Sorry, this new job is meaning I don't have much writing time. Now where was I...oh yes, safari = done and it's back on the road again. This time Route 62 - the scenic route apparently. I was cruising along at 120kph or thereabouts on a deserted and very straight road in a very barren area when up ahead I could see something on the road. We got closer and closer and it just wasn't moving so I had to come to a bit of an emergency stop. Turns out it was a tortoise crossing the road. In a very comic way, he stopped in his very slow tracks, looked up a the car and promptly went into his shell. It was so cute! I guess we should have picked him up and put him in the bush but there wasn't a car in sight so I drove round him and we continued on our merry way. In terms of other wildlife, we saw lots of springbok (like small deer), loads of ostriches (they farm them like they farm sheep here), baboons, a wild cat (possibly a sand cat?) and two tortoise (tortoises??). I also ate ostrich (delicious - surprisingly similiar to steak) and springbok (I had carpaccio so didn't really get a proper taste, but it was yummy). No tortoise on the menu though.
We eventually arrived in Oudtshoorn after a long drive and checked into a cute hotel where our rooms were individual thatched, round cottages - traditional to that area apparently. The weather was dry and bright but not amazingly warm so we sat by the pool fully clothed and read our books with an afternoon cuppa. Dad and I walked into town to do a recce for eating options that evening and were told in one shop that although the shopkeeper was new to town, she didn't recommend we walk down the street parallel to the one we were on as that's 'where the blacks go and it's not very safe, you've got to watch your bag'. I think she was spouting a load of bullshit but it amazed me that that attitude still prevails. I know some areas of SA aren't safe and you do have to watch your back, as you do anywhere, but I think in this case she was probably being racist and ignorant.
That evening we ate at a great restaurant that made the long drive to Oudsthoorn worthwhile. I'd highly recommend it if ever you're there. It's called Kalinka (in fact, I'm going to put a load of links at the bottom of this post, partly for my future reference but also in case anyone else needs top tips) and it's based in this old house so diners are spread out in two or three different rooms. I had springbok carpaccio with parmesan and rocket followed by ostrich fan fillet with beetroot and some other things. It was outstanding food and cost less than £20/head with a couple of large glasses of pinotage and coffees. (I can't remember if I said in my last SA post, but the quality of the food in SA was out of this world. It reminded me of NZ in that respect. We had scones in one little cafe on the highway. They came served with three little ramekins on the side; one had apricot jam with a sprig of lavender on the top, the other had butter with a sprig of dill and the third had grated cheese with a sprig of mint. Imagine being served that in a cafe on the side of the A1...) It was then back to our round thatched cottages to watch Arsenal thrash NUFC 4-0 in the Carling Cup (but we got our own back on Sunday, beating them 1-0 - Toon Army!)
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| The long & dusty road to De Hoop |
We set off the next day about 8.30. The sun was shining and it was warm and bright. We drove down to Mossel Bay and had breakfast on the terrace of a nice little cafe called the Santos Express, right on the beach. There were a group of young Zimbabwean lads on a soccer trip on the next table, playing dominoes with their tunes blaring out - it was really nice and gave the place a bit of a buzz. From Mossel Bay we had a bit of motorway driving before turning off the nice, smooth tarmac at Heidelberg and onto unsurfaced roads en route to De Hoop National Park. I could only do about 40kph and it took us hours. I had to stop when a stupid collie dog sat down in front of the car. A toothless woman came over and asked if I was worried the dog would bite my car. Cheeky cow! I just didn't want to run it over but she told me to just drive and the dog would get out my way. Thankfully it did. Eventually we reached a little settlement called Malgas on the Breede River. It was a little oasis in the middle of the dusty, barren landscape. To cross the river I had to drive the car onto a pontoon/raft thing. Two guys then pulled us across the river! They had chains on a harness that they wrapped around the metal wire that went across the river, then they just walked forward and pulled the pontoon across. They even do tractors. In the heat. Hats off to those two. Mum and I gave them a helping hand. Turns out one of them is a big Man Utd fan.
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| That's two whales - right there! |
We eventually arrived at De Hoop National Park, one of my favourite places on earth. It's simply stunning. Really off the beaten track, beautiful white sand dunes, pristine beaches full of the most unusual and colourful shells I've ever seen, quite a rugged coastline and whales, whales and more whales! They were so close to the shore, it was just incredible. And there were so many of them. With hindsight I'd like to have spent more time there - and stayed in the national park for a night or two to really make the most of it. I was very reluctant to leave, but so happy to have seen the whales.
Then it was back on the dirt track in desperate search of tarmac. Those roads might be OK in a 4x4 but definitely not a Toyota Corolla. It was painful and we were all a bit fed up by the time we eventually reached our final destination for the evening, Stellenbosch. More on that in the next exciting installment, now I've got to catch some zeds. Good night.
Paternoster
http://www.oystercatcherlodge.co.za/
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1055305-d1217597-Reviews-Noisy_Oyster-Paternoster_Western_Cape.html
http://www.voorstrandt.com/
Oudtshoorn
http://www.kalinka.co.za/
http://www.riempieestate.co.za/
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