Gallery Yasmin at Tamarind Square

Yesterday, I read with interest the announcement that Yasmin Ahmad’s award-winning film, Sepet will be on YouTube from May 30 for just one-week’s limited viewing.

Yasmin at Tamarind Square, a gallery dedicated to
Yasmin Ahmad within the BookXcess bookstore

I know that the film, Sepet, is considered by many to be the most beloved of Malaysian films and quickly shared this info with my friends and contact groups.

Filmmaker, Yasmin (1958 – 2009), earned a reputation for her films that dealt with important themes and sensitive issues of faith, diversity, and a sense of belonging in Malaysia, a Muslim majority nation with a multi-cultural community.

She was also famous for her unforgettable Petronas festive commercials with scripts that conveyed poignant and powerful messages.

What then is sepet?

A collection of film posters with a
photo of Yasmin's prayer mat below

In this context, it is a Malay word which refers to Chinese slit eyes (mata sepet).

Directed by Yasmin Ahmad, Sepet is a Malaysian film set in Ipoh which tells a tale of teenage love that blooms between Chinese boy and a Malay girl and explores the simplicity and complexity of relationships.

Even though this film was released in 2004, the issues it addresses are still relevant today.

At the 27^th Creteil International Women’s Film Festival in France, Sepet won the Le Grand Prix du Jury award and was honoured by the Best Asian Film award at the 18^th Tokyo International Film Festival.

This limited time viewing of Sepet not only promises to be enjoyable, but it also invites viewers to post questions about the film, its production, the story, or any other details for discussion in the Comments section in YouTube.

These questions will then be answered by members of the cast and production team.

Yasmin's rolled-up prayer mat next
to her prayer robe or telekung

Among others who will answer questions are lead actress, Sharifah Amani, lead actor, Ng Choo Seong, Linus Chung, Tan Meiling, Zehan, David Lok and producer Abang Odeng, as well as Yasmin’s sister, Datin Orked Ahmad.

When I shared the info about this opportunity to watch Sepet (again!) with my friends, they replied with positive comments, three of which I wish to quote here.

Putri Zanina said: “Thank you Peggy. I remember seeing Sepet those days and felt how different it was from other local films.

It took a while to get used to Yasmin’s film-making style, but once we got absorbed into the story, we began to appreciate it.”

Magdeline said: “I saw the movie last year. Very good one.”

Swee Gim said: “Thanks Peggy. Yes, we watched it some time back and was deeply moved. Worth watching again.”

Art installation entitled, Sepet on-air

We stayed with Swee Gim and her husband in their cosy apartment in Cyberjaya in early January to attend a wedding in Kuala Lumpur.

This dear couple were also guests at the same wedding, so it was convenient for us to go to the solemnization and dinner banquet.

They were also excellent hosts who, among other things, showed me Putrajaya by night and introduced me to destinations in Cyberjaya including BookXcess, the nation’s biggest bookstore and the first 24-hour bookstore in Tamarind Square.

Yasmin's mobile-phones

While the first BookXcess in Johor Baru was yet to officially open its doors in Sunway Big Box, I was delighted to explore and experience this outlet in Tamarind Square.

Here, I discovered the gallery dedicated to Yasmin Ahmad that showcased interesting artefacts that gave me a glimpse of the personal life and work of our popular Malaysian filmmaker.

The sign simply read: Yasmin at Tamarind Square and next to it, a collage of Yasmin’s film posters confirmed that this was a gallery dedicated to the filmmaker.

Below this collection of film posters, a photograph of Yasmin’s prayer mat and prayer robe or telekung, reminded us that even with her busy work schedule, Yasmin did not neglect her daily prayer obligations.

In a separate display, her rolled-up prayer mat was arranged next to her telekung.

A number of Yasmin's reading spectacles

From an art installation set within a glass case, I saw pages of the original script of Sepet that were artfully suspended in the showcase.

In another display of old newspaper cuttings and magazine features, I read a plaque with this inscription, quoted here for your easy reference:

“The tributes came pouring in only after she passed away. When she was alive and did Rabun, Yasim kena tembak from certain parties.

She went on to make Sepet. Kena lagi.

She didn’t give up and made Gubra.

Kena tembak so badly most people thought that she’d give up.

Tapi Yasmin kept striving and made Mukhsin. Kena juga.

Yasmin was an egg-lover!

