It was nice to be home, but it is time to move on again! Alessandra’s burning desire to return to work is still showing no signs of fizzling out, so onwards and forwards it must be! It is a hectic day for Joepie and Sonja, Heino’s parents. Today is the day of the monthly live stock auction, a big day for the farmers of the community. It is on these days that they bring all their market-ready animals (mostly sheep, goats and cattle) to town and they is auctioned to the relevant buyers who then in turn take it to the market. Heino’s parents, being the agents, of course have to do all the arrangements and between all the conflicting demands of the buyers and farmers, it can get a bit chaotic! Alessandra naturally would not let the chance go buy to witness this typical Southern Namibian spectacle. The auction grounds consist of a small office building and a huge amount of small camps, or enclosures where the animals are kept. With all the animals moving around and the sun baking down, it can be a hot and dusty affair! The farmers and buyers remind Alessandra of cowboys (albeit modern ones) with their wide-rimmed hats and sunglasses. It is quite hard to even understand the auctioneer (even for somebody who understands Afrikaans) as he talks at a hundred miles an hour! It is a game of discreet signs, a quick raised hand, finger or sometimes just a nod of the head. Finally the auctioneer’s shouting reaches a crescendo and the lot is sold before the whole procession moves on to the next enclosure! All in all it is quite a surreal scene, especially for a European and one that makes you feel like you are in a Western movie of old! In the end the sun drives us towards the shade of the little office building. Here we join Heino’s mom who looks after the administrative side of the auction. It is also here that we find the highlight of the auction: pannekoek! The pancakes are made in front of your eyes and as it comes from the pan it is sprinkled with a cinnamon and brown sugar mixture. Delicious! This is later combined with braaivleis (barbequed meat) for lunch to end the auction on a high note (for us at least!)
With lunch done it is time to get ready to move on. After all the goodbyes and last words on how we should be ride carefully (parents will always be parents!) we head out west in the direction of dark blue clouds. It is then about twenty kilometres later that we get wet again from the hard, driving rain. This being Namibia it doesn’t last too long before we come out into the sunshine again and after the last long bend in the road we reach the little village of Grünau.
It is not much different from the hundreds of other little African villages that we passed through on our journey, but the main difference is that it is here that Heino and his family lived for 17 years!
It is quite an emotional feeling to walk around all the familiar places like their old house, school and the tennis courts where Heino learned to play as a small boy. Our last stop is the petrol station just outside the little town. This is a very important feature in Grünau as it is here that the roads from Johannnesburg, Cape Town, Windhoek and the Fish River Canyon cross! The Swarts family who own the station are old friends of Heino’s family and it is only after an hour of non-stop conversation that we finally get back on the road again! A ten minute ride later we arrive at the White House Guest House. Set on the farm Mickberg ten kilometres outside Grünau, this beautiful place belongs to the De Wet family who have been friends with Heino’s parents for years! We are warmly welcomed by Dolf and Kinna de Wet, the owners and immediately we are set down with a drink. Next the map has to come out and a short summary of our trip gives them an idea of what we’ve been up to over the last six months. It is only after a marvellous dinner (they are famous for their scrumptious little pumpkin cakes!) and nearly at midnight that we are shown to the guest room. There is no time to waste as tomorrow the wake up call will be at six am for another full day!
Posted by transafrica 
The town itself has only a few houses at best, but you will do really well to spot somebody walking down the wide, dusty streets! The ones you do come across are very friendly and they are mostly descendants of the San Bushmen, the first inhabitants of this part of the world.
After visiting the small German church and graveyards we set off back to Karasburg. After our experience with the unpaved roads of North and East Africa, it is fantastic to ride on the Namibian gravel roads! Wide, smooth and with little traffic, it is almost better than some tar roads we’ve been on!
Posted by transafrica 
This morning we can really afford to sleep late. Karasburg being the small town that it is doesn’t really offer much in the way of sightseeing opportunities so we are not rushed, knowing that we have the whole day free!
Posted by transafrica 
The reason for this is the curious statue of a donkey that he barely noticed on his previous hundreds of times that he passed through this town. On this trip though we’ve seen what a tough life a donkey in Africa has as it is used to transport absolutely everything, sometimes packed so full that you can barely see the animal! It is nice to see then that in this remote corner of the continent somebody had the nice thought to honour the donkey and its contribution to the development of Africa!
As we stop Heino’s parents are there to welcome us and Alessandra is ready with her few Afrikaans sentences to impress them. It is hard to imagine how they must’ve felt over the 6 months knowing that their son and his girlfriend are riding through Africa on a motorbike, but it is clear to see that they are very happy to see us!
Heino especially is very happy to wake up in Keimoes, a town that holds a lot of good memories for him! The plan for today is a nostalgic tour of the town and places that he used frequent as a high school teenager.
From here Alessandra can familiarize herself with the main “sights” of the town, these including the school, sports fields and of course the church!
