Caravanning in The Kgalagadi – Wednesday 11 March 2015

2015-04-03 | puppy1952

We have still not learned to keep up with Jim but we have improved. Maureen is second in the queue, a chap named Des – a hardened bush whacker who has to be out first – has been waiting since 5:45! I am third! We chat with Des and he says it is vital to get to the waterholes as early as possible and that if something exciting is going to happen it must be right next to the road or it won’t be worth watching! But we are still torn between wanting to see the cats and wanting to enjoy the early morning birdlife!

It is already 23 C and rising. The first animal of the day is a Black-backed jackal.

By 7:10 we’ve spotted Gemsbok, Springbok, Kori Bustard Giraffe and Tawny Eagle.

Our first proper stop is at 13^th Waterhole where there is quite a bit of action. A jackal is drinking and so is a large tortoise.

Black-backed Jackal taking an early morning drink.

The birds – Namaqua doves, red-headed finches, lark-like buntings, grey-backed sparrow-larks, yellow canaries, Cape sparrows and laughing doves are flying down is flocks grabbing a drink and flying up into the trees again. The juvenile Gabar and a Lanner are there swooping down on the hunt. We see the Gabar take a lark-like bunting and settle in the tree to enjoy it!

Larklike buntings taking refuge in the trees

Juvenile Gabar with prey

We then head to the breakfast spot – Kamqua – and find a good table under a tree but the shade hasn’t reached it yet so Jim uses his canopy which works perfectly. This time we decide to have muesli and yogurt.

We then head toward Montrose Waterhole find very little so turn around and come back. We find a hyena lying in the shade on the side of the road.

He gives us a look that says “Hey – what are you looking at?”

Just let me sleep!

As we continue I yell STOP Go Back, I’ve seen a White-faced Owl. Earl reverses and sure enough there among the foliage is the bird I’ve been looking for in camp! Soon after this we find 4 spotted dikkop.

There were supposed to be a pair of these in camp but we never found them

One of the four spotted dikkops we saw

At Dalkeith a lovely family of ostriches runs away from us.

We watch a Namaqua Sandgrouse take drink

And a grey headed sparrow goes rock jumping

A car stops to tell us there is a lion at Craig Lockhart and when we get there we look toward the waterhole and see nothing. The chap in the car parked next to the big tree that dominates the site points next to us and there in all his glory sits a big male lion!

No peace from the tourists

Please go away

I wonder what Human tastes like

I have very sharp teeth

Half an hour later we find 4 cheetahs resting under a shady tree. We return to camp after a cursory glance at some beautiful giraffe and then return to the cheetahs later in the afternoon. They wake up and mover around and we hope to see them hunt but all too soon it is time to go back to camp so we don’t have that privilege.

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi – Mata Mata Tuesday 10 March

2015-04-03 | puppy1952

I wake up from a comfortable night in my comfort van with the usual feeling of excitement and anticipation when I’m in a wildlife park. We are up at 5:15 and get ourselves ready for our first trip around Mata Mata. It is already quite warm and the air is dry, dry, dry. We are still drinking coffee when Maureen and Jim say they’re heading for the gate and will see us on the road. Wow – travelling companions who are ready before us – that’s a first! We take our coffee in the car and chase after them. In the Kgalagadi you have to check in and out before leaving camp. Gate opening time is 6:30 and it is quarter past six now. Maureen is number 2 in the queue. I am number 4. It takes a while for the guy on duty to meticulously write down time of departure and whether you’re on a game drive or leaving the camp/park and he only starts at 6:30 on the dot! So it is a while before we actually get going. By the time I’m through Maureen and Jim are long gone. It is our practice to take it very slowly in the park and to stop for every bird and tiny creature. After today we learn – get to the waterholes as early as possible and don’t dawdle or you will miss the sightings as we do today! When we finally catch up with J&M they tell us that Lions came down to drink at 13^th Water Hole and they had 9 cubs with them! They also went as far as Achterlonie and the spot where we’d seen our leopard and there they found lions eating its kill! When we go to the spot a little later the lions have left the scene. They have not left much of the leopard’s kill.

The lions left this for the poor leopard

Oh dear! But we do enjoy our bird watching. We stop to admire Pale Chanting Goshawk, Secretary Birds, Familiar Chats, Sociable Weavers with the condominium nests, ant eating chats, Namaqua Doves, Lark-like Buntings, Grey-backed sparrow-larks, Marico Fly-catcher and swallow-tailed bee-eater among many others.

A typical Kgalagadi Scene - Dalkeith Watherhole

A typical Kgalagadi Scene – Thirteenth Watherhole

Red-backed shrike

Tawny Eagle

White-backed Vultures

Pale Chanting Goshawk

Lark-like buntings and female red-headed finch

Red-headed finch

We also see wildebeest, giraffe and the ever present springbok and Gemsbok. Jackal are also commonly seen and as it is our first full day in the park we stop to photograph them of course. J&M. While waiting for them we are told by other tourists that there are Cheetah lying under a tree a short way off so we head out to look at them. They are quite far from the road under a shady tree so photography is not great. However, we enjoy them for a bit before returning to meet up with the Gibsons.

The picnic site is busy and all the shady spots are taken but no problem – Jim has a canopy on his bakkie and we cook in the shade of a tree and have our chairs so between us we have enough shade. The Gibsons are surprised that we cook eggs and bacon while they settle for cereal! They decline our offer to share brekkie.