Then Yasmin made Muallaf which during her lifetime, could only be screened in Singapore and Indonesia, everywhere except Malaysia.

(Note: The religious department ambushed her during the filming of Muallaf in Ipoh and hauled her up for questioning).

She kena hentam kow kow in all sorts of media.

Yet Yasmin kept good form and continued to make Talentime – which is based on the Kampung Medan incident.

For insights into how badly she kena tembak, see pages 34, 49 & 192 of Yasmin How You Know?

When she died, Yasmin was finalizing the production of Wasurenegusa (Forget-Me-Not) an epic film she wrote about her beloved mother, Mak Inom, set in her ancestral village in Japan and Go Thaddeus Go, her film script about the strappingly handsome young Singaporean triathlete who suddenly collapsed and died running the good race.”

A display of her film awards

The book, Yasmin How You Know? is a compilation of anecdotes by Orked Ahmad and Jovian Lee Lit Hong on Yasmin’s life from her student days to various stages of her life, right up to her passing.

The exhibits in this gallery included Yasmin’s personal items like her mobile-phones, her reading spectacles and even her favourite food – eggs!

The label on this display of eggs in an egg-tray with a medicine prescription read: Yasmin, an egg-lover “Banyak choles-telur”

Another display featured Yasmin’s collection of lotions. The caption read: “As she applied cream to the corns on her toes, Yasmin would grin at us and say, Sweet Corn.”

In the display of the awards won by her films, I read the inscription which said: “Yasmin’s films won numerous awards. When asked why she made movies, Yasmin would reply: For Mak and Abah. And to lepak with friends.”

Among them, I saw the Best Asian Film award from the 18^th Tokyo International Film Festival for Sepet.

The inscription on this plaque is quoted [above] for your easy reference.

So don’t miss the opportunity to catch the award-winning film, Sepet on YouTube this week and appreciate afresh, the courage and creativity of Yasmin Ahmad. 

Happy Watching!

Macau, Asia's casino capital

When we think of Macau, we always picture its most iconic landmark – that of a single wall perched on a hillock, the only structure left of a once grand Catholic cathedral known as the Ruins of St Paul’s.

Brightly lit building facades in Macau by night

But when I read the news on May 26 that reported the passing of Stanley Ho Hung Sun, the Hong Kong-Macau billionaire businessman and philanthropist, my thoughts flashed to Macau, the casino capital of Asia.

For 75 years, Ho held a government granted monopoly for the Macau gambling industry which inevitably earned him the nickname as the King of Gambling even though he did not indulge in the gaming habit.

I read that Ho, the founder and chairman of SJM Holdings, owned 19 casinos in Macau and these included the Grand Lisboa.

Facade of the Grand Lisboa casino hotel

The name of this landmark casino hotel evoked a night view of its fascinating façade which I saw in a night drive through Macau aimed at allowing visitors (like me!) to admire the glittering and gaudy, lighted buildings by night.

I was then a guest of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) on a visit to Macau with a group who were treated to an eventful tour, from its casinos to well-preserved heritage sites.

Among other exciting sights, it was fun to discover how the casinos were linked underground and overhead by a network of air-conditioned shopping arcades and bridges.

If the buildings were situated further apart, there was a regular shuttle service for guests to ply among the buildings in comfort and with convenience.

During the “free” time from the organized itinerary, I explored the underground shopping arcades to discover a host of branded merchandise and accessories, along with international and local brands for food and beverage.

A live performance at this musical fountain

I was careful to read the signs to get my bearings and navigate my way in the maze of underground corridors and arcades because one could easily get distracted by the beautifully decorated merchandise…and got lost!

At intervals along these indoor shopping arcades, there were interesting art installations and musical fountains.

I happened to arrive just on time to witness a fancy display by one that was electronically controlled to “move” in a schedule of performances, and this show was complete with smoke effects and live dancers, dressed in flowing garments to resemble butterflies.

The San Luca canal flowed through The Venetian in Macau

One of the must-see destinations in Macau (for me!) was The Venetian, the largest casino in the world and the largest single structure hotel building in Asia.

Inside the building, I was transported to Italy.

I admired the European architectural designs and watched the San Luca canal that flowed through – complete with gondolas – and even gondoliers who could serenade as they rowed along the canal!

The design within the building included sunny, blue skies dotted with clouds above which gave the impression of being outdoors while we were still enjoying air-conditioned comfort.

