Help Cass Collier re-open his surf school!

I am a surfer from Cape Town. I might not be an amazing surfer but it is still something that brings me the greatest joy whenever I get a chance to wipe out, repeatedly. 😉 . This story has touched my heart in ways I can hardly put into words. I see the faces of these children who have had something they love taken away from them and it breaks my heart. Most of these kids have nothing else to give them hope, nothing else to pull them out of the poverty induced hopelessness they feel on a daily basis. How could anyone take so much away from people who already have so little?

I might not be able to do much from here in Germany, to help Cass get his school re-opened but I can write about the injustice being done to him and the kids he taught. Hopefully if this is shared enough we can get the word out to people who can help.

taken from Cass facebook page

Cass Collier competed in the 1999 World Big Wave Championship. Against the odds, Cass Collier and Ian Armstrong brought home a win for their country, my country.  Despite the struggles Cass faced during the apartheid era,  he pursued his dream and came out on top. He became ONLY black surfer in the top ranks, in South Africa. Most surfer’s in Cape Town, know who Cass is, he is legend and hero. He’s only crime was running a non-profit program to teach at risk and underprivileged children the pure ecstasy of catching their first wave.

http://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/surfer-won-t-take-eviction-lying-down-1.1404804#.UV1uYXDR6eE

Here is Cass, talking about the eviction. This video was uploaded yesterday, 6 months after his baseless eviction from a city council property. The property now stands derelict, a building that once held so much promise for so many young people, now empty and useless.  Cass is not giving up and he continues to fight every day to get his school re-opened. Surfing, besides being an undeniable gift from mother nature, is a real sport. He is giving these children hope, hope for a future and better life, that is something that you can’t put a price on. Help Cass get his building back so he can continue to change lives.

Legend

Here is a link to a paypal account for Cass to help him get his school re-opened. Please share this story and donate of you feel moved too. Help me get the word out, help Cass get his school back.

http://bit.ly/107BNaO

Link to the surf school facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/casscolliersurfacademy

A picture is worth a thousand words…

Now that I have shared some of my favourite memories with you from my trip home which you can read about here,here here,here and here. I thought it would be nice to end these posts with some of my favourite unpublished pictures from the trip. I hope you all enjoyed going on this journey with me! I have a few exciting adventures planned for the upcoming months. I can’t wait to blog all about them! Watch this space!

View of table mountain, from the street I grew up on.

Cape Town wheel and Table mountain in the background.

Blouberg beach and shipwreck off in the distance

My oldest nephew. I didn’t know what love was until he was born.

A night at the beach with old friends. Guitars, lanterns ( made out of brown paper bags, candles and sands, we’re crafty), singing, star filled sky, laughter and good friends. Nothing better.

Hout bay

MCQP 2012! The theme was Fairtale! 🙂 So much fun!

MOYO at Spier wine Estate. We ate lunch up in a tree!

We all got traditional African face painting.Well all of us, except Mr. It’s a form of beautification.

One of the amazing artists I met while while at the Spier wine farm.

The famous colourful houses on Muizenberg’s west beach

Last day in Cape Town

Good-bye Hometown. xo

One of the 7 wonders!

A photo I took of Table Mountain from the V&A Waterfront, covered in the famous “tablecloth”.
Here is a link to learn more about the clouds that cover table mountain in the summer months.http://tablemountain.net/blog/entry/table_mountains_tablecloth_ancient_myth_or_modern_marvel/

 

 

Table mountain, in Cape Town has recently been recognized as one of the seven wonders of nature of the 7 wonders of nature! I couldn’t have been happier when I found this out last year, Table Mountain will always mean home to me. When I see its distinctive plateau, an instant peace settles over me and I know I am home.

View of table mountain from Blouberg beach.

Table Mountain is 1,086 metres (3,563 ft) above sea level, about 19 metres (62 ft) higher than the cable station at the western end of the plateau.

In the cable car!

View from inside the car

Sign as we head out onto the top of the mountain. I still get teased by my American friend when I call my car horn a hooter, but it’s just what I grew up saying, and I guess I will always call it that. Proof for all of you, that I didn’t make the word up. 😉

Mountain explorers!

