all in a few day's time

It's been just a few days since our Cape Town touchdown and we've remarkably managed to do quite a bit -well as much as can be done within the strict official barriers of SA. At least it's not as bad as China, i keep telling myself, haha.

For the first 3 nights we stayed at the same B&B we were at last visit, Liberty Lodge. For those who are ever thinking of visiting The Mother City, it is a fantastic place to stay in terms of location, hospitality and as Matt would say, "their yummy omelettes!" See pic of Table Mountain from Liberty Lodge's balcony.

Within 4 days we had found ourselves a serviced apartment (little cottage, actually), Harfield Guest Villa, in the Southern Suburbs to base ourselves for the next 6-8 weeks before our shipment arrives from HK.

With a self-contained kitchen, living room and tv/dvd, full bath, guest bedroom (which we've converted as a storage room), and highspeed wireless internet, it is the perfect size with all the necessities closeby.

We've gone shopping at the local grocery stores, Pick 'n Pay and Shoprite, and for the "exotic imports" we go to Woolworth's. Although I've yet to find fresh tofu and dumplings!

It's strange not to be able to just walk down the road and pick up milk or bread from the 7-11. Convenience stores are very common and grocery stores close at 6pm for the most part, open half days on Satudays and close on Sundays.

We spent the first few days driving around trying to find an open beer store. Poor Matt had to endure the delicious South African wine and the hotel's overpriced cider before we finally understood that things work differently here.

We managed to get the beer, but we had to go out at 8AM in the morning to do so! Where else in the world can you buy beer at such an hour but NOT after 6pm? See the happy Matt unloading the groceries from the boot/trunk of our rental car.

It's definitely a much more relaxed and laid back kind of lifestyle. However, I guess coming from hectic, busy Hong Kong, the contrast couldn't be any more different.

Weekends are for leisure and family. Keeping active and healthy are quite important to many people. Good food and good wine are vital elements to a balanced life and there is definitely no shortage of that here. There is a fairly strong sense of community (from what i can tell in my short time here so far), all blanketed with a delightful South African joie de vivre and humour, which i absolutely love!

So yes, we're settling in nicely. What's more, I found a yoga studio just literally a 2 minute's walk away. I've gone to a couple classes already and I am going to ensure I continue making it a staple of my week. How can i not when doing the Sun Salutation means gazing out at Table Mountain right outside the window?

And speaking of routine, we've already signed up to the Cape Town frisbee league and after missing our first game Monday night due to miscalculating the time difference, we went to a pickup game on Thursday and met some friendly - and fit! - Capetonians at the Wynberg Sports Centre. It's such a great feeling to arrive at the field and not already be covered in sweat! I'm loving it here already!