All good things come to an end.

And so we left Matjiesvlei on Saturday morning and tackled the last stretch back home. Ebony, our Jack Russell was over whelmed to see us and ran around like a “mad dog”. Khula, the cat was a lot more aloof and did not show such uncontrolled emotion as the dog. She was a lot more reserved and just came to sit on the washing basket when I had a bath last night. Sort of “this is our bonding time” Clearly they were both well looked after and even more spoilt by our house sitters, first Roberta and then Mieke.

It is a strange feeling to walk back into your house after you have been away on holiday for so long, or rather, it was for us. Obviously not used to such long holidays. It is nearly a feeling of what do we do now? Open the mail, put it aside because it is only bank statements and IRP5s and new bank rates and junk mail. Nothing really changes, only yourself due to your different experiences. The rest of life just goes on as per normal. Luckily my mom had left us some supper for the evening, so we did not have to think about that and then it was off to a hot bath and our own bed. What a lovely feeling that was.

So this is the end of the 100 day holiday that ended up as 102 days. Thanks to the friends and family that followed us around on our trip. Thanks for the feedback that I got from some of you and apologies for all the spelling errors and incorrect grammar usage. Most of the time the writing took place late at night with minimal light after a few glasses of wine and often it was only posted days after it was written, due to no connectivity.

So for now it is:”Fluit fluit, my storie is uit” until a next time. Now it is Unemployment, the garden, a haircut, back to the gym, catching up on all the travel magazines  and then a job to get some money saved up for another trip and who can say where that will be to, but believe me the planning will start shortly!!!

The last night.

Aloes in Bloom

Here we are tonight at Matjiesvlei on the very last night of our holiday. It is with mixed feelings that I write this, as it means the end of the holiday and the beginning of another phase of our lives and obviously all the uncertainty that goes with that, however it does not prevent us from enjoying the holiday to the very end.

We left Gamkasberg this morning in mist so thick that you could not see more than 5 meters and it was freezing cold. Well, as always there is never a day not to find something to do to fit the conditions and so we were off to Calitzsdorp, about 33 km away and the first stop was Calitzdorp Cellars and we tasted the Port. Lovely Port and a friendly lady to assist. From there we went to De Krans, also well known for the Port, tasted some more, bought some more and generally felt that we were in the process to beat off the cold. We also stopped off at Boplaas, also a well known Port producer, but left without being tempted to buy as there were so many people and no real attention to customers.

We headed off into the town, parked the car and walked. What a lovely town Calitzdorp is. Lots of old houses and restores buildings, but without the intrusion of the well known estate agents. There are lovely restaurants and we went to The Dorpshuis for lunch and had Lambs liver and mash. Where on earth do you still find that on a menu, other than in the Karoo. It was lovely. When we went to the restaurant for lunch the mist was still thick and we were still freezing. An hour and a half later we emerged into blazing sunlight and it was warm and clear. It is amazing to me that it can change so rapidly. Suddenly the whole town looked differently and brighter and we set off onto another photo journey.

Our last stay of the holiday is at a really special place. It is the Cloete Huis on the Matjiesvlei  Guest farm and thanks to my brother Bert and his wife for introducing us to this wonderful place. It is just across the mountains from Gamkasklooof, where we had spent 2 nights earlier this week and it is beautiful. The Aloes are in bloom and it is special. There is an article on the 4X4 route on the farm in the latest copy of the Drive Out magazine.

Cloete Huis

Our little house is so special. There is no electricity, only oil lamps and a fire place. Luckily there is a gas greaser, as I have become a bit anti cold water showers.  We said that tonight is a slow merge into home comports again. Sleeping in a proper bed, using real towels and have a bathroom and a loo under the same roof!!We had hardly got here and we were joined by a Jack Russell who just came along, wagged  his tail and made himself at home on the stoep with us. When we came into the house he trotted off to where ever his home is. He looked a lot like our own Jack Russell and we wondered if he was not an off spring of Butchie, Bert’s dog, who has visited here often!!!

Now we are sitting by the fire, the last of our lamb is in a Potjie on the gas stove and we are enjoying some of the best Shiraz of the area. What a way to spend the last day of a holiday. Tomorrow we head off home and our own bed and our dog and cat and the pool and the garden and the taxman!!!

The Mountains towards the Huis River Pass.

From Gamkaskloof to Gamkasberg.

We left “The Hell” this morning on a bright and clear day with no clouds and crispy cool air. The trip out of the Kloof was spectacular as everything was open and the sun was shining and the peaks of the Swartberg mountains were covered in snow. What a beautiful picture that made. We travelled down to Oudtshoorn for the last shop of the holiday. We have slowly been running down on our food, however running down and running out are decidedly different. We then headed off to Gamkasberg, about 33 km from Oudtshoorn, towards Calitzdorp.

Snow on the Swartberg

We had originally booked to stay at Oukraal, which is a rustic shelter about 16 km into the reserve, but when we got here the Tourism officer on duty advised us against staying there as they have had quite a bit of rain and the camp was too wet.  We drove there today  along the 4X4 track to see it and it is wonderful, but truly “rustic”, as in built around rocks and no real walls and the winter wind that blew trough there was icy. It is the hikers overnight stay, but open to the public if you book and it is available. The views from there are over the Outeniqua mountains to the one side and the Swartberg on the other side. We even saw 6 Cape Mountain Zebra close to Oukraal.

The view across to the Outeniqua mountains from the top of Gamkasberg

The endangered Mountain Zebra in Gamkasberg

As Oukraal was not on we opted to stay in the Stables at the Camp site. There are 2 rooms with 2 bunkbeds in both and in between there is a fully equipped kitchen. We made ourselves at home in the one room and made a bed on the floor, as we only have double bed bedding. We slept so snugly and warm.

Our Stable.

