Pedal Power Wine Tour

I spent the weekend cycling around gorgeous Stellenbosch with some of the other volunteers...it was a beautiful, if sticky, day when we left Cape Town early in the morning. I say early, I mean 8am. Yet this is early for Cape Town as we usually trawl up and down Long Street on a Friday downing shots in the eclectic mix of bars.

So forgoing our usual Friday night outing, we arrived in Stellenbosch at 10 am, picked up the bikes and set off on the trip. The way there was an uphill struggle, panting up winding roads with only the beautiful views of the mountain and the promise of some great vino to keep us from flagging. Yours truly had managed not to fall off her bicycle the whole way there until we arrived at the wine farm with the fields of grapes spread out as far as the wide sky. Then I managed to trip over my own feet. I was staring at the mountains. Once ensconced on the comfy sofas at the first wine farm and sipped a selection of Chardonnays and Merlots.

It was then back onto the bike and off to the next wine farm, where we sampled 7 wines ranging from sweet desert wines to heady reds. And we scoffed a lot of posh chocs. Dark chocolate and chili. Milk chocolate and geranium. Dark chocolate and rock salt. Mmmmmmmmm. Once loaded up with enough chocolate for all the family back home to devour at Christmas we headed back to town. 2 flat tyres later and a beefy American changing pipes and pumping tyres we missed the train.

We stumbled to the local backpackers and begged stole and borrowed some towels to have a quick wash before heading out for a well deserved dinner. The rugby was on (Wales lost, shame) but nevertheless a lovely chilled out evening was had by all. A few games of pool and a couple of mosquito bites (by probably the most stupid mosquito ever...he bit by face and my eyelid but not my meaty areas...definitely a male mosquito) later we were tucked up in our bunk beds and ready to head home the next day!

A Shark With No Bite, Shame!

Last Sunday a few of us decided to risk it all and participate in a dive with Jaws best friend - the friendly South African Great White Shark. Yours truly had a bet with one of her legal eagle buddies that she would not brave the shark infested waters of Gansbaai, a few hours down the road from Cape Town, don a wetsuit and perch in a cage while sharks bashed against the bars.

Well, we set off early in the morning eagerly anticipating a terrifying day. We arrived at the offices of the dive company, listened attentively to our safety lecture and were generally working ourselves up into a frenzy. We set off in our boat and changed into wet suits. The crew threw chum into the water which is supposed to encourage the sharks to come to the surface. It is not bait. I suppose its kind of a water that's had dead fish in it. Anyway they can smell the dead fish.

After half an hour a shark popped up to the surface. A cry of "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhark in the bay" rang out. Well, blink and you would have missed it! It popped up banged against the side of the boat and was gone.

We trawled around for a few hours, but to no avail. The sharks were not where they were supposed to be. It was all a bit disappointing really.

However, back at the offices we were warmed up by a nice lasagna and heartened with a cold beer.