Not so long ago the sun bronzed our skins and all Capetonians spent time on the lovely Cape Town beaches. Now when you wake up at 6 in the morning, its still dark outside, the nights are chilly and your toes feel like they are freezing off!

Yes, it’s that time of the year again- wintertime!

Many a traveller will ask “What exactly can I do in Cape Town when it’s cold and rainy outside?”.

Well, this Capetonian can vouch that there’s no need to worry! You will have more than enough things to do in and around Cape Town even when the rain is pouring outside.

Here’s some tips:

Shark Cage Diving
You can start by going Shark cage diving! Yes you heard right! Sharks tend to move around, but according to Shark experts, winter is definitely the best time to visit the icy waters. Are you brave enough?

Ten Pin Bowling in Cape Town
Some indoor fun to heat up your hands and feet! Ten Pin Bowling offers fun for both young and old. Best of all it’s cheap to do and you can still go for a nice cuppa hot chocolate afterwards. There are bowling alleys in Claremont (only 12km from Cape Town), Goodwood and Tygervalley (Bellville).

Two Oceans Aquarium
Take a trip down to the V&A Waterfront, but instead of shopping take a turn and head over to the Two Oceans Aquarium. The Aquarium offers visitors a view of more than “3000 living sea animals, including sharks, fishes, seals, turtles and penguins”- definitely a must see! Open every day of the year from 09h30 until 18h00.

Salsa Dancing in Cape Town
Have you ever wanted to learn Salsa Dancing? Well Cape Town gives you this opportunity. Saturdays marks the time for salsa dancing! Come on, be daring and give it a try- 7 Bree Street, Foreshore, Cape Town CBD

Indoor Rock climbing
CityROCK is known as South Africa’s largest 21st century indoor rock-climbing gym and is situated in Observatory, on the corner of Collingwood and Anson Street. One of the advantages of CityROCK is that they welcome kids from the age of 5 and up. Perfect for a family outing on a rainy day in Cape Town!

Win some money
Travel to GrandWest casino and experience an entertainment extravaganza! GrandWest Casino offers fun for the whole family. Ranging from fun for the kids to winning big for adults- GrandWest is a must visit!

Indoor Karting in Kenilworth
Feed your need for speed at the Indoor Karting track in Kenilworth. Expect to find a fully tarred 310 meter track and karts for both kids and adults. Come be a sport and join the fun today!

Ice-skating
There’s nothing better than ice-skating in the winter. Come to the Olympic sized ice rink in GrandWest and have a blast. Be sure to bring your mittens as it might be just a tad cold!

Here in Cape Town we can definitely feel the seasons-change in the air! The evenings are chilly and mornings definitely have a bite to them.

However, weather has never stopped any Cape Tonian from having fun and enjoying this beautiful city to the max!

It’s that time of the year again where we celebrate cheeses of all kinds- yes; it’s the South African Cheese Festival again! From the 25^th to the 28^th of April you have the chance to enjoy the delectable tastes of a range of different South African cheeses from all over the country.

If you love cheese, then this festival is a must! Guests get the chance to experience new varieties of South African cheeses, harmonising with South African delicacies like tantalizing wines, olives, and of course freshly baked bread- like only our ancestors could create.

There are only a limited number of tickets selling for R75 at Computicket. Be sure to book your tickets as soon as possible! Included in the fee is a nice shopping bag to put your goodies in, the festival program, tastings, and demonstrations by top chefs and food experts.

The festival will be held at the Bien Donné farm, a mere 55 km from Cape Town CBD. The gates will be open from 10:00 to 18:00 from Friday to Sunday and from 10:00 to 17:00 on Monday 28 April.

Don’t miss this - Be there!

As warm earthy March spreads her wings, the Cape embraces the change from sizzling hot days to mellow and warm with less wind.

The month of March is filled with fun filled activities here in the Cape. Ranging from all things active, to fun with bubbly and oysters!

MARCH 2008

What: Cape Town Festival 2008
Where: One City, Many Cultures (Contact Book Cape Town for more details)
When: 9 February - 28 April 2008

What: Beatles Tribute Show
Where: Grandwest
When: 31 January - 29 March 2008

What: Old Mutual Summer Sunset Concert
Goldfish will be performing
Where: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Date: 09 March 2008

What: The Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour
Where: Cape Town Central
Date: 09 March 2008 in Cape Town Central

What: Wellington Harvest Festival
Where: Wellington
Date: 15-16 March 2008

What: Kirstenbosch Concert: Old Mutual Encounters
Karen Zoid & Selaelo Selota
Where: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
When: 16 March 2008

What: Ride Like a Girl series – Mountain Biking
Where: Cape Town
When: 16 March 2008

What: Capestorm UCT Ladies Memorial 10km Road Race
Where: University of Cape Town
When: 16 March 2008

