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Knysna heads |
I have been quite blog-lazy and engrossed in my holidays. I
am not sure if bloggers are supposed to write whilst travelling… I think I fail
spectacularly at this, but probably have more fun on my holiday. Anyway, we
just returned from two weeks in South Africa. We were in desperate need of some
first-world luxury (such as food-choice and shops) so we headed off to the
Garden Route and Cape Town.
This part of the world is spectacular and reminded me so
much of home. Stunning coastline, lush forests, wildlife galore… That said, the
section of SA that we travelled certainly is a little microcosm of the
continent – perfect for what we needed but probably not for those wanting a
true African experience.
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Foodie heaven |
Getting our foodie and consumer fix was a prime focus and we
were not disappointed. Fresh, local, seasonal produce abounds and the food
quality is perfection. We stuffed ourselves silly dining on all the cuisines
that we cannot readily get here in Tanzania. Italian, Japanese, seafood, Thai
and lots of modern contemporary food. It was pure heaven and incredible value
for money. From a T1 perspective this could have been a nightmare, but I
managed to guesstimate carbohydrates and bolus correctly 90% of the time. The
other 10%, who cares, that’s what holidays are for. Not only were we excited by
the cafes and restaurants, but we wandered supermarket aisles in awe of all the
food choices that we are no longer accustomed to. I think we have been in
Tanzania too long!
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Plummeting sugar up Table Mountain |
After spending the night in Port Elizabeth we stayed at
Addo-Elephant Park to get a taste of Southern Africa’s wildlife (some we
literally tasted - whoops). Then we headed along the coast through surfer
heaven Jacksons Bay, Plettenberg Bay, Tsitsikamma forest, Storm’s River National
Park, stunning Knysna, ostrich capital Oudtshoorn, Franschoek wine-region and
then on to beautiful Cape Town. Along the way we hiked, explored rock-pools (my
FAVOURITE past-time), visited markets, beaches, went caving (made more
difficult trying not to crush my meter stuffed in my bra!), visited the
southern tip of the continent, ate… ate… ate… All food, accommodation and activities were
amazing value due to the plummeting rand (sorry South Africa).
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Cape Town |
Cape Town was such a pleasant surprise. It is modern and
funky and there is so much happening. We found it safe and easy to get around.
The shops and waterfront are modern yet have lots of character with excellent
markets. Climbing Table Mountain was stunning, despite me needing to munch
fruit and sweets most of the way because I forgot to adjust my basal insulin
the night before (for non-T1s reading this - yes, it is very complicated!). At
the top we were in icy cold cloud and wind, then the weather turned and we got
the view and sunshine. It was in Cape Town that we ate the best Japanese food
of my life and shopped up a storm. We managed to replace our holey underwear
and shoes that have lasted us through our first two years in Tanzania. Exciting
stuff.
Amazing holiday, exactly what the soul needed.
So, Type 1s reading
this, what I want to know is this: Overnight travel is consistently extremely
challenging for me and my blood sugars. The lack of sleep and small meals seems
to make my sugars go extremely high to low, and makes what is already unpleasant
an even worse experience. How do you manage this? Any tips?