Africa: Week Two

Week one in Africa ended on a chill note on a Sunday Afternoon in Kirstenbosh Gardens. One thing I can say is that you'll never be bored in Cape Town. There's always something happening, somewhere in the city. Most Sunday nights in summer there are bands of all sorts playing at the amphitheater stage at the gardens. You take your packed picnic and your drinks and your blankets, find a spot on the rolling grass hill and wind down to the end of the week, to the setting sun and the sounds of Africa. I love it because it brings all sorts of people together at the end of almost every week just to chill and hang out together and I think that's kind of beautiful.

After the concert we went back home with Julian, Amy, Aunty Sandra and Terry. Aunty Sandra and Mam have been best friends since they were kids. Aunty Sandra grew up in the same neighbourhood and the older they got they just stuck together. Naturally as things go in Cape Town neither of them left the neighbourhood when they got married and had kids - so Us kids grew up together. Julian, Terri, Amy and I went to the same pre-school together and basically grew up as siblings. I remember spending endless days playing in their green house conservatory, or spending hours together in our pool. I remember spending most weekend nights climbing the tree out in the yard in the front of their house while the parents drank and partied inside. I remember spending nights whispering with Julian in his room while we tried to listen to the new tape he got when we were supposed to be sleeping. I guess you can't always stay in history though - it doesn't become history if you don't change it. They moved out to Constantia and that's were we found ourselves waking up Monday morning. To the sound of the birds in the trees and the squirrels scratching for nuts. We sat down and had a big breakfast with everyone before we set off again.

Mam's older brother Uncle Roger lives all the way on the coast, inbetween Glencairn and Simonstown. By Auckland standards it's a quick half hour to 45 minute commute from southern city suburbs - but by Cape Town standards it's a trip you only make once in a while - if you're wanting to go for a Sunday Drive or if you've been invited round for a braai. Nothing is further than 5 to 10 minutes drive in the city - any further and its "out of the way". Uncle Roger was having us for the whole week so after the tearful greeting (as he hadn't managed to see us yet - living so far away and all) we packed our bags into their little car and squished in the back for the ride through to our next destination.