Just Relax - THE GLOBAL TRIP 2004

Just Relax

DAY 140: To recall a conversation I had when I first arrived at my Cape Town hostel, the guy who checked me in, Ingmar, said that it's good to have a relaxed attitude in South Africa because things may take all day. Patience I've learned, is an important virtue on the backpacker trail, especially when waiting for your bus, your boat, your train, or your Carnaval costume. Patience is also good to have when you're eagerly watching the timer count down, waiting for your microwave popcorn to finish popping.

The first tour I was going to book for the afternoon was full and so I had to wait for the next day. My back-up plan to rent a bike fell through too since it was Sunday and all the stores and rental shops were closed. Realizing I had no choice but to just chill out of the day (not so bad a choice), I decided to go to the one place known for relaxation: the beach.

Using the suggestion of Joanne working the hostel tour desk, I avoided the R45 taxi fare and took a publicly shared minivan for just R3.50. It took me to the nearest beach, Camp's Bay, on the other side of Table Mountain and Lion's Head. Locals got on and off along the way while the driver played his CD of African reggae.

CAMP'S BAY, WHICH LIES ABOUT 4 KM SOUTHWEST of the city center, had a beautiful beach on the Atlantic. It was the sort of place to be on a Sunday afternoon for families, couples and solo travellers going around the world. Specifically, the beach was the place to be; offshore the water was at near hypothermic temperatures due to the Benguela current bringing water up from the Antarctic.

Feeling this frigid water, I just camped out on the rocks of the south side of the bay, conveniently not too far away from a really hot blonde chick laying out topless on one of the boulders. Unfortunately for me -- and all you heterosexual males out there -- she put her top on and left before I could sneak a photo.

With the striptease over, I left and walked along the entire beach, consisting of a blend of coarse and fine sand. On top of the sand was the blend of the many types of people that make up South Africa's multi-ethnic population: 76% black, 11% white, 3% of Indian descent and the remaining percentage a group classified as "coloureds," which is anyone else, including people with mixed backgrounds of any of the above. The bodies on the beach ranged from fat, hairy white guys, to dark, ebony princesses, to fit brown-skinned guys and girls, to hot blonde chicks that put their tops on before I could take a photo.

I sat by the rocks on the north end of the bay, laying out with a book and my journal and just chilled out to the sounds of the ocean waves, near others with the same idea (picture above). Now I'm not a super big beach person. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the beach -- I think it's great -- but I'm not one of those people obsessed with laying out in the sun to "get some color." I am of Filipino-descent and have plenty of melanin in my skin, which starts to darken as soon as sunlight hits it. Seriously, if I go out of my house and walk over to the mailbox on a bright, sunny day, I turn a least one additional setting on a toaster. Whereas most people who come back to the office with a tan are asked, "Oh, did you just get back from the Caribbean or something?" I get "Hey Erik, did you just go out and get the mail?"

With my four-months-in-South America-made brown skin, I probably blended in as one of the coloureds -- except whenever I stood near a Japanese guy, causing people to think I was one of them.

I have to admit that after settling with my feet in the sand for a while without a care in the world, I really did appreciate just relaxing out at the beach. I laid out until sunset, when I sat and watched the colors of the sky above and the ocean waves crashing into the rocks below. That afternoon I advanced yet another toaster setting and was content that no one spelled "KICK ME" on my back with sunblock lotion. (Don't you even think of doing that should you see me laying out on a beach -- write something nicer like "KISS ME.")

BEING ON THE OCEAN, Cape Town is a big seafood town and I figured no trip to the shore would be complete without sampling some fruits from the sea. Postponing another night of ramen noodle goodness -- even if it did come in "shrimp" flavor -- I went into one of the beachfront restaurant/cafes across the main road. On the menu was an item called "Seafood Potjie," described in its caption as "something different, served in a cauldron." Continuing my tradition of ordering stuff on the menu blindly without knowing exactly what it is, I ordered it, hoping the cauldron wouldn't contain eye of newt, and toe of frog, wool of bat, and tongue of dog.

When the order came, I lucked out with a cauldron full of seafood stew containing mussels, fish, calamari, shrimp and crab leb meat, all blended together in a rich, creamy sauce. It went well with the side orders of rice, creamed spinach, sauteed whole baby onions and candied yams. I complemented it with a refreshing glass of the house "dry red" wine, which concluded my relaxing day at the beach.

A TAXI BROUGHT ME BACK INTO TOWN. After an internet blogging session, I headed back to The Backpack and lay in bed, totally rested and relaxed, although I was still a little upset that I didn't sneak in a photo of that hot, topless blonde chick.

If you enjoy this daily travel blog, please post a comment! Give me suggestions, send me on missions, let me know how things are going back home in the USA. Knowing that I have an audience will only force me to make this blog more entertaining as the days go by. Don´t forget to bookmark it and let a friend know!

Posted by Erik on March 8, 2004 10:10 PM
TrackBack | Category: South Africa

Dinner looks yummy. You can live on raamen noodles, but why not splurge now and then?!

Beach looked awesome, as Cheryl said, it snowed here today. WILL THIS WINTER NEVER END?!?! Keep showing us warm and beautiful places, at least we can dream while reading the BLOG. The pic under "the colors of the sky above" is lovely, but I'm sticking with Erik at the Salt Flats for my desktop.

Posted by: Christy on March 8, 2004 04:34 PM

I'm jealous now too! I'm slogging away at work and counting down the days until I hope I can get my butt back to Thailand. Unfortunately when I have time off so does every other person in Japan.... which means the airlines are happy, happy, happy cuz they can gouge the crap out of us :( And I'm sad cuz suddenly airfare goes from $400 to $1200!

Posted by: Liz on March 8, 2004 07:15 PM

This story is funny. The same thing happened to me today at the beach but instead i was being hounded on by a crazy dark japanese kid. He was trying to blend in with the rocks but i saw the camera and i knew he wanted to take a pic of me. So i left.

Great photos.

Posted by: Topless Blonde Hottie from the Beach on March 9, 2004 07:34 AM

TOPLESS BLOND HOTTIE FROM THE BEACH: Oh well, you could have been famous, with your special guest appearace on the Trinidad Show!

I guess I'll have to settle for LP topless....

Posted by: markyt on March 9, 2004 08:50 AM

Erik: hey man, whats up with u and the chicks? no luck? u know it can be pretty silly of you trying to take pics of half naked girls intead of talking to them. i lived in Europe for years and tits are not something out of this world. plus, because of you and your nasty camera she left. may be u could even fu** her (but u lost your chance). good thinking on the next time. take care and see you back in NYC (some day). alex.

Posted by: alexNYC on March 9, 2004 11:13 AM

my name is eliott (male 21 yrs old) and I´m sexy, I´ve got da look that drives you wild.
I´ve got da move, that really moves, I said she´ll applue down the sky.
I´m just a sexy Boy, I´m not your Boy toy

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March 08, 2004