Jay Dyer and Sarah Marquart

Los Angeles - California-USA

Long Island - New York - USA

28 October 2009

Please click your browser refresh key in case some pictures dont load

I met Jay and his mom Sarah at 51 on Kloof. After becoming aquainted we set out on a city tour

Jay and Sarah on Signal Hill with Table Mountain in the background

Enjoying the wonderful scenery from Signal Hill.

After our journey up to Signal Hill we travelled around in the city looking at various places of interest and eventually ending our journey at Zoerinas where we had a wonderful Cape Malay lunch. After liunch I took Jay and Sarah to the Nelson Mandela gateway where they were going to go to Robben Island. The following day Jay told me that  the ferry was cancelled due to high winds so his mom and himself spent some time for the rest of the day in the V&A Waterfront mall as well as at 51 on Kloof.

DAY 2

 CAPE WINELANDS AND KAYAMANDI

We started our day by visiting Heartworks where Jay and Sarah had a wonderful time browsing and buying in the fantastic store.

Browsing in Heartworks

Jay and Lameck Tayengwa the Zimbabwean artist who carved the wood carvings that Jay bought

The carvings that Jay brought in close up view with a piece of the wood from which the carvings were carved

Lameck carving away.

Before leaving Heartworks we stopped in at Bonjour Pattiserie for some wonderful pastries.

We travelled into the winelands and paid Franschhoek a short visit before going to Bread and Wine for lunch

Jay and Sarah enjoying lunch at Bread and Wine on the Moreson winefarm

Jay and Sarah enjoying listening to Lily's life story in her Kayamandi home

Lily shows Jay her "wall of honour".

The threesome posing in front of Lily's famous Kayamandi view.

Jay and Sarah having fun with the kids in the Ikamva Lethu Centre

Watching the ballroom dancers at the Ikamva Lethu Centre

Sarah caught unawares with Eva realised that her photo was being taken.

Sarah looks happily surprised while Evan warns me not to do that again. JJ

The children at the Ikamva Lethu sending Sarah and Jay off with the singing their favourite song viz. of No-One.

We travelled on to Zone J when my vehicle suddenly started overheatng. I made fill in plans to have Sarah and Jay taken back to Cape Town while I would have my vehicle towed back to Cape Town seperately.  Before Sarah and Jay left Kayamandi we walked around Zone J where we met Nomoroma's family as well as as obtained a reasonable idea as to what shack living was all about. Thereafter I had to bid Sarah and Jay farewell while Lily came back onto the scene when she, with Kaya, drove Sarah and Jay back to Cape Town

All in all it was fabulous to tour with Jay and Sarah and I was feeling rather empty when in the very late afternoon of our second day we had to cut our journey short because of car troubles. No matter what we had a fantastic time together and I do believe that all of us enjoyed ourselves in doing so. Travelling with this mother and son combo was such a pleasure as they were so very easy going and most definitely were very interested in finding out as to how the new South Africa was growing up and coping with its newfound  problems. This in turn made our journey together very enjoyable for me too resulting in us having a very good tour in one and half days.

THANK YOU FOR ALL

SARAH AND JAY

Received 6 November 2008

Hi Selwyn,

I write this from London. We leave for home tomorrow. :(

My mother and I had a wonderful time traveling with you, as well. 
Neither one of us felt like we were being "tour guided." We felt like 
we were spending time with someone we've known for years. You brought 
Cape Town to life in a way I can't imagine anybody else being able to 
do. My mother was especially moved by our time in Kayamandi. I have 
to say, everything afterwards was a bit of a let down. Not that we 
didn't enjoy the rest of our time in Africa, but it's difficult to top 
the emotional high of that experience. What I thought would be a nice 
city break in between our time in the bush turned out to the be the 
highlight of our two week vacation. Lily is my mother's new personal 
hero. And those kids. Words can't express how much it meant getting 
to know them.

And as for the car problems, believe it or not, that just added to the 
specialness of the trip. More time with Lily? Are you kidding? My 
mother was in Heaven.

So thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts.

Hamba kahle to you as well, and much love from the United States,

*

---