Through Diwali festivities, daily visits to the temple and visiting practically everyone in Malabar, I managed to squeeze in a day of exploring PE.

We started out at the Donkin Reserve. It’s a little park to commemorate the history of PE and struggles of South Africa. We mostly walked through the park and checked out the little statues representing things from our past that shapes what South Africa is today. There’s also an old lighthouse on the premises. I’d never been inside a lighthouse so I was very keen to pay R5 to check it out. Bad idea! Lighthouses were designed for 10 year old boys, I think. To get to the top, you have to climb dozens of stairs which spiral and keep getting steeper and narrower. I also managed to bump my head on the way up. Once we got up there it was all worth it: 360 degree views of the city. You can see the entire Donkin reserve including where all the new artworks are still to be added. The view of the harbour from up there is stunning and there were tons of PE landmarks that my boyfriend pointed out to me. 

The lighthouse I climbed

Artsy stuff on Donkin Reserve

 

Amandla!

Apparently the biggest flag in the country

Beautiful artwork depicting our past

Loved these headline type billboards filled with quotes

A close-up of the billboard

A view of the Donkin Reserve from the lighthouse

A view of the harbour from the lighthouse

A cute little walking trail from town to the Donkin Reserve

Next was a trip to the South End Museum. I love to know about the history of a place when I visit it. This doesn’t give you an overview of how PE came in to being but it shed some light into how the Group Areas Act affected people of colour in PE. This museum is specific to PE but its representative of how the Act was effected everywhere in South Africa, the things people were involved in before they were forcible removed, how they were moved and how their lives mostly took a turn for the worse.

After that I desperately needed some cheering up. What better way to do that than to take a stroll on the beach. PE boasts blue flag beaches but they are freezing cold. This is still the Indian Ocean; what happened to their warm Benguela current? For those who don’t want to get wet, the promenade is stunning. There are tons to see and do.

Within walking distance of the beach is the Boardwalk Casino. I don’t enjoy idling time away in front of a slot machine but I did enjoy sitting at a cafe near the musical water feature. It’s pretty much like Brightwater Commons musical water fountains; only better! The fountains shoot water high into the air in various spirals and forms all in tune to some awesome music. It was a pity it was only 10 minutes though. I would have loved to enjoy a longer show.

Everyone in PE has given me the nod of approval so it seems like I’ll definitely be going back. Is there anything else in PE that you really enjoy? Leave a comment and let me know so I can try it out next time I’m there.

The idea of the Garden Route trip came about when I decided to spend Diwali with my boyfriend’s HUGE family in Port Elizabeth. Since it was my first time in PE and the Eastern Cape, we thought it would be a great idea to travel along the Garden Route. Since the Garden Route starts in PE, we decided to continue down that path through to Cape Town in order to fly back home.

After meeting practically all of PE and loving everyone’s hospitality, we spent some time being tourists and doing some things that even my boyfriend hadn’t experienced while living in PE for 18 years.

We then headed to Tsitsikamma. I remember having little postcards from all over South Africa when I was little. I loved the Tsitsikamma photos but I really didn’t know much about the area. Seeing the beautiful scenery was way better than imagining it through postcard photos.

I’ve always wanted to go to Knysna because of William Smith punting it during A Word or 2 and because that’s where oysters come from. I’m not a fan of oysters but I figure it’s always better to try out food from where they are sourced. I often find that certain foods taste different when shipped off to Joburg.

After spending two days in Knysna, we headed off to Hermanus. When I last went to Cape Town I so desperately wanted to see whales. None of my friends were keen on it so I shelved that dream for a while. This time I marvelled at seeing these gigantic creatures and learning all about them.

Franschhoek was the last destination on our trip. While I love Cape Town, I have been there a few times so I figured I’d experience the winelands instead. I imagine France to be like Franschoek in terms of food, the look of the streets and of course, the amazing rows of vines in bloom.

The Cape Town airport signalled the end of my trip. Over the next few days, I’ll blog about my trip in a bit more detail. For now, I’m already dreaming of my next road trip – I just don’t know where. If you have any ideas, please leave a comment on this post. 

I think I actually started writing about this hotel while I was staying in it for business back in June. And then…life happened. Nonetheless I decided to revive what I wrote as it was my first experience in Africa (outside of South Africa that is).

For two weeks, the Southern Sun Hotel was home in Maputo. I generally prefer staying at boutique hotels as I always feel like I receive a more authentic experience in new city. But in a city that is completely different to what I am accustomed to, I appreciate staying with a big hotel brand where you know you’ll receive a level of service that you’re used to.

