FISH HOEK, South Africa, October 7, 2005 — As I mentioned I've found souvenirs too expensive at the tourist attractions. So today we decide to go to an ordinary mall. All I really want is some tea towels. Dish towels or kitchen towels we'd call them. (Is that because we don't drink that much tea?)

It's amazing how much malls look alike, all over the world. One store selling housewares would just need a Crate and Barrel sign to convince you. The food places could be anywhere. A book store could pass for a Barnes and Noble unless you looked very closely at some of the choices of books.

This is the Long Beach shopping mall I've heard about but never been to see. Mags guides me to a little artisan shop where they sell souvenirs. I get four tea towels and some miniature leather books for $40 or less total. Beats paying $12 a piece for the towels (exactly the same ones, too) at another place.

We have a cuppa (me: giant cappuccino; Mags: tea) at the food place. Mags goes to a Chinese grocery to get some of those rice chips in pastel colors. I go to the bookstore. I'm looking for a novel for the plane. Preferably one set in South Africa. After much looking I pick one with a Cape setting (even better) called "Even with Insects." [Ed. Note: I really enjoyed reading it, too. Even though I didn't finish it until after I was home. It was an interesting book and mentioned places and events and such around the Cape. I love reading stuff that is 'of a place.' Especially while there or after being there.] Books are not cheap here. Except in that secondhand shop in Francshhoek. Speaking of things being of a place, you might wonder about hoek as in Fish Hoek or Franschhoek. Hoek means corner in Afrikaans. So that's French Corner or Fish Corner. I know a Scottish guy who was living here when I visited in '97 who called it Fish Corner. But I digress.

After our successful shopping trip we returned to Mags' apartment. I got some clothes washed. I will go home in a clean shirt with clean jeans and clean socks. When you are going to spend twenty-four plus hours in clothes you want them to be clean.

We are invited to Beatie's house this evening. She's going to do a braii. She's going to make a beer can chicken using a recipe recommended by Mags' brother who lives part of the time in Scotland and part of the time in the U.S. [Ed. note: This will result in pictures of chickens with beer cans inserted being e-mailed around the world at a later date. Ain't technology wonderful?]

I grab a bottle of wine as an offering and we are off. Beattie has the Weber set up in the garage due to the cool wind. Yep, there is a chicken balance on a beer can up its bum As I understand it you freeze the beer, then pop the top, insert, grill. Beattie is trying this for the first time

We have some cheese (from our Fairview visit on Monday) and some snoek pate (snoek is a popular fish here) and some wine. (Beattie and I; Mags is a teetotaler.) We visit. We started talking about crafts and hobbies and Beattie showed me some beautiful woodwork her mother had done and some needlework she did.

The chicken was extricated from the beer can and served with potatoes and salad. It was very delicious so there may be something to this beer thing. Dessert was strawberries and cream. The strawberries were from the strawberry farm on Monday.

My trip is drawing to a close. Can't believe I've been here two weeks. Time flies when you are having fun.