March 19 Summerstrand, not at its best...

  We wake to another beach day and are disappointed to find sea fog has rolled in earl and virtually blanks out the coast. And it’s rain jackets day too.

  However, not to be outdone, we take a drive along the beautiful coastline, with some lovely resort housing and interesting tidepooling areas too.

  First we visit the stairs rescue sanctuary, an interesting place where many penguins blinded by oil slicks are being tenderly cared for, along with other SA birds that are being rehabilitated either to live there or be released back into the wild. 

  WE stop by the famous Grass Hut, a veritable all in one entertainment farm/garden/resto centre popular with families. It is now the 2 weeks o school closure and lots of smilies are out and about now. 

  WE sop off down the coast to the recommended Barnacles resto overlooking the beach but it’s totally fogged in and cool so we opt for a table indoors with the windows open and order the seafood platter. It is huge with far too much for lunch and although we opt to take some home, it is never eaten. Hake,  10 huge prawns, calamari, chips and 3 sauces are just overwhelming after big breakfast.

  The huge dunes along this coast are impressive.

  Back in town, Ted is worrying over the fact that the Hertz rental car we have is not the one described on our lease so we return to the airport en route home to get new papers, no big deal.

  WE also stop by the local strip mall to pick up another phone cable, mine has started to shred, much cheaper here than at the Apple store in Calgary.

  In between power cuts that evening we polish off some of the leftovers from lunch. And catch up on washing, emails and my blog.

March 18 Summerstrand at its best

It’s 26 and sunny today so after an amazing breakfast of everything you could wish for on a buffet PLUS a full English breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, jams, cake, muffins, you name it...we are off to discover why South Africans flock (or used to flock) to this resort mecca. One of the reasons is the big casino but a walk around it and the adjacent entertainment area reveals a jaded and aging once-popular area, now very much on the downside. 

  We walk to the little strip mall nearby and do our banking, I get a haircut, we place my dead watch battery and sho at the supermarket, all very useful. 

  We visit the local brewer over the ocean for beers and watch the beach action, not much really, and walk to the end of the road for a nice dinner at the De Keller resto which is busy with many visitors. WE polish off a huge (maybe 3lbs uncooked) carpenter fish, really a sort of bream, and the gracious manager Gary walks us home even if it just jump the road. Such is the care and concern of people here for their visitors in what can be a crime prone area at times.

  Today we had power cuts from 10-2, 6-10 and 4 hours at night.  Wifi and WhatsApp are intermittent but we are pleased to connect with friends ill and Don from Knysna, who will meet up with us again in Paarl later.

March 17 Summerstrand

 After super crepes for breakfast and a final adieu to Trish, our wonderful host and the reason we have come to South AFrica, we are heading back east to a southern suburb of Port Elizabeth, a huge port and automobile construction centre in the Eastern Cape. 

  Back through Tsitsikamma National Forest, we are amazed at the deep ravines forming the Storms River Canyon but don’t venture down to the outflow of the river at the Indian Ocean. 

  We stop off at very pretty St.Francis Bay peppered by white cape Dutch cottages with beautiful thatch roves abound. But there are signs of disaster in this little paradise from homes destroyed by fire a couple of years back and still standing like skeletons on the horizon. Sea birds call and huge waves thrash the shore in this upscale and scenic resort town. 

  From there, it’s an easy drive into and around Port Elizabeth to the southern resort town of Summerstrand, where we will spend the next 3 days at the lovely  boutique hotel Brighton Lodge. Hostess Chantelle cannot do enough for us to make us feel at home and offer great tips on what to do in the area. We have our own little patio outside our room and no stone has been left unturned to perform title miracles for their guests. Soft fluffy towels tied in ribbons with wooden initials BL, coffee tray with everything you could want and individual cookies wrapped in cello with the Brighton Lodge sticker.  A plunger coffee maker and wee packets of real coffee. Lovely roiboos tea, a beautiful Victorian house with masses of fresh rose arrangements everywhere. A lovely garden and pool in a nice residential area safe walking distance to several nice restaurants.

  First night we walk to Blue Water Cafe on the beach overlooking the busy swimming beach and pier for great fish and chocolate mousse with coffee ice cream. We walk back in the dark with no problems about the walk to unpack and head to bed early.