After breakfast we follow Jim and Maureen and find lions and later a cheetah with a kill. So all is not lost today!

We also find lions lying about in the shade of the trees – it is really hot.

Today we have a long day out and only return to camp at 4:00 pm. Our campsite is big and shady and we enjoy watching the birds and the ground squirrels who try to beg food from us. We are on the perimeter and a water hole is not far off. We hope to see game come down to drink before dark but only the odd springbok appears.

I cook Risotto for supper and we turn in early.

Caravanning in the Kgalagadi – Veldrift to Molopo Lodge to Mata Mata

2015-04-02 | puppy1952

We survive our first weekend in the caravan. Prior to this It has been a week of stressing, faffing and fussing to get everything ready for a month long trip away in the Kgalagadi. Isn’t it amazing what people will do for fun? Here we were in a large home with everything that opens and shuts, electricity, hot and cold running water, air-con – the list goes on – and what do we do? We swap it for a tiny hut on wheels. I think this is going to be so much fun! But I think my darling husband anticipates every hiccup and tries to squash our familiar life-style into this small abode. Not gonna happen honey – we have to be prepared for the odd discomfort – and don’t panic – I will survive!

Sunday 8 and Monday 9 March

We are wide away just before 4 am on Sunday morning – the noise of the Sishon Saldana iron ore train being our alarm clock! There is no point going back to sleep for 15 minutes so we rise and get ready to leave. The biggest hassle is getting the roof folded down – there must be a knack that we haven’t mastered yet – but with only a minimum of grumpiness and a few giggles we finally did it. By 5:00 am were are on the road in beautiful weather and only a few stop goes to negotiate.

It is a 950 km journey to our overnight stop Mopolo. I love driving through the Karoo. It has a stark beauty all of its own but the roads can be long and straight with little change in the scenery. But I just love the muted green-grey and orange-khaki colours, the low scrub and mauve, flat-topped mountains and koppies that resemble crusty loaves of bread or Christmas cakes.

We stop at Vanrynsdorp to refuel and take-away toasted sandwiches and coffee. I am impressed with the pristine state of the loos and the quality of the coffee! The staff are gentle and friendly too.

We arrive at Molopo Lodge at 3:30 and decide to check into a chalet as there are no campers in the camp site. Also it’s been a long, hot drive and we don’t feel like battling to set up the caravan for just one night. What bliss to get a chalet with a plunge pool right in front. We spend a couple of hours in the pool and watch the many birds flitting about in the tropical garden. This place is like an oasis in the middle of the dessert. In the evening we go to the restaurant. The service is shocking – the waitress doesn’t know what Dry White wine is and brings a sickly sweet glass of something awful. We send it back and order a bottle of Durbanville Hills sauvignon blanc. I have a couple of glasses and take the rest with me. However, the Gemsbok steaks are really good and are accompanied by beautifully prepared vegetables and chips.

The plunge pool

White-backed mousebird

Red-eyed bulbul

Looking toward the Lodge Pool

Monday 9 March

The hot water doesn’t work in the chalet but as it is very hot we are not too fussed about it. We are up at 6:00 and ready to leave by 6:45, pay our bill and ask for the ice bricks we asked them to freeze for us. But they are not frozen. Clearly they were put in the fridge and did not see the inside of a freezer at all! Oh well!

We arrive at Twee Rivieren at 8:30, check in and pay the balances we owe and then check in at the Botswana side too. Maureen has already paid for us here but the receptionist insists we fill in the register too. We decide to breakfast at the restaurant – our last bit of luxury for the next three weeks.

We have over 100km to travel and the first 15 takes 3 hours as we tend to stop for all the birds and little things too!

The Kalahari Sky

The Pale Chanting Goshawk is very common in the park

Most of the flycatchers we see are Marico Flycatcher

A familiar bird is the Familiar Chat!

Here he is with a kill!

Before taking the Mata Mata Road we detour to Samevloeiing Waterhole which is very rewarding.

Namaqua Sandgrouse

Sociable Weavers and Red-headed finches

A jackal slakes his thirst

The signature animal of the park – Gemsbok (Oryx)

En route we find a lanner falcon in a tree

Lanner

What a delight to find the Northern Black Korhaan

This cross little chap is a scaly-feathered finch

Kgalagadi is famous for the swallow-tailed bee-eater

Here we are at Agterlonie Picnic Site

Soon after leaving the picnic site we find a car with its occupant staring into the bush. I look into the tree and say – He’s looking at a leopard’s kill

In the “pan-tree” springbok for lunch.

And then we see him – on the ground but well hidden. Imagine our first cat of the trip – a leopard!

Leopard resting up after making a kill

We see a whole pool of secretary birds at Montrose waterhole. Here is one of them.

Secretary Bird

The main diet of the predators is springbok and there are plenty of them

Taking shelter from the sun

Giraffe

The cutest creatures reside here – Ground Squirrel

We arrive at Mata Mata at 16:00, check in at reception and are told we have to find the campsite as none are allocated in advance. We find Jim and Maureen easily – fortunately they are not out! In no time we set up the caravan – Jim lends a hand and gives some good advice. Maureen kindly offers to cook the meal for all of us this evening and I will repay the favour tomorrow. Her chili con carne is to die for!

