The Kruger National Park – Day 6

2017-11-16 | puppy1952

15 November 2017 – Punda Maria

Today we took our leave of Shingwedzi and set off to Punda Maria. It’s a distance of 70 km. The packing up process went off with hardly a hitch – it gets easier every time – and we were off by 7:30.

It was a clear, hot morning and soon the temperature hit 32 degrees C. Our first creature today was a buffalo. He had a yellow-billed oxpecker grooming him.

We also found some ground hornbills – this time walking on the grounds. There were two adults and a juvenile.

It’s always fun to see zebra and today they were in a frolicking mood.

What a delight to come across a huge herd of buffalo under the trees.

Don’t you just love the waterbuck? We have seen so many on this trip in Kruger. Their bottoms sport a white circle that resembles a target! This serves as a following signal so that when they run through the bush those behind can see the white ahead and prevent them from becoming separated.

We arrived at Punda Maria before 10 am and went straight to the campsite.

IMG_4684-001

We found a suitable site and unhitched the caravan. We have a perfect view of the waterhole on the other side of the fence. There is also a hide where one can sit and watch whatever comes to drink.

The Earl enjoying a cup of coffee while he watches elephants from the comfort of his camp chair

I went to reception to check in and when I returned The Earl had started setting up. With just a tiny bit of help from me the rest of the canopy was up within 20 minutes. We’d forgotten to fill the tanks with water but I located a staff member and asked is we could borrow the camp hose. Not a problem. The Earl joined it to his and the tanks were soon filled.

Now all we had to do was relax and wait for our friends Tony and Pat to join us later in the morning. Earl had a nap and I sorted photos in cool of the caravan aircon!

Pat and Tony arrived at lunch time just as thunder and lightning warned that it would soon rain. Some young neighbouring campers did not hesitate to step in and help to get the job done quickly before the heavens opened. Then we sat under our canopy to have a drink and a snack. The rain didn’t last too long but the thunder and lightning continued. At 3:30 we set off on an afternoon drive and although there was some rain we had a very productive afternoon. The rain caused the temperature to drop to 22 degrees C which was a welcome relief.

Young Male Kudu pulling faces – was he enjoying his grooming?

Red-billed oxpecker doing the grooming.

There were plenty of elephants about

Elephants can hide – this one scared us with his sudden appearance

Yellow-billed Hornbill

The rain prevented good photography

In the evening we had a braai and were in bed by 9.

Fortunately the rain held off

What a scrumptious meal of steak, chops, boerewors, spinach, sweet potato and salad.

Kruger National Park – Day 4

2017-11-15 | puppy1952

13 November 2017 – Shingwedzi

I anticipated the mood of The Earl this morning. The caravan is still new! We have had one setting up session and now the first packing up session was about to occur! There was bound to be trouble! We decided last night not to rush things and not to leave at sparrow’s fart! Instead we had a leisurely breakfast and then started to pack. Yes I did have to keep him calm and constantly remind him that it would all work out in the end but it went comparatively well. Perhaps those calming drops I gave him did the trick because the set up at Shingwedzi went fairly well too! Hopefully by the end of this month long trip we will have the anxiety attacks under control.

The Earl cooking a delicious breakfast

The trip here went smoothly too. There were plenty of elephants about but none confronted the caravan so there was no need for His Lordship to panic.

We saw lots of buffalo too and as we neared Shingwedzi there was a lot to see in the river bed.

Elephants for Africa

And Buffalo too

Bufflalo love to wallow in puddles and they don’t mind sharing with a warthog

One of our cousins hiding among the Mopane leaves

We chose a campsite next to the fence and near the swimming pool but far from the ablution block. It I shady and there is a constant sound of birdsong. Squirrels are going to be a problem! They’ve already been here looking for handouts. Not happening my furry friends! We have also been warned to watch out for monkeys and baboons.

Bennet’s Woodpecker seen in the camp

Set up went really well and we were done with hardly a hiccup within half an hour. I went in search of the laundry and was delighted to find two coin operated washing machines and dryers! It was wort the R10 for each to get the washing done in a jiffy.

After we were done with setting up and laundry chores we took a drive to Red Rocks. Sightings were slow but we did get some good birds, the highlights being the white-fronted bee-eater catching bees!

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Back in camp The Earl cooked us a delicious curry in our Smart Space Frying Pan. A honey-badger came to visit but we didn’t manage to get a photograph.

Kruger National Park – Day 3

2017-11-14 | puppy1952

12 November 2017 – Visit to Letaba and Tropic of Capricorn Loop

Today we decided to do a trip to Letaba Rest Camp and back taking the river loops along the way. By 6:30 we were ready to leave.

First to greet us this morning was a wildebeest. (Erich, if you’re reading this – we gave him your regards 🙂 )

Our most exciting sighting of the morning was when we stopped at view point to get a closer view of the river. Looking down we were delighted to find a grey heron, a hamerkop, two pied kingfishers, two fish eagles and two saddle bill storks fishing in a shallow pond. We spent a while there enjoying the scene and taking photographs.

