The Somewhat Less Magical Day - Women's Weekend Part 3

The Somewhat Less Magical Day Women’s Weekend Part 3
Saturday August 10, 2013 

We awoke the next day to a somewhat chilly morning. Groggily we reminded ourselves where we were, and tried to decide what to do with an entire day in PE. Priority numba one: FOOD.

Using the WiFi we searched for nearby food (ain’t technology the greatest?). Gillian found a promising breakfast buffet at the Boardwalk, where we wanted to go anyway. So after a brief period of dressing and primping, we were once again in the car on a mission for food. Driving along Cape Road in the daylight proved to be much more pleasant than my experience the night before. The lanes were wider and we could actually see the buildings on either side of us.

Our directions took us down by the water, and the view that met us was gorgeous. PE is a very industrial looking city, but the shoreline is breath taking. Along the road facing the water are tons of B&Bs, hotels, and condos. Our directions took us further inland again and I could have sworn for a moment we were in Orlando, Florida. Framing the road, rising high to the perfect blue sky were a continuous series of palm tree plants. I immediately felt as though we were driving around in a seaside resort town – a feeling that was intensified when we finally arrived at The Boardwalk.

The breakfast buffet was inside the casino at the Boardwalk. Boy did we feel classy! The buffet was a bit expensive (we were offered champagne at the door! At 10 in the AM) but no other places in PE were really serving breakfast anymore. We quickly got a table and split up to load our plates with as much as we could. The standard breakfasts at Courtenay Latimer Dining hall consist of cold rubbery fried eggs, rice krispies, or fruit. A breakfast McMuffin would have been a welcome extravagant feast. Our jaws dropped to the floor when we saw the spread at the Boardwalk. The options before us in the casino included pancake bars, omelet stations, fresh pastries, ice cream and waffles, cucumber water, mango juice, fresh fruit. For those of you who do not know me well, breakfast is my favorite food. We each had at least 3 plates at the table. I was mercifully given some coffee and we all began refueling for the day ahead. My massive omelet was divine, and made me miss the omelet station at my home institution, but the scone I had next made me forget all about it. Nothing like a good breakfast.

We sat forever in the dining area digesting our feasts and just talking about our families. It was a lazy kind of morning just getting to know more about these fantastic ladies that I have come to know here. The mint green and salmon coral colors of the dining area enhanced our seaside resort vibes. The walls were adorned with old lady wallpaper and large seascape paintings like those in your average beach house. The furniture was made up of deep seated wicker chairs with large floral pillows. It was kind of like Disney mixed with cheesy 24 hour diner plus some crazy old granny style.

Eventually we decided the day was getting away from us and we should probably head out to see more of PE. Since none of us had EVER been in a casino before, we took advantage of the opportunity. Feeling like children we went up to the cashier and ever so eloquently inquired, “So…uh…how does all this…work…?”

The way it works:

At this casino, you buy a little debit card (kind of like a hotel room key) which you can load with however much money you want. The card was R20, which you are guaranteed back when you return the card. So no matter how much money you lose, you will at least get your twenty rand back.

We each loaded R50 onto our cards and bopped around the casino pretending to know what we were doing. I kept putting my card into the machine the wrong way. Woo! But eventually I got the hang of it. Each machine was so different and confusing. It was impossible to tell when you actually winning or losing or what actually gave you credits. I eventually found a machine that made a bit of sense and starting winning a decent amount. It was really exciting! I’ve done dumb slot machines at arcades before, but here I was in PE winning actual money. As it goes with gambling, I won a lot then lost a lot, then won a bit, and lost a lot, then won and called it quits. I ended my gambling for the day with R50 more than I had started. Gillian somehow managed to win R1000 at a princess game. ‘Cause obviously she’s a princess. 

that's her castle

Caitie, bless her heart, lost it all. BUT she got her R20 back haha

We left the casino in favor of shopping in the rest of the Boardwalk, which turned out to be beautiful and all that, but a bit disappointing shopping wise. It was basically an outdoor mall, and was deceptively smaller than we had anticipated. There were a lot of restaurants and brand stores but not fun South African boutiques or anything like that. We did find a kind of market area where I bought some Christmas presents for friends and family, so it wasn’t a total loss, but we had anticipating spending most of the day there. Back at the entrance we decided to drive around and look for some stores.