A highly recommended live spectacular water extravaganza!

Among the items on our itinerary was a visit to the City of Dreams to experience The House of Dancing Water, a spectacular live show presented on a stage which was in fact, a 26-feet deep pool of water!

Seated at the edge of my seat, I was enthralled from the start to the end as I watched acrobatic high dives into the water and marveled at how the stage rose up or sank into the water in a totally mesmerizing and powerful water extravaganza.

I have always enjoyed live theatre shows but The House of Dancing Water was clearly in a league of its own, one live show that I would recommend to all visitors in Macau.

View of The Venetian at twilight

I don’t gamble but a visit to Macau was not complete without at least a walk through the casino and that was what I did, just for the experience, and to observe the action at the gaming tables and slot machines.

While touring Macau, I noticed that road names used Portuguese spelling and were named after historic figures or places in Macau or Portugal while road signs used two languages: Portuguese and traditional Chinese.

In 1998, Ho was honoured to be the first Chinese person to have a road in Macau, Dr Stanley Ho Avenue, named after him.

For his philanthropic contributions to the community, his name is on some 12 museums, hospitals, and sports centres in Hong Kong and Macau.

The Macau skyline with the distinct outline of the Grand Lisboa casino hotel

Ho had influenced Macau’s gaming industry for decades and due to his contributions, Macau has now surpassed Las Vegas.

Although he has left us, his legacy in the gaming industry lives on in Macau.

I met my Iron Man in India

If you are thinking about Iron Man, that Marvel Comics superhero geared up in his powered armour suit, all set to perform a daring rescue, please think again.

The Iron Man and his daughter at work...

My Iron Man may not fight any global cause, but he has the noble aim of getting wrinkles out of clothes with the skillful use of a traditional charcoal iron.

My encounter with this Iron Man happened in New Delhi, India.

It all started with Aaron, my nephew and his then fiancé (now wife!) who are based in Perth, Australia.

He chose to go to South India for the practical part of his studies and at the end of that semester, he arranged for his mother and fiancé to join him for a holiday in North India.

They spotted me capturing a photo of them!

Aaron, who has a special bond with India, knew that I too share a similar bond (we have been to various cities in India!) and he graciously invited me to join them on this trip to make up a comfortable foursome.

So his fiancé flew in from Perth, while his mother and I arrived from Johor Baru and we arranged to rendezvous in KLIA where we boarded a connecting flight to New Delhi. Aaron would then fly in from South India to arrive just a little after us.

In Delhi, we had accommodation arranged in a two-room homestay suburb address where the homeowners lived in the apartment above. This was our base for our side trips to Agra and Rajasthan.

This house was walking distance to nearby shops and restaurants in a residential suburb and there was plenty to see along the route in our daily short walks.

In the morning, there were fruit and vegetable vendors peddling their products from mobile carts, small permanent stalls that sold daily provisions and even a stall to buy fresh milk and yogurt.

Skillful use of traditional iron to press clothes

It did not take long for us to notice a semi-permanent stall that was set up at the street corner, directly opposite our house.

Every day, we observed as a man and a young lady were busy ironing pieces of clothing at a worktable, covered by small canvas canopy.

I was simply intrigued by the traditional charcoal fueled irons that they used to press the clothes!

It made me ponder about their ironing services and wondered if the residents here did not own any clothes pressing equipment or if they were just too lazy to press their own clothes because there was a convenient service nearby…

Maybe these people wanted to save on electricity charges, or they just wished to support a local service provider, or was this just part of the local lifestyle?

This ironing service set up by the road, was after all, an honest job.

Making a living in providing ironing services

I could not resist snapping more shots of this ironing service and when they spotted me capturing their photograph, I took it as an opportunity to approach them for a chit-chat.

The young lady replied my curious questions in English and told me that she was a university undergraduate who helped her father at the stall whenever she could.

I have seen traditional charcoal irons before but only on display in museums.

And at this stall, these traditional irons were still in normal used!

Iron Man and his daughter might have thought that I was weird because I was thrilled to see how the smoldering charcoal within the hollow was heated into glowing embers before the iron was ready for use.

Heating charcoal within the traditional irons

These traditional irons must have weighed so heavy, but they have clearly mastered the art of lifting and using the hot surfaces to smooth out every wrinkle in the garments they ironed.