I arrived in Maputo in the middle of the night, tired and ready for bed and as soon as I checked in, I hated my hotel room. For a hotel on the beach, the view from my room was that of the street. I very quickly received assistance from reception who promised to move me once sea-facing rooms were available. And boy did they live up to their promise. I cannot imagine any scenery better to wake up to than the sound of gentle waves against the shore and the sunlight peering into my room. It even contributed to my mood as I woke up happy every day.

My colleague told me that Southern Sun Maputo was undoubtedly the best hotel a few years ago. Since then many other hotels have popped up in the city and along the beachfront. Unlike the other hotels along the beachfront though, this one is right on the shore so you needn’t walk far to experience the beautiful beaches that Mozambique boasts about. The only downside is that it’s not a private beach and at times my seaside sounds were disrupted with locals holding very loud prayer sessions on the beach.

Although Maputo is not far from South Africa, it’s completely different to what I’m used to – the culture, the amenities and the language. It is so difficult to find someone who speaks English on the streets but at the hotel, I was so grateful that everyone spoke my language. The staff were so friendly and ever willing to help you learn a few Portuguese words…which comes in handy when you’re hungry in a café and all the foods have Portuguese names.

The common areas of the hotel had a pretty modern décor but the rooms were in serious need of some renovation. Some rooms had a damp smell to it whilst others just needed a fresh coat of paint applied to the cupboards and some handles on the drawers. All that didn’t matter when I opened my room window and was embraced by amazing weather, birds chirping and gentle waves…

Room service, although looked great, didn’t taste as good as sitting in and ordering at the hotel restaurant. For dinner, I’d recommend the tiger prawns – the biggest prawns I’ve ever seen. Even better was the usual English and continental breakfast with some Portuguese cuisine. The giblets and livers were delicious and there were scrumptious Portuguese custard pastries that I couldn’t get enough of.

Overall, I enjoyed my stay. Although I’d like to try out another hotel during my next visit to Mozambique, I’d gladly come back here for the mouth-watering breakfasts, the beachfront location, friendly service and stunning ocean view. 

I used to be quite fit back in the day and then life happened and here I am; fat and unfit without having regularly exercised in almost 2 years!

A friend recently heard about Les Mills Bodycombat, a new fitness class at Planet Fitness. She loved it so much after one class that she decided to join the gym just for that. Since it's just recently beeb launched in South Africa, they are promoting the class by offering a free guest pass. My friend decided to take me along with her. 

I was pretty excited after seeing the video. It looked like a rock concert - so upbeat and so much fun. Also it was a free class - who wouldn't love that. The only problem is that I'm not a fan of large gyms. Their selling point is that they are relatively cheap and have all the resources, equipment and trainers that you would need. I am just not sold on the level of trainers at gyms. I've found that most trainers have basic training experience and because they need to tailor classes to the majority (who are just looking for a workout), it's hard to be able to learn some of the more advanced or specific exercises, routines, etc. I find a lot more value at a yoga or pilates studio than similar trainers in a gym. 

Well Le Mills comes in three types of classes. The one I picked is called Body Combat and is quite cardio intensive. Think high paced kick boxing so lots of non-stop movement to get your heart rate up and your body sweating. As unfit as I am, I was able to keep up with the class so it's definitely not too hectic for beginners. The trainer introduces movements, stances and exercises inspired from combat skills and that just made it all the more fun. I absolutely loved the music and how the trainer choreographed our moves in time with the song. It also feels so much more satisfying to end a set or routine as the song ends with a bang.

Afterwards, I felt great. Because of my joint issues, I wouldn't go back until my joints are a bit more strengthened. I do believe though that this is an excellent class to try out before signing up for a gym membership. If you have any friends at Planet Fitness, ask them to pick up a guest pass for you. 

I'm on a mission to get my fitness levels back up so if you know of any new studios, classes or clubs that I should be joining, let me know - I'd love to try it out.  

After blogging about my salmon and caviar stuffed potatoes recipe, Abba generously offered to give me some of their products to give away to my readers on my blog.

Abba Seafood has launched a number of different Norwegian products in South Africa. They are retailing at the major supermarkets and I've seen the products stocked at Spar and they are reasonably priced.

The most exciting product is the caviar. I can't say that I've ever seen caviar sold in supermarkets and I've only ever eaten them topped on sushi. Next time you're inviting guests over, what nicer way to impress them by getting a little jar of caviar to use as a garnish or even spread on top of crackers. It just gives entertaining that touch of opulence. Abba caviar comes in both black and red.