We have spent many nights in many camp sites over the last 3 months and we have seen and experienced various levels of service and facilities, but none was a patch on Gamkasberg where we are now. We were met by the Tourism official on duty, with a full pack of info on the park. We were fully briefed on what we can and cannot do. The facilities are superb and the level of upkeep and attention to detail in the park is something we have not experienced anywhere else. We will definitely be back to this one and again I think spring will be a good time.

Tomorrow morning we are off to Majiesvlei and Cloetehuis for our last night of holiday and then back to Bellville and home and our animals and our bed!!!

…..And then we went to “The Hell”.

On Monday morning we set off from Prince Albert after breakfast at the Lazy Lizard and refueling and getting the required bit of Karoo lamb. All this has to be paid in cash as most places in the town do not take any cards. I had run out of cash by this time and much against my financial good sense, decided to go and draw some money at the local ATM, which is an ABSA one (I am a FNB lady). There was a queue of half the town’s population outside the ATM all waiting to draw money, but the ATM was dry. No money in the machine at all and no refilling as yet as they were waiting for the cash to arrive! Luckily Dick had cash, so breakfast was on him.

Once we left the town we headed out on the Swartberg Pass towards Gamkaskloof, otherwise known as “The Hell”. It was just before 12 noon and the temp was 8 degrees  and there was frost/ice all the way along the road. It is a 2 and a half hour drive from Prince Albert and about 57 km in total. It is beautiful country. The mountains are high and it is green as they have had a well above average rainfall this winter. The road literally goes into the mountains and eventually you are within sight of the camping ground and still about 4 km away and all that is between you and the campsite is the road DOWN and down it is, with many twists and turns and hairpin bends and beautiful Karoo plants all the way down. We stopped at the top for a picture and walked a little way down and on our way back I picked up a R100 note just off the side of the road. We have now called that the R100 turn!!It is more than I have ever won on the Lotto, with no ticket!!!

The road into "The Hell"

Mountains and more mountains.

The road DOWN.

We arrived at the camp at about 2pm and drove to the end of the road, which is another 10 to 12 km away just to investigate and see what all the SanParks houses and developments look like. There are quite a few of the Old “Kloofer “cottages that they have restored and that one can stay in. I would imagine that it is quite popular in the warmer part of the year. We got back to our site later and put up our camp. It was COLD and the Rain was threatening and we had just got it all up and the rain started, soft and soaking and continuous. In fact it rained the whole night, but luckily we were warm and dry in our tent and our gazebo.

This morning it cleared and we went for a long walk up the pass. There are so many plants and after the rains of this winter I am sure the spring flowers are going to be magnificent. We might just be back in September again.

Tomorrow morning we are off to Gamkaberg, near Calitzdorp for 2 nights and then only one night left at Cloetehuis at Matjiesvlei and then home and the new reality!! 

A Wonderful Weekend in Prince Albert.

Some restored buildings in Kerk Straat. Prince Albert.

When we arrived in Prince Albert on Friday we set up our home, went for a walk and had a braai and then we decided that we are going on a “braai strike” for the rest of the week end and that is what we did. There is so much to do in the town and wonderful places to eat.

On Saturday morning we walked into town and started off at the Saturday Market, which clearly is the weekly meeting place for the locals. Jaffels and coffee and fresh veggies and we were part of the scene. It was freezing cold and our next stop after the market was again PEP stores to get gloves this time. Red fleecy ones for R9.95! Even with Woolies discount this was a better buy! We spent the morning wondering around the town and popping in here and there and buying the odd mohair sock, having the odd glass of wine and generally enjoying ourselves and the town. Our best stop of the day was at Soet Karoo and our encounter with Suzie Perold the garagist winemaker. When we were in Pretoria, our friend Carl encouraged us to pay her a visit and how glad we were that we did. She is an eccentric and so she should be. She and her husband have been making sweet wine and port for some time. They planted their vineyard, of 1 hectare, in 2000 and made their first wine in 2004 of their own vines. She appeared in her warm winter woolies and stained jersey and hair all over the place, but she was great and wonderful and clearly loved what she and her husband were doing. We tasted the Port like wine and the sweet Hanepoot tipe wine and then Suzie se Soetes, which is made from all the leftover bits. Needless to say, we bought of all. It was so cold that all we could think of is to get  enough to keep off the cold!

An old original shop, closed on the Sunday morning

We stopped off for a light lunch at the Swartberg arms and then walked home. We really just chilled and enjoyed the town and the environment. We had booked to go for dinner at the Karoo Kombuis and walked there at about 7pm. What a wonderful experience that was. The restaurant is owned by Michael and Theuns and Denise. They have been there for 13 years and the menu has essentially been the same for all that time. The choices are Roast lamb, Chicken pie and Bobotie and on a week end night there is an extra, which is Lamb pie. You can also get a combo of 3 dishes, if you wish. They  are not licensed, so you take your own wine and it was really a very affordable evening in a great atmosphere and with great food.  No frills and a good plate of food. 2 bottles of wine later we wandered back to our home, filled with a sense of well being and content.

The Sunday we again walked around the town and stopped for coffee and a glass of wine.  At 5pm we met with Ailsa, the Story Weaver, to take us on the historical and the Ghost walk of Prince Albert. What a treat that was and something that I would encourage every visitor to Prince Albert to do. She took us along the streets of the town and told us all the wonderful stories about the people and their lives and in between were some stories about the ghosts of the town. The whole trip cost R50 per person and takes about 90 minutes and it was pure delight to do it. We ended the evening off with dinner at Café Albert and yet again we had some Karoo Lamb , this time presented totally differently and equally delicious. Again the restaurant was unlicensed and we could take our own wine and this time we went with the 3 liter boxy of Robertson Shiraz. It is the first time in my life that I have gone to a restaurant with a box of wine, but what could we do, it was all we had. We did not finish the box and we did share it with one of the local guys that came in for dinner on his own. We walked back home looking for the ghosts, but none were out on this cold night.

Beautifully restored houses in Prince Albert

The Journey to Prince Albert.