Our camp at Mata Mata – Jim and Maureen have an Jurgen’s Xcape on the right – we have the Imagine Comfort Van on the left

Bird Club Camp at Kuifkop Vivanger, Veldrift

2015-04-01 | puppy1952

6 March to 8 March 2015

Before we embark our trip to The Kagalagadi Transfrontier Park, Earl and I join the Cape Bird Club weekend camp at Kuifkhop Visvanger in Veldrift on the West Coast. This is our first time out with our new Imagine Off-Road Caravan.

We arrive at 12:30 pm and are surprised to find that most of the campers have already arrived – the joys of being retired – you don’t have to wait until after work to leave!

We begin setting up when two guy approach and tell us they too are Imagine owners. They notice that ours is brand new and are interesting in seeing the diffences. They are very enthusiastic about Imagine and tell us we have made a good choice. We pick up some tips from them and soon have the caravan set up and ready.

Later in the afternoon, Mel takes some of the campers on an afternoon excursion. Earl joins them but I remain in camp as I have to be on hand for new arrivals.

The official opening of the camp is at the evening braai. We have been given the use of the conference centre and all gather there. Mel and Simon give us the run down of what will happen in the next two days. there 40 of us and we will divide into two groups and pool cars. Each car will have a hand held walkie talkie. We are in Mel’s group.

The weekend is a great success. We see a variet of wonderful birds on the salt pans and in the vlei and it is a good introduction to our future life of caravanning.

Setting up our caravan

Here are some of the birds we saw.

Rock Kestrel

Goliath Heron

Regional Rarity – Red-backed shrike – it caused quite a lot of excitement although it is common in Kruger!

campers finding birds

Priscilla and Me

Earl on a boat!

Grey Plover

Lanner Falcon

Black crowned night heron

Little Egret

Purple Heron

Caspian Tern

Little Ringed Plover

Chestnut-banded plover

African Darter

Supper

Briefing

Moon

Little Stint

House Sparrow

Curlew Sandpiper

Three banded plover

Retiring Adventurously – Getting used to all this free time!

2015-02-22 | puppy1952

Back to the question of “What do you do all day now that you’re retired?” I could answer that fairly easily in the past few weeks as I have been busy tying up things to do with Bird Club, the Caravan and the house. Earl is hyperactive and makes sure he has one project or another on the go and so doing things together has taken a bit of a back seat for now. He did comment that I was spending too much time reading and indulging in other useless occupations so I said “I could get some relief work at one of the schools.” which sent him into a panic and shut him up completely. While I was teaching he was doing all the shopping and cooking but I have reclaimed those duties and even bring him cups of tea and snacks while he industriously labours on the boat he has been commissioned to fit out. Once this is done there is no knowing what he will take on next. I am of course most grateful to him for taking on these jobs as it does add to the ‘not so full anymore’ coffers! And I am a lady used to her little luxuries.

On Thursday we were both up bright and early – Earl to go fishing and I to join a midweek bird club outing! The venue was one of my favourite spots – The False Bay Ecology Park – which Earl and I often visit on our own- but to go with other like-minded friends and an expert guide makes it extra special.

Dave, our leader explained the importance of this birding area

The False Bay Ecology Park’s man-made wetland system is amongst one of the top five bird watching areas in Southern Africa. It is an IBA (Important Birding Area) because of the number of species that it attracts. Many birds from across the seas use it as a stop off spot or destination as they traverse the world’s migratory flight paths. One hundred and sixty eight species of bird have been recorded in the park. Seventy-six of these are freshwater wetland species. Eighteen are are coastal species that visit the area to roost or breed.

Checking out one of the ponds with binoculars

The stilt is a common resident.

We delighted to find a grey-headed gull among the usual Hartlaub’s gulls

There were many swift terns fraternising with the gulls too

In the shallow waters we found a wood sandpiper

And there were plenty of stints in the water and in the air

The barn swallows visit us every year

It is truly a beautiful spot right here on our doorstep

For us here in the Deep South, it is an adventure just to go ‘over the mountain’ for any kind of excursion or outing. Visiting the V&A Waterfront is as good as going to a foreign city. And heading to the theatre in the very cosmopolitan Camps Bay is just as much fun. On Thursday night we went to Theatre on the Bay with Heather and Peter and were wonderfully entertained by Pieter-Dirk Uys. He has been presenting satire since the sixties and is still as amazing as ever. This show was called ‘An Audience with Pieter-Dirk Eish’ On the stage were rows of numbered boxes – reminiscent of the old Pick a Box radio show of the sixties – Various members of the audience were invited to pick a number and then Pieter Dirk dressed up in the contents and did one of his famous characters. My personal favourite is Nowell Fine – a Kugel from Constantia one of the first he ever created. She is older now but still has Dora her maid who has her own car in which she takes the grandchildren out for dinner. No more cooking for her! We were in fits of laughter watching Uys take on one persona after another and perform them perfectly! If you live here in Cape Town I highly recommend you attend the show.

So nothing too adventurous happened this week. We ended it with a lovely family steak braai and we shall see what next week brings!

