dinner time...

So...8 'o clock rolls in and...dinner time! Some interesting choices on the menu this evening. Woman in front of me (has grey stubble by the way) is digging in to her Sasko loaf and shchiken - all the while making no noticeable effort to NOT make succulent sounds. Must by THAT good.

Massive culture clash and free for all at the Steers as any body shuffled in and threw their money at the lady behind the till. In amongst the hoard was one old lady.."can i order some chips..can I order some chips" - as fate would have it though, she is queueing at the till that is allegedly 'out of order' and must, no doubt, join the 'queue'. Theres zero change so till lady is making customers - if you can call them that - buy extra add ons like slices of cheese and cooldrinks that they dont want so that the amount is rounded up and she can give them notes.

When I returned from this debacle..the bus had moved itself from original spot...adrenalin kicked in at this point..and a dab of the old panic. Luckily I found it 50 metres around the corner...engine running and hazards flashing. Whew! Upon my excited return I notice we have new arrivals. 2 mamma's with 2 babies. Where do they choose to sit...here...by me. Joy. This assures close range and therefore a good chance of odours that are bound to emanate from said babies' bottoms sometime in the next 10 hours, as well as within spitting distance for when he or they blow their cheeks. Maybe the reason babies cry on busses has less to do with discomfort, odour, and repeated bobbing around, and more to do with mamma talking straight through baby's ear to other mamma at top decibel. But whispers are a lost art in the bussing culture, as they are in many an african gathering. Tip for those prone to being stared at by babies: Look straight back at him/her with angry creepy eyes and make low frequency growling sounds - this low frequency will be lost on dear baby's mamma - so you should be safe there.

Right...onwards :)

Boys II Men

"Oh, you write a story?"...Lubabalo's first words to me. I haven't even started writing yet. He's a born again son.."saved by Christ", he says. We instantly get chatting about Cape Town, soccer, leagues, politics, and of course, the 2010 world cup. Behind me the most beautiful sunset illuminates the mountain, Lions Head is golden. I am interupted..Lubabalo wants to know if i can publish his book!?

Our conversation goes on..Wow! He's getting married this week. He's bussing to East London to marry the girl that God has chosen. He's already payed +- 56 000...15 cattle..5 bulls and 10 females; lobola. Lubabalo reckons Julius Malema should go back to initiation school...apparently they left something behind..haha. Then he tells me we're in Stellies.

I'm on a bus, from the Cape back to Grahamstown..It's been amazing!

I literally left Newlands cricket ground (oh Newlands!!!) at 18:15 to catch the 18:30 bus. Craziness! Needless to say i got on fine..with 2 minutes to spare. Got to shake Steve Bucknor's hand! The proteas whipped the Aussies this time. So glad i came down - no regrets..no such thing.

Lubabalo asks me if I'm honest with my spouse..haha...do i have a spouse?? No, but yes i am. We talk about trust and relationships. He's the kind of guy I want to take a walk in the bush with. I miss Jess and trust her fully i answer. They just put in a CD, an mp3 CD - 168 songs. Track 1 - Always Remember - some soul kinda shit - like a woman trying to pull off Boys II Men...dammit. 167 tracks to go.

As we drive, the road lights flicker on by...lighting up my page every now and then. It's mesmerising...Track 2 - Always you..same shit. Classic! it's getting darker; the mountains surrounding me fade, and with that, so does my time in Cape Town. Thanks Shandu...it's been epic!

where am i?

my eyes flicker... blinking, i stare into the pink horizon, framed by the silhouttes of the first significant mountains i've seen. Down on one side of the valley the glimmer leads off into a mountain range, on the other , into a thousand lights..bright, man made lights...what have we done to the place? its strangely beautiful.

orange and yellow fills the bottom of this huge valley, contrasts with the surrounding darkness; a battle between day and night. My eyes are still tired, hazey...the interuption of light bounces in the fog on the windscreen. On the other side a frosted up field is beautifully intensified by the hope of light. Light, that is, from the sun; natural. The juxtaposition is strong; light, dark, human, nature.

my vision is clearer now. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, i slowly awake. I am on a bus...where to again?...
Ah, and then i see...down where the lights fade into the black of the night, overwhelmed by what is lurking, the sun, in all its glory, introduces the most majestic sight...there...outlining and framing it all, lit in the dense distance by the natural warmth...sits the mountain..beautiful, natural, perfect.

I am on a bus...im going home...i am going to cape town.