Lions head

What’s scarier than shark cage diving?

A 3 am wake-up and a two-hour bumpy ride around the mountain, in nondescript white van, was not exactly was I was hoping for on the morning when I woke up feeling like crap. If  the drive out to Gaansbaai was not  torture enough, if we did eventually get there in one piece, I was expected  to get into a cage, that going to be submerged in shark infested waters. This was actually something I had been ( mildly) excited about. More nervous than excited if I am honest. I surf, so I have a healthy fear of sharks. Getting into a cage to say hello to them, is not exactly my first instinct.

 

The reason that I woke up feeling sick was, I suffer from Ulcerative Colitis.It’s an auto immune disease that, in my case targets the colon and digestive system. A condition which at times renders me, because of excruciating pain unable to get out of bed. I have been hesitant to talk about my disease until now because I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me. I hate pity and  I will not accept it. I lead a full, wonderful life. When I am healthy I make the most of it. I travel, I explore, I go out and see the world, I play music, I spend time with people I love and I write, which is my passion. The bad days are the ones which I dread and,  are also the reason why my blog has been sporadic, I have been ill as of late. When I have flair ups, all I can do is lay in bed. I know you’re thinking since I’m in bed, I could blog from there. I assure you, there no writing going on when I’m in pain, besides reaching for my vicodin at my regular 4 hour allocated intervals and trying to sleep in-between that, I am not inspired to write nor do I have the strength for it.  The pain feels like someone is cutting me open from the inside with a hacksaw, slowly and deliberately. Sometimes it feels like they are cutting away at my resolve as well as my tender flesh, those days are the hardest. The days when I feel sorry for myself. Lucky for me, those days are very few and I have not had one of those in a while.

On the morning of the shark cage dive I didn’t realise how bad my pain was until I had gotten on the boat, when I did I realised to my horror that I had forgotten to pack my pain meds. I always have pain medication on hand, in my handbag just incase, but I didn’t bring my bad this day. I just threw a few things into Mr’s backpack and in my hurry at 3am, I forgot my pain medication.  The sinking feeling I felt when I realised what was happening, that I was out in the middle of the ocean and the waves of pain would come and I would have nothing to help fend them off, was more terrifying than the great whites circling the boat.

Putting on a brave face, what I do best.

One of the crew throwing out the chum for the sharks

Shark pictures courtesy of Kai

After the first hour, my prescription anti-nausea meds ( zofran)  had thankfully kept me from throwing up. I had packed those because I suffer from chronic motion sickness and I knew I would  need those for the boat. I started to feel worse with every ticking minute and when it came time to change into my wetsuit, I just wanted to put into a lifeboat and paddled out to shore. Somehow, I managed to squeeze into my suit and then waited for my turn in the cage. It came all to quickly, but when it did I couldn’t  bring myself to go. The thought of being in that cage, made me want to pass out. So Mr. ( at my insistence, because my sweet husband wanted to stay with me) and my friends went into the cage without me. I lay on a bench, curled up in misery, willing that this part of the trip would be over.

I don’t like this picture. It shows me vulnerable and weak, but that’s exactly what this entire post is about, opening up and showing my weakness.  Kai, took this picture and I was so mad at him when I saw it, but now I’m glad he did, because I am stronger than this moment.

I passed out for a few minutes. I got a lollipop from the crew, who thought I was suffering from seasickness. I of course didn’t correct them and I took the lollipop, gladly.

Everyone had done their dive except me and the captain of the ship said we still had two hours left out there and that people could go out for second dives if they wanted. As I lay there I made the decision. I would have to lay there for two hours in pain and agony anyway. I might as well at least try to do the dive, I came all the way out on that boat, I was bloody hell going to at least try! I don’t know where I got the strength but I got up, much to everyone’s surprise, and told the captain I wanted to attempt a dive. Mr. went with me and 3 other people who wanted to do another dive. The water was like ice, it was 9 C  to be exact, I  think the icy water numbed my body so all I could feel was cold. I spotted 3 great whites within 30 minutes and then I was done. The Captain told us that our group was lucky that we had seen so many that day. 9 in total on the trip!  I was sick for 2 days after the shark dive but seeing them up close will always mean more to me than I could put into words. I didn’t feel sorry for myself. I still went in and did the dive. I fought my pain, I fought the urge to feel to feel sorry for myself, curl up in a ball and say “woe is me, my illness took one more thing from me”. I fought back and I faced off with a few sharks to boot!

