South Africa
Cape Town Gardens
22nd May 2007 - Cape Town
The sun was shining on Table Mountain as our plane arrived in Cape Town, and waiting for us at the airport was our friend Jackie who was going to take us to get our cruiser.I fell in love all over again as I saw our cruiser parked in the shade of a large oak tree. The thrill of adventure and travel soured through my veins and I could not wait to leave for our Africa overland up the west coast.
But Chinook (our cruiser) needs some pampering before it is ready to leave. We anticipate being in Cape Town for about 2-3 weeks while we prepare Chinook for her next adventure.
It is only 12 days since we left Calgary and in that time, we have managed to lose a rented car in a parking lot, received a £100 parking fine in Oxford, Tom left his credit card at Heathrow airport and I ended up on antibiotic for an ear infection.
We experienced little glitch at Heathrow airport when checking in to catch our flight to Cape Town. All UK airports now only allow one piece of hand luggage regardless of the airline. We arrived laden with luggage, coats and jacket pockets bulging, sweat pouring off as we had so much clothing on. Time to rearrange the luggage. The booster cables, shackles and high-lift jack extension had to go, as did the bolts. We ditched our 4 pieces of hand luggage and purchased 2 new larger carry on. More stuff into our pockets, it is absolutely amazing what one can stuff into ones clothing if desperate. It felt as though my thighs expanded to 30 inches each in circumferences as I stuffed all I could into my pants pockets. In fact that I was so weighted down I could barely stand up straight. We were a sight to behold.
Lion Fish
Jeannette and Jean are a South African couple living in London and planning to drive to Cape Town in a Land Cruiser leaving sometime in October this year. A really lovely couple and we had fun chatting and sent them off with our booster cables, shackles and high lift jack extension. Were really pleased our off-loads are going to be put to good use and heading back for Africa.
June 4 - Cape Town
It is painful to have to wait for our cruiser Chinook to be prepared for the trip. We are being held up waiting for some parts. We had to have our Angola visa extended but the Angolan Embassy was great and approved the extension with no problems.
We are now just waiting patiently for the cruiser and then we will be off to London. We visited the aquarium, museums, art galleries and Tom climbed Table Mountain and he is still suffering from sore muscles and stiff legs.
Land Cruiser Tires
June 11 - Puncture Number One
The day had arrived and we began to pack Chinook for the trip. The wind blew and the rain poured but nothing could dampen our spirits not even the fact that we discover we a rear tire was leaking air nor that the rain water was leaking into the car through the front window seal. Packing was put on hold while we took the cruiser to have the puncture repaired and the front window leak fixed. We drove to a tire repair shop and left the car there with instruction to “change the inner rubber tube.”
We returned a little later to now take the car to a window repair shop, and while waiting to have the window repaired we could still hear the hissing sound of leaking air from the rear wheel. We returned to the tire repair shop and explained air was still leaking. The tire man informed us that he had not put in a new tire he had simply “patched the puncture.” “But it is still leaking air” replied Tom. He looked at us and earnestly explained, “No that is not air from inside the inner tube that is air from outside the tube escaping don’t worry the tire will settle down.” And settled down it did, the following more the tire had in fact settled down right down to the rim, it was flat. Our first puncture. Welcome to Africa!
Children Dancing
How Soon We Forget
It appears we have forgotten some lessons we learnt on our last trip. Our first night camping was a dismissal wet experience. Snuggled up in our cozy tent we were soon asleep. However during the night, we were woken up by a torrential rain and wind storm. We lay in bed listening to the rain beating down on our tent, wondering whether we would be blown away in the winds and rain. We were not blown away but we were nearly drowned as the rain poured into our tent, water levels rose and our sponge mattress soaked up the water as fast as it could.
Soon we were lying on a very soggy, wet mattress and it was not long before sleeping bags were soaked and our tent wasn’t cozy anymore. We knew immediately what the cause was; the tent had not been fully put up. We had done a quick pitch which we usually did when we were not staying for more than one night and we did not anticipate rain. It has been raining all week we should have known better.
Roof Ladder
National Museum
On our last trip we lost our ladder which we used to climb onto the roof of the cruiser. It had been bolted to our high lift jack but on a stretch of road with severe corrugations the bolt had severed and the ladder fallen off. We did without a ladder for the rest of the trip and climbing onto the top of the cruiser became an acrobatic exercise.