Female Saddle-billed Stork

Fish Eagle

The Bug and Mean – oh sorry The Mug and Bean have been a resounding failure in some of the camps and Letaba is one where the restaurant is closed till further notice. However, there is temporary arrangement in the form of The Rustic Kitchen operating an open air or under canvas restaurant. What a stunning idea – so much better than the Bug! You sit at a simple wooden table and your food is cooked in the rustic kitchen and served on tin plates. Coffee is also served in a tin mug. It was fun and we enjoyed our fried eggs, venison sausage and grilled tomato!

The highlight on our return trip was just as we approached the Tsendse bridge we noted a stationary car with his lights flashing. He’s seen something we thought as he indicated to the car in front of us to stop. Said car ignored and overtook him. Then I spotted them lying flat on the river bed. There were five of them. They were so well camouflaged but then one got up and moved his position – wild dog. We watched them sleeping for a few minutes and when we saw they were not going to do anything for the rest of the afternoon we left them in peace.

Back in camp we had a cup of tea and I started downloading photos and The Earl pottered about sorting out technical stuff to do with the car fridge. A few hours later we went for another game drive.

On our afternoon drive we found the usual zebra, giraffe, buffalo, elephants, waterbuck etc. We took the Tropic of Capricorn Loop which produced some lovely sightings. Sometimes there are stretches of nothing and one can lose concentration as I obviously did at one point. Omiword – The Earl slammed on breaks. Did you see that. I looked back and saw a bird of prey on a tree but he flew off. Darn we missed him and he was on your side – why didn’t you see him. Maybe because he was so small? Not that wasn’t it – I’m usually on the lookout for small raptors. Just a lapse in concentration I’m afraid.

The Earl wanted to carry on but I persuaded him to go back to see if we could find him again – and we did. He led us a bit of a dance flitting from one tree to another but in the end we got a nice shot of him and were thrilled to identify him as a Gabar Goshawk.

Other sightings that we enjoyed were the following:

Tsessebe having a rest

The Iconic Lilac-breasted Roller

Heaviest flying bird – the kori bustard

Sadly it was our last night in Tsendze but we really loved this camp and will certainly be back.

Kruger National Park – Day 2

2017-11-14 | puppy1952

11 November 2017 – Tsendze

How fantastic to wake to the sounds of the dawn chorus in the bush. It was already getting light at 4:30 am and that’s when the gate opens. But we had no intention of making such an early start. I went to shower at the ablution block just after 5 and we were packed and ready to leave at 6:30

Our first exciting event was an encounter with Ayres Hawk-eagle. There were actually two. The light was bad so the photo is not great but we found this one on a kill.

We also got a good sighting of the common black-shouldered kite – but what a pretty bird.

Elephants, buffalo, hippo, wildebeest and zebra were also on the menu and we got to see a lot of birdlife. Here are a few photos that we managed to get.

Lesser-striped swallow

Hippo

The uncommon yellow-billed oxpecker – grooming a zebra

Cute little blue waxbill

Shy steenbok

Beautiful giraffe

A rarity in the park is an antelope similar to a red hartebeest – the Tsessebe – We found a few of them which was lovely.

Time wore on and we were getting hungry. We decided to head back toward Mopani and have something to eat there. After a few hours of game driving you rather hope that you won’t see anything exciting as all you want is to have a break and get some strong coffee into you. I yelled at the earl to stop with a couple of interesting birds but either I was too late or he’d lost interest because he just drove on. Thank Goodness for that because just a few kms from camp we spotted some stationery cars – always a good sign – It has to be a leopard, I said and as we got closer I spotted a tail hanging down from the branch of a tree. Oh joy – all thoughts of coffee and food disappeared in an instant. There was a young leopard on a kill up in the tree. And was she having a delightful breakfast – lucky creature. If we’d delayed over the birds I’d called we would have missed her as after a minute she slid down the tree, washed her paws and slipped off into the bush! Gone! The only evidence were the remains of impala hanging in the tree!

We lingered long over breakfast at Mopani as its restaurant has such a lovely view over the river. We saw marabou storks and watched greater striped swallows take off and land back in the branches of the trees again. There was a lot of activity. I had a second cup of coffee while the Earl went to another section of the facility to pay accounts and send emails from his laptop.

We like to rest in camp in the middle of the day and it was now just after 11. We just did one more loop to Mooiplaas Picnic site, spotted some birds and hippos and then did a little river loop where we saw buffalo and elephant.

We got back to camp around 1 o’clock and rested until 3:30 and then went out again. We saw all the usual suspects and were not expecting anything too exciting. It was nearing 6 o’clock when we were in sight of this morning’s leopard tree and gate closing is at 6:30. And what should we see – three cars stopped at the tree.

“They’re probably looking at the carcass,” I said the Earl.

