This is a day by day report of our African Adventure. Each day report consists of three parts: the Hero description (black text), my report in Dutch (blue text) and my report in English (red text).
Dit is een beschrijving van onze African Adventure. De beschrijving per dag bestaat uit drie delen: de beschrijving van Hero (zwarte tekst), mijn beschrijving in het Nederlands (blauwe tekst) en mijn beschrijving in het Engels (rode tekst).
02082005:
Vertrek op Schiphol per KLM/vertrek 10.20 uur; aankomst 020805 21.55 uur vlucht KL597
Table Bay Hotel
Quay 6
Victoria & Albert Waterfront
Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: +27(0)21 406 5000
Fax: +27(0)21 406 5676
Internet business centre
Na en vliegreis van 12 uur kwamen we aan op het vliegveld van Capetown. Vandaar met de taxi naar hotel. Koffers naar de kamers en naar de bar, waar onze vrienden de Texas Rangers en enkele HERO-mensen aanwezig waren. Gezellig en laat. Victor lekker gegeten en gedronken na een lange vastenperiode.
After flying 12 hours we arrived at Cape Town Airport. Taxi to the hotel. Luggage to our rooms en we to the bar. There were our Texan friends and some HERO-people. Fun and late. Kenny almost didn’t find his room.
03082005:
Pre-event formalities/ vehicle collection/ registration/ Table Bay Hotel
Collection and scruteneering of vehicles (Peter Ansell representant of the shipping agent Peters & May 0044 78 76356537); registration, documentation and briefing, Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town. (You can of course arrive earlier if you wish, and get the benefit of our special hotel rates.) Evening get-together at a traditional fish restaurant.
Table Bay Hotel
Prachtig hotel en uitgebreid ontbijt. Daarna buiten Cape Town de auto opgehaald. Die was prachtig gewassen. Naar hotel gereden. Daar aan auto gewerkt en stikkers geplakt. Vlaggenstok gemaakt op de auto en antennes aangesloten. Luiken uit imperiaal verwijdert.
In namiddag was er een briefing in het hotel. Saai.
Nice hotel and delicious breakfast. After that we went to a place outside Cape Town to collect our cars. They had cleaned them all. Back to the hotel. We worked on the car on the parking place of the hotel. Attached stickers, fixed our flags on the roof. Connected the antennas for GPS and sat phone.
Daarna omkleden en met de bus naar het eten. Leuk seafood restaurant. Tas stond tegen de verwarming en alles was bijna gesmolten. Na het eten terug met de bus.
Then dress up for the getting together party. Wet to a nice seafood restaurant with the bus along the coast. Put my handbag against the heating which was on. A lot of things melted in my bag. Not my electronic gadgets! Back to the hotel with the bus.
04082005:
Day one: Cape coast and winelands
From the send-off at Cape Town's famous Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, we take a dramatically scenic route via Chapman's Peak to the Cape of Good Hope, and then visit a charming penguin colony. We drive through the historic naval port of Simon's Town and past False Bay to pause for a light lunch and a stroll at the picturesque old wine town of Stellenbosch. Then we pass through famous winelands and cross the Franschhoek Pass before our first brief taste of the Western Cape's smooth gravel roads brings us to our overnight at the luxurious new Western Cape Resort (Kleinmond/Hermanus, a small port where southern right whales swim right up to the shore).
Days run 262 km.
Western Cape Hotel & Spa
Arabella Country Estate
P.O. Box 593
Kleinmond 7195
South Africa
Tel: +27(0)28 284 0000
Fax: +27(0)28 284 0011
Internet business centre
Heel vroeg opgestaan: 05.00 uur!! Heerlijk ontbeten en op naar de start. Wij moesten als eerste vertrekken omdat we startnummer 1 hadden.
Langs de kust naar Kaap De Goede Hoop. Prachtige kust. Vlak voor de kaap gestopt bij strand. Groot zeewier, armdikke stengels. Daarna verder gereden naar de kaap. Daar naar boven gelopen en van uitzicht genoten.
Pinguïns gezien op het strand. Daarna naar Stellenbosch. Geparkeerd en rondgelopen. Prachtige witte gebouwen in Oud-Hollandse stijl.
Daarna naar Franshoek, het wijngebied.
Prachtig hotel met golfbaan en badkamer met glazen wand. Gezamenlijke borrel nadat we buiten op terras hadden geborreld. Goed diner.
Today we got up early: 05.00!! Delicious breakfast and up to the start. We had to leave as the first car because we had starting number 1. Along the coast to Cape of Good Hope. Nice coastline. Stopped near a beach. Big arm thick seaweed plants. Further to the cape. There we walked (the softies took the lift) to the top and enjoyed the view.
Later on we saw penguins on the beach. Then to Stellenbosch: we parked and walked around in the village with beautiful white houses in Dutch style. After that we went to Franschhoek, the wine district founded by the Huguenots from France.
We had a nice hotel with a golf course around it and a bathroom with a glass wall. We had a drink with the whole group after we had a drink on the terrace. Good dinner.
05082005:
Day two: Meeting of two oceans
After a pause to watch for the great whales coming right inshore at Hermanus, minor roads take us to the attractive historic village of Elim, then on to Cape Agulhas, Africa's southernest point, where Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. You can pause for lunch at the attractive oceanfront Arniston Hotel, before opting to take a quiet highway to the old town of Swellendam and the fine Drostdy open air museum, or good gravel roads across a hand-operated river ferry (delays possible). Then main road to overnight at the new Diaz Strand Hotel, Mossel Bay.
470 km.
Diaz Strand Hotel
P.O. Box 2933
Beach Boulevard
Diaz Strand
Mossel Bay 6500
South Africa
Tel: +27(0)44 692 8400
Fax: +27(0)44 692 0049
Internet business centre
Cape Agulhas gezien waar een filmploeg bezig was. Wij mochten even tussendoor om de scheiding te zien tussen de Indische en de Atlantische Oceaan.
4x4 route gedaan en tussendoor naar Swellendam gegaan. Mooi museum met meubels zoals wij die 70 jaar geleden ook hadden en boboti gegeten. Daarna weer terug naar 4x4 route. Met de ferry overgezet.
Diaz hotel, mooi uitzicht. Antennekabels van GPS en satphone goed aangelegd. Goed diner.
Aparte jongerentafel.
We saw Cape Agulhas where a film crew was busy filming. They stopped for us to make a few pictures and films. We were one of the first. I wonder what they did after the 30th stop for a HERO-crew. This cape is the meeting point between the Indian and the Atlantic Ocean.
After that we did the 4x4 detour. Half way we left that detour to go to Swellendam. Nice museum with furniture of the time of our grandparents in Holland! We ate boboti. Back to the 4x4 detour. There was a river crossing with a ferry that was operated by hand!
Arrived in the Diaz hotel. Fixed the cables of the GPS and sat phone. Good dinner. Separate table for the youth.
06082005:
Day three: Ostrich County
Inland across the mountains to Oudtshoon (a historic old town in the dry Klein Karoo), where we take a brief tour of the fabulously vulgar houses of Victorian ostrich-feather millionaires, before optional visits to an ostrich farm and/or to the Cango Caves, South Africa's finest show caverns. Then it's over the spectacular gravel Swartberg Pass to the colonial village of Prince Albert and a light lunch at its fine period hotel. The return route is through the dramatic Meiringspoort gorge and down the narrow old Montagu Pass to George, where a further option is to visit the excellent railway museum-but aware, you can't do this and the caverns! Main road to our overnight at the sumptuous new Pezula Resort, Knysna.
374 km.
Pezula Resort
P.O. Box 3327
Lagoonview Drive- Pezula Estate
Knysna
South Africa
Tel: +27(0)44 3023333
Fax: +27(0)44 3023303
Internet business centre
Als een van de laatste vertrokken. Mooi weer. Door Klein Karoo gereden. Veel struisvogels gezien en bavianen. Op struisvogelfarm geweest. Het broeden, kweken, enz werd uitgelegd. Mochten op eieren staan en rijden op struisvogels. Ria mocht rijden, maar voor mij waren de benen van de struisvogel te zwak.