I watched with interest as they skillfully ironed – mostly garments in solid white – without any charcoal ash escaping from the iron to dirty the surfaces that were silky smooth as they passed the hot flat irons over the garments.

So, there we were at their stall by the road in a suburb of New Delhi, with an Iron Man who made a decent living, by providing ironing services to earn a few Rupees for ironing each piece of garment.

To me, he was literally the original Iron Man!

A zebra in JB General Hospital!

During the prevailing pandemic, we are obeying the advice to Stay Home and Stay Safe, in support of the effort to reduce infection of the Covid19 virus and lessen the pressure on our healthcare services.

Floor marking in the lobby of Klinik Mahmoodiah

It is truly an unprecedented time, not only in Johor Baru but also in cities all over the world and our healthcare teams in Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Hospital Sultan Ismail, Hospital Permai and other the quarantine centers, have been doing very well.

We deeply appreciate the commitment and caring hearts of our medical teams, uniformed personnel, government agencies and volunteers in our community who are working hard at the frontlines.

Recent news reports shared promising progress in the battle with this unseen enemy and it was good to learn that healthcare workers were finally able to take time off to rest and recuperate from the strain in carrying out their duties.

Brand new seats, still plastic wrapped!

Both my parents trained and worked in the Health department of the Johor Baru General Hospital (JBGH), the former name of Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA), and were also based at various districts including Kota Tinggi, Gelang Patah and Masai.

After my parents’ retirement, we moved back to Johor Baru, and I accompanied them on their regular medical consultations at the HSA specialists’ clinic and the JB Heath Clinic for outpatients, fondly called Klinik Mahmoodiah.

I would also collect regular prescriptions on their behalf from the pharmacies at these clinics, so I am also familiar with the many changes in HSA (since we lived there!) and the current layout of the hospital compound, from clinics to the wards.

During the Movement Control Order (MCO), the advice was to minimize movement except for buying essential items like food and medical needs and the elderly, like my mother who is in the high-risk category, are discouraged from going out.

The pharmacy at Klinik Mahmoodiah

When the MCO started in mid-March 2020, I noted from our calendar that my mother had a scheduled appointment to meet the doctor at Klinik Mahmoodiah in early April.

Thankfully on the day before my mother’s appointment, a nurse from the clinic called to reschedule the appointment to early May.

When that date drew closer, I was concerned because the MCO was by then, extended to mid-May while my mother’s appointment was in early May.

I anticipated a call from the nurse again and I was not disappointed.

When she called, her question asked in a cheerful tone was, “Boleh datang tak?” [Translation: Can you come (for the appointment)?]

My spontaneous reply was, “Boleh!”

I could give an affirmative reply with confidence because a day ago, I made a reconnaissance visit to the clinic to see for myself, the measures put in place for the safety of patients before I brought my mother in for her appointment.

Dad and the zebra who visited JB General Hospital

At the clinic entrance, a staff stationed there, squirted hand sanitizer onto my hands.

In the lobby, the floor was marked for physical distancing so that patients queuing up for their serial numbers, would be safely distanced apart.

The seats provided in the waiting area in front of the doctors’ consultation rooms were brand new – still wrapped in plastic – with seats marked with an “X” to indicate ‘No Sitting Here’ so that patients would be safely separated from each other.

The seats provided in other sections of the clinic and in the pharmacy were similarly marked with “X” to keep people at safe distances apart.

Look! A zebra in JB GH!

During my recce, I saw only a handful of patients in the clinic and felt comfortable to bring my mother in for her rescheduled appointment and new prescription.

Meanwhile, I had to prepare my mother for her first and only outing since the start of the MCO, beginning with making her practice wearing a mask at home…

She is familiar with wearing masks because she used to wear masks while working but she had not worn any mask since her retirement.

And in this pandemic, the purpose of wearing a mask was different from when she was doing her duties as a midwife.

So, on that afternoon of my mother’s rescheduled appointment, we breezed in and out of Klinik Mahmoodiah in record time and were safely home within 30 minutes!

I have a special relationship with JBGH because I was born here and my first home address was its staff quarters at Jalan Dato Wilson, within the hospital compound.

The curious zebra looking at the patient's bandaged arm

From old photographs carefully preserved in our albums, I have a wide collection of photos captured at the hospital quarters in KT Hospital and JBGH, and the dispensary at Gelang Patah.

Dad had a hobby in photography, and I guess he brought his camera along to take photos of the action scenes while he was on duty in the wards.