But no as we got closer I saw that the leopard was back.

But wait there’s more – “Look there,” said The Earl, “There’s another one in the tree.”

And then all hell broke loose as the two leopards started growling and slapping each other.

This is my dinner – Be off with you!

After a brief skirmish one decided she’d better get out of there and slipped down the tree and disappeared into the bush. The victor sat in the split in the tree for a few minutes looking for all the world like any domestic kitty cat.

Then he climbed onto the branch where the impala carcass was and proceeded to finish his meal.

Soon other cars appeared and in the end there were five of us watching this amazing sight. It gets dark quickly in the Kruger and by 6:10 I had enough photographs in good light. It was time to head quickly back to camp before the gate was locked! We made it with 10 minutes to spare

Kruger National Park Day 1

2017-11-13 | puppy1952

10 November 2017 – Tsendze

We left Haenertzburg, with new caravan in tow at 8:30 this morning. We stopped at Tzaneen Lifestyle Centre for breakfast and to do some last minute shopping and then we were finally off to my most favourite place in the world – The Kruger National Park.

When I saw the familiar road sign indicating the direction of the park I really started to get excited. Two and half hours later we were there – Phalaborwa Gate welcomed us and check in was quick and smooth.

Our Home on Wheels

Once on the road to Mopani 77 km further on I breathed in the sweet air of the bushveld and sat back to enjoy the three hour ride. Yes – that’s how long you take to travel distances in the park as the speed limit is 40km on dirt and 50km on tar – but you hardly ever go that fast as you travel slowly while searching the bush for life.

And what do you think our first mammal was? No not an impala which is the most common creature in the park

It was an elephant!

The impala, of course, did appear as did many zebra and as we travelling near the river there were lots of buffalo too.

Very common, but very pretty

Mommy and Baby

Who do you think you’re looking at!

At the bridge we spotted a pied kingfisher looking for lunch while further up the river a herd of elephants crossed over. Water buck were about too.

Sometimes the ride becomes quiet and for a while you don’t see anything and then just when you’re about to fall asleep with boredom something crops up to excite you. Today a shape appeared at the side of the road and I yelled out to the Earl to slow down.

“What?” he said

“A puppy,” I squealed

and there al by itself lay the tiniest hyena cub you could ever wish to see.

“Where is your mommy?” I asked him and he just stared sleepily at me.

“Hey! Here she is on my side!” noticed the earl after 3 whole minutes of looking through my window.

And sure enough there was mom with another little pup – just off the road.

Hyenas tend to make their dens in culverts under the road so they surely must have had one just there.

Korhaans often appear and sometimes very photogenic.

But today the fronds of grass kept preventing me from getting good shots.

A tortoise crossed our path

After checking in at Mopani Camp – there’s no check in office at Tsenze Rustic Camp 6km from there – we went to the restaurant for a bite to eat. The restaurant overlooks the river and there were many interesting things to watch.

We then made our way Tsendze Rustic Camp where there is no electricity and just two camp attendants ensuring that the campers are happy. The facilities are in pristine condition, it is quiet and the camp is full of birdlife – it’s really back to nature. When you enter and leave you have to open and close the gate, looking around for dangerous wildlife as you do so! As we drove around looking for campsite number 22 we spotted the barred owlet – this is really a special find.

Then began the set up process. Now remember this was the first time with the new caravan. And The Earl suffers from anxiety and I am not the most patient psychiatric nurse. I steeled myself for half an hour of stress and panic. We unpacked to perfectly colour labelled tent poles and studied the perfectly clear diagram. It was all very straightforward but The Earl wanted to beat the clock – and every time he encountered a problem like forgetting where he put the mallet his stress levels rose. At least 10 times I had to remind him to breath and take it slowly. “It will all come together in the fullness of time.” And of course it did and it was so much easier than our previous caravan’s set-up process!

We spent the rest of the afternoon sorting out where we would put things while in camp so that we didn’t have to do too much digging into bags and boxes.

Then we poured ourselves a drink and went over to chat to the neighbours who coincidently we’d met during check in at Mopani. They are from Louis Trichardt and have a really smart fold out caravan. Once it’s set up it is bigger and more luxurious than our one. The bedroom has an island bed. There are three times as many cupboards and they have a lovely seating area inside as well as out. Their bathroom is also twice the size as ours. But I love our compact little set up and would not swap it now!

The weather has been stunning – overcast but no rain, no wind and it is warm. We had a wonderful braai this evening and were in our brand new king size bed by 9 pm! It was too warm for under the duvet so we slept with just a sheet.

Gecko, Haenertsburg and Tzaneen

2017-11-09 | puppy1952

When one is in the misty mountains of The Magoebaskloof, it’s easy to forget that you’re in Africa and that it is Summer. The temperatures can be very low any time of the year here!

