http://www.akuko.com Daily ramblings about the town we live in, Cape Town, South Africa. Thu, 28 May 2009 07:45:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The heading of this blog is one of my favourite inspirational quotes from the movie Vanilla Sky; an adage can be used for almost anything you wish to accomplish in your life. Earlier this year I made a very professional-looking spreadsheet detailing what I wished to accomplish this year. We ... http://www.akuko.com/2009/05/each-passing-minute-is-another-opportunity-to-turn-it-all-around/ [caption id="attachment_627" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Surfers paradise"][/caption] We went surfing the other day, in the notorious area of Muizenberg. It’s generally not the Great Whites that you have to watch out for there, it’s the Great Wides, the boards and the tourists who assume that they own the beach. My other, much braver, ... http://www.akuko.com/2009/05/great-whites-or-great-wides/ There is a certain inconsistency in my personality that allows me to spend R400 on a dinner without breaking a sweat, while at the same time balking at the idea of spending the same amount on a pair of boots or a handbag. In all fairness it should be the ... http://www.akuko.com/2009/05/fork-restaurant/ [caption id="attachment_621" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Beaches are cheap"][/caption] It’s been said that when you want a list of things to do in Cape Town you’re faced with things like “go for a shark dive in a cage” or “shop at a really elitist mall” or “check out the wine farms”. Let’s face ... http://www.akuko.com/2009/05/when-youre-broke-in-cape-town/ [caption id="attachment_611" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="400 days left."][/caption] Everyone is talking about it... almost everyone is coming to see it. The 2010 Soccer World Cup hosted by South Africa is causing a serious headache for the Cape Town accommodation industry. How on earth are we going to house all of these foreign ... http://www.akuko.com/2009/05/cape-town%e2%80%99s-accommodation-goes-green-for-2010/ [caption id="attachment_607" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="One of the many hotels in Cape Town"][/caption] Yes, hotels in Cape Town trump or can compete with any of the world’s best hotels. Western Cape has so many options in terms of luxurious hotels and safari lodges, but here in Cape Town we can beat any ... http://www.akuko.com/2009/05/608/ Cape Town is a vibrant city, which is full of colour, history and of course its diverse population. The best way to see the city bowl and some of the suburbs is the hop-on hop-off bus that goes all the way to Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens and takes you to the ... http://www.akuko.com/2009/05/cape-town-tours-a-great-day-out/ [caption id="attachment_599" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Sightseeing."][/caption] Cape Town’s tourist industry has always been a vibrant economy-booster. With Cape Town tours and sightseeing trips making up a big part of the tourist’s to-do list, the industry must protect the image of Cape Town as a fun, vibrant and safe place to visit. However, ... http://www.akuko.com/2009/05/cape-town-tours-on-the-up-despite-slowing-economy/ [caption id="attachment_596" align="alignnone" width="295" caption="Wow, animals."][/caption] So, you want to see lions kill a zebra and pretend you’re the king hunter by getting a close-up photo. But which Safari tours enable you to see the animals, guaranteed, and not just some lame buck and a few rocks that look like rhinos, ... http://www.akuko.com/2009/05/which-safari-tours-get-you-to-the-%e2%80%98real%e2%80%99-africa/ [caption id="attachment_593" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="A line."][/caption] Safari tours in Cape Town weren’t running on Wednesday the 22nd of April. In fact, the drivers, game rangers, owners and hoteliers weren’t at work. Collectively, the whole of Cape Town came to a standstill. Where on earth was everyone? They were queuing. They queued in ... http://www.akuko.com/2009/05/election-fever-hits-cape-town%e2%80%99s-safari-tours/