When we make our way down we stop off at the school hostel where Heino spent most of his time here in Keimoes and the memories come flooding back as we walk around in this familiar territory. Next is the school grounds and the various points of interests is pointed out to Alessandra together with some recollections of happenings from the past.
In the end it is Alessandra’s negotiating skills that gets us into the falls after closing time. It probably was her Italian accent that persuaded the manager not to have her come all the way from Italy for nothing! Like the Victoria Falls, but just on a much smaller scale, the Augrabies Falls also is a big crack in the otherwise arid and rocky earth. As it is only the beginning of the rainy (the word being used very loosely in this part of the world!) season, the falls aren’t massively full. Therefore it isn’t the sheer masses of water that provides the spectacle, but instead the high rock cliffs falling far below. With the late afternoon sun throwing last rays on these cliffs, we decide that it was well worth the journey to come and see it.
As we walk back to the bakkie on the newly built footpath passing little dassies (or hyraxes – small furry animals best known for basking in the sun on the rocks) the sun is starting to disappear behind the horizon. With the whole world painted a light shade of pink we start to make our way back to Keimoes. Here we are welcomed back by Eric with a traditional, black, three-legged iron pot in his hand!
Alessandra, being very inquisitive about traditional foods, asked for a traditional dish (apart from a braai!) for tonight. Christine kindly offered to cook a “potjie” which is about as traditonally South African as you get it! Consisting of lots of different ingredients thrown together in a pot over a wood fire, this is not only a slow process, but actually a form of art as you need to know what ingredients to use together as well as perfecting the timing of combining the ingredients.
As we only started to cook the potjie at around 8 pm, it isn’t until gone midnight that we finally dish up. It was well worth the wait though as it is simply delicious! Every bite is a different taste explosion in your mouth and it is not before a second helping that we finally call it a night and head to bed!
We’ve planned to set off around seven but Wilhelm is nice enough to wake up with us and to provide breakfast. After a final few farewell photos we stop at a filling station and finally make our way out of Stellenbosch around 7.30. It is a beautiful, windless sunny morning and it is fantastic to be riding through the Cape on a morning like this! The blue mountains make a spectacular backdrop for the green vineyards lying at their feet and the early morning air is clean and crisp.
It is also here that we get off the N9 to turn right heading for the Karoo. Going up the steep VanRhyns Pass we are rewarded with beautiful views of the flat semi-desert landscape underneath. Even this arid land gives a beautiful picture of different colours and features including the mountain range stretching further on both sides.
After passing some roadworks before the town of Calvinia we get a nice surprise. This area is on the edge of the Namaqualand, famous for its fields of flowers every September. Next to the road we can see some of these yellow and purple flowers left over from this years spring and set in this brown landscape it makes for an amazing contrast! It must really be an incredible sight to see these fields of colour and we decide immediately to include a visit to the Namaqualand in our future travel plans!
Fifteen kilometres after Calvinia we turn left into the hart of the Karoo. From here the road is flat, straight and with only two very small towns in more than 300 kms! Most of the time the only thing to see is a little hill in the distance and upon reaching this hill, all you can see on the other side is the road disappearing into the horizon again. It is tough not falling asleep but in the end the nearly 800 km went by relatively quickly. It is just before 5 when we reach the last town, Kenhardt and from here it is only 75 km to Keimoes.
Keimoes, on the banks of the Orange River, is literally a little oasis! Coming from the Karoo it is a fantastic surprise to come over the last hill and to see the little town with its green vineyards stretched out below you! The waters of the river provide not only colour but also a lifeline in this otherwise dry and harsh part of the country. With grape farming making up the majority of the agricultural activity around here, it is almost unreal to look around you and think that you are actually in a semi-desert region!
After saying goodbye to Andre we take no chances with Dickie No Problem and arrive at the Honda shop a few minutes after they’ve opened. This time there really is no problem and after sorting out the payment we literally ride around the block to arrive at Tim’s Motorcycles, the mechanic that Dickie organized for us to fit the new chain set. Here too we are expected and after leaving our phone number with them we set off in search of breakfast.
It is as we stroll through the shops looking for stamps (yes, in this highly technologically advanced era we are still sending postcards!) that we get a phone call from Tim. It seems that our rear break calliper ceased to work properly and because of this the break pads are completely worn out. Luckily it is something that he can sort out (no problem!) but obviously the costs are adding up. It is only at 12 pm and 80 US dollars more than we expected that we have Orphea back. With half the sightseeing day gone there is no time to waste and immediately we are off to the Cableway!
The long line of parked cars warn us that a) we’ll have to wait in a queue and b) that it is going to be crowded on top of the mountain.