Verder door prachtige glooiende vlaktes. Gelunched in ... Daarna over de Swartbergpas. Dustroad met ontzettend veel wind. Lastig plassen. Soms weer Zuid-Frans aandoende bergmassieven van rode steen. Schildpad op de weg. Laatste stuk was snelweg met veel wegkopbrekingen.
Aankomst in prachtig hotel. Gedouched en op naar het eten. Na veel tijd kregen we de hoofdmaaltijd met vingerkommetjes en al. Na 5 min werd alles tot grote hilariteit weer weggehaald en aan een andere tafel gegeven. Later aan de bar gezeten met Alistair, iemand met veel rallyervaring en veel auto's. Woont half in Nieuw Zeeland en half in Engeland. Zijn bedrijf loopt ondertussen gewoon door. Nog met de fam. Weening gesproken.
Left as one of the last. Nice weather. Drove through Klein Karoo. Saw many ostriches and baboons. Went to an ostrich farm. They explained the breeding. We could stand on the eggs. Ria took a ride on an ostrich. I couldn’t because his legs were too weak.
Pretty landscape with long hills. Lunched somewhere. Then over the Swartbergpas. Dustroad with a lot of wind there. Difficult to pee. Further on a Mediterranean landscape with red rocs. Turtle on the road. Last track was a fast road with many roadworks.
Arrived in a nice hotel. After shower the dinner. After a long time we got our main course with finger bowls and all. After 5 minutes they took everything away because it was for another table. Big laugh. After dinner I talked with Alistair who is an experienced rally driver. He did a lot of rally’s. After that we talked with the Weenings.
07082005:
Day four: Knysna rest day
Play golf or enjoy Pezula's other facilities, discover Knysna's charms, or just chill out. Go sae fishing, or explore the beautiful Garden Route coast, or ride on the steam train that links Knysna and George.
Same Hotel as yesterday.
Laat opgestaan. Ontbijt. Golf was in de wijde omtrek niet mogelijk. Er was een of andere nationale feestdag. Op de golfbaan bij ons hotel was een toernooi gaande en het was mooi weer. Beetje aan auto gesleuteld. Koelkast getest en opgeruimd.
Daarna naar het strand gegaan van de Indische oceaan. Door township naar het strand. Ondanks de winter was het prachtig warm weer. Schot ontmoet. Er stonden huizen vlakbij het strand en ook kastelen (nou ja van 1906).
Terug gegaan en naar zekeringen gekeken. Koelkast werkt nu.
Biertje en omkleden. Vanavond met de bus naar radarboot om daarop te eten.
Na het eten naar onze kamer voor een afzakkertje met haardvuur.
Got up late. Breakfast. Playing golf was not possible in the wide surrounding. Today was some national celebrating day and the weather was good. Too bad. Worked a bit on the car and tested the fridge (otherwise no cold beer on the road!).
After that we went to the beach on the Indian Ocean. We went through a township to that beach. Despite the winter time it was for us a beautiful warm day! Met Scotsman Chris. There were houses near the beach and even castles! (built in 1906).
Went back to the hotel and tested the fuses. Which means the fridge works again and that is the way to have cold bear on the way! Had a drink and went by bus to the dinner party in a rudder boat. When we returned we had a drink in the moonlight next to our fire place.
08082005:
Day five: Through the Baviaanskloofberge
Back inland over the scenic Prince Alfred's Pass for a day's run, mainly on gravel roads (some rough), through the remote and spectacular Baviaanskloof; or if you prefer you can just mosey along the lovely Garden Route coast to our overnight halt at a hotel beside the Indian Ocean at Port Elisabeth.
Main route 384 km, coast route 259 km.
Protea Hotel Marine
Marina Drive
Summerstrand
Port Elizabeth 6001
South Africa
Tel: +27(0) 41 583 2101
Fax: +27(0) 41 583 2076
No internet facilities in hotel.
Vroeg vertrokken, om 06.00 uur opgestaan. Veel golfkarretjesverkeer. Koffers werden naar de auto gebracht. Na ontbijt ging Victor rijden. Prachtige route gereden, echt 4x4.
Bij een boer gestopt die zelfgemaakte producten verkocht en een soort vvv-kantoor had. Sprak Afrikaans met ons tot Brown binnenkwam met de filmploeg. Veel stof. Veel tegemoetkomend verkeer. Veel rivercrossings. Apen en kudu's gezien.
In Port Elisabeth auto laten wassen en naar basic hotel. Gedouched en naar het terras voor een borrel en daarna diner.
Left early. Got up at 06.00 lot of traffic: golf carts. Luggage was transported by them to the cars. After breakfast Victor started driving. Wonderful route: really 4x4!
Stopped next to a farmer’s house. The farmer came and we talked in Afrikaans until our HERO film crew arrived. Lot of dust on the road and a lot of traffic: more dust! Many river crossings. Saw apes and kudu’s.
09082005:
Day six: Elephants Heaven
A good visit to the Addo National Park (where you'll probably find the biggest gathering of pachyderms(=dikhuiden=olifant, rhinoceros, hippo) you've ever seen), where you'll get close to much more than just elephants,, then there is a break at the Zuurberg Mountain Lodge before a run across remote and little-used upland roads to our arrive at our hotel, the Katberg mountain lodge (Queenstown??), in time for a couple of hours' activities - or take an easier main road option.
Main route 291 km.
Katberg Hotel
P.O. Box 665
Port Beaufort 5720
South Africa
Tel: +27(0) 40 864 1010
Fax: +27(0) 40 864 1003
No internet facilities in hotel
Om 06.30 opgestaan en met Kenny en Dee Anne ontbeten. Om 08.00 vertrokken. Na een asfaltweg bij Addo park aangekomen. Daar 3 uur rondgereden: olifant gezien, en apen, kudu's, vlakvarken. Best wel opwindend zo’n levensgrote olifant op armlengte van onze auto af.
Geshopped in de winkel die bij het park hoorde. Super landrover had weer pech. Bergop naar lunchhalt:
Zuurberg Mountain Inn.
Trage bediening. Daarna verder over gravel roads. Op het eind veel modder. In bocht geslipt. In het donker aangekomen bij afgelegen hotel. Tussen betonnen rand van de weg vast gezeten. Ons hotel was vroeger een sanatorium. 3x handen gewassen, water is gewoon vuil, niet de handen.
Eten uitkiezen, wordt apart voor je klaar gemaakt.
Kamer is in een huisje.
Got up at 06.30. Had breakfast with Kenny and Dee Anne. Left at 08.00. After a smooth tarmac road we arrived at Addo Elephant Park. We drove around for 3 hours and saw our first elephant in the wild: right next to our car. Exciting, you could reach him.
Shopped in the park store. Super Landrover had another breakdown. Up mountain to the lunch halt: Zuurberg Mountain Inn. Slow service.
Further on gravel roads. At the end a lot of mud. Slipped in a bench. Arrived at dark in the remote hotel. Got stuck between the concrete road parts. Our hotel was once a sanatorium. Rain and mud! Washed my hands 3 times, the water is dirty, not my hands.
At dinner you could assemble your own meal which was then prepared. Our rooms were little houses in a row.
10082005:
Day seven: The Southern Drakensberg
A day exploring the minor roads and forgotten mountain passes of this superb and little known area. As it's winter and we're climbing higher (up to 2113 m), the peaks could be snow-covered and there may even be snow and ice on the road, although the day should be bright and sunny. We overnight in the unspoiled little community of Rhodes, itself a National Monument, where the townspeople promise us a special welcome in the small old hotel and other traditional guest houses.
350 km.
Rhodes Hotel
P.O. Box 19
Rhodes 9787
South Africa
Tel: +27(0) 45 974 9305
Fax: +27(0) 45 974 9308
No internet facilities in hotel
We will be staying in local houses these to be allocated on arrival.
