Oldies but some goodies

It's been about two and a half years since I spent my three month summer vacation traveling through Europe and Southeast Asia and I have finally started sorting through the +1000 pictures that I took. I give it about another year and a half before I have been successful in putting the photos together in a photo journal!

The main motivation has been to show the husband the Vietnam photos since his first trip will be in June so we're currently planning out the Vietnamese adventures. It's been fun going through them and discover photos that make me smile and get incredibly excited for our next adventure. The weather is going to be unbearably hot and humid but seeing my family, introducing the husband to the Vietnamese culture and eating delicious food is going to be a worthwhile trip!

So until June, I'll be on traveling hiatus...I think :-)

• typical Vietnamese intersection •

• dual transport •

• mangosteens, my favorite fruit from Southeast Asia •

• crisp sunset in hanoi •

A Castle in Cape Town

The oldest building in Cape Town, Castle of Good Hope is a star shaped fort that is wonderfully preserved and is the perfect way to spend a few hours while in Cape Town. The fort has Table Mountain shining behind it while within it's walls, it contains history that is rooted deeply in military and local culture. One could spend a minimum of two hours there but suggest going there during the early afternoon for their key ceremony (M-F 10am) and/or changing of the guards (M-F 12pm).

The fort is located nicely in central Cape Town so it's a walk away from the beautiful Town Hall, District Six Museum (must see), the Company Gardens (beautiful for a stroll) and pretty much, all of city centre that can easily be done on two feet.

• castle •

• view from atop the castle •

Gold Restaurant in Cape Town

• disclaimer: i know, i'm a few months off with posting, oops.

The husband and I try to stay away from standard "tourist-y" places when it comes to our meals while traveling. It's better to find a restaurant that does not come from a tourist pamphlet or a "where to eat" guide from a hotel instead we opt for a restaurant where the locals eat and we know that the food will be delicious.

However we did decide to break this rule on our last weekend in Cape Town. We came across a restaurant, Gold Restaurant that is located in the heart of Cape Town while perusing a "where to eat" guide. The restaurant offered a unique experience that we had to yet to encounter while in South Africa so we figured it would be best to journey into it.

Gold Restaurant is located on Strand Street in the heart of Cape Town right behind the Gold Museum in an inner courtyard surrounded by trees and tents. At the beginning of the evening, you can arrive early to partake in their drum circle but unfortunately, we were unable to attend due to timing.

The menu is a set menu (changes seasonally) with twelve different Cape Malay/African courses for you to discover. I am a vegetarian and was a little concerned knowing that their menu was set but of the twelve courses, eight was vegetarian so I had nothing to worry about. It seems like a lot of food to eat especially for two people but their serving sizes are just enough, not too much to make you full and not too little where you crave more. Their dessert of banana fritters and fresh fruit dusted in gold was really good although the banana fritters was a little cold.

During dinner, their live entertainment consists of tall Mali puppets that jump to the beat of the drums and swirl around with the dancers. The colors, design and uniqueness of the puppets made the evening more memorable. The singers and drummers were so full of soul and depth that it was great listening to their voices carrying throughout the tree covered courtyard.

This restaurant was the perfect dining experience for our South African journey. Another bonus: the final bill which included a bottle of delicious South African wine, the final total for two was about 600 Rand = $80 U.S!