Camping

Not to sound like a true capetonian- who are easily recognized by their well rehearsed praise for the mother city, admittedly, the beauty of Cape Town and its surrounds is truly phenomenal.  After a whole week of sitting in the office, meetings, and endless hours on the computer, I badly needed a breath of fresh air: away from technology, smog, noise, people.

As a biologist, being able to go out in the field and experience the outdoors is perhaps one of key motivations for most people to choose biology as a career path. And to divulge a bit, being a biologist was listed as the 4^th best job to have in 2010, check it out here: http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/st_BESTJOBS2010_20100105.html. This is a clear indication that career choices to a large extent are no longer about material well being- ever heard of a rich biologist?

Anyway, over weekend the GF and I went camping to one of the most beautiful camping spots just outside Cape Town. And as always it was awesome, regardless of the fact that we were the only two blacks who were camping, and as a result recieved a fair share of unwanted attention.

The Beaverlac Private Nature Reserve is reknown for its rugged scenery, and beautiful rock pools with water falls that one can swim in. Beaverlac is a haven for hiking enthusiasts, mountain bike fanatics and generally anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Being the outdoor junkies that we are, nothing could have offered a perfect escape. Even though we spent just a single night, it was worth it and I made a mental note to return once again to enjoy nature's bounties.

Sports season

Me crossing the line in last year's Two Ocean's Marathon

It's summer in Cape Town, and everyone wants to look the part, including yours truly. So the bike was dusted last weekend and for the first time I rode my road bike to work and back. My office is about 23Km on a scenic route, that takes me through winelands with very sparse traffic...every biker's dream.

But I forgot to check the weather yesterday, so I was completely taken by surprised when the mercury clocked 36 degrees at lunch time. Now, if you have ever cycled, you will understand that doing 23Km at such soaring temperatures carrying a rucksack is no mean feat.

Since I was stuck in the office, I had two options, to pull my tail between my legs and haul the bike onto a train to go back home, or ride the bike home in 30+ degrees. Being the brave heart, I opted for the latter. So I filled my water bottles, bought two energy bars and hit the road.

The ride was surprisingly smooth, and I felt like a champion.

In fact with cycling high temperatures are not the problem. Wind is.

I'm currently preparing for my 5th Cape Argus Cycle, a 109Km grueling race. In all the four races I have participated, the 2009 one was in a class of its own. I got issued with a special certificate for completing the race. To the uninitiated this might sound like a mundane act designed to make participants return the following year.

One thing is for sure, if the organizers didn't acknowledge that I was one of the brave people who hung in there until the finish line, I might well not have registered this year. All I can say about last year's cycle race is, Pain. For more than 4 hours I battled winds blowing at more than 50km/hr, it felt like peddling a stationary bike. But once I crossed the finish line, it felt really good.


So this year I'm keen to increase my medal collection for the cycle race and the numerous upcoming marathons. I'm also hoping that some of my friends will get the cue and join me in my adventures, for life is worth living and there is no better way to express this other than exploring the out doors.

Disaster

The calamities of nature know no boundaries. This rings so true of the earthquake that struck Haiti this week. An impoverished Nation under tight grip of poverty, political instability, with hardly any capacity to handle this scale of devastation. The exact toll of the earthquake will probably never be known, but just looking at the photos, its obvious the cost to life and property is immeasurable.

One wonders at this day and age, why it is not possible to avert such disasters. Seismologists have been studying earthquakes for over a millennia, but have failed to develop robust tools to predict earthquakes.

The best prediction of seismic activity is usually provided by early warning systems, that detect earthquakes a few seconds before it strikes...so much for 'early' warning.



The unpredictability of natural phenomena, couple with vulnerable societies is a recipe for disaster. I'm glad to come from a part of the world that is not prone to too much natural disasters, even though we have our fair share of diseases, wars and hunger.

At this moment however, all our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti. To make any donations go here: http://www.yele.org/