Safe shack

Within the last 2 weeks, fires in very poor townships have killed 5 children! Can we not design a shack that has the following properties:

• Cost effective,
• Portable,
• Fireproof,
  
• Well insulated,
• Adequate ventilation and light,
• Stove (that doesn't topple over)

I think shacks are a reality and they're going to be there for years to come. With a safe shack we could save lives.

Two Oceans Run - Zimbabwe wins!

Cape Town hosted another sporting event this month: The Two oceans ultra-marathon and half-marathon. The organisation was excellent just like that of the Cycling tour held a few weeks ago. Is this a good indication of how South Africa will fare with the 2010 Soccer World Cup?

Zimbabwe indeed needs some wins. They achieved good positions, winning the the 56 and 21 km runs (males). And amongst the females: number 2 and 3 in the 21 km. Russians took positions 1 to 4 in the females 56 km.
For pictures and more info on this race: Two Oceans

Cycle tour

Close to 40,000 cyclists participated in a road race this past weekend. An interesting article about this race can be found here.
The cyclists get to enjoy this beautiful view (amongst many others) while riding on Chapman's Peak.

Table Mountain

My first post is a picture of a very recognizable feature of Cape Town - Table Mountain.
It's possible to take the cable way up to the summit (just over 1000m) but more enjoyable is a walk up along one of the many routes and then a ride down.
Believe it or not - many locals have never been up the mountain!
Today, the cost of going up via the cable way is pretty expensive: R125 which is what a 'labourer' will earn for the day working hard on a construction site or in a garden.
However, you get a free ride on your birthday and if you hike up and come down by cable car before 9:30 the ride is quite affordable.
There have been muggings of climbers recently and just yesterday 5 suspected muggers were arrested - and 1 died during the police chase - must have been a heart attack!
The flora on the mountain is really beautiful with so many plants only found growing on this mountain and no where else on the planet!
There's even an endangered species of frog that is only found on Table Mountain.

Did you know?
There is a constellation named after Table mountain: Mons Mensa (latin for Table Mountain) visible in the Southern skies.