Where to have Frozen Margaritas, and driving in kite flying weather…

I have learnt a new sort of compassion with people that are a little bit out of their element. Take for instance the general flow of traffic in Johannesburg. A number plate from any other province sticks out like a sore thumb, just like mine does down here.

I’m not sure if you are aware of it or not, but Cape Town drivers have a notoriously bad name in JHB, and it seems that the same holds true for Gauteng drivers in Cape Town (I may, or may not be contributing to that perception). And I have finally figured out what the cause is.

*drum-roll please*

It’s the wind! Good grief! I don’t know how you guys do it…my poor little car gets jerked round so much that it feels as if I have four flat tires at once! Subsequently I am driving slower than anyone’s granny because it feels like my car’s going to get blown right off the highway! This is obviously why the Cape Town drivers in Johannesburg also drive so funny…they’re so used to the wind that they miss it when it’s not there? Must be that. Anyway, if you see me plodding along clutching my steering wheel as if my life depends on it and you feel the urge to hoot, just go ahead and do it. I have the radio on full blast and it doesn’t bug me in the least. Got to be careful – it’s kite flying weather down here.

Other than coming up with this explanation there’s not much other news that I can share with you in my ramble today. My back is still sore (at times), it comes and goes and I find that if I stay still too long that it kind of spasms up all over again so I try to move around (even if slowly) to try and keep it going. Tomorrow morning is my appointment with the physio – so wish me luck. Hopefully he gets it all sorted out in a flash cause I am pretty tired of this situation, that’s for sure.

Oooh, and I got to meet another Blog Buddy: MrsM. We got together for drinks and chit chat at Bueno Vista (a cute little Cuban Cigar lounge / Cocktail bar). It was great to finally put a face to the blog… (you however do not get to see the face since MrsM never posts photos on her blog I decided not to take any of her either without asking). I was glad that she picked that place too – because I have been dying to go and try it out and I was definitely not disappointed. It was just a teeny tiny bit peculiar that our waiter kept offering to rub his nipples (either for a higher tip, or for us to stay longer?), but funny and fun. It also doesn’t hurt that it is walking distance from where I live… I’ll definitely be going back there again!

Saturday night I managed to almost get lost going to the Waterfront to meet up with William and Lurette for dinner. It is apparently supposed to be almost impossible to get lost going there – well now you have it – it is very much possible…I just proved it. At the point where I decided to pull over and phone a friend (thanks Pierre and Lycan), it turned out that I was just a few hundred meters from where I wanted to be. Hehehe…silly me.

For anyone else who might benefit I will put a rough translation in of the directions and then what you’ll actually see going there. *clears throat* Right…Directions: Follow the N1 all the way into Cape Town till you get to the first traffic light (yes, on the highway) then turn right and you’re there (two independent sources gave me these directions). What you’ll actually see: After turning right at that traffic light mentioned you’ll eventually get to a traffic circle with a sigh that says parking to the left, turning left there you will then go down a twisty little road and get to another tinier circle with NO sign or the promised parking, here you should go kind of right-ish (you can really only go right-ish there, I have no idea why they put it there?! it isn’t even on the f-ing road map!), resist the urge to panic, pull over or phone for help at this point, just keep going a little bit more and then you will indeed see parking to your left and the oceanarium to your right. Ta-dah! Oh yeah…and don’t bother trying to get out the same way you got in. Just try and drive round the block (keep left) and more or less two turns down you’ll see a sign with clues on how to get back to the highway again.

Roads and stuff besides, it was great seeing Will and Lurette all the way out here from JHB (Lurette won a weekend away trip at work). We had cocktails at Cantina Tequila which was yummier than the one I had at Bueo Vista but the waiters were not nearly as cute or as willing to please. Afterward we went to some little fish and chips shop there for calamari. Yumm… They’ve been zipping round seeing all the sights, and William even mentioned that he’d love to live in Gordon’s Bay. Apparently their accommodation in Green Point is a little bit dodgy though because all the hookers hang out in the street in front of their flat! Lurette says that they quickly got to know the car but when they just arrived it caused a bit of excitement among the ladies who kept thinking they were there to pick one of them up. She says they all look like kids playing dress up – very sad…they probably are.

My thoughts are with my parents today, who are driving home from their vacation in Uvongo, and also big Happy Birthday wishes to Dylan! Dillface, hope you have a magical day and year crammed full of the good stuff ahead buddy.

Well, will you look at that! Seems I had quite a bit to ramble about after all. Hope you all have a lazy but lovely Sunday, and a kick-ass week ahead.

*clicking on the image will take you to DeviantART where you can learn more about the artist and the art.