March 22 Tedious drive to spectacular scenery

Once we leave the park, we see lots of vervet monkeys on poles along the road and also baboons on the river valleys. Tiny baby baboons are fearless, crossing the road on their own and staring at us from the edge. 

  We head west and north first through rolling hills between 2 mountain ranges. Scrubland abounds. Despite GPS and a map, I get a bit lost and we retrace our drive only to find we are on the right road. Who knew this was a highway. It’s got a highway number on the map. For 40k it is single lane, when you meet a car, you both head to the gravel edge and pass oh so carefully with two wheels on the road still! The GPS still tells us the speed limit is 100! Crazy. 

  Later we drive a road with absolutely no shoulder, limit 120kph. The notice says, “Yield left to oncoming traffic.” Yeah, right.

  We are told many SA drivers don’t have a license, and we have only gone through one police check the whole time here. But there are many crazy crazy drivers, speeding past us on no-pass zones, blind corners, etc. Ted is fearless behind the wheel, nothing fazes him and he rarely swears at any of them!

  We pass many game reserves and are told later than farmers have given up in the drought, not growing crops, letting vineyards die, not raising goats and sheep and letting people come hunt on their lands. Not god for their wildlife I am sure. 

 At times we pass stands of agave, obviously introduced here and learn they used to make sisal for rope with them. I am sure it’s not for tequila here! There are also prickly pear farms.

  It’s long tedious drive across bare stretches. It’a all Afrikans and road signs and are in this one difficult language. Through a neat AFrican market town we meet up with Route 62, the SA version of Route 66 but sadly lacking in any facilities most of the way.

  We stop off at DeRust for gas and a friendly station attendant insists on totally cleaning our filthy car while they pump gas. We pay $1 for this service everywhere. 

  Today we pas many rad blocks and road construction. It seems all SA is undergoing road works. But their roads are generally really good and you can make good time on them.