COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader
Now on our last of the three legs of our African sorjourn, having driven 6000km up through Namibia, then safaried across Botswana into Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls. We are now flying from Vic Falls to Johannesburg to start our 4500km drive South via the Drakensberg mountians & Durban to Cape Town completing a full circle.
Having all heard of the bribery & corruption in SA & knowing how it works, I was completely blindsided when having collected our diminutive 'sewing machine' hire car, and still under cover of the airport building, I was waved over by the police, only to be told I had not stopped ! After a brief discussion of :- I did, you didnt, I did......etc the fine book firmly ensconced under his arm, was told I would now need to drive into JHB to pay the fine - WHAT, I still need to drive three hours to the Drakensberg before nightfall !
So I volunteered , could I just pay the fine to the cop, here and now ?.........YES, was the immediate reply, without a flinch, how much could I pay ?
Well, how much is the fine, I plead ?
How about R800 (Aus $80)
came the reply. The fine book still firmly wedged under his arm. A bit more pleading on my part....here on holiday from Aus etc
OK, how about R400 ?
Then comment also visiting my sick father in Durban - OK pay R200 in cash right now !
The R200.00 note leaves my wallet......into his pocket.......enjoy your holiday and I drive out finally from the airport building......stopping every 10m, just incase !
It was a slow trip to the berg !
All the ills were forgotten as we reached Hlalanathi cottage, tucked into the mountians, to a scene from 'Out of Africa' overlooking the river and overlooking the river down below us on the plains scattered with the iconic acacia flat crown and the dragons back looming proud in the distance. We hiked up the escarpment of the Tugela river, ate our pack lunch at the confluence of two rivers, surrounded by water gurgling either side of us and the occasional Lamergier (bearded vulture) with its 8ft wingspan drifting high overhead.
The following day we climbed through cool mist and fog to the peak of The Sentinel when briefly the mist parted and made visible the shadows stretching across
the valleys to the far distant horizon.
Inspired now, we drove the next day to Witsieshoek car park to the departure point for the Mont-Aux-Sources hike and amphitheatre wall........it was breathtaking.
Our final day saw us hike the Injusuti Trail to crane our necks in the opposite direction and look up from the base to the lofty peaks, rugged and bare towering over us.
The last morning we dragged ourselves from our majestic african cottage and drove through the townships and assortment of tin, mud, brick and thatch huts scattered randomly on route to Dragons Peak Camp.
Here we were greeted by Paulos the giant african gate guard, so enthusiasticly that we looked behind us thinking he might have mistaken us, for royalty in the car behind - but no, no car behind us !
On checking in, we were asked to lookout for the vervet monkeys getting in the cottages & true to their word, as we pulled up outside our cottage verandah the welcomming party of 20 monkeys sat inquisitively perched side by side on the facia boards and surrounding trees, surveying our every item removed from the car entering our abode.
Over the next
days, we hiked the immediate surrounds inside out, marvelled at the waterfalls in full flood, the new spring veld flowers enjoying the recent warmth......it was great to be back in the berg, and brought back many school & Uni memories.
On to visit Dad & Heather in Duban, and on route we overnighted midway with my aunt & uncle, Trish & Arthur, Trish the matriach of the Schroeder clan and Arthur, my second dad, business tutor and mentor. Cousin Karen & hubby Andrew, and the kids arrived and mucked in , making it feel just like the magic childhood family feasts we used to have, a lifetime ago.
Then on to Dads & Heather, and although having last seen him only 18 months before, I was shocked to be greeted by a mere shadow of a man. We lunched frivously three days consecutively, golfed with difficulty but he glowed with pride showing his eldest 60 yesr old son the foibles of the game and where I could improve. What a day that was for both him & I. Little did I realise that almost 3 months to the day, he would be with us no longer !
Then
on to the Transkei (Xhosa homeland) through the iconic Xhosa huts, cattle roaming freely on the main highway, beaming black childrens faces & barefoot happily (neat as a pin in uniform) skipping off to school, that wild coast - surfed so often in years past - a magical place indeed.
We overnighted in Kokstad, that stirred up the muddy waters of my jailing as an esrly 20 year old, 3 months after Transkei had gained independence from SA.