06.00 op. Zelf omelet samenstellen. 07.30 weg. Weenings weer pech. Modderige bergwegen. Daarna glooiende vlaktes en zwaar bewolkt weer. Boodschappen in Qeenstown.
Prachtige route door prachtige valleien en mooie dalen en rivieren. Om 14.30 uur waren we in Rhodes.
In een oude bar in het hotel wat gedronken en hamburgers gegeten. Daarna naar cottage. Whisky gedronken met Allen op het terras.
Na het uitstekende eten was het dolle pret in de bar met dansen en diverse val- en struikelpartijen.
Up at 06.00. Breakfast with self chosen omelettes. Left at 07.30. Weenings had another breakdown. Muddy mountain roads. After that nice hilly valley’s and cloudy weather.
Shopping in Queenstown. Nice route through wonderful valley’s with rivers. We were in Rhodes at 14.30. We had a few drinks in the bar of the hotel and a hamburger. Then we went to our cottage. Alan shared our cottage. Had whisky on the terrace (picture!).
After we had a simple but very tasteful meal went to the bar. That ended in a dance party with a lot of fall and tumble accidents.
11082005:
Day eight: The Gate of Paradise
A day of even more impressive mountain driving. From Rhodes, there's a fearsome climb to the ski centre of Tiffindell (and South Africa's highest through road - 2688 m), followed by the magnificent vistas from Lundean's Nek Pass. There's an abrupt step back in time as we enter the independent country of Lesotho, isolated from South Africa by its mountainous terrain. Our run past little African villages takes us through some spectacular scenery (including the Gate of Paradise pass), before we descend to the total contrast of Maseru's luxurious casino hotel, the Lesotho Sun.
345 km.
Lesotho Sun Hotel
Hilton Road
Maseru
Lesotho
Tel: +266 22 313111
Fax: +266 22 310104
Internet business centre
Nadat we uit Rhodes vertrokken waren hadden we een heeeel steile beklimming. We Vielen bijna achterover met de auto. Daarna door de sneeuw gereden langs een ski-resort.
Niet gelunched. Over de bergen bij de douane, papierwerk. Afrikaanse dorpjes gezien. Bij hotel aangekomen toen het nog licht was. Was ingeleverd, was nog s' avonds klaar. Matig eten. Op tijd naar bed, morgen vroeg op ivm de douane.
After we left Rhodes we had a verrrry steep climb. We almost fell backwards with our car! On the top we drove through the snow along a ski resort.
Didn’t have lunch. Over the mountains to customs. Paperwork. African villages. Arrived at the hotel when it was still daylight. Express laundry. Average food. To bed early. Tomorrow is an early day because of the customs.
12082005:
Day nine: The Roof of Africa
To get to the South African border post before it closes at 16.00, we have to make an early start for this long run, two-thirds gravel, across Lesotho's uplands, the highest mountains in southern Africa. Here tribe’s people still live their traditional agrarian lives, relatively untouched by the modern world - their country was never colonised by white settlers. There's a good chance of seeing snow, although the day is likely to be sunny. We cross a succession of great passes, culminating in the highest point of the event, the Kotisephola Pass (3250 m), before entering South Africa at the famous and precipitous Sani Pass, at whose foot we overnight at the comfortable Sani Pass Hotel.
336 km.
Sani Pass Hotel and Leisure Resort
P.O. Box 44
Himeville 3256
South Africa
Tel: +27(0) 33 702 1320
Fax: +27(0) 33 702 0220
Internet business centre
Om 05.00 uur opgestaan. Ontbijt was op zijn Afrikaans nog niet klaar. Effe wachte. Dan maar de koffers in de auto. Helaas, lekke band. Een half uur oponthoud. Om 05.00 uur riep de imam de islamieten op tot gebed en de verlichting ging uit. Niet fijn als je net je band aan het wisselen bent.
Mooie rit, Victor reed als een bezetene. Veel echt Afrikaanse dorpjes met rondavels, cowboys, keurig geklede mensen, traditioneel geklede mensen, bedelaars en mensen met dekens om gezien.
Rond de middag sneeuw op de bergen gezien. Weenings weer pech: brand onder de auto. We waren op tijd bij de grens van Lesotho. Moesten uiterlijk 3 uur daar zijn, het was half 2. Eerst gelunched in een soort skihut. Daarna door de douane en bergaf met veel haarspeldbochten. Beneden door de douane van ZA. Daarna nog een heel slechte gravelweg. Om 15.30 uur in hotel en auto laten wassen. Gedouched. Op terras wat gedronken met Victor en naar de ondergaande zon gekeken.
Got up at 05.00. Breakfast was not ready as planned (Africa?). Wait, wait and wait. Then first the luggage in the car. Unfortunately, flat tyre. Took half an hour. At 05.00 the imam called the Islamite’s for their prayers and at the same time the lights went out (coincidence?). At that time we were changing tyres.
Nice drive today, Victor was driving very fast. Many real African villages with rondavels ( round buildings with straw roof), cowboys, well dressed people, traditional dressed people, beggars and people with blankets ( super lazy, they even don’t throw of their blanket when getting up in the morning).
At noon we saw snow on the mountain tops, Weening car had breakdown number …: fire underneath their car. We were in time at the border of Lesotho. We had to be there before 15.00 and now it was only half past 1. First we had a lunch in a kind of ski hut. After lunch through customs and down the mountain with a lot hairpin bends. When we were down the customs of SA was waiting for us. After that a very bad gravel road. At 15.30 we were in the hotel and had the car cleaned. Shower. Had a drink on the terrace and watched the sundown.
13082005:
Wall Day ten: Along the Drakensberg
The main range of the Drakensberg is a great wall of rocky peaks and pinnacles, which may well be snow cover-capped in August. We cruise northwards parallel to it, detouring into blind valleys to see the most spectacular sights, including Bushmen’s cave paintings at Giant's Castle and the museum depicting these at Didima, near Cathedral Peak. Overnight at the superb Drakenberg Sun Hotel, where there's a lecture on tomorrow's battlefields.
329 km.
Drakensburg Sun
P.O. Box 335
Winterton 3340
South Africa
Tel: +27(0) 36 468 1000
Fax: +27(0) 36 468 1244
No internet. Maybe be able to use own laptop in own bedroom.
Pas om 06.30 op. Om 08.00 uur weg. Prachtige route door de bergen met mooie uitzichten. Zonnig weer. Naar Loteni vallei. Oude huisjes van settlers. Verder naar Giant's Castle. Gelopen naar main cave met rotsschilderingen.
Verder naar hotel. Greg dacht dat we fout gereden waren!!????
Via alternatieve route (N3) naar hotel gereden en goede route weer opgepikt.
Om 16.30 binnen. Ook hier een golfbaan, maar helaas geen tijd.
Got up late: 06.30. Left at 08.00. Nice route through the mountains with magnificent scenery. Sunny weather. To Loteni valley. Different old houses of a settlers family. Further to Giants Castle. Did a walk to the main cave where we saw roc paintings.
Further to the hotel. Greg thought that we took the wrong road!!!??? Via an alternative route (N3) we rejoined the roadbook route. We were in the hotel at 16.30. Another golf course here, but no time.
14082005:
Day eleven: The Zululand’s Battlefields
A day of remembrance, visiting the lonely windswept battlefields where Zulu fought white coloniser, and where the Boers fought the British Army: Spioen Kop, Ladysmith, Rorke's Drift, Isandlwana, and the amazing bronze wagon laager memorial at Blood River. Overnight at the Stillwater motel, near Vryheid.
348 km.
Stillwater Hotel
Private Bag X 9332
Vrijheid 3100
South Africa
Tel: +27(0) 34 981 6181
Fax: +27(0) 34 980 8846
Internet cafés in town.
Opgestaan om 06.00 uur. Kenny gefeliciteerd. Om 08.00 uur weg. Over mooie vlaktes met veel grasland en kleine tafelbergen naar Spionkop battlefield. Lijken wel prairies. Nogal engels monument met aan de rand boeren monument. Daarna naar Ladysmith. Museum over de veldslag. Dan op naar Dundee. Geen lunchhalt gedaan. Via Roarkes Drift naar Islandlwana. Eerst naar het Zulu-museum en daarna naar het boerenmuseum bij Bloedrivier.