  We are plagued by power cuts or “loaf shedding” but it doesn’t affect us much at all. Our laundry is done by a day by the very efficient staff. Only the second time we’ve done real laundry in our 1.5 months here!!

March 15 to Joburg and back to beautiful Natures Valley

  After our last amazing bush ride, we shower )ah... running water again), have breakfast and our drive has arrived early to take us. Back to Joburg, where we will stay the night at the same guest house as before. Not fancy, but 10 minutes from the airport and in a quiet residential neighborhood with a nice garden and pool to relax, and soft comfortable bed. 

  Our driver, a guide himself, is a mine of interesting information about the whole country, its history, as well as the local lore. We stop at Sun City en route back to be told this was in fact Sin City after apartheid. It was the place mixed race couples could go and meet safely. Now a big casino, it emulates Vegas with its SinCity name.

  Next morning the shuttle drops us at the airport and 1.5 hours later we are back at Port Elizabeth, easily pick up a rental car with GPS but no cruise control! And easily find our way back along the Garden Route to Natures Valley and a warm welcome back from our friend Trish. 

  She is busily getting the house ready for an onslaught of visitors - 6 of them, all 3 bedrooms need to be ready so we are feeling a bit guilty at staying overnight. But I cook supper for her and we help with chores and spend one last evening together. 

  It is bittersweet for her to be closing up on her own without the  partnership of her dear Arthur and her friends have rallied round to make it as seamless as possible for her.

  It is a beautiful sunny drive and as we come down the hill towards the lagoon and beach at Natures Valley and we understand the deep love this family has for this little spot on earth.

March 15 and time to leave our Mosetlha home

  Set in the centre of Madakwe National Park, this has been the ideal spot from which to become one with the AFrican bush. The warmth of the welcome from all the staff, their concern for the welfare of each and every one of its guests, has been outstanding. Camp hostess Monica is there to greet us back from every drive and hear our excited revelations of what we have seen and experienced. 

  Our guide Jonny has totally exceeded our expectations of what a mere man can do and find in this alien and often difficult terrain. There is no small tree that Jonny can’t drive over (they would like to get rid of much of the thorny bushes that have taken over the savannah here.) Nor is there a flat tire he can’t change alone in 10 minutes flat on a huge safari truck!

   My friend and colleague Jane Hurley (of Tarzan & Jane history - ask me about this...) and a South AFrican summed it up

  “You will go to South Africa and Africa will steal your heart and never let it go.”

  

Drive 10 8-10:30pm Outstanding farewell to the bush

  Our drive begins with a lovely breeding herd of elephants, carefully shielding their little babies between two adults and always knowing where they are putting their feet to not disturb them. Some little ones nurse happily. 

  White spoonbills are up in the trees along with the huge condomium weaver nests, where many of them form nests together high int he trees for shelter.

  Jonny finds the dog pack again and is happy they are together and doing well.

  At one waterhole we find a huge kudu with his ladies, warthogs with babies kneeling to drink or eat grass in a strange way, lots of waterfowl, the colorful Egyptian geese, a tortoise, jackal and zebras with a baby zebra, all down for their morning drink. 

  Later we are treated to an amusing impala ballet, when a mountain Reebok invades their property. Much diving, swooping, leaping, air jumps as he is chased all around, but refuses to abandon his right to water too! Hilarious. 

  We then pass a bunch of huge black Cape buffalo wallowing in a mudhole, don’t they love it. 

  And to finish off a warthog with two wee ones, feeding from either side of her not too far away from our truck. 

  A fitting end to our wonderful introduction to all the beauty and amazement of the bush here i South AFrica.

Drive 9 4-8.30pm

  We spend 1.5 hours searching for the big guys, but there are slim pickings. In between of course we spot many other interesting birds and beasts. Finally - Lions!! WE come across 6 females, grandma, daughters and granddaughters all lolling in the shade under small trees. Obviously well fed already they roll around like house cats, in amusing positions, sitting on one another and being swatted away by moms. Quite amusing to see this again at about 20 feet away, and they are not perturbed a long as we all act as one unit in the bush trucks, no sudden movement or noise. 

