After the previous two action photos, here is something to mellow down a little with. This was a long exposure (30 second) shot taken on the rocks of Muzienberg beach just after sunset. No, there is no HDR processing involved. This is just how it came out.
Here is another shot from the same shoot – enjoy!
On the same day that I took the windsurfing shots, I went down to the beach to watch the kite surfers. Now if you think that the windsurfers go fast, they are like a child with training wheels on a new bicycle compared to the crazy kite surfers.
If you put skydiving, water skiing, windsurfing and surfing into a giant bowl and mixed, you would get something resembling kite surfing. This is the only water-sport I know where wearing a helmet is (or at least should be) considered good form.
I don’t know how high they jump, but it looks like it can easily be over 5 meters. Sometimes you can see the beginners practise on Zandvlei (where the wind surfers usually are), and it takes a lot of practise and skill to get as good as this guy.
Buy wow, it looks like fun, maybe I will try it someday.
We have mountain fires in Cape Town every summer. Usually they happen when it is hot and windy, and mostly they are started by cigarette butts being thrown out of car windows.
This year is no exception. On Saturday the mountain just above Boyes Drive was on fire, and the fire-crews were using two helicopters to dump water onto the fire. Because it was so close to my house and I live right next to the vlei, I watched the choppers collecting the water out of the lake before dumping it onto the fire.
It was pretty amazing watching the choppers, incredible skill in dropping down to grab the water, and then dumping it right on the hot-spots. This is in the cross-winds and flying through all the smoke. These are amazing pilots.
Thankfully, they managed to put this one out quite quickly, and there didn’t seem to be any major damage. We have had some pretty major fires in the past.
Here are the rest of the pics.
A row of somewhat antique chairs for sale on Main Road in Muizenberg. I just love the variety of chairs for sale.
I drive past the beach every day to and from work, and today for the first time, I saw this group of horse-riders on the beach. I don’t know of any stables nearby, and I have never seen it before.
It really is a bit of a mystery to me, but I would love to go riding on Muizenberg beach. Can anybody enlighten me?
After the aweful weather we have had this weekend, it is lovely to be able to soak up some sun, and to go for a walk along the Muizenberg/St James beach. The sun is warm, the sky is clear, and it is simply an amazing day! The colourful beach huts in St James are still there, and they are still open to the public as changing rooms, (unlike Brighton where you can pay up to 20000 Pounds for the privilege).
While this particular beach is quite rocky, there is a lovely tidal pool you can swim in, and it was surprisingly empty today. I remember as a student coming down here for biology trips and having to walk among the rocks to find little beach animals and plants.
The walk from Muizenberg to the tidal pool is not far, probably about 1.5 km or so, but very pretty, and there are lots of people so it should be quite safe as well. And if you don’t feel like the walk, you can park on the side of Main Road and cross through one of the subways onto the beach.
I spotted this old Bettle parted at the beach in Muizenberg, and had to shoot it. The car was in excellent condition, and was clearly looked after. The Beetle is still a classic such a lovely design.
In South Africa, we have an informal network of car guards that watch our cars while we are out and about. Often you are intimidated into paying a tip for the service, whether you want it or now, and the level of service is often questionable.
Today I had a refreshing experience. This guard promised me that my car will be”same make, same colour and same wheels” when I got back. And when I got back he assured that my car was still “same make, same colour and same wheels” as when I left it. Yes, he did live up to his word.
I love living in South Africa.
ps: no I have not downgraded my bakki (pick up) for a Tazz.
I am fascinated with graveyards, and I love walking through them. They have a sense of quite and calmness. They are places where you can pause and remember that whatever your worries, they are probably not that important when put into perspective.
So today when I drove past the Muizenberg Cemetery on a misty morning, I had to stop for a few minutes to walk through the graveyard and look at the graves. Interesting that even though once you are going there is no coming back, there is still clearly a distinction between the expensive and inexpensive graves.
I took this picture a few weeks ago before we moved to the South Pole. Winter has arrived in force; it is cold windy and wet!
So, when summer comes back next year, this is a wonderful walking or running path. The catwalk starts here in Muizenberg, and winds its way for about 2km to St James, and then of course back again. Be careful when the tide is high; you might get a little wet. There as a lovely restaurant, Octopus’ Garden in St James where you can refresh yourself before walking back.
To get here, just You can park at the station and walk under the subway.
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