We left Kgaligadi and the travel plan changed as we went. We got to Vanwyksvlei earlier than expected and on the slow trip through the town we also realized that there was in fact nowhere to camp or overnight. Carnarvon was only about 60 km further and we decided to carry on and spend the night there. The book of the Road also indicated that there was a camping site, so we were more hopeful.

We arrived in Carnarvon at the Voortrekker camp site and were met by the caretaker, Mr Groenewald who informed us of the exorbitant camping fees. It was R 22.50 per night for the site and only that expensive because we were using power!!!!!If all fees were this low, we would have been away for 6 months. We were the only people in the camp, which also meant that we had the ablutions to ourselves and piping hot water from a shower that sprayed in 1000  different directions, other that where you were standing. The price did not, though, include toilet paper! Mr Groenewald came to chat and informed us that Carnarvon is famous for 2 things, the one being the Corbell houses built by the “trekboere” and the other the “Blikkies bar”, which is featured in the Guinness book of records as the biggest collection of beer cans in the world. Well we set up camp and then we were off to the Blikkies bar to go and see for ourselves and we were impressed. It is an amazing collection of beer cans from all over the world and it covers the pub and adjoining rooms. Quite impressive. The visit to the pub also revealed quite a lot about the goings on in the community. There were family frictions and disagreements and hunters on a package deal and a wedding and us. The hotel owner is a big hunting man and he brings in hunters who then stay in the hotel and he takes them hunting, etc, etc.

A little sample of the Blikkies.

After another morning of frozen pipes and no water we were of to first visit the museum in the town and to see a true Corbell house. George, from the municipality, who is a walking library on the local history took us through the museum and showed us the Corbell house. These houses were built of stone from top to bottom . They are round like a Rondawel and has a stone roof, which, in this particular one, weighs 4 tons. These engineering wonders were built by illiterate people who moved across the area  with their cattle. It took about 6 months to build and then they stayed until the food was depleted and moved on and left the houses. Such a shame, as the houses really took a lot of hard work.

The Corbell house at the museum in Carnarvon

From Carnarvon we were off to Fraserburg and Prince Albert through the Great Karoo with its ever changing scenery. It is flat for kilometers and then suddenly we were going through the Nuweveldberge and the Theekloof pass and al changed. Once we crossed the N1 at Leeu Gamka we were back on a gravel road from Kruidfontein to Prince Albert and again the most incredible scenery. We knew that we were nearing home as we were suddenly in mountain country again, with the Swartberge towering over Prince Albert. We booked in at the Olienhout Camp site, which is a 15 minute walk from the centre of town after a stop at the local PEP stores to buy another warm blanket for R80!!Lovely camp site with superb facilities. We parked right in front of the ablutions and we feel like we are having an en suite again.

The road from Carnarvon to Fraserburg.

The view from Theekloof pass

The Mighty Swartberg

Pictures from Augrabies

The damage of the flood

The view from Mount Ararat viewpoint and the Flowering Quiver tree

The Bendy Giraffes

I have just added a few pictures of Augrabies as we were sitting in the car at the garage this morning when I published the posting and the pictures did not have time to go through.

Awesome Augrabies!!

We arrived at Augrabies yesterday afternoon after an interesting journey through what mostly looked like No man’s land. The only “town “ that we went through in the 380 km that we did, other than Kakamas, was Nuniputs. Well there was a General Dealer and a Liquor store and another sort of hardware shop and an Afrikaans Church and something that looked like a school, a “Boere Vereeniging saal” and a Police Station and a house or two. Big town!!!! On the way we found a “Padloper” tortoise, which is quite rare in this area, a few Bat ear foxes, dead, unfortunately and some amazing scenery along the Molopo River bed as we got closer to Kakamas. Yet again we were gobsmacked about the ever changing beauty of our own country.

We stopped in Kakamas for a few essentials, like wood and tomatoes and potatoes and bread and then we were off to Augrabies. We were at Augrabies in January when the river was in flood and the falls were just about obscured because of all the mist and many of the walkways were washed away.  What a wonderful surprise when we got here to find the falls still full and fast flowing and AWESOME. Obviously not anything like when in flood, however most of the walkways are open. However the platform right at the top of the falls is still closed and in fact, destroyed. The one just down from that is open and it is a wonderful view from there.  The third platform is also still closed and some of the floorboards are smashed up. I suppose it will be a while before it is all restored. The fact is that the true magnificence of the Augrabies is visible and just a blessing to see. It is indeed the “Place of great noise”.

We drove through the park today and it is as spectacular as any brochure could make it. There are flowers everywhere, the Quiver trees are in bloom and the Parks Board has done a great job in making all the viewpoints safe and accessible. We went on the 4X4 route in the furthest part of the park and for a change it was for free. We saw several interesting things along the way. A strange “fungi” like plant that looked like a mushroom gone wrong. Dick took many photos of it. Then an interesting cricket and more photos and then to our surprise, some Giraffes. Maybe it is ignorance, but I just  never expected to se Giraffes in a place where there are no tall trees. I wonder if they don’t have lower back problems!!

I am so glad that we came back to Augrabies. It is really a place that one has to visit. The beauty is so different ant so varied and it is not too far from Cape Town, either. It is a bit like the Richtersveld and a bit like the Kalahari and a lot like AWESOME.

Tomorrow we are off on the last leg of our holiday. Strange to think that it is now only 10 sleeps away from being home again. We are heading off to Van Wyksvlei and then Fraserberg and then for 2 nights in Prince Albert, 2 nights in Gamkaskloof”Die Hel”, 2 nights in Gamkaberg and our last night in Cloetehuis at Matjiesvlei. So more exciting times ahead, to the bitter end and more freezing mornings, no doubt, but we are strong and healthy and loving every day.

Augrabies Falls

Kgalagadi photos

The first red dunes

 Botswana transport

A ZCC Church in Botswana

Gemsbok and Springbok

A picnic site in the park

A late afternoon  Jackal

Nossob and the first frost on the tent

The dunes, the grass and the road

The decks at Urikaruus

Our chalet where Dick is standing at Urikaruus

The Pearl Spotted owlets

Blue Wildebeest at our waterhole

The Hyena and cub right in front of the car

The Kgaligadi.