  We search for the two males we saw previously close to home with no luck. But next morning Jonny finds their tracks going right through our camp that night. Good thing we are not allowed out of our cabins at night!

Drives 6-7

36 degrees. Stinking hot. 

  We are seeing many many colorful and colorfully named birds - first a Harrier Hawk is teaching its youngster to be independent, then lilac breasted rollers, red backed shrike, fluorescent European rollers, Wahlberg eagle, fish eagle, numerous bee eaters, starlings, egrets, blue herons abound. 

  It is baby time in the bush with cute baby warthogs, giraffes, blue wildebeest, zebras (with their long see-through manes and eyelashes), guineafowl. Finally we find a crush of white rhinos, a herd of 60+ antelope, then finally on the border of Botswana, 2 of the park’s 4 cheetahs, lying panting in the sun stomachs heaving, too full to bother with us only about 20 feet away. 

Drive 5 Wild dogs and lions

  WE spot a pair of steenbok immediately. Small and lithe, they mate for life. After a lot of driving around in absolute bush, we find the dog pack, at first not sure how many but eventually Jonny is sure all 8 are still together. This is a relief. They are still melding as a pack. Again we are so close we can hear them yawn. 

  Before we found them, Jonny got out of the truck at one point and figured he heard a noise as they noticed him get down, so knew they were in the vicinity. Amazing senses. 

  Jonny also finds the two beautiful big male lions who are now close companions. One was brought into the research with his brother, but brother was killed by other lions. The survivor has a scarred face but has now bonded deeply with the other. 

  We watch as they take off for a stroll, following them closely as one goes one way and one the other, then reunite and nuzzle one another in greeting again. 

  WE stop on these night drive for sundowners, our cold drinks that Jonny has packed for us with snacks. To watch the sun go down and the moon and stars come out. It is quite magical out here at night. 

  Tonight sunset over the lake with one sole elephant and the ducks. 

  On the way back, Jonny drives, shines his big flashlight all along the sides and in front to pick out many nocturnal birds and animals for us. Sometimes we can catch them on our cameras, sometimes just see them. Rabbits, chameleons in trees, owls, hyenas slinking in the undergrowth, rabbits running scared in front of our headlamps. A couple of times, a scrubhare leaps from the light, a mini kangaroo that is not a marsupial at all!

Drive 8: 6-10am

Another gorgeous sunrise and a pair of steenboks to greet us out the gate. A group of giraffes pop up above the trees, one mother pushing her baby away from feeding as she is concentrating on carefully chewing on old bones, yes, bones. Who knew giraffes ate old bones! 

   At a waterhole elephant and Cape buffalo are bathing. A pair of jackals run by. WE see various herds of antelope but the leopard we seek for over 2 hours is staying hidden in the shade of a tree somewhere. Our sister vehicle (Team 2 we call them..) saw the lion family again today.

  We say goodby to the German family we have been driving with and are joined by a teacher and two 17 year old US students on a one month exchange to Botswana. They are agape at everything happening here. Also Joe (Italian from Bronx) and wife Stephanie. We get many great one-liners from Joe.

  Dinners are typical South AFrican fare and really tasty well cooked food. Nothing is too spicy but there are a variety of chutneys available green, orange and red for level of ferocity!

Ablutions and such...

  Did I say about the showers? And toilets?

  To take a shower:

-half fill plastic bucket 

-pour into donkey boiler, what you put in cold comes out hot the other end. Into tin bucket

-empty tin bucket into plastic bucket and go back to water supply to add water

- schlep bucket to shower room and empty into lowered metal bucket

-raise bucket on rope

-open tap on bottom of bucket and shower

Toilets:

The VIP loo is a special ventilated affair, very pleasant aromas and well managed by ever working staff. 

-Pour half tin jug of water into small basin from large open tank filled by staff all day)

- Use toilet then wash hands in basin

-pour basin contents down loo

-tada

-Day 5: the long black thing on the toilet floor first thing in the morning was not a black mamba, just a millipede!!

-Black mambas are not black, they just have a black mouth, ah relief...hahaha

March 13 Day 4

  I’m getting good at this - up at 5 and out by 6 having had some fruit and cereal and take a banana for the growlies. Hoodie, jacket AND blanket today and not overly hot. 