The Abba seafood range is designed to be used in canapes. It comes in small jar and a little goes a long way. My favourite of the range is the herring. It comes in following flavours: marinated with dill, in mustard sauce and in garlic sauce. I liked the Sweddish herring in garlic sauce on top of crackers. It's creamy and goes down deliciously. Eating it on it's own wasn't to my liking but then again I don't have a palate for the finer foods.

The seafood spreads are pretty cool. I had a wrap with creamed salmon spread on it and filled with lettuce and other healthy stuff. It's great if you want a hint of flavour without eating the actual fish. The spreads come in creamed salmon, creamed tuna and mild creamed fish roe.

I have 4 packs of all of these products to give away. You can win 3 jars of red and black caviar each, 2 jars of herring and 2 spreads. Winning is easy. All you have to do is enter via Rafflecopter below.

As the products need to be kept refrigerated, this competition is only open to readers within Johannesburg. a Rafflecopter giveaway

I eat in a lot so today I figured why not share my recipes on my blog since my boyfriend and I cook almost every day. Here’s something we tried tonight – chicken stir-fry with udon noodles.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts sliced into strips

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon crushed ginger

2 green chillies

100g portabellini mushrooms

100g baby corn

65g broccoli tips

1 carrot

70g red onion

2 tbs stir-fry sauce

1 tbs oyster sauce

200g udon noodles

40g bean sprouts

Yes, we shop at Woolies

Method

In a wok, fry the chicken strips in batches with ginger, garlic and chillies in sunflower oil until the chicken has a touch of colour. Remove from heat and keep aside. 

Slice the vegetables and stir-fry them in a bit of oil until the veggies are cooked but still slightly crisp. Add the chicken to the veggies and stir fry with the sauces. 

Cook noodles in a separate pot. Add the cooked noodles to the wok and sprinkle the bean sprouts. Heat through. 

We had it with an Asian style cucumber salad.

I was invited to an Abba/Ocean King media launch where I learnt that South Africa’s major supermarkets are now stocking their Scandinavian seafood. There’s a variety of products such as herring, spreads and tuna but I was most interested in the caviar. I decided to try out the caviar for supper and I quite liked it. Caviar and champagne just adds a touch of opulence to your meals whether you’re serving appetisers to guests or treating yourself with main meal. And check how elegant those little eggs look!

Here’s my recipe for salmon stuffed potatoes topped with Abba caviar which I used as a side dish to grilled salmon and a green salad. Feel free to use a large potato and have it for mains. This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients

6 baby potatoes

Cubes of smoked salmon

Fresh dill

2 tablespoons cream cheese

1/2 tablespoon grainy mustard

1/2 red onion

Salt and pepper

Abba caviar

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place the potatoes with the skin on onto a baking tray and bake until tender for about 45 hour. Cut off the top of each potato and scrape the flesh into a bowl, leaving a little flesh around the inside of each potato so as to keep a potato shell. Add the salmon to the bowl along with dill, cream cheese, mustard, onion, salt and pepper and mix well. Stuff the mixture back into the potato shells and place them back onto the baking tray. Bake until the potatoes are hot in the center and golden brown on top for about 10 – 20 minutes. Top with a teaspoon of caviar and serve.

Try it and let me know what you think.

About a month ago, I visited Tanzania on business. It was the first time that I had been to Dar es Salaam and only once I got there did I realise that Tanzanian restaurants hardly accepted credit cards and when they did, network issues prevented the payments from going through most of the time. I was torn between using my own money that I was saving for my mini Zanzibar break and wanting to enjoy what Dar had to offer. Luckily when money became too much of an issue, I could eat at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. Still, I managed to squeeze in bits of Dar. After all, I’d rather have stories to tell than save my money for life’s bare necessities.

I was so lucky to be staying in a hotel that was right next to Slipway. It’s called Slipway because it used to be a boat yard and you can still book sailing trips that leave from here to the nearby islands or just around the bay. Given that I didn’t have a car and I needed to save money that would have been spent on a taxi, I spent quite a few nights here. There’s a bunch of restaurants right next to Msanani Bay but my favourite was The Waterfront. If you get there early enough you can sit right at the edge of the bay and watch the waters gentle caress against the deck. The sunset is amazing when the skies turn all shades of orange. I didn’t enjoy the hotel food very much but I simply loved all the dishes I tried here. The portion sizes though are huge!