After all the discussion last night , we decided to take the route through Botswana to Kgaligadi. The great thing about this is that I also got a Botswana stamp on my passport! We crossed the border at Mc Carthy’s rest and were off to the only town of any description we encounter, Tsabong. Not much of a town, but some essential shops and fuel is available. The drive from there to Bokspits ,where you can get back onto a tar road into SA and to Kgaligadi is about 210 km from Tsabong. It is a beautiful new road and it is called the Trans Molopo Highway and was only opened in September 2010.

The scenery is Kalahari, so much like it would be on the SA side, however it felt different as we were in another country. Getting back into SA was a bit of a mission. We got to the border where there was only a SA border control. They directed us back into town and down a none descript road to a Police station where we were given the approval to leave Botswana. Back to the SA control where we get checked and looked over and have to open everything and off we were again to Twee Rivieren along a tar road. This used to be a BAD gravel road but now it is a quick drive into the park.

The campsite is close to the entrance and we did not worry too much about where we were as it was only for the one night. It had been a hot day through Botswana and the evening was lovely and we sat under the stars and enjoyed the evening and the fact that we were in the Kgaligadi. It is such a good place to be.  The Kgaligadi has a feel and a look all of its own. It is nothing like Kruger or any other National Park. It has a different  sort of beauty all of its own and not to forget that it is a semi arid area and that every hill, is in fact a permanent sand dune , so all along there are these red sand dunes covered in this pale green grass and then the white sand roads. It is nearly like Table Mountain, every time you see it you want to take a photo.

The next morning we were off to Nossob just after 8 as it is a long way to travel and the roads are pretty rough. Nossob is a bush like camp and the camp sites are close to the fence and it is sand all over. 4X4 shoes needed to get around. There is also a waterhole and a hide, so there is lots to do and see, providing the animals appear, which they were really reluctant to do. We travelled North and South and up and down and covered many a kilometer, but with little more to see than the Springbok and Wildebeest and Gemsbok. We did though see lots of birds and particularly lots of birds of prey, like Bateleurs, Goshawks, Martial Eagles and many smaller falcons and kestrels. We spent 2 nights at Nossob and the weather changed dramatically. The second morning we got up in freezing cold with frost all over. Ever the sand was frosted. Little did we know that this was just the beginning of real cold mornings!

We were off to Urikaruus Wilderness camp after breakfast. It is a stunning camp with 4 chalets all built on stilts, with a bedroom + bathroom on the one level and then a kitchen and “living” area on  the lower level. The link between the two is on the outside. We arrived in fair temperatures but soon felt that there is something else in the air as there was an extremely thin wind blowing intermittently. We braaiied on the veranda, but were inside very quickly. Red wine and hot food all assisted to fight the cold. Our sleep cabin was like a fridge, but we jumped into a hot shower and into bed in 2 ticks. Boy, but was it COLD the next morning, that cold that freezes your nose and hands and leaves your toes behind. All the pipes were frozen solid and there was no water, locically! We had a few frozen giggles, though. Dick had washed hid undies the night before and put it over the side of the basin, well in the morning it was frozen at that angle. Luckily he was not intending to wear it, else we would have required some serious contortionist moves!. Dick’s best moment was when I put my fingers in a glass of water left in the zink the night before, it instantly froze! I was the “Ice woman” for the rest of the day!! Did not probe that one too deeply! Anyway we defrosted and the next evening was lovely, but again the next morning we awoke to the same, but luckily we were better prepared. We had kept water in the kettle, etc, so we were not caught off guard again.

The animal life mainly consists of Springbok, Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbok and Hartebeest. Then there are also Ostriches and Jackals and many Bat eared foxes, Hyenas and Cheetah and Lions. Well our “game viewing” has been largely of the Springbok, Wildebeest, Gemsbok and Hartebeest  variety, but the night before we were privileged to see a hyena den, with a mother and 2 cubs, as well as a “teenager”. We were the only people there at the time and she was having “quality time” with her cubs. It was to me the moment of the Kgaligadi. She was totally unphased about us and one of the cubs wandered across the road right in front of the car and she guided it back. I have new respect for Hyenas now. We past her den another 3 times and always she was there with her cubs. On our last night at Urikaruus we were also treated by 4 Hyenas coming to the waterhole to drink. The day that we arrived we also saw 2 Pearls Spotted Owlets in the tree right outside our chalets basking in the thin winter sun. We did not see them the next day, but clearly they live around the area.  These are the special moments to treasure. 

Tonight we are in Mata-Mata, right on the Namibia border. It is also a very bush like camp and full of people from the Cape and many children, as it is school holidays. We are right on the fence and hoping for some action tonight. I mean a lion hunting down a Wildebeest and killing it right in front of our site is the minimum requirement!The temperature is dropping, but the prediction for tomorrow morning is only -1degrees, which is a whole lot higher than the last 2 mornings when it was -7*!!!!! Still bloody FREEZING.

On our way to Mata-Mata we were sort of the last in the row to see a Cheetah and her 4 cubs wandering off the road and into the tall grass, but at least we did see her and got a distant photo of her. This morning when we got up there was great excitement in the ladies ablution block as a little Barn Owl had moved in and was sitting on the bathroom wall. It became a very frequently photographed owl very quickly. AND then, at last, on our way out and back to Twee Rivieren this morning we saw 3 lionesses. They had obviously killed a Gemsbok earlier and looked rather well fed, however the one was still dragging the remains to safety under a tree and then all 3 collapsed and went to sleep.

We are spending our last night in the Kgaligadi in Twee Rivieren tonight and tomorrow we are off to Augrabies. No braai tonight either, we are eating in the Restaurant.

I am going to sort some pictures out and will put them on separately Much less hassle, especially with a intermittent signal.

The road to Mc McCarthy’s Rest.

