In the middle of our Namibia trip we flew down to Cape Town, South Africa, for a long weekend with Leandra’s aunt and uncle.
Thursday
Our flight from Walvis Bay was was quick and easy, arriving in Cape Town about 30 minutes early to an empty immigration counter.
While we were waiting for my aunt and uncle, Eric tried one of the airport ATMs – it was working with our cards, but the bank wanted an exorbitant fee so we decided to try elsewhere in town. Veda and Doug collected us and to avoid rush hour traffic, we stopped into the Forester’s Arms to have a drink and catch up. Veda and I split a bottle of the Old Man Red from Groote Post – a winery we visited on our last trip in 2006!
For dinner we went to their local – Lighthouse Pub and Grill – just before their kitchen closed. I liked my ‘El Gringo’ pizza with minced seasoned beef, jalepenos, onions and garlic. Eric ordered samosas from the appetizer section.
Friday
After a filling breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast, Doug took us to the beach for a lovely walk and to show us the homes (and meet the dogs) he takes care of for months at a time.
We returned at 1pm and Veda whisked us off to Constantia Glen for a wine tasting and light lunch (with a quick stop at Cape Point Vineyards for the view). Along with way we took one of our favorite roads to experience the massively scenic Chapman’s Peak.
At each winery the gate guard asked the driver for ID and our license plate was recorded. For security I guess?
We stayed in for dinner as Doug had prepared a massive braai with chicken, boerwors and ribs. My cousin Cody, his fiancé Caitlyn and their two kids – Thomas and Samantha – joined us for dinner and conversation.
Saturday
Cody, Caitlyn and the kids came over for breakfast at 9:30am then we went for a stroll on the beach. The wind had changed directions and there were so many jellyfish! I was barefoot so I really had to watch where I stepped.
In the afternoon we headed out to explore a few places. On the way we stopped at an ATM which worked! We were able to take out 1,000 rand which more than covered us for the rest of the Namibia trip.
Our first stop was Aegir Project Brewery, where we tried their porter and kettle hopped sour. The garden area was popular with a small band playing on the side and quite a few dogs too.
From there we headed up the road to Monkey Valley for a craft fair and enjoyed a half pint of a surprisingly non-bitter IPA from Little Wolf, a nano-brewery in Kommetjie.
We stopped in at C+C to see their new house and say goodbye (we were leaving early the next morning) then headed to the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay where we enjoyed a glass of wine (and some rugby) with a view of the water — we were close enough that occasionally the water was splashing up against the windows too!
For dinner we went to Dixie’s in Glencairn – they do large portions here! I had to try the black mussels (good but the sauce was too thick) and a nicely cooked burger with avocado and cheese. Eric’s chicken pita from the ‘lighter bites’ menu was larger than my burger! All in all a full day with lots of time spent catching up, chatting, etc.
Sunday
Woke up before sunrise to make the drive over the mountain for our 10am flight.
Arrived at 7:50a, a little early for the check-in (officially opened at 8:05a), so we joined the small queue. Check in was easy and we got through security and passport control fast, leaving us some time in the Priority Pass lounge to grab a coffee and top off my phone.
The flight back to Walvis Bay was uneventful, though occasionally featured some beautiful scenery (including an awesome overhead view of Sossusvlei!) thanks to clear skies.
Our truck was still in the lot which would probably surprise everyone but us and after paying the 225N$ ($16USD) parking fee we were on our way back to Swakopmund.
Unfortunately we forgot to get photos with my cousin and the kids, but we really enjoyed seeing everyone in person after 12 years – hopefully it won’t be so long until our next visit!