A Tiny Bite of South Africa - Cape Town and Surrounds, Christmas in Durban

15 to 27 December, 2019 - Cape Town, Gansbaai, Boulders Beach, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Durban - (South Africa)



Cape Town has been a wonderful and relaxing place to begin our Southern Africa adventure. Working up until the day of departure, we arrived exhausted, from both the journey, as well as the hectic pace in Melbourne. Straight to our
Bnb, an afternoon orientation and a few drinks, an early-ish night, and we crashed till the following morning. Jet-lag conquered, we were on South Africa time after that first night.

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Balcony View, Cape Town
Panorama vista from our Balcony in Gardens, Cape Town. The view far exceeds our expectations when we booked!

Unfortunately, the glorious weather depicted did not stay with us for our entire Cape Town visit, but c'est la vie, especially la vie travelling!

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So, rather than talking about things sequentially, lets start with the day trips out and about.

Day trip number 1 - sharks. From Gansbaai. This was supposed to happen later in our week, but wind forecasts had the operators worried about cancellations, so it was brought forward. A very early start had me picked up before 4:00 a.m. Breakfast at Gansbaai, and then out on the water.

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Dolphins Performed in the Bay
On our way out near Gansbaai.


Company for our Trip
Dolphins ride the bow of our boat as we travel out from Gansbaai.


Sharks Feeding
Salmon is thrown in the water to attract the sharks. We had around 18 Bronze Whalers visit during our time in the cage, although I think 6 or 7 were the most we had the same time.


A Pair Come By
Bronze Whaler Sharks, also known as Copper Sharks, or Narrow Tooth Sharks.


Shark Feeding
A Bronze Whaler Shark swallows some of the copious amounts of chum.


Out of Nowhere
When under water, you don't discern there is anything about, until it suddenly emerges right in front of you. Visibility was apparently not too bad, but we could barely see the tail when we were looking at the head... Visibility: 2 to 3 metres, then.

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Sharks Video 1
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Sharks Video 2
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Sharks Video 3
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Later in the week, we hired a car for a couple of days. One day to the south, and one day to the east. Rough and rugged to the Cape of Good Hope. Relaxed and classy to visit wineries.

Our favourite winery (not pictured in the blog) was Leopard's Leap. We bought 5 bottles, and I am hoping we will consume them relatively quickly as I don't want to haul them around for the rest of the trip! However, it was way too difficult to say no. Especially at the price. Let's just say that we thought the price was per glass, not per bottle! Anyway, we do have some relies we are seeing soon and hope to share with them at Christmas.

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Cold and Windswept
That applies to us and the penguins.


Out of a Gap
Emerging from a gap between two rocks, this cute penguin was cautious, but not too perturbed, by our presence.


Penguin at Boulders Beach


These Two Know Each Other
It is so easy to anthropomorphise this interaction, that I will let each of you create your own meaning from the image.


Another Penguin Couple


Boulders Beach Crowd


Our Cats Do this Pose
A rock hyrax, or as the locals call them, a dassie. Looking something like a small wombat, with a quokka's head.


Dassie Face


Ostrich, Roadside
On our way through the National Park to the Cape of Good Hope.


On a Rocky Ledge
High above the Cape of Good Hope, there is a viewpoint that can be climbed to.


Jo, Cape of Good Hope


Self Explanatory Photo


Wine Tasting Beneath a 300 Year Old Oak


Boschendal Winery

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The rest of our week and a bit? Well, there were numerous coffees, lunches about, fine dinners and picnics. We slacked on the balcony, and passed time in parks.

Of course, we did heaps of stuff in between all that, but we didn't put ourselves out too much...

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Speampunk Coffee
Walking around town, we stumbled across Truth Coffee Roasting.

Steampunk themed, with pressed metal decorations, and exposed pipes in the large space. Wait staff with vintage styled vests and top hats, flying goggles and more.

The coffees available were intriguingly described. They included brewing, roasting, and preparation details that I found difficult to comprehend the significance there-of. However, somebody out there must feel those minor nuances make the result a better cup of coffee.


By Mandela's Side
Jo gives moral support to Nelson Mandela as he delivers a speech at City Hall, Grand Parade, Cape Town.


Bo Kaap
Colourful houses are the norm for the Bo Kaap neighbourhood of Cape Town.


Bunny Chow
A hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry (lamb in this case). More of a Durban dish, but available here in Cape Town.


Seal
In the Cape Town harbour, seals swim and bask. Dodging the ferries and tour boats in the water, and then lounging in the sun on platforms that keep them a little isolated from the passing crowds.


Mandela's Cell, Robben Island
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."

Jo had a real connection, here, as she teaches Invictus as a Year 12 text.