  WE return to a breakfast for cereals, fruit salad, stuffed eggs, pancakes (crepes) toast, jame. All good. 

  It’s sunny, 36 and stinking hot every day. Showers after breakfast are a must before we pass out for our nap. 

  WE’ve been joined by a group from a Botswana game farm. Ex-Americans who have an interest in it, their grandson and wife, both USAF fighter pilots, up for a bit of different excitement I guess. She looks like a high school student but must have nerves of steel. Grandma is on crutches but does not mis a drive or any action as she laboriously wends her way around camp. Amazing really. 

  The young people are having a belated honeymoon (2 years married) as are the German couple who have joined us. So more champagne toasts all round. 

March 12 Drive 3 and 4

I’m up at 5am and ready for the drive at 6am. It’s a bloody miracle! The sunrise makes it worthwhile, unlike the one we had in Angkor Wat! It’s cool and windy on these morning and night trips and I need my wool hoodie and the big blankets the lodge has supplied us all. Cosy in there. But it’s still 30 and stinking hot in the day.

  First we see a pair of black back hyenas with evidence of a kill, blood around but all evidence eaten! Then a pair of healthy jackals, a huge (100+) herd of Cape Buffalo, with their horns which are impenetrable by bullets apparently. Little black watt led starling pair for life, as do many of the birds and animals here. Others mate spuriously and take their chances on their own afterwards! A black rhino, a flock of gorgeous European bee eaters then coffee break under the crags of a small mountain range. Pale chanting goshawks come to visit. 

 Back at 10am, we can charge camera batteries from the solar power in the afternoons. 

   AFter our shower and rest in the afternoon, lunch at 2:30pm we are  off again on the 4pm drive. A bunch of mongooses are fleeing at a distance. Two big buffalo face off at the waterhole and after a 2.5 hour track through the bush, track team Jonny, Gavin and Cornelius find 4 female lions with their recent kudu kill. You can heater them unchin on the bones, we are so close. It is interesting to watch the body language and interaction of the two females and their daughters and the packing order for eating. We watch fascinated as colorful butterflies land on the stomach contents to obtain moisture and are amazed at the bones piled neatly together. They will be totally consumed later by the hyenas who are the most efficient scavenger in the world. The skull has been cleaned ad reveals it is a female kudu with no horns.

  I am so excited by all this I may have confused my drives and waht we saw. Who cares!

  

March 11 4-8pm Sunset drive

As we set off a couple of radish Klip Springers cross our trail and we spot another black mamba on the road slithering into the bushes. A huge elephant in must (he can breed 3 months of the year and is looking for action>0 An old Cape Buffalo goes on our list, not an impressive specimen for sure. Rhino, striped hyena, springhare, rhinos. We are joined by Oliver from Cambridge and exchange stories of our home city. He has been flown to Joburg for a week from UK to tutor a 12 year old vying for a place in a prestigious college in West England. What these SA elite won’t do to get their kids in there. He is making the most of it by taking 3 days out at Mosetlha with us, smart guy.

March 11 6:10am....Too damn early...

Jonny is outside our cabin at 6:10 saying they are waiting for us. WE are joined by 3 Germans, Cara, Ronny and Jorg, seasoned safarists and photographers. They are ready and chomping at the bit...I miss the pre-breakfast session but grab a banana on the way. 

  Our first morning drive sees a wonderful sunrise followed by many new beautiful birds, a giraffe family with new baby, blue windwbeest, springbok, impala, loads of guinea fowl and babies, a spotted eagle owl, gorgeous crimson breasted shrake. But best of all, two cheetahs lounging in the shade/sun. Two of the park’s 4 cheetahs. 

  We can hear the cowbells from cattle in Botswana as we are only 12 feet from their order as we approach the cheetah area. Warthogs show us their babies too. The kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird, comes by. 

  To top it off, we come across 4 lions, big daddy and 3 of his females asleep and dozing under a small tree. 

  What more can this guy find in one drive! It is past outstanding. But on the way back we  see a big male white rhino and a Warburg eagle.

  Back at 10.30am it is real fast time. A huge corn omelet feeds us all. It is goodbye to Anton and Anna, off to another camp in the park, but we have wishes her a happy birthday in advance for tomorrow and toasted it with pink bubbly. 