A lions head and a smoking competition with the devil. I swear I’m sober.

Lions head is one of the most distinct and unique Mountain slopes in Cape Town. As the name of this mountain suggests, it does indeed look like a lion’s head, with the proud lion watching over  Table bay on one side and the Atlantic ocean of the other. It was my idea to go do the hike and throughout the trek up, whenever the trail proved difficult, or the sun would feel like, “the devil’s armpit” ( as one of my beautiful friends from Brasil would always say), we would each take a turn uttering the words; ” Who’s idea was this?” . I admit to posing the rhetorical question on more than one occasion when the stifling heat was burning my already tender, sunburnt nose and wondering if the juice was going to be worth the squeeze or rather,if  the view was worth the hike!

I took this shot of Lions head while I was on top of Table Mountain ( That story is for another post.)

It was not so much the mileage of  the hike, but the terrain coupled with the 38 degree celsius heat that took us all a bit by surprise. None of us were prepared for the up, up, UPward climb, metal ladders that were secured onto the mountain with bolts and curvy, rocky, narrow pathways. I had done the hike before, but I was much younger, 16 infact! I had actually forgotten that I had done it until I got to the midway point, something on the trail sparked a memory. Our complicated brains. Why do we remember some things and forget others. Ah, another blog post entirely, maybe even another blog, entirely. 😉

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Mr. and I,  about 15 minutes into the hike.

Devils peak, a mountain of a myth…

Ah, the legendary Devils Peak. So the story goes a little something like this. A little while ago, say around the year 1700, there was a guy name Jan Van Hunks, this dude was originally from Holland but once you go to Cape Town, it’s kinda hard to leave. 😉  Van Hunks and his wife lived at the foot of the then, Charles Mountain. This fella had a terrible smoking habit ( and not just tobacco, if you get my drift). Well, his wife would have none of it and she kicked him out whenever he would light up. One day Van Hunks was sitting on his porch, smoking as usual when he noticed a mysterious figure, smoking too. Van Hunks could barely control himself, he started boasted right away about how much he could smoke. He was so busy blowing smoke ( pun intended) , that he failed to see his companion had horns and a forked tail. So a deal with the devil was struck and a fierce pipe smoking contest began. Van Hunks eventually won, but not before Charles mountain was covered in smoke. From that day Charles mountain became known as Devils Peak. What exactly WAS Van hunks smoking to come up with such a tale…

This was the last time we stood on flat terrain for about 2 hours.

Climbing into tiny, possibly snake or lizard filled caves… must be delirium from the heat.

The views all the way up were magnificent, of course and well worth the sweat, scrapes and minor sunburn.I also think I might to try my hand at rock climbing! I quite liked that part of the hike, much to my surprise! Once we got to the top, the awe inspiring scene could not have been a more apt reward and yes, the juice was definitely worth the squeeze. At the end of day we were all hot, smelly  and tired but we were also blissfully happy.

We made it to the top and what a breathtaking view! 

That’s just the friendly mountain Iguana who ran over my feet. I am very proud that I didn’t scream.

Heading back down we saw this sad-looking rock.

“Please look under your vehicle for penguins”

So my  adventure in Cape Town continues…

Pulled over for this shot as we headed to Cape point

Lowe, Cali and I, posing with the beautiful Landscape

Groups shot, best I could do.

We had to stop to admire this amazing beach!

One of the places I had to take my friends to see, was Cape point. The most South Western point in Africa, believed to be where the two oceans, namely the Indian and  Atlantic oceans, meet. We took the scenic route to Cape point, along the stunning western Cape coast. I am still floored by the beauty of my home town. We stopped at Boulders beach, famous for its  Penguin colony. We were not disappointed when not even 10 meters from where we parked, we encountered a small group of the adorable little black and white creatures we had stopped to see!

