"However, I am officially tired of food now. Just too much food. I swear it has been worse than a cruise ship"

I swear Ngaire, I am REALLY trying...I mean REALLY, REALLY trying to feel sorry for you!!!! :D :D

Ohhhh...you all already sound like you ae having such a wonderful time, and your adventure has only just begun.

I am also drooling over the article in this edition of Departures magazine about South Africa!!!! It just came today!

Winetasting at 9:15AM? We all know this group is up for it regardless of the time!

I raise my empty wineglass and toast you all!

Your posts are awesome!!! Your excitement is bursting through the computer!! Thanks for sharing!!!

Well, with the time difference, since it will be just after midnight, maybe we can stay up and have a glass of wine with them.

Actually, our Hawaiian contingent of LCT'ers can have an after dinner wine with them!!

ROAR'ers, the posts are great. Thanks for taking the time. Of course if you could report in about every 30 minutes it would help. That seems to be how often I'm checking in on you!

What a fantastic trip you all are on. Keep having fun!

Gil and I are planning on spending 2-3 days there before flying to Copenhagen to board for PUBS, as he has never been to Amsterdam either. I consider the Dutch Masters my favorite and especially the still life painters of the baroque era.

I get excited just thinking about getting close enough to those masterpieces to see actual brushstrokes!

You are such a good trooper to put up with such hardships.

Enjoy the wine tasting!

Am I the first one here after today's tour?

Last night's dinner at Baia was absolutely amazing! I've never seen platters of seafood that huge, and several of us had them set in front of us. Yes, we managed to devour it all quite nicely and most of us added dessert.

Today was a tour of winerys and some tastings. I'm not going to venture an opinion, because it seems that what one person liked, another hated, and I skipped most of the reds because of them being prone to cause migraines. Then there was yet another HUGE meal at a winery; after that, half of us came back to the hotel while the other half ventured to yet another winery/tasting.

Lunch was outdoors, and it was slightly cloudy and breezy, so was just perfect.

I'm going back to the craft mall this afternoon, because I just didn't have enough time there. I haven't seen any ostrich feathers yet, but the fridge magnets and Christmas ornaments are so great.

Thanks Pam for the update - everything sounds just perfect - can't wait for more news! Joanna

Love it Pam!! MORE MORE!!!

Hi darling Pam!! It sounds as if the trip is perfect so far. I would travel the distance just for last nights seafood dinner!!

That's for posting, Roarers! Loving the reports. Glad you are having such a great time.

But.... where oh where are the photos????

Kim

Lovin' your reports, ROARers! Thanks!

Yes, yes, photos, PLEASE!!!!!!

Betty

Dinner last night at Baia was great. It was this huge restaurant on the water. Some folks had huge fisherman's platters of lobster, lagostino and tiger shrimp. I had boullabaise, Others had a fish cooked in parchment. Suzie brought everyone blinking lion necklaces and gave them out at dinner. All of the ROARers were blinking up a storm.

Today we left at 8:30 for the wineries with our first tasting at 9:30. The weather was warm and a bit overcast, but lovely. The scenery was great. The mountains are lush and green and the vineyards are beginning to change color (fall is starting here). We had fun tasting a number of whites and reds before leaving for our next winery. This winery was beautiful and they served us a lovely selection of wines and cheeses. I am a lover of cheeses and they had brie and edam cheese with caraway, chives, or olives...delightful. I bought the chive cheese. Others bought some wine. Then, it was off to lunch. Lunch was magnificent. We had a selection of beef, chicken or pasta. I was expecting normal tour fare. Lunch was outside with a beautiful view of the mountains and vineyards. It began with a greek salad, then for the steak, it was a huge filet mignon with a pepper mushroom sauce over a delicious medley of vegetables. Dessert was creme brulee. This winery also had a glass blowing shop with lovely things. I resisted, but many bought glassware. The groups (there were 4 busses) split into two, with two going back to the hotel and two going on to another vineyard. We ended the journey with a stop at the prison Mandala stayed in.

While the scenery is great and the atmosphere very European here, with great sophistication and elegance, you travel by acres and acres of townships or shantytowns where there is communal water, little electricity and women wash there clothes in communal watering spots. We understand that many of the public schools only have one textbook per classroom and most exercises are given by handouts only. The shocker was that women try to have unprotected sex to get AIDS in order to gain extra support for their families. So much violence occurs in these townships, that few actually die of AIDS. There is such a dichotomy of rich and poor in this truly lovely country.

As far as animals, we passed by ostrich farms, some zebras, some antelope and a crocodile farm.

Tonight, some folks are going out for Indian, others to an African venue and others are having a quiet night around the hotel. Tomorrow is our tour of the Cape.

We have a wonderful group of LCTers and are all getting along so well. Lots of laughs. Wish you all were here with us, learning and enjoying it along with those who are here.

Andi, thanks for your great post and so glad everyone is having a wonderful time.

Nancy

Just wanted to say hi as I sit here scanning the boards with Anne and Andi right next to me!

We are having an amazing time enjoying Cape Town and making new friends. I can say everyone I've had the pleasure of sitting near or dining with are wonderful. The best part is actually finally meeting and spending some time with Ngaire.

Baia restaurant was simply fantastic. Oh yes, there are pictures of huge platters of food. Not sure if anyone brought their own laptop so some pictures can be uploaded. I'll have Jerel take a couple of pictures with the camera phone and send them over to Karen for posting if they turn out well.

We are going with a group that gets larger by the minute to a well known Indian restaurant here called Bukhara. Suzanne is with us...so I'll keep you informed if Suzette comes out to play!