From dad’s collection of photos, I could see that he and his colleagues had much fun posing for photos.

This adventurous zebra wandered
into the JB GH compound!

And I believe, the advantage of having his camera conveniently close by allowed dad to capture some rare shots, particularly when a zebra wandered into the hospital compound!

Yes, you read it correctly. A zebra.

The JB hospital is situated adjacent to Jalan Gertak Merah where the Johor Zoo is located.

And then one day, an adventurous zebra decided to explore this exciting neighbourhood and wandered into the hospital compound!

Dad and his colleagues must have enjoyed the zebra’s visit to the hospital – not as a patient – but it certainly brought a happy distraction to the inpatients and staff there.

After creating some excitement in the hospital, this happy zebra was safely escorted back into the zoo.

I hope these rare photos of a zebra in the JB hospital would evoke a few smiles and add some good cheer while we are still Staying Home and Staying Safe during this MCO.

An unforgettable South African adventure

“I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills,” these were unforgettable words quoted from the start of, Out of Africa, a book by author, Karen Blixen, and the inspiration for a 1985 movie by the same name.

King Protea blossom, the national flower of South Africa

And when I spotted the sign for a shop named, Out of Africa, I had a flashback to watching this epic romantic drama on the big screen that starred Meryl Streep in the lead role opposite Robert Redford, and recalled the dramatic way Meryl Streep quoted this opening line from the 1937 autobiographical book.

For my sister and I, a holiday was not complete without some souvenirs so while in Cape Town, my nephew Andrew, dropped his mother and I off at the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre to do our shopping.

Designed with shops and kiosks with merchandise and restaurants in international brands, it was a spacious mall just like the modern malls in other cities of the world.

With the larger-than-life-size figure of
Nelson Mandela at Out of Africa, in
Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre, Cape Town

Needless to say, I did not hesitate to browse around in Out of Africa – I later discovered another outlet at the airport – and after choosing my choice of best buys, I could not resist capturing a photograph memento with the larger-than-life-size figure of Nelson Mandela, displayed at its entrance.

The inspirational former president of South Africa (1994 to 1999) – the first black head of state elected in the first fully representative democratic election – was an anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist, who had passed away in 2013.

For more souvenir shopping in Cape Town, we also visited the African Trading Port where they stocked both small and larger pieces of local art and décor pieces.

I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the colourful and exciting Bay Harbour Market, a large space filled with souvenir and handicraft stalls and a wide range of interesting and exotic food.

More souvenirs from the African Trading Port

It was such a cool experience that I had to agree with their mission statement which reads like this:

“Bay Harbour Market in Hout Bay is a celebration of the vibrancy, spirit and diversity of creativity and culture that make South Africa such a unique country.

It provides a uniquely social shopping and eating experience in an atmosphere which is friendly, vibrant and entertaining – and above all, distinctly South African!”

After our visit to the Cape of Good Hope, our road trip took us to our next stop on the Western Cape, for a stay in a charming cottage named Lamet on Marine Avenue near Palmietrivier.

A cottage named Lamet on Marine Avenue

Situated on the rocky coast, our cottage commanded a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean where restless waves smashed against the rocks, sending up clouds of spray in a non-stop sequence.

Inside the cottage, we pulled back the floor-length curtains for the glass-walled window for a wide view of the ocean from the sitting room.

And I could just sit down (it was too chilly outside!) to watch the wonderful way in which the water crashed onto the rocks over and over again…

From here one of our excursions was to Betty’s Bay for Cape Nature to visit Stony Point Seabird Breeding Colony, one of the largest successful breeding colonies of African Penguin in the world.

Watching waves crashing on the rocks through this window!

We walked around the colony on a boardwalk to observe these flightless birds as they went about their activities in the comfort and security of their natural habitat.

Besides penguin, the outer rocks of this colony were the breeding ground for three species of cormorant – Crowned cormorant, Cape cormorant and Bank cormorant.

I was particularly interested in the cormorant because I remembered a traditional fishing method in Japan and China where cormorants were trained to help the fishermen to fish in rivers.

African Penguins at Stony Point Seabird Breeding Colony

Then I read from an information plaque that this Nature Reserve was situated on the site of the old Waaygat Whaling Station.

