Republic of South Africa

A hard days driving. Leave Ai Ais at 08:00, having agreed with the gateman that the Cowboys would be paying. Follow the dirt road out to the tarmac. Just as well we stayed as it is desolate. Down to the Orange River and clear customs in a matter of minutes. SA records the engine number which is new.

From there South the vegetation slowly gets more dense and colourful with yellow and orange flowers and bright purple bushes. Road start to get boring and Kev gets into a boisterous mood. Stop at Springbok for a disgusting lunch and fuel up. Stop again at Bitterfontein for a snack and at Vanrhynsdorp to get some food. Probably should have stopped there as the guy at the info centre told us of a free (?) campsite. Continue and find the winery at Klawer has just closed. Go on to ClanWilliam to find the bottle stores closed and the campsite has no bar or shop.

Found the last couple of hours quite tiring. Also oil warning light was starting to flicker.

Very conservative campsite, they’re all polishing their cars in the morning. Take our time and spend the morning in Clanwilliam. Pleasant little town. Make our way from there to Lambert’s Bay where we have lunch of Fish and Chips. The Cowboys turn up, roaring drunk, just as we finish. Unfortunately they find us. John drunk, boasting about how they’ve found really cheap wine, is not what I need. Depart and head on to the next bay, Elands Bay, which is a lot quieter with Atlantic rollers crashing on the beach. It’s also got a bar so catch up with the Cowboys once they catch up. Mike had driven off the road on the way down.

Cape town 66455. Finally make it.

Tour down the coast intending to stop at Table View but the mist is down, so continue except are stopped by the guy we met at Khorixas - he just spotted us passing. Carry on to the Waterfront, despite a Cowboys detour. Don’t find a very good spot but decide it’ll do so crack the bubbly and toast our arrival.

Just drinking up when Ralph wanders over, again just happened to spot us. He takes us back to the lodge he is staying at so we park up there and go back to the waterfront with Ralph for Happy Hour. Shee. Only recognised where I ate when I went back the next day. Drank slowly when we went to the Sportsman’s and started to sober up. Went back about 02:30, Kev and Mike stay out to 05:00.

Kev spots a wobble of the Cowboys rear wheel. Investigation shows the rim has cracked.

Vegetation Day. Wander in to town and pick up a letter from Post Restante. Then wander round the Waterfront area. Table Mountain still shrouded in mist. In the evening go to see ‘Made in America’, in an attempt to minimise drinking time. Good film but not sure what the SAs must think about the subject matter. Move on to the Stags Head in town where Shades, Scrawny and Chris from the Kiwi truck and Rob (sans beard) are. So starts another session.

Not much of a late lie as John and Mike appear just after eight having stayed up all night. Cook breakfast and watch the drama unfold as John and Mike spar at the edge of the pool. Inevitably John goes in. They both soon crash and Mike looses a portion of eyebrow. Go to the waterfront again to have lunch and another look round then start making our way to the Brass Bell at Kaljbaiee. We take the train. The others don’t get tickets and the collector sends them down to 3rd class. Pete and Kev don’t get back on.

Impressive setting for a pub, right on the front, right next to the railway. B&T plus the Kiwis are there. The Powderpuffs turn up by chance. Rob is back on form and the cabaret is on. Stay brightened when a whale is spotted out in the bay. Last train leaves at 20:55, so I warn people and get on it. Thought I was the only one to make it but Kev and Simon and Ralph also get off at CT, so go to the Sportsman’s for a last beer which Simon drops over me before falling asleep.

Awake at 07:00 to get Simon and Anna on their way. Head into town about 08:15. The Cowboys have not yet returned. Train leaves at 09:20. First of our crowd to leave after Hilary. Back to the Hip Hop. Waterfront for lunch. Go back and take the Chocolate Box (ie B710)out for a drive round Table Mountain. Some beautiful areas around. Take some pictures from across the Bay. Stay in in the evening saving money and liver.

Had hoped to leave the Hip Hop today, but the others want to check out the Namaste first, so go out in the Tonka Toy after changing their tyre with the split rim. Looks OK and R60/week for camping suits me. Get off in town, John changes $120 at the pound exchange rate, then get back to the lodge for a late lunch. Plan is to meet Scott at the Yacht Club, but that is changed to Quaffers Happy Hour. Go from there in a slightly drunken state to the Crowbar/George. We are in one, the others across the road. As aren’t being made welcome move on to the Stag’s Head. Stay there drinking and playing pool until 04:30. Scott eventually turns up.

