Maputo

oh, Maputo. I have such a love/hate relationship with you. Since living in South Africa I have spent a handful of weekends away in Maputo. Some nights were just spent stopping over (like on our bike trip), others were planned weekends away with Roger, but mostly we are just passing through on the way to Bilene.
What can I say, Maputo is a mindfuck. Admire the beautifully run down architectural buildings, experience the intense traffic and traffic jams, taste delicious pastries and amazing seafood, drink hot coffee and cold 2M's, encounter aggressively corrupt police officers, walk on broken sidewalks between piles of garbage, watch the rich and poor Mozambicans interact, drive between expensive cars and old asian jalopies, go to the markets markets and more markets, drink cocktails at the bar in one of the many expensive hotels, dance the night away to jazz music, visit interesting museums (see the natural history museum full of stuffed animals), buy buckets of fish, take a scary ride in a tuk tuk, find amazing street-art, etc. Everytime I am there I notice something more.

clockwise: praca dos trabalhadores statue | street art | railway station | tuk tuk | outside clube naval | the promenade | inside costa do sol | sunset

I am obviously no Maputo expert but here are just a few of the things we have done and enjoyed:

• Seafood dinner at the Maputo Waterfront restaurant. Such a fun vibe, always live music playing at night and the seafood is delicious. Its not cheap, but Maputo isn't cheap.
• Drinks & lunch by the pool at Clube Naval de Maputo. I like to pretend I am über rich when I am here, sipping a 2M by the pool at my private beach club of choice. 
• Sun-downers at the Hotel Cardoso. Really cool panoramic views of Maputo and the beach - perfect place to watch the sun go down. ( another great place to pretend you are rich)
• Prawns at the legendary Costa do Sol. The food isn't THAT good, and it is a little pricey, but you just have to go to Costa do Sol. We have also stayed here a couple times, in the hotel and in the park homes out back. Again, the accommodation isn't that great either - but it is a really beautiful old building. Have some prawns washed down with plenty 2M's and if you stay there into the night you get to watch (or join) all the locals across the street having a fat party.
• The Maputo Central Market - have only done this once, but it was an experience. There is another street market that happens right outside the fort on Saturdays, not sure what it is called, but they sell better goods than the market if you are looking to buy gifts.
• The Railway Station. You have to see it - it is magnificent. See it by day to take it all in, but come again on Saturday night to check out the Jazz club. Roger and I did this one weekend and we were pretty blown away. Could have just been a good night? who knows - but we loved it.
• Make sure to stop at a local coffee shop/ pastelaria. I don't remember any of the names - but there are so many downtown. Go to one that has a lot of locals, it is sure to be good.

There are of course, plenty of other "must-do" places in Maputo ( The Iron House, the old fort, art galleries, etc). Our times in Maputo have always been an experience. I love finding more.

Almost a Full Year

It has been almost a full year since I have written in this blog, and our other blog, There and Here, has also taken a break. Sometimes the online world seems to be too much when your real world also has a lot going on. This year has had a lot of ups and down (I suppose every year does, but this year in particular has been a real roller coaster for me). I have been back and forth to Canada twice, and I am finally back in the Lowveld now after an extended summer visit there. My parents will be in South Africa in exactly a month today and it will be their first visit here. A lot of exciting times ahead, so I am hoping we have jumped over most of the hurdles that life has thrown in our way this year. Besides, "a calm sea does not make a skilled sailor."

So with that being said, I would like to return to the online world. It may be slowly, and infrequent, but I will do my best.

 clockwise: Roger & Jean in Capetown | Kananaskis | Tofino | Kruger Park | Engagement Ring by John Blair | My Girls | at Lion Sands | Ruby

The Bush

The term "The Bush" to most South Africans (at least in this area) is synonymous to South Africa. To spend the day in "the bush" is a very romantic occasion. I would say that they feel "at home" in the bush. When a South African is living abroad, "the bush" is something they will speak of fondly and express that that is what they miss the most about home.

Since being in South Africa "the bush" has also become very special to me. When I have been back in Canada for an extended period of time, the first thing I want to do when I get back to South Africa is head to "the bush".

The Bush
When someone in South Africa says they are "headed to the bush this weekend", they are basically saying that they are heading somewhere up north in South Africa to a game reserve, game park or possibly just the Kruger. The area that we live in in South Africa is considered part of "the bush". When I picture "the bush", I am either drinking a sundowner on the veranda of a thatch chalet listening to hippos down by the river, I am stopped in a really hot bakkie while impalas cross the road or I am laying in bed in a tented camp listening to the sounds of the frogs down by the river. To each person who has experienced "the bush", a different very distinct memory or feeling is evoked when it is spoken of.

This term is also used quite commonly in other countries like Australia, New Zealand and interestingly enough in Canada after doing some research. In Canada la brousse has been used by the french Canadians to describe communities that are unreachable by regular roads.

Roger and I headed to "the bush" last weekend, and of course had a fabulous time. There is nothing more relaxing then drinking some wine on the veranda while making a braai and listening to the wilderness around you.

My Parents Backyard

My parents garden has always been their pride and joy. As soon as spring gets near that is where you will find them both working their asses off day after day, planting new flowers, pulling out weeds or making new rock pathways. When my parents return from the island every summer, they don't even set foot in the house before they have checked out what has changed over the summer - what has grown and what has died.