McCarthy’s Rest sounds like a place where seriously dangerous stuff should have happened in days gone by. Stuff like illicit diamond dealings or smuggling with contraband, sort of Wild Westy. Well the actual place, for it is indeed not a town, only consists of the border post to Botswana and a General dealer of the African variation.

Our destination for the night was the Springbokspan Guest House and Camp site, a few kilometers from the Botswana border. It is a HUGE working farm of 17 000 hectares and if the night sounds are anything to go by, it is cattle. The campsite is lovely and every site has its own boma. As Dick estimated that we would have a long day’s travel, he booked for us to have dinner on the farm. That was a good plan. We did not arrive so late, but it was a log day’s driving on quite bad gravel roads and that takes its toll from both driver and co-driver/navigator!!!

When we left Botsalano we stopped in Mafikeng for yet more essential shopping. It is amazing how you can plan and shop and have everything for 14 days and then there is always yet another desperate need. This time it was not my needs, it was for 2 stroke oil, which is a Terracan need! Anyway, like always these things only sound simple, but in actual fact it is not. First place we stopped, sold out, the second place, cheap, but sorry none left, so it was the local Indian with stock at a premium and then we bought  and off we were on the N18 to Vryburg. Well, we  thought we were off on the N18, however we were diverted and diverted and diverted and yet again diverted and we saw the local township, the cattle grazing and a bit of how the houses and properties looked and when we thought that we were completely lost there was a flag-waving lady pointing us in the direction of the N18.It was already getting a bit tense as we had no real idea where we were going and when we got to the final flag waver, Dick stopped to ask about the detour and how long it has been in operation. The classic answer:”Only another 2 weeks”. Well if the state of the detour was anything to go by, I doubt. Then the next question:” How long has it been there?” The answer:” 3 months”. Well, I rest my case. I said to Dick that I am sure we can come back in another year and we will still be doing the unofficial “township tour” through Mafikeng.

Anyway back to Springbokpan and the wonderful hospitality of the Du Preezs that own it. We were met by Ans du Preez who is a true reflection of Kalahari hospitality. Even if we had not booked for dinner, we would have changed our minds right there and then. She made it sound like a non negotiable and once we had the dinner we realized why. It was Kalahari food a its best. Mealies for starters, Lamb shops and super veg and a baked pudding and coffee and tea. The price included the personal attention of Ans and the fact that she came to sit at our table and chatted. There was another family who had been on tour for about 3 months and between all this we learned that the journey to Twee Rivieren could be a lot less stressful if we went via Botswana .So we all ate and “kuiered” together for the evening and went off to bed feeling good and well fed and warm, after a hot shower.

Tomorrow morning we are off to the Khaligadi for 7 days and I assume no coverage  of either cell phone or Internet.

On the road again…..

4 Nights and 3 days in Pretoria is just not enough time to see all and spend time with everyone, but my gosh, was my liver relieved when we said good bye this morning. Too much wine, too much wonderful food and just not enough sleep, but as always we live to tell the tale.

On Saturday friends came over to Carl’s house and we had wonderful food, wonderful friendship shared and a great time. Of course all the planned shopping had to be fitted in during the morning and the rest of the day was for “kuiering”.  When you visit with Carl few things are negotiable, but going to church with him at 7.30 on a Sunday morning is definitely not. So off we were at 7.20 and as always it was lovely to spend the time in our church where we used to worship when we lived in Pretoria and then off for breakfast before we left at about 11.

Well soon we were back in travelling mode and we went through places that I have never been to. Derby and Koster and Swartruggens and Zeerust  and finally our overnight stop on a Game Reserve in the North West province, called Botsalano. It is sort of between Zeerust and Mafikeng. It does not appear to be a frequently visited place. Maybe the North-Westerners just don’t do the camping thing.

There is nobody here to share the night with us. When we arrived Dick lit the “donkey” for making the hot water for a shower sometime later. Now the fire is burning for the braai, millions of stars are out, the jackals are calling and the have already been visited by an owl. Maybe it is not the same luxury as in Pretoria, but this is the real bush life and we love it. There is a chill in the night air, but we are now the proud owners of a new warm fleecy blanket, so roll on winter nights, we are ready!!

Having a Great time in Pretoria

When we left Marakele we travelled to Pretoria via Brits and all along the Crocodile river. There are huge farms under irrigation and massive potholes in the road and mines everywhere. After lunch in Hartebeespoortdam we were into Pretoria just before the rush hour traffic, which was a blessing. We are a bit overwhelmed every time we get into a City with all the traffic and taxis and what not.

Now we are comfortably settled with our good friend Carl and having a ball. We went over to Johannesburg on Thursday to see the kids and that was lovely. There are wedding plans in the air as Mandy and Craig are getting married in February, which means that we have to be back here. Andrew and Julie are well and unfortunately we did not see Alister as he was working, but none the less, a good time was had by all. Just as we were about to leave we realized that one of the tires were losing air rather rapidly and after a bit of wondering if we should  fix or go, better judgment won and we fixed it right there. We pulled out a full blade of a pocket knife! Luckily we had all the goodies to repair the tire right there as well as the guys to assist. The possibility of this happening on the N1 and me and Dick fixing it  did not have the right appeal!!

We are largely spending our time here in Pretoria eating and drinking. It is just the way it goes here. Carl is spoiling us and we have had some really good meals. Roasted shoulder of Lamb and roast potatoes on arrival. Italian meat balls and pasta the next night and a very French Beef pot last night. All washed down with good red wine and Pot stilled brandy just to settle the food and end the evening properly.

On Friday we met with Mac, an old friend of Dick’s and his wife for lunch at a place called Die Bosvelder. What an interesting place that is. It is a Pub and Restaurant, but with a difference and that difference lies in the menu. They serve dishes that I have never seen on a menu. Dick had Biltong and Kaiings and pap. It was delicious. I had Sheeps’tails and pap. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was even roasted Lambs head on the menu. It sounds gross, but clearly they are doing something right as the place was packed and apparently always is.

