Street photography

Night-time view of Beach Road in Mouille Point

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Beach Road in Mouille Point at night

On Wednesday we showed you the view from Wakame; this photo was taken from the same section of the restaurant (the upstairs bar area), but facing in a slightly different direction (looking up Beach Road, towards the lighthouse and Sea Point). And it was at night, of course. ;-)

We don't often find ourselves in this area on a weeknight, and so we were very surprised to see just how busy this part of the Atlantic Seaboard was. We had to drive around the block quite a few times to find parking - pretty impressive, considering it was 8pm on a Thursday...

A cafe is a superette is a corner shop

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Tahiera's Superette

In South Africa we have several names for a convenience store. A cafe (pronounced ca-fee), a superette and a corner shop are all small convenience stores selling everything from sweets and milk to detergents and candles. Prices are normally a little inflated - irrespective of what Tahiera has written on the wall - and as a rule, we NEVER buy meat from this kind of store (even if it is an emergency) as one can never be sure how long the meat's really been in that fridge! :)

Mobile greengrocers

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Roadside fruit-sellers
If you drive around Cape Town's suburbs or out into the winelands, you are bound to come across guys like these selling fresh fruit at the side of the road or at an intersection.

I don't often buy from them, but not because I think their produce is no good or their prices are too high (to be honest, I couldn't tell you how their prices compare to those of the supermarkets). It's really just a personal preference - because of the way my mind works, I find it easier to buy all my groceries in one place. Perhaps I should make a little pact with myself to buy something from the next roadside fruit-seller I see, just for the experience. :-)

One thing I do know, from being invited to buy their products when I'm stopped at the traffic lights, is that the first price they quote you is very seldom the price they actually expect you to pay. Most times, when I indicate that I don't want to buy, they'll immediately drop their price, saying something like, "Today, just for you, I'll make it TWO for [insert original price here]." So next time I think I'll take them up on that Special Deal that's Just For Me and Only For Today. ;-)

The best place to be in a heatwave…

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Escalators

... is in an air-conditioned shopping mall, of course. The temperature here has been hovering around 38 degrees Celsius for the last two days (for our overseas readers, that's equivalent to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit). In a word: HOT. This kind of heat is stifling and extremely draining, and there's really very little one can do to keep cool. Escape is the best option. :)

Onward and upward

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Spiral staircase

Believe it or not, Cape Town Daily Photo turned two yesterday, and we almost forgot all about it! It was only when we heard that it was South African social media site Zoopy.com's second birthday today that we remembered that it was ours too. Since we really love and admire the team over at Zoopy, I stopped by their offices to drop off some age-appropriate birthday goodies this afternoon. They in turn gave me as much cake as I could eat... and then some more to take home. :) (Here's a photo to prove it.)

I almost can't believe that we've been running this blog for two years already. It really does seem like just a few months ago that we were so warmly welcomed into the City Daily Photo community, following our first post. And just so you know, we have no intention of stopping any time soon - certainly not while there is still so much of this beautiful city left to explore.

(By the way, in case you're puzzling over what to give us as a birthday gift, nominations have opened for the 2009 South African Blog Awards. I'm just saying. ;-) )

We’re loving summer

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The Waterfront at night
Today was exceptionally hot; even now as the clock is about to tick over into a new day I'm absolutely baking here in my office.

Hot, quiet and windless evenings like this make Capetonians head for the outdoors. While we were at the Waterfront watching the sun slowly fade into an array of pastel colours, hundreds of people would have been meeting up with friends on various beaches around the peninsula, many would have been walking up Signal Hill, and yet others would have been catching a ride to the top of Table Mountain.

Another perfect summer's eve in Cape Town...

Don’t even think about stopping

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No-stopping sign

In the background of this photo you can see the arches of the Provincial Legislature Building, which houses the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. The building is located in Wale Street, more or less opposite Mandela Rhodes Place.

If you see a sign like the one in the foreground, it means that you cannot stop your vehicle at the side of the road - even if it's just to pick someone up or drop someone off. This particular sign is a temporary one (they were doing some work at the side of the road and presumably didn't want anyone stopping while they were busy), but the markings on a permanently mounted No Stopping sign would be identical.

