Lazy Lizard to change its Name?

- Jack Botha -

As some of our readers will know, I spend some time every day watching the passing scene and drinking good coffee at the Lazy Lizard. Activities now taking place in a renovated building behind the shop seem to make it inevitable that the owners, Juan and Caryn Pastrana will have to consider a new name for their Internet café and curio shop. Recently I followed the grunting sounds and the smell of sweat, to find a brand new gym.

Caryn’s sister, Alex Barnato, who has been a strong helping hand at the Lizard, has taken over the equipment left behind when Valerie and Tommy Prins left town in January for new careers up north. Alex now does personal fitness training and even gives gentle stretching classes for the old toppies. (I am too young for the stretching classes). At the same time she is studying towards a fitness training diploma.

To add even more value, a running club has been established at the gym. This is good news for Prince Albert because some of South Africa’s outstanding distance runners started their training in Prince Albert but had to go for classes to other towns to prepare for serious races. Our roads up and round the mountains, are perfect for this kind of training.

I was impressed by the range of activities: Hans and Tilanie Daehne, biokineticists come to the gym on Saturdays to give expert advice on specific personal training and weight loss programmes, Tracy Swanepoel runs daily yoga classes and Marelize Vorster conducts aerobic training four mornings a week.

Move over Virgin Active: here comes the Lazy Lizard!