There’s a big market at Slipway and the prices are ridiculous. Maybe I just keep comparing the prices from my Thailand shopping spree to everywhere else I go to but most items (even fridge magnets) were not less than R75. I could only afford to buy some bracelets, coffee beans and fridge magnets. Apart from the pricing though, I felt that most items weren’t uniquely Tanzanian or African; I saw quite a bit of Thai products – handbags, placemats, etc. with a huge price mark up. But then again, in the luxurious Msanani Peninsula (kinda like Tanzania’s Camps Bay equivalent), I shouldn’t be too surprised that everything would be expensive. 

There’s a travel agent at Slipway called Costal Airlines. I used them to book my Zanzibar trip. So if you want to do some travelling in and around Tanzania, try them; they are very friendly and super organised.

I worked in Mlimali City so I frequented the Mlimali City mall for lunch every day. It is one of Dar’s biggest malls and it has a lot of South Africa’s favourite store brands like Mr Price and Game. The mall itself is busy but there are tons of restaurants which aren’t crowded if you want to grab a quiet lunch. But this is Africa and sometimes ordering a hot chocolate involves DIY.

I also had time to catch a pub quiz at Trinity Bar and Lounge. It’s in Msanani so it’s mostly frequented by expats and Tanzanian upper class during the week. Most of Dar es Salaam is not as well developed as Johannesburg and I do feel like a snob for saying that the Msanani area feels more like home.  Trinity has a relaxing open air beach bar vibe. They also have very difficult quiz nights if you’re into that sort of thing. I like to just relax in the ambience...

I am scheduled to go back to Dar es Salaam in February. I can’t wait to explore more. I plan on staying at Seacliff this time and apparently there’s quite a lot to do in and around the hotel. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to try it so please let me know. 

So I finally got around to watching Sharknado last night. Yes, I had nothing better to do and yes, it was the worst movie I have ever watched. It’s a highly implausible concept riddled with inaccuracies. Let me tell you some of the things I learnt while watching it.

Australians have tougher skins than Americans

Right at the beginning of the movie, there are sharks that have suddenly moved in to shallow waters going on a feeding frenzy. A shark bites into the leg of an Australian who struggles for few minutes with the shark attached to his leg. He eventually escapes the shark. Everyone else in the movie, i.e. Americans, seems to die from just one shark bite. How else do you explain it? The Australian was also cleaned up and was able to walk just fine a few hours later.

Sharks can breathe out of water

The movie centres around a hurricane that starts over the ocean, picking up sharks (and no other marine life) and sweeping across California. When the sharks are flung from the centre of the hurricane onto land, they are still alive, can breathe out of water and are much more concerned about eating every human in sight rather than wondering where all the water went to. And when they do see a large body of water like a chlorine filled pool or a sewer pipe – they can happily survive in there swimming around until their next kill.

Sharks can survive almost anything

I mean, they can already breathe out of water and survive in a chlorine pool but did you know that they can be flung from heavily flowing sewer pipes onto concrete slabs and still survive? Even more impressive is that they can survive a fall from great heights onto the pavement and still manage to work up an appetite to take out whoever is in its path. Despite their toughness, there are ways to kill a shark.

The many ways to kill a shark

Even waitresses without much experience in shark hunting can kill a shark but stabbing a pool cue stick through its head. Even surfers can shoot a shark…that is attacking a helicopter high up in the air…while standing on a ground…with a pistol. Bar stools are incredible powerful tools at protecting yourself from shark attacks. You can fly a helicopter near a tornado to throw a bomb in the centre of without getting sucked in to the tornado.

Sharks can swallow you whole

Sharks have deadly teeth which they use to chomp down on one of your limbs and then shake their heads violently from side to side to rip you up in order to get a bite-sized piece of you. That’s what you learn in school. In Sharknado though, sharks can swallow you whole. And one does swallow you whole, never fear, always keep a chainsaw on your person at all times; you can easily use it to cut your way out of its belly.

Cars can explode without an ignition source

At some point in the movie, the car stops and can’t be started again. Quickly someone notices a fuel leak. Everyone runs. And you guessed it. The car explodes with no ignition source. Also seconds before the actual explosion someone leaps to the ground. And I always thought that happened as a result of the force of the explosion pushing you to the ground.

Nitrous

There’s a nitrous button on a Hummer. And when you use it, police miraculously stop chasing you. I totally want one of those buttons on my Corsa Lite. 

I have been so tired at work lately that I was desperately in need of a break. I don’t generally associate holidays or weekend getaways as relaxing. I often try to squeeze in all the tourist things possible into one weekend and come back even more exhausted. Going away to a small town not too far from home and with not much to do actually gave me some time to relax.