  A family of go-away birds inhabits our front entrance, calling in their very distinctive manner and pecking away at things near our cabin, some good photo ops. 

  Ted find all this excitement has gone to his stomach and we find some of the pills we brought with us to settle it all down. Not the place to experience stomach upsets I am afraid. 

March 11 Life with guide Jonny, park human, part wild dog

 Our guide Jonny briefs us on the rule - don’t stand up, try to interact with animals, or do anything to disturb their idea that we are an entity, i.e. truck and people. The animals are familiar with trucks and people so we are going to be able to view them up close and in detail without endangering either them or ourselves. 

  We experience a huge thunder/lightening storm and they batten down the hatches but we don’t get the rain they felt was coming. It is comforting to go to sleep all cosy in your cabin with two open canvas sides listening to the storm crashing and a bit of rain.

  Our first night is an amazing trip. We see many zebras, blue wildebeest, impala, an eagle. But amazingly we find one of the pack of 8 wild dogs, the world’s most endangered species. The 4 males from another pack were brought here 2 months ago, introduced to 4 resident females a month ago and are currently bonding. It looks successful.  So far. 

  The guides from 2 trucks meet to experience something they have never experienced before, two black mambas mating. This can go on for 45 minutes. I have some stunning vid of the event. The guides are excited and taking photos and vids like the guests.  We meet elephants with wee babies, white and black rhinos,scrubhares (which look like mini kangaroos), and a wee vole runs across the road before sunset. 

  To watch sunset go down, we stop for cold drinks and nibbles just 12 feet short of the Botswana border. Its totally magic. 

  After dark, Jonny drives and spots with his light all around the front of the vehicle. 

 Back at 8, we change quickly for buffet supper at 8:3. Beef stew, rice, the freshest veggies, guava dessert and later cool wind to sleep. 5:30 wake up call comes way too early...

March 10 Mosetlha Bush Camp in Madikwe National Park

Before we even reach our destination - which is at the centre of this 75,000HA park - we begin to spot zebras, impalas, rhino, springbok then at a waterhole, a sole elephant, zebra, books, and lots of colorful rids and weaver nests.

  We pull into camp at 1:30pm and are warmly welcomed by camp host Monica. Our bags are whisked away as she tours us around what will be our home for the next 6 days. Nine separate wood cabins on stilts house 18 guests and communal bomas for socializing and eating. Shower/toilet facilities are available through a gated wired walkway close to our cabin but you are not encouraged to venture out there after dark as the animals are free and we are not! Discreet buckets are available in our rooms!

  We quickly unpack and join our 3 other guests for lunch. Meals are served family buffet style with fresh vegetables and fruits and local South AFrican specialties all cooked over an open fire, a feat of culinary skills for sure. A generous bar is  in place with choices of beer, wine, spirits, cold drinks on an honor system which works well.

  We will take 2 game drives each day, sunrise from 6-10am and sunset from 4-8pm. The vehicles are sturdy Ford trucks, not manufactured any more, well padded and up to the job of breaking through thick bush and extremely uneven terrain. 

March 10-16 Safari! The adventure begins...

  We are up early to finish packing and enjoy fresh farm eggs for breakfast and set off at 9.30. It’s a nice drive through rich farmland, green and lush, past big surf at Jeffries Bay. Ted is nervous about time even though we left earlier than planned. Rain is heavy at times, but we drop our Hertz car and simply cross the road into the departure area. It’s a full plane but I’ve paid the $3 extra for preferred boarding and $7 for a seat! We are in 3B/C so easy on-off. 

  The 1.5 hr flight to Joburg is uneventful, cloud prevents us from seeing much of the Karoo land beneath us. This is the area where Trish’s family grew up on what was an Ostrich farm, later cattle and crops, where her brother still runs the family home as a BnB.

  The guest house shuttle meets us for the 10 minute drive there. It’s a modest, unfussy place (C$67 a night!) with a nice garden and pool in a residential area that caters to ordinary people who need a night near the airport. The food is mediocre at best but it’s not the reason we are there. We have heard enough about Johannesburg to know we don’t want to venture out for the evening. We are quite happy to read by the pool, have a light meal and get to bed early.

