South Africa Race-Cation Day 4

After a small snack while working on the computer (the internet is a bit slow compared to what we are used to so it’s tested our patience a few times) we went for a ~40 min run. We first made our way through Gordon’s Bay along the water. We were stopped by a local black lady who asked about our Naked hydration belt. She had never seen anything like it and wished she could have something like it to carry her water when she walks. This was a quick reminder of what we often take advantage of – like Amazon Prime and access to almost anything in America. If it wasn’t for the race and her being a different size, I would have given her my hydration belt and flasks. We then ran a few miles toward Strand along the road (mostly off-road). My legs felt a bit tired but I was enjoying the scenery and warm air. Every person on the side of the road was friendly and gave us a wave, smile or cheer. There were a few people casually riding bikes (white people) on the side of the road. It’s unfortunate that so many black people don’t have access to transportation other than by foot. It makes sense why the bicycle is such an important item as it can get people to/from where they need to be so that they can work/buy food.

We had a meal after our run and then we headed on the Clarence Drive Scenic drive. For the 11-mile route, we were stunned by the mix of beauty with the ocean on our right and the mountains on our left. The best of mother nature. There was a bit of construction on the road which was actually nice so that Karel could enjoy the scenery while being stopped. Our final destination was at the end of the scenic drive at Betty’s Bay and as we were getting closer, just outside of Pringle’s Bay, we were slowed down by a troop of several dozen baboons. Having research about them in advance, I knew better that to entice them but with this being our first time seeing them, we slowed down and took a few pics and videos. One decided to stop in front of our car and clean himself. The locals were not phased but for us tourists, it was fun to watch the babies playing. 

Around 11am we arrived to the African Penguin Colony at Betty’s Bay. I decided on this one of Boulder’s Beach in Cape Town as it was closer to us and a bit more low key. We didn’t have to pay to see the penguins as there was a sandy walkway to see them in their natural habitat. There was a boardwalk that cost money to walk on but we were just fine seeing the penguins on the beach. We were even greeted by two penguins before we parked our car. There were signs everywhere notifying us to look under our cars before leaving to check for penguins. We also noticed a lot of different birds and collected several cool shells.

After enjoying the penguins for about an hour, I found a local restaurant online called Satir – an African restaurant that has a lot of vegetarian/vegan options. It was just up the street from the penguins (although the address online took us across the street into a field but we finally found the right location). The food was incredible. I got a lentil, kale, sweet potato dish and Karel got the “bunny” chow – which is a chicken curry stuffed inside a loaf of bread. We could not stop yumming. It was so good. We also had a variety of toppings for our meal. The meal was incredibly affordable (the USD goes a long way in South Africa) and we gave the lady serving us a big tip as she was very nice. On our drive back to our Airbnb, we made a few stops on the road at the look out points.

When we arrived back home we got a bit of work done before heading to Generations High School Aquatic Center for the masters swim practice from 6:30-7:30pm. 

The instructor invited us to come for free which was very nice. There were around 12 people swimming and the instructor used her microphone to tell us what to do. It was fun doing a different style of training. We both felt horrible in the water (like we forgot how to swim) but it was still nice to swim in a new pool (25-meters). 

The workout was:
400 warm-up (75 free, 25 stroke)
4 x 100 IM order (25 pull, 25 kick, 25 drill, 25 swim)
8 x 100 at 85% freestyle
8 x 50 non free at 85%
2x 200 pull
250 cool down

One our way home, our GPS took us through one of poorest places in the area (Casablanca is the area) and it was tough to see the kids, people and surroundings in that area. No running water, port-o-potties for bathrooms, satellite dishes for those with electricity and “homes” with rocks on top of sheet metal for roofs and walls made of all types of materials. Kids playing in fields filled with trash – often with no shoes. There were a few groups of kids dancing or playing soccer in fields.

We made it home with ~15 minutes before load shedding at 8-10pm so I had time to dry my hair and prepare dinner. We ate outside in the patio (which is where we spent most of our time) as the sun was setting. The weather felt great as we were cool from the sea breeze. Our host messages me on WhatsApp each day to let me know when load shedding is throughout the day. Typically it happens twice a day (in two hour intervals). She knows within 24 hours advance of when it’s going to happen.

The swim was a nice way to end the day and we slept really well after a good dinner.