Flight arrived 20min early in Durban ... staying in Umhlanga Rocks, a short walk to the Indian Ocean! http://proteahotels.com/hotels/Pages/Protea-Hotel-Umhlanga.aspx
Room wasn't ready (we did arrive at @ 9.00am!) so went for a stroll to check out the beach and ocean views.
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| View from Umhlanga Rocks towards Durban |
Spied a couple of whales not far off shore, think they were a bit camera shy though, because they disappeared too quickly for us to even get the camera out of the bag. Took the opportunity to capture some of the wildlife whilst experimenting with camera & lenses.
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| Ready for action |
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| Pretending to pose - Still life portrait! |
Time for lunch ... thought we'd check out the Bakery & Cafe "Vovo Telo Umhlanga" ... Great dining experience, great atmosphere, great food, great service. Think I'll head back there every day and try something different from their delicious menu. Certainly recommend the Pate board & the Harissa Chicken Pizza!
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Vovo Telo - Yummy Sourdough bread :-)
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www.facebook.com/VovoTeloUmhlanga
After lunch we decided to check out a few of old haunts (from 2003). The shopping area has grown, lots of eateries & real estate shops ... & there has been extensive re-modelling and upgrading of the shopping malls and centres. We recognised a few businesses (mainly eateries & Spar).
Even though the Needlework Shop has gone, wandering through the building brought back happy memories of our Tuesday Embroidery Classes. The Bead Shop was still there even though the complex has been modernized.
Umhlanga is a seaside resort town situated on the east coast of South Africa just north of the Port city of Durban. Inland from Umhlanga are undulating fields of sugarcane. Not as much as there used to be though - much has been replaced by office blocks & shopping centres. Notably, Gateway Shopping Mall - reputably the largest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere.
I spent a few hours checking out Gateway Shopping Mall - purchased some of what was on my list & then enjoyed browsing. There were a few unique shops, however many were familiar names & labels. Country Road & Billabong are big, along with many international brands. Also familiar ones like SpecSavers and Jay Jays! Great variety of entertainment as well, including movies, wave pool and rock climbing, to name but a few!
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Gateway Shopping Centre,
Umhlanga Ridge |
Must say - even though I'm not a keen shopper it was a pleasant shopping experience. Clean, tidy, spacious, variety, not crowded & a smoke free environment :-) I certainly achieved my 30+ minutes walking today ... could have done with a travelator a couple of times!
Until next time ...
Cheers
Jen
