the group was a bit more rambunctious and it turned into more of a party than just a meal. Mr. and Mrs. Gagliardi are young and full of energy and kept things loose and fun all night. They are very nice, friendly people and everyone was having a blast all night.  

Demi, Mrs. G and I

 After several hours at the table, we had finally made it through 9 of the 10 dishes for the evening (as well as many glasses of wine, beers and cocktails) and Mr. Gagliardi had a great idea, to enjoy our last meal (dessert) outside since it was such a nice evening. What we didn't know at that point, was that being inside was the only thi9ng containing this party from getting out of control. Once we were outside, Dillon, Mr. Gagliardi and I all picked a cigar to light up and we relaxed outside enjoying the company, food and drink.

Dillon and I enjoying some Cubans and Mangos

Dillon and I had gotten a bit rowdy at the Chef's Table and helped ourselves to move about the kitchen, and grab things that we liked. We grabbed a number of mangoes for whatever reason and brought them along with us outside. While we were busy running around the kitchen, the girls were ordering champagne which they opened with a sword that conveinently became available to us once we were outside.

The sword used to open the champagne and Alfonso, our waiter, joining us

The night went on from there, with tons of laughter and one of the more memorable nights I've had here in Cape Town. Mr. Gagliardi dipped out early, after finishing his cigar, he decided he needed to go to bed before things got out of hand. With the sword and seemingly endless supply of champagne and wine we carried on dinner until 1:30. We were left with memories and great pictures from this night that will help it live on forever.

To date, I'm not sure that life gets better than having a cigar in your mouth, glass of champagne in one hand and a sword in the other on the back deck at the Mount Nelson Hotel.

Friday


Saturday



Sunday

Monday