Haenertsburg is a tiny place and there are often problems with electricity. For most of yesterday afternoon we were without power, it came on again for a short while in the evening then was gone again for the rest of the night. This morning it was still not on but it didn’t bother us as we were out for most of the day.

How exciting it is to take possession of one’s new caravan! Our Gecko is simply the best! We loved our Imagine but we had so many setting up problems, so we decided that something a little simpler and easier on the old bones was required. Keith and Alison greeted us just before nine this morning and took us through the handing over process. They also provided us with a superb manual for easy reference. It was so interesting to find out that the reason they started building their Gecko caravans was because they too had owned an Imagine and after two trips in it decided to make something better! So they really understood what we were looking for!

We had so much fun learning all the ins and outs about our new van and Keith also took us on a tour of their impressive factory. The Earl was hugely impressed and you know what a perfectionist he is!

After our orientation we went to Minki’s for an amazing breakfast. Their coffee was to die for.

This ‘jug’ of hot coffee was a welcome warmer to the day

The breakfast was excellent

After breakfast we drove 30 km to Tzaneen to shop for Kruger. On our return we went back to Gecko and packed the caravan.

We had all our gear in the boxes on top of the Ford Everest and we spent about an hour sorting out and packing. It’s all done and dusted now and we’re ready for departure tomorrow morning.

I made the super new kingsize bed!

Alison suggested pantry bags – what a good idea – everything fits in so snugly

There is packing space in the cupboards, drawers and under the benches — note the aircon!

It has a loo

And a shower!

After all this activity we needed more coffee so back we went to Minki’s to pick up the ground coffee and relish we’d ordered. We also indulged in another of their amazing coffees and cappuccinos and shared a slice of delicious carrot cake!

The weather cleared in this afternoon and I did a bit of birdwatching around our cottage. It’s really in a superb spot with a great view of Stanford Lake. I was thrilled to find a long-crested eagle perched at the top of a tree.

The view

Long-crested Eagle

Taking flight

We have just had a lovely braai of lamb chops, boerewors, sweet potatoes and salad. It’s not as cold as last night and we have power! We’ll be off to bed soon as tomorrow is an early start for The Kruger National Park!

From KZN to Limpopo Province

2017-11-08 | puppy1952

All too soon our five days with the Kokstad Clan came to an end. We caught up with Barbara and Andrew, saw our friends Neil and Rose who live on the farm next to Lauren and Alan and just relaxed and got ready for the next phase of our journey.

Masked Weaver in Barbara’s garden

We visited some huge gardens on Friday but Barbara’s smaller one is just a beautiful

Small by Kokstad standards – big by mine!

Barbara with her grandson, Caleb

Shannon went back to St John’s on Monday afternoon and on Tuesday we were all set to say farewell to Lauren, Allan and Simon. It will be another month before we see them all again.

The weather was not too hot and not too cold but when we reached Underberg we saw snow on the mountains! From there to Howick we went through several patches of mist and had fun (not!) playing dodge the pothole for many miles. But after that things improved, the weather warmed up and the scenery was stunning.

We stopped in Ermelo to refuel and as we try to collect U-count points we searched Google Maps for a Caltex garage. It took us a roundabout way and when we found one we were a bit disconcerted to see some huge trucks at every pump. However, the boss came running over and told us not to worry – we would be next in line. I asked if he would direct me to some clean loos and he immediately called a staff member to show me where they were. She took me to the extremely clean and well-maintained Fresh Stop rest room. When I emerged the boss checked that I was completely satisfied. Once again – what excellent service. The refuelling was ready within minutes and the attendant explained exactly how we could back to the N11 and warned us about upcoming road works. What a pleasant refuelling stop!

What a shock to find these monsters at every filling pump – they were on their way to Botswana

Our overnight stay was at Pumpkin Tree Lodge in Middelburg a very different Middelburg the one we spent the night at in The Eastern Cape! Mpumalanga’s Middelburg is quite a big town. We were greeted by a friendly owner with whom we had a long conversation on the merits of different caravans. She too was shopping for a new one and was very interested in hearing about our pending new Gecko.

This just outside the rooms

Bath converted to bench

Very lush garden at Pumpkin Tree Lodge

We decided not to go to the Italian restaurant she recommended as although we felt like having pizza it did not seem to offer Banting options. However, there was a take away menu from Pizza del Forno in our room and we decided to go there instead. Because I put in the wrong address in the GPS we found ourselves at the wrong place and had to start again and it took us a while before we finally got to our destination. On our return home we laughed because it only took two minutes!

At first it looked like it was in the dodgy part of town and we were afraid that our car might be broken into. But there was secure parking right outside and we could see our vehicle from where we sat. The food was excellent our waitress was attentive. I had a Banting Base Pizza topped with feta, avo and bacon and Earl had the same with normal base. Both were excellent. The owner was wonderful too. We asked him about the condition of the roads to Haenertsburg and he gave us excellent advice on which way to go.