Daarna over gravelweg verder, opeens zag ik rechts een giraf. Nee 3 zelfs! 
Bij soort motel achter een benzinestation geslapen. Kenny vierde zijn verjaardag. Cadeautjes, volle pret. Vroeg naar bed.
Got up at 06.00. Congratulated Kenny with his birthday. Left at 08.00. Nice plains with a lot of grassland and little table mountains. To Spioenkop battlefield. It looks like prairies here. Rather English looking monument and at the edge a Boer monument. To Ladysmith where we visited the museum of the battle. Up to Dundee. No lunch halt. Via Roarks Drift to Islandlwana. First to the Zulu-museum and to the Boer-museum at Blood River. Then we followed a gravel road for a change and all of a sudden I saw a giraffe. No 3 giraffes!
The overnight halt was next to a petrol station. Kenny was celebrating his birthday. Presents, lot of fun!
Early to bed.
15082005:
Day twelve: Across the Kingdom of Swaziland
We take scenic asphalt roads across another of Africa's smaller independent countries, pausing to buy good quality souvenirs (in the capital Mbabane) and to experience a fascinating recreation of tribal life at Mantenga. Back in South Africa, we continue through pleasant hills to overnight at the Sabi River Sun resort, Hazyview.
480 km.
Sabi River Sun Hotel
P.O. Box 13
Main Sable Road
Hazyview
South Africa
Tel: +27(0) 13 737 7311
Fax: +27 (0) 13 737 7314
Vroeg gewekt, om 05.40. Ontbijt en om 06.45 weg. Veel bosbouw. Dennen en eucalyptus. Veel tarmac. Hier kregen we met onze oude trouwe Landrover een bekeuring voor ….. te hard rijden! En niet zo’n klein beetje: 41 km te hard. Rond 14 uur kwamen we bij het Zulu dansparijtje aan. Helaas was er een vreemd lawaai onder de auto. Na een tijdje kwam Mike en ging luisteren staand achterop de auto.
Jingers heeft de spacers vastgezet. Via Pigs Peak door productiebossen naar de grens. Dustroads. Daarna via Nelspruit naar hotel. Landroverdealer zwaaide enthousiast. Prachtig hotel met golfbaan. Met de Amerikanen gegeten. Daarna met de Weenings gesproken tot de bar dicht ging.
Wake up call at 05.40. We left at 06.45 after we had breakfast. Lot of forestry. Pine and eucalyptus. Lot of tarmac. Here we got a speeding ticket with our Defender! And not just a little bit: 41 km to fast!!! In a seven year old, 200.000 km on the clock Landrover! Arrived at 14.00 at the Zulu dance party. But there was a strange sound underneath the car. After a while Mike came along and listened standing on the back of the car which was driving. Jingers fastened the spacers which were loose. We were happy that it was nothing serious.
Via Pigs Peak through production forest to the border. Dustroads. Via Nelspruit to our hotel. Landrover dealer was waving enthusiast. Nice hotel with a …… golf course. Had dinner with the Americans. After that we spoke to the Weenings until the bar closed.
16082005:
Day 13: Jock of the Bushveldt Country
Jock was a real dog, made famous by a pioneer writer.
Today is a day of options. You can chill out for most of the day at the Sabi River Sun, perhaps enjoying a round of golf or one of the many other activities; you can take a four or five hour tour into the southern part of Kruger National Park; you can go early to our next overnight just 50 km away, the exclusive Sabi Sands private game reserve, to arrive by 3.00 p.m., in time for the late afternoon game drive; or you can take our road booked route around some of the area's scenic spots: the Long Tom Cannon and the picturesque pass named after it; the attractive old mining town Pilgrim's Rest, now an open air museum and the sights of the Blyde Canyon area, like the Three Rondavels, Bourke’s Potholes, Berlin Falls, Lisbon Falls and God’s Window. Overnight in one of Sabi Sabi´s three splendid game lodges.
Road booked route 435 km.
Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve Bush Lodge
P.O. Box 16
Skukuza 1350
South Africa
Tel: +27(0) 13 735 5656
Fax: +27(0) 13 735 5165
Internet connection available
Opgestaan om 06.00. Ontbijt. Met Jingers spacers vastgezet. Om
10 uur vertrokken. Naar Sabi. Veel bananen plantages op de detour. Regen en mist. Dan maar geen detour en snel naar het Krugerpark. Nog op tijd voor de uitgebreide lunch.
Om 16 uur de eerste game drive in open landrover. Giraffe, kameleon, neushoorn. In het donker terug. De spoorzoeker voorop speurt naar beesten met zijn schijnwerper.
Got up at 06.00. Breakfast. Fastened the spacers on our car once again with Jingers. Left at 10.00. To Sabi. Lot of banana plantations on the detour. Rain and mist. We let the detour for what it was and went directly to the Kruger Park. Just in time for a generous lunch.
At 16.00 first game drive in an open Landrover. I thought animals liked fresh, warm flesh!!?? Giraffe, chameleon and rhinoceros. Back to the lodge in the dark. The tracker on the front bumper of the vehicle is looking for animals in the dark with a torch. Nice dinner on the veranda.
17082005:
Day 14: Rest day on a Big Game Hunt
We leave our vehicles behind and are taken by tracker guides for early morning and late afternoon game drives in Sabi Sabi's own open 4x4s to seek the Big Five - lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo - not to mention giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and many varieties of deer (as well as dozens of other mammal species, snakes, lizards and myriad birds). Overnight in Sabi Sabi game lodge.
Same hotel as yesterday.
Om 05.30 op. Koffie met croissant. 06.00 weg. Eerste game drive: olifanten, luipaard, hyena, ...
Daarna bushwalk waar we een neushoorn moeder en kleintje tegen kwamen.
Daarna naar garage van onze lodge, waar Jingers met auto's bezig was. Richtingaanwijzer, stopcontacten, aircompressor gemaakt. Te laat voor de lunch, maar toch nog wat gekregen. Naar onze hut, stonden wrattenzwijnen bij de deur. Gedouched, door een glazen wand die de enige afscheiding is kun je tijdens het douchen de olifanten en andere beesten zien. Heel apart. Tweede game drive: leeuwen, giraffe, zonsondergang, drankje, schorpioen, ....
Even op bed gelegen. Naar diner in de open lucht. Lange tafels en een haardvuur.
Up at 05.30. Coffee with croissants. Left at 06.00. First game drive: elephants, leopards, hyena’s, When we came back we made a bushwalk where we met a rhino mother and her baby.
After that I went to the garage of the lodge, where Jingers was busy repairing cars. I fixed a few things on our car: indicator, power plugs, air compressor. Had a shower where a glass window was the barrier between me and the wildlife! Exciting!
On the second game drive that day we saw: lions, giraffes, sundown, and scorpions. Had a drink at sundown. After that we had a wonderful dinner in the open air at the lodge with a camp fire.
18082005:
Day 15: Drive through the Kruger
Perhaps after another dawn game drive, we leave Sabi Sands in our own vehicles and enter Africa's biggest and finest wildlife reserve, the Kruger National Park, spending up to seven hours travelling slowly along the network of asphalt and gravel roads. Then there's an hour's quick drive to overnight at the lovely hilltop Coach House country hotel in the beautiful Tzaneen area.
355 km.
The Coach House
P.O. Box 554
Tzaneen 0850
South Africa
Tel: +27(0) 15 306 8001
Fax: +27(0) 15 306 8008
No Internet facility.
0m 05.30 opgestaan. 06.00 in de landrover. Richting ingang. Buffalo' s gezien. Lijken wel koeien, maar soms...
Koffie op apenrots. Terug naar lodge. Ontbijt. Koffers pakken en weg. Naar uitgang en via hoofdingang weer het Kruger Park in. Eerst hippo gezien, later bij waterput wel 20 hippo's, waterdrinkende giraf, bavianen en buffalo's gezien. Stukje verkeerd gereden.
