I'm in paradise! I've made it to paradise! And I didn't know, didn't think it could turn out like this! No, that doesn't mean that's it: I'm staying here forever. But I adore Africa! And I'll probably love it for the rest of my life. People who are skeptical about South Africa and think it's better to go to "tried and true places" are just silly. (Well, we all know what those places are, let's not say their names out loud?!) Nick lent me his bike. Externally, it (the bike) looks quite decent. But in reality, it's made of iron. Meaning it's heavy as a horse. Its rear sprocket is trashed, and who knows if it will last any longer? The front brake doesn't work well, but that's due to a wobble in the front wheel. But otherwise — yeah, it's just super?! I rode it yesterday along the coast. I rode through all of Bantry Bay and Clifton, but didn't quite make it to Camps Bay. Another time. It has the largest beach in the city. Although it's the same Atlantic. But that's okay. People swim in the summer anyway. And to get to the Indian Ocean, you have to drive for three hours to Cape Agulhas and swim past it. The Indian is warmer than the Atlantic waters. I took some beautiful photos. The road lay, as usual in Cape Town, along the mountains. Surf, Twelve Apostles mountains in a cap of clouds! October 13, 2008