In this part of South Africa at this time of the year it is HOT! The climate is subtropical and we are also in a Malaria area. (We are taking prophylactic medication) I heard a mosquito in our room in the night but luckily I was able to kill him!

In the morning we dressed in cool clothes but because we knew the temperature would be lower in the Magoebaskloof, we had our jackets ready. The trip once again was very scenic. How lovely it would be if our Western Cape dams had as much water as we saw in Loskop Dam just before entering Limpopo Province.

It took just on four hours to get to Haenertsburg and our first port of call was to the Gecko factory. And there she was – our brand new caravan! What a thrill to see her. Alison greeted us enthusiastically and brought out the stuff we’d couriered up. We spent the next half hour packing things in and admiring our new home on wheels. Tomorrow we will have our orientation and on Friday we take her into The Kruger National Park

Originally we planned to enter Kruger on Saturday but the weather is cold, misty and wet and seems to be set in for a while. Earl no longer does extreme fishing so we decided to book an extra day in Kruger instead!

Once we’d settled into our accommodation – a two bedroomed front cottage at Stanford Lake we set off to town to shop for supper. The little supermarket has a limited range of produce but we managed to get some boerewors, steak, garlic, sweet potatoes, baby marrows, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and olives for tonights supper. We also bought eggs and bacon for tomorrow’s breakfast. Then we found a lovely little coffee shop called the Book coffee shop. It was the most fascinating place that sold all sorts of goodies as well as old and interesting books. We ordered a hot chocolate and cheesecake to share! It was divine.

Cold, Misty and Wet in Haenertsburg

An interesting shop to browse in

The one next door was also quaint

Hot chocolate and cheesecake to die for

The electricity was cut for a few hours due to some cable problems but this did not bother us too much. We lit a fire in the stove and made our braai and by supper time the lights were on again. It was altogether a very pleasant evening.

The Earl at the braai

Share Your World 30 October 2017

2017-11-01 | puppy1952

Here is my contribution to this week’s Share Your World from Cee

Where do you eat breakfast?

Funny you should ask, because this is my favourite meal of the day and it is usually quite an elaborate affair. I seldom eat breakfast in bed. I like to be up and dressed and seated at the table. Usually my darling husband cooks it for me, at least twice weekly we go to our favourite coffee shop where they don’t even ask what we want as the just know, and on rare occasions I am the chef. Properly brewed coffee is essential and no matter where I am the quality of the breakfast is greatly influenced by the quality of the coffee! If the weather is good I like it al fresco, if it’s in a cold place a roaring fire helps otherwise a lovely ambience indoors will do.

Typical Shipwreck Coffee Shop Breakfast – Fried eggs, bacon, cheese grillers tomato and coffee

Scrambled Eggs Al Fresco at my garden picnic table

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want have a evening with?

My ideal evening is in the bush with friends who enjoy it as much as I do. There is nothing to beat, sitting outside your caravan, watching the flaming sun sink beneath the horizon, listening the sounds of the wild, glass of wine in hand exchanging stories about the day’s adventures. Priceless!

My fantasy companion would be Sir David Attenborough because I would love to chat to him about his lifetime of doing wildlife documentaries. What a fascinating life he has had. How lucky we are to be able to spend any number of evenings watching said documentaries!

If you could be a tree or plant, what would you be?

I would choose to be a Baobab Tree. She is the queen of trees. You cannot miss her standing proud on the African Savannah demanding to be admired. Not only would I be a wonderful sight to behold I would also be permanently among the wildlife that I love so much and I would be a great asset to their lives. Because the baobab has many useful properties, it is widely known as the Tree of Life. How wonderful to be a Life-giving Tree.

Baobab products are useful to mankind as among other stuff soap, rubber, glue, traditional medicine and cream of tartar are made from their products. But best of all it creates it’s own ecosystem and provides food and shelter for animals, birds and insects.

It is a deciduous tree so during the dry winters it has no leaves and its bare branches look like roots hence it’s nickname – the upside down tree.

In Winter it is The Upside Down Tree

In Summer It dons it’s leafy finery

What inspired you or what did you appreciate this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.

The Earl and I left Struisbaai at 6 am this morning and considering the state of his health one year ago I appreciate how fit and well his is now. He coped well with the driving and we made sure to stop frequently. We are overnighting in Middelburg in the Eastern Cape and will do another day’s drive to Kokstad tomorrow. This is the start of a three month trip away and I will be blogging about our adventures as often as I can during this time.

Right Place, Right Time

2017-10-04 | puppy1952

The Earl and I needed to see our accountant in Stellenbosch last Friday. Not wanting to do an overnighter we set off bright and early on the two and half hour drive that would get us our appointment on time. As luck would have it the Rapport Holiday Show started in Stellenbosch that day too. We’re having a caravan built by Gecko in Haenertsburg and as they had a stand at the show we thought it might be a good idea to check it out and see if there was anything else we needed while there.