What: Lindt Chocolate Festival
Where: Canal Walk
When: 18 – 24 March 2008

What: Josh Groban Concert
Where: Vergelegen Estate
When: 20 Mar 2008

What: ABSA Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK)
Where: Oudtshoorn
When: 21- 29 March 2008

What: Oyster and Champagne Festival
Where: Bloemendal Wine Estate
When: 21-23 March 2008

What: Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon
Where: University of Cape Town (UCT)
When: 22 March 2008

What: Aladdin and his Magic Lamp
Where: Canal Walk
When: 22 March – 13 April 2008

What: My Coke Fest
Where: Kenilworth Racecourse
When: 24 March 2008

What: ABSA Cape Epic 2008
Where: From Knysna to Cape Town
When: 28 March – 5 April 2008

What: Cape Town International Jazz Festival
Where: Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)
When: 28 – 29 March 2008

If you are looking for more information regarding these events, please contact us!

While the live band may not consist of household names, their excellent renditions of golden oldies from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s were performed with class and energy this past Saturday night. The temperatures soared to the high-30s on the day and the South Easter which had been fanning veld-fires across the Peninsular for the past 2 weeks dropped, creating a balmy evening on the soft sandy beach.

Young and old, black and white, locals and foreigners all congregated en masse from late afternoon to find themselves a space on the sand, enjoy a sunset picnic and cool off in the icy water. Meanwhile, the band got themselves together and ran through a few practice numbers, giving a melodic hint of what was to follow.

The yachts and catamarans of a local marine club dropped anchor in the bay, creating an off-shore event of their own as their lights reflected on the darkening waves below and echoed the emerging stars above.

The event, sponsored by BP Garages, is in aid of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI). One of their helicopters did a fly-by before the entertainment kicked off at 18h00, with the crowd standing to salute the work of the men and women who save numerous lives in Cape Town each year.

The MC for the night, Aiden Thomas, introduced a marimba band to start the night’s entertainment. The group warmed up the crowds with some traditional African tunes before the main band got many dancing on the sand under the stars with hit after hit, beautifully performed and accompanied by stringed, wind, brass and percussion instruments.

The spectacular sunset stole the crowd’s attention for a few breath-taking minutes, then candles and glow sticks (sold by the NSRI) took on the job of lighting up the relaxed revelers. As no alcohol was allowed, the event was extremely mellow, with no unpleasant incidents to mar the family-friendly fun.

The night drew to a close on schedule at 20h30. We left the beach with happy memories, vowing to return to next year’s Moonstruck.

For a relaxed, free evening with fantastic music and a great Cape Town vibe, look out for Moonstruck 2009 which will be, as always, in the month of February, a perfect way to get into the mood for Valentine’s Day.

In a Leap Year, the month of February has one extra day added to the usual 28 days. This phenomenon only occurs once every four years, and for many a Leap Year has quite a few connotations and beliefs entwined in it.

Certain beliefs, myths and superstitions have survived through the years and these days some couples still bask in the age-old traditions. One such tradition that has been passed on- originating in Ireland in the 5th century- is that ‘yearning females’ can “pop the question” only on the 29th of February which occurs every 4th year! This decision by St. Patrick was made due to St. Bridget who complained that women were frowned upon if they asked a man’s hand in marriage and had to sit around and wait patiently for a man to propose.

On the flipside, a ‘negative’ superstition that has been passed on about the Leap Year by the Greeks, is that couples who get married during a Leap Year will have bad luck. In this day and age, it is estimated that one out of every five couples will still not plan their wedding, or get married in a Leap Year due to this belief.

Not only is February the month that gets influenced by the Leap Year, it is also the month in which a little chubby angel, armed with a bow and arrow makes his rounds. It is the month of love and the time couples celebrate Valentine’s Day!

The Christmas decorations have come down, and now another transformation of red fills the shops. It doesn’t matter how much you fight against it, the décor, the hearts and all the cute tokens of love for sale will put anyone in the right romantic mood.

Whether you like to go all out, or prefer to keep things low key, there are quite a few romantic ideas and things to do in and around Cape Town! Linked is an article filled with romantic ideas for any time of the year, specifically focused on ideas of things to surprise your loved one with in and around the magical Mother City.

I took a one day river rafting trip this past Sunday along a tranquil section of the
Breede River in the Western Cape of South Africa, a convenient one-hour’s drive from the city of Cape Town near the picturesque vine-clad town of Worcester.

A relaxed drive through scenic countryside early Sunday morning brought our little group to the starting point where our friendly guides met us. Coffee and rusks were served on the grassy bank as we enjoyed the site of the river flowing past and the incredible, Tolkienesque mountains surrounding us.