The roads today however far worse than I recall, resembling a war zone and potholes that might swallow our diminuitive chariot if one lost concentration for a second. Our room however was fabulous, as was the host that went well beyond her call of duty to make our stay relaxed. A stark contrast to the dischevelled uncomfortable neighbourhood outside the barbed wire fenced and gated homely B&B.
Next morning we dodged our way to Stutterheim to hunt down Grandad Stanleys Stutterheim Hotel that he owned back in 1930's, that I had only seen photos of when I was a child. After some local dective work, we found what was now the rebuilt (1952) modern monstrosity characterless bland single story facade, and
rather forlorn remains of what was once a regal double story grand building.
Grandad would turn in his grave.
We visited Addo Elephant Park near Port Elizabeth, and then on to where the surf gods reside - Jeffreys Bay (J Bay).............but on this occasion not living up to its reputation of the longest, most perfect break in the world, but St Francis main break however we could see and reminisce from our verandah (for a little to long apparently).
We explored for miles up the beach, hunting for shark & ray egg casings, shells, rock pools, wierd & wonderfull miniature tree looking weed and coral washed up on the high tide mark.
Watched local coloured shell collector's and seaweed driers (for processing) scouring the beach for their living.
By the time we reached Tsitsikamma river mouth and the 'garden route' the vegetation had become dense, overgrown thick & quite unlike the Wild Coast we had just left behind us. We viewed some lunatics launching themselves 216m off the worlds highest bungee jump, visited a 10 acre, 60 feet high entirely covered in one space bird park, hiked the Robberg peninsular, hunted for whales in Plettenberg bay, dined
in Knysna with a wood carving, furniture making school class mate of 40 years ago, spent a day at Knysna Elephant park & African Elephant Research Station (AERO) walking freely amongst and alongside the elephants, both humbling and spectacular, and hunted for whales in Plettenberg Bay.
Leaving the coastline, we made our way inland to Ostrich Mecca and Oudtshoorn where we learnt, fed and watched ostrich races to great amusement, then back to the coast at Mossel Bay, where Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 landed after rounding Cape of Good Hope. We dined that night barefoot, on the waters edge to a blood red sunset, our gigantic meals of local fare on enamel plates, red wine in typical african enamel mug and half litre of beer all for the princely sum of R45.00 (Aus $4.50) - heaven !
On the morning of our departure from our digs, (one of the, oldest and original homesteads in Mossel overlooking the entire bay) we coffeed with peacocks around our feet at the Blue Shed Coffee Roatery (tin warehouse) where the whos who frequented, and then on to Tradouws Pass, over the mountians with deep ravines & gorges to the majestic and serene
Cape Dutch architecture homes of Swellendam, and our 1867 room at the foot of the escarpment, framing what still almost resembled the era of the early settlers.
The southern most tip of Africa - L'Agulhas, where the Atlantic & Indian oceans meet, its 1848 lighthouse still warning sailors, was rugged, windswept and remote as expected. After exploring the rock pools & cataloged the seaside salt resistant blooms we made our way through quaint coloured peoples villages and homes to Hermanus where we will hopefully cage dive with the Great White shark.
With a little trepidation the next day we board the boat to take us out to meet with the notorious voracious monsters of the ocean. We suit up, grab a mask and are the 1st in the cage (for 8) over the side of the boat. 20 or so fish heads, tied together on the end of a casting rope are then hurled off the stern of the boat and slowly retrieved as 9 large Great Whites amble up out of the depths to investigate.
There is no hurry, no voracious frenzy feeding, no flurry to devour everything in sight.....quite the contrary these huge 3.5m - 4.5m denizens
of the deep, majestic & supremely powerful have an air of nonchalance about them.
Unnerving, yes - but not horryifing, quite the opposite, quite beautiful - although not sure the feeling would be the same without the safety of the cage. .....they had no interest in the 8 human occupants at all.
With the thought of sharks the last thing on our minds, we made our way back to Cape Town and last farewells to my cohort Ian & Jules which takes a couple of days. The last night we dine with Debs and the kids, Duncan & Jess and their partners join us as they too are to leave on their travels - a fitting end to a memorable African sorjourn.
COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader_blog_bottom
Tot: 0.083s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 7; qc: 60; dbt: 0.0577s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
David Atkinson
non-member comment
Thanks for the update
G'dayJan and Kevin, Wonderful update , and at least I know some of the places you have been to! Cheers D & B