Mandela Rhodes Place

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Mandela Rhodes Place

Mandela Rhodes Place is an upmarket mixed-use development located in one of the oldest parts of the city (very close to the Company's Garden, in fact).

About four or five years ago the idea of inner-city living began to regain some popularity in Cape Town, and one of the most notable developments that originated during that period was Mandela Rhodes Place. The developers, Eurocape, restored several old buildings on the corner of Wale Street and Burg Street, the idea being to preserve the facades and historical architecture of these buildings, while entirely revamping the interiors.

Mandela Rhodes Place was launched in November 2006, and now houses a number of luxury apartments, a 5-star hotel, a winery, retail stores, restaurants, cocktail bars and coffee shops. I've only been there twice (at night on both occasions), but I must say, I love the atmosphere inside - it's quiet and stylish, with a real feeling of spaciousness.

Cricket fans – the post-match stampede

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Cricket fans at Sahara Park Newlands

The past weekend saw our province's cricket team, the Cape Cobras, play two matches against KwaZulu-Natal's Nashua Dolphins, with each side winning one of the matches.

I can't say that I'm the hugest cricket fan, but there is something to be said for the atmosphere generated at cricket and rugby games held at Newlands. If you're ever in Cape Town around the time of a cricket or rugby match it's a worthwhile outing to attend one - even if only for an hour. Tickets are pretty cheap and can be bought online at Computicket - although you'll have to collect them beforehand at one of the Computicket outlets (see the website for details).

Tickets can also be bought at the gates, but depending on the particular match tickets might get sold out quickly - so online is generally the best option.

Black Day, a contrast to Valentine’s Day

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Lingerie Shop

Yesterday had most of Cape Town celebrating Valentine's Day - restaurants were fully booked, and parties all over Cape Town were buzzing. While we were driving to the friend's party that I spoke of yesterday, Kerry-Anne spotted this lingerie shop in Kloofnek Road. Isn't it an awesome display?

To get back to the title of this post - and for the sake of those who are single - did you know that in South Korea there's a tradition that on Black Day (14 April) single people get together for a meal of noodles with black bean sauce? That sounds like an awesome idea! Just imagine, a room full of single people... a room full of possibility. :)

Valentine’s Day

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Valentine's Day Car

With the way that flower wholesalers increase prices over the days leading up to Valentine's Day, I guess I'm lucky that Kerry-Anne doesn't like red roses. :)

I'd hazard a guess that Valentine's Day needs no introduction to most of the people reading this blog, so I'll not get into explaining its origin, except to mention that it has a definite Catholic heritage. What many will be surprised to know is that in Japan it's traditionally the woman's responsibility to give her partner hand-made chocolate on this day, whereas on White Day (14 March) the man traditionally reciprocates with gifts that are usually more than just chocolate!

For those of you who left messages to my dire plea for suggestions of what to do this evening, thank you! I ended up making a simple (really simple) dinner (twice), and setting the table with a single long candle and a hand-picked assortment of flowers. Later in the evening we got all dressed up and went out to a party at a friend's house in Cape Town. It was plenty of fun. :)

Obama in Cape Town

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Obama on a pillow

Now that he's spent a few weeks in the President's seat, I'd be interested to know how the American people feel about President Obama, and whether or not his presidency has already started to have a positive and tangible effect on the American spirit.

Keen-eyed Kerry-Anne spotted this pillow in a shop window just a little way from St. George's Mall in Cape Town. What are the chances of finding an Obama pillow in Cape Town? I mean, the chance that one would find a pillow with a photo of any other American president in Cape Town would be fairly slim...

Wherever you walk in Cape Town, there's a huge chance that at some or other point you'll see a statue, photo, painting, or some other work of art as a tribute to Nelson Mandela. This store might be aiming to sell this pillow to an American visitor, but I think it says something about our country's perception of the significance of President Obama's election.

PS. Oh, and President Obama, when you discover this post some day, know that I think I speak for most of Cape Town when I say that you and your family are welcome to stop over any time. :)

Sailing the seas on Valentine’s Day

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Overlooking the ocean

In the distance, far out of focus, you can see a ship floating in Table Bay. This got me thinking about the last time that I was on a large ship - and then I realised that I've never been out to sea on a large ship. With Valentine's Day just a few days away I started looking around for things to do and came across the 2-day "starlight cruise" on the MSC Rhapsody. The ship leaves from Cape Town and takes a trip along the coast, to nowhere in particular, and then returns.

