I interrupt my posts on my South American trip to show off my new niece. Liandi Jonker was born yesterday, 15 September 2008, at 13h30. She decided to arrive about 3 weeks early and weighed 2,45kg (5,4 pounds) at birth. Here a very proud dad is holding his daughter, while my sister threatened me with painfull torture and death if I post a pic of her on here. The Rugrats obviously can't wait to see their cousin for the first…
We have received some fascinating photos of old postcards from John, an ex PE resident who now lives in UK. Here is a view of the Baakens Valley taken from Fort Frederick on Friday ... and here is how it looked around the turn of the century....The buildings up on the hill are all new, as the racially integrated South End was demolished by the Apartheid Government in the late 60s. If you want to read more, click on the…
On my day of sightseeing in Sao Paulo I stumbled on Ibirapuera Park. At 345 acres (140 ha) or 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2), Sao Paulo's biggest city park can be compared with Central Park in New York. The park contains two large lakes and paths criss cross throughout. The paths are devided into a walking section and a section for bicycles and is used by hundreds of people every day. There are several monuments, museums and galleries in the…
While thunderstorms are very common inland, here at the coast they are a rarity, and we usually get cold rain associated with Antarctic cold fronts. For the last few days the air has been very warm, as berg winds come down from inland. This was followed by a hail storm last night. At least life is interesting around here!
Although my trip to South America was a good one as far as business goes, it wasn't that outstanding for photography. I had a full day in Sao Paulo to do a bit of sightseeing, but my sightseeing in Buenos Aires was sunk by cancelled and delayed flights. This meant that I had about an hour to see something and if there was one thing I wanted to see, it was Eva Peron's grave. So 07:30 the morning after breakfast…
We have whinged in the past about the ridiculous situation in which one of the city's major tourist attractions is almost impossible to see because it remains locked most of the time. Those tasked with opening it somehow never get round to doing so, and complaints to the powers that be elicit a nonchalant "we'll look into it" response. However, on Friday we decided to try again and EUREKA it was open. So here is a view from inside Fort…
In a city characterised by short sighted and often environmentally disastrous town planning policies for much of its history, it is almost a surprise to acknowledge one really good decision that was made in our past, and has largely been adhered to. A height restriction was imposed on all buildings at the bottom of the hill in front of the Donkin Reserve, so that from up there one can still enjoy views of the sea and harbour. As this is…
The flagpole in front of the Donkin Lighthouse and Pyramid, at sunrise. To the left in the distance is the Brick Campanile, erected in honour of the 1820 settlers.
We recently carried a series of photos taken at the upper end of the Baakens River Valley. This picture was taken near where the Valley enters the harbour.I am not sure that many people in the city know why this part of the Settlers Freeway has been left hanging over the Baakens Street, just before the old PE Tramways Building. It was to be the on ramp for a freeway that was to be built through the Baakens Valley but…
Last week the National Heritage Symposium was held in Port Elizabeth, in the old Drill Hall. The room was full of people who are passionate about preserving the heritage of the country, and the discussions were really interesting. Although, to be honest, I left with the uncomfortable feeling that much the same gets said year after year, and that the absent key players and grey areas mean that the same thing will be said again next year, with few tangible…