And when I spotted the remnants of some machinery and structures that were used in this long-defunct industry, my over-active imagination flew to action scenes from Moby Dick, and documentaries where whales were harvested and processed for their meat and blubber…

I must confess that I felt rather reluctant to leave Lamet and its magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean, but our road trip must continue.

A site with a wealth of whaling history!

Our drive brought us inland to Fonteinskloof, a beautiful farm set in a wide valley with a private cottage for our accommodation.

Situated at the foot of the Langeberg mountains, adjacent to the Marloth Nature Reserve, the farm was 10km from Swellendam and about 250km from Cape Town.

The line, “I had a farm in Africa…” in the voice of Meryl Streep echoed in my mind as we drove into the sprawling game farm with paddocks filled with not just cows and sheep but antelope, deer, wildebeest or gnu, and zebra!

View of the valley from Langeberg Mountain

Besides getting acquainted with the residents in the game farm, our farm-stay included a side trip to the Protea Farm in Koo Valley to join the Montagu Tractor Trip, a legendary tractor excursion up the Langeberg Mountain.

As its name describes, this experience was led by a tractor that pulled a trailer loaded with visitors on a meandering trail up the mountain to an altitude of 1500m above sea level.

“All aboard!” called the tractor driver.

While my sister and her son’s family rode up front in seats arranged close to the driver, I opted for a seat at the back of the trailer for a better view of the trail ahead.

Our tractor and trailer ride on Langeberg Mountain

While the sun beat down and the chilly wind whipped around us, we trundled along the trail in a bouncy ride and made a brief stop at a natural spring where we were invited to have a taste of the cool spring water.

At our destination on the summit, we were invited to explore a mountain hut that was furnished as a welcome shelter for mountain climbers.

In the garden, a light snack was served along with a sip of their local wine.

On the return journey, our unforgettable tractor trip continued with a Potjiekos experience to savour a traditional South African lunch.

Baby Vivienne on Langeberg Mountain

The word, potjiekos literally translated as “small pot food” is a South African tradition of preparing food outdoors.

This cooking was traditionally done in a round, cast-iron, three-legged pot, called the potjie, derived from the Dutch oven that was brought to South Africa in the 17^th century.

In Afrikaans, preparing the Potjiekos was considered “building the potjie” and this was normally prepared in layers of ingredients and never stirred once the lid was put on the pot.

The first layer (at the bottom) was usually meat – poultry, pork, game meat or sea food – or any ingredient that needed to be cooked longer.

A generous serving of the Potjiekos lunch

The next layer would be vegetables and then the starch ingredient before topping off with the sauce and the pot was left to cook for two to three hours.

It was interesting to learn that unlike cooking a stew, the potjie was never stirred during the cooking process. In the event, more sauce was needed, this would be poured down the sides on the inside of the potjie but never in the middle.

I was fascinated to learn about this layering of ingredients to create a dish because I was familiar with the Chinese cooking method of preparing traditional poon-choy or a banquet in a basin!

Award-winning wines from Van Loveren winery

This almost similar method of cooking just made me ponder about the connection between the Dutch-South African and Chinese traditions.

For our Potjiekos lunch, however, the food was not served layered in the pots.

Instead, two rows of small cast-iron pots were kept warm on traditional charcoal stoves that served individual dishes (the ingredients from each layer!) for visitors to help ourselves from a buffet.

Besides the main course, the lunch spread included a range of salads and dessert, along with soft drinks and a choice of wines.

We all agreed that it was so good to end our road trip adventure with a traditional meal of South African cuisine on the mountain.

The Out of Africa outlet in Cape Town Airport

On our return journey to Cape Town, we stopped at Van Loveren, South Africa’s foremost family-owned and operated winery, to buy a selection of wine.

Back in Cape Town again, our accommodation was a beachfront apartment on The Strand at False Bay, across the road from a sandy beach where we enjoyed a cool dip in the Atlantic Ocean.

On the final night, we celebrated our South African adventure with a choice meal at Ben’s on the Beach Grill, a popular restaurant located just a short walk away.

After dinner, we had a slow walk back to the apartment, bathed in a golden glow from the rays of the sun which was setting in the horizon in a fiery ball.

Thanks very much, Andrew, Val and Vivienne, and of course, Ruby, for my unforgettable South African adventure!
Note: That's the Atlantic Ocean behind us, at The Strand on False Bay, Cape Town

P.S. I trust you enjoyed your virtual travel to the Cape region as much as I did in reviewing photos and sharing my South African experience with you.