Grandpa doing what he does best

Retiring Adventurously – Downtimes and Uptimes

2015-02-16 | puppy1952

I don’t do sick and I don’t do old. Give me a crying baby or a mischievous child or even a whole crowd of them and I will cope with the greatest of ease. I say I don’t do the former but that’s not quite true – of course I will deal with whatever I have to at any particular moment – but it’s way out of my comfort zone. So when the beloved awoke with a shivering fever and a rebellious tummy on Monday morning I was not well pleased. There was no escaping to the classroom with the words take yourself off to the doctor and drink plenty of fluids. Just as well because there was no way he was going to cope with this one on his own. I was all dressed and ready for gym but had to abandon that plan and drive the invalid shaking almost to convulsions to the doctors – why don’t they do house calls anymore? He was hurriedly ushered into a treatment room where he lay in his gown wrapped in a blue blanket which he insisted I tuck firmly under his freezing feet. It was a hot day but he was shivering as if he were at the South Pole. I feel so helpless in these situations. My ministrations limited as they are seem not to help and all I can do is just stand there and wait for the worst. The young doctor – they get younger as I get older- I’m sure this one was still in his teens – came in after what seemed hours but was only 10 minutes. After asking all the right questions and pressing in all the right places he put Earl on a drip and instructed him to lie there for the next hour. It was 9 o’clock. “I’ll just make it to gym then,” I said “I’ll pick you up when I’m done?” “Don’t leave me,” he wailed. So that put paid to that escape plan.
Much to my relief the drip worked and the shivering stopped and my ailing man fell asleep. I sat ‘monitoring’ him while checking Facebook and emails on my iPhone. I’m a woman I can multitask!
The hour dragged by and then he was released with a script for a pharmacy of drugs. I made sure he was comfortable, showered and changed – I had to get out of my gym clothes – then headed to the mall to get the script filled out. Then back to the invalid, dosed him with 4 different drugs, made sure he was comfortable and asleep then escaped to have tea with Carol. He was much better on my return but still slept most of the day and all that night. On Tuesday he got up for part of the day, did some things that needed doing then collapsed into bed exhausted and wondered why! I am pleased to report that by Wednesday all was back to normal!

On Tuesday I was up before the crack of dawn and out of the house before 6:00 am. My destination? – Home Affairs. I was determined to be in the front of the queue as I had to get a new I.D. Document – the old one went Awol somewhere between the Vodocom Shop at our local mall and The Kruger National Park in June last year. My passport although valid gives problems at border posts by refusing to scan. It happened in Australia and then again in Namibia so I thought it best if I was to be crossing African borders to get a new one in order to avoid delays and an excuse to arrest me! Home Affairs is notorious for its long queues and it is not uncommon to spent an entire day waiting to be processed. Their offices open at 7:30 am and I arrived at Maynard Mall parking at 6:20 am delighted that I would be very near the front. But oh no – the parking was closed – and I was fourth in that queue. There was much hooting and tooting until somebody came to explain that the rules had changed. The parking garage and the mall would only be opened at 7. There was nothing to be done so I switched up the radio and sat an waited knowing that there would also be a queue on the pavement and at the other parking garage over the road! By the time I had parked and raced for the escalator I was number 61 in queue to get into the offices! Admittedly the queue did move quite quickly and it was 8:30 when I finally made it in. Then there another number issued, a wait in the pay desk queue – R400 for the passport – ID – Free for over 60s! From there to the photobooth and a grumpy photographer barking unfriendly commands – take off your glasses – don’t smile! From there you had to wait for your number to be called. I found it all quite amusing. The queue consisted of rows of chairs and you had to move up every minute or so as you came closer to your turn. It was like being on a conveyer belt. I didn’t dare take photographs in case I was expelled! Finally, I reached the front row and then my number was called. This time a friendly and efficient assistant. My fingerprints were taken digitally and I had to sign on a digital device too. It was all done and dusted by quarter to ten – only three and a half hours. The good news is that on Friday afternoon I received an SMS to say my ID is ready for collection! Wow! But I shall wait for the Passport to be ready and collect them together. The estimated time is between 2 and 6 weeks. Maybe I will be lucky!

On the bright side, Earl recovered quickly and on Wednesday dropped the Fortuner off at Gus’s house and he and Andrew went to Stellenbosch to fetch the Land Rover Discovery 4! Earl is very pleased with the new vehicle. Before he drove it away, Martin spent two hours teaching him all the amazing features of the car. What wonderful service. Such a difference to the experience we had with the Volkswagen Caravelle. Fifteen years ago there were very few of them in the country. We researched it thoroughly and decided that it was the car we wanted and went off to a showroom in town to have a look. Nobody appeared to help us. I clapped my hands and yelled – Please come and sell me this car! A bored young man appeared and when I asked him to show me all the features he shrugged his shoulders and made a half-hearted effort at showing me a few things. He had no idea how to move the seats and was clearly ignorant of anything about the vehicle. If I hadn’t wanted it so badly I would not have bought it. We walked out and went to another dealership and asked them to contact that one to get the car for us. For all these fifteen years we have never been completely satisfied with Volkswagen’s service. Hopefully we will continue to have a better experience with Land Rover!

The Caravan ready for action

The new vehicle

From behind

Test Drive

My turn to drive

On Friday Earl heard that the yellow-fin tuna were in the bay and biting so he rushed to finish some stuff he was doing on the caravan and he and Yassin dashed off to see what they could catch! They were well pleased with the results and returned just in time for Earl and me to meet our friends for a dinner date at Brasserie in Tokai! We had a stunning evening.

