The south-west tip of the continent

This is Cape Point, part of what is the Table Mountain National Park. The other point of interest a few minutes drive from Cape Point, is the Cape of Good Hope. This whole area was of great shipping significance back in the day - lots of wrecks to prove it too! Standing on the tip of Africa and looking south towards Antarctica, the Indian ocean is on the left and the Atlantic on the right. The actual merging point of the two bodies of water is somewhat less distinct, with Cape Agulhas (the southernmost tip of Africa) also claiming the 'two oceans' title.

Cape Point is a pleasant walk. Watch out for the baboons though - they are vicious!

Pools

Swimming pools abound in South Africa. A daytime flight into Johannesburg or Cape Town International airports will confirm this. However, where is the visitor to swim? The hotel pool? Not everyone will be staying at a hotel with a star that means pool. The sea? Good luck to you if you're in Cape Town. The pool in the yard next to your guesthouse? Better hope they leave the electric fence on low.

Or, you could just head on down to Seapoint in Cape Town and experience the public pools.

Entry is cheap and the pools are immaculate, warmed and have attendants on duty. Swim, dive, exercise and pose to your hearts content - and not a shark in sight!

Like a national supermarket chain, but not

Adult World is an adult store that specialises in all things adult. Not the sort of 'grown up things' your mom used to refer to but the sort grown up things you could discover as you, well, grow up. Of course, there is a lot of plastic novelty stuff and a lot of novelty plastic stuff. VHS and DVD's to cater for most tastes, colours and inclinations. Some shops have cinemas and 'entertainment areas'. Opening times vary, so call your nearest one before venturing out for that late night unplanned pleasure spicer upper!

Adult Worlds have a decent selection of gay stuff and are very gay friendly. In the absence of dedicated shops in the outskirts or smaller towns, Adult World is it.

The one in this picture is off St George's Mall in Cape Town. Landmark to look out for is the Golden Acre arcade in the background.

Where our money comes from

This is the South African Reserve Bank building in Cape Town's City Bowl. It looks vey much like it's counterpart in Pretoria.

Walking around downtown Cape Town on a Saturday morning is very pleasant indeed. Not only do you get to appreciate the melting pot of people and cultures, but without all the weekday traffic and city centre people, you get to appreciate the architecture better.

Franschoek

Franschoek is one of those 'quaint' places that every country has. Popular with locals and foreigners, Franschoek is about an hours drive out of Cape Town. The place is famed for it's Huguenot links (with dedicated memorial) - and thus, a quasi spiritual mecca for many South Africans. There is a museum that documents the beginnings of European involvement in the Cape where many South Africans of French origin can trace their family trees directly to those who landed in 1652, all of 354 years ago.



As a tribute to its French past (albeit somewhat tainted by exile and persecution), Franschoek liberally uses red, white and blue in abundance and is not shy of naming everything possible in French, or after connections with France. Of course the fact that the area is also big in wine helps cement the whole French feel. It can feel somewhat like overkill - in the 'oh, this must be the French area of the world in a theme-park' vein - but it is still well worth a visit for the spectacular scenery.



There is a very very busy chocolate shop, so be prepared to stand your ground for your turn to be serverd. Otherwise, there is a choice of jewelry, art, wine and local curio shops scattered between genteel (and not so genteel) restaurants on the main road. Eat, shop, sightsee and be merry.

Smoking

Although much of Africa's image might seem more akin to 70's dictator with safari suit, thick dark glasses and a cigar, much of the continent sides with the anti-smoking lobby. South Africa is no exception.

Smoking in public places is banned. The mutually understood definition of a public place is somewhat more hazy. For example, a 'private' shopping mall forbids smoking once you've passed the sliding glass doors headed towards the shops. But smoking while walking down a 'public' street with shops and cafe's is apparently fine.

Restaurants should provide a physically separate smoking area, or else they are non-smoking, according to legislation. The smoking area is supposed to be sealed, with externally vented, non-recyclable air-con, with appropriate signs: and no under 16's allowed. Enter the hazy definition of public.... Many restaurants, not keen to spend the money to create a specific smoking room, put smokers outside and let interpretation take over. Non-smokers seated outside trying to persuade fellow 'al-fresco' diners to not smoke? Good luck to you.

Bars, clubs and tobacconists are considered smoking establishments, so you are legally entitled to recycle second hand smoke to your lung's content.

All internal flights are non smoking and most international airlines are non-smoking. All airports are non-smoking but restaurants may have smoking areas. Same applies to trains and stations - but there may be smoking carriages or sections.

Smokers normally gravitate to external doors to relieve themselves - but beware, the law will soon be amended to prohibit smoking within a 5 metre radius of doorways.

If it is the dry season, please do not throw cigarettes out of car windows. Fires will start and damage will happen to to property and the environment.