Back in South Africa we were now able to purchase a new ladder for getting up on the roof. Our dilemma was where to store the ladder. We decided against bolting it like last time so Tom suggested we strap the ladder onto the roof. Great idea I said.
After several minutes of thinking I stated, “So that means we would still need to climb up onto the roof to get the ladder which we bought so we would not have to struggle to get onto the roof in the first place. That is about the stupidest solution we have come up with so far!” Great minds don’t always think alike or perhaps our brains were still soggy at the time.
The ladder was both bolted and lashed back onto the high lift jack, hopefully this time it will make it all the way to London.
Steep Incline
WWW.4X4TEAMBUILDING.COM
Pieter Du Plessis welcomed us to Glen Oakes Farm and 4X4 off road training area. It was time for Tom and me to review our off road driving skills and vehicle recovery procedures, gear and safety. The cattle farm is situated in the western coast of the Cape and it is on this farm that we were to tackle the steep inclines and deep mud.
With all our recovery gear spread out on the grass we began the task of checking we had all we needed before trying out the winch, using the high lift jack as a jack, as a winch and a clamp. Finally confident we headed for the off road training routes.
Up that slope!
I wanted to do the driving as I felt needed to review using low range going up and down steep inclines. I was doing great although nervous. After several kilometers Pieter showed me a steep inclined which he described as the most difficult I said there was no need for me to try because if it was that steep Tom would drive it. It looked about a 70 degree drop and I don’t like it when it feels like me and the car are going to go head over heels. Tom did great. We winch the car through mud and had a wonderful day. Pieter was an excellent instructor and for anyone planning a serious 4X4 trip should spend a day of training first with Pieter or if you really just want a fun day.
Pieter Du Plessis contact information is
Cell: 27-829-244-083
Email: Pieter@4x4teambuilding.com
Website: www.4X4teambuilding.com
Ostrich Rodeo
OSTRICH RODEO
Oudshoorn is most famous for ostrich farming. They use the feathers for making boa, the meat is eaten (it tastes like beef not chicken) and the skin is made into bags and belts. We headed for Oudshoorn so we could visit an ostrich farm. It did not take much to convince Tom to try and ride an ostrich, reputable the stupidest bird on the planet with enormous and beautiful eyes filling 2/3 of the head. They cannot be trained and the ride is not without risks, the challenge of course is staying on the frantic and wild running bird. Tom did great and managed to stay on the bird until he shouted “that’s it I had enough.” He said it was a tough ride, as the feathers feel oily and soft and the back is sloping so it is difficult to hang onto the wings.
The ostrich egg is huge and the equivalent of 24 chicken eggs. The shell is actually strong enough to support the weight of a man and Tom did manage to stand on one egg on one foot for at least a few seconds before tumbling off. We finished our visit under a large tree eating an ostrich pita.
Cango Caves
CANGO CAVES
Just past Oudshoorn are the Cango Caves. Large caverns adorned with stalagmites and stalactites. We scrambled deep into the caves, the air hot and humid; they are some of the biggest caves in the world.
BIG BIRD IN AFRICA.
Big Bird
Our last night in South Africa and after a long day’s drive we arrived at Vryburg. In the dark we headed for a campsite we saw posted. We paid at the entrance but when we got to the actual campsite we quickly realized this was no place for a “lady.” It was obviously where the local youth hang out and do drugs and alcohol. We returned to the gate and asked for our money back and headed back into the night.
Just outside the town we found another campsite Kameelboom. This is a campsite everyone should visit if only to meet BIG BIRD in Africa. The owner warned us that he had 3 Emus (Emus are from Australia and not indigenous to Africa.)
I was in the shower when I heard a groan from the dark followed by giggles and “leave me alone.” The giggling continued with “go away and leave me alone, go on go” I left the shower and in the darkness followed the voice. It was Tom and a very amorous large big bird, rubbing up against Tom, stroking Tom with his neck obviously in love with Tom.I burst out laughing at this ridiculous scene being played out in the dark. Perhaps Tom still had the smell of ostrich on him and big bird thought he had finally found the mate of his dreams.
Laughing Mushroom