After twenty seven years of living in our house, I can safely say that this garden is something pretty special. I have many great memories in this backyard with my family and definitely a few great parties have been had there with my friends. You can't help but be in a great mood as you sit on their deck drinking a beer, or reading your book.

her favourite place, doing her favourite thing.

Cortes Island

Cortes Island is one of the discovery islands that are situated in the northern end of the Gulf of Georgia. To get there from Vancouver Island, you can take a ten minute ferry ride from Campbell River to Quadra Island. Once you are on Quadra Island, you drive across the island and then catch another ferry on the other side that takes you to Cortes.

My familia and I have camped on Cortes Island almost every summer of my life. To go even further back, my mom also camped there when she was a child. Every year we try to score the perfect corner of the overflow campground in Smelt Bay. From there we spend our time laying on the beach, digging for clams, picking blackberries, going for long walks, playing bocce in the field, cooking up delicious camping food (this year even included a blackberry pie over the fire), going on day boating trips through desolation sound, swimming in Hague Lake and mingling with the always interesting locals of Cortes.

This year, I was so happy to have Roger here to finally experience Cortes with me. I was so excited to share this little piece of canadian paradise with him. He instantly fell in love, and our plans of returning there soon are already in the works. Kayak trip anyone?

Cortes Island, Summer 2012

Cortes Island is one of my favourite places on the west coast of Canada. Everyone who knows the west coast has their own special spot, and this is definitely where my family has found theirs.

My Dad, Uncle Rod, Mom & I - July 1986 - Cortes Island

Sunset, Cortes Island - August 1990

August 1990 - Cortes Island

Protection Island

I have been M.I.A. from the internet world for over a month due to spending time on Vancouver Island with my parentals & Roger. Sentimentally known as "the island" to me, Vancouver Island is where my parents were born, where my extended family lives and where I have spent basically every Canadian summer of my life.

 
Protection Island is a little island right in the harbour of Nanaimo where we have rented various cabins since I was around the age of three. Most of my summer childhood memories are based on the beaches of this place.

This summer after spending time in Calgary, we headed straight to Protection Island with my parents to stay at a cabin my parents have been renting for over seven years now on Smugglers beach. Fun fact: Frank Ney, who was the mayor of Nanaimo for twenty years and was well known for dressing up like a pirate, purchased and subdivided Protection Island in nineteen sixty and sold it under a pirate-promotion theme. Because of this, all the streets, parks, beachs are in this theme ( ie. Captain Morgans Boulevard, Pirates Lane, Smugglers Park, etc).

Roger and I enjoying a beer while barbequing on Protection Island, B.C.

We spent two whole weeks here walking, boating, crabbing, kayaking, eating, drinking, bath-tubbing ( see Nanaimo Bathrub Race), more walking & spending time with my familia. I wouldn't necessarily say that Protection Island is a must see visit for tourists, but if you find a perfect little cabin on the beach to rent, it is a perfect getaway. This place definitely has its magical moments.

the secret spot

Just before New Years 2010, I arrived back in South Africa after a semester at home and Christmas with my parents in Calgary. Roger being the smoothy that he is, decided to take me for a flip in the helicopter (he was still doing his license at this point, so he still had hours he needed to acquire in a chopper - the luxury of flying where we want to fly, is no longer). We found this absolutely magical spot on the river where we spent the day swimming, eating and getting ridiculous sunburnt (do you see a theme here?).

Flash forward to this year January. Roger and I decided one saturday that we HAD to find this spot via car. We played around on google maps, and found the sweet spot. We packed some beers, along with Gareth & Meyer into the back seat of the bakkie and off we went.

After driving through pine plantation after pine plantation and finally hiking down into a valley, we found it! Pure paradise. Location: our secret spot. We spent the entire day swimming down the crystal clear river, completely alone - just us and nature. Our little piece of river paradise.

side note: I can't wait to be swimming in the Nanaimo river with my familia in 2 weeks time!

Avocados

Is it strange that I decided to do my first post on Avocados?.. probably. I know they aren't indigenous to here, they are actually from Mexico where I probably had my first avocado when I was young. However, when I think of avocados, I think of here. Maybe because Roger grows them here? and I did live on the farm for a while? Maybe!

I LOVE Avocados. Avocados in salad, avocados on toast, just plain-ol-avo with salt, pepper and lemon juice. They are fantastic... except they may possibly be the cause of my weight gain?

clockwise: Dunstan farm sign | sushi | Edranol cultivar | the farm | avocado-on-toast | Roger | avo on fresh bread | Hass cultivar

I love food! I love FRESH food, and a huge part of what makes me enjoy South Africa is how accessible fresh food is. From Roger growing fresh fruit & vegetables on the farm, to buying meat at the local butcher, to buying butternut squash on the side of the road - the fresh local options are endless. My tastebuds are satisfied!

dōmo arigatō misutā Robotto

Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto.
Thank you very much South Africa.

I think this is a perfect way to start my blog - a thanks for all the good times, great people and many adventures (with many more to come). I am starting this blog to share all the exciting experiences I have had in this beautiful country... and of course the not so great experiences too. I have met amazing people, seen amazing art, eaten delicious food and had TOO much fabulous wine - so this blog will also be a place for me to share all these FANTASTICAL things. Stay tuned. I will try my hardest to keep you somewhat entertained.