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All too quickly, the time in Cape Town was over. A hop over to Durban, for Christmas with my cousin, Sharon, and family. It was amazing how quickly we picked up from where we left off, 4 years ago. Tony fired up the braai on day one, where 7 or 8 varieties of meat were represented. Already we were discussing whether we would have enough space left for Christmas lunch in 2 days time!

But, incredibly, we did. Sharon had an amazing menu planned. Three courses, times three cultures.

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Rob's Sweets and Biscuits
Jo with my cousin, Robert, in his shop in Durban.


Photo in a Frame
At Trail of Lights in Durban's Botanical Gardens.


At Trail Of Lights
In Durban's Botanical Gardens. Around 50% of the 2000 visitors (capped entry) seemed to know Sharon, Tony, or Norma!


Christmas Menu
Sharon went above and beyond, and we had the most amazing lunch! Our combined trio of cultures were well represented. Australian, South African, and Dutch.


Fun in the Kitchen


Post Christmas Lunch Slow Down
I avoided the temptation to sleep.

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Shanghai

17 to 21 April, 2019 - Shanghai - (China)



Some weeks ago, to get our visa for China, I had to present a hotel reservation. Under pressure, in the foyer, I booked a place online. Arriving in Shanghai fairly late, I must confess I was pleased to have accommodation to head to. It was a very disappointing place. I think I had a good price for the anticipated quality, but the service was somewhat, shall we say, underwhelming. The location was not great, and the poor service gave us the excuse we needed to move ourselves to a place that was way more in the thick of the action.

Temples and skyscrapers, glitzy shops and market stalls. We looked up at the skyscrapers, rabbited through the neighbourhoods, and admired it all from on top of the world. We saw the newest buildings and the old city walls.

We ate our way through Shanghai from sight to sight. We gnawed on frogs legs; dined on a few variations of duck; pork and fried rice and noodles; dozens of skewers for a couple of dollars; and so many dumplings, in soups and in steamers, on plastic chairs in establishments that care about food more than decor. We drank bubble tea in food courts; sipped sparkling at dizzying heights; drank happy hour beers in posh suburbs and a sly one on the Bund; teas and coffees punctuated our days.

Thank you, Shanghai, for four entertaining days on our way home.

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Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai
Photographing the wonderfully presented Jade Buddha was not allowed. So, here is a shot of some activity just outside.


Crab and Pork Dumplings
Jia Jia Tang Bao was listed on one site as probably the best dumplings in Shanghai. There was a warning about the line of people waiting, so we thought we would hit it kind-of off peak, missing the meal times by a bit. We still had to queue for about 15 minutes and wait another 10 or so for our order to be filled. Definitely, definitely, definitely worth the effort of getting here and most definitely worth the wait. Fantastic dumplings.


Men Playing Xiangqi
We walked through People's Park. There was an area where people sat around permanent stone tables, playing various games. There were numerous games of Mahjong, some of Xiangqi, and various card games. The most interesting thing, though, was the variety of participants. Not just older men. There were women playing, too. And there were younger people. Small groups gathered around each table, calling out advice and bantering with the players. It was a beautiful scene.


Shanghai Silhouette
Late afternoon, walking through one of the city parks. There are many interesting buidings in Shanghai, but the silhouette of this was particularly striking.


Nanjing Road
Early evening on Shanghai's Nanjing Road.


Xintiandi, Shanghai
Xintiandi is an area which is a mixture of restored shikumen, stone houses, and some new and rebuilt ones. The zone is now dominanted by upmarket restaurants and boutiques.


Pudong Skyline
The very Shanghai skyline, the Pudong area. The distinctive and iconic Oriental Pearl Tower at the left end, and to the right, the second tallest building in the world, the Shanghai Tower. The Shanghai World Financial Centre is also visible, nicknamed the bottle opener.


Zhujiajiao Old Town
Practically a suburb of Shanghai, Zhujiajiao was a lovely day trip. The old town is set out along canals that join the rivers and the nearby lake, and these canals are crossed by numerous old atmospheric bridges. Sure, the weekend crowds were maddening, making the narrow bridges almost dangerous. Those hordes were the main reason we didn't stay longer, but we had a wonderful time there and it was a perfect contrast to days in downtown Shanghai.


Selfie in Zhujiajiao


Champagne in a Shanghai Skyscraper
We decided to skip the observation decks, and visit the bar of the Park Hyatt on the 87th floor of the Shanghai World Financial Centre. It was cheaper, we got two glasses of bubbles, and there were no queues.


Shanghai Big 3
The 3 tallest buildings in Shanghai. The Shanghai World Financial Center on the left, where we had drinks this evening. Enormous twisting Shanghai Tower in the middle, 2nd tallest building in the world. Finally, the Jin Mao Tower on the right, a modern twist on a pagoda theme.