The ride up in the cable car is spectacular! From the cable car with its revolving floor you can first see the city getting smaller before it spins you around to have a look at the rough and rugged mountain side of Table Mountain. At just over a thousand metres high this mountain gives you a great view of Cape Town and the surrounding area. Camps Bay, Sea Point, the Waterfront and Roben Island in the distance are all basking peacefully in the bright sunshine, making it arguably one of the greatest sights in South Africa! The price you have to pay for this (apart from the 20$ each) is the fact that there are literally hundreds of other tourists all pushing and shoving to get into the best spot for a picture. The soundtrack to this is from loud, American accented voices to irritated mothers telling their kids to get away from the edge or else…! It is impossible though to spoil the beautiful scene all around you.
After a quick bite to eat we make our way down the mountain (still by cable car, the walk down is over two hours!) and get on the road towards our last bit of sightseeing in the Cape area: Cape of Good hope or Cape Point as it is commonly known.
Being the most South-Westerly point of the continent, this is the point around which ships had to, and still do, navigate their way out of the Atlantic Ocean and into the Indian Ocean! We first pass through numerous small little towns before we arrive at Simonstown, the last town before you reach the point.
The road is spectacular as it makes its way along the coast and sometimes, around the corners, you are looking straight down onto the sea from up high! As is increasingly the case, the Cape Point is located in a National Park and we reach the gates with about an hour left before they close. We pay the fees and follow the signs for our destination.
It’s been quite windy ever since we left Cape Town but as we came closer to this area the wind has steadily picked up. Now it is reaching what must be close to gale force and it is quite difficult to keep Orphea on our side of the road. Just before we reach a small hill with a lighthouse on top a road turns to the left and we follow the sign saying that it leads to the Cape of Good Hope.
There is a softer side to it as well and lots of pretty flowers can be seen all around as we make our way up the hill to Barthalomew Diaz’s padraos, or cross. It is quite a beautiful piece of landscape in its own way, but this doesn’t stop us from getting back on the bike straightaway after photos are done. Today at least, this is not the kind of place that invites you to linger around and enjoy the scenery!
Despite the fact that it is getting late and dark we still have to stop in Simonstown to see its famous penguin colony. By this time we are way too late and the viewing area is closed already but we still manage to see some from the public footpath that goes through the different enclosures. They are cute little creatures and especially the way they curl their necks upwards to look at you is especially endearing!
It is a beautiful open, sunny day giving us hopes of finally seeing Table Mountain. In fact, we are in a bit of a rush to get out there to have a good look at the mountain before the weather changes its mind! It is a bit windy but as long as it doesn’t bring any clouds we are willing to bear with it! Zoe suggests going up Signal Hill to get the best views of the mountain and after a quick breakfast and long goodbyes we are on our way.
As we ride up the hill underneath the clear, blue skies we are surrounded by spectacular scenery on all sides! With the picturesque Cape Town city below us and the majestic Table mountain towering above it, it is clear to see why this is such a popular tourist destination and on all shortlists for the most beautiful city in the world!
When we’ve done our photo shoot with the mountain we take the short ride to the cableway station from where you can catch a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain. To our disappointment we have to find out that the car is not in operation due to the high winds but we decide to try again tomorrow.
After some phoning around he manages to obtain a full sprocket and chain set at quite a reasonable price. The problem is just because he doesn’t have these parts in stock it has to be picked up from various parts of the city, but, is he quick to point out, this is not a problem!
Dickie is very impressed with our idea to visit the castle while we wait for our parts to be delivered. It is only a short walk from the dealership and he is more than happy to provide parking for Orphea and to look after our rucksack.
And so we are off to see the oldest colonial building in South Africa! Build in the 1660’s by the East India Company this was actually not the original castle, but was commissioned by Jan van Riebeeck to replace the old wooden building. Primarily to protect the Dutch interests in the cape from the ever conquering British, the castle played a central role in the history of the Cape colony. Its dungeon-like cells were legendary as the place from which you had little chance of returning and it of course was also the residence of the governors of the time. Today, apart from housing various museums and a banqueting hall, it is the regional headquarters of the South African army, but it kept some of its historical rituals like the Tower of London-style key ceremony (complete with running commentary over a loudspeaker!)
Set at the foot of Table Mountain, these gardens are a sight to behold! Sprawling over a vast area it contains thousands of different species of plants and trees and if it is possible, it is made even more beautiful with the mountain in the background complete with the sun sinking behind it.
We wander through all the different little gardens including the Fragrance Garden, Protea Garden and the Useful Plants section. A nice touch is the Braille Trail that is designed especially for blind people with a rope-lined path and information plates done in Braille to explain how the blind visitor can experience nature by using his other senses.
It is just after seven when we arrive in the suburb of Vredehoek to meet up with Andre de Wet. He, together with Delmar and Nicolene, are friends of Heino’s with whom he worked in London and after having seen them last years ago, it is a joyful reunion indeed! We all go out to a restaurant for what is undoubtedly one of the best steaks we’ve had in our lives, made even better with the great company we are in!
