1, 2, 3

I sometimes wish that I lived in the city, so that I could dress up more. I mean, I know that I can wear whatever I want no matter where I live, but the fact of the matter is that wearing certain things at the coast will just get you strange looks. And while I'm used to people staring at my tattoos (it's not that common here for a girl to have a full sleeve), having people stare at my outfit does make me a bit uncomfortable.

I used to live in a small country town, and it was even worse there. Wearing anything even slightly out of the ordinary would bring rude stares and snide comments.

But then I try to focus on the positives. Living near the beach means that I can wear certain things that would be out of place in the city. For example, I can go down to the local shops barefoot if I want. I can walk around in a bikini if I feel like it. Could I do these things in the country or the city? Well... yes, but I would get some weird looks. Here it's just normal.

Does anyone else feel like this? Does your location affect your style?

Leave Cape Town city centre on the N2. As the road dips, behind Groote Schuur Hospital, move to a right hand lane for Muizenberg (M3). Soon you pass Mostert's Mill on your left — note your kms as you pass.

You next pass the university on the slopes of Devil's Peak to your right. 1,5 km after Mostert's Mill, exit left, then turn right, under the highway, and drive up the mountainside to Rhodes Memorial.

Rhodes Memorial to Kalk Bay

Return to the M3 (turn right immediately after passing under the bridge) and continue towards Muizenberg. When the M3 ends 12,5 km later, exit left and turn left at the top of the off-ramp. At the traffic lights (T-junction) turn right onto the old main road. 600m later, turn right onto Boyes Drive and note your kms. Boyes Drive sweeps across the side of the Steenberg. Park after 2,1 km for the view.

Drive on for 2,2 km, then park in a small parking area on the right. Cross the road for a view over False Bay to Hangklip (left) and Cape Point (right). A small iron gate and stone steps lead down to Sir Abe Bailey's grave.

Drive on until Boyes Drive dips to the left into Kalk Bay. At the T-junction with the coast road, turn right.

Kalk Bay to The Boulders

Drive past Kalk Bay harbour, around the headland, and into Fish Hoek. At the traffic island at the far end of Fish Hoek's main road, turn left, then park. Walk down any of several short paths to Jager's Walk, an attractive path along the rocks from Fish Hoek beach to Sunny Cove (allow 40-60 minutes).

Drive on along the coast road, passing Glencairn. Just before entering Simon's Town, turn right onto Red Hill Road (M65), which zigzags to the crest of the mountains. Park at the top for a magnificent view over Simon's Town harbour and across False Bay.

Drive back to the coast road, and through Simon's Town. As you leave Simon's Town, turn left into Bellevue Road. At the bottom of Bellevue Road turn left into a parking area. From here a path leads back towards the town, skirting the pretty Boulders Beach.

Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve

Return to the coast road and drive on past the picnic area at Miller's Point. The road climbs the mountainside then turns inland. Take the first turn left and enter the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (small entrance fee).

7,4 km along the main road through the reserve, turn left for Buffels Bay — an attractive lunchtime picnic area with braai places, water, toilets and a tidal swimming pool. The reserve also contains a restaurant and many other picnic sites.

Return to the main road, turn left, and drive to the parking area at Cape Point. There is a refreshment kiosk here, and a track to Cape Point Peak. You may walk up, or take the bus, 'the Flying Dutchman. (Allow 60-80 minutes.)

Cape Point to Hout Bay

Returning from Cape Point, turn left after 2,5 km. Follow this side-road along the coast to a small parking area behind Cape Maclear and the Cape of Good Hope. A path leads up the back of Cape Maclear to the cliffs overlooking Diaz Beach. (Allow 40 minutes.)

On leaving the reserve, turn left. Turn left again 8 km later where the road forks. Drive through Scarborough (note 'camel rock' on your left) and past the village of Kommetjie. At the intersection with the M6, turn left, then left again after 900m, following signs to Chap- man's Peak.

The road leads through the Noordhoek valley, then hugs the cliffs as it rounds Chapman's Peak. Park in the small parking area at the highest point in this stretch of road, where it takes a sharp bend to the right and Hout Bay comes into view. A short path leads to a magnificent viewsite.

Drive on into Hout Bay village and turn left into Princess Street. At the T-junction, turn right into Victoria Avenue.

Hout Bay to Cape Town

Victoria Avenue climbs the side of Little Lion's Head to Hout Bay Nek. 800m after driving over the Nek, park in the parking area on your left for a view over Llandudno.

Drive on along the coast road beneath the Twelve Apostles, through Bakoven and Camps Bay, then park again where the road swings to the right into Clifton. Walk down any of the several flights of steps leading to the beach. The crowds have left by this hour, leaving you one of the world's most beautiful beaches to stroll along in the evening light, before driving on through Sea Point into the city.

