Last weekend was a good weekend in East London. My boyfriend Tony came to visit me in East London for the weekend. He has been in Cape Town for several months and it was good to spend some quality time with him over the weekend in East London, before he had to return to where he is currently staying in Cape Town.

What we did over the weekend in East London

Friday 5 February 2016, of our weekend in East London

The Translux bus was just over an hour early, and Tony was at the Windmill near the East London beachfront waiting for me when I got there at about 9.30 on Friday morning. He’d been waiting only about 20 minutes though, so I was pleased I wasn’t too late in getting to the Windmill. We had a teeny bit more time together ahead of us than we’d thought we’d have.

I had our two dogs in the car with me, and they were so excited and happy to see Tony after not having seen him in 8 months.

We took the dogs to Sunrise on Sea beach. Even though it was our one dog’s first visit to the beach, neither dog explored or ran around much. They just couldn’t leave Tony alone! The dogs were so happy to have their daddy home. They had no idea he would not be staying; they had no idea that it was only for one weekend in East London that their daddy was home, or that they’d be spending only 3 hours of it with him.

Then it was time to fetch my younger of two sons from school (my eldest started university this year). We gave the dogs some water to drink at the car, and then went to pick my son up from school.

Dropped Tony at a shop and I took the dogs and my son home.

Helped Tony finish off the shopping and then we headed out to Areena Riverside Resort. Any relaxing weekend in East London should include a visit to Areena Riverside Resort! Even if just for a few hours. We booked in for two nights though, and went to set up our little tent.

Nearly half of Areena Riverside Resort’s campsites are right next to the river, and we were lucky that there was one of those campsites spaces open for us.

The campsite spaces at Areena Riverside Resort are quite large, especially if you’re camping in just a little tent. We could have set up our tent right next to the river, but due to not having a very long electrical lead, we chose to set up further back from the river, near the electricity, so that we could be right next to where we were also charging phone batteries and camera batteries. We could still easily see the river though, and could still sit right next to it whenever we wanted to.

Once the tent was up we just relaxed a bit, enjoying the view and all the animals, and taking some photos of each other right next to the water and of us interacting with the animals, ahead of starting to braai at the riverside.

There are so many animals at Areena. Just free to wander around. And so tame too, those animals! There were ducks, rabbits, emu, a peacock, a little buck, and an ostrich. And this was just riverside. There are very many other animals at Areena too. If you don’t love animals, well that’s just sad, but if you and your children do love animals, any weekend in East London (or even weekday) should include a visit to Areena Riverside Resort.

The braai Tony and I enjoyed Fri night included marshmallows too of course. Both Tony and I have a sweet tooth.

Saturday 6 February 2016, of our weekend in East London

It was so nice and peaceful at Areena, and we were also enjoying a little visit from the ostrich, that we started running late to get to the Three Silos parkrun in time, but we made it to the start line with a minute to spare. I’ve had a bit of a cold so hadn’t done the Three Silos parkrun since three weeks before, and it was Tony’s first Three Silos parkrun. Obviously it couldn’t be anything but Tony’s first Three Silos parkrun as it was his first weekend in East London since about 8 months before, when the Three Silos parkrun had not yet launched. We enjoyed doing the parkrun together, both feeling a little unfit, but still having a good time.

After the parkrun we went to the Village Centre on the East Coast Resorts road, and enjoyed a coffee each and a really huge and oh so divine slice of lemon meringue pie, at The Blue Goose cafe.

Then into Crossways Spar for a few things and then back to Areena for a shower in the really clean campsite ablution blocks, and thereafter to just sit and relax at our little tent for a bit, again enjoying the view of the river, the animals, nature, and the peace and quiet.

In the afternoon we went to watch some of the runners come by along the route of the Tomato Trot run held by Lilyfontein School, with the start and finish of the Tomato Trot at Lilyfontein School.

And then back to Areena again, for our last night there, and for Tony’s last night of his weekend in East London.

Sunday 7 February 2016, of our weekend in East London

We were sad to pack up at Areena Riverside Resort, but we did, and booked out of Areena by 10.30, stopping by at the Areena reception to return the boom gate key and to get our R50 boom gate key deposit back.

Then it was off to Tea in the Trees for a coffee. It was a little odd to go to Tea in the Trees as visitors as we’d usually only been to Tea in the Trees to trade there as craft market sellers.

We didn’t stay at Tea in the Trees long, and then headed for a brief visit to the Hemingways Casino, and then to the shops for snacks for Tony’s Translux bus trip back to Cape Town.

With some time over before needing to be at the Windmill for Tony’s bus, we went and parked at Nahoon Beach for a while. The ocean was very rough, perhaps a little like how we were feeling knowing that soon Tony needed to be on his way again.

And then it was time to say goodbye.
A lovely weekend in East London over far too soon.

© Copyright Teresa Schultz 2016