Sirocco, Penguins & Good Hope

Previous post on South Africa can be found here

The drive from Stellenbosch to Cape Town takes about one hour if you don't make any detours or stops along the way. But of course you can't just drive straight there if you're on holiday! There are just so many detours to take, so many must-sees, must-dos in that area. For example, if you like a bit of tan - responsibly obtained of course - perhaps a slight case of sunbathing at Sunrise Beach?

Enjoying the atmosphere, with many interesting antique and craftsman shops, in the absolutely charming town/fishing village of Kalk Bay and having lunch at one of many tempting cafés and restaurants there. Like the wonderful open air restaurant Sirocco with a delightful, fresh menu including a dessert that's definitely one of the top five on my cheesecake-list. One of my best overall restaurant experience while in SA, if not THE best actually. Simply lovely with great music playing in the background. This is how life should be. Bliss.

If you find gemstones to be completely fascinating and alluring must-haves, by all means do not miss Mineralworld and Scratchpatch in Simonstown. The prices are just peanuts compared to what you have to pay for these kind of stones in Sweden...

Another definite must is of course a visit to the penguin colony at Boulder's Beach. Amazing experience, just inches away from all these guys. It was just such a treat in many ways.

And no, I just can't get over the fact that there are actually baboons roaming around freely, a wildlife so completely different to ours up here in the very north. Fascinating indeed.

And well, as I've said before Cape of Good Hope isn't the southernmost place of the African continent, but I suppose - despite the *slightly* over touristy and very crowded feel of it... - it is a must too. It is a World Heritage Site, it is a vast national park and yes it also offers a plethora of amazing natural sceneries. So, now I can say I've been there, to the most south-western point of Africa too and yes, the faithful travel companion Elvira even got her picture taken when there was a brief second of noone else posing.

By next post we will have landed safely in Cape Town, despite the scary roads a k a scenic route we took to get there, *somewhat* similar to the Swartberg Pass experience...

Exception to the Rule in Stellenbosch

Previous post on South Africa, you'll find here

Myself I haven't the slightest interest in wine, but for those who do I suppose South Africa has quite a lot to offer also in that area. Therefore M had quite looked forward to the stay at a vineyard guesthouse in Stellenbosch, a charming old university town in the heart of South Africa's wineroute situated some miles east of Cape Town. Some nice wine sampling, for some, and a good dinner would be just the perfect end of a long day in the car. Little did we know...

We arrived at the Knoerhoek Vineyard late afternoon and was greeted in a way that can only be described as inhospitable and rude, by an elderly woman who could hardly speak English. The room we got was far from the nice ones as seen in the pictures, but more of a shabby hostel one. Since I very much take notice of details I didn't find it very appealing to see cheap soap filled in old bottles of more expensive brands for example... The fan in the room was making so much noise it couldn't stay switched on during the night, which was too bad considering the temperature that time of year...

The information about the fact that in order to eat at the inhouse restaurant you had to preorder well in advance hadn't been given... The place was fully booked - by unbelievably noisy and uncongenial golfplaying German seniors... I let it be unsaid which one of these attributes that made them so unpleasant... - and we had to look elsewhere for dinner. I can't help but using the words *of course* now, as in of course we were given the completely wrong driving directions for another restaurant...

We got lost, in the pretty much pitch dark surroundings of Stellenbosch. We ended up at a 7-11 shop in some strange neighbourhood, where I stayed in the car while M stocked up on *delicacies* - can't say it was all that comfortable... Although I got treated to a strange and rather entertaining mini-show when a drunken man suddenly appeared in the dark answering a call of nature, trying to relieve himself beside the building - right outside our car... -, and then frighten the hugest rat I've ever seen, who factually ran straight into the wall trying to get away from what he/she probably saw as a very daunting Nemesis. Myself I just counted the minutes until we could get back to the guesthouse with all that wonderful delicacies that the tummy ached for by then...

I suppose all is relative when it comes to what can be considered as culinary delights... But I'm pretty sure none of the above things can be considered first class delicacies... However, even if the great expectations of a lovely stay and great food at a vineyard came to naught, it was rather lovely to sit at that "balcony" outside the shabby room, having the non-five-star-picnic and looking up at an amazing pitch black yet star-spangled sky. The kind hardly ever visible when living in or close to a city or in a densely populated area.

