Friday 31 July 2015

Where did that month go?

So the next move is about on me as I leave here on Tuesday bound for Port St Johns.  Yes I did say I was going around but I'll get to that later - this change of mind has me doing an overnight there then on to Kei Mouth the next day.  This will avoid a large part of the dreaded N2 and with the stop will see me doing two hops of just over 200 km which shouldn't be too arduous.

Believe it or not we have had some rather foul weather with the the temp dropping to around 14C - don't mock I'm a South Coaster now.  Also lots of rain which made TV viewing tricky as the din on the van roof drowned the sound.  So as I could not use my "outside" cooking facility - a two plate electric goody on a table - I had to cook in the microwave.  I decided that some bacon/cheese wors was just the thing and dumped in a coil of the stuff and hit play.  When I opened the door I thought a cobra was striking as this thing had swollen and unwound and sprayed fat everywhere - guess I shoulda stuck a few holes in it.  The van still has a vague wors odour about it in spite of copious cleaning of the micro.

I decided about 3 weeks ago to pop up to Lake Eland to try and locate a Swamp Nightjar I had found there on a previous trip as it would look good on an Atlas list so I stayed the one night in Oribi Gorge and planned to go on to Lake Eland the next day.  There I bumped into a couple who I had last seen in Umdoni Forest in Pennington.  They were also doing a bird list and when I asked if they were Atlassers they said they were officially doing a survey of coastal forests as a research project and Atlassing on the side.  I said "Shit job" and they said "Someone's got to do it".  He told me that there some terrible weather on the way and as he said it the rain started and as it was still bucketing down the next day I decided to postpone Lake Eland.

A week later I wanted to check out the campsite that Jo and I once stayed in near Kokstad so decided to do a combined trip.  I booked into a lovely lakeside (more like damside) cottage and went up to an elevated picnic site to watch the sunset.


 When I returned this little fellow (a Bushbuck) was not more than 5 m from the balcony.


The following morning I left early to get down to some serious Atlassing and stopped several times to take pics, it really is a very beautiful place.  Large sections had been burnt and the Fire lilies were out in force.



At another picnic site these guys were eating rocks, I have no idea why but the crunching that was going on sounded like breaking teeth - and yes they were rocks as I saw them bending down and selecting them, must need minerals I guess. Lovely contrast of colour though.

From here I went down to the river to look for the elusive finfoot and when I left the bakkie to walk along the river I did not take the keys.  Big mistake as I must have knocked the locking button getting out as when I returned I couldn't get back in.  I had nothing with me, not even my penknife and was not looking forward to the 12 k hike back to the camp when I decided to check if I could jiggle the lock on the sliding back window.  Looking through the drivers window I noticed that the lock on the other side was open - HUGE relief.

This place also has the longest zip line in Africa which Sally and I tried when she was here last year, if I remember correctly there are 14 sections the longest being 800 m straight across this gorge but a little further along..
 The little concrete blob with a roof on to the left of the dam is the start of the big one.
 Right at the top end of the reserve is the Oribi Sanctuary and though I'd been many times I had yet to spot one but this time most of the area had been burnt and voila......
The N2 to Kokstad was horrendous with long convoys of trucks and an almost continuous ascent that made overtaking impossible and though the campsite was still lovely I decided that this was not the way to go.  I stayed at a place called Stoneybrook and had a pub dinner with a couple of reps and a very chatty barmaid and when I arrived back at the van noticed I had left my clipboard behind and though the crosswords weren't particularly important, the UIF forms were, so had to go all the way back next day.  Thought umemployment was only paid for six months but have now found that it's eight - roll on.

Friday 3 July 2015

The search for the next stop

Decided that there was nowhere in the old Transkei that a) I could get the beast to and b) that I really wanted to go, so settledon Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay.  A recce was required so wanting to treat myself I booked for an overnight in Mazeppa Bay Hotel and a cottage at a place called Ocean View near Kei Mouth.  I left here at 09h30 and arrived in Mazeppa, which is approximately 400 k,s away at 18h30 - 9 freaking hours later.

First mistake was going through Bizana as it is basically limited to 60 and 80 kph sections all the way -so much of people.  Second mistake was heading for the N2 and not direct to Mthatha via Port St Johns as you end up going backwards and have to fight your way through all the grotty little towns that litter the route.  It took 3 hours to get to Mout Ayliffe where I stopped for half an hour for lunch and admired this view across the road.

Thereafter things just went downhill.  It took at least an hour to get from one side of Mthatha to the other and boy if SA ever needs an enema thats where they'll start.  The pavements in all those towns are so packed with traders that everyone walks in the road, and of course you just park wherever and to hell with the traffic.  The instructions I had for the hotel said there was a marked turn-off 8 k's from Butterworth, so I get there - no sign, turn round and all the way back to Dutywa - no sign.  Finally found someone who had even heard of Mazeppa, lots of detailed instructions and I still managed to miss it - if it was there at all.  5 k's from Butterworth I hit a backup from the only traffic light in town and we creep down the hill -which gives me time to check a map and I see you can get there through Kentani but I pull into a garage to check.  The Indian fellow goes into excruciating detail and says I must turn left at the Engen garage in Kentani - I missed the garage, only had one pump.  Came to the end of town turned round found the garage but the road looks like it heads straight into the "suburbs".  Ask and once again get explicit details, left at Y, right at T, down Cat's Pass and now it's getting dark.  That all went superbly till the bottom of the pass where there is another Y - they just don't seem to do signs down there.  The left fork has just been made and looks like a rugby field, I take the right but decide to ask and stop a passing bakkie no this is the right road just follow it to the end - and can you give my mate a lift, sure if he's willing to get on the back all my stuff's in front.  An hour later I drop him off, how far?  Two k's he assures me, 4 k's later I feel like I trapped in Hotel California and the nightmare is never going to stop - but it finally does - and I'm the only guest.  

Several stiff shots later i have a splendid solitary meal, then join the only other person in the massive dining room, the receptionist a very pleasant Rhodesian lady who has only been there a few days.  By 8pm I'm out of it and off to bed - sans receptionist unfortunately - but all is forgiven in the morning when I awaken to this.....
For hhat earthly reason do cows visit the beach?  There's also a little island dotted with fishermen, none of whom are Xhosa as they are apparently so scared of the sea they won't go near it, hence the "wild" in Wild Coast.

an

Beautiful spot but stay a week or two.  The rest of the journey was a doddle and when I met Bruce, a self confessed recovering alcoholic chef turned farmer my mind was made up pretty quickly as the campsite on the farm was unlikely to have any guests for the duration and my exercise will be in the form of helping him clear aliens.  He manages the place which belonged to a German couple and when the husband died the workers conned the old duck that they were seeing to everything but of course it all just gradually went to hell in a hand-basket.  One thing that was now very clear was that there was no way in hell that I was coming down the N2 so I booked an overnight in a delightful stone and thatch cottage on a farm called The Guardians, named after this feature.

This enabled me to check the R56 through the Eastern Cape highlands which apart from a few potholes is stiil in good nick and a far preferable option.  Only thing is I'm going to need a heater and long-johns.  All sorts of reasons have made me stay here another month which will give me plenty of time to plan the route.

Have spent some time in Mpenjati Reserve which is not only a delight but close and of course there is another attraction..........

Have only encountered one other dirty old man and as there are no nets and no lifesavers, there doesn't seem to be a huge rush.  But it is a beautiful spot.