An entertaining but informative brief on how to use the 2-man inflatable “crocodile’s” – the only variety on the Breede we were assured – and some basic health and safety tips followed. Then each pair of rowers got to decide who was to be the ‘engine’ (front seat) and who was to be the ‘rudder’ (back seat) and have a practice run in the wide section of river just in front of the camp.

It was initially harder (well, for me anyhow) than it looked. This could be due to the fact that I have very few co-ordination skills. But I soon got the hang of my rudder-role and could steer our craft around the calm waters without too much difficulty with my sister rowing upfront.

So we set off on our waterways adventure. The river narrowed steadily and flowed more swiftly while we enjoyed the serenity of the wind in the rushes whispering all around, the sweet notes of birdsong, the dip and splash of oar in water. As we were near the back I got to observe how the guide in the craft in front of us was not, as we were, rowing with a great deal of effort at all, but simply sitting back, letting the river do the work and every now and then using her oar to keep going straight. We followed her example and found we were using much less energy and able to relax and enjoy the ride more.

Our first ‘rapid’ was quite an experience. All of a sudden the river narrowed, the trees grew lower overhead and we were in a kind of natural tunnel, going at some speed. All method went out the window as, shrieking with laughter we spun around and around, in our boat, careened into the bank several times and yet kept going. We were laughing too much and trying too hard to avoid getting our hair tangled in the multitude of branches above to exercise any control over the boat, but just as it became a bit frightening it was over and we pulled up onto a small beach.

The Nappy-Run was next – our guide showed us how to wear our life jackets as nappies and we waddled bemusedly down to a very narrow, swift-flowing side branch of the river. Here we jumped in and got carried, floating on our backs with feet in the air thanks to the buoyancy of the life jackets, at high speed down this natural supertube. Many of us chose to repeat the experience – it was a lot of fun.
Later, after continuing down the river via a second rapid to a bridge where we were met by a bus, we were driven back to the camp site for a delicious buffet picnic lunch served with wine, and coffee and chocolates to end.

The bug has bitten – next I will be attempting the far more frothy waters of the Orange River, and hopefully will survive to tell the tale!

It all started back in the day when the English soldiers in Cape Town wanted to impress the ladies. Back then it was purely about the racing, but today it is one of the biggest social events with horse racing as only one part of it!

Designers from all over are working night and day, as this is one of the most important events to ‘advertise’ brilliantly designed South African fashion. If you ever needed a reason to dress up, then this is the Cape Town event where you can live up to your wildest fashion fantasies (just remember to stick to the theme!).

As you can guess J&B whiskey is the main sponsor of this event. They push ridiculous amounts of money into this renowned Cape Town social event- apparently as much as R2 000 000! Luckily, this does not influence the ticket prices, which are currently selling for a mere R125.

This popular Cape Town event is followed by a massive after-party. Hosted by South Africa’s premier radio station- 5FM- this party is rumored to rock your soul! It seems that everything at the J&B Met is larger than life, and in keeping with previous years, 2008’s after-party will be just as big- if not bigger!

For only R110 you can join one of the biggest parties of the year. It will take place behind the J&B Met Hospitality Village and you can expect to boogie on an open air dance floor to ear-stomping sounds and magnificent lighting, while VJ graphics and booming surrounds you.

It sounds magnificent doesn’t it? If you want to be seen with the who’s who of Cape Town’s happening social scene, be sure to be at the J&B Met on 26 January 2008.

Dress to impress! The theme this year is Connect Couture and the secret is to dress in plums, patterns, and metallics- obviously connected in the most interesting way. Your style might just earn you and your partner the Most Elegant Couple award!

BE THERE!

It seems that lately time is flying. When you just get stuck into the year and you’re finally getting some things done, then it’s already time for a new year! It is unbelievable that time seems to pass so quickly.

When we are young and at school, we see kids wishing their lives away so they can be grownups and earn money. But then, when the kids finally reach working age they get confronted by a total different reality and they realise that life is after all not easier when you are an adult.

Most of us want to enjoy our lives, and it’s for this reason that we often, when the New Year hits, make New Years resolutions. We want to better our lives and do more things that would make us and our loved ones happy.

Unfortunately, this is not as easy as it seems. Very few people can indeed say that they have stuck to their New Years resolutions, and this has made this type of ‘promise to oneself’ something that is often taken lightly!

After being asked numerous times what my new years resolutions will be, I have finally stumbled upon something that I can actually do AND that will be fun while doing!

My New Years Resolution for 2008 is to go wild and explore this wonderful area I live in! Yes, it’s an easy one- but it’s something that I can do and that I’ve wanted to do for some time now.

I am one of those lucky people that live in one of Cape Town’s beautiful suburbs. End of last year on some or other public holiday, my partner and I decided to take a drive around. I was amazed at the beauty that surrounds us, and at the fact that I have missed out on all this for the whole of my life.

