Africa is way colder than Canada

Hello from chilly Cape Town! I haven't had very much time to even check email, let alone write a blog...and my time may run out soon, so this may end with a very quick "to be continued..." But, at least I have a bit of time to let you all know that I am still alive, successfully continuing to avoid prison, and having a wonderful time.

My trip began in the customs line-up at the airport in Montreal, where I ran into a colleague, Marjorie, who lives and works in Montreal, but who I only ever see at conferences outside of the country! As it turned out, she had booked the same flights, and we got to keep company for the full 30 hours. It was my very first time flying KLM...I had been told there would be more leg room than Air Canada, as the dutch are the "largest people in the world" (there wasn't) and better meals (maybe slightly better, but not much). The airport in Amsterdam was pretty wonderful, and Marjorie and I spent our 3 hours there tasting delicious cheeses and wandering around the airport museum (genius idea).

I finally arrived in Cape Town, thoroughly exhausted, at aroun 9pm and made it to my hotel by 11. When I walked into the Protea Fire and Ice http://www.proteahotels.com/protea-hotel-fire-and-ice.html I was greeted by pumping dance music and blue lights. The porter led me past the lobby climbing wall, into the themed elevators, to my loft-style room complete with a complementary dish of delicious candies. I have to say that it is, without question, the coolest hotel at which I have ever stayed. The bathrooms at the bar are also themed, and there is a smoking room complete with coffins to sit on, called the "coughin' room." Most importantly, the bed is incredibly comfortable and I enjoyed a great, deep sleep.

On Saturday morning I got in touch with Nathalie and Bill who had just arrived on their Air Canada flight, which had left montreal at the same time as my flight, but arrived more than 14 hours later, complete with a 12-hour break in London and a minor delay. We went for lunch, and then headed back to our hotels. I must mention, it was pouring rain and freezing. No matter. I figured the weather would clear up by the next day and I put on the warmest clothes I had brought and my pink k-way. To offer a little forshadowing, I shall mention that many of my pictures will look like they were all taken on the same day...wearing the same combination of warm clothes and the lovely pink k-way.

When I got back to my hotel, I wound up chatting with Ryan...a middle-east born Aussie Assistant Driller, who was staying at the Fire and Ice whilst waiting for his rig to come into harbour. He was heading down to the V & A waterfront for a bit of shopping (a little LV, perhaps a Tag) so I decided to keep company and join him in a bit of wandering (but not the high end shopping). So Ryan taught me a little bit about life on the rigs and then we had a couple of drinks at a pub while cheering for the ultra-marathoners arriving at the finish line from their 80 km run up the Cape. Crazy people. One guy had even done it twice. That's just too much running, as far as I am concerned.

That night, Nathalie, Bill, Phil and Beth (more colleagues /friends) and I went to one of Cape Town's chicest new restaurants "Beluga" where I tried some delicious Springbok. It seemed appropriate since the South Africa rugby team (which has the springbok as its emblem) had just lost to the Aussies that day.

I woke early on Sunday. Really early. Like, 2am early. Which isn't great when you've fallen asleep at 12am and you have a full-day tour of the cape peninsula including a bike ride, the next day. Although I drifted in and out of headachey, confused sleep, I was awake enough to greet my alarm, rather than being awoken by it. So, after 2 hours of sleep I went for breakfast and got into the tour bus with about 12 other groggy, grouchy travellers and started on a long bus-ride around Cape Town and environs (can you guess who had to request to sit in the front seat after about 15 minutes?). The people on the day tour were mainly around my age, including Jennifer, the teacher from Toronto who was travelling solo across South Africa. The group finally began chit chatting as we boarded the boat to Duiker's Island to see the huge seal colony, but we all quickly quieted down as the waves rolled the boat from side to side quite dramatically. One woman was even sick on the boat, and you'll all be proud to note that it wasn't me! But I did take some time to rethink the shark diving expedition, which Jennifer informed me was a punishing 8 hours on a rolling boat. No thanks! I'll go see some sharks at the aquarium, and switch my saturday plans to wine tasting. Large quantities of wine may also make me queasy, but it should also make me a better dancer, which shark diving cannot achieve.

After a bit more driving and chatting, we made our way to the "most south-western point of Africa," which made me wonder if we are getting way to obsessed with self-esteem. Does everything need a prize? We then went to the most southern point of Africa, which does seem to deserve a prize. On the drive around the park we saw an ostrich, an animal whose name I forgot, and a bunch of baboons. There are signs all around the park reading "baboons are dangerous and attracted by food." which I thought left things pretty open for travellers to draw their own conclusions about whether or not to feed them. After a brief visit to some penguins, we were on our way back to the cape, and I had a new friend, also named Jennifer, which is handy.

To be continued.....