Sports, other Curiosities and Highlights in South Africa

Many years ago I met Tanya at the ice cream company we both worked for. Later I hired her at the coffee company, so we were coworkers for seven years. She decided to move back to her family in South Africa after that, and I haven't seen here since then. Until now!

She picked us up at the guesthouse in Johannesburg and took us to a nice lunch place. She had picked up from our FB pictures that Colin is a sports fan, so she gave him a Springbok sweater.

Being Hockey Guy he has never heard of rugby before, but the world championship is on, and in South Africa, rugby is HUGE.

So guess what...

From the malaria prophylaxis pill money (a story for yet another separate post) he purchased a rugby ball and a South African flag.

It didn't take long and he picked up the lingo. Touchdown, try, free kick, conversion, scrum,... Every time we came to the Waterfront he checked the countdown. Finals on Halloween? Really?

Also he strongly suggested we'd check out the rugby museum.

That's how part-time Mom got some exercise. She made it to the bench. Barely.

When it was time to decide on where to have dinner, his main concern was "is there a TV?"

He was on top of things and came prepared

So one fine day, C and his rugby ball went to the park

First there was one boy who joined

It didn't take long and there was a bunch of guys playing

Just like the pros!

Then the game was over ;-)

The other big sport in South Africa is of course soccer. This is one of the stadiums they built for the world championship in 2010.

On to other amusing things. When my husband used to come to South Africa as a kid (his father grew up in Cape Town until he was 20, until a couple of years ago hubby's aunt still lived here and they regularly visited) he loved the "big dog". He told me about it and said "it's most probably long gone, and I have no clue where exactly it was, but we always had so much fun when we spotted it."

So one nice day we drove along a main road through Muizenberg, when I pointed to the other side and said "this your dog?" And it WAS!

On another nice day we saw that they raised the high shark alert flag

I do hope that the net keeps them out because people were still in the water

No patience to hear the grass grow? Order some from this company ;-)

Speaking of pick-up trucks. Careful there, passengers with no seat belts!

My usual hotel key

My African B&B keys

I didn't have to go without SOME American element.

This was at Satori, a pizza place in Kalk's Bay :-)

Ooohps! We assumed they ran out of money before finishing this freeway, but rumor has it a stubborn fish'n'chips owner refused to sell his property. Either way this was an interesting sight!