The Next Chapter: Day 547 - Bamboo & Royalty

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Day 547 - Bamboo & Royalty

Posted by Jill Marie

One of these days we will venture out & do something productive with our time in South Africa. But not today.

Jaco & I walked downtown again & he told me about the old houses that used to be here & there & Cape Dutch architecture. We talked about the changes in the streets & buildings in the past 2 years since I've last been in Hermanus. It's quite shocking how much has changed!

We stopped in a few shops & I managed to find some Ocean Minded shoes. I bought a pair last time I was in South Africa & I was quite excited to find Ocean Minded flip flops! After the sight of things in Bonaire, I vowed to never buy another pair of crappy shoes that might end up on the shores of some beautiful beach. I would encourage you to do the same! If you remember my post from Bonaire, you'll see the garbage on the shore & there were MANY flip flops. Check out Ocean Minded if you need some comfy & Earth Happy shoes.

The shops were closing at 1700 promptly, so Jaco & I headed outside & found ourselves on the rocks watching the waves crash in. Jaco climbed way out to the water's edge. I was a bit more cautious & didn't go out so far. I knew the tide was coming in, so I stayed put. Sure enough, the tide came in & he had to do some swift climbing in order to avoid the icy cold water! He had been entertaining himself with urchins & other sea creatures in the pools created by waves earlier in the day. And bless his heart. He holds up a piece of kelp & says, 'Look! Fresh bamboo!' I do love him so.

After our ocean exploration, we walked over to a restaurant along the water's edge nestled in a cave. We wandered in, ignored by a few staff & finally stood in front of the cashier's station. Finally someone asked if they could help us & I asked if we could see a menu. He handed us a menu, we sat on a little ledge & paged through the menu. There were some scrumptious looking shrimp on the menu, so we decided to order. We waited for someone to return to us & take our order. When a few minutes passed, we went & sat at a table. A few more minutes passed. Nothing. Finally I walked up to the bar & asked if I could order some shrimp. The girl looked at me as if I were dense & told me the kitchen was closed & they were closing. It was 6 pm on a Saturday evening. No shrimp for me.

And now it's becoming crystal clear why businesses change so often in Hermanus & why they struggle to stay afloat. They are never open! What restaurant closes at 6 pm on the Saturday of a long weekend?! Crazy!

Walking back to the house, we enjoyed a delicious stir-fry made by Jaco's Mom & then we watched a lengthy program on the upcoming Royal Wedding. Wow. They really have the world captivated, don't they? I must admit, I'm reliving the 'Princess' dream just watching the hype! I suppose I'll have to tune in on the 29th & see what transpires!

With that, I'm off to bed... Much love & enjoy your Easter weekend...

xxxxMaria