Our room is the one with the open door on the upper floor. Outside my knapsack is waiting to leave...

The breakfast and its staff was really lovely - even though the roisters above had made quite a mess indoors... - and we had such distinguished company while eating.

Since we were on *a bit* of a tight schedule we didn't have much time strolling the streets of the town of Stellenbosch - which was a pity indeed - but I did get the first kind of fairly decent latte there anyway. At Mugg & Bean, by an employee/proprietor that must be one of the most, if not the most, accommodating ones I've ever met. Borderline servile really. Strange experience indeed.

So my one and only close encounter with a South African vineyard, and it's so much talked about hospitality was far from a pleasant one, unfortunately. I hope it was a complete and utter exception to a rule. At least it was a complete and utter abnormal experience compared to all the other lovely welcomes and stays we had at different guesthouses in South Africa.

Next post will be about our drive to Cape Town, including penguins, Sirocco and Good Hope, so stay tuned.

Through Meiringspoort and Barrydale to Montagu

Time for the next chapter in the South African travelogue - to refresh the memory, here's the previous post.

To avoid screaming, other than of delight, we took another scenic route than the Swartberg Pass, when we left quaint Prince Albert heading for Montagu. Namely the part of N12 which goes through the deep cleft of Meiringspoort, a 25 km long tarred road, which winds along the floor of the gorge, crossing the Groot River 25 times. To get to the gorge road we took the R407 to Klaarstroom.

Quite a beautiful drive on serpentine roads, and a bit of dirt roads before we got to the gorge. Parts of the mountains really has a spectacular, sort of radiant, red glow to them. Which these pictures just don't do justice.

And this road was also the place where I first encountered baboons walking on and beside the road - I just wish they hadn't been so camera shy, when we fumbled with the camera trying to snap a picture. If you can imagine these bushes away, there's actually a whole bunch of baboon family and friends hiding there.Can you see them?

N12 then turns in to, or incorporate with, R62. The road offers views over wide open spaces, an odd house here and there, but basically just nothing but mountains and fields as far as the eye could see. And then, in the middle of nowhere, this sign -

- talk about setting up an unexpected business in a place where one might think the customer base is somewhat thin, perhaps non existing. Or not. What do I know about the habits of South Africans and their inclination for extensive travelling just to visit such a place...

As it turned out, it isn't a place that offers toys for carnal pleasures, but a friendly pub - we didn't stop, but the story behind the, um, misleading name of the pub you can read here.

Reaching Barrydale we stopped for a late lunch at this cute roadside restaurant/farm stall, The Country Pumpkin. Loved the place, the food was far from the best - apart from as always, wonderful fruit juices - I had in ZA, but the ambiance was completely charming.

Which might have something to do with the chatty owner raving about that when Swedish women speaks English it sounds like we're singing due to the intonation - which most of us really don't like to show off in public... But from now on I'll always try and think of the dreaded, infamous Swenglish intonation as being a quaint and charming thing. Sort of.

At the Country Pumpkin you'll also find the studio of the talented Inkaroo jewellery designer Heather. Beautiful and inspirational things made from nature materials. And very affordable. It didn't hurt that she praised my faithful summer companion, my favourite NoaNoa skirt either... Once again, it's all in the details...

From Barrydale it wasn't very far to the next stop and stay at lovely guesthouse Malherbe in Montagu. Owned by a Dutch couple, whom have restored the historical Cape Dutch house really beautifully. And I did love the eye for details there too, such as the presentation of toilet paper...

Which sort of makes the perfect end-ing for now!

Scream or How I Survived the Swartberg Pass

After having enjoyed a few days in Knysna we headed towards the quaint small town of Prince Albert - think Australian outback and The Flying Doctors and you get it spot on. Just about as far from a Swedish small town you can get, and quite the experience I'd say.

We stopped for lunch at Montague House in the town of Oudtshoorn, a town and area well-known for its many ostrich-farms. Myself I found it quite revolting and so sad to see all those fields of fenced in ostriches. Being breed and kept for the most brutal of reasons...

