Camps Bay, South Africa

I am back in Camps Bay for the moment. This part of Africa doesn't feel like Africa at all. It kind of has a Beverly Hills-esque vibe. My days begin with a brisk jog followed by a really fattening meal which equivalates to a not so good waste-line. In my mind the two simply cancel each other out. Maybe I should consider revising my philosophy on diet and exercise seeing how my pants no longer fit.

I'm not quite sure why I'm in love with this area so much, but I am. Maybe its the beautiful beaches, maybe the fabulous array of mountains each filled with scenic hiking trails or maybe the intriguing people that strike my interest (or maybe it's just the fact that I am no longer on a train with a bunch of losers). Either way, I cannot seem to get enough of this place and I don't want to leave it. To be honest, I am frightened at how much I love it here and the fact that I lack any indication of home sickness at all makes me wonder if I have been living on the wrong side of the earth for the past 27 years. (For the record Mimi, I do miss friends and family very very much....okay I said it).

Everything here flows but nothing seems to make a whole lot of sense which seems to be the story of my life. I stick out like a sore thumb and seem attract a lot of attention from the locals with my redneck south Georgia accent. I have learned that a dutchman in Africa is the same as a redneck in south Georgia.

Dutchmen are one thing that you won't see in Camps Bay, but you will see this little red neck trotting around in every corner. This is a swanky place, everyone is super cosmopolitan, well dressed, and then there is me, which is the total opposite. Everyone has an interesting story of how they got to where there are, too bad I can't say the same for myself.....lol. Did I really just use that disgusting expression...lol (again).

Okay, so my luck has changed and I have met some wonderful people this past week. Actually that is putting it lightly, these people have been the most hospitable, welcoming, splendid amazing folks that I could have ever imagined meeting. I'm not quite sure how I got so lucky to have met them, but I did. It all began when I went out late one night (by myself) to grab a quick bite to eat. A group of 4 nuts asked if they could sit with me. Ofcourse this was a welcomed surprise and not to mention refreshing to meet such a crazy bunch of people like myself..... I'm not sure what the common denominator between the five of us were, maybe craziness, maybe just me but either way we all seemed to click.

Actually craziness is a pre-requisite if you are a friend of mine. Why is it that we all seem to attract eachother? Nuts of a feather flock together...no thats the methloquine talking...oh shit I can't use that as an excuse because that is not until tomorrow night....heheh. Where was I going with this....so after dinner my new friends and I ended up at Dizzy's (the local watering-hole) which ironically sounds like disease.......

At Dizzy's (disease) two body guards followed us around. I was a little uneasy because I'm not sure if they were their to protect "us" or maybe to protect Andy from me. Either way, one wrong move and I have a feeling they would have tackled me to the floor in two shakes of a persian kitten's whiskers. Those body guards intimidated me with their matching black vests and microphones. I decided that I would intimidate them back with my terrifying dance moves. I had them sweating like two whores in church after about 5 minutes breaking it on the dance floor. When Jen breaks out the dance moves it usually means one of two things: #1 it is way past my bed time and I have had too much to drink or #2 I am trying to punish everyone in sight. I DO NOT DANCE and there is a reason for this.

One suggestion that I would recommend to the general population here is teeth whitening bleach. I'm not so sure why all of South Africans have butter teeth but they do. Is it the lack of flouride in their water system or just plain poor hygiene? This is a question that I am willing to get to the bottom of. I will be sure and mention to the Red Cross to include teeth whitening bleach when they send all those tiny care packages of biscuits and gravy and Grey's Anatomy re-runs.