Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa, a photo by Barrybar on Flickr.

SERENDIPITY

Had I gone to Table Mountain as I had planned, I would never have met her.

Invariably, when I travel, I never plan. So I am often totally uninformed. About Table Mountain, all I knew was that wherever I went in Cape Town, I could see it. So, when I announced yesterday afternoon, that I was going to walk to the cable car, two staff members at the hostel were shocked. It is far, they told me. You need to get a cab. It will cost about 40 Rands. This time, I had the money but I wasn't in the mood to spend that money ($6).

Instead, I took a walk to a park on Queen Victoria Street. As I arrived at the On Orange Hotel (on Orange Street, that is), I saw about eight costumed women and one man, enter the terrace of the hotel, with a photographer and his assistant. On cue, I started taking shots, even before they were assembled.

The woman in the photo asked me if I would like a photo. Of course, but that was what I was already doing. So I shot for about ten minutes or so, from the background of course, being sure to not get in the way.

After the shoot, I stood at street level, at the bottom of the steps. She spoke to the photographer's assistant and I believe he didn't agree with her. However, she came to me, took my camera and handed it to him.

For the first shot, I posed, looking at her, as if paying a compliment. She instructed him to take another shot and that shot was for us.

I thanked her and left.