Unfortunately this cruise is out of the question right now, but we'll have to make a point of doing this some time soon. For now, to solve the immediate problem of Valentine's Day, I've started making enquiries at restaurants that are "doing something special" for the evening. It would seem however that if one is to find a good spot for the evening in Cape Town then it's advisable to book more than 11 days in advance. It seems as though many places are already fully booked. :(

Greenery

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Greenhouse at Montebello

This is the greenhouse at the Montebello Design Centre (have a look at yesterday's post to see the signpost that points visitors here). It's apparently one of the oldest greenhouses in South Africa, and is now home to a nursery.

Do click on the photo to enlarge it so that you can see all the tiny treasures filling the greenhouse.

February Theme Day: Paths and Passages

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Pathways

While Kerry-Anne watched another Standard Bank Pro20 cricket match at Sahara Park Newlands this afternoon, I spent some time reading IT strategy documents in between sips of coffee (and beer:)) at the little restaurant at Montebello. The document, discussing strategic direction, was coincidentally in line with today's City Daily Photo theme of Paths and Passages. I spotted this signpost just as I was leaving, and thought it would be an interesting take on the theme.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

They’re not a band, they’re the police

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Police officers

I can't understand how people justify tossing cigarette butts from their car window. Fairly frequently I'll be stopped behind someone at a traffic light, or driving behind a car on the highway and I'll see a burning cigarette butt being tossed from the window.

People who do this make me angry because it's well known that Cape Town is susceptible to bush fires that take over large fields, stretches alongside highways and huge parts of Table Mountain, leading to people and animals dying, property being destroyed and an assortment of other incidents, from vehicle accidents to theft. It seems as though people don't think carefully enough about the consequences of their actions until it's too late.

If you see someone tossing a cigarette butt from their window, give the 24-hour Emergency Control Centre a call on 021 424 7715. You'll be asked for your name and contact number as well as the description and registration number of the vehicle involved so that the case can be investigated.

Rules of the road

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Traffic lights

So there are rules of the road and rules of the road, and every once in a while for some (and more frequently for others!) these rules get tested and broken.

The council is busy re-tarring and widening the R300 road (between the N1 and N2 highways). For some time I've noticed what looked like speed cameras along the road (only a couple of kilometres apart), but since I could see no flash nearby I assumed that the cameras were not yet working.

Only yesterday did I learn that cameras that don't require a flash were being tested in our province! They apparently take photos of every car that passes by and use the time that it takes the vehicle to move between the two cameras to determine its average speed.

Now, I was recently in an awful hurry to get to the airport... let's see what the mail holds in store. :-/

Have you paid for your parking?

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Parking paid

The blurry sign that you see in this photo reminds clients of this shopping centre to pay for their parking before exiting to the boom-gates. I still remain unconvinced that shopping centres aren't ripping us off by forcing us to pay for parking. Certain centres provide free open-air parking and paid undercover parking, leaving customers to decide whether or not they are prepared to pay for some shade from the African sun. This particular centre has no free parking.

I find paying to spend money at a shopping centre much like being charged to walk into a restaurant and look at the menu. I guess the shopping centre wins though - I still shop there regardless.

Gugulethu Tenors

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Gugulethu Tenors
I had not heard of the Gugulethu Tenors until I saw them performing at the open-air Willowbridge shopping mall today. Their style of music, much like that of Luciano Pavarotti or Placido Domingo, isn't really my cup of tea, though I have to admit that these guys delivered a sterling performance.

I think I must have had my head in the sand for the past few years, because it seems as though these township-born tenors have quite some reputation, and have even performed for the likes of Oprah Winfrey.

The guys look very casual in this photo, but they look quite different when dressed up in their suits and ties - take a look at their website to see what I mean. Because of where I was when I shot this photo I was unable to get the fourth tenor in the photo - he was unfortunately right next to a huge pillar that was blocking my view.

Woolworths?

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Woolworths

While visiting Australia a few years back we discovered that Woolworths in South Africa is quite unlike Woolworths in other parts of the world. The South African Woolworths started off as a upmarket clothing store - not like the Woolworths food shop that non-South Africans know. Slowly over the years it's become more affordable, and today caters for middle to high income groups.