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]]> http://zhweijun.wordpress.com/?p=374 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:48:43 +0000 mouston http://zhweijun.pt.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/seashorea-happy-mood/ The Seaside Holiday Resort has opened to the public recently. It provides recreation activities including water planes, parachute jumping, sea fishing, beach volleyball, hot-spring physical therapy and beachcombing. many people go to the sea.of course,we spent a heavenly day at the beach. I like to walk along the seashore.there is a little hotel which is round the see,we spend the day in the hotel.

I enjoyed our trip to the coast!the day at the seaside is the high spot of the week for me,it is the safe fort after moil; And bathroom, it is the exultation Eden that abluent exhaustion releases body and mind.

In here,i seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore,i have amused myself by now and then finding a smooth pebble or a pretty shell.we enjoy activities such as camping on beaches, tracking up dry river beds and hiking in the Haghier mountains, as well as snorkeling and diving. of course,you can.

While blue-chip homes in some parts of the Gold Coast have reportedly lost almost half their value, real estate agents on the Sunshine Coast say their biggest worry is keeping up with demand.

“Prestige properties are in such demand that my biggest problem is getting stock, not selling it,” said Susan Musgrove of Henzells Prestige Properties in Caloundra.

“I would love to have more to sell because once you’ve got the stock, there are buyers there.”

It is a lament echoed by other agents who say blue-chip properties do not exist in the same numbers on the Sunshine Coast.

So when one does come on to the market, it doesn’t last long.

“We are so different to the Gold Coast in that it is spread out – there are so many waterfront developments down there that buyers have a lot to choose from,” said Mark Unkel of PRD nationwide Elite at Kawana.

“The buyers are in the box seat down there but up here it’s different because we are geographically a small area and there is no more waterfront ... what we have is all there will ever be.”

Mr Unkel said properties such as the penthouse of Mooloolaba’s Cilento building were attracting strong interest, even with price tags of more than $2 million.

For Susan Musgrove, a three-bedroom sub-penthouse in The Observatory building at Kings Beach sold for $1.01 million on the weekend, hot on the heels of the $1.5 million sale of a penthouse in nearby Montego.

“I had people queueing up for them, so there is still plenty of money,’’ she said.

At Noosa, Olivier Miller of Laguna Real Estate agreed a scarcity of blue chip properties had kept demand high.

“The market has softened about 5% on last year but there have been two significant sales on Noosa Parade, both of them for between $5.5 million and $6 million, a sale at Little Cove for $4.5 million, and of course several sales in Noosa Waters for between $1.5 million and $3 million.

“So we are holding our own.”

And it’s not all about waterfront homes.

Lynda Sherwell of Ray White Buderim said demand was strong for prestige homes on the mountain – again because of scarcity.

“There is a rarity factor of good high quality product for sale here,” she said. “There is not a lot of property on the market and when they do come on they attract a lot of attention.”

seriously.  i'm not making this up.  that's what she said.  a is highly intelligent.  i'm pretty sure she could be a member of mensa if she wanted to...but she's a little geographically challenged.

and i'm speechless.

Click on the paint swatch to get a bigger image.

Nature reserves and mountain walks

The whole of Table Mountain is a nature reserve and there are countless footpaths leading up and along its slopes. An alternative to climbing to the summit is to take the cable car, which sweeps visitors to the mountain top from the cableway station on Table Mountain Road. There is a tearoom at the top, and footpaths criss-cross the summit, leading to various viewsites. The cable car operates every day of the week, but is closed in bad weather.

Lion's Head, connected to Table Mountain by the saddle of land known as Kloof Nek, has a path spiralling to the summit — with chains to help the walker over steeper parts near the top. Devil's Peak, at the eastern end of Table Mountain, offers several walks.

Newlands Forest offers a number of pleasantly shaded walks, as does Cecilia Forest, just south of Kirstenbosch. From Constantia Nek there is a long but easy walk to the top of Table Mountain. Further south there are shaded walks (and picnic sites) in Tokai Forest, and the Silvermine Nature Reserve offers high mountain walks with splendid vistas. On the western side of the peninsula there are walks along the mountain slopes above Camps Bay and Hout Bay. Virtually all these walks will take you through scenery far wilder than you would expect to find so near a major city.

The nature reserves on the peninsula contain baboon, porcupine, and various antelope — but none of the larger game animals that tourists come to Africa to view. A greater variety of animals can be seen at Tygerberg Zoo, which can be reached by driving out of the city on the N1 and taking the Klipheuwel exit. Nearby, in Brackenfell, is the Aromaland Animal Park, containing over 200 species of animals and birds.