  I juice up my ipad and iphone as we will have no power, water or communications at the bush camp for the next week.

  Next morning, our driver Pete picks us up at 9am and drives us off, through huge gold, platinum and chromium mining operations, the reason this city of 14 million is a magnet to so many Africans.

  First we pass fertile agricultural land corn cattle, chickens) then rocky sandstone outcrops before they give way to bare mining areas. Interestingly, we pass the sign to Worley Parsons office there! (An Australian engineering firm with offices in Calgary and Chiswick!)

  We make a stop at Sun City (or Sin City) as it is known, a gambling Mecca out in the outskirts of Joburg about 2 hours out. It’s 11am and 31 already. Stinking hot but cool in our AC car.

  Passing through small towns and settlements we see people in their Sunday best walking to and from church, small markets along the road, white-clad nuns, weekend activities abound.

  The last 57k is dirt road so we travel at a reasonable 40kmh. A new road is being constructed in parallel to our track, which will eventually link the main road to Botswana.

March 7 Return to Torr’s Natures Valley retreat and BnB

  Having paddled in the Indian Ocean but not tried to swim, we are really looking forward to the huge unspoiled beach of Natures Valley east along the coast towards Port Elizabeth. In the Tsitsikamma National Forest region, this coast can be reached by dropping about 1000 down the mountainside to the outflow of the Groot river. 

  We are awakened early as Ted kicked his suitcase off the trunk at the bottom of the bed, so it’s time to get moving. WE get rain for some of the journey along the main N2 highway, a fast and easy route through the Garden Route area. 

  Today we receive our safari instructions a bit late to take note of some of the suggestions. No bright colors. My only 50 SPF shirt is bright orange, it will have to do. We stop en route at Sedgwick, a tiny settlement, and find a computer shop willing to print the instructions out for me - at no charge. Sweet.

  Trish has been joined by 2 friends from her home near London, Suzy (whom we have met and in fact hosted when she visited Calgary) and Sue. The ladies.

  We are welcomed back with quiche from the farm up the hill and fresh salads and fruits. WE are fortunate that the neighbors have left us the keys to their house where we sleep the next 2 days. And unpack and pack for the 6 day planned safari.

  We all enjoy some jaunts together, shopping at a local craft mall, and an animal/bird rehab centre. We are disappointed with rain for our return, back into long pants and wool hoodie! We get a load of clothes washed at the local laundry just in time to pack it all away again. We have reduced our 4 bags to one small carryon size bag each to fly and safari.

  The last evening Ted drives us to nearby Plettenberg Bay for a splendid fish restos, the Fat Fish, and a merry evening together.

  Interestingly at the top of the road is a brick factory and even in this little Garden of Eden, asthma and respiratory disease abounds.

March 5 Wilderness it ain’t...but beautiful

  It’s still stinking hot here, 30 and sunny during the day but cooling off at night so not problem sleeping without AC. In fact, we have not had air since we left Cape Town. 

  WE stop at one of the big malls and Ted find a nice small daypack for $19. The cashier shows him another one and asks if he wold not prefer it. Turns out the one he picked is a kids pack with a monkey on it. He’s OK with that! A monkey on his back.

  Driving back north through vast barley fields, sheep and cattle land and huge granaries, we pass a massive PetroSA plant which seems to be supplied by rail as well as road. Eventually we drop down the windy road to the Indian Ocean and Wilderness, which it is not. Even our GPSD had trouble finding Kingfisher Guest House, run by a pair of the most energetic seniors, also ornithologists extraordinaire. A group from Ecuador is expected shortly to experience their famous birds. We schlep our bags up a floor and discover belatedly that I have only booked for one night and we need two. Our obliging hosts Phil, Sue, dog and cat immediately rearrange their schedule to move us to another room the second day. Relief!

  Our good friends Ali & Rob have stayed here in the past so we follow their advice and go down the road to one of the great local eateries. Ted can drink as the shuttle takes us and brings us back. After driving 2km down a dirt road on arrival, we are pleased to find we are actually quite close to a touristy area and the main road coming from the other direction. 

  There are many high end holiday homes and retirement complexes here, many high over the dunes overlooking the gorgeous seascape. 

