RAIN RAIN GO AWAY

FRIDAY 19th NOVEMBER

  I woke up this morning to find the sun blazing in through my window.  It put a spring in my step in terms of getting up, and in no time I was downstairs for breakfast. However there was no table free indoors and the waiter asked me if I minded sitting outside.  I said I was willing to give it a try, as there was quite a stiff breeze blowing, and sat down with my back to the wind.  It was in no way cold, but the wind did have an annoyance factor about it.  I was then left to sit there for about 15 minutes, completely ignored by the entire serving staff.  I can't say I have been over impressed by the service, which appart from a waiter and one lady supervisor who are white, is not outstanding.  I was at least entertained by two locals who met up at the next table to discuss a business deal.  The senior man, Stevie turned up in his sports car with the hood down whilst the junior man, whose name now eludes me sucked up to him in no mean manner.  Eventually a waitress came and asked me if I had placed my order, and I was able to tell her that I was still waiting to do so.

  After completing my work for Matt on the computer, I went down to reception and asked for the location of the nearest postbox, which turned out to be in a small shopping centre behind the hotel that I didn't even know existed.  The wind was certainly blowing, so I donned a cap to avoid looking like Ken Dodd, and decided to head north up the beach front.  I discovered that the Moses Mahinda Football Stadium was only just up the road.  I had previously walked in a massive U loop, which made me think it was some way away.  Anyway I got a different aspect on it.

  I decided to walk back along the beach just along the path of the receding tide.  I spotted what looked like a passanger ship not very far out, making a change from all the usual cargo ships I have observed to date.

I then cut back up to the beach road at what turned out to be the Casino complex, an array of art deco buildings that housed numerous eating establishments, a few shops and a bar, apart from the actual casino.

It also included a Cape Town Fish Market restaurant (for the benefit of those who attended Sarah's birthday bash in Oxford Circus).  Deceived into thinking there was draught beer available by what turned out to be a Coca Cola dispenser (it is the red thing under the right hand corner of the TV screen),  I ventured into the bar.  By the time I

got there I was able to read the "Coca Cola" on the dispenser, so I tamely asked the barman if they had any draught beer.  "No, only bottled", came the reply.  So what did they have, a totally unintelligble list followed from which I was able to pick out "Castle".  I inquired as to what South African beers they had, pointing out that Amstel which I could see in the freezing cabinet was definitely not South African.  I really needn't have bothered as the only brand I could pick out from the barman's list was "Castle".  "OK, I'll have that", I conceeded.  At this point the barman pulled off what I could only admire as an excellent bit of salesmanship.  "Can I give you two bottles of Castle then I can pour it into a pint glass and it will feel like a draught beer?"  What could I do but agree?  He then started chatting to me, so much so that I had to remove the ipod earphones.  Could he tempt with something to eat like a steak.  Not at 4.00pm.  Obviously he had got carried away with his sales technique, for he continued pointing out to me the vast arrays of whisky on display and asked if I would like one.  I told him I didn't drink whisky.  So what spirits did I drink?  I told him only Polish Wodka Wyborowa and that had to be ice cold.  "Well we have Tequila", he ventured.  "Forget it", I said, "filthy Mexican stuff, wouldn't touch it with a barge pole."  Fortunately at that moment he was distracted by two young ladies who came to the bar, with whom he chatted at length and then disappeared somewhere round the back never to be seen again.  I watched the football on the screen in front of me whilst listening to some rock'n'roll, and slowly sipped my Castle.  I was intrigued as to how much it would cost, but in the event it was 2 Rand a bottle cheaper than at the Belaire.  I discovered that there was another entrance to the complex on the opposite side which also led into the casino.

I picked up a paper and some peach juice on the way home and according to the weather forecast it promises to be 32 degrees tomorrow.