Today we have to stock up again as we are leaving tomorrow morning. We are seeing some friends at lunch time. The time in Pretoria is never enough to do all we want to do as we know so many people here and have many friends here, but there is still 3 weeks of holiday ahead and we have to do what we have to do!!

Some KRUGER Park images

My Burchell's Cougal

The Letaba river

Kruger Traffic

Sunset over the Kanniedood Dam at Shingwedzi

3 Old Boys

The Kruger look

More Kruger Look

A meditating Kudu on a Termite mound

Marakele National Park.

Today we travelled on highways and byways on tar and on gravel and arrived at Malekele at about 3. The route took us from Alldays to Tolwe, to Baltimore and then to Marken and finally to Vaalwater. It nearly reads like an international itinerary! From Vaalwater we took a road that went along the edge of the park and through the Waterberg. After the flat country side from earlier in the day, this was absolutely beautiful.  One thing that there was plenty of along the way is Game farms and hunting farms and hunting related evidence. We saw one huge game capturing and obviously game auctioning site. We arrived at the park via the Bakker’s pass. The campsite is big and the sites are well positioned and big. Tomorrow we start exploring yet again.

This morning we went into Thabazimbi for some essentials and breakfast and a quick opportunity to send off a bit of my blog. We have now been out of Internet connectivity for more than a week and I have lots a spare photos to put on now.

This park is so different from any other that we have been to.  It is split into 2 parts, with the camp site being situated in the savanna area where there are lots of antelope, zebra, warthog and rhino. The other part is in the more mountainous area and there are predators, elephant and some antelope and zebra. We never saw any of the predators, as the area is vast and they don’t hang around with a signboard to tell you where they are.  Very inconsiderate, I would say, but that is wildlife for you. The rest of the animals we saw easily.

We stopped at the picnic spot for lunch and were joined by a lot of bees, who were after our  G&T’s, apple cores and naartjie skins. We had left the aplle cares on the edge of the table and the bees seemed to be very happy with this and left us alone.  Then out of nowhere appeared Mrs Ostrich, walking like somebody wearing the wrong size high hill shoes. She walked straight to the table and regardless of the bees, picked up every bit of fruit and swallowed it. The bees were gone in a wink. Not sure if she swallowed some or if they just flew away. That was in any case the end of the bee problem.

There is a Cape Vulture breeding colony on top of the mountains here in the park. They claim 800 breeding pairs. I have no idea how they know that. We drove up there on a narrow winding, but tarred road. The scenery is magnificent and the Waterberg is a beautiful area. We never saw any of the 800 breeding pairs, only a few vultures flying high in the sky some distance away. The journey up the mountain is well worth the time that it takes to get there, though.

We had a very exciting moment at the view point when we thought that we had identified a rare bird. We took pictures and already had the plan of who to contact and what to do, however on closer look and studying the photos we realized that we were wrong. What a letdown that was, but such it is with birds. It is nearly like playing the Lotto, you keep on hoping that you win the big one!!!

We are now beginning to feel the first real cold weather of our trip. The days are still warmish, however the nights and the early mornings are crispy cold. Tomorrow morning we are off to Pretoria for 4 nights. We are looking forward to spending some time with friends and family.

Experiencing Mapungubwe.

Mapungubwe  was put on the map by the discovery of the “Golden Rhino”  on the 31^st December 1932 by a Mr. Van Graan. This was while he was out on a hunt. No idea where Mrs. Van Graan was on this New Year’s eve. Best bet is probably looking after Mr. Van Graan’s children. Anyway this all proved to be of major importance and dated the cultural finds of Mapungubwe to about 1000 years ago. Interestingly the finds indicate that the Magumgubwians had trading links with India, China and Arabia. Nothing new, I‘d say. Now everybody mumbles about “Made in China”, but look where it goes back to. I am sure there is a whole lot of interesting facts on a website somewhere, so rather go there for more info, I am a bit vague with history.

We went to visit the site this morning with a guide, Johannes. He was very good and has ancestral links to give him authority when he talks about the whole Mapungubwe history. We drove to close to the site and then walked for the rest of the way and climbed the  stairs that lead up to the hill where some  graves were found as well as proof of people living there, with water storage wells and grain storage places, etc.  The whole place is close to the Limpopo river and it is quite clear that there has been farmlands and other agricultural activities there in earlier years. The 2 hour tour took 3 hours in the end as we were a group of 11 and obviously there were lots of questions and comments and photo stops, etc.

After the tour we went off to the picnic spot at the confluence of the Shashe and the Limpopo rivers. The Shashe is not a permanent river, so currently just a river of sand. Beautifully laid out with lovely facilities. There are 4 viewing decks and the views are well worth the trip. It is the border where Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana meet. We also went to the Tree top boardwalk. What a magnificent concept. There is a 350 metre  boardwalk built on stilts above the forest leading to a bird hide overlooking  the Limpopo river. The trees are huge and there are plenty birds. It was late afternoon and the light was soft and it was stunning. It is worth the visit to the park just to experience that walk.

The other members our “Heritage walk” today were all campers here in our small and intimate campsite. Again you have to admit that variety is the spice of life. Next to us were a couple in a 40 years old  VW Combi, those look like a standard Government loaf of bread. They have toured wide and wonderfully in Southern Africa and love their Combi. It is not “done up” or “tuned”, however it is on its 3^rd engine and still going strong. Next to them is a couple with a “state of the art” truck. It looks like an Overlander truck, but it is their holiday vehicle. It was custom fitted and has everything that opens and shuts and it is huge.  The Combi guy said that the truck is impressive, but he would much rather have his old Combi. Any bets that the truck guy would not want the Combi, not even for scrap!!

Our second day in the park we travelled on all the other roads in the other half of the park and ended the afternoon with a visit to the hide on our side of the park. I think every elephant in the park came for a drink while we were sitting there. Elephants are much disciplined with their drinking. It is always only one herd at a time and the others wait in the wings until it is their turn and then proceed in an orderly fashion to drink and when the matriarch sends out the “rumble” that it is time to leave, they all move off without argument.