It was almost midday by the time we got to the show and all we’d consumed was a good cup of coffee offered to us by the accountant. We chatted to Keith and Alison, took some measurements, ordered an aircon and a storage bag and then headed off to look for food. Well foolishly we’d come without cash and the food vendors didn’t have card facilities so we decided to head back home with the intention of stopping in Franschoek for lunch.

This is what I caravan kitchen will look like

Did I mention it was a beautiful day and the drive there and back over the mountain passes was stunning.

Franschhoek is an hour’s drive from Stellenbosch and we were listening to Pippa Hudson on Cape Talk as we drove. I was getting hungrier and hungrier and then she interviewed Pieter de Villiers – a local chocolate maker! Pippa – please – I was drooling! I had never heard of de Villiers chocolate and it is only available from certain Woolworths outlets or his own chocolate cafes. Living in Struisbaai I would not have easy access to this delicious sounding chocolate – Probably just as well as I am a Banter and only occasionally eat 70% dark chocolate – But ooh I was dying for some as I listened to this mouth watering interview.

Pieter only uses UTZ certified cocoa beans grown in Africa. UTZ certified stands for sustainable farming and better opportunities for farmers, their families and our planet.

Everything is made from scratch – from sourcing and roasting their own cocoa and coffee beans, to making their own ice cream and a wide selection of confections. His wrappers are also very special and have an African look.

We were five minutes away from Franschhoek when the interview ended and we’d discovered that there just happened to be a De Villiers Chocolate cafe in town!

I said to Earl, “I’m having lunch at De Villiers Chocolate Café.”

“You can’t!” he said “You’re banting.”

“So what,” I said “This is serendipitous. I am meant to have chocolate today. I need chocolate today. Why else would I hear this interview just as I’m entering a place where that cafe is calling to me.”

Well of course I didn’t exactly have lunch at the café – we first dined at MC, googled the address of the café and then went there for coffee. My two favourite things in life – coffee and chocolate. Preferably together.

Lunch at MC for Earl was springbok pie and Eggs Benedict for me – the Banting version.

Franschoek is the prettiest town in South Africa and has wonderful eateries

The cafe where you can taste before you buy

The patio area

Coffee for me, ice cream for The Earl, and all the ‘lekkergoed’ we bought

The coffee was excellent, the ice cream delicious and I walked away with a packet of drinking chocolate, three slabs of 70% chocolate – the cinnamon and chili is to die for – and two bars of chocolate nougat.

Yes I was certainly in exactly the right place at the right time.

De Villiers Chocolate

Share Your World 8 May 2017

2017-05-09 | puppy1952

Here are my answers to this week’s Share Your World from Cee.

When you’re alone at home, do you wear shoes, socks, slippers, or go barefoot?

In the summer you might find me barefoot. Right now I am wearing shoes, but I often kick them off and wear slippers. I like my feet to be comfortable and in winter I might put on Ugg Boots. They may be ugly but they’re comfy. I have the generic version – not the overly expensive ones.

What was your favorite food when you were a child?

When I was very young, I was an extremely fussy eater but for breakfast I loved my Jungle Oats. My mother told everyone that if it weren’t for that one meal, I would probably starve because for the rest of the day I would eat very little else. My uncle teased me constantly and would make me cry by telling me the factory had burned down.

Perhaps that’s why I went off it and started on eggs instead. My sister and I would share a boiled egg – she would eat the white and I would have the yolk!

Yes – I was a very picky eater and would not eat cooked vegetables but being of Greek origin we always had salads with every meal and those I ate quite happily. For a packed lunch, my mom would give me polony or chunks of cheese and carrot sticks because I wouldn’t eat my peanut butter and jam (jelly to the Americans) sandwiches, although I loved them freshly made. My mother despaired of me ever eating properly but thinking back, I wonder why she worried – I ate lamb, beef, chicken and fish and plenty of salads. Pretty healthy I think! I didn’t like pasta, rice, potato or anything that looked suspicious. I had a fear of food and stressed if I had to eat away from home. This changed when I went away to college. The food was awful but it was eat it or starve! I got fat at college but lost it all in my last term – by starving myself! My fight with food continued into adulthood but only as far as trying to keep the weight off was concerned. Finally in my old age I have discovered Low Carb High Fat and it fits in almost exactly with how I used to eat as a child, the only difference being that now I will eat the veggies cooked.

Are you a listener or talker?

I enjoy conversation – both listening and talking. Friends tend to come to me for advice and I do listen but then I try to fix things with lots of advice – not always the right approach.

Favorite thing to (pick one): Photograph? Write? Or Cook?

I can’t pick one so I’ll tell you what I like to photograph, write about and cook.

I like photographing birds and wildlife.

A striated (Green-backed) heron

I like cooking omelettes.

Bacon, onion, tomato and Feta omelette

I like writing about my trips to wild places

“Then suddenly we came upon a leopard languishing on the branch of a tree”

Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful for the wonderful week we had catching up with family at Gariep Dam, Free State. The weather was pleasant and we just relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company.

