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Published: January 14th 2009
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The Curious Bontebok
A curious Bontebok in our campsite, with our home-away-from home in the background.
For more photos, click here: [url=http://flickr.com/photos/alexarmitage/sets/] Flickr Photo Page [/url] Braai, Biltong and Croc Circles
Jan. 14, 2009
Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa
About a week ago, Sarah and I were sitting under a tree taking a break from the sizzling African sun. In a heat-induced daze, I glanced down and thought I was hallucinating. On the tops of my feet were a half-dozen dime-sized brown circles. I started to smile. Then a giggle. Then a full-blown laugh. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There before me, staring back up, was a sign from the heavens. All of my hard work since leaving London -- two weeks in the Corsican mountains, two months at sea on yacht Cleone, a month and a half in South Africa -- was complete. I now had a Croc tan. The sun (lots of sun, apparently) had made its way through the Croc’s circles and left its imprint on the tops of my feet. “This is the single most important achievement I have made since quitting my job in London,” I said. (Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration.)
Then, as if being woken from a beautiful dream, I was brought instantly back to reality. “You’re ridiculous,” Sarah said. (I’m still a bit shocked
Bontebok Park
A view from Bontebok Park towards the mountains of Swellendam.
For more photos, click here: [url=http://flickr.com/photos/alexarmitage/sets/] Flickr Photo Page [/url] by her lack of understanding, though I must admit, she does have a killer flip-flop tan.)
Slowly, we are adapting to South African life. It’s a slower pace, for sure. Most people don’t where shoes in stores, supermarkets and restaurants. We do most of our activities before 11 a.m. and after 3 p.m. Between those hours, it’s too damn hot to do anything -- except sit. We lather up with sunscreen everyday as part of our morning routine. “The South African sun is dangerous,” a rock climber warned us. Every afternoon the smell of barbecuing, or braaing as it’s known in South Africa, fills the air. Surfing slang for “bro,” is not the U.S. slang “bra,” but here it’s pronounced “brew” -- as if you were greeting a beer. We occasionally nibble on biltong, African jerky. Though we often try kudu and other strange-sounding meats.
After Christmas in Agulhas, we headed northeast up to Bontebok and De Hoop Parks. Bontebok made a name for itself by bringing the black and white deer-like bontebok back from the brink of extinction. The park, with about 200 of the animals currently, has helped reintroduce some of these majestic animals to other
"That is a Long Way Down"
A view into from the top of Swartberg Pass in South Africa's Karoo region.
For more photos, click here: [url=http://flickr.com/photos/alexarmitage/sets/] Flickr Photo Page [/url] parks. Bontebok roam the windswept hills and the braver ones even entered our camp one afternoon. In De Hoop, we marveled at the park’s famous sand dunes and Southern Right whales. In our time in South Africa, we’ve found we need to add about 25 percent more time to our plans, because we keep running across unexpected delights, such as whales breaching for hours at a time, as was the case in De Hoop. (Admiring my Croc tan is also a daily routine.)
After the time in the parks, we headed up to the Karoo region, characterized by its high plains deserts and mountains - and clear sky. Astronomers flock to the area because of its clear, dry air. Sure enough, on New Year’s Eve we were camped out on the top of a hill in the middle of the desert, and spent a fair amount of the evening marveling at the sky, the stars and the meteors chasing each other across the sky.
Ostrich lovers also flock to the Karoo, where one of its biggest towns is Outdshoorn, the self-proclaimed ostrich capital of the world. We found no reason to argue with this claim as the long-necked,
Dolphin Swimming
This photo was taken about ten minutes before we got in the water to swim with the dolphins in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa.
For more photos, click here: [url=http://flickr.com/photos/alexarmitage/sets/] Flickr Photo Page [/url] puffy-feathered creatures were everywhere. Farms and restaurants offered the bird for dinner, lunch and even entertainment. “Ostrich rides here!,” more than one sign read. Locals sold feathered dusters on Outdshoorn’s street corners. More than 400 ostrich farms are in Outdshoorn’s vicinity.
