Once she got back home, Stacey took time to write down her thoughts on her visit. She agreed to shares her experiences in this very personal account, along with some of the photographs she took during the month she spent back in South Africa.
01 December 2009
I woke up this morning before the sunrise, a feat I pulled off daily for almost an entire three weeks in a recent visit to Cape Town.
But there, every dark morning meant a houseful of people hustling into swimming costumes and layers for warmth, grabbing blankets and a flask of coffee that could never quite keep its temperature, and staking our claim at Fish Hoek Beach.
We quickly slipped into a routine, draping ourselves over one or two benches by The Galley Restaurant to watch the sun rise and the surf roll in. On rainy days, we confused some of the routine-loving regulars by sheltering ourselves around the corner to order cappuccinos from The Bayside Bistro.
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| Early morning outside The Galley at Fish Hoek |
Bayside Bistro Cappuccino |
That was there. This morning in central Virginia, on the eastern coast of the United States, we woke up to the first frost of winter, the car windows festively frozen.
As a South African expat, I still am trying desperately to hold on to the Cape Town experience. This three-week trip back home put a cap on an 11-year absence and gave me a new set of memories to cherish.
Despite assuming world-traveler status, I spent a few years as a kid on the shores of False Bay, and as a proud Fish Hoek Surf Life Saving Club “nipper,” considered the Cape Town municipality home.
My experiences this time around were not as physically demanding but, among the best, included salsa dancing at Fogeys Railway House Restaurant, drinks and live jazz at Polana Tapas Bar and Restaurant, and Israeli folk dancing at the Gardens Shul—the Cape Town Hebrew Congregation.
All are terrific venues.
Fogeys is located quite prominently in Muizenberg at the Old Railway House on the Main Road. It offers a great menu with indoor and outdoor seating. Salsa dancing minimizes my appetite, but my last visit to Fogeys had my mouth watering over a huge serving of butternut and spinach wrapped in Filo pastry, which I barely finished.
Polana, while not small, is tucked into the larger Harbour House Restaurant establishment in Kalk Bay. Built on the rocks, Polana’s large bay windows open to the sound and occasional salt spray of crashing waves. Some locals noted the windows have to be replaced at least once a year when the waves get too feisty and break in.
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| Polana overlooks the sea |
The bar at Polana |
A beautiful, peaceful venue for afternoon tea, Polana also hosts local bands on weekend evenings. One evening treated us to a live jazz band working their musicianship less than a dozen feet away.
On my final evening in the Western Cape, I connected with South Africa’s Jewish community at the Cape Town Hebrew Congregation, only four blocks from the South African Parliament.
Taking its common name, the Gardens Shul sits in a gorgeous complex with the South African Jewish Museum, the Cape Town Holocaust Center and Gitlin Library. The Israeli folk dancing happens weekly in the Gardens Shul Sukkah Hall.
Attempting Israeli dancing for the second time in two years, I was lost initially with more of the complex dance moves the group tries to master, but I fell into rhythm as the evening progressed. The group welcomed me as a first-timer and shared some international connections, which – if I go to Europe – I definitely will look up.
The next morning, on far too little sleep, I determined to reach Fish Hoek Beach before the sun. Driving through the sleepy streets, I pulled into the parking lot and prepped my camera for its last South African morning.
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| Sunrise on Fish Hoek Beach |
'Trek net' fishermen at Fish Hoek |
In that pre-dawn hour, with more energy than I’ve known in years, I propelled myself into a mad run across the sand, spinning and leaping about in pure bliss. As foolish as I probably looked, it could be another ten years before I have that chance again.
Be assured—I hope it will be sooner. Enjoy your summer, South Africa.
