Origin!

Origin!

Origin Music Festival is one of the highlights of my year, definitely! But then again, I am most certainly a trance addict to the point of insanity, my friends, new friends and all of the vendors at Origin will agree that my constant foot-tapping and swinging hips are a testament to my dedication.
Only R250 for a weekend pass to absolute bliss...
Unfortunately we were only able to set off on the second night, but we made our way there early on the saturday morning. I did find that the lack of reception was a breath of fresh air, and the welcome into the gates by a flower power hippies just heightened the excitement.
The venue itself, Helderstroom is absolutely beautiful! An oasis in the middle of craggy and dry hills, the abundance of trees and dams made for a beautiful spot. So we set off and erected the tent and immediately went for a bit of a wonder about, the Aztec inspired trance stage was magnificent and the crowds had already formed and were ready to go, so it was only a matter of inserting our home-made apple sour slash go-juice into our lumo-ed up bottles and we hit the dancefloor!
I was so pumped up for Avalon, that I barely noticed how tired I was, and after a short hour, we headed back to the tent, making some new friends as we went and then eventually settling at our tent again, for a short power nap.
Later....
The power nap worked wonders and sooner rather than later, we headed back to the dancefloor, AVALON, was in full swing! I was utterly blown away by the energy that this DJ extraordinaire was creating and we continued to trance the night away.

The DJ's kept on coming but at this point I must admit to being slightly 'sloshed' and losing all sense of time. Simply divine.
I can't wait for the next series of trance adventures, Easter Vortex to be exact? I hope to see you all there... I'll be in the Captains Hat, with a thing of papsak.

http://soundcloud.com/avalon-2/cosmic-relationships/   <---- Go and check this link out... NEOW!
http://soundcloud.com/avalon-official/he-basement-avalon-remix

Drinks and More!

These are some drink recipes that are perfect for any party or get-together: Cheap, and tasty.

Home-made Sangria:

What you'll need is a bottle, or two, of white whine. I tend to lean towards the Drostyhof white, it's cheap and not dry like most white wines. But you can also use red wine, that's the more accepted version.
Some cut up fruit, I usually do 2-3 granny smith apples, 2 nectarines, a pear and some pineapple. Chuck some cherries in also!
Leave the fruit to soak in the wine for about an hour or two, and then add half a bottle of lemonade or Sprite.

Ta dah! Home-made Sangria.

Mojito:

You'll need some clear rum, mint, sugar, lime, soda water.

• 2-3 oz Light Rum
• Juice of 1 Lime (1 oz)                  <-- Approximately what you'll need for one drink, so do the math.
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 2-4 Mint Sprigs
• Soda Water 

 Lightly muddle the mint and sugar with a splash of soda water in a mixing glass until the sugar dissolve and you smell the mint
Squeeze the lime into the glass, add rum and shake with ice.
Strain over cracked ice in a highball glass.
Top with soda water, garnish with mint sprig and serve!

 Mai Tai: 


You'll need: light rum, lime juice, orange curacao, orgeat syrup, dark rum and a glazed cherry for garnish.
This one'll be a bit more costly than the others to buy the ingredients but worth it. Oh yes it is!

Pour all the ingredients except the dark rum into a shaker with ice cubes.
Shake well.
Strain into anold fashioned glass half filled with ice.
Top with the dark rum.
Garnish with the cherry.

 
So I hope that some of these will be at the next braai or night out with the ladies/lads.
A tip:

Vodka and whiskey have the least calories in a drink but reduce fitness.
Beer will add carbs but not make you loose fitnesss. Good for the boys!

Paulaner Brauhaus

Going to Paulaner Brauhaus during the week is definitely something that every Cape Town resident should invest in, the authentic German atmosphere creates a feeling of home for many of the foreigners situated in the Cape as well as create a perfect home for beer-lovers and enthusiasts.

 

Located at the V&A Waterfront, by the Clock Tower, the Brauhaus supplies everything gemrna that see in the movies, from home made giant pretzels to self-brewed beer on the premises, you can expect a fantastic night of sing-alongs and drunken promises.
I, personally am not the biggest beer drinker but from the multitude of my friends that don't stop raving about the taste special, where you get to sample some 6 local and foreign beers before getting to choose your preference. I did however, indulge in the schnitzel, the pretzel and the pork rack that were all equally delicious, but not when you're trying to maintain a healthy life-style.
Paulaner is a lot of fun, I had a great time and I look forward to their 'Oktoberfect' where drunk Germans around Cape Town join with those that want to sing and dance to German rock and folk music.

