We got off to a slow start this morning and had breakfast at Lola's, a vegetarian restaurant. Daddy Long Legs were nice enough to let us leave our luggage in their office (we didn't want to be seen putting it in the trunk of the car which was parked on the street and walking away). Our first stop was to the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood where we wandered the side streets and visited the museum which tells the history of the early Muslim settlers. We heard the Adhan, the Muslim call to prayer while we were inside.
Afterwards, we did some price haggling at an outdoor craft market in Green Market Square. It's fun to browse the wares here, but be warned that the prices are hugely inflated. We whiled away the rest of the afternoon in Company's Gardens. S and I are getting pretty good at looking at our watches and saying, "I can't believe it's already 4:00pm!", etc. We don't really have a planned itinerary so we just go with the flow most of the time.
Rush hour slowed us down on our drive to Franschhoek, one of the little towns in the winelands. Our guest house, the Klein Oliphants Hoek, is a charming restored building originally built in the late 1800s. Unfortunately, no WiFi although the front desk said they're planning that for next year. S bought an HSDPA modem when she arrived in the country to get Internet access on her laptop; it's been pretty handy, but a bit slow.
When we got hungry, we walked around town to find someplace to eat. Reuben's, a popular restaurant with an amazing menu, was fully booked until the 17th, so we ended up at Bouillabaisse, a resto with a decidedly Asian influence that served small plates meant to be shared. This was a fantastic meal and highly recommended. We chatted with the couple next to us and ended up having post-dinner drinks with them at a nearby pub. Note: don't pull the bell at the bar. Update (2011-06-02): the restaurant has since closed.Complete set of South Africa pictures in my Flickr set.
2 comments:
Why, what happens when you pull the bell? (You mean it wasn't ringing for service, like at Seoul House?)
It means you buy a round of drinks for everyone at the bar! In my inebriated state and naivete, I spent the evening worrying about how much it would cost me. Much to my relief, though, they were all just joking.
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