Oh hello!

Cali was slightly taller than the penguins. Just a tad.

I think he was laughing!

Penguin hug. Show me something cuter!

My favourite sign, possibly ever. Where else in the world do you have to check under your car for penguins?

After we had gushed over the ridiculously adorable penguins (and decided that we could not kidnap them) for long enough, we continue to our original destination for the morning, Table Mountain National Park!

Entrance to the park! We’re here!

First stop in the park

I’m not sure what kind of lizard this was but I thought it looked like a tiny crocodile!

Kai, taking in the view

We stopped at the cafe at the foot of the hill that would lead us up to the famous Cape Point lighthouse and views of the most South Western point of Africa!

This little bird was trying to steal our lunch.

View at lunch

The sign below is not a joke, as I explained to my friends. Baboons run rampant up the mountains along the coast and especially in the park.Humans feed them, so they have become aggressive and have known to attack people for food. No sooner had I told Mr. not to go near a baboon if happened to see one, did he do exactly that when he spotted one! He didn’t just walk towards it, no, he went RUNNING toward the wild animal, with my camera! I of course took off after him yelling for him to stop, because I didn’t want him to get face his ripped off. He did stop, but only to tell me not to yell at him. 🙂 Hey, whatever it takes so he doesn’t end up on, ” When animals attack!” We all had a good laugh about it a few  minutes later. Oh and pictures of the baboon? We got a few.

There he is, right up on the gift shop

This bold guy chased a woman down the mountain path later on! She wanted a close up photo. Silly tourist.

He went right up to this woman, looked her straight in the face and then just walked off. Scary.

As a nod to local lore, the funicular takes its title from a legendary 17th-century ship that supposedly met its end at the ‘Cape of Storms’, a stretch of Cape Point’s coastline notorious for its inclement weather.
The famous folktale goes that the galleon’s valiant captain swore that he would round this jagged geographical tip if it was the last thing he did; and, sadly, it was. The Flying Dutchman lost a battle against thundering waves and whipping winds and was soon swallowed by the sea, only to be destined to haunt these waters for centuries to come. Since such a time, there have been many reported sightings of this doomed ghostly vessel sailing silently along the coast of what is now known as the Cape of Good Hope. ( Courtesy of http://www.capetownmagazine.com)

Once we got off the “Flying Dutchmen”, we had to walk up these stairs to get to the lighthouse.

The most South Western point of Africa!

Which way is home for you?

 

 

This historic lighthouse was functional from 1860-1919. It was powered by 2000 candles and could be seen 67 meters out to sea. The lighthouse proved to be ineffective as it was often covered by clouds and mist, causing many ships to wreck. After the crash of the Portuguese liner ” Lusitania” in 1911, it was decided to erect the present lighthouse that stands on Dias point below, 87 meter above sea level.

I thought the way the clouds barely covered the sun, made it look like a painting. So pretty.

I left Cape Point and was once again astounded that one city could be filled with so much beauty. I am truly blessed to call myself a Capetonian. A proud one at that. At the exit to Cape Point there was a small African market, filled with handmade treasures, made by under valued artists who I support whenever I go home. We stopped to look at what they had to offer and ended up with a few beautiful pieces of art for friends and family.

Some of the sculptures were bigger than us!

An unfinished piece.

Art excites Cali.

More to come, keep reading…

Beachy

I would sat that 70% was of this trip was spent on the beach. The other 30%  was spent thinking about the beach, about surfing or about sunsets on the beach. The next batch of pictures are from two of my favourite spots in Cape Town. Maidens Cove and Camps bay. Rather than go on and on about how magnificent these beaches are, I’ll let the pictures I took, speak for themselves. Enjoy.

Maiden’s Cove

Camps Bay

My happy place

More to come…

Sunsets, sundowners and something fishy.

