Howick, Midmar Nature Reserve to Ballito Bay (146 km or 90 miles), Thursday, March 13th. Left the campground and went back up highway 103 to the Nelson Mandela capture site to look at the museum there. The museum consisted entirely of large photos blown up with writings and sayings on them, hung along the walls. The photos detailed his youth, his family, his education, and other aspects of his life. After walking through the museum, we looked at the craft shops where the women were doing pictures out of beads and some other craft work. Valerie took pictures of the very interesting large, imposing, metal sculpture that stands in the front entrance by the road. It is a picture of Mandela’s face behind bars, but you only see his face in the work if you stand ... read more

Mountain Zebra National Park to Gariep Dam (245 km or 152 miles), Sunday afternoon, March 9th. Left the Park behind and traveled on N-10/R32 named the Merino route for the breed of sheep raised in this area. The countryside in this part of South Africa seems very arid and reminds us of Utah, Montana, and Arizona with lots of butte type formations. Lots of sheep and cattle ranches. Seems strange to look out among the cattle and see an ostrich or two. Lots of construction along this route. We were fascinated to watch the women personing the “right of way” haul a yellow plastic barrier on wheels back and forth across the lane to be stopped. About 200 km into the day’s drive, near the town of Colesburg, we came to an Engen One Stop with ... read more

The Addo Elephant National Park, Friday, March 7th. Sunny day. The third largest national park in South Africa, Addo Elephant National Park covers about 180,000 hectares or 444,700 acres. The original elephant section of the park was proclaimed in 1931, when only sixteen elephants remained in the area. Today, it is sanctuary to over 550 elephants plus lions, buffalo, black rhino, spotted hyena, leopard, a variety of antelope and zebra species, as well as the unique and rare Addo flightless dung beetle, found almost exclusively in Addo. We drove around various dirt and tarred roads looking for animals first thing this morning. This is the wildest we will ever be able to see these animals even though they are in a fenced and gated area for their protection. Animals that have historically been in this environment ... read more

Oudtshoorn to Knysna (127 km or 77 miles)—Monday, March 3rd. Rainy and overcast today. The whole group left the park basically together as we needed to be at the Cango Caves at the same time for a tour there. Climbed straight up and then up some more for about 27 km. The Cango Caves were formed 20 million years ago by acidic ground water chemically eroding the limestone rock forming the rooms. The stalactites and stalagmites started growing in the rooms when the water drained away the same way they formed in Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Here the opening was large enough that the caves were used for shelter by ancient peoples, but were only historically described in 1780 by Dutch settlers. We assembled in an entrance hall while tickets were purchased and then walk ... read more

Stellenboch to L’Agulhas (144 miles)--Friday, February 28th Travelling on Highway R44 on the Whale Coast Drive (unfortunately the wrong time of year for the whales), after 82 km we turned onto R43 toward Hermanus. After about 22 km, we navigated the traffic circle and turned toward Stanford, a few more km and we turned onto Highway R316 toward Napier/Bredasdorp. We turned right at a sign for Cape Agulhas now on 319, and drove to the “Southernmost tip of Africa” where we looked at the rocks, the oceans (Indian on the left and Atlantic Ocean on right), and the lighthouse before driving a few km back to L’Agulhas Caravan Park for the night. Driving this route we travelled along the coast through small communities at first. We stopped in one small town at a ShopRite and ought ... read more