All and all, a great place to spend some time with friends.

Blue Rock

Blue Rock is a quarry that was long ago pumped full of water and left to the amusement and in the hands of kitesurfers, wakeboarders and adrenaline junkies for them to unite and create an incredible area where for a R35 entrance fee you can make your way down a dusty road to paradise.
A few friends and myself decided to make it our weekend mission, the venue itself being a smooth 45 minutes out of Cape Town towards Somerset West

 

But when we got there it was simply fantastic! Even though you may pay R200 for rental of a wakeboard for about 2 hours, I can absolutely guarantee it was worth it.
One thing that I liked was that there was such a vast amount of younger pros on the cable, with our group being one of the youngest there, definitely an area that caters to more 16-35+, not really a place where you'll see little kids running around or
The 'cable' runs on a pulley system that tows you around the quarry, as you feel the slack and tensing of the cable you learn to tune yourself into the various hurdles and obstacles, such as those too weak to hold on, and have a blast.
I tried my hand at the knee boarding, and lo and behold! I bailed. Absolutely miserably, but thanks to my supportive posse, after a few more shouts I managed to make half a circuit before succumbing to the pressure and heading back to the relaxing braai area where multiple bottles of beer had been cracked open.

There is also a place where you can go and order some very basic things, a toasted sandwich or a burger, and a delicious selection o ice-cream is also at your beck and call.

For something that's worth the cash that you pay for it, and the experience that you have, take along a digital camera, do some home-made sangria, bring some beers and have a braai whilst you watch your mates slide across the water.

Half Price Movies at Sterkinekor!

So last week this time, I missioned to Sterkinekor in Cavendish for half-price movies, a lovely date night with the boyfriend that both saved cash, and we could both easily pay for ourselves.
Tintin was the only movie in that we both wanted to see, the fight over Ghost Protocol (The new Mission Impossible) and what else was there couldn't be decided, so Tintin it was!

Even with our half price discount, movies are getting more and more expensive, I remember when yo could simply pay a cool R20 and that would sort you out, no questions asked. SO these half price deals are far and few, so do please take advantage of them when you can.

To be fair, the movie was decent, with incredible animation and the large tub of popcorn shared between the two of us and another friend quickly disappeared, with little flakes of salt and vinegar being all that was left.

In this problematic economy., where money isn't a right anymore, or a privilege even... It's the simple things that count. And half priced movies was definitely cheap, fun, and will definitely be repeated.

Dizzy's in Camps Bay!

Found in a corner in Camps Bay, Dizzy's is a gem in the rough. A haven for students, consisting of a Tuesday Night Karaoke special where a R20 entrance fee can help you (with the aid of reasonably priced drinks) remove all inhibitions and you can sing that old Madonna song you buried away with the old microphone/hairbrush.

The atmosphere is relaxed and inviting, with a cosy pizza oven in plain view and some naturalistic décor design that creates a great vibe, you’ll find yourself in the watering hole of the student, and Camps Bay resident with new friends made after the first beer.

Owing to Camps Bays nightlife going more up market, and thus more expensive, Dizzy's is a perfect night out for those on a budget that want a good meal and a drink with mates.  You can expect to find an average Draught costing R20 and their famous thin-base pizzas from an upwards of R60 per. 

All and all, located just behind the Pick ‘N Pay on Victoria Road in Camps Bay, I’m going to give it a 7/10  rating for a great atmosphere, well priced and delicious food and position. On a Student Budget, an 8+/10  for well priced entertainment in relation to location and the night you’ll have. Even if just seen as that delightful sundowner spot…

Cape Student Life

Looking for the perfect night out? information on nightlife in Cape Town for the student or for the enthusiastic party-er has never been so easy to browse...Whether you're on a budget, on vacation, or just keen for some mind numbingly exciting jols, I have all the venues, specials, and latest newsroom buzz.