The lunch was rather nice, the beverage was one of the best I've ever had, freshly squeezed pineapple juice served in large jugs. Oh if we could get those drinks at home...

Little did I know what awaited us... We took the scenic route through the impressive Swartberg Pass, which is considered to be one of the finest mountain passes in the world. A 27 km long untarred road winds to the summit 1 583 metres above sea level in steep zig-zags and sudden switchbacks, with quite breath-taking views almost at every turn.

The road is supported in places by hand-packed stone walls, and was built by prisoners in the late 19th century. The Pass was declared a National Monument in 1988. Reminded me quite a bit of the winding pass to the Valley of the Nun's on Madeira. But somehow that drive felt a lot safer...

It took us about 1 ½ hours to drive through, it was steep, it was narrow, sometimes unbelievably narrow, no crash barriers, no walls to be seen anywhere. Only a bit of fynbos here and there, perhaps a small tree, blocking the view right down the deep gorge. So you didn't have to see just how far the imminent fall would be...

Every time we met a car on their way down it was sheer horror - lucky enough the Pass seemed to be rather deserted that particular day. The road wasn't very wet that day, still it was kind of slippery here and there - we did get a few skids. And it wasn't fun. At all.

They say that those who have crossed the pass will never forget it - and well, no I won't. And I will never ever make my way through it by car again. If I happen to be in the area. One of my very few *touch wood* near death experiences. And I don't care how breathtakingly beautiful it might have been - I think you can get just as glorious views in many places all over the world. Travelling on much better roads. Not screaming, moaning and clinging to the car handle.

Hiking would probably be quite the thing, maybe on bike to. But as far as the must-see-breathtakingly-beautiful-experience, no I don't think so. Far from the best thing, best view I experienced in South Africa - and no, I really wouldn't think otherwise even if the road had been tarred and walled.

Finally, after much moan and groan, hiss and scream, back on N1 and reaching into Prince Albert, we stayed at a lovely little - or not so little - guesthouse called Karoo Lodge.

Unfortunately at the time we were there, many restaurants and coffee shops were for some reason closed. What a pity since they had so many charming looking places to eat along the main street...

We ended up at pub Celestino's - where the locals hang out - for dinner. And boy was it like being thrown back to the sixties! Anything but modern - and so just what I treasure about travelling. The food was cheap and rather tasty - although I have no idea how anyone single person can eat all that food on one plate though...

It felt like a town in the middle of nowhere, and I was surprised about the fact that the shops offering handicrafts and local art had quite the hefty price tag on most everything. Perhaps Prince Albert is considered to be the place for wealthy South Africans from the bigger cities to visit when on holiday?

I wouldn't mind having these kind of waste bins in the streets at home...

Prince Albert also offers a different kind of lodgings for the weary, namely correctional facilities - you just got to love that saying on the sign there "A place for new beginnings..." I hope so. I wish.

And the obligatory township, in the outskirts of town...

And what's said to be the smallest vineyard in South Africa - Soetkaroo, which produces an award winning dessert wine. This small entrepreneur spirit, to do business, make business, create something out of seemingly almost nothing, to do good in the community is one thing you got to love about South Africa!

Quite the opposite in Sweden unfortunately, it's rather a hostile climate for small enterprises. The Swedish, so called, well fare system as well as the legislation becoming a citizen trap instead of something that ease for resourceful people that make something for themselves and thereby also do good in the community...

Not even the Bush Pub was open for business - I found the place intriguing... As well as harbouring one of the only two (!) cats (domestic) I saw in South Africa...

And I still ponder about what purpose the dentist chair had... Possibly one of those questions in life that will never get an answer...

When it was time to leave Prince Albert, we didn't continue on the N1 through town but headed back, though instead of taking the Swartberg Pass *surprise* we made our scenic way through the beautiful cleft and tarred road of Meiringspoort - which didn't make me scream of fear, more of joy when I spotted my very first free roaming baboon on the road. Don't get a lot of those at home, ever.

More about that in the next episode of undersigned in South Africa.

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