Day 543 - Dr. Singh & Henko & Mia

Today Jaco & I went to an appointment in Cape Town. We went to Health Nation to see Dr. Singh. He is a Medical Doctor & I have been seeking someone to help Jaco & I with our diet/lifestyle as we both seem to struggle from time to time. Additionally we are both adjusting to being around each other on a more permanent basis, so I thought this would benefit us both! Since Jaco is also a Doctor, I knew he would appreciate the fact that Dr. Singh was a certified Physician & not just 'another' Naturopath. 


Dr. Singh has an interesting approach. He believes strongly in the diet affecting health. He used to work at a centre for people with eating disorders. He noticed how diet affected the health & success of the patients with eating disorders & wondered why the rest of the medical realm didn't apply the same principles.  Here's hoping we can find some solutions.


When we plotted our journey to Cape Town on google maps, I found a potentially fatal flaw.  Google maps gives you the shortest route possible. Not necessarily the safest route. It routed us straight through the heart of the townships. Sigh. I'm not from here. Maybe it would be safe, maybe it wouldn't. But a fool should err on the side of caution, no? Thus, we ended up driving a fair distance to skirt the questionable area. 


I think Jaco was a bit apprehensive about our appointment, as he made a few *wrong* turns, had to stop for a break & didn't seem too rushed to leave on time. Thankfully we were there in time. When we walked in, Dr. Singh appeared from a doorway across the room. He had to duck under the doorjamb. He was that tall. 6'8" to be precise. I don't know if I've ever met someone so tall. Incredible!


Our session with him was wonderful. He didn't try to sell us hundreds of dollars worth of supplements from the first session. He requested blood work & spoke on a level that both Jaco & I were able to understand. We'll meet with him again to set up a plan to assist us both & I can't wait! If you're in the Cape Town area, I'd highly suggest seeing him! Even if you're not, he can work via Skype & email.


After our appointment we drove towards the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. It is a modern, stylish & sophisticated area with shops, restaurants, theatre & aquarium in one location. On our way, we drove past the rugby & cricket stadiums, the University, and the new football stadium used in the 2010 World Cup. We didn't stay too long at the V&A, as it was getting late & we wanted to stop & see Johan & Suzaan & the kids. We'll come back again to the Waterfront, I'm sure!


By the time we arrived, unannounced, Mia, the newest addition to the family, was already in bed. We snuck a quick peek at the sleeping beauty. What a head of hair! Henko was still up & he has grown so much! Wow! He is adorable! He even remembered me! I was impressed, as it's been about 2 years since I've seen him. Jaco & I brought him a little toy that makes soldiers out of your toast & has a little Humpty Dumpty guy that holds your egg so you can dip the soldiers in the yolk. Thankfully there was a chocolate egg inside, as I later found out from Grandma that Henko is allergic to eggs! Whoops!


We had a great visit with Suzaan & Johan. I hope we'll make it back there again soon - during the day time so we can see Mia! If all goes well, I'll attempt some photos of Mia & Henko. They are too cute for words! We finally left their house about 2230. I think they were ready for bed long before that! Two little ones will definitely steal your energy! Oh boy!


Back to Hermanus about 2330, we headed for bed. But not before a quick chat with Mom. She has yet to understand that when she's in the mood for a visit, it's 2 in the morning over here! Love you Mom!


xxxxMaria

As we say back home, 'He's a TALL drink of water!' 

 The rugby stadium

 One of the entrances

 The Cricket stadium

 I wish I had long eyelashes!

 The Sea Point Stadium where the 2010 World Cup was played!

 Other side of Sea Point Stadium

Henko & the dog crashed!

Day 224 - Last Day With My Baby

I'd like to say it was a crummy day, as it was the last time I will see my husband for many weeks, but, we actually had a really great day!


When I had joined the ship, we were in port from 0600-1400. Today we were in port from 1200-1800. That left me plenty of time to pack in the morning, which didn't take me long at all & I even had space in the 2nd bag! (Miracle!)


Jaco had arranged with Reuben to go ashore. They take turns, but sometimes special exceptions are made. We went off about 1230-ish & took a cab downtown. We walked to Karen's work & had a great visit with her. She was happy to see Jaco & we talked her ear off until her clients popped in for a meeting. 


