I bring this blog to you from an internet cafe in Sommerset West (A nice suburb of Cape Town south Africa).
When we arrived at the rental car place (National Rental Cars.. - that is for you AJ) we were waiting as the young man, Sean, processed our Economy car. We looked down and saw that we would be making a FIAT Palio home for the next two weeks....well..I had prayed for an upgrade...so I said to the nice young man, " so what do you think about a complentary upgrade" he kinda of chuckled and nodded....and kept typing. I thought "well, it was worth a try". A few minutes later I noticed that he had the keys to our little sardine and was over at a window.... a few minutes later, what do you know...very nice VW keys laying there. He said, " a complimenary ugrade....shh don't tell anyone :)). YEAHH!!! PRAISE GOD! So, we had a beautiful white VW Polo.....nice!
As we got in the car I inserted the keys and proceeded to turn them to start the car...nothing...I just locked the doors...I did this for a few minutes....lock..unlock...lock..unlock...ARRRGHHH. Finally my trusted sidekick, Marci suggested that the wheel might be locked..hmm, that is the ticket. I started the car! Then I looked at the gear shift and saw that Reverese wasn't in the place that it should be (to the right and down- opposite 5th gear)....it was to the left and up....right near 1st??? I was so confused and very scared that I was going to ACCIDENTLY shift into reverse when I wanted 1st gear. So as we took off from the airport on our way to our first host home, I started off in 3rd gear...SEVERAL times. We got very close to our destination and missed the turn barely...I went to reverse and just couldn't get it. Okay, I will go around the block. I turned up one street and then right on another and there was BIG TRUCK in the way.. .I had no choice..I must find REVERSE. So I pulled into a driveway and did what every woman and probably NO man would do....Marci got out the manual. We read how to put it in reverse we looked at the picture...and tried...and tried....and tried.
Finally, I realized that the stick shift would push down (like there was a spring in it)! Ah that is the ticket...it worked once. But was it a fluke...no, then a second time. I think I got the hang of it!
We made it there without any other problems having concurred the German car in South Africa!
The rest of our time in Cape Town was a amazing. Our hosts were great and we had a wonderful time talking with them, joking about American and South Africa accents, words, my amazing Afrikaans (or not so amazing). The next day we drove to all along the Cape, to Cape Point. We went to a lovelly cafe called Olympia Cafe in Kalk Bay and then to Simonstown to see the Jackass Penguins, then to hike up to the OLD lighthouse at Cape Point and see that we were at the Southern most point in Africa....SWEET (pictures to follow eventually). To round off the afternoon we went to Mariner's Warf for some Fish and Chips (and I did have a little sushi) and then headed back to our hosts via Camps Bay.
We then went to dinner at a great place and I had Chocolate Chicken....very nice, though a little spicy!
Today we are off to Mossel Bay.....stay tuned for more adventures as I travel up the South African coast!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Sushi?! you have officially won the "race to eat sushi" ...unless Jenn beat us both. I have still yet to enjoy our favorite seafood snack. shame!
That is a shame!!! I hope to enjoy sushi a few more times. Kelly, we have to have some SA adventures together....I have thought of you everyday on this trip....you would love it here!!!
Post a Comment