For bird-lovers the Cape has several places of note. The Rondevlei Bird Sanctuary near Zeekoevlei is one of South Africa's leading ornithological research stations, and visitors are free to use several observation platforms and waterside hides. (Hippos have also been reintroduced here.) Many bird species can be viewed at the Rietvlei Bird Sanctuary in Milnerton, while the World of Birds in Valley Road, Hout Bay, contains a huge collection of birds from throughout the world — many housed in enclosures through which visitors may walk.

A necklace of beautiful beaches

The peninsula is edged on both its eastern and western shores with numerous superb beaches — but if you are planning to swim, note that the water on the False Bay coast is many degrees warmer than that on the Atlantic seaboard.

There are several small beaches alongside the Sea Point promenade, used more for sun-bathing than swimming. More swimmers will be found in the large sea-water swimming pool at the Sea Point pad- ion. Moving south along the Atlantic coast you come to the Clifton beaches (particularly photogenic), the small Glen Beach (popular with surfers), and the grand white-sand sweep of Camps Bay beach. Several small beaches can then be found tucked away along the coast before you come to the scenic beaches of Llandudno and Hout Bay. South of Chapman's Peak stretches Noordhoek beach, a favourite with walkers, and this eventually runs into Long Beach at Kommetjie, which is recognised as one of the finest surfing spots in South Africa.

North of the city, but also on the cold Atlantic coast, there is the popular Bloubergstrand, with its world- famous view across Table Bay to Table Mountain. Between Bloubergstrand and the city lies the wild stretch of Milnerton beach, a place for long walks and shell-collecting.

The False Bay coast has a string of popular beaches, preferred by many bathers because of the warmer water. Muizenberg has Sunrise Beach and Surfer's Corner — where many a young Capetonian first learned to ride the waves. Here too there is the Muizenberg Pavilion and amusement park. Another favourite swimming spot on this side of the peninsula is Fish Hoek beach. At Miller's Point, St James and Dalebrook there are natural seawater swimming pools suitable for children, and a small, well-sheltered beach that is also safe for children can be found among the rocks at Boulders.

Places of cultural interest

Three hundred years of history have left Cape Town richly endowed with elegant old buildings.

One of the oldest thoroughfares in the city is Strand (beach) Street, and it contains several important buildings. At the upper (western) end there is the Lutheran Church of 1776, which has many carvings by Anton Anreith. Adjoining the church is the Martin Melck House, which was the church's original parsonage. Also in Strand Street, a short distance down the hill, is the Koopmans De Wet House (C). This dates from 1701 and houses a priceless collection of Cape Dutch furniture.

On the slopes of Signal Hill, the heart of the Malay Quarter is now a national monument - an area bounded by Rose, Wale, Chiappini and Shortmarket streets - and in Wale Street there is the Bo Kaap (upper Cape Town) Museum, preserved as a typical 19th century Cape Moslem house. Two other buildings of note are the S A Sendinggestig Museum in Long Street, and Rust-en-Vreugd in Buitenkant Street. Rust-en-Vreugd houses part of the William Fehr Collection of watercolours and prints - the rest of the collection is held at the Castle.

A number of other places of historical and cultural interest can be found in the city's outlying suburbs. On the coast road between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay, Rhodes's Cottage and the old Post Huys are both open to the public. The Post Huys dates from 1673 - a year earlier than the first occupation of the Castle. Closer to the city, off Spaanschemat Road in

Constantia, there is the Nova Constantia manor house, which was originally part of Simon van der Stel's farm Constantia. In Cecil Road, Rosebank, there is the Irma Stern Museum, housing a collection of works by Irma Stern and various other South African artists.

Of the several cultural venues that merit special mention, perhaps the foremost is the Nico Malan complex on the foreshore - comprising opera house, theatre and restaurant. In Rondebosch there is the Baxter Theatre, with a concert hall and two theatres. In Wynberg there is the open-air Maynardville Theatre, renowned for its summer-evening Shakespeare productions.

Boat trips large and small

Cape Town had its origin as a sea port, and one attraction for visitors is the excitement of a boat-trip on the ocean waves. Several trips may be taken from Hout Bay Harbour. One trip visits the seal colony on Duiker Island. Another is a sunset cruise to Table Bay Harbour - offering magnificent views of the Twelve Apostles. From Kalk Bay there are launch trips to Seal Island.

