Surfer's Corner

Traveling throughout Africa we've tried to be as informed about our destinations as possible.  Mostly to be sure that we make the most of our experience.  But also to ensure that travel's as safe and enjoyable as possible.

Friday's temperature in the Cape Town area was forecast to reach a whopping 42 degrees celsius.  I can't even convert that but I can tell you it is hot.  Hot enough that though we've been in equatorial Africa's heat for over two months we think it's hot.  Hot enough that the locals comment.

What better place to go on such a hot day than one of the many beautiful beaches surrounding the cape?  Having done our

 research, we pick Muizenberg, a wonderful community known for its surfing, which Sarah is eager to do.  However, while that research led us to "Surfer's Corner" a great beach with perfect waves and cool surf shops eager to help us out, it did not reveal to us the meaning of the flag pictured at the right.  I can assure you from experience that when this flag is flown at the beach you are surfing its meaning becomes immediately self-evident.

Posted on a cliffside outlook a hundred feet above Surfer's Corner there is a lookout.  Here, members of Sharkspotters scan the clear waters below for large, uninvited ocean predators lurking in the clear water.  If we had visited the Sharkspotters website, we'd have known that a "White Flag with a Black Shark, along with a loud siren, means a shark has been sighted and you should leave the water calmly, but immediately."  However, when the alarm sounds, and all the locals set off their car alarms in unison, and the lifeguard blows his whistle in some frantic recreation of a scene from Jaws, and everyone flees the water in some comical recreation of that other scene from Jaws and that flag is run up yonder pole you're pretty sure of what's going on.

Fortunately we don't surf very well and, thrashed, we were already on shore, merely spectators in the unfolding drama.  This did not make it any less impressive, though, and everyone was agreed we'd had enough of the ocean for a day and maybe we should try some lunch.

FYI:  Green flag = good, white flag with a black shark = self-evident, red flag = the white flag with a black shark had just been flying.  Surf's up!  Sarah will be back in the water.  Not so sure about Kirsten.