In Outdshoorn, we spent four days climbing. In addition to battling the heat and sun, we were definitely challenged by the world-class climbing. The limestone, the only rock of its kind in South Africa, is either bathtub slick or knife’s edge sharp. Easy warm-up routes are hard to find. The locals warm-up on South African grade 22 routes, the equivalent to a U.S. grade 5.10 or a French grade 7A. The few easy routes we found, sadly, were guarded by hornet’s nests. And, unfortunately, I was stung twice descending a route on a belay. We decided that we’d try some other crags, build up our strength and maybe return to Outdshoorn.
We then headed south, back to the coast to Knysna, once known for its dense forests and elephants that wandered the hills. Sadly, all but three of the elephants are gone and only a small percentage of the woods are left, having fallen victim to the
Wild Game
Ostrich's are just about the goofiest creatures you'll ever see. But damn, they taste good!
For more photos, click here: [url=http://flickr.com/photos/alexarmitage/sets/] Flickr Photo Page [/url] timber industry. We mountain biked in the forests two days in a row and were mesmerized by the dense woodland, rolling hills and surreal green colors. Some of the forests were so thick and wet we thought they might qualify as rainforests. The massive trunks on some of the trees (with Latin names beginning with Sequoia) reminded me of California’s redwood and sequoia trees.
After the climbing and biking, we headed east along the so-called Garden Route and hit up Plettenberg Bay and Jeffrey’s Bay for some surfing - two of South Africa’s world famous surf spots. Fortunately the surf was a bit quiet and we were able to paddle around a bit and try our luck. Sarah and I are both beginners so we weren’t battered too badly. Our second day in Jeffrey’s Bay offered us some of the most beautiful, even sets of surf I’ve ever been on. We both spent lots of time standing on our boards rather than paddling. Later, in Jeffrey’s Bay, we tried our luck at kite surfing. What looks to be a graceful and gentle sport, turns out to be damn hard and strenuous. After two days of trying, I was just
Sand Running
Sarah running down the steep dunes in De Hoop National Park.
For more photos, click here: [url=http://flickr.com/photos/alexarmitage/sets/] Flickr Photo Page [/url] barely able to get the hang of some beginner moves. “Way to go ‘brew.’ You’re a top student,” my instructor yelled.
In addition to the surf, Plettenberg Bay is known for its whales and dolphins. One afternoon we spent about two hours watching dolphins frolic in the surf. Amazed that some swimmers were so close to the curious dolphins, we figured we’d hop in to get a better glimpse. Within a few minutes of entering the warm Indian Ocean surf, we were surrounded by them. Dozens of the curious creatures dove and flapped their tales within just a few feet of us and a half-dozen other swimmers. For more than an hour, Sarah and I kept pointing out dolphins to each other. First to the left. Then to the right. Four of them surrounded me. Before I had time to panic, they were gone. Before I had time to realize they were gone, a few more would show. It’s hard to say who was more curious about the other.
South Africa’s coast is a veritable paradise for outdoor lovers. The weather on the Garden Route is hot at this time of year, but mild the rest of the
Whale watching! Enough already....
We saw more whales on Christmas day in De Kelders, than I've seen in my whole life. At least 50! But who's counting....
For more photos, click here: [url=http://flickr.com/photos/alexarmitage/sets/] Flickr Photo Page [/url]
year. Climbing, surfing, biking, swimming, sea kayaking and kite boarding are easily accessible and relatively affordable in just about every town. It’s definitely worth a visit.
From Jeffrey’s Bay, we are headed back west and north to make our way up to Namibia. Along the way, we’ll hit a few stops we missed on our way out along the Garden Route.
We’ll keep you posted on the progress of the Croc tan.
For more photos, click here:
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Alex
non-member comment
Metric Mania
dude, you're missing out on all the fun back at work! Measurable metrics. We're now going to be judged on Hits, Bests, Corrects and scoops and we have set targets for each of those. I bet you're sorry you missed out. No end of croc-spots could compensate missing this experience!