I am sitting here next to Marc and Ngaire. We went over to the Market place and had a small dinner. Several just left to go to "Mama Africas" for traditional african food, and most of the rest went out for Indian food. We are having the best time! The scenery here is beautiful, and the people are wonderful. So friendly and helpful. Everything is working out perfectly. The dinner at Baia yesterday was somethig. Wait 'til you see the pictures of those plates. Amazing.

Tommorow we are off to Cape Point and the penguins! Ngaire has done a superb job with everything. We are enjoying lots of laughs, lots of good freinds and lots of good food.

Karen, Ngaire just sent Ken to see if he could post some pictures, so maybe it won't be long. (Loved your "protest" sign)

More later.......

Ohhh....it is definitely wonderful and very interesting to hear all these stories!

Andi, that sure is a shocker to hear that...I have heard only bits and pieces on those types of stories on various documentaries.

The food and wine all sound fantastic.

Can't wait to see pictures!!!

Some ROAR Photos:

A sundowner on Easter Sunday

Cheetahs at a kill

LCTers at the Baia Restaurant

Great Prawns and Crayfish

Walking back to the Cape Grace Hotel

Gary was drinking us under the table at the wine tasting

Lunch at the winery

Bravo bravo!! Look at everyone's faces, so happy!! Who it that who drank their self under the table??

It's a tossup which is greener...that magnificent scenery or me. It looks positively wonderful and I'm so enjoying your reports. Can't wait to see and hear more from the gang.

Ngaire,

wow, thanks for the fabulous pictures!

Nancy

Joe and Judy arranaged an African trip. Along with them, Gary and Anne, Tommie and her husband and mine, we somehow ended up at a different African Restaurant that turned out to be absolutely delightful. There was a pottery vase on the table with a menu on it and we were informed we were getting everything on the menu and we could have as much of everything that we wanted. Kind of like a buffet without getting off your behind. I have to admit that I couldn't resist the lovely gift shop at the restaurant and kept popping out to make purchases between courses.

After indulging in all sorts of different dishes and being entertained by African music, we went back to the hotel and a few of us chatted awhile on the deck off the balcony where we debated whether the Indian food group or African food group had a better meal and more fun. Well, off to bed, tomorrow is a full day again.

Joe and Judy arranaged an African trip. Along with them, Gary and Anne, Tommie and her husband and mine, we somehow ended up at a different African Restaurant that turned out to be absolutely delightful. There was a pottery vase on the table with a menu on it and we were informed we were getting everything on the menu and we could have as much of everything that we wanted. Kind of like a buffet without getting off your behind. I have to admit that I couldn't resist the lovely gift shop at the restaurant and kept popping out to make purchases between courses.

After indulging in all sorts of different dishes and being entertained by African music, we went back to the hotel and a few of us chatted awhile on the deck off the balcony where we debated whether the Indian food group or African food group had a better meal and more fun. Well, off to bed, tomorrow is a full day again. <img border="0" alt="[c]" title="" src="graemlins/c.gif" />

I bet Ray didn't know he spent the evening like this. He's having problems with his memory recently....

Ray, don't forget to sign out!!! You never know who will take over your identity.

Love the pictures! It looks like everyone is having such a good time! Funny Gary under the table...that's our Gary! Everyone looks great in the pix!

Keep sending seamail and PHOTOS!

Yea photos! Yea photos!

Thank you, thank you!

Kim

FANTASTIC!

too funny.

Why I love Gary - pixs capture a thousand words - he is the BEST!!!! Joanna

Love the photos!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the photos, too. And the reports. Keep them coming!

Just keep those photos and reports coming.... Reading your posts is the greatest way to start the day. :) Thanks everyone

Doris

It's extra fun, when you look at a photo of people you've cruised with or met and then and see them having fun half a world away and if you've spent time with them and know their personalities a bit.

Glad you are all having such fun. thanks for sharing it with us.

Let's see - was it Andi masquerading as Ray?

Thanks for pixs - we appreciate SO much - keep having fun and keep in touch -

As I've said before, the western Cape area around Cape Town is the best kept secret in the world. You all are seeing the best of all of Africa right now. Glad you're having such a good time and we wish we were there with you. The pictures brought back so many fond memories. Can't wait till the WC first leg and the post cruise in Cape Town next Jan/Feb.

LOVE all the reports and pix!! Truly, a photo is worth a thousand words so we need MORE!! Know you will all continue to have a fabulous time; just don't forget your avid readers/listeners!

Thanks!

Thax , soooo much , sounds like your having the time of your life, more photos please..... we are really enjoying all the wonderful posts.

Reporting in on the Indian dinner.... we had a group of 13 or 14 people so we we "qualified" for the set menu extravaganza - no need to order except for the wine (Andrea just popped in - the bottle count was 9....)

Started out with papadams with mint sauce and a tomato sauce plus raita (cucumber & yogurt), vegetable salad and then several stuffed breads acompanying a variety of tandoori items - chicken tikka, lamb chops, shrimp & vegetables. We all could have ended it there, but a change of plates ensued, followed by different curry dishes - butter chicken, lamb korma, dal, plus a few more accompanied by garlic nan. Finally we were offered a spread of Indian desserts - mango ice ceram and I don't know what else. Nobody could move. Skipping breakfast this morning - just coffee.

We're off to Cape Point today - weather is a bit gray but that won't deter us from a great day.

Brad took lots of people shots at the wine tastings and lunch, but not sure if we can get any posted before we return. Probably no internet on the train....