April 10

The weather was beautiful but we did not make it to Robben Island. When we got to the ticket wicket, we learned that all the sailings were fully booked. We bought our tickets for Monday's first sailing and then enjoyed the Victoria and Alfred wharf. What a beautiful high end  complex it was! Zara, Apple, diamond outlets, Aldo and many others. There were many restaurants around the outside perimeter, many of them with outdoor terraces.

We stopped into a wonderful curio shop where I was able to to buy some souvenirs. The store was filled with carvings, masks, paintings, painted stone bowls, beaded statues, bowls and jewelry, musical instruments, music, photographs just to name a few. And the prices were very reasonable for a tourist venue.

Lunch was at a diner called Surf. The logo on the menu was an American Indian in full headdress. Very American style food, but the Greek salad and the Caesar salad all contained the same vegetables. There were olives and feta cheese 
in the Greek and croutons and chicken in the Caesar, but they came undressed. Supermarket dressings in a bottle had to do. Nevertheless, I hadn't had salad since i left home and I enjoyed the change.

We did some fine tuning of our itinerary. We cancelled the accommodations in Port Elizabeth and booked a room in Jeffery's Bay instead. It will reduce the driving time to East London and it has a spectacular beach for surfing. Being further north, I am hoping that the water will be warmer than what we already have experienced. I'd love to experience the surf without becoming numb with the cold. 

After lunch we did some more exploring. There was a ferris wheel similar to but smaller  than the one in London. A radio station was transmitting on site. Electric BMWs were on display. The trees were draped with intricate beaded blankets. It was a perfect tourist destination. One of the pavilions was filled with the creative work of Africans. Ranging from paintings to clothing and from glassware to a wide variety of jewelry. We had found this craft market on the way to the aquarium. Just before we turned into the aquarium we passed by a booth where African braiding was done. I had thought about braiding my hair on the plane to prevent sporting the Jewfro look. It was a perfect solution for keeping my hair under control. Had I thought about it a little more and had Gila not encouraged me I would have walked away and not given into the impulse. One minute I was chatting with the two Angolian women doing the plaiting and the next minute I was sitting in a chair having my hair divided into many sections and plaited tightly from the bottom up. I had suggested that Shelley and Gila go ahead to the Aquarium, but Gila true to form photographed and videoed my experience. Gila mentioned that her hair was too short and thin for braids, but Sylvie convinced her to get ten small braids made with extensions around her head. Hurray! I wasn't the only one to act on impulse. Shelley then in the spirit of solidarity, had one small braid put in across the front.



I was shocked when it was done and I looked in the mirror. I barely recognized myself. My hair was braided away from my face and now I am sporting a high forehead along with the braids. I'm still not used to how I look, but the consolation is that I will have to spend very little time or effort to have a neat hairstyle. Earlier in the day, Gila bought me an African beaded necklace. I am proud to say that I have gone African. I was not sure that I would like the braids but a lot of people have commented on it and asked where I had it done.

Finally, we made it to the aquarium. Although not as impressive or large as the one in Toronto, the displays of fish eels, anemones, coral, kelp sharks, manta rays and penguins were beautifully arranged. Sustainability was an important element of many of the displays.

The day had flown by but we had enough time for Gila to buy new comfortable runners before meeting Daniel, Shelley's boyfriend for dinner. We were taken  to a seafood place called Willoughby's. We started with sashimi and sushi and then moved on to the entree. It was a huge pan lined with rice and potatoes and topped with grilled lagostinos, prawns, cray fish and crab served with your choice of lemon butter, garlic butter and a tomato salsa. I have never tasted better shellfish. The meal was rounded out with carafes of wine and heavenly desserts, creme brûlée for Shelley and halva ice cream for Gila and me. The cheque reflected the quality of the meal. Daniel and Shelley wanted to foot the bill but we finally agreed to split it. It was 2400 rands for four people but well worth the cost.We lingered over dinner, Daniel and Gila discussing geography, geology and politics, while he and I compared our type A personalities. What a lovely man he is, generous, attentive and accommodating.

Tomorrow the plan is to drive to Stellenbosch, wine country, with Daniel and Shelley's mother, Brigette joining us. I'm looking forward to tasting South African vintages.