Nemo James

I enjoyed my stay at the River Breede, but I was happy to get back to Betty’s Bay and continue my daily routine. It was there that I fulfilled one of my lifelong ambitions, to be a dessert tester. It was a position I had trained for all my life. David liked to change the menu every two months, so as he was testing some new desserts, my expert opinion was invaluable.

Living in Mlini, I was always being reminded by the locals to be careful of the sea, especially when there was an offshore wind. Even with a good, strong boat and a reliable motor, there was always danger, which is why I read an article in the local paper with disbelief. Three men had gone out in a boat in what is a notoriously dangerous stretch of sea. Not only was there a strong offshore wind, but they had a small rowboat with no motor. At least they had a mobile phone, so they were able to make a distress call just before capsizing. When the rescuers got to them, all three were hanging onto the boat and considering how cold the water was, I was surprised they survived.

The last couple of weeks went quickly and were mainly taken up with DIY. The extreme wind and rain in that part of the world were so bad that it was nearly impossible to keep buildings from leaking, so a lot of the time I was patching up the flat roof and leaky window frames. It was such a big building, and I didn’t envy them the task of continually having to make repairs, but they loved Betty’s Bay and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

Now we come to the end of our South African adventure 2010, and it is time for me to say “totsiens” until next time.