We went to Shopper's Drug Mart so Jaco could pick up a few snacks for the ship, Chapters so he could read the (very expensive) foreign sports magazines, and then to Rebar, the healthy cafe Karen introduced me to awhile back. I ordered a juice - orange, apple, lemon & ginger. Jaco liked it so much we ordered two more. He was watching the gal who rang our order through & if she washed the rubber gloves she was wearing after she handled the money. He recently did a food safety course, so he's quite keen on it! Luckily it was another gal who did the juicing! Unfortunately when they put our drinks on the table, the lids weren't on properly. The rubber glove gal attempted to put the lids on tight & managed to SMASH the plastic cup of juice & it exploded everywhere! They made us another juice & away we went...


We took a cab back to the ship & I got my bags ready. We said a sad goodbye & headed up to the gangway. As I walked away from the ship, I looked behind me... Jaco always waves goodbye & waits until I am out of sight. I love that he does that. It makes me feel loved. I wish everyone could have a husband like him. He's just plain wonderful. 


I walked to the Pilot's Station to wait for the Airporter shuttle I had arranged the day before. The gentleman on the phone had told me approximately where it was, but I couldn't get a good idea in my head, so I googled it. Amazingly enough, I found it. But the cool part was the street view. I could actually read the sign on the door that told me it was, in fact, the Pilot's Station! Crazy! 


I rode out to the airport & waited for about 25 minutes before I went through security. They were very friendly today! It was a great experience. Of course, I flew with Westjet & they were just as wonderful as always. I had checked in about 10 minutes after the flight had opened up the day before, so I managed to get a seat in the second row, which was perfect for deplaning. I sat next to a couple from Duncan who were on their way to the East Coast for a holiday. They had lived in Saskatchewan for awhile, but then moved out West. They love it! The wife & I watched So You Think You Can Dance & giggled & cried the whole flight to Calgary. Did you see the fellow who has scoliosis & dances like a robot?? Wow! 


Mom was there to pick me up & the dogs were in the truck waiting for us. Valentina happy pee'd all over the concrete, but once we were in the truck, she could care less about me. Hmpf. Guess I deserved that. I'm hoping she'll get over it soon!


Thankfully the snow was gone & it wasn't as cold as I had prepared myself for. Here's hoping that summer is here. Soon. Now please.


Sweet dreams & here's to a wonderful warm summer...
Maria & Valentina
xooxoxooxoxxoxo

Waiting for more juice.

This one's for Uncle Jerry...

Parliament buildings

Adieu, Sea Princess

It's no South African flag, but...

Just like Google!

I saw three ships come sailing in...

Beautiful seaside walk

The last spot I saw Jaco... :o(

Flying home...

Day 220 - And There He Is!!!

Why do mornings always come so soon? I never get enough sleep! Unless I go to bed at 9 or something! I was nice & toasty under the covers, so I wasn't excited to get out! However, Karen & Werner have in-floor heating in the bathroom downstairs, so my tootsies were toastie if nothing else!!! I regret not taking a photo of their bathroom! It looks so awesome! Next time!!! 


The shower even has a corner cupboard to keep shampoos, soaps, etc. What a clever idea! The soap doesn't get soggy that way! And they have a smart flush toilet. I remember I saw my first water saving toilet in Australia. Another ingenious idea. Why doesn't Canada have these toilets EVERYWHERE!


Anyhow, finally out of the loo & ready for the day, I packed up the rest of my stuff, including my hard drive that Werner so wonderfully loaded with movies & shows! Yay! (More Big Bang Theory!)


We hit the road & headed for downtown Victoria. We were stopping at the grocery store for a few items I wanted for the ship & then to Booster Juice for a smoothie. Thank you for the Canadian Colada, btw! Stinkers!


We headed for the ship, but our route was slightly altered. Apparently there was a bike race in town today. No biggie. My heart started to race a little when I couldn't see the ship. I had fleeting moments of panic. Did I get the day wrong? Was he here yesterday? I hadn't checked my emails! What if I missed him!? And then, there it was! I could breathe a sigh of relief! It was the right day & my baby was just a few moments away! Yippee!


Werner parked in his usual spot - they've visited the pier many times before! Either to visit his brother, Nico, or Nico's girlfriend, Talia, or dropping me off to see Jaco... We all hugged goodbye & I told them I'd see them in a few days when the ship was back. They watched from the pier until I'd made it onto the ship. (See photo below & try to find them!) :o) 


Of course, everyone was more concerned about Valentina & her whereabouts than they were me. The disappointment in their eyes when I told them she was at home for training!  Once onboard, I couldn't find Jaco! The paging system wasn't working & he didn't answer his door! He had told me a few days before that he might try & go ashore, but the A-Pass system said he was still onboard. 