Nu vlot naar uitgang. Rest was recht asfalt. Veel fruitteelt. Heerlijk gegeten op het terras van het hotel. Hoge eucalyptussen.
Got up at 05.30. Left in the Landrovers at 06.00. In the direction of the entrance. Buffalo’s. They look like grazing cows, but sometimes …. Coffee on an ape roc. Back to the lodge. Breakfast. Pack our luggage and we are off. To the exit of the park and through the main gate back into the park. First we saw a hippo; later on we saw a lot (20) of them in a waterhole. There was also a water drinking giraffe, baboons and buffalo’s. Took a wrong junction. Now quick to the exit gate. The rest of the roads were straight tarmac. Lot of fruit farming. Had a very good dinner on the terrace of the hotel. High eucalyptuses.
19082005:
Day 16: Into Botswana
After a short loop around the Tzaneen area (Pekoe plantation), we have a long drive on fast roads across open country to cross the Limpopo into a remote corner of Botswana - real Africa! - before moving on to overnight at the Thapama Hotel in the country's second largest city of Francistown.
700 km.
Cresta Thapama Hotel
Blue Jacket Street
Private Bag 31
Francistown
Botswana
Tel: +267 241 3872
Fax: +267 241 3766
Internet café in town
03.00 uur hevige diarree. Om 06.00 uur nog steeds. Om 07.30 weg. Veel eucalyptus bossen. Door kloof, de Verwoerd tunnels. Daarna veel baobab bomen. Getankt in Alldays. Geld opgenomen. Vlak landschap met lage bomen/struiken. Op naar de grens met Botswana. Daarna heel eind dustroad. Later goede 2-baans asfaltweg. Botswana lijkt wel haast plat met hier en daar een apenrots. Verder veel struiken, enkele bomen en hier en daar een baobab boom.
Wat ze hier doen en waar ze van leven?????? Het is nu 15 uur en het is nog ongeveer een uur rijden. Veel veterinaire inspecties. Soms met stiekeme snelheidscontroles. Om 16.00 in hotel in Francistown. Uitgepakt. G4 heeft naar clignoteur gekeken, maakt ze zelf. Nog naar landroverdealer gegaan. Zat in buitenwijk aan andere kant van de stad. Maar helaas, hij was verhuisd naar de andere kant van de stad. Daarna diner. Rijst met appelsap vanwege de bovengenoemde klachten. Vroeg naar bed.
03.00 serious diarrhoea. 06.00 still the same. We left at 07.30. Lot of eucalyptus trees. Through a canyon and the Verwoerd tunnels. After that a lot of baobab trees. Fuelled up in Alldays. Went to a bank. Flat landscape with low trees and bush. Up to the Botswana border. Then a long dustroad. Later good tarmac road with 2 lanes. Botswana looks almost flat with here and there an ape roc. Lot of bush, some trees and here and there a baobab tree.
What are people doing here and where do they live from? It is now 15.00 and it is only a one hour drive to the hotel. Sometimes sneaky speed controls. At 16.00 in Francistown. Unpacked. Jim of the G4 Discovery helped me with the indicator because he produces them himself. We went to the local Landrover dealer for a warning light switch. It was in the outskirts of the town. After a while we found him, but he had moved to the other side of town not far away from our hotel. Dinner. Rice and apple juice because of my illness. Early to bed.
20082005:
Day 17: To Victoria Falls
A long run on Botswana's fast, straight asphalt roads brings us to the banks of the Zambezi and the ferry into Zambia. Despite the distance, we should arrive at our overnight halt of Livingstone in mid-afternoon, in good time to stroll to the great Victoria Falls, and maybe drive round the adjoining nature reserve, or even take a micro light flight. Overnight at the luxurious Royal Livingstone Hotel.
561 km.
The Royal Livingstone
Mosi AO Tunya Road
P.O. Box 60151
Livingstone
Zambia
Tel: +260 3 321 122
Fax: +260 3 322 739
Internet Business Centre
Om 05.30 opgestaan. 07.00 weg. Tarmac day. Prachtige herfstkleuren, want het wordt lente ??!!. Weer veterinaire controle. Lange saaie route.
Om 14.00 bij de grens en na vele formulieren ongeveer 2 uur later bij Royal Livingston. Prachtig hotel dicht bij de waterval.
President van Madagaskar kwam ook net aan. Gedouched en wat gedronken op prachtig terras. Daarna naar de waterval gelopen. Daarna met velen op terras wat gedronken. Onder begeleiding van dansende en zingende negers naar diner in de open lucht gebracht. Lopend buffet met zang en dans. Na diner bij hotel op terras nog wat gedronken. Zebra's houden gras van het hotel kort. Uitgecheked en naar bed.
Up at 05.30. Left at 07.00. Tarmac day. Beautiful autumn colours because of the spring!!?? Another veterinary check point. Long boring route. At 14.00 at the border and after a lot of paperwork we were 2 hours later in our very beautiful colonial hotel the Royal Livingstone close to the waterfall.
The president of Madagascar was just arriving when we came in. lot of big cars and security people. Shower. Had a drink on the wonderful terrace of the hotel. After that we walked to the waterfall where we saw the sunset. Beautiful. Had a drink with the whole group on the terrace of the hotel. We were picked up by a dancing and singing tribe’s people group. We had dinner in the open air with songs and dance. After dinner another drink in the hotel. Zebra’s keep the grass of the hotel short. Checked out and went to bed.
21082005:
Across Chobe National Park
A very early start as we retrace our steps to the ferry back into Botswana, then almost immediately enter the great Chobe National Park, which we cross slowly on the rough and sandy park tracks - it's advisable to travel in pairs of threes. Overnight at Riley's Hotel in the tourist centre of Maun, jumping off point for both Chobe and the Okavango Delta.
442 km.
Cresta Riley's Hotel
P.O. Box 1
Maun
Botswana
Tel: +267 68 60320
Fax: +267 68 60580
Internet cafe in town
Heel vroeg op 04.30? Koffie met croissant en weg in donker in konvooi. Bij de grens weer de gebruikelijke formaliteiten. Over de grens getankt. Jukka bijna zijn creditcard laten stelen. Verkeerd weggereden. Bij ingang Chobe konvooi gevormd met de minder bedeelde huurbakken die slecht geprepareerd en uitgerust waren.
Prachtige bomen en struiken, later savanneachtig. Heel droog en slechts 1 olifant gezien. Route was niet zo erg als tevoren was gemeld, wel veel mul zand. Een keer bijna vast gezeten. Slechts 8,5 ipv 14 uur gereden. Om 15.00 bij hotel. Wat in de tuin gedronken en gedouched. Daarna even op bed en naar diner. Ook hier kon je zelf je maaltijd laten bakken. Om 22.00 uur naar bed.
Up very early 04.30? Coffee with croissants and we left in convoy in the dark. At the border the usual paperwork. Fuelled up at the other side of the border. There Jukka almost had his credit card stolen. I asked the girl where she had left it, after a while it showed out of a drawer. Wonder how it got there! After that we took the wrong road. We rejoined our group of less equipped and prepared hire vehicles. Jim’s car was alright too. Beautiful trees and bushes, later on it looked like a savannah. Very dry, saw only one elephant. Route was not that bad as they said in the roadbook. But there was a lot of loose sand. Once we almost got stuck. We managed to get out by ourselves, just before Jim came back to see what kept us so long. We drove only 8,5 hours instead of the announced 14 hours. We were at 15.00 at the hotel. Had a drink in the garden. Shower. Bed. Dinner. You could choose your own meal which was specially prepared for you. At 22.00 to bed.
22082005:
Day 19: Rest Day in the Okavango Delta
The great Okavango River comes out of Angola but never reaches the sea, sinking instead into the sands of Botswana, where it creates Africa's largest and richest expanse of wild wetland. Although this is the dry season for local rainfall, the Kavango's flow is at its highest. Options for sightseeing include game-spotting flights by light aircraft or helicopter, and fly-in or drive-in day trips by mokoro (two passenger dug-out canoes). Overnight Maun.