Not the best plan of action, it turns out. Without a specific place in mind, driving around a very industrialized city proves to be stressful and disappointing. At some point we passed a public library and a statue that I recognized from my guide books, so we parked and started walking around. There were a bunch of shops along the road and some street vendors. Unfortunately, South Africa, for some reason unbeknownst to us, essentially shuts down after 1 PM on a Saturday. Everything was closed. The further we walked the more disheartened we became and the streets started skeeving us out. Caitie was grabbed on the arm by a woman asking for money while we were walking back to the car. We got out of there without an incident, but it was very unsettling.

Public Library

City Hall of PE

We had also caught glimpse of the PE lighthouse (also recognizable to me because of my guide books) so we climbed up to a plateaued area that gave us a beautiful view of the city. The mosaic tile work all around the lighthouse was just incredible. We took a lot of pictures and relaxed a bit still brainstorming what to do next. 

At the base of the lighthouse was a wannabe visitors center where we asked about shopping and malls. They kind of looked at us like, “Don’t you know we close everything at 1 for no reason at all?” but gave us directions to the Greenacres mall and sent us on our way

Desperately hopeful, we ran back down the road to the car and raced off to find the mall. Such girls. We found it easily and spent the next few hours exploring. Gillian spent her casino winnings on some really cute sweaters and jackets. I exercised great restraint in not buying a few really cute dresses, that I could probably get at Charlotte Russe or Kohl’s upon my return. There were a few cool stores, but the place didn’t really deviate much from your average mall. Shortly after, we headed back to the hostel to recuperate. We felt a bit disappointed in the day, but we were still proud that we had made the most of it.

Back at the Hippo we saw some more of the exchange students who had arrived that morning. They were on their way out though so we wished them well and flopped onto our new beds. We gobbled up some WiFi and had a bit of alone time. I messaged Jimmy from my kindle to wish him a Happy Birthday. (Yup best girlfriend in the world right here, being in a different hemisphere for her loved one’s birthday. I’m missing our one year anniversary too…I know…You can send my award to my home address. Thanks)

Not having eaten since our ginormous breakfast, we headed back to the Boardwalk for dinner at restaurant called Leonardos. It was cozy little Italian place with lots of Mona Lisa portraits and da Vinci invention sketches. The food was pretty good, and we just sat and enjoyed each other’s company. I’ve noticed a pattern when we go out to eat anywhere here. We eat for 10% of the time, and talk for the other 90. As we talked we watched couples and families come and go around us. We were all a bit drained from the constant action of our vacation thus far, but miraculously we weren’t too tired of another.

As it got darker outside, the fountains at the center of the water feature in the Boardwalk began to change colors and put on a show. When we left later, it was very cold and windy. We were nearly soaked by the colorful fountain show as we sprinted to our car.

When we returned to the Hippo, nearly all the other exchange students were there grilling at the back of the hostel. Why hadn’t we thought of that! It was Megan M’s birthday that night as well so we were having a bit of a party for her before we all went out again. The German’s had made some amazing cupcakes for Megan, which were generously shared with the rest of us. It felt like we hadn’t all been together in forever! We raucously caught up and talked about our respective long weekends. It was just like old times back in Oriel House.

The group later decided to go out and meet the Boston College students who were staying at a different hostel. Malte and I stayed behind to be designated drivers just in case we were needed. Krystina, Caite, and Gillian joined us and we relaxed around the fire for the rest of the night.

Caitie, Gillian, and I turned in early, knowing we had to be up early the next day. I didn’t even hear the others come back. At some point though, Malte woke me and Caitie up to give us s’mores! It was such a sweet surprise.

 

Because of sleeping arrangements, Caitie and I had to share a bed. Oh to be young and not care! It was a very cozy slumber party like night. I only talked in my sleep a little. 

photo cred: The amazing Caitie