Steepest Street: Low-Down

OK, my new hobby (namely, discovering Cape Town's steepest street) is fast running out of steam. I don't know if I have any more streets to explore. I've put paid to a few myths anyway: the myth-makers have had Bellevue Street, Gallows Hill, Head Road, and Longmarket Street down as the steepest in the city. The first two of these are easily ruled out (a mere 10½° and 11½° steep). Head Road has a section that is 17° steep, while Longmarket Street has a "sustained slope" of 17° (thus matching the steepest of San Francisco). The only other "sustained slopes" that come close to Longmarket Street are Fontaine Bleu Street (16½°) and Upper Deane Road (16°). However, Top Road has a section that is 17½° steep, and Clifford Road has a section that is 19° steep. OBSERVATION: Yet what is a "sustained slope"? Even the official world record holder, Baldwin Street, Dunedin, is 19° steep only "at its maximum". The photo shows my three-wheeler parked in Longmarket Street (click on it for VGA).

POSTSCRIPT: It seems that, in Cape Town, Capri Street in St. James is the winner, with a sustained slope of 17.8°. The world record is held by Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech, a small town in Snowdonia, at 20.56° over a sustained slope (10 metres plus).

Central Methodist Mission [2]

.
For good measure, here's another photo of the Central Methodist Mission in Cape Town -- again in 3D. This is taken from the balcony with a Leica 28mm wide-angle lens. OBSERVATION: Click on the image to enlarge to 260k for enhanced 3D. To see the 3D, lazily squint your eyes until the images overlap and snap together. Your eyes need to be in line horizontally.

Clandestine Visit

Earlier this year, I visited another Church -- in fact I stayed on the premises as a guest. It was a Church of vastly different tradition and practice to my own. However, before I entered the premises, I gave the "chief" a guarantee of silence. I sought permission to post a photo of a service on this blog, with a brief description, but this was not granted. It was one of the most interesting and informative experiences I have had in my life. Everything was opened up to me.

Wart Removal

One of my more "notable" electronic designs placed wart removal in the hands of the public for the first time (previously done with liquid nitrogen or electro-desiccation). Last time I checked, my (copyrighted) concept was in production in several countries. However, I have repeatedly stated that destroying tissue is not without risk. On this blog there is a reminder: "There are certain cautions ..." A comment on this blog today (see Wart Zapper) makes the point from experience -- there are some risks. OBSERVATION: However, it needs to be noted that the person who left the comment altered the original design -- and may have overlooked the caveats. Also, looking over that (detailed) comment, I would think that their wart is gone forever.

Central Methodist Mission 3D

This is the interior of the Central Methodist Mission in Cape Town, in 3-D. The Church traces its origins to 1806. This sanctuary was built under the supervision of architect Charles Freeman, and opened on the 12th November 1879. OBSERVATION: Click on the image to enlarge to 280k for enhanced 3D. To see the 3D, lazily squint your eyes until the images overlap and snap together. Your eyes need to be in line horizontally.

Pinelands Methodist 3D

.
Continuing my gallery of local Churches, here is the old Pinelands Methodist Church in 3-D. The new Pinelands Methodist Church stands just to its left. OBSERVATION: Click on the image to enlarge to 260k for enhanced 3D. To see the 3D, lazily squint your eyes until the images overlap and snap together. Your eyes need to be in line horizontally (and for any Methodists out there, one might point out that one's computer screen, too, needs to be horizontal).