Leaving Shanghai on Maglev
The world's first high speed magnetic levitation train. Running for a large part of the journey out to Pudong airport, covering 30 km or so in about 8 minutes, it was a lot more relaxing than the metro.

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Taiwan, for 50

7 to 17 April, 2019 - Taipei, Jiufen, Hualien, Taroko, Tainan - (Taiwan)



There was not a particular call or reason for us to choose Taiwan for my 50th birthday. It seemed like a good 2 week destination, we could get here using frequent flyer points, and we have not been here before. Case closed.

Our first few days were spent in relative luxury. We wanted to be somewhere a bit special, and eat somewhere fancy, for the actual day. Being somewhere special was planned in advance, and we had a beautiful room with all the bells and whistles, boasting many more stars than we are used to seeing out our accommodations. Upon the realisation that it was my birthday, the delightful lady at the front desk exclaimed "We've got waffles!" The hotel presented me with said plate of waffles and fruit, and overall, we were made to feel like VIPs.

Dinner was a bit more last minute, in organisation. I stumbled across a recommendation for a restaurant on the 85th floor of Taiwan's 101 building, once the tallest building in the world. I contacted Shin Yeh dining in the morning, and we ate there that evening. It was a top notch day to celebrate 50 years.

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The View from our Table
50th birthday dinner on the 85th floor of Taipei's 101 building.


Jo and an Appetizer Plate
Various delicacies to start the meal, Shin Yeh 101.


Double-boiled Abalone, Pork Spare Rib, and Wolfberry
The hot appetizer for my 50th. There were 7 courses, some which had 3 or 4 different items. All in all, I think we had about 15 or so items to dine on. A bottle of red, and a couple of glasses of not-at-all-bad Japanese sparkling wine.


Fried Sea Bass with Sweet and Sour Sauce Adorned with Gold Foil
Fried fish - sounds like it will be the most boring of the items for dinner. Nah-ah. It was incredibly done, magnificently flavoured, and probably felt the most decadent because of the addition of gold.


101 Building Taipei
Where we ate dinner the previous evening. For some years, this was the tallest building in the world.

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The first days were in Taipei. Some temples and other popular sights were strung together on a long-ish walk. The changing of the guard was a lot more interesting than we had anticipated - we almost gave it a miss when the timing was a bit out. Glad we didn't.

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Temple Roof in Taipei
Qingshan Temple.


Gateway
Main approach to the Chian Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei.


Changing of the Guard
During the changing of the guard inside Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Some pomp, lots of ceremony, and more choreography than you would expect from the average soldier.


Reflection of the Hall Interior
I suspect these soldiers lose merit points if their helmets are not shiny enough.

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Real immersion in to Taiwan took place on the 2nd day. Firstly, the building swayed a bit while we were sitting up in bed in the morning. It was an earth tremor, which is quite common in Taiwan, apparently. And our second immersion moment was partaking of bubble tea. Milk tea with gelatinous balls. There seem to be quite a number of ways to have this, but we soon found that our preference strays even more from the basic bubble tea - we are kind-of hooked on bubble ice coffee...

One of Jo's students mentioned that Jiufen, east of Taipei, was her favourite place in Taiwan. We would probably have found it and gone in any case, but her recommendation really put it on our radar. Although, my greatest draw, I'm sure, was not hers. While Jiufen itself sounded worth a visit, and the nearby gold museum had a bar of gold I wanted to feel, I was intrigued by the remains of the 13 levels. This post-apocalyptic scene is an abandoned copper smelting plant, perched on a steep slope, stepping down to the sea. The dystopian landscape is quite photogenic.

We had not even looked for public transport options to get from Jiufen to the waterfall and ruins. We walked down, and then discovered that buses might have been an option. Facing a stiff uphill hike, we considered taking a bus back up, but with no timetable and little indication of frequency, we decided to do the right thing and leg ourselves back up. I think we got 80% of the way before the heavens opened. We arrived at the top, at the gold museum, looking like a pair of drowned rats. "You might like to buy an umbrella", a helpful person prompted.

Jiufen itself has some picturesque spots, a helping of atmosphere, and lots of food that is generally consumed in small bits and pieces. It is, unfortunately, touristy. To take a breath and gather our thoughts, we took a step out of the stream of people in the old street, to the side. In front of a shop selling tea and cakes, Jo was standing on the first stair, very wide stairs I might add, the full width of the shop. An assistant came out and smiled. "Can I help you?" she enquired. Jo replied, "Oh, no thank you, maybe something later." "Oh, could you please move on, then" came the very rude response - I think she even gestured in a shoo-ing kind of way.

