Tag Archives: airport

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 157 of Level 1, 6 March 2022

 

Sunday 6 March 2022, Day 157 of Level 1😷

Corona Lockdown Gratitude 🙏

#grateful for a most beautiful day, at 28C, but over 30 C while I was driving 😱; for popping in for a very quick croissant breakfast at Labotessa, the word having spread in that there was no table available outside, and I was so rushed that I forgot to photograph it 😱, having received a message that the Qatar flight of my American clients was arriving 45 minutes early; for receiving a spoil gift of shampoos and soap from La Botessa owner Johan du Plessis 💙; for getting to the airport on time Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 114 of Level 1, 22 January 2022

 

Saturday 22 January 2022, Day 114 of Level 1 😷

Corona Lockdown Gratitude 🙏

#grateful for surviving a record-breaking 37C day, the hottest this summer; for my Alex and Patryk arriving safely, spoiling me with two bottles of my favorite ckone and a massive Toblerone; for bumping into my Tourist Guiding lecturer Julie Womack at the airport, also meeting family; for a lovely breakfast at Zest for the hungry boys; for Camps Bay being busy but not as manic as it was two weeks ago, cars parked on Victoria Road at 7h15 already, when I drove to the airport; for our building Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 62 of Level 1, 1 December 2021

 

Wednesday 1 December 2021, Day 62 of Level 1 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#grateful for a well-organized busy day, meeting all my deadlines; for preparing for my meeting this afternoon, for two Discovery Gameboard plays; for a meeting with Ward Councillor Nicola Jowell – Ward 54 and City of Cape Town’s Ricardo Thompson to discuss litter cleaning on the high days and holidays coming soon, and on weekend days during summer; for an earlier Status meeting than usual at newkings boutique hotel, so that we could get to Blowfish Restaurant for a Fedhasa end-of-year event, with City of Cape Town Alderman James Vos addressing us, being in charge of Tourism; and for being happy, healthy, and free. 🙏💙

My Blogpost today is about the 12 SA restaurants which have made the 2022 global La Liste 1000 Top Restaurant List, and for Restaurant Klein JAN receiving a special accolade.

Alderman James Vos thanked the hotels which helped to accommodate close to 300 passengers who were stranded at the airport last Friday, when the Travel Bans were implemented at short notice by foreign countries. It showed how well the accommodation industry is networked, and how quickly it is able to react to a crisis, when the world was turned upside down in such a short time.

He said that SA should be rewarded and not punished for having identified the new variant. The City’s Marketing focus will return to the Domestic Market, new marketing campaigns to be launched on Monday 6 December. He confirmed that the first United Airlines flight from the USA is still scheduled to arrive tomorrow. The first cruise liner arrived in Cape Town yesterday. All its passengers have flown back. Out of 37 scheduled cruise liner arrivals in Cape Town, 5 have been cancelled to date. Die Burger reported today that the loss to our local tourism industry is estimated at R225 million per day.

He said our industry performs best under pressure. We must continue to market and showcase Cape Town. He announced that direct flights between Cape Town and Portugal are planned for next year.

I was disgusted that ‘comedian’ Keenan Cerff was invited to ‘entertain’ us at the Fedhasa function. I was not impressed with his crassness and jokes in bad taste, joking about the Travel Ban, about people with strokes, and more. He then decided to pick on me, calling me ‘Auntie’. I wanted to get up and klap him. I did give him a mouthful afterwards. 😡😡😡

SA Corona Status: 2,976,613 cases 89871 deaths  25,782,259 vaccinations

FitBit 7000 steps 5 km 👣

LovemylifeandloveGaryslife 💙❤️

The Corona Virus Lockdown (Level 5), announced by our President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier to commence on 27 March 2020 and to continue until 16 April, subsequently extended to 30 April, lowered to Level 4 from 1 May, lowered to Level 3 from 1 June, lowered to Level 2 from 18 August, lowered to Level 1 from 21 September, and moved back to Adjusted Level 3 from 29 December,  extended to 15 February on 11 January 2021, extended but relaxed on 1 February, and relaxed back to Level 1 on 1 March 2021, moved back to Adjusted Level 2 on 31 May, moved back to level 3 on 16 June, and moved back to Adjusted Level 4 on 28 June, extended by two weeks on 11 July,  returned to Level 3 on 26 July, returned to Level 2 on 13 September, and returned to Level 1 on 1 October is an unprecedented event in my lifetime. I am posting my daily Facebook post to journal this Corona Lockdown Journey, perhaps to serve as material for a future Book.

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whaletalesblog.com www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide

 

Freedom Day 2014: reflecting on 20 years of democracy!

SA FlagIt was the interview with a Cape Argus reporter on Friday that made me reflect on how far not only our country, but also I personally and my business have come in the 20 years since we voted on 27 April 1994.  The Argus interview was focused on the progress over the past 20 years I have seen personally, business-wise, and politically.

My very first feedback to reporter Dylan was that 1994 was the first and only time that I was allowed to vote, having a German passport.  I do not recall how it was possible for all foreigners (by passport) to be allowed to vote, when it has never been allowed before nor since then.  I loved standing in a queue somewhere in Sea Point, being part of the exciting day that would change our country forever, and how much goodwill there was amongst South Africans whilst waiting patiently in the queues. Little did we know that the rest of the world waited anxiously for the outcome of the election, fully expecting a revolution to take place, unbeknown to us residents, with thanks to the SABC in ‘protecting’ us from this world scenario.

I moved to Cape Town in 1990, and transferred my marketing research consultancy Relationship Marketing from Johannesburg, changing its emphasis to Public Relations for food clients such as Baker Street Snacks, Bonnita (now Parmalat), Aylesbury, and more.  The late John Harrison was a favourite client when he was GM of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.  Even Mark Shuttleworth was a client, before he became famous for selling his Continue reading →