  The first morning we are transfixed with the variety and color of the local birds, one the ‘lifer’ bird Knyzna Lurie, a turaco, a huge green/blue/red bird with a clown like face, gorgeous eye colors, and fancy topknot. I get some good shots as we are the only guests that morning. 

  Next day we are joined by 3 German guests and a couple of bird experts who help us identify some of the visitors to the feeders. You can get quite close as they are accustomed to being fed by Phil and Sue.

  People come here to hike and kayak the gorgeous forests and waterways.

March Hermanus on the Atlantic

Back on the coast we are still on the Atlantic til we get a little further east to the Indian Ocean. We choose not to drive the rough road to the point which is the most southern point of Africa. 

  The fishing fleets come into these bays and sheltered harbors so we can walk to the end of the road for fish that was swimming earlier in the day, cooked up in wee shacks open to the weather. It is cool with wind and rain and I am glad I’ve brought my merino hoodie. Even tho I’m told later hoodies are suspect!! Seals hang out there hoping for scraps, and are successful as fishermen cull their catch once on land.

  This is the land of the big whales in season, not now. Whale watching and trips out to see them and dolphins are a mainstay of the region for 6 months of the year.

  Our BnB in Hermanus us run by Renee whose son is working in Edmonton for 2 years on a project. Making lots of money with his partner to hopefully return and have a house down payment. Small world. It’s a beautiful little place where we have our own wee patio and front door, common here. A lovely pool in a lovely garden but we never quite get time to enjoy them.

March - hope to see a lion

We spend the next 4 days touring many wineries and the town of Paarl whose Heritage Trail has many historic churches and buildings) and driving around the gorgeous countryside here. Stellenbosch and Franschoek are the big tourist Centre’s but we give them a miss from carloads of people strolling the main drag visiting the many cafes, restos and tourist shops. We are happy to visit by day and return to our quiet residential neighborhood to sleep.

  The wine tours are inexpensive and good. Nederburg’s was a detailed 2 hours, maybe we didn’t need to see all the nuances of a big wine producer, and a generous tasting of all their wines. We remember them from past German Wine events when we had cases of their late harvests. Still good.
  The drinking is playing havoc with Ted’s INR level. He tested at 4.6 (optimum from 2-3!) so took no more drugs, then adjusted his dose and was back at 2.2 two days later. Success.
  After several days tasting and eating high on the hog, we are ready for a visit to Under the Oaks Farm where they dispense open oven pizza with local families out enjoying the sunset and kids playing in the farmyard, warned not to disturb the cows and goats nearby. This is a very rural area and kids are especially welcome at many of the restos and farm stores abound. You can see why it would be easy to do self-catering holidays here and eat really well.

Feb 28 To Wine Counry SA style

We are in Paarl in a lovely 4 room BNB, only 3 of us here, on the edge of the mountain, lovely small city, gorgeous views all around. German owner and guests, but good English.

  We dropped through a scenic pass to get here, a surprise. Lovely vineyards winding up the (small) mountain sides. Beautiful drive through, unexpected after the partly hohum drive across southern Garden Route.

  Yesterday host suggested the 300+ year old Muratie vineyard with loads of history. Still run as a small family winery and now run by  descendent of original owner (and first black vineyard owner after her husband died!) Tour of the vineyard and tasting inside (at bottom) of old concrete vat, red stains on all the walls of course. Nice wines, overpriced (a la Ted) but really knowledgeable young woman. This was virtually in Stellenboch, only half an hour away.

  Lunch at the gorgeous little cafe looking out over the vineyard was lovely. The old chapel has been opened and is a little art gallery. All the wines are named after a notable person in the winery’s history. We bought the LH dessert wine (Forever Amber) named after one owner’s fav mistress and muse - Amber. The only non nude picture of her on the bottle - but she hangs in the old chapel! With messages on the walls and drawings from everyone who has passed through. 

  Visited the visitor centre and got more than enough info for this whole area. We will have to return to this area en route back to CT late March.
  Can you believe they are going to hold their Paarl harvest festival throughout the area with events at the wineries this Saturday March 2? How lucky was that. We will drink our faces off...and still drive safely! I think there are shuttles too. 