Finally he answered his phone. He'd been in the shower! Oh, it was so good to see him again! I swear he gets more & more handsome each time I see him! We had a wonderful visit for the afternoon & then it was clinic time for him. He was VERY busy this cruise & there was no end in sight! I ventured upstairs to find Eddie. 


Oh he has quite the dramas... Apparently US Customs & Border Patrol decided to pick on him when the ship was in San Francisco last. There were a few Argentinian crew members on a completely different cruise line that jumped ship in San Francisco a week or so ago. CBP decided to make ALL Argentinian crew stay onboard for an unknown period of time. Because if all my friends jumped off the bridge, I would too. Oh the lack of common sense drives me batty! To make matters worse, Canadian CBP held him onboard today in Victoria. Why? Because the US CBP told them to! Ridiculous! Hopefully he'll get his I-95 back soon. It sucks to be stuck onboard & he has some good friends in Alaska that he enjoys meeting up with.


I also ventured down to the shops & to my surprise, Maria, a shoppie from Portugal was there! She had joined the day I left in Florida & I knew her from the Dawn Princess a couple years back. We had a great visit & she's been to some amazing places since I saw her last! She was telling me about CAT sized RATS in China. I still shudder at the thought of it! Yuck!


Of course, I saw Daniela. She was so sad when I told her I didn't bring Valentina. Valentina loved her so much. Every time I would go back to the cabin with Valentina, she's smell like J'Adore, Daniela's perfume. And she LOVED Daniela's cuddles! Daniela was heading home to Macedonia in a few days time. She was VERY excited to be finishing up her contract. I know that feeling!!


Jaco was busy with work & I was happy when he finally finished up & we were able to spend a little time together. I told him I'd help him tomorrow with whatever I could... At least that way I could see him - hopefully! He's a hard workin' man these days!


Sleep well & see you at sea!
xxxxx
Maria & Jaco

Can you see Karen & Werner? Thanks for a great time guys!

My hubby, hard at work!

Eddie, 'grounded' at sea

Busy moments at the bar. Can you see the orange elbow on the right hand side? This horribly annoying little kid & his non-disciplining Mom came by for a coke & coffee. The kid couldn't whistle to get Eddie's attention, so instead he squealed. Loudly. High-pitched. One more whistled & he was going to walk the plank!!! :o)

Day 219 - Ferry Rides & Pony Rides

It felt strange to sleep without Valentina OR Jaco. I woke up when I heard Ross & Krystle's door open & there they were, dressed to the nines! They had a wedding to go to today, so I was going to meet up with Milla, who was also in Vancouver for the weekend, and then when Ross & Krystle came back after the wedding, they were going to take me out to the ferry terminal to head over to Victoria. 


I took a photo of the happy couple & away they went. Not long after, I got a call. They were early for the wedding. This meant that they wouldn't be back in time to take me out to the ferry terminal, but more importantly, to say goodbye! :o( I called Milla & she came to the rescue! Her & Deric agreed to take me out to the ferry. Phew!


The crazy part was that Krystle had left me her phone & her keys. When Ross called her phone to tell me they wouldn't be back, he suggested I ask Milla if she could take me. I said I'd call her & then call Ross back. It wasn't until I hung up that I realized I didn't know Ross' number & I had NO CLUE how to use here Blackberry! It took me awhile to figure out how to find Ross' number... Luckily she'd called him recently!!! :o) Then Margarita texted Krystle's phone to ask how I was getting to the ferry, not realizing I had the phone. I managed to type a text back, but when I went to find send, my message disappeared! Again, luckily Krystle had recently called her Mom & I was able to phone her & let her know I was taken care of! Oh the dramas of modern technology!!! I guess maybe it's time I got a cell phone! :o) (Hello iPhone 4)


I met Milla & her boyfriend, Deric, at the mall & we made a quick stop at Jugo Juice & then loaded up the luggage & headed out on the highway. Milla & Deric were in for a concert & Milla wanted to do a little shopping on Robson St. We had a great visit out to the ferry terminal & a few big hugs & goodbyes later, we were headed in opposite directions. Milla & I also worked on ships together & I witnessed her first Italian boot purchase in Napoli at Le Fate Scalze (the barefoot fairy). While I checked the link, I saw I missed the photos of their Spring 2010 collection. Sigh. I should be in Italia, photographing their summer line. Next year. Anyhow, back on track... Milla! We said goodbye & I headed off towards the ferry. Just in time, as we left the dock about 2 minutes after I sat down! Close call!


