Southern Africa - September 2015

The canyon at Victoria Falls, sited between Zambia and Zimbabwe.




The Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg.




The African croc on the Chobe River, lying between Botswana and Naimbia.





The Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto.



Such grazers are big and powerful, yet are targets of lions.



Friendliness at Simon's Town, Southern Cape.




Iconic food from Cafe Africa, Cape Town.





The giant ferris wheel at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town.




A countryside vista at Franschhoek.





French Protestants sought refuge from religious persecution in Europe and came in droves to  the Cape Province.





A most generous picnic lunch.





Old world Euro charm in the dining room and lobby of the Commodore Legacy Hotel, Cape Town.




Passenger and pilot manning helicopter over the Victoria Falls.





Evening cruise on the Zambezi River, with French- Canadians, Australians and Chinese-Malaysians.



What a delightful and fulfilling experience on the trek beside the Victoria Falls.





The hippo in full glory, being away from the water for a change.





Downtown Johannesburg.





A bird hitches a ride on our safari boat along the Chobe River.





The scenic coastal drive to the Cape of Good Hope.











What Vasco da Gama and Bartholomew Diaz encountered at the southern tip of Africa.


The cable car to Table Mountain only operates when wind and cloud conditions suit.





Not keys and locks, but messages and names on solid stone on the coastal drive in the Southern Cape.





A Great Dane "Just Nuisance" is honoured by the South African Navy.




One of the most accessible penguin colonies.




Sharks and waves predominate the southern coast.





The future of young South Africa.




Noon in the Kahane Forest Reserve, Botswana.




The Protea.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vietnam - Some Souvenirs

Image
Vietnam is a prime exporter of agricultural products, like rice, rubber,coffee and pepper, but to individual visitors, what comes across remarkably are lacquered products , embroidery, pottery, silk fabrics, weaved craft, stone carvings, bamboo and rattan articles, ceramic, wooden contraptions and paintings.  This is a result of long established cultural traditions and a developing economy.  The majority of the current population is under 30 years old, laden with the enthusiasm, agility and promise of youth.  The centre of handicraft is still central Vietnam, with the hub around Hue and Hoi An. You can see many water colours offered by local artists in shops, markets and pavement stalls.  I was more fascinated by origami-like paper cuts which you can come across being sold by vendors all over the place.  Best of all are the hang lanterns, available in all sizes, which are made from varying qualities of Vietnamese silk fabric, the best of which a...
Read more

Aunty Gaik Lian's - Straits Chinese, Georgetown, Penang

Image
A simple but appetising egg omelette as starters. Gulai Ikan Tumis or sour and spicy fish curry. The previous long standing branch of jewellers B.P De Silva, almost at the corner of Bishop and Beach streets in the old quarter of Georgetown, has a few months ago been transformed into a hub of Straits Chinese cuisine. Straddling two shop lots, located in an evening quiet location but near to the banking district on  business days, Aunty Gaik Lian's provides a refreshing change to the Nyonya food landscape on Penang island.  I have always found that the best Straits Chinese food is found in homes in Penang, like what my Mum dishes out, and it has been exasperating to be really satisfied with commercial outlets in this cuisine.  The Penang variation of such Peranakan food tends to be more influenced by ingredients and cooking styles from Thailand and the Malayan peninsular , when compared to the Malacca version (with more of stronger Indonesian influences and the ...
Read more

85 Degrees Bakery Cafe Hurstville NSW

Image
There are several outlets of this bakery cafe for several years now in Australia.  Did they coem from the USA? Each franchised outlet is in a busy area, often in suburbs so-called by a diverse Asian demographic.   The one in Hurstville is rather roomy and lots of baked stuff on its shelves.   The base of Sydney operations is in Chester Hill, a suburb south-west of the Sydney city centre. Some of the cake creations would be viewed as rather leaning on the East Asian dimension  - Strawberry Angel (with chocolate base and top) and Mango Cheese ( with yoghurt).   However, to counter this perspective, there are also Death by Chocolate, US Cheesecake, Coffee Brulee and Blueberry Marble options.     The pastries are definitely filled with ingredients more suited to perhaps  Anime loving fans and non-mainstream cultures - for example, garlic, pork, tuna, green tea, red bean, shallots, pork floss, coconut, Hokkaido butter cream...
Read more