South Africa

Friday 25th December 2015 – Christmas Day! We wake up and have cornflakes, orange juice and Five Roses tea for our Christmas breakfast in Elkoweru Guest House owned by Konrad whose mother Suzaan we befriended yesterday. We have no food so we decide to walk into town to get provisions…everything is closed…it’s like tumbleweed town…Armageddon…we wander around the desolate town of Springbok in hope of any morsel when we spy in the distance, like a little oasis, an open petrol station! To our delight there is a little shop inside, we stock up on food and drinks and notice that there is a chippy attached. We sit down to hake and chips for our Christmas dinner with Elvis serenading us in the background, not a Christmas cracker in sight! We return to our guest house, phone home and have beer, juice and crisps for dinner while watching films on TV!

Saturday 26th December 2015 – Boxing Day-We have a full English breakfast overlooking the mountains, breeze cooling us through the window and birds singing to the rhythm of the morning. Suzaan, the landlord’s mother, relays stories to us of her family and their generations of involvement in the mineral business. There are diamonds in this part of the world, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa all having mined for diamonds. I remembered, Jay, our Skeleton Coast guide, had joked that one day he hoped to find a diamond while surfing on a wave on the shores of the Namib Desert. Later that afternoon Suzaan kindly drove us on a tour of the area. Copper mining was huge in this area, she points out the old smelting chimney, various flora and fauna such as the quiver tree which looks almost like the golden burning bush of biblical times and adds that her grandparents had made a fridge out of a quiver tree in their day which she had also used. We continue to weave in and out of the rocky hills listening to wonderful stories of Springbok past.
That night we dine at the Springbok Hotel where we sip beer and sparkling wine while playing pool with the locals.

Sunday 27th December 2015 – Today we leave for Cape Town. Suzaan has arranged for a taxi minibus to pick us up at 7am which takes you directly to your desired location…a very convenient door to door service. A little different from the hitch hiking we have become accustomed to! She is also journeying with us to return home after Christmas festivities with her family. As we travel southward we see dorpa black headed sheep dotted around, a hardy breed, grazing upon the land. We spy springbok wandering the hills and valleys, a picture of peace and serenity…their striking markings enhancing the landscape. On the horizon, beyond the hills, a mist blankets the sea. We journey on, Lionel Richie playing in the background and it really was…’ Easy like Sunday morning’! We pass rare earth, copper and gypsum mines. The landscape now begins a metamorphosis and lush, green vineyards appear following the meandering path of the Olifants River. Pine and citrus trees emerge…this is the most green vegetation we have seen since entering the desert region in Botswana. It really is a white knuckle minibus drive and we both simultaneously reach for our seat belts as we get jostled from side to side. Suddenly, a beautiful sight greets us…Table Mountain. We arrive at Long Street, Cape Town 10 hours later. Relieved to still be in one piece we say our farewells to Suzaan and find a room at Long Street Backpackers for the night. Relaxing on the balcony, watching the busy life on the street, we feast on local vegetarian stew, free for residents, and begin to unwind.

Monday 28th December 2015 – It takes us just an hour to find a place to stay into the New Year. It’s the busiest time of the year in Cape Town and high season so many places are fully booked. We are lucky and manage to be in the right place at the right time at Blue Mountain Backpackers when they get a cancellation through. The balcony has views of Table Mountain…a glorious mountain surveying its land and people with pride. We begin to explore the town. Walking into the Waterfront area we select the Victoria and Albert Hotel to sip cocktails and admire the mountain as its misted cloud tablecloth flows over its unusually flat peak. Seals appear right in front of us in the water, playfully diving and resurfacing, waving their flippers at us jovially…seeming curious about such land creatures as us. We slowly wander back through the busy streets and enjoy a small pub crawl on Long Street before heading to bed.