Welcome to the first trip blog for Ticket to Ride 2011. It is great to have our first trip for the year underway with seven very happy faces enjoying the sunshine in Cape Town. We have a few late arrivals still coming but have got straight into it nonetheless. This group are doing our 10-week trip from Cape Town to Durban with the surf instructor and surf lifesaving course included. ??The group all arrived safely yesterday with most of them having the relatively short direct flight from Heathrow to Cape Town.
That first afternoon was just spent getting to know one another as well as the area which we are staying in. We are based right on Muizenberg beach, which is undoubtedly the best beginner surfing wave in the country. With the beaches gradual gradient the waves gently roll in. Despite this many of Cape Town’s top surfers have cut their teeth at ‘the Berg’ and you will regularly see locals like Josh Salie throwing down air reverses and superman’s out the back. So, being based right on the beach is perfect for the group, there are also shops nearby and some great little restaurants and coffee shops. ??
As is customary with Ticket to Ride we provided a braai (barbecue) on the first night as well as a couple of beers. As you will see in the photos we had some great Boerewors (sausage) which is a South African tradition. Braaing is a strong part of South Africa’s culture and I know many people who do it 2-3 times per week instead of using the stove, especially in summer. It getting dark around 20h30 at the moment so the evenings are lovely. My sister kindly provided us with some salads and other goods to complete a cheerful first evening in South Africa. ??The next morning we woke up to some fun waves out the front at muizenberg and dived straight into out first surf lesson.
Both Steve (the other trip leader) and myself were very impressed at the level of surfing of the group and it is clear that they have done a bit before. Despite this we still start from the basics to iron out bad habits and improve technique. Everyone got some great rides and surfed until their arms were falling off. Not wanting to totally knacker everyone on the first day we headed off to a local market in the afternoon to see a bit of the local scenery and what is on offer. The smoothies were amazing and everyone got one.
The fruit in South Africa is fantastic and fresh and definitely a highlight if you are someone who likes you fruit! ??Friday night in Cape Town is very similar to anywhere else around the world and the group wanted to see what was on offer so we headed down to the Brass Bell which is a great bar/restaurant situated right on the water. In fact one of Cape Town’s best known waves, Kalk Bay reef is situated right next to ‘the Bell’ and on a good day you can sit there watching people getting barrel after barrel. It is one of my favourite waves, but the group aren’t quite ready for it yet!??It looks like its going to be a great weekend with the wind dropping a bit and some good swell on the horizon. We will hold thumbs, take photos, shoot video and let you know how it all goes down. ??Thanks for reading and check back in a few days to see what we have been up to.?Cheers,?Chris