Got woken at about 07:00 and don’t really get much sleep after that, till get up about 11:30. Slowly get organised and leave the place. Too much of a school with all the kids and Uwe trying to get things organised and keep it jolly. Head for the marina - complicated to get into the place as it is part of the dock. Find Scott, it’s quite a boat they’ve got on, should be very comfortable. Get the details of the shipping agent etc and have a couple of drinks in the bar. They don’t know when they’re leaving yet. Head on out to the Namaste lodge and put the tent up. The rest have just left for the airport so go and join them for drinks in the departure lounge. B&T fly out. Return to the lodge and retire to a local bar but I have an early night.

A nothing day. Weather not great and need to hold back on the money. Get my hair cut which was about it for the day. Am very inclined to ship the vehicle at the moment

Money check.. $300 TCs, $31 cash. £30 TCs, £190 cash

Phone up about shipping. Still a little confused but from what I can gather, Dan will do all the arrangements for the money Scott told me. It’s the easy option. Go into town in the evening to meet Scott but he can’t sign us into the YC so go to the Crowbar. Leave to catch the last train as I intended to have a reasonably early night. Go to Ruby’s and end up leaving at 04:00

Are slowly recuperating - difficult to sleep when the sun gets on the tent and Jambo barking - when The Girls and Rob turn up. So do the round of catching up on each others news. Head out to Quaffers for their happy hour and as usual get totally wrecked. I’m drinking slowly the others aren’t. Move on to the Pump House where Maurice and Mike have a mock fight and both get their shirts ripped. End up at the Sports Cafe. Find the others on the way back having a game of rugby; with a brick. Lineouts, drop kicks etc. Local constabulary is looking on but we leave just as two police wagons turn up. Get a taxi home.

Get up in time to go to the Brass Bell and carry on from last night. Have to take a bus for the last two stops. More Cabaret from Mike and Rob, but not as much as last week. Am getting quite mellow when this SA guy, the others have been talking to, smacks me and Kev on the chin. Chris from the lodge gets left on the train home. But otherwise fairly quiet.

Scott has left. BBQ at the lodge.

Try to sort out shipping. Is going fairly well, but at the Break Bulk office, where I get the shipping Order, people start to confuse me. Out at the Heidelberg & Ruby’s for Robs last night.

Arrange to go out and see Dan Eldekamp. Intend to get him to do the brokering, but he fills out the shipping order for me and agrees with Scott’s order of processing, so should be able to do it myself.

Rob has his leaving drinks in the car park of the airport and duly is the last passenger on board. Quiet night. Picked up my slides which have come out OK. May get the rest processed before I leave. R11.30 for processing is fine.

Weather is looking good so get a group together to go up Table Mt. Get some advice at the foot of the cable car and decide on the more scenic way. Scrawny leads us up the right side and we find the only way up is using the chains provided. The first is only 4m or so, the 2nd is 10m.. Get very high but the path peters out. May just be a climbers track. Spot Ang and Maurice on the other track. Drop down 400m or so and follow the other track. Still quite a lot of scrambling involved and gets boring when it trails round the back. Short of water which didn’t help. But the views all the way up are spectacular. Rehydrate on the top then take to cablecar down - a guy on board is ammused that we can get from London to CT, but get lost on Table Mt. Suffer from leg cramps through the evening.

Request a flight for the 29th. If it all works I’ll be back in London on my anniversary of leaving work. Visit the Hoys, friends of the family, in the afternoon. Spend the afternoon and evening chatting about the trip, Scotland and SA. Angela the daughter who hasn’t been to Scotland turned up. She’s a surfer and has competed for SA. Get back about midnight to find the others have had an evening in.

Manage to get people organised to visit Cape Point. Quite touristy, but dramatic, bit like Lands End in feel. Aren’t allowed too close to the point. Cape of Good Hope is better, you’re on the beach there. Do the photo round. Kev hovers in the background of The Girls photo. Head back to the Brass Bell but are stopped by a policeman. He has us going and it takes a time for us to recognise him as the doorman at the Brass Bell. Get back to Obs then go to the Heidlerberg and Planet, The rest go on to Ruby’s but I’ve really had enough of the drinking sessions.

‘Carling Black Label is brewed right here in S.A. 
to give you that same lusty, lively taste 
that’s enjoyed by men around the world.

It’s a "big" beer, a generous beer... 
from the full brewed aroma of the first sip 
to the good feeling as you savour it slow and steady.
When you drink a Carling this way you’re getting the best of it.  
And the best of Carling is what makes it 
"The Great American Beer".’

Mainly a rest day. Wrote a couple of postcards then we all went off to the beach at Camps Bay. Some big waves coming in which swamp the higher level of the beach. A pleasant afternoon.