Yassin with one of the yellow-fin tuna

Celebrating Heather’s birthday

Saturday was Valentine’s Day but because we’d been out the evening before we decided to not to go out on a romantic date. In any case we had lovely fresh fish for sashimi. The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry as did ours when we were informed after waking from an afternoon nap that the teens were having a Valentine’s Braai that evening. We decided therefore to go off for a sunset picnic with our fish and salad but this plan too was thwarted when I discovered that the 6 teens were alone, had no braai wood and nobody had brought meat! No – I could not leave them alone with their chips and Coke – so we found ourselves entertaining 5 boys and a girl with an impromptu sashimi evening. Now some of those kids are used to our strange tastes and love to eat our weird food. But the girl and one lad looked horrified at the fare before them. “Don’t panic,” I said. ‘Just have one taste and if you really don’t like it, Grandpa will give sear some tuna for you”. The young lady agreed that it did not taste bad at all but she really would prefer it cooked. The lad had tried in our home previously and just said – cooked for me please! The rest of them tucked in and cleaned the platters.

Jay the handsome host

Tucking in

Seared to perfection

A relief not to have to eat raw fish!

Earl worked on the caravan on Sunday and I went off to a bird club outing with my friend Priscilla. We thought we had plenty of time to get to Stellenbosch but found that we could not get to Baden Powell Drive because of a marathon of some sort blocking the route. So we had to detour over the freeway and onto the N2 which made us a few minutes late. The rest of the group were nowhere in sight but a quick phone got Simon returning to find us and soon we were enjoying th walk along with the other. The birding wasn’t great but the walk in Assegaibos is wonderful.

Simon rescued us

The group looking at something in the trees

The majestic mountains

A beautiful setting

Our leader and his wife relaxing at the picnic site Thanks for leading on your birthday, John!

We ended the week with a braai at Heather and Peter’s and forgot all about the early disasters of the week!

Our hostess with host in the background

So what do you do now that you’re retired?

2015-02-08 | puppy1952

I thought that once school began and the house was empty of guests, the daughter back at work and the teens at school I would miss my old routine and go rushing back to help as a ‘room parent’ or classroom assistant. But – no – that hasn’t happened! I am afraid it has been the last thought in my head! I am not bored and I don’t know where the time goes! My colleagues I miss, and I do think of those little lambs I once taught but they have all moved on and so must I!

The thing is that life happens. Now there is time to enjoy it and cruise through the day at a leisurely pace. All my adult life I have had no trouble waking up at the rudest of hours. But now 7 o’clock seems terribly early! The only dutiful thing that I do is make my grandson’s lunch. So that gets me up briefly and then I get back into bed, check my emails/Facebook while my perfect husband makes breakfast. Life couldn’t be better!

This week has flown. On Sunday last week we dropped in at False Bay Ecology Park to see how the feathered friends were doing – this is alway a pleasure.

Yellow-billed ducks

Spotted Eagle Own – he moved his spot!

Every pond was full of flamingos

False Bay in the Background

Even the hadeda is beautiful in the sunlight

More flamingos fraternising with Cape Shovellers and Cape Teal

In my last post I related the drama of organising finance for our vehicle. That all went through finally on Wednesday! We now have the caravan safely in our driveway but the Land Rover will only be ready on Tuesday.

The Imagine Comfort Van in towing mode

We have had so much fun shopping for accessories and now have a kettle that goes on the gas burner, petrol and diesel jerry cans, gas bottles, batteries and various electrical attachments, a blow-up mattress for when we take the kids with us and various other odds and ends. I won’t bore you with the details! But how amazing it has been to be able to shop at a whim and not have to wait for the weekend! Sometimes breakfast or lunch out is included!

Having late nights is not such an issue anymore either. I had a bird club committee meeting that went on forever on Monday night, book club on Tuesday night and went to a friend’s birthday celebration on Thursday night – without a worry in the world about coping the next day at school! My bird club colleagues seemed somewhat surprised when I told them that I would not be living in Cape Town anymore. I had told them this but they thought I’d come home at least once a month. No so I’m afraid. I will continue with my three portfolios but I won’t be at committee meetings, chaps! I reluctantly resigned from Book Club too – but they kindly invited me to come as a guest when I was in town! Yes – life is changing in a big way!

My friend Priscilla and her twin sister Hilary had their birthday celebration at Cape Point Vineyards on Thursday evening. What an idyllic place! We sat out on the lawns looking over the valley and The Atlantic Ocean and ate food we got from their weekly food market and watched the sun setting gloriously into the sea.

The Greek Stall Menu from which Heather and I chose our meal.

Priscilla in the foreground

The guests – It’s not Priscilla at the back but her twin!

Like a flaming ball

People watching the sunset from the deck over the dam

Such a beautiful setting

On Friday Earl had a fishing charter and spent a beautiful day at sea. He came home with some Hottentot which we served deep fried to our guests that evening. My friend, Niru from Durban , was also visiting her parents to celebrate her 40th birthday and they popped in to see me on their way to a sushi dinner.

Niru and Me

Earl cooking before the Load Shedding

A headlamp helps when the lights go out

Our guests enjoying their fried Hottentot

Josh dishing dessert

On Saturday night the Cape Boat and Ski-boat club had their annual prizegiving. Earl mentors the youth at this club and we were so proud to see them getting prizes. He also participates himself and skippers his boat in competitions although he is not as active as in the past.

Appropriate table decor

Third in the Club Championships

Best Skipper

And those are the highlights of our week! We will continue to get the caravan organised with everything it needs next week and we are in the processing of planning a big trip in March! Watch this space!

Gearing up for the Adventurous Life Style

2015-01-31 | puppy1952

Change is something I love and I embrace it with enthusiasm and excitement. I am the optimist in our relationship and tend not to look at the things that can go wrong. My beloved on the other hand has ‘Panic Guts’ for a middle name. Yes he likes travel and adventure but his over developed sense of responsibility gets in the way of his enjoying the process. While I embrace each new development with enthusiasm and a naive belief than nothing can go wrong, he looks deeply into all the possible pitfalls and panics when things do not run as smoothly as he would like. Thus there is a balance when we are embarking on something new – he rushing around organising the details and I enthusing while trying to calm his rising panic.

