This week I spent a lot of time traveling around the Western Cape, camping, and lounging on beaches after days spent planning my documentary. I woke up in our shwanky Simon’s Town rental to watch the sunrise from the porch over the ocean on Sunday before a day spent browsing around Simon’s Town. We relaxed on the beach, ate lunch on the Waterfront and checked out the downtown shops and markets.

I spent Monday polishing my outlines and organizing interviews for my documentary. I reached out to Enel Green Power, the company behind the Paleisheuwel Solar PV power plant, and am in touch with the owners. I’m hoping to do an interview and explore the property to showcase utility-scale renewable energy in my film. In the evening I went to VAC’s culture showcase and watched local Obs musicians perform, ate traditional Xhosa cuisine, and checked out handmade art and jewelry.

VAC took us to a silent sunset event at the 12 Apostles Hotel on Tuesday, where we put on wireless headphones and listened to music as the sun dropped behind the ocean. Wednesday was a productive day for my documentary, I met with the local SPV Green Cape which facilitates funding for renewable energy projects around the Western Cape. I met with Salomé and learned about a ton of interesting green initiatives around Cape Town.

After weeks of planning I’ve chosen a hand-full of businesses and NGOs to interview for my film. So far, the list is…

• Western Cape Government Department of Economic Development and Tourism
• The Endangered Wildlife Trust
• The IPP Projects office (implementing the REIPPP or Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement)
• Enel Green Power
• Jinko Solar– solar panel manufacturer
• Gestamp Wind – turbine manufacturer
• Take-a-Lot.com – South Africa’s Amazon competitor, powered completely by renewable energy
• The African Climate and Development Initiative
• SARETEC – renewable energy industry training center
• SAREBI – South African Renewable Energy Business Incubator

Otherwise, this week I spent a lot of time just filming and browsing Cape Town. Everywhere you turn is another amazing shot or vista, so creating visually engaging film is pretty easy. All you have to do is capture some of the constant light activity or busy city to tell an amazing story about this city. I used my photography as an excuse to spend time at the Rhodes Memorial and up on Signal Hill.

On the weekend I went camping again, this time with Tom, Jim, and Sophie. We decided to drive up to the West Coast National Park and spend the night in Langebaan. We drove up Thursday evening, with stops along the way, then set up camp as the sun set. All of Saturday was just exploring around Langebaan, checking out Shark Bay, and slowly making our way back to Obs. I spent Saturday recovering and resting, mostly staying at home.

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March 5th

Highlights

• Sunrise from Simon’s Town beach house
• Browsing Simon’s Town beaches and shops
• Lunch on the Waterfront
• Antiques shop browsing

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March 6th

Highlights

• Obs Culture Showcase with VAC
• Local food, music, and jewelry

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March 7th

Highlights

• Silent concert on the 12 Apostles Hotel helicopter pad
• Sunset over Camp’s Bay

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March 8th

Highlights

• Lunch on the Rhodes memorial
• Picnic on Signal hill
• Sunset time lapse of Table Mountain
• Night photography of Cape Town

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March 9th

Highlights

• Trip to Langebaan with Jim, Tom, and Sophie
• Driving along the coast to the West Coast National Park
• Camping on the beach

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March 10th

Highlights

• Waking up in Langebaan
• Breakfast at Pearly’s Cafe
• Pearl the Cat
• Lounging at Shark Bay
• Visiting Darling Brewery

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March 11th

Highlights

• Recovering
• Home made ostrich burgers