I am looking forward to planning our next trip away in the caravan.

Sibling Reunion Gariep Dam – Part 2

2017-05-08 | puppy1952

May, all over the country, was likely to have changeable weather. In the Western Cape we were praying for rain as our dams are empty and the earth is dry. We also hoped that it would fall at Great Brak to dampen the fires around Rondom Mooi! We heard that they received a spit and a spot but not enough to kill the fire completely.
In the Free State there are currently no water problems! Gariep Dam is full and while we were there we had rain every day. The wonderful thing about this part of the world is that it thunders, lightning flashes, you get a downpour and then it clears up beautifully till the next shower. It didn’t dampen our spirits at all. The squatters still managed to spend most of the time outdoors, but we ate the rest of our suppers at the bungalow.

Andrew (farmer and pastor) gave thanks for our meal and gathering

John and Karly’s chicken potjie was delicious

Karly sharing words of wisdom with Eddie

My amazing hubby was moved to give all the ailing ones a therapeutic foot massage. Nothing better!

During the day each couple was responsible for their own breakfasts and lunches but most often Earl and John joined forces to cook bacon and eggs and sometimes the others joined us at campsite. And before supper you would find us chilling on the ‘verandah’ of The Mount Nelson on Wheels for sundowners. It was a chilled and happy time with lots of bonding, chatting and encouraging each other.

The environment was delightful. Our campsite was shady and many of the trees were wearing their autumn colours. The birds were chirpy and the fish were biting.

But the plebs enjoyed their squatter camp too. This poor relation is cooking brekkie

We often had visiting cousins who unfortunately had to be chased back into their trees

Sundowners before dinner

The sunrises were spectacular

The Cape Robins were quite friendly

African Pied Wagtail

This Common (Indian) Myna had a wonky leg but managed very well in spite of it

A lovely yellowfish caught and released

So pretty

After the rain

The two caravan sites

The Rondawel

On the Thursday Barbara, Andrew, Diane, Earl and I took a drive around the Gariep area and were impressed by the size of the Dam. Gariep Hydroelectric power station is 300 meters downstream of the dam wall n the banks of The Orange River on the Eastern Cape side. Gariep’s first two machines went into commercial service in 1971 and the last two in March 1976.

View showing the vastness of the dam

Big Sus and Little Sus with the dam in the background

The Orange River with hydroelectric plant on the left

A lot of time was spent on the “Mount Nelson on Wheels” front verandah

But the plebs enjoyed their squatter camp too. This poor relation is cooking brekkie

We often had visiting cousins who unfortunately had to be chased back into their trees

Sundowners before dinner

The sunrises were spectacular

The Cape Robins were quite friendly

Enter a caption

A lovely yellowfish caught and released

So pretty

After the rain

The two caravan sites

The Rondawel

View showing the vastness of the dam

Big Sus and Little Sus with the dam in the background

The Orange River with hydroelectric plant on the left

The Orange River is the longest river in the country. It rises in the Drakensberg in Lesotho and flows westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the international borders between South Africa and Namibia between South Africa and Lesotho. It also forms the borders between several provinces of South Africa. The Orange River provides water for irrigation and for hydroelectric power. The river was named by Robert Gordon, the commander of the Dutch East India Company garrison at Cape Town, in honor of William V of Orange. The original Khoi people called the river Gariep. In Lesotho it is known as the Senqu River.

It was a chilly day and when we got back Shirl treated us to some freshly baked scones with jam

They were delicious, thank Shirl!

Sunrise on our last day

All of us before saying farewell – Earl, Barbara, Andrew, Diane, Shirley,

The Four Stone Siblings – Shirl, Diane, John and Barbara

On Friday when we left we all agreed that this should be an annual event! Next to turn 70??? I believe it’s John next September!

Sibling Reunion at Gariep Dam – Part 1

2017-05-07 | puppy1952

When my grandsons were very young we explained their relationship to me like this. Granny: Jay and Joshua, when Mommy and Aunty Lauren were little they had another mommy. Her name was Colleen. But a sad thing happened. She was sick for some time and then she died when they were only 10 and 12 years old.

Jay: Oh – is that her in the picture in Mommy’s room?

Granny: Yes. You can imagine that it was quite a sad time for Grandpa and his girls. But then Grandpa decided that he needed a new wife and a mommy to help look after the little girls. So he asked me if I would be come and be with them. And I said, Yes – I would so he became Lolly’s new daddy and we became a blended family.

Jay’s eyes widened and a big smile broke onto his face: “Lucky for you, hey Gran!”
Of course I thought it was lucky for all of them but my precious little lad gave me a new perspective on the whole situation! After all what did I get? Two ready made little girls who brought great joy to my life and grew up to give me some adorable grandchildren. He and his brother along with their mommy lived with Granny and Grandpa from infancy till their late teens – How lucky were we??

