here is november
where the purple tree loose its hats
and wind blows swing its smell
purple purple is the rain
my kisses and my tears
my purple now only green
let us remember my sweet cinnamon bee
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It's called The City of The Saints. With curches engraved by Saints name almost every corner of the town. Grahamstown is rich in history, yet still calm in the move. Everything is slow, and people are at ease. The town mostly populated by students might turned into a ghost-town during holiday season. Yet, no one shall forget the place that easy. For the people there are filled with love; so you only leave them filled with lost.
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It was the end of November; summer of the south. Yet, as i arrived there were storming rain slapping the road. Nelson, not mandela, the driver, said that it was biting hot for the past week.... Yet, it suddenly changed. Therefore, i was in the south, during summer, wearing jacket for the whole week.
It was dark, and I cannot really see the landscape. But here i am... somewhere in Africa. Nelson was busy teaching me Xhosa, the language of the tongue for one of the tribe in South Africa. Nelson said... Mandela (the other Nelson) speaks Xhosa also.
Then of course, the sun. The god of sight. I woke up looking at the window almost jolting. Purple tree.... well, actually it's the flower of the tree, but from afar it's just like the whole town is topped with purple... and my friend, the wind smells so sweet.
So, as I wiped out my feet on the asphalt... the trees springkling snow... purple snow. It feels like walking inside a dream, like the ground is not solid and the images intersecting each other with a blurry special effect. Well... maybe it's just jet lag. But somehow, the walk feels like falling in love.
But once again... (haha) maybe it's just jet lag.
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| Favourite spots: |
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the convent... :) st.aidans guest house.
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- The roof-top of St. Aidans Guest House. You can see the town from there - Bahtroom window of room 308, St. Aidans. Bathing with the whole town in your view.
- Pick n' Pay : haha, my most devoted caterer while in Grahamstown
- High Street : The shops, the people, and also the lonely feeling it gives you after 3 p.m. saturday afternoon.
- coffee in the afternoon at Mad Hatter, on high street. plenty of colors interior, and nice sun on the outside chairs... and of course, there's coffee.
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| What's really great: |
>> The purple flower falling on asphalt. The phsychadelic dreamland just underneath your shoes.
>> it's a small town with notso many people. In just about a week there, you are almost a master get your way around the town. You can see all the old buildings mixed with the new housing and university complex... it's a nice feeling there.
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| Sights: |
- CHURCHES TOWER ALL OVER THE TOWN: all i can say... they just everywhere.
- THE MUSEUMS:
THE PROVOST PRISON --> once the jail for the people of grahamstown. well, for sure it's old... yet, notso big (small even)... my friends and i were lots when getting there, and to know that the building is by no mean enormous... almost unnoticed even, we had a big laugh in front of it. we were lost for almost an hour and sun was almos gone.
THE ALBANY MUSEUM COMPLEX --> I didn't get the chance to get in, since it was late. Yet, the buildings in these complex are quite nice, and off-cour old (again...). The museum complex has historical museum, natural science museum, and almost wacky upsidedown bycicle instalation art.
INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY OF AFRICAN MUSIC --> On the Rhode's University. It has a collection of more than two hundred traditional African musical instruments, many in playing order.
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| Accommodations: |
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accomodation only worth it when there is good sleep.
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- ST. AIDANS GUEST HOUSE : My friend called it a convent ;P Yet the people are nice, even with notso much variety on breakfast... you can find a way to like this place.
- PROTEA HOTEL EVELYN HOUSE : it's on high street, average: 20 steps (well, maybe a little more) from almost everything you need in grahamstown. Since high street is the busiest street there is; supermarkets, cafe', banks, and restaurants usually situated here. Nice restaurant serving traditional african food just at the ground floor of this hotel.
- 7 WORCESTER STREET: guess house that claimed to be one of the best in the world. the place looked nice from the outside, and it has plenty of artworks throughout the place. it has 10 en-suite rooms. cost a bit pricey though.
- PETWORTH PLACE: I like the windows of this place. cozy atmosphere.
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| Nightlife: |
-none really, mostly pubs.
there are some you can go when you also want live music.
> Champs Pool Bar: On the high street
> Pop Art Cafe: they said almost the only nightclub in grahamstown
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| Hangouts: |
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-old 65. well more of a pub... sometimes they will allow you the self-service music. but mostly, it's a college students hangout. the place is quite cool, and it gets better after more than 5 Castle Lager :)
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| Restaurants: |
- Debonair Pizza: warm and delicious pizza, baked for you with love (... for the the hungry... haha)
- Evolution: Just at the corner of Pick n' Pay, the place is quite cosy inside. Although the way there seemed a little dingy with atm receipt falling all over the way. Healthy food... so figure.
- Guido's: Italian, with italian food (off course). yet, ever wonder how they served their shawarma? Go try...
- Steers: The South African Burger company made it easy for your jet-lagged stomach. Yummy
- Spurs: They said it's an original South African Steak House, yet they put a native-american-indian face as their symbol. Anyway... the meat is great, and i even got a knife as a souvenir for the combo set.
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| Other recommendations: |
- the golf course. it's a public space, so you can go there without paying for it. It's just near the military base.
- the big fish reserve. from the top, it's just big... nice to have barbecue on the top of the hill, just watching the river fading away in the distance.
- notso far from grahamstown, you can go to port alfred if you like the sea. wave and the wind... and of course the sun. yet, it was a rather odd summer in november, because for sure... it was cold.
- do buy some apricot sold on the street side. fresh, and it's just tasty... tasty... tasty.
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Published on Saturday December 18th, 2004
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Wed, Feb 07 2007 - 06:59 PM
 by picasso
| Very nive report,i enjoyed reading it a lot,well done. |
Mon, Oct 31 2005 - 04:09 PM
by toribio
Mon, Oct 31 2005 - 02:55 PM
by marianne
| Another one beautifully written report, very subtle, very beautiful |
Thu, Dec 23 2004 - 07:17 PM
 by jelloo
| Enjoyed reading your report!!! |
Tue, Dec 21 2004 - 12:25 PM
by nedkelly
| again great report.. where else did you get to in S.A. I loved the place and the people ,they rock!! |
Sun, Dec 19 2004 - 06:06 AM
by ravinderkumarsi
hii delvi,
nice report and very well written
ravi |
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