Notes from the Cape

American food is quite something. Everything comes in huge portions, is fried, and is processed! It is really difficult to eat healthy food here without making it yourself. Even the salads will have an oily dressing, or fatty bacon it them. When we order something simple like a cheese roll, they seem to think that we are crazy, and we battle to prevent them from putting on meat (which of course is a problem for Lois). Even then, they will make the cheese about 1cm thick! A side portion of chips is enough to feed four! I can see why so many American’s are so fat. It is just too easy to eat badly.

The service is also unpredictable. It’s either great, or shocking. We had an argument with a waitress because she brought cold tea and refused to replace it with hot tea (she eventually saw it our way). Speaking of tea, they cannot make decent tea, and the coffee that is served has always been sitting for a while and is very bitter. It is never freshly made. When ordering, you have to ask for milk, otherwise you get cream.

However when we have had good service, it has been outstanding. In general, staff have been efficient, friendly and efficient, and nothing is too much bother (you’re welcome!).

The locals are doing their best to make me feel at home. Since Sunday, I have just missed a shooting in a jewelry shop heist, had to evacuate the hotel in a suspected fire (none found), and the sign outside the hotel was knocked over by a (drunk?) driver.

Washington is the cleanest city I have ever visited. The pavements are clean, and there is almost no litter. The metro is clean, very cheap and airy. London – take note! However one problem is that the metro does not go everywhere. There several monuments that you need to walk to or take the bus.

Craig

ps: I am actually having a great trip, but SA has a lot over USA in many ways – we can also learn a lot.