More extravagant than any of these boat excursions is a helicopter tour of the peninsula. The helicopters leave from the heliport in Grainger Bay - within the Table Bay Harbour area. But perhaps the quaintest outing is a ride on the 'penny ferry'. Ideal for children, this is a rowing boat that carries passengers across the entrance to Alfred Basin. Where the ferry moors alongside the East Quay there is a small museum in the old clock tower.

“Some of those who had left their homes are refusing to return home because they fear retribution for their involvement in violence,” Raila claims.

Raila defended his call for amnesty for the hundreds of people arrested during post-election violence in Kenya in December 2007 and January this year. "The majority of people who just protested and demonstrated, we have said, should be released."

Raila made the statements to Radio France International (RFI) at the World Policy Conference last week. The conference was held in the town of Evian in Southern France. Heads of state and government were invited to the summit which Raila was given a chance to address.

Though the interview was held several days ago, there has been little discussion of Raila's remarks in Kenyan media in light of the delicate state of ethnic relations in the country. The statement that internally displaced people (IDPs) were involved in violence is likely to be received negatively by hundreds of thousands of people yet to return to their homes after three months of looting, killing and destruction early this year.

IDPs see themselves as victims of the violence, forced to abandon property and livelihoods they had toiled many years to build.

Ethnic tensions stoked by politicians erupted in violent clashes after disputed elections in December 2007. The top contenders for the presidency were Mwai Kibaki on the PNU party and Raila Odinga of ODM. As happens with most African countries, Kibaki was supported mostly by his Kikuyu ethnic group while Raila got most votes from his Luo tribe. Raila, had earlier formed an alliance with politicians from the Kalenjin tribe and the Kalenjin voted as a bloc for ODM.

Due to uncertainties over the actual winner of the December 27 poll, Kalenjin in the Rift Valley fought the Kikuyu, destroying property, homes, businesses and motor vehicles. Entire villages were razed to the ground. Hundreds of thousands of Kikuyu, Kisii and Kamba fled ODM strongholds in the Kalenjin and Luo heartlands in the Western part of Kenya.

The Kikuyu retaliated in the last week of January 2008, leading to the eviction of tens of thousands of Luo, Kalenjin and Luhya from areas in Central Kenya dominated by the Kikuyu, Kamba, Embu and Meru tribes.

Raila and ODM continually deny organizing the violence. In last week's interview with RFI, Raila rejected the idea that all those covered by the amnesty had been involved in violence, saying that much of the violence had been provoked by excessive police force.

By March 2008, at least 1,000 people were dead. Half a million were homeless and living in football fields, churches and schools across Kenya. A massive international aid operation was launched to feed the displaced.

Former United Nations Secretary General Koffi Annan led mediation efforts between Kibaki and Raila, resulting in a coalition government. Kibaki kept the Presidency while a new post of Prime Minister was created for Raila. However, ethnic tension remains high.

While Kibaki and his PNU party insist that everybody has a right to live and work anywhere in the republic, ODM members say that the Kikuyu should leave the Rift Valley. Riots were witnessed at the Coast after rumors circulated that Kikuyu settlers were planning to relocate there. ODM got a majority vote at the Coast.

Large numbers of IDPs are unable to return home because of continued threats from their former neighbors. Indeed, many who attempted to return have been attacked. The government is giving out Shs10,000 (US$138) to each family but the money is simply not enough to start life afresh.

Some of the refugees are pooling the money and buying land elsewhere. They have given up hope of ever returning to the Rift Valley.

My friend Micah, Kim and I were having a nice little shopping day at the South Coast Plaza. We bought a few things, made each other laugh, and laughed at other people. As we were walking by the store Zara, Kim wanted to show us this jacket that she was absolutely in love with. We went into Zara, she grabbed the jacket tried it on and we "Oooed" and "Ahhed" at her in it. It was a cute jacket that was red and long with big silver buttons. I think Micah really liked the silver buttons because he was staring at them...uncontrollably. He likes shiny things.

Anyway, I decided that since I didn't get Kim and Andy a wedding present yet (and since Andy never wants anything I give him) I'd buy the jacket for Kim as a wedding gift. So, we make our way to the check-out line. There was only one person waiting in line in front of us. I often find standing in lines a bit awkward, so I usually start small talk with the people I'm with.