We are, you see, planning our new life. As do many retirees of our age we want to travel. But travel is expensive and when one is no longer earning the big bucks one has to adapt to the circumstances. No more luxurious languishing in air conditioned bungalows with en suite bathrooms, fluffy white towels and fitted kitchens. That was fine for the annual three-week holiday.

Why don’t we convert the Caravelle into a campervan,” I suggest one day. “And get a big tent that you can stand up inside in. Then we can leave the tent set up while we drive around.

A proper campervan with queen size bed, en suite bathroom, microwave oven and TV is his preference. Reality check …… fabulous as they are they do not travel well on corrugated gravel roads such as are encountered in the Kgalagadi National Park. No we need a good 4×4 for the type of off-road travelling we like to do and some sort of camping apparatus that you could leave set up.

Baboons and Monkeys are a problem to consider so canvas tents might also prove to be problematic for the clever primates of today. We finally decide upon an Off Road Caravan and after much chatting to friends and researching with Mr Google we have settle for the Imagine Comfortvan.

The Toyota Fortuner that my beloved now drives is a manual. Travelling slowly when bird watching and searching for game requires much use of the clutch and gears – not good on an aging and aching knees. Soooo a new vehicle needs to be purchased – but which one . The Toyota Land Cruiser is number one on the wish list but second hand automatics are simply unavailable. Land Rover’s reliability record we are warned by those in the know, is much to be desired. Hands are held up in horror and we are strongly advised not to go that route! Well – off to Mr Google again. Much research on forums brought up a conclusion that their reputation has improved. Land Rover Discovery 3 has bad press but Land Rover Discovery 4 – wonderful according to those who have one! Yes, we decide, this is our best option.

Now to shop for said items. We want a Discovery 4 with less than 100 000 0n the clock. Mr Google is once again consulted and we two days, visiting agents looking at cars and negotiating deals.

The Comfortvan is easy. They are built in Pretoria but we find an agent on small farm near Tygerberg Zoo and he has one right there for the taking. We have some good offers for trading in the Fortuner but decide to sign a deal with Martin at Land Rover Stellenbosch. A Land Rover Discovery 4 SE 2011 model with 100 000 km on the clock!

It is Thursday afternoon. All is going very smoothly, all the ducks are in a row, with the minimum of worry on the part of my darling husband until the doorbell rings and there stands Gus. Upon hearing that we are trading in the Fortuner he says, “Rather sell it to me!”

Now this will give us much needed extra funds! But Gus must make a final decision by 7 tomorrow morning. He must consult with his accountant and get his Jacqui’s approval. She is the one after all who will be driving the vehicle.

Earl starts to fret – tomorrow we are signing the papers. The dealer does not want to wait until February to do the transaction as it will in some way affect tax or some such reason. So decisions and organising of finance has to be done very quickly.

Friday morning finds us setting off to Stellenbosch at the rude hour of 7:00 a.m. Earl phones Gus – he has a meeting to attend and will get back to us. We meet with our accountant at 8, sort out our tax and go in search of breakfast. Stellenbosch is a university town and is bustling. We negotiate traffic and miraculously find a parking spot right next to a pavement cafe that reminds me of those I frequented in Paris. Of course I order coffee and a croissant that any self respecting Parisian would approve of. Earl has egg and bacon!

At 9 we meet with Martin and explain the Gus situation. Not a problem – he does the paper work, leaves out the figures and gets Earl to sign. Still no word from our “alles sal regkom” Gus.

Our next port of call is the Caravan place. The paperwork goes smoothly. We go and look at the van and sort out what added extras we might need. I take some photographs.

The dog is not an added extra

The interior is tiny but functional – table folds out in front of mirror – doubles as a dressing table and computer nook. Packing space under the bench.

It has an indoor shower!

Loads of packing space

The kitchen is on the outside and has plenty of hidey holes for appliances and food.

Lift to cover to reveal a sink and two plate gas stove

Lift the cover to reveal the sink and two-plate gas stove

Gus phones to say his accountant says it’s a good idea to get the vehicle. We drive to his house so Jacqui can drive the car and give her approval. She loves it but wonders if they can organise the funds in time. Gus will see what he can organise and get back to us!

Martin wants to finalise the deal before 3 pm and Gus calls with his decision at 2:30. Yes he will buy the Fortuner!

Earl is suffering from extreme anxiety and I am laughing all the way to the bank to organise the transferring of funds. It’s the last straw for my anxious man when we find that it will take 2 days to transfer from the Money Market account into the savings account before we can transfer to Land Rover. If there is nothing you can do about it why fret? After I prevent him from having a heart attack he phones Martin who says Tuesday will be fine! But the pain in the chest remains and will probably only go away on Thursday when the Landy and Caravan are safely in our driveway! No seriously, everything has worked out well and we are both ecstatically happy. Can’t wait for Thursday! Maybe we will book in somewhere for our first caravanning weekend!