The year of 2008 is the year to open your eyes and explore! Travel around and take a drive to all the popular spots, and be on the lookout for those small little hidden gems where the beauty of the Cape can once again rekindle your love for nature.

This is the year to take pleasure in your surrounds! ENJOY!

 

]]> http://www.akuko.com/2008/01/09/whats-your-new-year-resolutions/feed/ http://www.akuko.com/2007/12/19/signs-of-the-times/ http://www.akuko.com/2007/12/19/signs-of-the-times/#comments Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:08:04 +0000 Joy-Anne Goodenough http://www.akuko.com/2007/12/19/signs-of-the-times/

 

Was 2007 the year you wanted to learn how to kiss, crochet, skateboard, flirt or meditate? You’re not alone. Once again Google has compiled their fascinating annual lists of statistics to show us what has been on the mind of the global connected community, with their 2007 Year-End Google Zeitgeist pages. 

The boys and girls at Google have spent many hours mining billions of search queries to read the group consciousness of Internet users over the past 12-month period and it seems we’re still wanting the definition of love, searching for God, (er, and someone called ‘Buckethead’) and wanting to know what autism, emo and bluetooth are, but were too scared to ask…

The fastest rising search words in order, globally, are reportedly:
1. iphone
2. badoo
3. facebook
4. dailymotion
5. webkinz
6. youtube
7. ebuddy
8. second life
9. hi5
10. club penguin

The last one is an interactive online game for little kids, which indicates that hardcore Internet users are younger than ever before.

The list also shows the rise and fall of searches for gadgets, celebrities, news and sports events and diet and fitness crazes.

So if you feel like you’re on the outside looking in, head on over to Google Zeitgeist and get with the program.

And in case you wondered, Buckethead is an American singer / songwriter who performs with a KFC bucket on his head.

No, seriously.

 

]]> http://www.akuko.com/2007/12/19/signs-of-the-times/feed/ http://www.akuko.com/2007/12/11/what-about-the-capetonians/ http://www.akuko.com/2007/12/11/what-about-the-capetonians/#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2007 08:09:49 +0000 Dee Rheeder http://www.akuko.com/2007/12/11/what-about-the-capetonians/ Cape Town is one of South Africa’s leading destinations. It’s the city of magic where people from all walks of life live, work, and relax.

Cape Town is renowned as one of the top holiday destinations in the world. Every year hundreds of people flock to the city where the flat mountain rests and the beaches boast bronze bodies.

Have you ever wondered where the Capetonians go when they want to have a weekend getaway?

The answer is quite easy!

A trip along the R27 following the stretched West Coast Road leads you to celebrated seafood restaurants, charismatic fishing villages, unspoiled coastlines and spectacular sunsets!

Doesn’t matter in which condition your mind is, how tired or exited or the state of the weather- a trip up the West Coast is a great escape for any city soul. Even if you only take a weekend away, on return you will feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

Some of the popular little towns up the West Coast include Aurora, Darling, Langebaan Paternoster, Jacobsbaai, Port Owen, Dwarskersbos, Saldanha, St Helena Bay, Britannia Bay, Velddrif, and Yzerfontein. Elaborating about each of these picturesque little towns will take forever, as each individual town can be the inspiration for a best-seller! The best in this case would be a selection of highlights- just to entice and intrigue.

The first West Coast village you will find when traveling along the R27 is Yzerfontein. Only 78km from the beautiful city of Cape Town, where the ‘sea enriches, whilst the flowers decorate’- Yzerfontein’s motto “Mare didat, flores decorat”. Clear days boast views of Table Mountain in the distance, whales frolicking in the bay (in season), and of course choirs of wild flowers dancing in the sea breeze.

On the shores of a beautiful lagoon where the white sands come to an end, and the dark charcoal grey tar begins, that’s where you will find Langebaan. Come rain or shine, Langebaan is the place to be when your soul needs rest and your feet want play. With lots to do and the well-known Club Mykonos (casino) around the corner, a lovely weekend is on the cards!

When reaching the junction as you turn left to Saldanha and right to Vredenburg (5km to each side), the perfect option would be to keep on straight over the hill. On the other side you will be greeted by lustrous blue waves and houses build in true fisherman style - white with green rooftops. Gravel roads with flowers blooming alongside lead to rocky shores that welcome you to peace and quiet- Jacobsbaai offers tranquility for your heart and soul!

Last but not least, we could never forget to mention one of the oldest coastal towns, situated a mere 15km from Vredenburg. Paternoster, with its strong fisherman architecture, is renowned as a crayfish paradise. Eight kilometer of sandy white beach, friendly locals, and seafood to please all your culinary desires - Paternoster at its best!

The West Coast has so much to offer. Whether you are in the mood to relax and laze in a tranquil setting, or feel like being a bit more adventurous and trying water sports, one of these little towns along the scenic and serene coastline will please your every need.

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