I mentioned that the store started off as a clothing store; they then later branched out into homeware. A number of years ago the company introduced a food department supplying carefully graded, high-quality foods. These days we even have petrol stations (service stations) with small on-site Woolworths convenience stores that are open 24 hours a day. They're awesome - and a great step up from the often-dodgy convenience stores found at many other petrol stations.

Dust off that bicycle, the Argus is nigh

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Man on a bicycle

There are only 52 days left until the 100km+ Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour. It's around this time of year that guys around South Africa start remembering bets made and lost. You know the kind: "Oh please, I bet you can't get that fire started without firelighters. If you do, I swear I'll ride the Argus next year."

And so, with dread, they start thinking about dusting off their bicycles, so that they can practise at least a few kilometres in the saddle before honouring their lost bet. Guys do say so many foolish things after a few drinks. :)

Break glass, press here

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Fire alarm

Shopping malls and many other large buildings have fire alarms similar to this one. Don't you find that you just want to press on the glass? Every time I see one of these I have to hold myself back and stop myself from pressing that button. In fact, it took much restraint on my part not to press this one while trying to take the photo. I guess it's much like a dieting woman holding a slab of Lindt chocolate... irresistible. Well, almost irresistible.

The fire alarm in my office building is cleverly covered by a plastic flap that one would have to lift to expose the glass "button". It's a good thing too - I walk past this alarm 10 or 15 times each day.

Does it rain in January?

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Tractor in the rain
Perhaps it's because January and February are normally so hot that I was surprised by the rain that we had today. I googled "cape town rainfall" and discovered a few sites showing that the Western Cape's historical rainfall is about 11mm in the month of January, increasing each month until it peaks at about 98mm in June, and then decreasing again to 13mm in December.

Our province experienced heavy water restrictions a couple of years ago and at the time it seemed as though everyone was installing well-points or bore-holes. I even tried to install one myself - this makes for an entertaining story. :)

At the time talk was going around that the government was considering placing restrictions, or perhaps levies, on the use of ground water for residential irrigation, due to the impact that the increased and uncontrolled use of ground water could have on the province's water table, and consequently on natural vegetation.

Read this interesting article for more information about the origin and use of groundwater in Cape Town.

Bubble-people

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Aqua zorbing
I've always wanted to go zorbing in the hills of Rotorua in New Zealand - it's right up there with skydiving, learning French, and writing a book, on my list of lifetime goals. I was tempted to try this mini-version of zorbing at the V&A Waterfront on New Year's Eve, but I suspect it wouldn't have been quite as much fun as the real thing.

The kids that were playing in these giant plastic balls seemed to be having a pretty good time though, rolling and tumbling along on the surface of the water. Have you ever been zorbing? Is it as much fun as I think it would be?

New Year’s Eve at the V&A Waterfront

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Crowds at the V&A Waterfront

As I said in yesterday's post, it really was busy at the V&A Waterfront last night. If you're familiar with the Waterfront then you'll likely remember the narrow swinging bridge at the Clock Tower. This crowd on the Clock Tower side was trying to change places with a similarly large crowd on the other side.

Speaking of the Clock Tower: in case you don't know what it is, the Clock Tower was the old port master's watchtower, built in the late 1800s when the harbour was still full of old-style sailing ships.

The tower houses a huge clock (hence the name "Clock Tower"), which was about 5 minutes slow on New Year's Eve. The crowd on our side of the harbour must have been watching the tower because only when a roar of cheering was heard from the other side of the harbour did our side erupt with the realisation that 2009 had arrived at last.

Another revolution

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Ferris wheel at the Cape Town Waterfront

With no particular plans for seeing the new year in, Kerry-Anne and I went through to the Cape Town Waterfront to join the thronging crowds watching the annual fireworks display. We bought tickets for a ride on this ferris wheel just before midnight and watched the new year approach from several metres above the ground.

You may notice that only the "W" in "Ferris Wheel" was lit. As we boarded the giant wheel I wondered whether or not I should be concerned that the ride operators were not even able to keep all the lights in working order... :)

In closing, thanks for spending the last year with us; we've certainly enjoyed ourselves and hope that you've enjoyed sharing in Cape Town each day. We wish you an exciting and fun-filled 2009 with much love, joy and peace!

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