Shells ‘n seagulls
Tag Archives: sea
Launching your kayak
The root cause of his troubles appeared to be his paddles getting caught up in seaweed and in so doing dragging the slimy green substance into the kayak, over his feet. That caused enough delay and distraction to allow time for the oncoming waves to push his kayak back against the shore, restarting the entire process of dismounting from the vessel, lining it up, hopping in and paddling like a frenzied cat in an icy pond of water.
I kinda wanted to cheer as on his fourth or fifth attempt he managed to break free and overcome the waves.
A sun on the horizon
Camps Bay’s Atlantic Ocean
Reflecting the moon
Tobago’s Restaurant at the Radisson
On to my review. The service was perfect, and as mentioned, the venue was spectacular. I found the restaurant's menu to be very limited - which, in retrospect, was probably a good thing given my incredible indecisiveness when presented with an extensive menu. Even though the choices were limited, the lack of option was more than adequately made up for by the quality of the food - it was truly outstanding. We ordered dessert after our main meal, which I'm sad to say never lived up to (not even came close to) the standard set by the main meal. The waffles were a little soft, and the meager portion of ice cream not particularly tasty. It's a shame that our evening ended on that note, but still, I'd certainly recommend Tobago's, with caution to avoid the waffles if you're a connoisseur I believe as I am. :)
A little bay called Bantry Bay
Ships at sea
Passing of time – Bantry Bay
Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town
This side of the peninsula is completely different to the Atlantic Seaboard (ie. the Sea Point / Camps Bay area), and in some way reminds me of a few of the small sea-side fishing towns that we visited in Brittany, France.
Sea Point seas
Rough seas, cold winds
I arrived at Three Anchor Bay at about noon. Even though it wasn't raining, the high winds and crashing waves were sending plenty of spray into the air. I parked in one of the available parking bays, and as I did a wave broke against the breakwater, sending a torrent of water cascading over my car (not the most ideal thing, given how salt water aids corrosion). So, learning my lesson, I reversed and parked somewhat further from where the breakwater.
Extracting myself from the warm car, into the icy wind and wet sea spray, was far from the most pleasurable experience I've had. I took a careful walk to the edge of the promenade, snapped a few photos and dashed back into my car before the next large wave broke. I spent the next hour a little further along towards Mouille Point, walking along the promenade taking photos while the cold wind howled, waves crashed, and people stared (at this silly photographer wondering about in the cold).
That’s my secret Captain, I’m always angry.
Even though the ocean may appear calm on a given day, it turns violent faster than you can say "Jack Robinson, hand me that pole". In the same way that you'd be careful when encountering a placid-looking lion relaxing in the afternoon sun, it's a good idea to bear this angry scene in mind and take care when encountering the ocean. Remember, the ocean's always angry. :)
Compare these two photos of Three Anchor Bay with the ones below - quite a different vibe, hey?
A peaceful seaside evening
Sea Point at night
Bruce Banner and Three Anchor Bay
Even though it looks nice and peaceful when the tide's low and the seas are calm - this little bay easily turns into a ball of raging fury. Take a look at the photo of the same bay posted here.
Doesn't this spot remind you a little of Dr Bruce Banner? :)
On the rocks – Three Anchor Bay
After spending 10 minutes out on the rocks, amidst the peaceful lapping of the waves, I realised that it was probably time to return to the promenade before the light disappeared completely and I ended up in trampling over rocks and though puddles on all-fours trying to find dry land.
Winter, though chilly, can be very beautiful in Cape Town.
Winter sunset
A distant Simon’s Town
Three guys on a rock
After several minutes the guys caught sight of the lifeguard, realised that it was getting dark, and headed back to shore.
Summer evenings at the beach
It was really, really, hot at Moonstruck
Read more about Cape Talk, the NSRI, and Moonstruck in my previous post.
Lifeguards in training
Now, obviously it's just silly to generalize like that, and even though the myth isn't true I'd have to guess that it holds at least some merit and that a much higher percentage of white people, vs. black, are able to swim.
I'd love some perspective on this from any of our black readers, so please leave a comment below if you have an opinion on the subject.
Kite surfing at Big Bay
I wonder how regular beach-goers feel about having surfers wiz past with pointy boards at break-neck speeds. I'd probably rather find an alternative spot to swim. :)
Girl-friends at the beach
Imagine being an alien…
Imagine being an alien and arriving at earth to observe our race. Assuming that (a) aliens exist, and (b) their world doesn't have the concept perfect beach weather, wouldn't our practice of spending time at the beach look kinda odd?
Hit the beach early!
You may agree that these are great reasons to get to the beach super early - like before 9am! While the reasons I mention are good ones the best reason of all is that it's a good idea to get your naked skin out of the sun between 11am and 4pm.
It's easy to forget that our sun is more harsh these days than it was 10 or 15 years ago. I remember as a kid not having to pay as much attention to the sun's ravaging rays; I guess the scientists who made such a big thing of the depletion of the atmosphere's ozone layer had a point. :(
I'm not partial to leathery skin, I don't relish the thought of skin cancer, and I kinda like the look of untanned skin - which is why I always use SPF30+ sunscreen when spending time outdoors. If you don't already, it's probably a good idea for you to do the same. :)
Sea geese
Click on the photo to see the large version - isn't the fluffy liddl' gosling cute? :)
A pale sunset
The perfect surf-ski launching spot