Not only that – I inherited a whole family on their maternal grandmother’s side who drew me unconditionally into the family and never questioned their brother-in-law’s choice of new wife and mother for their nieces. Yes – Lucky for Gran, indeed! Thirty- four years later I still feel very, very lucky.

Colleen had four siblings – Barbara who has just turned 70 and lives on a farm with Andrew in Kokstad, Kwa-Zulul Natal; John who lives on a wine estate with Karly in Stellenbosch, Western Cape; Shirley who along with Eddie has lived in many places in the country but now lives in Bloemfontein – Free State; And the baby sister Diane who lives with Carey on a small holding at Great Brak River near George in the Western Cape. As I mentioned we all have a good, close relationship and try to see each other as often as possible. But being scattered around the country makes it difficult for all the siblings to be together at the same time. My Goodness even when siblings live in the same city it can get complicated.

John came up with the brilliant idea of all of the siblings, which included The Earl and me, to meet somewhere neutral to celebrate Barbara’s 70th birthday. This message was passed from one to the other but no actual plan was in place. I was worried – we’re old – some of us have health issues – the distances are vast – where would we find a venue that suited everyone. I asked the question and everyone had a different idea. “Who is organising it?” I asked. “Would you?” came the reply. “Yes!” I agreed.

The Earl and I looked at the map and decided that Gariep Dam in Free State should be it. I sent out the email and within minutes I had a positive reply from everybody – Yes they would all come and yes the venue was fine. My chief concern was for Eddie who has been undergoing intensive chemo and would not be strong enough to travel too far. It would be only an hour and half for him and Shirl. Those of us in the Western Cape would have the longest distance to travel but we would do it in two hops. John and Karly would stop at Karoo National Park. Earl and I would pick up Diane and Carey at Great Brak. Barbs and Andrew would also do it in two shorter hops and they were happy with that.

Well last week was when it all happened and I am happy to report that it went off extremely well. The only dampener was that Carey could not join us. Just before our week away was due, a fire broke out in the forest surrounding their property. Diane and Carey helped save a neighbour’s house and were on the verge of being evacuated themselves. By the time we arrived on Sunday afternoon, the fire was still burning and thick, black smoke hung chokingly in the atmosphere. Carey was still very worried. “Take Diane,” he said. ” And if things improve, I will drive up on my own.” Just behind Carey’s work shop, where he builds motor homes, is a forest of gum trees. If they went up in flames, his livelihood would be destroyed. I am happy to report that the fire did not reach the farm but only because of the vigilance of the property owners and the fire fighters.

The first view of the forest fire as we approached Rondom Mooi

Fire Fighters at work at the edge of the pine plantation

The wind just needed to whip this up into a frenzy

Too close to Rondom Mooi for comfort

Looking into the smoky distance from Rondom Mooi

In spite of the fire, Carey entertained his grandsons who just loved the tractor/mower

Daniel takes the wheel – Sit down Matthew!

Watch out – I’ll run you down!

Wow! This is fun

Now it’s Matthew’s turn

Bella – My favourite of the Rondom Mooi dogs.

On the Monday morning the smoke still hung threateningly over the farm and after taking a drive to see how things were progressing, Carey decided that he definitely could not join us. So leaving at 9:30 and stopping in George to shop for provisions and to have breakfast we continued over the Outeniqua Pass, then through the Karoo via Graaff-Reinet to the Free State – arriving at Forever Resort Gariep at 5:00 pm.

The Karoo’s semi desert landscape has a stark beauty of it’s own. I just love the colours, the flatness and the koppies that break the eternal nothingness.

The never-ending Karoo road

A typical Karoo scene with the windmill in the foreground

A Karoo Koppie

A splash of Autumn Colours.

Everybody was already there when we arrived and it was a perfect evening. We set up our squatter camp next to John’s Mount Nelson on wheels and then everybody came down from the rondawel to braai with us.

Our view of Gariep Dam

John in charge

Andrew, Barbara and The Earl

Diane, Karly, Eddie, Shirl

The purpose of this gathering was to celebrate Barbara’s 70th which was in February but then there were 2 other birthdays too – Shirl turned 63 the day before we arrived and andrew turned 82 the day we left. So I got Rachel from my favourite coffee shop to bake a big chocolate cake with Happy Birthday and the ages iced on top.

Happy Birthday to Shirl, Barbara and Andrew

Travelling didn’t do the icing any good but it tasted delicious – best chocolate cake this side of the equator!

Everybody listened politely as I waxed lyrical

We were all so excited to be together. It was not easy for Eddie who is very weak but he made the effort and bonded with each of us. Shirl was also recovering from foot surgery but never complained and gently supported her hubby, Andrew has had a few health issues but wouldn’t have missed this gathering either. Karly was the life and soul of the party in spite of recovering from recent surgery herself. Wow – I love this bunch of positive people. Nothing stops them enjoying everything that life still has to give!

To be continued ……..