When we arrived in the hide there were 4 other  people there already. This was our new neighbors from the camp. They had just videoed the whole elephant drinking sequence and then played it back at full volume in the hide. Eish, man, that is not “hide etiquette”. I suppose the “Be silent” signs do not apply to videos. Well, they also left their “pap pot” full of pap under their caravan the morning, which made a very good breakfast for the monkeys that were in there like a shot when they went off on an early morning drive. In the same way the “Do not feed the animals” signs obviously did not apply.

We have enjoyed Mapungubwe thoroughly and the camp site is great and well worth having on a travel itinerary. From here we are off to the Waterberg area to spend 3 nights in the Malekele National Park.

Arriving in Mapungubwe

We left Gail and Mike after a very, very scrumptious breakfast and with “padkos”. It was just wonderful to experience this fantastic hospitality and we are putting them right back on our “have to visit next time” list.

We travelled back over the Wyllie pass and through the Hendrik Verwoerd Tunnels and took the road to Alldays. This is a name of a town that has always fascinated me and this was the opportunity to go and see what it looked like. Well it did not look like much, a couple of garages, at least 3 funeral shops, the odd hair salon and an hotel from yesteryear. I have never been to Botswana, which is a “katspoegie” away, but it reminded me much of Zimbabwe, a place caught in time. Diesel was jolly cheap there. From there it was about 70 km to the main gate of Mapungubwe.

This is a strangely constructed park. There is a bit here and a bit there. A bit like the old Home land of Boputhuswana( no idea how to spell it). Anyway the main gate is in one area and then you have to go back or onwards, depending from which side you came to get to the camp site, called Mazhou. It is again a wonderful bushcamp, with electricity and a tap and a dustbin  and a BRAAI, right there on your site. I mean what more can you ask for. At the most there are 10 camp sites. It is wonderful.  The park is on the edge of the Limpopo river, although you cannot see it, but you can drive to pretty close in places and Botswana is just across the river.

Now the fire is burning and the steak is waiting. The veggies are nearly ready and the glasses are filled with the best from the Cape Wine lands. The night is quiet and cool and tomorrow we are going to do the Heritage walk.  Holiday is not only about G&T and braai, you also have to fit in a bit of culture and history, and so that’s us for tomorrow.

No cell phone or Internet reception here, so this will get to you after the event!!

Now in  Coffee shop in Thabazimbi and on a dodgy signal. No opportunity for pictures.

From Punda Maria to Louis Trichardt

Our last night in Punda Maria was the first and only night in Kruger that was filled with night sounds, an Elephant walking along the fence line and eating away, Jackals calling and then again the Bush baby. It was wonderful. Dick got up during the night for a comfort break and there the Bush baby was investigating our camp site, like it was his house.

We left early, like 7.30, which is early for us and travelled the last stretch of road Northwards to Pafuri. The Pafuri area is a birders delight. There are HUGE trees and plenty birds. I think many people go there especially for the birds. We could hear many, see some and identify none! You have to give this birding business time and sit there for the day, which we obviously did not have. Next time, maybe.  We stopped at “Crook’s Corner” at the confluence of the Limpopo and the Luvuvhu  rivers.  It is the junction point between Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa and clearly the crooks used this to their benefit in their “business dealings” and the subsequent escaping from the long arm of the law. We didn’t see any crooks, but a little sandbank with 16 crocodiles on it , enough to keep any crook away!!!

One thing that is great in the Kruger is the lovely picnic sites and the one on the Luvuvhu river at Pafuri must be the best of all. It is situated under those huge trees and it was clear to us that most people come there to spend the day and chill and seek for those elusive birds. Anyway, over the river and off we were. The Kruger done and off to Louis Trichardt to visit Mike and Gail, friends from way back for 2 days. Louis Trichardt is a big town, much to my surprise and clearly a growing one at that. We went out for supper on the night of our arrival and the next day we did the tourist route in Louis Trichardt. Our friends took us into the forests to see the view over the town and then we went for lunch at the Mountain Inn. It is an old hotel with wonderful atmosphere and an even better view over the valley below.

We have had a lovely time with Mike and Gail and like always the times spent with old friends and the sharing of memories from the times you have shared together and the fact that you can still spent time together and enjoy it and make new memories are some of the real blessings of life.

Today we head off to Mapungubwe on the Limpopo river between Botswana and South Africa. We are staying ahead of the winter weather and the cold front that has the country in its grip. After that we start heading south and I think we are going to be running out of warm winter days then.

Last day in Kruger and sad to go....

Today was our last full day in Kruger and we are sad to leave this wonderful holiday destination.We might not have seen many predators, but we have had a wonderful time. Today we traveled from Sindwedgi  where we had spent last night . We pitched our camp in a bare/vacant camp site, but within reach of a power point an with a braai on the site. There were 3 other camp sites occupied on the "other side" but once the occupants got back from their respective outings, we got the decided feeling that we were "squatters on their parking lot". Well, I have learnt that close proximity to  a power point and a braai is worth much more that being friends with your neighbour. This mornign Dick was in the bathroom and 2 of the neighbours were there as well and he overheard them saying: "Daai mense oorkant ons is snaaks",meaning that the people opposite us are strange . Weel,they might not have half an idea of how strange we are!!! Dick came back and repeated this to me and then asked what "snaaks"  meant. It means "funny" and his next question was: " Funny as in Ha-Ha or funny as in peculiar". Well again that is a loaded question. From their way of camping, I would have thought that they thought us to be "peculiar". Well, at least we have made it into somebody else's discussion and we hope it gave them pleasure as it gives us to speculate about other campers!!.

Anyway, we travelled all the way from our last night destination to Punda Maria where we are tonight. We did not see any significant wild life or major kills on the road or even many animals, but the vegetation changed and it was so beautiful. Wonderful trees, giant Baobabs, ancient forests and still Elephant and Buffalo.