Everybody is up bright and early. The Sample Box finally gets away just after 10:00 with jerry cans and overland tools tied to the roof rack. I wonder what problems they’ll meet. We, Kev Bottle and myself , get away at 10:30 and hit the road for the Garden Route. Weather is nothing special. Are passed by the Powderpuffs, in the powderpuff hire car! Stop and have a chat. They are shipping and flying out on Friday. Carry on and get to Mossel Bay for the night. Bit disappointed by this area, it’s pleasant but not what I expected from the name.

Rains overnight and the morning is dull and overcast. Looks like it might improve for a while but never does. Miserable day. Drive along the coast to Nature Valley. Can see the potential but not a day to do anything. Drive back to Knysna in the pouring rain after a couple of beers at Plattenburg Bay. Book into the backpackers and go out for some beers in town with Digby and Al.

Headed off for the Cango Caves. Were passed by the German girls we had met at breakfast. They turn up at the caves as well and meet us again afterwards. The caves were superb. Very dramatic and a very good tour. Good description of what we are looking at and then a play in the adventure playground at the end. Well worth the R12.50. It was also warmer and drier than outside. Went back to Mossel Bay for the night. To the pub then a meal.

Cleared the vehicle and started repacking in the morning. Confirmed shipping. Booked dive, collected and paid for ticket out and collected slides in afternoon. Braai in evening.

R4000

2100 (air ticket)

R1900

200 (wharf charges)

R1700

200 (processing)

R1500

400 (living)

R1100

200 (dive)

R900

Up at 06:00 to get to Hout Bay for 07:00. It’s 08:00 before the boat moves out. Eight divers on board, teamed up as 2*4. Don’t like a group of four especially as the buddy of the nominated dive leader seems to be making the decisions. My buddy is very awkward, carrying extra weights in hand and cycling. Water is cold, 10 degrees C on the surface and 9 degrees C on the bottom. Drop down fast to a sandy bottom and follow line until can see wreck. Have to wait for the others. Wreck is on its side, superstructure still there. Do a tour of it and get back to anchor with 100 bar. Were told to start back with 100 to be on the line with 70. DL deputy decides we should go up. A shame but was starting to get cold. Wreck was in good condition, vis about 12m. Lots of vegetation growth and loads of small crayfish over it. Joined by a seal at the end of the dive, very close to us and beautiful to see.

Second dive at 15:30. Effectively a solo dive. Down with two others who were doing tests (Wally and Katherine). I just drifted around. Lots of sea life on the rocks. Mainly mussel encrusted, some larger snails. Also sea cucumbers, plenty of sea squirts. Mainly grey coloured. Some sea urchins(small) a few deep blue. Soft sponges, one sea fan. Lots of free swimming box jelly fish. Quite a few crayfish amongst the rocks. Wally pointed out an abalone, but didn’t know what it was at the time. Left on my own until the next group came down, but too cold to go on for long. 25 mins, 10m. A few beers in the bar afterwards.

Finished packing and securing everything. Not too obvious what is there. Took it down to customs at 10:00, cleared there at a cost of R15, then to breakbulk office to get shipping order checked, back to harbour revenue to pay then back to breakbulk to get the order number and everything goes smoothly. Check with John that I should take the vehicle to ‘J’ berth. Do so and the manager there runs out to direct me where I should park and checks everything is locked.

Walk into town carless.

Wander round town for a while till 15:00 when report to John’s office to hand over the paperwork. Bill of lading will be sent on.

A free day. Go into town and buy a few curios for the kids then on to the waterfront for lunch. Table Mt. is looking superb again with the tablecloth flowing off it. Back at the lodge and cook a curry. Kev shouts a crate of beer so that gets us started. Out to the Heidelberg and Planet. Drinking slowly. Stan and Liz turn up.

Whew. Sleeping in the dorm is good. Very windy outside but I sleep till 10:30 then nap until 12:00. Get packed - still carrying a shitload. Buy a couple of crates of beer and head for the airport for the car park celebrations. Finish the beer and head inside where Sparrow and Rob try to persuade me to skull a triple whisky. No Way! Wait for the traditional call by name and head off in front of Kev. Meet the stewardess coming to look for us. Safely away to Windhoek.

Don’t get much sleep overnight. Hospital routine of waking us at 05:30 in time to have breakfast before we get to Frankfurt. Chat with the guy next to me another Scot. Arrive London (?). Take the tube direct to King’s Cross and get on the next train to Edinburgh using £60 of my remaining cash (about £90 in total). Arrive Edinburgh and bus out to Biggar, then to Symington and walk home to Castle Hill.