More Durham Scenes

The newlyweds!! How amazing to be able to have time together again before C & R take off for Mozambique via Brazil. Highlights: walks together (Tobacco Trail and Duke Trail); coffee at Joe van Gogh; working out at the YMCA; 9 hole golf (wait, is that really a highlight? Lots of controversy on this game...and why does Craig always win...); Durham Bulls baseball game; and of course playing the 'watermelon game' at Jordan Lake!

On an afternoon at Jordan Lake - yep that's a watermelon. They are remarkably buoyant.

Dad looking casual and thoughtful

A nice photo post-church service

Another shot from Rachel's birthday (in the front yard)

Durham (Hawkins family) Highlights!!

What a blessing it was to have 2 1/2 weeks with family in Durham - Dad, Mom, Grandma, Katie & Kyle (and Lillian and Jack), Pete & Rita, Rachel & Craig. 

Auntie Rachel with Jack - lots of smiles for everyone; he charmed us all!

Three sisters (taken on Rachel's birthday! We got to be together this year!) and one very happy niece. Woa how do you like those earrings?

No one ever said that buying a new-used car was easy or stress-free. Because it's NOT. But we did it! Phew. And I'm sure the rest of the family was glad when the process was over too. Thanks for putting up with us and giving us advice, all. From one white Toyota to the next. Go, zippy Rav4, go!

Grandpa Jack with his great-grandson Jack. Hmm... what do you think of each other?

And of course, cinnamon rolls! Delicious, Jim.

Goodbye to The Message Church!

The last evening before we flew out we had a big "bring and share" dinner with folk from The Message church. There were about 30 people there - a great evening of stories and food, and a good way to officially say our last good-byes.

Final activities at the Garden Cottage

And yet more pictures from our last week in Cape Town.. (can you tell we're missing it already after only two weeks back in the US?)

Final goodbye to 2 WayTravel comrades

Final visits #3: the mountain and Kirstenbosch Gardens

We were given an awesome Cape Town winter day for our final visit to Kirstenbosch Gardens and the mountain: blue skies, warm (but not too hot) sun, crisp air. From the Gardens we hiked to the top of Table Mountain via the Skeleton Gorge trail, returning via the Nursery Ravine trail. Admittedly, we paid for it the following day: so sore!

Below is our favorite plant in the Gardens, called "Elephant's Food."

Final visits #2: the winelands

We have enjoyed learning about the wide world of wine while living in the Western Cape, home to over 200 wineries nestled in the nearby mountains. Half of the fun of visiting the winelands is getting out of town and into some really beautiful surroundings.

Another part the fun is seeing and exploring new wineries, each one always unique (and usually beautiful) in architecture and grounds and each offering its own interpretation of the typical wines of the Cape, such as cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot, and shiraz (reds) and chenin blanc, semillon, and blanc de blanc (whites). 

 

Final visits #1: the city

During our last week in Cape Town we sought to do a few of our favorite things and visit some of our favorite sights. One day we went into the city center with Margit, a friend from our small group. 

Our first visit, below, was to Robben Island, home to political prisoners both before and during Apartheid, including Nelson Mandela for 18 of his 27 years of incarceration.

Below is the Slave Lodge, built in the late 1600's and one of the oldest buildings in the city. Now a museum, the building was built to house the early slaves of the VOC (or the Dutch East India Company, which established the first European settlement at the Cape, in 1652). 

 

Jul spotted the advertisement below at one of the many hair salons in town...

(In case you can't read it, the salon is apparently the home of the "Obama Hair Cut." The fine print says: "Looking Neat is Our Target. Change Your Look Yes We Can."

 

Final stop: Tergniet and the Van der Lecq's

We were blessed with a wonderful end to a wonderful trip: a weekend with Jack and Marianne van der Lecq, Fritz's parents and our own official South African "parents." Cape Town was their home for many years until their recent move to a little village called Tergniet, about 4 hours eastward along the coast. Jack and Marianne served as our hosts for several days during our initial exploratory trip to Cape Town in December, 2006, and again when we officially arrived in CT to begin studies in June, 2007. We love them dearly - thus it was wonderful to enjoy a few days at the conclusion of our Cape Town journey in their home.

Random scenes from our Farewell Tour

A few shots displaying some of the scenery from our trip, from rocky gorges to centuries-old Cape Dutch architecture and the odd ostrich... Yes, Jim is standing on ostrich eggs! 

Farewell Tour - part 3

Here we are at a game reserve called "Botlierskop" - we got to stay for free as 2 Way Travel representatives since we've sent clients here in the past. What an amazing privilege!! Again, it was very quiet this time of year so on our game drive we were the only ones in the vehicle with our game ranger.


We spent one night on a houseboat in a lagoon right off the Indian Ocean - again another great [complimentary] privilege as 2 Way Travel staff. Having never been on a houseboat (except one glorious week for Jim as a child on family vacation) we were a bit nervous...but it was beautiful and quiet. And no sea sickness for Jul as the lagoon was calm.


Lovin' the beach and waves while we can!!

Farewell Tour - part 2

The Fernery, pictured below, was a lovely mid-way stop during our trip. We stayed 3 nights and had the place almost entirely to ourselves, tourism being quieter during the winter months. The main lodge was perched on a cliff and offered stunning views of the Indian Ocean from the breakfast room. We enjoyed a bike ride in the surrounding forests, the local ferns, and an amazing meal at a local cheese farm with both cows and goats' milk cheese and homemade foccaccia. Yum!