04/01/2012

Happy New Year!



Lions Head & The Twelve Apostles



Our trip began at Cape Town International Airport where we were greeted blurry-eyed by Hels' cousin Sammy.  She whisked us into town to our hostel - Atlantic Point Backpackers in Green Point (which we subsequently worked out is the gay part of town). It seemed the Germans had invaded our dorm but otherwise it was a great hostel with lots of fun people and games to play. 

Our first day consisted of lunch and sunbathing on the beach in Camps Bay with Sammy (she claimed she wanted to top up her tan but as she lay under the umbrella we quickly realised that she wanted us to start work on ours), followed by 'sundowners' in Caprice where all the beautiful people hang out and then a delicious sushi dinner.




Llandudno Beach

We spent the next three days wandering the streets of Cape Town visiting the Waterfront, Long Street, brunch with the Acloque's old Nanny, Green Market and Llandudno beach where we nearly got blown off the rocks (this definitely is the 'Windy City'). One evening our names somehow managed to find their way onto a guest list at the Bay Hotel for a glamorous promotional 'dress in white' sundown party (we probably didn't need to wear white to fit the dress code!). Fashionably late as usual we nearly ended up walking down the catwalk, thank goodness Hels pulled Izzy back to allow the skinny bikini clad models past.



New Year's Eve was our final day at the hostel.  The owner (surfer-dude James) put on a braai (BBQ) for us all at lunch apparently in order to line our stomachs before the evening festivities.  However, pudding consisted of hand-grenades, various South African shots and drinking games with two American guys, an Australian girl (who didn't last very long) and some of James' local Saffa friends.  This was followed by kareoke, pool and more drinking games so our plan to head out for dinner soon disappeared.  With 30 minutes to go we all legged it down to the Waterfront to cheer in the new year and then headed to a Buena Vista Social Club - a fantastic salsa club very near our hostel.  The party carried on into the early hours.  What a great night!



With slightly sore heads in the morning (one of us more than the other!) we headed with Sammy and Tom (Sammy's husband) to Noordhoek to stay with Hels' aunt. 



Windy walk on Noordhoek beach





Penguins at Boulders Beach


We spent a few days there chilling by the pool in their beautiful home with a menagerie of dogs, horses, ducks and parrots (we have failed to teach the parrots any new songs). We went for a long walk along Noordhoek's stunning beach and Sammy took us along the coast to Kalk Bay a lovely fishing village with quaint shops and a delicious pizza lunch before heading to Boulders Beach to see the African Penguins which we all fell in love with.  We have been in paradise here and so well looked after. 





Sundowners at Aunt Lindy's

We can see why Cape Town has stolen so many hearts, and in fact ours too.

So today we leave Hels' aunt and head back into town.  We are going to try a new hostel (not that we didn't like the last one but this one has a pool!).  It's now time to be tourists as we have definitely been living the local life-style.