Pumleni Guesthouse

We left Joburg on Friday and arrived in Harties in less than an hour. We stayed at Pumleni Guesthouse, a semi self-catering guesthouse. The room rates covered breakfast and I wasn’t too fussed about the guesthouse not serving dinner as I wanted to experience the restaurants Harties had to offer. Pumleni is very close to the dam and all the tourist attractions. It is situated in front of the Magaliesberg Mountain range and just behind the dam so as we had beautiful views coming to and leaving the guesthouse.

Walk/run through Harties

I’m trying to get into an exercise routine so I didn’t want my weekend away to get in the way of that goal so we walked around Harties A LOT admiring the views and breathing in such fresh air. If you cycle or run, you’ll definitely like the views of the dam and Magaliesberg from the road. There are stunning country-side trails as well if you don’t like being on the road.

Siesta Tapas Bistro

I love eating a lot of small dishes instead of one big meal so when I heard about this little restaurant, I had to try it out. It was a block away from Pumleni Guesthouse so we walked there. They offer themed platters such as seafood, vegetarian, etc. but we decided to choose our own tapas. The dishes are slightly bigger than restaurants starter menu offerings so try not to order all your tapas at once. You must try the rack of lamb – 2 succulent lamb chops served with grilled veggies smothered in lamb flavour and roasted baby potatoes. There’s a very extensive wine list and a cellar where you can pick out your wine from.

Hartbeespoort Dam

We drove around trying to find a spot on the banks of the dam to just chill but alas, it seems like that is all private property so we settled on checking out the dam wall instead. There’s a road that comes from around the one side of the dam, through a tunnel and over the top of the dam wall. We parked aside and walked the top of the dam wall. It was the first time I’ve been on a dam wall and it was absolutely breath-taking. It was amazing to see how this man-made dam held back so much water. Even better than that was looking at the little streams into where the dam lets out its excess water.

Aerial Cableway

Next we took the cable car up to a high point on the mountain to overlook all of Hartbeespoort Dam. I’ve been on a cable car before to Table Mountain but this was a completely different experience. The cars are max 6-seater so it’s intimate if you have a small group of friends. There is virtually no wait and once you get to the top, the little walk around all the viewing points is so short. There are panoramic views of the dam, the majestic Magaliesberg and surrounding areas – you can even see the Northgate Coca-Cola Dome from up there. There’s a little curio shop, a pizzeria and a bar which stole the best from all of the eating joints. We settled on a café called Bugatti. I liked the name and that it was an indoor restaurant with glass windows so you still get a nice view but you miss all that cold wind. It is a self-service restaurant though which means you pay and help yourself to the buffet or burger bar.

Afternoon naps

I am such a busy woman that I hardly have time to get my eight hours of sleep a night let alone take an afternoon nap. How refreshing to just draw the curtains and snooze for a while on a comfy hotel bed before heading out again.

AfricanSwiss Restaurant

Hidden far from the dam is this little restaurant that promises a fusion between South African and Swiss/German cuisine. It’s quaint with a great country-side feel to it. If you come for lunch, you can leave your kids at the little play area while you wait for your food. The food does take a while to prepare so try a German beer while you wait. I recommend the pork belly with brakwurst. The different elements on the plate take away the richness from just having a pork belly dish on its own.

Welwitschia Country Market

Across the dam wall, there are tons of flea markets. Most of them selling the same things but I enjoyed browsing through the arts and crafts markets, African curio shops and nurseries. Across the road and further along are other markets with similar stalls. There are also lots of restaurants and cafes in each of these outdoor markets if you need to take a break from the shopping. I picked up two wood and wicker bedside tables for my new bedroom at R200 each.

Jasmyn Farmstall

One of the first things you notice while driving towards Harties is The Windmill. Outside The Windmill is a flea market to browse through and then there’s Jasmyn Farmstall which has very misleading name. It’s a huge farmer’s grocery store similar to a Fruit ‘n Veg City but with none of the usual food brands. We decided to do the week’s grocery shopping there. Fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, juices, jams and baked goods are for sale at lower prices than what I’m used to.

The Windmill

Our last meal at Hartees in the freezing cold was at The Windmill. Despite the dull weather, the gardens looked lush and the streams made me feel like I never wanted to be in the city again. I ordered a hot chocolate and my food arrived so quickly that my hot chocolate was still warm by the time I finished my meal. Now that is what I call service! Try the chicken pancake. Dare I say it? It was better than Harry’s Pancakes.

I’m usually not ready to come back home from a weekend getaway but I left feeling relaxed and happy that I experienced most of what Harties had to offer. Only 45 minutes from Joburg, I’d definitely suggest it if you’re in need of some rest and relaxation away from the city.