Until this trip home I had not been back to My Cape Town in almost 4 years. I may share the details of why I chose to not go home for so long but not in this post, this is a happy post. I call it My Cape Town because this city is the very thread of the fabric of who I am. I guess most everyone feels like that about their hometown, that the familiar streets and friendly faces that they grew up surrounded by are somehow an anchor to their soul . A place that you can go to, to stay grounded when the madness of the world you have ventured into threatens to sweep you up and away with it. The oceans and mountains of Cape Town is that for me, my anchor. I feel lost when I haven’t been to the ocean for too long, even if it’s not my ocean, in a pinch any ocean will do. I feel a strong connection to the waves of the sea. I could stare out at the water for hours, losing all my cares in the endless  and faithful crash of the waves against the shore. The mountain ranges offer comfort in their own way. They tower above everything and somehow seem to watch over the city and at the same time, me. They’re unchanging, they stand through any storm, always keeping watch. My mountain and my sea, constant and beautiful. My Cape Town.

The first few days home I wanted nothing else but to lay out on the beach, soaking up the sun and surf! I got to soak up the sun but as (my) luck would have it , every time I tried to surf my first week home,there was either a shark spotted ( yes, this is Cape Town we’re talking about, we have the most shark infested waters in the world), or the swell was not high enough. The sunsets never disappointed and were just as incredible and I remembered. I teared up when I saw my first sunset from the boulders of Clifton 3rd beach. It was a magnificent sight, sitting on the boulders watching the sun go down, I felt incredibly happy and at peace. It had been a long time coming but I was finally home.

Drinks at Cafe Caprice after sunset

The city had changed so much since the last time I had been home. There had been so much construction since the 2010 World cup that I didn’t even recognize some parts of my hometown. It made me a bit sad but the city looked amazing and it was hard to be down for long in a place this beautiful. This trip  Mr. and I would have a friend along with us. We met Kai at a holiday party one year. He told us that he always wanted to go to South Africa. That was pretty much it. The planning started from there.I was eager to show off the city that I was always boasting about. Kai brought along two girlfriends on the trip, Cali and Lowe. The five of us had an amazing adventure in my hometown. Cali arrived a couple of days after the four of us did, but when she did she only added an extra layer of zany to the already overflowing pot of madness and fun. This was an unforgettable trip!

The Two Oceans Aquarium  was one of our first stops together ( minus Cali) and is a must see for your visit to Cape Town! I love going every time I am home to see the new displays. I instantly turn into a five-year old when I get inside!

Inside a tank of ‘Nemo’s’ aka clown fish!

Stingrays are so creepy looking!

It looks like they’re kissing.

Lowe was trying to kill the starfish by taking it out of the water. I was just hoping to get it on film.

Just the cutest little guys

After a couple of hours at the Aquarium we were famished. Where else would be go but a seafood restaurant. Sick sense of humour? Maybe.

Ocean basket’s seafood platter for one. Cajun hake, calamari, prawns, mussels, rice and chips. So good! I wish I had room in my tummy for it all!

Mr. had a seafood platter for two, which had double the amount of food of my platter… he polished it off with no problem.

Full and happy!

We ate lunch at the V&A Waterfront, which is right on the harbour. This was view as we stepped out  on the balcony of the restaurant. The Cape Town Wheel and Table Mountain in the background.

After lunch we took a short walk down to the harbour’s edge.

Giant Statue Made From 4,200 recycled Coca-Cola Crates.

Statues of South Africa’s noble peace prize winners. From right Nelson Mandela, F.W De Klerk, Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu and Albert Luthuli

A Zulu Proverb: A Person is a person because of people.

We made a quick stop at a the craft market on the harbour ( where you’re not allowed to take pictures!), before heading down to the beach to watch the sunset.

We stopped at the light house in Sea Point first but only stayed for 20 minutes. It was too windy and we decided to make our way further down and the beach where we would have some shelter from the famously strong Cape Town South Easterly wind.

The oldest lighthouse in South Africa

Just as we, ( well me, if we’re getting down to details 😉 ) had predicted, the wind was tamer down on the beach and the four of us happily watched the sun disappear into the horizon.

So much more to come…