Tonight we are in the camp at Punda Maria and it is real bush camping. There are not many people here and I don't believe that it is the "hub" of Kruger, but it is awesome. Our site is right on the edge of the camp and the bush is a couple of meters away. It is quiet ant for the first time we have heard "bush sounds". Earlier tonight I heard a sound like a baby crying, but did not know what it was. Some time later I heard it again and then asked Dick what it was and he said it was a baby. I said NO, it is not. Well not too long after that we looked up from where we sitting having our supper and there was this little "baby" looking at us from a tree. It was a real life "Bush baby". It was totally un perturbed about our presence and went about doing its Bush baby business as if we were not even there. It was my "Ah Ha moment" of the day. Needless to sat neither Dick not I had our cameras with us at the time.

I have saved some photos of out experience of Kruger and will post them on the blog soonest. For us it was a wonderful time and a great experience to be here and we have learnt that it is not only about the "Big Five", but about the wonderful world we are privileged to live in and to share in.

....and we arrived at Shingwedzi.

This morning we were up and gone by 7-00. That does not mean we were fully awake , but we were gone. We traveled along the way, saw very little but we stopped at the Mooiplaas picnic site for breakfast. We rented the skottel and we made a lovely breakfast with fried eggs and mushrooms and the last bit of or wonderful bread from the Belgium baker in Hazyview. We were so satisfied with ourselves that we had cottoned on so quickly to this "breakfast at picnic spots"in the Park.
Last night we were visited by our camping neighbour who told us about all his wild life sightings and the leopard that killed the Impala right next to his car, so close that he could not even take a  picture. We listened and made all the right noises and then thought how is it that some people see all these fantastic things.Somehow it sounds like fishing stories to me and then this afternoon we sitting in a hide at Kanniedood Dam and a a family with 4 young kids arrive.  4 Kids in a hide is already a "no-no" however this family arrives with the 4 kids, all boys, ranging from just over a year to about 8 years.After about 20 minutes I knew the names, Willem, Ben, Georgie and David. The mother is Dominque and the dad is Ben. The kids were silenced, but with the best will in the world there is in no way that you can keep a young child quiet. As they walked into the hide the eldest boy came to me and compared binoculars and then pointed out the croc in the river all in a whispered tone. They all had coffee in whispered tones and proceeded to talk in that lowered tone that  eventually sound louder than normal voice tones. Anyway as the afternoon progressed, like 30 minutes later, they told us of their encounter with a Cheetah. Again I thought, how the hell can it be true and then she took her camera and she showed me the photos. There on the beacon sat the Cheetah, hardly a metre away from them. So no my "fishing story" philosophy is dead already!! Fact remains, we have seen none of the great predators. We have, though seen a Spotted Pearl Owl in the middle of the day on a dead tree, 2 Adult and 1 juvenile Saddle Bill storks, 2 Tsessebe Antelope, which is very rare to see in the park .So we are comforting ourselves with the thought that we might not have seen the "big Five" but we have seen   many other things, not that we are not wanting to spot a Wild dog or a Leopard or a Cheetah.

Tonight we are in the camp site in Shingwedzi. It is a huge camp site with lots of sites and nobody knows where any site begins or ends. We have learnt now that we look for a braai place and an electrics connection first. If Ablutions are close it is a bonus and we have stopped caring about who our neighbours are. Tonight I think our neighbours are not so impressed with us as we have pitched camp in what I think they thought of as their car park. Tough, we thought, it was the only electrical connection point we could find close to an ablution facility.

The night is quiet and there are stars all over the night sky. People are talking in lowered tones and many have gone to bed already. It is amazing how early the night comes in a campsite, especially in Kruger, but then again the morning comes equally early. Tomorrow we are off to spend our last night in the Park at Punda Maria. Hopefully we lucky on the way and we see some of the elusive predators.

Travelling to Letaba.

The day starts early in a Game Reserve. By 4.30 you could hear people getting up and getting ready with the coffee and rusks to be out on the road for some serious game viewing when the gates open at 6.00. We were not planning to get up so early but by 6-00 we got up, folded up and packed up and did all the necessary  and “poer-poered” and by 8.00 we were also on the road. At about 9.00 we stopped at a picnic site and was surprised to see plenty people having breakfast. Not sure how much game viewing took place from 6-00 to when they got there, but it was clear that this is a stop of note and that making your breakfast there is part of the plan.  One thing that is great in the park is that they provide “skottel braais” and gas at several of the picnic sites for the use of the picnickers. It is such a good idea and in 2 places we have seen this being used very well by the experienced Kruger visitors. We are going to do a whole lot better next time.

Today was the day of Zebra, Giraffe, Elephant and Hippo. We saw huge herds of Zebra all along the way. I mean a herd of a hundred was nothing.  Giraffes don’t do herds, but we saw several groups of 5 or 10  and any number in between.We travelled along and across several rivers and every one of these rivers are homes to Hippos. I always thought they spent their days in the water and only got out at night to feed, but none of that for modern day Hippos. They bask in the sun all day long and their natural sunscreen contained in their sweat, prevents them from getting sunburned. Creation is amazing, however today we saw a totally PINK hippo. Not sure what that means, but it surely looked strange. The hippo itself was basking in the sun with her buddies and they were not totally pink, mostly they look sort of pinkish on the belly and around their eyes. Maybe this one was like we were when we were young, Coppertone and bikini and a day on the beach at Clifton, regardless of the consequences.

We are securely settled into our campsite in Letaba amongst the Mopani trees. It is a lovely site and the people are so quiet, other than the guy that was listening to the Rugby at full volume in Afrikaans somewhere. Not sure who was playing, but he got yelled at eventually by an English guy who clearly doesn’t support the same team or the same language.

Our meat is on the braai our wine is in our glasses and we are ready for another wonderful night in the bush. Tomorrow we head for Shingwedzi. Hopefully we get out early and make breakfast on the way.