I love the ferry rides. Although I didn't enjoy much coastal scenery - I slept the whole way! I woke up & we were pulling into the harbour! Whoops! Karen & Werner were there to meet me on the other side. Werner is from South Africa & I used to date his twin brother. Karen is from Victoria & they met when Werner was studying at UVIC. She was at a friend's party & Werner's distant relatives lived on the same street. They had invited him to come along. Karen was supposed to be introduced to a local fellow, but when she heard a South African was coming, she was all ears. Karen had been to East Africa recently & the rest is history! You'll be hard pressed to find a more well suited match. They look good together, they are considerate & thoughtful of one another, & these two have so much fun together, you can't help but have fun too! 


I was excited to see their home. They bought it a few years ago, but have done MAJOR renovations. Wow! It had definitely changed since my last visit... which was last July. The main entrance was finished, the bathrooms up & downstairs... I know who I'm calling if I ever need reno advice!! Karen has classy taste & I like her style... Even if I didn't I wouldn't write it here because she's a black belt in Karate! :o) 


Werner (Vairrrr-nur) dropped Karen & I off at a friend's place & he went to town to get supper groceries. Karen & I were going to ride some horses. Karen rides English & last week she rode a gelding with a few separation issues. He tried to buck her off! Way to go Cowgirl & stay on! So she asked me if I would like to ride one of the mares while she attempted the bronc again. I ride western & luckily they had a saddle to suit me. Now, I haven't ridden since (?) Chile? South America last January 2009? As luck would have it, the mare was in heat & apparently Dudly Studly had tried to mount the mare, Sunny, earlier in the day. GREAT! There's only one mount allowed on the horse at a time & if she's saddled, I'm it!!! 


We got on our horses & Karen looks at me & smiles, as she says something I completely couldn't understand. I racked my brain - Spanish, no, French, no, hmm, Afrikaans! I had no clue what she just said! 'Huh?' came my reply. 'Are you ready?' was the sentence. Apparently I haven't been learning enough! :o) 


I was quite nervous, as I haven't ridden a horse in heat with other horses around, so I wasn't too sure what I was in for. Apparently mares in heat urinate A LOT more, as every 2-5 minutes, she would stop & mark her territory. 'I'm over here boys!' Great. The pen was quite small, compared to the wide open fields of the prairies I grew up on, so we weren't in a dead run or anything. We mostly walked around, Karen trotted around a little, trying to get 'Studly' to collect. I jogged a little bit, but after awhile, the hormones kicked in & my mare began throwing her head around & wringing her tail. Sorry, no fight in this Cowgirl. We decided to get off & attempt lunging the gelding. 


I've lunged my old horse, Cactus, before, but it was in a round pen. Here, we had a LONG lunge line & that was it. The horse knew exactly what he was supposed to do, but we didn't. I didn't know how to make him stop or slow down & he didn't take long to hit a lope! After we dug up a dirt circle, we decided to call it a night. We bid our (trusty) steeds farewell & went inside the house to call Werner to swing by with the 'wagon'. :o)


Karen & Fred, the owners of the farm, had quite the taxidermy display. Fred is an avid hunter & I can honestly say, I've never seen a collection of animals quite like it! Wow! Poor Karen was mortified, as she is vegetarian & loves all God's critters. Don't get me wrong, I do too, but for a select few creepy crawlies! Fred knows Cody Robbins - I guess it's a small world! 


Werner soon picked us up & we were on our way back to their home. We enjoyed some great visits & a wonderful dinner, although I took my pills too close to dinnertime & I ended up feeling quite sick half way through the delicious meal! I felt terrible to waste all that food! I was so impressed with Werner's gentlemanly ways... Karen & I were visiting & she had a glass of apple juice. It was nearly finished & Werner grabs it without saying a word & refills it. He put it back in front of Karen, while her & I kept right on talking. She didn't even ask! How thoughtful! I was impressed! Boys! Take note! Werner has his Doctorate in Mathematics. If you want to solve anything, ask him! 


We chatted about their cat, Sahara, their upcoming trip to the UK & Rome, and a plethora of things in between! I sure wish they lived closer - I always enjoy my visits with them!


Anyhow, pretty soon, we were all a little sleepy. I was excited for tomorrow, but I didn't have any troubles falling asleep! 


Lekker slaap,
Maria & Valentina
xxxxx

Mama & Papa To Be!

It's a BEAUTIFUL belly!

Milla & Deric

On the ferry

My own private island. Sigh.

A sweeter private island!

Arriving in Victoria

Karen & the horse who's name I've forgotten! C-something

Apres-ride

Winter provisions

Fred & Karen's gorgeous Irish Setter

The Paddock

Werner the Chef

Sahara wanting out. Again. :o)