MSC Sinfonia: Portuguese Islands

On day 3 of our cruise, we were anchored in the middle of the ocean and were transported via a massive rubber duck type boat to the Portuguese Islands.

You can see the Sinfonia far in the background

We went to Inhaca Islands which is situated across the bay of Maputo, just 40km from the capital city of Mozambique. It has a population of about 6000 and they survive mainly on agriculture and fishing in the communities. Again, the people here are incredibly poor. We had 2 little local boys trailing behind us as we were taking pictures and when we gave them each a R10 note, it was as if they'd won the lottery. Very humbling experience.

On our way to Inhaca

We stopped for lunch at one of the few restaurants on the island and because I was hanging like a wet sock as a result of the previous late nights, the heat and humidity were seriously starting to take its toll. All you want to do is drink liquids and soon you realise you haven't eaten much in a day.

A menu to compare prices (Check the price of crayfish)

Very "sorry my dear" market

The bottle store :D

Delicious prawns

Swimming in this water was amazing. 

I had a wonderful experience on these islands. It was definitely a worthwhile adventure and even G had to be coaxed out of the water so that we could go back to the ship.

MSC Sinfonia - Maputo, Mozambique

I would recommend this trip to anyone and everyone. In fact at least 10 of my friends have also taken this very same trip in the same year, unfortunately our planning skills sucked and we weren't able to enjoy it together but still a worthwhile holiday.

View of the deck where you spend most of the day

First stop was Maputo, Mozambique and what strikes you is that despite its setting in one of the most beautifully tropical almost island climates, the buildings are derelict and the people are incredibly poor. the locals rely solely on tourism and fishing as a means to support themselves financially and everyone is trying to get you to buy something.

Vendors selling everything from booze to "fresh"vegetables

The city centre that we walked through has many high rise buildings in various stages of decay, but were still inhabited by people. One building looked as if it had been ravaged by fire.

Many streets in the CBD look like this one. Helen Zille would be disgusted.

Despite the disappointing greeting described above, Mozambiquan people are warm and friendly and only want to take you all over the City. Hence why our tuktuk driver took us somewhere completely off the beaten track and we ended up lost for a good hour.

We managed to find someone who spoke fluent English at a hotel I still have no clue where we were and ended up at the port at a quaint little seafood restaurant. Sometimes you have to give these places a chance.

Even though the pool had seen better days, we definitely enjoyed the lunch as did many other MSC Sinfonia boat trippers whom we met at the restaurant.

More later...

Durban & Mozambique 2012

Wow. I have somewhat neglected to maintain this blog page.

Nevertheless, with some spare time on my hands I can slowly update about the fantastic holiday we had in Mozambique and Durban this year.

Let's start with Durban, which, after the Western Cape is definitely one of my favourite destinations in South Africa. I can handle the humidity and gigantic ants. We visited my best friend Jody, who was living there at the time and managed to act like tourists in the City for a few days.

My KZN highlights were:

1. Moses Mabhida Stadium - It's definitely worthwhile taking the Skycar for a panoramic view of the City. Also something that the City of Cape Town can learn from MMS is the use of the Stadium for social activities like restaurants and bars.
2. Roma Revolving Restaurant - If you can stomach high altitudes I would suggest that you check in at this eatery which specialises in Italian cuisine, atop a restaurant with a speed control mechanism which allows for a revolution of anything between 60 and 90 minutes. Check out their website for details. http://www.roma.co.za/home/
3. Bunny Chow - needs no explanation and what's a visit to Durban without tasting one of the various bunny chows on offer.
4. uShaka Marine World - water slides and pools as well as shark tanks and rides for a fun filled Wet 'n Wild day, regardless of how old you are, nothing beats a water slide!

Moses Mabhida Stadium - Skycar

Mr Moses Mabhida

Someone struggles with heights

Truly such a great time with 2 of my favourites, wish I could visit every year.

Next up : Mozambique..

Update: 16 days to go..

As I countdown to when my annual leave commences, I note how incredibly busy I have been recently that I hadn't an opportunity to realise that January has come and gone in a flash. I am enjoying the long summer days and especially now that the notorious South Easter wind isn't beating down as often as it was during December.

Our cruise tickets and flights to Durban have been booked and to say I am getting a little excited would be an understatement.

Lunch at Shelley's on Kloof

Took a walk down Kloof Street for lunch and visited Shelley's Gourmet cafe which is at 90 Kloof Street, Gardens, directly opposite Van Riebeeck High School.

Pretty seating available outside 

From the relatively simple menu (consisting of one laminated page) I chose the sweet chilli chicken with feta and peppadew quiche which is served with a side salad.

Mouthwatering sight

I couldn't finish it though. I blame the Oreo gourmet shake =)

INDIAN SUPPER

Another scorcher in Cape Town yesterday and we had the bright idea to go to Bukhara for dinner last night. I have heard so many wonderful things about this restaurant over the years so when my mom's birthday came up, it manifested as the perfect reason to give it a go.

After much discussion we decided to have a taste of everything but consensus ruled that we not have too much of the hot stuff.

For Starters we had the Chicken Tikka and Tandoori Mushroom. I was completely blown away by the Chicken Tikka. Perfectly moist chicken breasts that I wish I knew how to prepare myself and the combination of spices was lovely. The mushrooms were too confusing, not really my taste as I couldn't determine whether it was a sweet or savoury dish. 

Mains we ordered Lamb Rogan Josh, Prawn Curry and Chicken Vindaloo. Not the most imaginative of choices but it was not my party so I had to go along with the majority at the table. Together with 4 massive garlic naan breads (the best I have ever seen) and a small serving of rice, even my brother, who's known to be a very fussy 10-year old when it comes to food, was licking his lips and fingers.

From Left: Lamb Rogan Josh, Prawn Curry and Chicken Vindaloo

My mom and her friend Lynn

All in all, a very pleasant experience. Price wise a bit costly but when you look around and appreciate the decor and finishings of the restaurant, it makes sense. I was impressed but value for money; I reserve judgment.

It's imperative that I wear the bib

NB: take a torch or small pocket flashlight with you to the bathrooms; it's so dark in there you might take a wrong turn and end up in the kitchens.

GETTING STARTED

So... in about a month's time I start my long awaited and eagerly anticipated 2-week holiday. It's been a challenging working year and I definitely felt the pressures of this working environment.


I decided not to take annual leave over the December 2011/January 2012 period for a few very noteworthy reasons:


1. Tourists
Every year over the December period, Cape Town is swamped with local and international tourists that come to annoy us natives with their kak driving skills. I was in no mood to deal with that for another year. I appreciate their contributions to our tourism industry. I am grateful for the money they generate for our local businesses and employees. 


I prefer not to have to deal with all of them.


2. School Holidays
Being on leave whilst the school holidays are ongoing can be a bit annoying at times, especially when you want to go to Ratanga Junction and all the queues for the rides are miles long. 


Also traffic into Town during the school holidays is a total breeze which makes coming to work while everyone else is on holiday more of a pleasure rather than a pain.


3. Festive season mayhem
I don't think I need to elaborate on this one. Everything is more expensive. Beaches are full and packed. Restaurants are always fully booked. Accommodation is 10x more expensive and not available. Traffic to beaches and anywhere else in Cape Town at night is a nightmare. Enough said.


and finally...


4. Our Company shutdown period
The Company I work for closes for the period just before Christmas and reopens just after New Year. I had a nice enough break from work to recharge and yet still enjoy my time off with friends and family.


So now the time approaches when I am going to take a real  holiday which starts on 20 February 2012. 

I just can't wait..