Celebrations

2015-01-25 | puppy1952

The holidays are over, the teachers returned to school on Monday and the kids on Wednesday. I must confess to feeling a little twinge of depression. The beginning of a year is always so exciting. On Monday I pictured my colleagues getting their classrooms ready to receive those eager little people, sorting our new stationery – oh how I love new stationery- and planning an innovative new programme for 2015! On Wednesday, I had to take my mind off the thought of missing out on the fun and thrilling first day of Grade 1 – so I indulged in the best therapy ever – Retail and the Waterfront – with my fashion guru friend, Sharon!

A complementary taste of wine while waiting for a table at Willoughbies

A complimentary taste of wine while waiting for a table at Willoughby’s

Yes Sushi beats a take-away snack from Birdie Num Nums (School Tuck Shop)

We had a wonderful feminine bonding time, spent a little bit of money but mostly it was just great to be in The Big City – for us in the deep south it’s like going to London or Paris!

It was my sister’s 60th birthday on Friday and she celebrated with a wonderful breakfast on a beautiful day at La Belle, Alphen Boutique Hotel. Now, had I been teaching, I wouldn’t have been able to be there – so much fun to be retired!

My sister and me

Fabulous venue – Excellent food

It was lovely to see all Tana’s friends – many since school days – at the party.

Aunty Vi

Cousin Maria

Old School friend, Debbie

Old School friend, Gillian

Patricia (sister-in-law) relating a beautiful story about Tana

Guests listening in awe – Lindsay, Catherine, Di, Michele

It was a wonderful celebration for my caring sister who is always there for her friends and family and will drop everything to help them. Happy Birthday, precious sister. Love you lots.

On Saturday morning my breakfast club met at Bistro Sixteen82. We had not seen each other since my and Cheryl’s birthday celebration in November! It was wonderful catching up with those who could make it. Specially nice to see Melody who only comes on the odd ocassion.

On Saturday afternoon we had another celebration. My brother Michael’s son, Kyle married his teenage sweetheart, Giulia. The wedding was held at Cape Point Vineyards – the most stunning venue in Cape Town. And just because it is on our doorstep doesn’t make me biased! Everything was perfect – the setting, the decor and the food. The bride attended by her beautiful bridesmaids looked amazing and the little flower girl, Olivia stole the show.

My great-niece Olivia taking her duty very seriously

My great-niece Olivia (4) taking her duty very seriously

Here comes the bride

The happy couple

It was a simple and beautiful ceremony where the couple were exhorted to carry on doing what they are doing as clearly it was working! How amazing that these two have been together since they were in High School and are still so in love at 29. May they have a long and happy marriage.

The family is scattered around the world so many people came from far and wide to celebrate with these two beautiful young people.

It was lovely to see Mick who said nice things about me so now he is my favourite nephew!

Mick left his yacht in Italy to be groomsman for his brother

My gorgeous niece, Martine and her hadsome husband, Craig came over from Spain

My gorgeous niece, Martine and her handsome husband, Craig came over from Spain

My favourite niece, Belinda – she also said nice things about me. Love you too Martine!

Mother and Father of the groom

With the bride being of Italian extraction and the groom of Greek, you can just imagine what the party was like after the ceremony! The master of ceremonies called everyone to attention with Ladies and Gentlemen, Greeks and Italians …….

And there was a special request not to break any plates until after the meal! The party was awesome and everybody danced till late into the night.

Retiring Adventurously – Homeward Bound

2015-01-16 | puppy1952

12 January 2015 – Outjo to Robertson to Cape Town

The sun gets up a little later here in Namibia than it does in The Western Cape so we are up at 5 in order to get to the airfield by sunrise.

We pack the Landy – no lift in a luxury vehicle this time – and set off for Outjo. The canvas roof is on but the windows do not wind up. It is a tad chilly but not uncomfortable but the wind is now not blowing through my hair but rather through my ear! I am glad that I kept my jersey out and drape it over me for a little extra warmth. All goes well – the usual cowboy style driving at break-neck speed – but I’m used to this now. What I do not expect is a slight change in the weather and rain pelting down in big splats onto the windscreen – and no working wipers. This does not daunt our host and he races on with gay abandon. Indeed, I do find it quite exhilarating. Abrie offers me his jacket which I use as a shield at the open window more as wind than rain protection as here the rain comes straight down and does not enter the car at all. We drive snuggled together for some time and then like magic the skies clear and the rain is gone. Suddenly, Abrie screeches to a halt – there is an apparition in the middle of the road which turns out to be a tall Herero teenager with a bag upon his head. He is hitch-hiking. Abrie tells him to jump into the back. He grins his thanks broadly.

The Landy that took us there

We arrive at the airfield. Phineas, the caretaker, greets us and helps us pack the plane. Earl takes the young man to town where he is to drop off the Landy. The chap who took us to the farm will bring him back and then keep the Landy till Abrie’s return. Before they go the young Herero gives Phineas his cell and he poses for a photo in front of the plane. I decide to get one of him too.

The young man is kitted out in his best town clothes, cell phone plugged into his ears, music blaring like any modern teen.

Sunrise at Outjo

We are soon in the air again. The mini-gymnast troupe are touring with someone else now. I fancy myself a seasoned flyer and take my seat with not a care in the world. What I experienced this weekend has dispelled all my phobias and I will live dangerously and fearlessly from this day on!

The Robertson Valley

Breede River runs through it

We fly over Springfield

Abrie lands the plane and taxis it straight into the hangar – without bumping another plane. The fit is perfect. We drive to Springfield have a cup of tea, pick up some wine and we’re off back to Cape Town. We take a scenic route via Franschoek. We marvel at the contrast between our home province and Namibia – Both have their own unique beauty – the one rugged, flat and dry, full of character the other green, lush and gentle with towering mountains. Wow – I just love that I get to experience it all!

