Let’s get this over with. Want to see what my iPhone looks like right now?
I need to stop setting goals. The day started with two: get my laundry done and go do the Ocean Walkers at uShaka (where you walk underwater with the fish). So I’m up, I pack my dirty clothes into a laundry bag, I start filling out the laundry form, and then I see the form’s bottom. “NO service is available on Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays.” Of course.
uShaka, here I come! It’s a bit of a walk from my hotel, but it’s nice out, people are enjoying the first weekend of spring, and I have just enough clean clothes to get me to the next place where I can find laundry services. I’m getting to the aquarium early so I have the best chance of getting whatever access I need. It’s not clear where to go to sign up, so I figure I’ll go see the fish first. And how can someone not love this! (Also, it makes me really hungry!)
All sorts of fish. Sharks. Turtles. Rays — which a little kid told his mom were baby turtles. Clownfish hiding inside sea anemone. All outfitted to look like you’re walking through a sunken ship. Cool. I finish, go outside, see the Ocean Walkers booth and — you need a reservation, for times starting four hours later. Some things are just not meant to be. If I plan it, it won’t happen. That’s my new motto! I think I’ll plan to become a non-billionaire. Ha! Take that Fate!
So more walking. There are other exhibits at uShaka, a kids area, food vendors, shopping, everything you’d expect. And then there are penguins. They have a rookery where they keep some of the endangered African Penguins which are only found on the Southern African coast.
Now it’s time for lunch. I haven’t yet tried bunny chow. It’s a half loaf of bread, hollowed out, and filled with curry. There’s a restaurant at the end of the pier near uShaka that serves it. Except they use homemade bread (tastes good, less authentic, meh, I’m okay with that), and the curry has meat on the bone. I’m not sure how to eat it, except with knife and fork. Not like the messy hands meal of the guidebooks. Probably for the best.
Next up a little shopping. I still have two weeks, including at least one flight, and I can’t fit much into my way-over-packed suitcase. Still, no harm looking. And eating. Of course I did. Sure there were lots of nice little shops with trinkets and whatnot. Then there was fresh made fudge. Yes please.
Now I’m ready for a slow walk back toward my hotel. Get my feet sandy and wander through the surf. On my way I see a girl wearing a hoodie/footie-pajamas/sweatshirt thing decked out like the Stars and Stripes. I stopped. It was a group of girls, high school age, from South Africa just hanging out. They’d been to the U.S. a few months earlier. Of course they loved the idea of Texas! We chatted a bit. I told them how surprised I was that they had cars in their country — I thought everyone rode around on elephants. Yup. Mr. Charm. I didn’t take a picture though. Seriously: high school age girls in bikinis. Even I know better!
How about my view during lunch instead?
Some street vendors outside my hotel have been there every day, but I hadn’t really looked to see what they were selling. Lots of this-and-that, but a few sat there putting beads together in various designs. I got approached by a beggar while I was looking, then a local security guy came up to see what was going on. I said it was nothing and got a huge sigh of relief from the beggar. There have been people asking me for money constantly while I’m down here, I don’t think they’re policing quite as effectively as they think they are.
Once again I was hot, sweaty, and tired. Back to the hotel to cool off and do a little photo editing. I didn’t go out again until it was getting dark.
The wind had picked up even more!
I went down to the beach again and stuck my feet in the water. The last time before I’ll leave. Since it was evening, I had changed to jeans. Not the greatest planning. They got a bit muddy.
I’m back off the beach. Dusting off my pants. Trying to keep my hat on. Checking my phone for a good last dinner spot. BOOM! The phone falls from my hand and the screen cracks. NOOOOO!!!!!!
With shaky hand, I try to turn it on. No problem. I swipe and enter my passcode. No problem. I turn the phone off, slide it into my pocket, and decide to eat at the nearest place I can find so I can sit down and (calmly) make sure the phone really does still work. It’s a fast-food fish joint called Fishaways. Calamari wrap and a Sprite. Not bad actually. And the Sprite tastes like fizzy water, very little lemon, just like the flight attendant told me on the flight from Ghana to South Africa.
I’ve dropped my phone before. Nothing ever happens. Except when you’re overseas. There’s good news: the phone seems to still work. There’s better news: the iPhone 6s should be coming out this month! Guess who’s getting a mid-contract upgrade?
Now, we can’t leave on a bad note like that. How about another fish picture? I took this with my iPhone earlier in the day. Before I dropped it.
Travel 