Same hotel as yesterday.
Om 5.30 uur opgestaan en om 06.30 naar vliegveld. Daar was een echte röntgen controle met poortje. Poortje gaf alarm bij mij. Beambte zei wijzend op mijn mes: misschien is het uw mes. Daarna mocht ik gewoon doorlopen. Naar midden van Okavango.
Daar met makoro naar moeras.
Olifanten, zeearenden, giraffen, bavianen, veel verschillende vogels. Maar geen hippo’s en krokodillen.
Bushwalk gedaan. Lunchhalt op eiland. Terug gevaren naar kamp. Wat gedronken en terug gevlogen naar Maun. Daarna auto laten wassen voor 10 pula. Boodschappen. Terug naar hotel. Daar binnenkant van auto opgeruimd en schoon gemaakt. Gedouched. Borrel en diner in open lucht. Optreden van Afrikaanse dansgroep. Traditioneel eten in ijzeren potten op open vuur. Nog lang nagepraat.
Up at 05.30. Left to the airport at 06.30. There was a real control gate for metal objects. I went through it and the alarm went off. The security guy said: perhaps it is your knife, pointing at my knife on my belt. I put it off and it went through the hand luggage control. After that I put it on my belt and everything was alright. To the middle of the Okavango. Then with makoro canoes into the swamps. Elephants, sea eagles, giraffes, baboons and many different birds. But no hippo’s and crocodiles.
Did a bushwalk. Lunch halt on an island. Went back to the camp and had a drink. After a while we could fly back to Maun. Beautiful day! Carwash for 10 pula. Grocery shopping. Back to the hotel. Cleaned the inside of the car. Shower. Drinks and dinner in the open air. Traditional food in iron pots on open fire. We stayed for a long time.
23082005:
Day 20: Through the Caprivi Strip
The longest day of the event in terms of distance is this run on fast straight roads westwards across Africa, taking us into Namibia to the gates of the Etosha National Park. We overnight at a luxury game lodge (Mokuti, Mushara or Aoba).
983 km.
Mushara Lodge
P.O. Box 1814
Tsumeb
Namibia
Tel: + 264 67 229106
Fax: +264 67 229107
Internet cafe in town
Om 04.30 opgestaan. Ontbijt. We zijn de eerste. Om 06.15 weg. 985 km voor de boeg. Vandaag is een tarmac dag voor de toyo boys (=Landcruiser bezitters). Vandaag uit Botswana naar Namibië. Gebruikelijke grens formaliteiten. Daarna kwam de Caprivi strook tegen de grens met Angola. Hippo's gezien in de Kovango rivier. Lange rechte wegen. Op het eind van de dag nog gravel. Duits ordentlich vlak en recht. Om beurten gereden. Mooie lodge met Duits sprekende ontvangst. Prachtige inrichting.
Alles werkt: toilet spoelt door, licht gaat aan als je het knopje schakelt, onze Europese stekkers passen direct in het stopcontact. Ook het bedienend personeel ziet zijn werk. De Duitse eigenaar haastte zich te melden dat zijn grootvader al in 1904 (dus voor de wereldoorlogen) naar Namibië was gegaan
Gedouched en op terras voor onze hut wat gedronken en gebeld.
Om 19.00 diner. Klok moet hier een uur terug. Nog nagetafeld en op tijd naar bed.
Got up at 04.30. Breakfast. We are the first. Left at 06.15. 985 km to go! Today is a tarmac day for the toyo boys (= landcruiser owners). Today we go from Botswana to Namibia. Usual paperwork at the border. We went through the Caprivi Strip along the border with Angola. We saw hippo’s in the Kovango River. Long straight roads. At the end of the day gravel. Ordentlich recht und flach! German influence perhaps? On this long day we drove all three. Beautiful lodge with German speaking owner. Nice interior. Everything works here: if you push the button of the toilet it really flushes, if you turn the switch for the light the light really burns, European plugs fit in the wall plug! The African employees see what they have to do when they are working. The German owner was eager to tell us that his grandfather came to Namibia in 1904 (before the troubles in Germany).
Shower. Had a drink on the terrace in front of our hut and phoned to the Netherlands. Dinner at 19.00. Early to bed. Clock must be put one hour back here!
2482005:
Day 21: Across Etosha National Park
A whole day to wander in Etosha, one of Africa's finest wildlife parks - close animal encounters guaranteed! - Overnight at the Etosha Garten or Onduri Hotel in Outjo, a quiet country town 98 km from Etosha.
Direct route 261 km.
Hotel Onduri
P.O. Box 14
Outjo
Namibië
Tel: +264 67 313405
Fax: +264 67 313408
We zouden laat opstaan, maar hadden geen rekening gehouden met 1 uur tijdsverschil. Dus we waren heeeel vroeg op. Lekker ontbijt en daarna nog geshopped in de winkel van de lodge. Daarna Etosha park in en eerst Duits fort bekeken. Heel veel dieren gezien. Neushoorn, olifant, wrattenzwijnen, leeuwen, wildebeesten, ...
Dode neushoorn gezien met gieren in de bomen. In de laatste minuten nog een neushoorn gezien. In donker aangekomen en getankt. Duitse leiding en goulash. Prima eten. Op tijd naar bed.
We wanted to get up early but we forgot about the time difference. So we were up very early! Had a good breakfast and did some shopping in the lodge. Then into the Etosha park. We first visited a German fortress. From the top you could see a lot of animals. Rhino’s, elephants, wildebeest, lions, warts, …. We saw a dead rhinoceros and the vultures were already waiting in the trees. We arrived in the hotel in the dark and filled up with diesel first. German management in the hotel and very good goulash. In time to bed.
25082005:
Day 22: Damaraland and the Skeleton Coast
A day spent on Namibia's legendary gravel roads, among the finest in the world, through one of the driest regions on earth, with the option of an exciting 4x4 trail across bizarre landscapes. Sights to see include petrified trees, rock carvings and paintings by early man, the great seal colony at Cape Cross, and curious coastal fishing settlements. Overnight in the top class Swakopmund Hotel, converted from the former railway station of this German colonial town.
Main route 575 km.
Swakopmund Hotel
P.O. Box 616
Swakopmund
Namibia
Tel: +264 64 400800
Fax: +264 64 400801
Om 05.00 op. Om 06.15 weg. Eerst asfaltweg, daarna linksaf de gravelweg in. Prachtige golvende wegen met af en toe een gemene knik. Zucht, weer eens verkeerd gereden. Naar versteende bomen geweest met weinig enthousiaste gids. Daarna de 4x4 sectie in. Heel mooie route met heel veel verschillende landschappen en echt 4x4 compleet met lage gearing.
In de middag nog in een woestijngedeelte geweest met veel groen in rivierbeddingen waar olifanten en rhino's zitten. Later kwamen we aan de kust. Heel anders dan we verwachtten. Heel plat en koud. Lange rechte wegen. Bij zeehondenkolonie geweest.
Daarna naar Swakopmund. Getankt en naar hotel, wat vroeger een station was.
Geborreld in de hal. Diner was onder leiding van Alan een seafood maaltijd geworden. Heerlijk kreeft met gamba's.
Up at 05.00. Left at 06.15. First we had tarmac, but when we turned left the gravel started. Nice rolling roads with mean kinks. Sigh, took the wrong road again. Went to a petrified forest together with a not very enthusiast guide. After that we went into the 4x4 section of the day. Very nice route with a lot of changes in the scenery after each bend. Really 4x4 here, you even need low gear!
In the afternoon we were in the desert part where there were green parts in the riverbeds. There should be elephants and rhinoceros, but we did not see them. Later we got to the coast. It was different then we expected: flat and cold. Long straight roads. Went to the seal colony.
Then we went to Swakopmund. Filled up the car with diesel and went to the hotel. That was a rebuild railway station. We all had drinks in the hall of the hotel. Dinner became under the leadership of Alan Crisp a seafood festival! Lobsters and gamba’s.