Franschoek Valley

Retiring Adventurously – A Day on the Ranch

2015-01-15 | puppy1952

11 January 2015 – Watching the Cowboys at Work.

Today we go ranching. The day starts with cool temperatures but it soon heats up to the high thirties. Abrie needs to ear tag, dehorn and brand the calves. He also has to scan all the cattle. This is how he keeps a tally. It takes the whole morning and it is interesting to watch the men expertly handling the stock and equipment but at the same time we keep an eye out for birdlife. The cattle are free roaming so have to be gathered together at one spot in order to work with them. To achieve this they close the gate to the waterhole. The cattle gather there to wait for it to be opened and that’s when they are trapped for the business to be done. At first I felt so sorry for the little calves but once it’s over they run off like puppies and are no worse for the undignified experience.

On the way we met this beautiful bloubokkie

On the way we met this beautiful Damara Dik Dik

The Cattle are beautiful and healthy

The calves are so cute

The cowboys get to work

In the ‘holding cell’

I just want to lie down and sleep

Hold still – this won’t take long – just like a visit to the dentist!

Ouman and Oupa watching the goings on

Me in a farm girl hat!

Two yellow-billed kites entertain us while they dip and swoop as they hunt catching mainly insects. A groundscraper thrush comes round too.

Groundscraper Thrush

At one of the handling spots I took a brief walk among the trees and spotted what looked like a puffback, and a few other birds but they were impossible to photograph.

We are done by 1o’clock by which time the temperature had soared. Back at the house we feast on Abrie’s home canned fish and home canned tomatoes doused in olive oil. The only thing to do in the midday heat is take a cold shower and nap till 4. We then wake up, have tea and Christmas cake and
go for another bone shaking ride to seek and scan some cattle that were missed earlier.
Abrie is pleased that he has lost very few cattle over the dry season.
We spot birds too, of course and it is special to find a dusky lark on the air strip.
Supper is a grand affair. We gather around the braai and Abrie makes a mushroom sauce from fresh brown mushrooms and a speciality dried one soaked in wine. With the added cream it is delicious. This is served over the most delicious beef I have ever eaten – it is taken from the forequarter of a jersey cow and is amazingly tender and tasty.

This girl just loves Africa specially with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in her hand.

What a way to spend an evening

Tending the fire

Preparing the food – note the mielies (corn on the cob) being grilled over the hot coals – beef is on the griddle and mushroom sauce is done and keeping warm in the covered pan.

It’s then off to bed as we have an early start tomorrow.

Retiring Adventurously – Day 2 in The Wild West of Southern Africa

2015-01-14 | puppy1952

10 January 2015 – Bird Watching

It’s an early start after a hot but restful night. We grab toast, cheese, Avo etc for brekkie and then it’s into the Landy for our next adventure. Abrie takes us to a little waterhole where he hopes we will see game coming down to drink. The men help take up camp chairs, a coolbox of drinks and snacks and then head off in the Landy saying they’ll be back for us in three hours! What! Earl in a hide for an hour is more than he can bear – how will he cope? I even fear that I will become bored. After settling myself in my camp chair I take out the IPad and start to make Blog notes. But not for long. Earl alerts me to a variety of bird life coming down to drink. We are in raptures. There are myriads of the feathered creatures we love and they keep us entertained with their antics. The time flies by and we barely notice how hot it is till almost the end.

Male (r) and female Namaqua Doves came down to drink

Most refreshing

Female Namaqua Dove

Namaqua doves are the only doves where males and females are different in appearance

Some red-headed finch were fraternising with the quelea.

Some red-headed finch fraternising with the quelea. Female and Male Red-heade finch and Male and female quelea share a perch

Male Red-headed finch with Red-eyed bulbul in the background

Two female red-headed finch

Golden-breasted bunting

A beautiful bird tree with quelea and chestnut weaver (top) and shaft-tailed whydah (bottom)

A beautiful bird tree with quelea, red-headed finch, chestnut weaver (top) and shaft-tailed whydah (bottom)

Shaft-tailed whydah – male

The female is in the background

Namaqua Sandgrouse came and went in waves

Namaqua Sandgrouse come and got in waves

We nearly fall out of the tree when an Ayres Eagle makes an appearance. He alights on a low dead tree then flies to a taller one a little further away. He stays there for ages eyeing the comings and goings of the smaller birds then flies away.

Not too comfortable here

A clearer view from here

If only those birds would sit still, I might be able to catch lunch!

I think I’ll just take off

Every now and then a beautiful violet cheeked waxbill came into view but would not allow me to photograph him. Then just as I was about to give up he decided a photoshoot might be fun.

Two in a bush!

I know I’m gorgeous

This is my good side

It was really hot and brewing for a thunderstorm when Abrie and his men return for us. They have been hard at work doing what cowboys do and are pretty hot and tired too.

For lunch we indulge in Abrie’s home canned yellowtail and leftover salad before going for a cold shower and a nap. We are all up at 4 and sit on the stoep, drink tea and have a slice or two of Christmas cake while we watch the storm. As it starts to rain I go out in it to cool down. It pelts down for a while so another outing is impossible. It becomes so cool that I even put on a jersey.

Supper is divine. Abrie prepares calamari tubes, heads and tentacles which are to die for – just like my dad used to make. Of course it’s early to bed as there is no electricity here!