Evening at the stadium

On the way back to the car after the EP King's home game at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium here in Port Elizabeth the other night, I saw an angle of the stadium that I haven't photographed yet.  I didn't have a tripod and also had to take it through a fence, so I got down on the ground to rest the camera on my backpack.  There was a couple of side way glances at me, but I'm used to being looked at funny by now.  You do what you have to to get the photo.

Sunset reflection

Sunset reflecting in the windows of the buildings across the road from Hobie Beach

You spin me right round...

We spent the evening at the Boardwalk the other day and I was busy taking a photo of the Merry Go Round when it started moving.

I've never tried to take one of these "movement" pictures at night so I decided to put the setting on night shot and try it.  It would have been slightly better if I had my tripod and didn't have to balance the camera on a bench, but still very happy with my first attempt.

Foggy day

We get two types of fogs (does that sound right?) here in Port Elizabeth.  The first is when we get up in the morning to milky clouds all around us.  Often this is a sign that the day will be very hot once the fog burns away.  The second type of fog is when we have a hot day and cold air moves in from the south over the sea.  This cool air gets blown onto land as mist.  The photo was taken from the lookout close to Noordhoek.  Usually the Cape Recife Lighthouse can be seen from here, but on this day the approaching fog obscured it from view.  I can just imagine the foghorn calling its haunting call when I look at a pic like this.

Fishermen on the rocks

A couple of fishermen on the rocks at Pollok Beach in the late afternoon with the Port Elizabeth Harbour "giraffes" in the background.

Marimba band

International visitors really enjoy seeing and experiencing traditional music and dancing when visiting the country.  This marimba band was entertaining a group of tourists at a township tavern just before lunch the other day.  Jeya's Jazz Corner is one of the most popular township taverns in Port Elizabeth and can be found in New Brighton township.  Owner Noxolo Sume often organises for a band or dancers to come and entertain when she has tour groups book for a meal. 

Ocean pillars

This view is looking towards the old slipway pillars at Humewood Beach from the rocks next to Shark Rock Pier.  I'm always amazed at how some people think that the pillars are ugly and should be demolished.  I feel its an important part of our history of before Port Elizabeth had a harbour and should be conserved.

James Maxwell Memorial

Here is a post for my friend Doné who is always amazed when he reads something new about Port Elizabeth on this blog.  It just shows that there is always something new to learn on here.  There used to be a building on the corner next to the Public Library in the city centre in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  Fireman John Maxwell died fighting a fire in this building on 6 May 1896 and a small memorial erected on the site remembers him.  The plaque is just across the road from the Port Elizabeth City Hall. 

Boardwalk entrance

The beachfront entrance to the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment Complex just after sunset

BayFM Opskop 2011

On Sunday the annual BayFM Burger Opskop (see here for last year's post) took place in Despatch.  The Opskop is a one day Afrikaans music festival, organised by BayFM, with some of the most popular Afrikaans artists performing on stage all day long.  The event isn't just a fundraising event for the community radio station, but also a way for the station to give back to its loyal and supporting Afrikaans listeners.  Like last year the day was an alcohol free family day.  How awesome is that?  Not one drunk oke harassing people and making an (another name for a donkey) of himself.

One of the performances was by popular Afrikaans funny band DJ Ossewa who lost one of their band members in a car accident last year.  RIP Raapie Knapie