26082005:
Day 23: The Namib-Naukluft National Park
4x4 trails take us to the strange sights of this desert wilderness: lunar landscapes, a 1000-year-old plant, 19th century German soldiers graves, a rock arch, and of course the wildlife: ostrich, springbok, gemsbok, quiver trees, birds and lizards. Overnight at a luxury desert lodge near Sesriem.
508 km.
Sossusvlei Lodge
Namibia
Tel: +264 63 693223
Fax: +264 63 693231
Om ... uur opgestaan. Eerst langs de kust naar Walvis Bay langs de zandduinen. Quads. Daarna landinwaarts naar Kuiseb Canyon. Via prachtige route over de Gamsberg pas en Spreetshoogte pas. Op naar Solitair. Leuk wegrestaurant.
HD figuur achter de balie. Heerlijke appeltaart. Boeken gekocht. Zeehondenkolonie gezien . Daarna naar Sossusvlei Lodge. Dan naar Sesriem.
Prachtig hotel. Kamers zijn allemaal stenen hutten met een tent gedeelte. Gezellig buiten gedineerd op het terras. Niet warm.
Got up at ….? First we drove along the coast and the sand dunes to Walvisbaai. Quads in the dunes. Then inland to Kuiseb Canyon. Via a wonderful route over the Gamsbergpas and the Spreetshoogte pas. Up to Solitaire! Nice motorway restaurant. Harley Davidson type behind the counter. He made delicious apple pie! We bought a few books. To Sossusvlei Lodge. Sesriem. Fine hotel. Rooms are stone huts with a tent attached to it. We had dinner outside on the terrace. It wasn’t warm.
27082005:
Day 24: Sossusvlei Dunes and the Southern Namib
Make a dawn start to see the fabulous Sossusvlei dunes in the cool morning light, then head south on fast gravel roads through superb scenery, pausing at the strange Duwisib Castle, built in 1909 by a German aristocrat. We overnight at Lüderitz, a characterful old German port and diamond mining town, in the new waterside Nest Hotel.
651 km.
Lüderitz Nest Hotel
P.O. Box 690
Lüderitz
Namibia
Tel: +264 63 204000
Fax: +264 63 204001
One computer in reception for guests use
Om 05.00 uur opgestaan. Ontbijt en snel weg naar de duinen. 45 km rijden. Duin 45 op. Lange klim.
Even boven gezeten om te genieten van de prestatie en het uitzicht. Daarna nog 15 km verder naar 4x4 gedeelte. Lekker scheuren in het zand.
Veel wevervogelnesten, enorm groot.
Social weverbird. Daarna door prachtig landschap naar tarmac. Vlag verloren. Daar nog even een zijweg in om wilde paarden te zien. Vlag later terug gekregen van Marc, zijn kinderen hadden hem op de weg zien liggen. Verder naar Luderitz. Kale omgeving, koud, zandstorm, koud, ... Hotel ligt in de branding. Spacers nagekeken en vlaggenstok vastgezet. Maaltijd met Engelsen. 10.30 naar bed.
Got up at 05.00. Breakfast and quickly to the dunes. We had to be there at sunrise, because that is the most beautiful part of the day. It was a 45 km drive to dune number 45. Long climb. We sat for a moment at the top to enjoy our achievement and the view. We drove another 15 km for a special 4x4 section in the sand. Nice!
On the way we saw a lot of weaverbird nests, which were huge! It was the social weaverbird. Further on through a nice landscape to the tarmac. We lost our flag! We went on a side road and saw wild horses. We got the flag back from Marc, whose children saw our flag lying on the road. Thank you! Further to Lüderitz. Bald surrounding, cold, sand storm, … hotel lies in the breakers. Checked the spacers of our car once again. They were alright. Attached our flag firmly to our car. Dinner with the English. To bed at 10.30.
28082005:
Day 25: The German Heritage and the Fish River Canyon
Before leaving the Lüderitz area, we breathe the wild Atlantic at Diaz Point, and take a guided tour at 10.00 of the nearby ghost mining town museum of Kolmanskop. At Aus you can pause at the poignant remains of a WW1 prisoner of war camp and nearby well tended war graves. Then there's a long run to the spectacular Fish River Canyon, one of the world's top five, and overnight at the Canyon Hotel, Keetmanshoop.
627 km.
Canyon Hotel
P.O. Box 950
Keetmanshoop
Namibia
Tel: +264 63 223361
Fax: +264 63 223714
Internet business centre
Deze keer niet vroeg opgestaan. Bij ontbijt zagen we dolfijnen en zeehonden in zee. Eerst naar Diaz point. Rotsachtig en lagunen waar flamingo's zaten. Bij Diaz punt waren hoge golven en zeehonden.
Daarna te snel terug naar Kolmanskop. Uit de bocht gevlogen en bijna gekanteld en vast in het zand. Uitgegraven en weg. In spookstadje rondleiding gekregen. Echt Duits. Daarna over tarmac verder, niet zo boeiend. S' middags over gravelweg. Bij lunchhalt de 2 jerrycans leeg gemaakt, want we zijn bijna in Capetown! Voordat we naar de canyon gingen eerst een hotel geboekt waar anderen ook hadden geboekt. Scheelt ver omrijden morgen: 200 km. Daarna op eind van de middag naar de canyon gegaan en voor
zonsondergang terug naar hotel. Geborreld met zijn 12en en daarna met zijn allen gegeten. Vroeg naar bed. Malarone vergeten.
This time we didn’t get up early. At breakfast we saw seals and dolphins in the sea next to the breakfast room. First we went to Diaz Point. Rocs and lagoons where there were flamingos. At Diaz Point there were big waves and seals. Missed a bent in the road and almost turned over. Anyway we got stuck, Jim! But we managed to get out ourselves and be in time for the guided tour in the ghost town of Kolmanskop. Real German town. After that we had a lot of tarmac. Not fascinating. Later on we got gravel. At the lunch halt we emptied our jerry cans, because we are almost in Cape Town! Before we went to the canyon, we booked the hotel nearby where others had booked too. Makes a lot of difference in km of driving: 200! In the afternoon we went to the canyon and saw sunset. We went back and had a wonderful time with the 12 other Hero’s.
We had dinner together. Went to bed early. Forgot Malarone!
29082005:
Day 26: To the Flowering Desert of Namaqualand
A long main road (through the dry countryside of southern Namibia) takes us back into South Africa and across the fertile Orange River valley to the little town of Okiep, with its preserved Victorian Cornish beam engine which pumped water from the local mines. One of South Africa's annual miracles is the great flowering of the Namaqualand desert, which starts in earnest in late August - our route takes us through some of the finest flowering landscapes. The day ends at the wine-growing centre of Vredendal in the Olifants River valley. Overnight Vredendal Hotel.
527 km.
Vredendal Hotel
P.O. Box 17
Vredendal 8160
South Africa
Tel: +27(0) 213 1064
Fax: +27(0) 213 1003
Internet access
Vroeg wakker en agenda bijgewerkt. Laat vertrokken, Ria eerst moeder gebeld die jarig is. Over gravelweg naar de grens. Gebruikelijke formaliteiten. National park was open, maar er waren geen bloemen. Dan de detour genomen. Daar waren aardig wat bloemen en enkele duizendpoten.
G4 Discovery had lekkende benzinetank. Over lang stuk asfalt naar hotel. In donker aangekomen. Snelle douche en borrel. Eten was niet zo geweldig. Twee keer voorgerecht genomen. Naar bed.
Woke up early and wrote in my diary. Left late. Ria called her mother who had her birthday that day. On gravel road to the border of SA. Usual paperwork. Went to the national park, but there were no flowers. So we went on another detour. There were a lot of flowers and some mille pods. Jim’s G4 Discovery had a leaking petrol tank. Long straight tarmac to our hotel. Quick shower and a drink. Food was that good. Took only appetizers. Watched Ursula playing pool. To bed.
