Aye Aye Captain coming aboard

Southern Africa Safari 2017 – Day 1

Following a frantic last day in Knysna from haircuts to buying and collecting a second spare wheel organised by our good friend Harry we managed to get underway by 07h45 a minor miracle in itself. Wanted to pick up some biltong and dry wors at the Biltong shop in Plettenberg Bay, but we were too early, who buys biltong at 08h30 in the morning anyway.

We made good time getting to Port Elizabeth at 10h00; we took the coastal road to East London going through Alexandria the home of chicory, but did not see any growing a bit like hops in George? Then through Kenton and Port Alfred a lovely part of our Eastern coast line.

Kei River Mouth

I had set the Garmin for the shortest route and the Garmin lady took us via Kei Mouth Ferry, however on the way we come around a corner and lo and behold there is a complete Boeing from Eish Airlines which Denise captured on film. The route saved us a lot of time at the princely sum of R80 to cross on the ferry, the alternative route would be through Butterworth and then through Kentani to Qoloro Mouth where Trennery’s hotel is situated. It is over 30 years since I last visited this part of the world and from my failing memory it has not changed much at all, we were told that it had changed hands a few times, but it was clean, comfortable and just as Kim remembers we had an awesome seafood buffet consisting giant prawns, oysters, calamari, mussels, rock cod and more. You can eat as much as you like, it was a veritable feast that we and a coach full of German tourists enjoyed.

Sleep evaded us at first could it have been too much rich food I wonder?

Boarding the Kei Ferry

The pool at Trennery's

Southern Africa Safari 2017 – Day 2

Denise was awake at 05h00 and by the time I awoke she had worked out how many tap mixers, shower heads, basins and sinks we needed for our new home that as I write is being built all because “Greg the Builder” note that it is no longer “Bob the Builder” had intimated that he would need this information before we got back, guess tonight it will be plugs and switches and their exact location

We had a leisurely breakfast and travelled up to Butterworth on the N2 and on to Idutchwa where I needed to get fuel and Denise wanted to use a toilet, first petrol station was Total and we could not get access so we tried BP and they said there was no water so off we go back to Total and after some considerable manoeuvring we got to the pumps. My last experience of this town was when I collected my General Manager from East London to go to Umtata, now called Mthata, he was starving so we called in at the Kentucky, but to do so you had to cross a stream of sewage flowing down the road right outside the Kentucky, needless to say our hunger pangs left us in an instant.

The small towns in the old Transkei have not changed much, you could be anywhere in Africa, throngs of people crowding the streets showing no concern for vehicles, taxis hooting and very loud music emitting from them and the sidewalk shops, competing for the loudest rendering of local tribal music, vegetables for sale on the pavement along with second hand clothes and shoes and a host of other items as well as pavement special dogs everywhere. This is the real South Africa not the westernised towns a lot of us live in.

They are rebuilding part of the road from Idutchwa to Mthata it said 17kms, but it must have been 50kms it certainly felt like that, it was stop and go and one had to be careful you did not get a huge boulder dumped in front or on your vehicle as they were loading the trucks right alongside the part of the road you were travelling on. Some 10kms from Mthata we turn of to Coffee Bay, if we thought the N2 was hairy, this road was quite scary very twisty, very busy and it was not only the traffic you had to worry about there were cows, dogs, goats, sheep, donkeys and horses all seeming just there for you to test your brakes and nerves, have to hand it to Denise she handled a very difficult section with aplomb cannot say the same for me.

Coral Tree in full bloom at Trennery's

We finally got to the Ocean View Hotel at 13h30, had a light lunch of fish and chips and went off to see the Hole in the Wall, it had to happen, as it does on every big journey we make, we got conned into letting a guide show us the way, the young man’s name was Joseph and our first impressions was that he was a very likeable young man, I tried to get him to tell me what he wanted for his services, but he would have none of that he said we will talk when we get back from his tour, another young man said he would look after our car whilst we went sight seeing, all seemed OK until we were nearly back at the car when Joseph said we must pay him now as he did not want his friends to see how much he was paid so I said what is the fee and he said R150 each for a one hour walk to the Hole in the Wall and back, I asked him what he had been smoking and offered him R100 for both of us, which I still considered too much. He was not happy with my payment of R100, and then his buddy wanted R50 for making sure our car was safe while we were away, I said a car guard in Knysna would look after my car all day for R5, I offered him R10 but be refused, so in the end he got nothing.

I suppose it could have got nasty, but let it be a lesson to you if you ever want to see the Hole in the Wall, it is easy to find just follow a well worn path, and you cannot go wrong. I later find that the Hotel charges R200 per person to take you there and back (14kms) for a 2 hour trip so I guess Joseph thought he was giving us a bargain.

Southern Africa Safari 2017 – Day 3

Denise at The Hole in the Wall

After a good nights rest we are having breakfast overlooking the Indian Ocean and Denise, my personal hawk eye, spots two whales frolicking and travelling up the coast line fairly close to shore, now we know we are going to have a fabulous holiday. I have the pleasure of doing the first drive today and I have to say it was far easier going back uphill than Denise’s journey the day before downhill. We make good time to Kokstad where we leave the N2 for the Drakensberg to be exact Bushman’s Nek a little south of Underberg. I was a little unnerving as there was a massive veld fire on the mountains ahead and it appeared it was in the direction we were heading. After losing our house and all we possessed to the Knysna fires we were not keen to go through another experience. When we get to the resort we ask what is happening and the receptionist was unaware of what was happening on her doorstep and nonchantly told us we had nothing to fear as the Park rangers would soon get it under control, we certainly hope so, but the smell of smoke brings back vivid memories of the 7/8^th June 2017.

We have had a game of putt, putt adventure golf and we hope to try our hand at bowls tomorrow. We have a two night stop here and then we travel to Johannesburg where we are looking forward to seeing family.