  Also booked in for lunch at the famed Lanzerac winery Sunday en route to Hermanus. 

  Off to the huge breakfasts spread, enough for a small army, but that’s Germans for you.

  Found 2 good local restos, one we walked to (20 minutes at night, no problem at all) and yesterday a fancy one with white table cloths and slightly snotty waiters but great food! After late lunch in the vineyard overlooking the beautiful ravines and mountain here, we did not need much dinner so ordered 3 starters and a plate of vegetables.

  Our hosts here are very helpful about giving us info about everything. This BnB thing is a new experience for us but it is the only way to travel South Africa.

  Gonna be 26 today the 30 and 32 following 3 days so we are glad we will be back at the coast in Hermanus by Sunday.

BACK ACROSS THE GARDEN ROUTE

Feb 26 we retrace our steps and drive back along the Garden Route, heading north in the vast grain growing area. Barley is a big crop here and hay, though we see few horse farms, but many cattle and sheep farms. The pork here is good so they must raise pigs too.  Interspersed are fruit and grape growing areas. Thee are good gas stations along the way with picnic areas for us to stop. Their picnic shaded areas on the highway do not have washrooms and it’s obvious!

  AFter the vast grain fields, we come into mountains, pine forests, a lovely varied drive. Shocking, of course, are the black shanty towns on the edge of sometimes affluent looking towns and these under-classed group are seen walking along the roads everywhere, sometimes miles from anywhere! There is clearly a huge variety of different groups, however very few veiled women. 

  Down through two mountain areas, we drop through a canyon, through a miles long tunnel and drop into the famed Winelands of SA. Ted’s fav destination, wineries!

  We pull into Cape VAlley Manor, a gorgeous BnB on the outskirts of Paarl under the mountain, run by the warm and welcoming Andy and later that week Ushi, who is a tour guide for German groups also. 

THE TORR HOTEL

Trish is accustomed to catering to large groups so insists we stay on a couple of days despite two more friends arriving from London. Suzy (whom we have met and hosted in Calgary) and her friend Sue are here for a couple of weeks. We all enjoy a merry time together for a couple of days, enjoying beach walks, surf not so strong so Trish swims with her friend Cathy, we merely paddle still. It is much busier.

  Before they arrived Ted and I went off on a winery tour trip. Finding the most popular one closed and too busy at lunch, we nevertheless have a lovely lunch in the vines at lesser known Newstead with good wines, especially rose for lunch. This is a nation of foodies and it seems impossible to go to a winery and by be impressed with what they chefs rustle up, sometimes miles from anywhere but with all locally sourced ingredients. Ted improves on his Braai skills BBQing supper for us. Being impressed with the huge prawns (cooked head on mostly) I find many of them are actually imported from Argentina, just across the ocean!

Feb 21 HUGE SPIDERS AND OTHER TROPICAL FRIENDS...

We are thoroughly enjoying staying in this beautiful place, despite the spider Ted found in his water glass this morning, about 3 inches across!! Mossies are not bad but we are to check shoes for scorpions and such .
  Ted and Trish go off to shops ot the Farm Dairy (unpasteurized milk, cream, ice cream, I guess its all OK) and return with news of a troop of baboons up on the road. I grab the camera and we rush back up. Sure enough the whole troop is wandering the roadside, in fact, sitting in the road despite the hairpin bends and traffic! One mom has two adorable babies and they are pulling roots and chewing on everything that looks half edible. hey are not aggressive when I approach fairly close.
  A few monkeys visit our garden, also with babies, and a flock of lovely guinea fowl with tons of babies. It is a protected national park all around us and the animals and birds flourish here.
  I am chief cook and bottle washer for a few days and enjoy cooking up a pasta with local salmon trout (the smoked trout is great here too) with shrimps and all the lovely fresh veggies here. The papayas are in season, mangoes ending so the fruit salads are gorgeous. Almost like being in Maui again.
  That evening we go into the nearby resort town of Plett (for Plettenberg) for a casual seafood dinner overlooking the ocean. Must return here again later.
  We have so enjoyed our time here with Trish for a week. It is easy to see why they have loved this being their family escape location, with many childhood and family memories. But sad too that Alastair never lived to enjoy it or that Arthur passed away two years ago also.