Be careful with these e-bay scammers

[Woosh]

Hi Hatti....my wife was born in Cape Town,went back there a couple of years back for a wedding at Stellenbosch....wonderful climate,great seafood,cheap liquor......its so wonderful I think you should stay out there,20 years should be long enough!!!!!!!
Try the Chapmans Peak drive,awesome scenery.
Dave
Kudoscycles

Good to hear from everyone.
Chapmans is good Dave but am staying in Hout Bay and the drive from there to Camps is just as scenic - and free!
Sorry to hear about your nephew, Flecc. Of course being on holiday gives a rose tinted view of everything and I'm sure daily life here has its problems like anywhere else.
No bad experiences so far, except (almost) with a very large bull elephant in a bad mood...but that's another story!

Hatti

 

[Kudoscycles]

Good to hear from everyone.
Chapmans is good Dave but am staying in Hout Bay and the drive from there to Camps is just as scenic - and free!
Sorry to hear about your nephew, Flecc. Of course being on holiday gives a rose tinted view of everything and I'm sure daily life here has its problems like anywhere else.
No bad experiences so far, except (almost) with a very large bull elephant in a bad mood...but that's another story!

Hatti

Hatti....I stayed in Camps Bay,isn't there a great seafood restaurant on the beach at Houts Bay?....Llandudno is nice as well.
Watch out for sharks (in the sea) since they have started the shark watching excursions the sharks prefer humans to seals.
At one time I lived in Long Street but wouldn't go there now.
Enjoy your holiday
Dave
Kudoscycles

 

[Woosh]

Hi Dave
Do you mean Snoekies in Hout Bay? Not been there but well known ...any good?
Long Street - do you mean Cape Town? Blimey, if so, right in the middle and yes, probably a bit noisy and busy these days. Still, you spent time here - how long ago, pre or post apartheid? Not tempted to come back? Together we could do Kwooshdos (SA) and make a killing, plus offer good deals on stays from forum members (subject to good behaviour of course)...

 

[103Alex1]

Good to hear from everyone.
Chapmans is good Dave but am staying in Hout Bay and the drive from there to Camps is just as scenic - and free!
Sorry to hear about your nephew, Flecc. Of course being on holiday gives a rose tinted view of everything and I'm sure daily life here has its problems like anywhere else.
No bad experiences so far, except (almost) with a very large bull elephant in a bad mood...but that's another story!

Hatti

I'm sure you must be having an amazing time. I love Cape Town and the surrounding area and many happy memories of the place. When I was a kid, our family used to go there for 3 weeks every Christmas / New Year for over a decade in the early days staying in town and then in Newlands / Constantia when things got a bit more dangerous. Went back a few times to Camps Bay and Mount Nelson in my 20s - all in more prosperous times than today.

My parents were actually going to retire to Hout Bay and had a plot ready for dream home nearby but sold everything up in South Africa after they parted ways and with mounting problems with violence and red tape a few years ago. Doing business there can be difficult and security is a big issue, but when you visit at this time of year it's hard not to fall head over heels in love. It gets a bit nippy in July though - but it's all relative !

Le Quartier Francais in Franschoek, Grande Roche in Paarl and Blues in Camps Bay were some of my favourite places to go. Restaurant out towards Cape Point too, which name escapes me - had tanks of live lobsters and once bought a huge tub of Russian Caviar for next to nothing which had fallen off the back of a trawler . Very happy days. Hope you have a wonderful time.

Hi Dave
Do you mean Snoekies in Hout Bay? Not been there but well known ...any good?
Long Street - do you mean Cape Town? Blimey, if so, right in the middle and yes, probably a bit noisy and busy these days. Still, you spent time here - how long ago, pre or post apartheid? Not tempted to come back? Together we could do Kwooshdos (SA) and make a killing, plus offer good deals on stays from forum members (subject to good behaviour of course)...

Oh - and SA has always been a great place for all things mechanical. They used to assemble W124 Mercedes-Benz cars intended for the domestic market there, which you could buy for about half the cost of buying them from Germany. Wonder if they still do !

 

[flecc]

They used to assemble W124 Mercedes-Benz cars intended for the domestic market there, which you could buy for about half the cost of buying them from Germany. Wonder if they still do !

I think they've lowered their sights quite a bit. Last I knew they were assembling the Malaysian Perodua basic models.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Hatti/Alex....I absolutely loved South Africa,in Europe the coastline reminds me of the Amalfi cost of Italy.
Yes the restuarant was Snoekies at Hout Bay. The previous time I was there was 1973,I loved the lifestyle but the politics were difficult pre apartheid.
Alex,you mentioned Constantia....that is a seriously expensive property area now,it was always favoured being in the lee of table mountain,out of the wind.
Hatti,you must try Boerewors sausage on a Braai,washed down with KWV wine....the cooking of the Braai is definitely blokes only....see the you tube video 'south african Braai etiquette',please some member do a link,it says all.
Dave
Kudoscycles

 

[flecc]

Here's the link Dave:

South African Braai etiquette

 

[Woosh]

Loved the video Dave. Great. Am forwarding the link to my son, he would definitely relate to it!
Also Dave, have had the braai sausages, but definitely too much Amarula last night....so am laying off it today!
Still trying to work out how to get some genuine Billtong in my case to take back to dearest son, but there is no way. Apparently they find it every time and confiscate it at least and could fine as well. You can buy it in the UK, I know, but only beef - not ostrich, kudu and other such variations.
Just visited the one (as far as I can make out) shop in Cape Town that sells electric bikes.
Nice store on upper level inside a huge shopping mall called Century City some 5 miles north of the city centre.
Nice store with lots of stock and very friendly sales guy called Chris - but the 4 or 5 Ezee bikes they had were relegated to a dark corner despite the prominent sign outside (me standing next to it). Chris said that all their bikes were imported from China, including the top American brands (some of whom apparently insist that the Made in China or Taiwan sticker is NOT put on the finished product. The Ezees, including a folder, were selling for around 17,000 rand (£1,100 or so). Chris said they were selling around 3 a month - so not huge volumes by any means. I think one of the problems here is that cycling seems to be almost entirely for lycras - have not seen anyone in their 50s plus on a bike at all. Maybe they are scared of getting mugged, so prefer to go everywhere in their cars? The store also had nowhere you could try one, so I'm not sure how they do demos, which in our (Woosh's) case are expected by callers.
One thing I think that would go down well here would be a snow dome, with indoor skiing, as the South Africans are a very sporty lot but of course have nowhere to go.
Everyone we've spoken to would love to try but have never been able to unless they've gone to Europe (fair old journey).
If one of you has a cool few million, this is a good investment opportunity for you. Just let me have a few shares as a thank you..
Another investment idea, I seem to be having lots of them out here. Must be the weather.

Hatti