We combined Jiufen with nearby Houtong, making a name for itself as Taiwan's cat village. We couldn't be this close and not stop by.

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Remains of the 13 Levels
Left behind after copper smelting stopped. Near Jiufen, Taiwan.


220.3 kg of Gold
Reputedly the largest bar of gold in the world.


Jiufen
The very photographed Jiufen Teahouse.


Old Street, Jiufen
Early in the Old Street of Jiufen, before the hordes flow in.


A Resident of Taiwan's Cat Village, Houtong
In recent years, the village of Houtong has reinvented itself somewhat. It has many spoilt cats, that are generally not owned by anyone but the village as a whole. As one sign said, this is where cats rule. There is all manner of cat themed merchandise available, and cat artwork. A cute stop in the northern part of Taiwan.

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On the east coast, the Taroko National Park is one of the most visited places in Taiwan, after Taipei. Well marked trails and regular public transport make it easy to visit and easy to appreciate. There are many tour buses, so some thought to timing is useful.

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Lunch Break


Swallow Grotto
Looking in to Swallow Grotto, part of Taroko Gorge.


Beware of Rockfalls
I would have thought that only 2, or maybe 3, pictograms would be needed to say "Beware of Rockfalls". 18? Are they saying "Beware of Rockfalls" in a very convoluted way?


High Above Lüshui
Looking down from the Lüshui-Wenshan Trail.


Beginning of the Baiyang Trail
The trail to the Baiyang waterfall passes through 7 or 8 tunnels. The first one is the longest, at almost 400 metres.


The River Below
Taroko National Park, along the Baiyang trail.


Suspension Bridge Near Baiyang Waterfall


Water Curtain Cave
In the water curtain cave, we did, predictably, encounter a curtain of water. It gushes in through a fissure in the tunnel ceiling, like a ruptured pipe.

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Back to Taipei, then high speed rail Tainan.

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Hayashi Department Store
Inside the beautifully restored Art Deco department store, Hayashi, in Tainan.


Tainan Street Food
Wonderful cabbage buns. When I first walked past, there were a dozen or so people queued and hot buns piled up. I thought, "this looks like something we should try". When I walked past again, 5 minutes later, there was no food, but lots of people milling - they were waiting for the next round. When we finally decided it was time to try, we came back to the corner. Our timing was great - a round of buns was due to come out, and the 15 or so people waiting were not going to take them all. We were allocated 2, given a number, and we only had a short wait. Yes, we could see why people queued for these.


South Gate
One of Tainan's old gates.


Taiwan High Speed Rail
Our transport from Tainan to Taipei.

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And finally, back to Taipei. A couple of days to just take things at a relaxed pace before leaving Taiwan.

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Wish we had Found This Place Sooner
Mala Hot Pot. Cash only. All you can eat. Top ingredients just flowed. Seafood including scallops, 2 types of squid, oysters, clams, 2 types of prawns, mussels. High quality thin slices of amazing meats including lamb, beef, bacon, pork. We added a bit of balance with mushrooms (6 types), corn, pumpkin, and a couple of other vegetables. We had a few dumplings and meat balls. We didn't have to resort to anything unidentifiable or anything offal. There was a table of dipping ingredients, and I made my own special mix which I was very proud of. Spring onions, chillies, garlic, Chinese soy sauce, sesame oil, and ground peanuts. We skipped the soup and curry, but had a few different cakes for dessert, and multiple scoops from the free flowing Häagen-Dazs.

I lost track of the number of glasses of red I drank, so lucky we didn't have to go far. The best thing about this place - it's in the basement of the building where our hotel is. Jo made me walk back up to the 7th floor.


Bronze Pouring Vessel
National Palace Museum, Taipei. A bronze water vessel with animal handle and human figure feet. From around 1000-1200 years ago.


Bao'an Temple
This temple was a calming and relaxing place to visit. Beautifully presented, and nicely laid out. Every few minutes, a plane would fly overhead, bound for nearby Songshan International Airport.


Millenium Hot Springs
The Millenium Hot Springs are the public sprints of Xinbeitou. Entry is around 2 dollars Australian, and gives you anywhere up to 2 hours in the springs (it closes multiple times during the day for a half hour for cleaning). They are a good balance between rustic and developed. Not so basic that you have mud squealching as you walk around, but no so much concrete that you feel like you're at the Keilor (or Strathmore) Baths.

We pretty much stuck to the cooler pool - 35-40 degrees. I ventured for a very small time in the hottest (42-45) but I didn't find it at all pleasant. The day was a bit cooler, and we had a few moments of very light drizzle. This actually made the day perfect. Much hotter, and I think our time in the baths would have dropped to less than 30 minutes. We spent a bit over an hour, there, and although there were a handful of foreigners, it felt basically like a locals experience.

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