30082005:
Day 27: Wuppertal and the Cederberg
We travel into the beautiful Cederberg mountains, visiting the tiny, remote and unspoiled pioneer village of Wuppertal. From here, a 4x4 trail takes us to see some fine rock paintings, before crossing a spectacular series of mountain passes to bring us down to Ceres, South Africa's fruit growing capital. Overnight at the traditional Belmont Hotel.
323 km.
Belmont Hotel
Ceres 6835
Cape Province
Kaaprovinale
South Africa
Tel/Fax: +27(0) 23 312 1150
No guest internet facilities
Te laat opgestaan, want Ria had de tijd niet veranderd. Daarom een uur te laat weg. Mooie rit door de bergen. Helaas was het op de eerste pas bewolkt. Later was het mooi weer. Plantjes meegenomen.
In Wuppertal gestopt om even rond te kijken en koffie te drinken.
In de schoenmakerij kudu leren schoenen gekocht. Daarna weer verder.
Gelunched om 13.00 uur. Bier en sandwich. Daarna weer mooie bergrit. Om 14.50 in hotel aangekomen. In de tuin thee met scones genomen, Victor natuurlijk appelgebak met koffie ha, ha, ha. Auto laten wassen en met de manager gesproken over de toestand van het land. 10 rand per dag. 700 per maand. Man had nog in Angola gevochten. Was niet blij met de omwenteling waardoor er nu een omgekeerde discriminatie ontstaan is.
Lopend buffet. Daarna via herentoilet (!) naar de bar. Met Victor gepooled. Leuk!
Got up to late, because Ria didn’t change the time. There is 1 hour difference again! Left late. Nice drive through the mountains. It was cloudy on the first pas, so we didn’t see anything. Later the weather became better. Took some plants for home.
We stopped in Wuppertal to look around and have some coffee. In the shoe factory we bought kudu leather shoes. Don’t step on my kudu shoes. (famous song of Elvis Presley). We went on and had lunch at 13.00. Beer and sandwich in a remote restaurant. After that a beautiful mountain drive. At 14.50 in the hotel. Had high tea in the garden, Victor apple pie. Went to a carwash. 10 rand. Talked to the manager of that place. He fought in Angola many years ago. Was not happy with the changes of the new black government. Now there is discrimination the other way round. Blacks earn 10 rand an hour, which is 700 rand a month.
In the hotel we had another buffet. Most interesting thing about this hotel was: you could reach the bar only when going through the men’s toilet! Played pool with Victor. Nice.
31082005:
Day 28: Through the Mountains to Cape Town
We visit the historic little town of Tulbagh before crossing the spectacular Bain's Kloof Pass of Wellington, and on to the Atlantic at Bloubergstrand, and a fine view of Table Mountain across the bay. From here, it's just a short journey back to our finish at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Tonight there's a memorable farewell party at Boschendal, one of the Cape's finest and most historic wine estates. Overnight at the Table Bay Hotel.
194 km.
Total distance 11.352 km.
Table Bay Hotel
Quay 6
Victoria & Albert Waterfront
Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: +27(0) 21 406 5000
Fax: +27(0) 21 406 5676
Internet business centre
Laat op: 07.00 uur. Niet de hele route gereden, geen gravelweg. 
Weer bij de oceaan aangekomen.
Schelpen gevonden. Om 11.30 uur in het hotel aangekomen. Ingecheked en uitgepakt. Daarna gelunched in de grote hal van het hotel.
´s Middags de auto opgeruimd en leeg gehaald. De officiële finish was om 15.00. We kwamen er te vroeg aan en de band begon in paniek te spelen.
Leuke finish met vlag, muziek en champagne.
Om 18.00 uur moesten we met de bus naar ons afscheidsdiner. Anderhalf uur heen en anderhalf uur terug met de bus. Lekker diner in een zaal van een wijnhuis. Daar kregen we een toespraak van John Brown en ontvingen we ons speciaal aandenken van de rally: vrouwen een houten giraf en de mannen een houten rinoceros. Na afloop nog was er nog een danspartijtje en een nietdansdrink afdeling.
Got up late: 07.00. We didn’t take detours or gravel roads. We arrived at the Atlantic Ocean again. Found shells. We arrived in the hotel at 11.30. Checked in and packed out. After that we had lunch in the big hall of the hotel. In the afternoon we cleaned the car interior and took our luggage. At 15.00 we had the official finish of the tour. We were there to early and the band started to play in panic. Nice finish with flag, music and champagne.
At 18.00 we went to our farewell party in the winery of Boschendal. It took us an hour and a half to get there and to get back in Cape Town. It was a delicious dinner. We got a speech of John Brown and got our special remembrance of the tour: a giraffe for the lady’s and a rhinoceros for the men. That is to say in wood of course. After dinner there was a dance party and a notdancedrink corner.
01092005:
Return cars to the docks
Return cars to the docks and fly home; or stay on a while if you prefer.
Lekker ontbeten en de auto klaar gemaakt om in te leveren voor transport terug naar huis. Om 11.00 uur moesten we bij de transporteur zijn. Daarna met busjes terug naar het hotel. Gelunched. Daarna een rondrit gemaakt door Kaapstad met een open dubbeldekker bus. Af en toe gingen we er uit: bij het oude Nederlandse fort waar we binnen rondgekeken hebben. Op het eind van de middag waren net op tijd terug bij het hotel om de high tea niet te missen. ´s Avonds met een aantal onder leiding van Jim gegeten in een heel goed seafood restaurant ( Baia) net naast het hotel.
Heeeeerlijk!!! Bijna iedereen van de deelnemers aan de rally kwamen daar eten.
Had a nice breakfast. Prepared the car for shipment. We had to be at the shipping agent at 11.00. Went back to the hotel in busses. Had lunch. After that we made a tour through Cape Town by open double deck bus. You could get out and take another bus later on. We got out at the old Dutch fortress and went in there. We got back in the afternoon just in time not to miss high tea! JIM Taylor had a dinner arranged in a very good seafood restaurant (Baia) just next to the hotel.
02092005:
Heel laat opgestaan: 08.00 uur!!!! Uitgebreid ontbeten. Van Jim Taylor een pet gekregen met de tekst: old guys rule. Daarna met de taxi naar centrum van Kaapstad gegaan.
Daar op markt van Greenmarket Square. Allemaal rommelkraampjes. Enkele mannen waren bezig van waaibomenhout antiek ebbenhout te maken mbv een gasbrander en zwarte schoensmeer. Blikken karretje gemaakt van ijzerdraad en lege cola blikjes gekocht na lange onderhandeling. Een heel eind terug gelopen naar ons hotel, laatste stuk een taxi genomen. In de grote shopping mall bij het hotel rondgelopen en wat boeken gekocht.
Wat gedronken in het hotel en daarna weer naar hetzelfde restaurant als gisteren. Als afscheidsdiner kreeft gegeten. Daarna met taxi van het hotel gezamenlijk naar het vliegveld gereden. Simpele controles bij de douane.
Terugvlucht KLM/ vertrek 23.45 uur; aankomst 030905 11.35 uur; vlucht KL598.
Op Schiphol de trein genomen naar Vlissingen. Eind van de middag waren we thuis. Mooi weer.
Got up late: 08.00!! We had an easy breakfast. I got a cap from Jim Taylor with the text: old guys rule. Nice! Then we went by cab to the centre of Cape Town: Greenmarket Square. They sold all kind of junk. We saw two men who were busy to make ebony furniture out of pine wood with the aid of a gas burner and black shoe polish. Bought a toy car made of empty coke cans an iron wire. We were negotiating a long time about the price. Walked a long way back to the hotel but took a cab half way. Went to the shopping mall next to the hotel and bought some books.
We packed our luggage and had a drink in the hotel. For the farewell dinner we went to the same seafood restaurant as yesterday and had lobster.
We went to the airport at 20.30 together with Chris, Fred and Ernie. Through customs which was very very simple.
Flight back with KLM: departure at 23.45, arrival in Amsterdam on 03092005 at 11.35. Flight KL598.
At Schiphol Airport we took the train home. We were there in the afternoon. Nice summer weather.