As we were talking about something meaningless all of a sudden my eyes struck gold: The most hideous person I may have ever seen walk this planet stood right in front of us at the check out counter. She was a middle-aged woman wearing black spandex pants (She was clearly wearing granny panties), a black fanny pack, a black tank top, and some black low top 80's style pixie shoes. The sad part about this situation is that I just bought a new pair of pixie shoes five minutes before we walked into Zara. All of a sudden I was ashamed to have bought the shoes. I must say that her resemblance to Cruella DeVille was amazingly close. Sooo…we shall call her Cruella for the sake of this story. Cruella was a lady who obviously thought she had some amazing style because she was talking so loud you'd have to be deaf to miss her. And even if you were deaf you'd have to be blind to miss her. She craved attention, and she definitely got it. I was stuck staring at her, feeling weird inside, as she was happily standing at the counter trying on this red jacket. Then it hit me, it was THE jacket we were about to purchase. I quickly look back at Kim who was standing there looking at Cruella, praying that she wasn’t going to buy it. I then began to vocally express my sincere amusement of this incredible situation when Kim pointed out the fact that the Cruella and I already own the same shoes. That quickly shut me up, and I started feeling alone and incomplete. Then all of a sudden I hear her voice saying something to someone and Micah kindly tells me that the lady was speaking to me. So I turn around with the jacket in my hand, and she says, "amazing jacket isn’t it?" in this loud pitch voice. She kind of sounded like a very flamboyant gay man. I thought in my head "obviously it's amazing or I wouldn't be standing in line waiting to buy it,” but all that came out of my mouth was "Yep".

Now picture this: I'm standing in front of Micah and Kim in line and I'm holding the red jacket by the hanger with my index finger. This lady takes off her red jacket and tosses it on the table in front of her and walks over to me, stands in front of my face and says, "May I?” Before I could even answer the question, Cruella takes Kim’s jacket off of the hanger and she slides her arms into it and gracelessly frolics over to the nearest mirror. I'm assuming the jacket that she was trying on earlier was too big for her so she thought she could just take our jacket to see if it fit her. So she is modeling the jacket in front of the mirror and her hands are grasping the collar of the jacket as she sways back and forth switching up her feet while stopping to pose every few seconds.

Now do me a favor: Press the tips of your index finger and thumb together making an okay sign with your hand. Your other 3 fingers should be slightly curved but for the most part standing straight up in the air. Now slightly hang your wrist. Good. Now imagine a red jacket in between your index finger and your thumb holding it out in front of you as if it smells of feces. This is exactly what she does. She takes the jacket off, holds the jacket just how I told you to do it, and she throws it in my face. I was caught off guard because all I could hear behind me was Kim and Micah chuckling about what was going on and Kim saying "noooooo please don't put it onnnnn, nooooooooooo." Then I hear Micah saying, "Oh shet, she is putting it on!"

So all of a sudden I feel this jacket hit me as Cruella prances away with her nose in the air  straight back to the register without saying anything else to me. No, “thank you” or anything. Then she turns around to us again and she asks me if I was buying the jacket for my sister. I heard her say it, but I had my back turned to her and I wanted to make her feel like an idiot by making her repeat herself a few times. Then she asked again, and then finally the third time Micah was like "ummmm, Monique, I think she’s talking to you again."  So, I finally turn around and say, "yes, it’s for my sister". Then right when u think this lady is going to leave she turns around very quickly stands on the tips of her toes, and yells "TRAAAAVIIIIIIIIS!!!!!" across the store. Now let me tell you, Zara is a pretty calm and quiet store. Wearing high heals alone in that store causes a ruckus. So she yells his name and goes running over to him with one arm out in the air. I'm going to assume that he was her personal shopper/helper.

We bought the jacket and got the hell out of the store. Till this day Micah will frantically yell out "TRAVVVVIIIIISSS!!!" and wave his arm for no apparent reason, and we all have a great chuckle about it. I have yet to see Kim wear the red jacket. A part of me wants to blame it on Cruella but then I come to my senses, and realize that it's still summer time. There goes my theory. As for my shoes, I wear them and I love them. But every time I wear them Cruella Deville pops in my head holding a Capri Cigarette with the long plastic filter and Travis standing by her side.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="244" caption="The first three with framed chart"][/caption]

Nobody frames history like we do!
Wander on over to the website and see what's available.

We have Oregon, Washington local historic events and autographed, entertainment events with national, even global appeal, all made right here in Astoria, OR.

Email: bill@nwlimited.com or phone 503-338-6056

I have never lost my love of the four legged kind and re-commenced riding in 2006 when I trained horses for friends, a riding school and also brought on my own four year old who is now successfuly competing at shows.

I would like to offer my knowledge, experience and services to clients who would like their horses to be trained or exercised. I will arrange an appointment to meet you both first so that we can find out what you would like me to achieve, how frequently you would like me to ride your horse and any other requirements that you may have.

I also offer private tuition and find it highly effective to show and explain how I acheive my results whilst riding your horse. By using this method you can watch and learn how to get the same response yourself!

Please feel free to check out my photo album and also my newspaper articles or call me on    0434 028626    for a chat!

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