Griffsontour AFRICA

February 2018
A 26-day adventure by Jane
  • 22footprints
  • 3countries
  • 26days
  • 117photos
  • 0videos
  • 13.4kmiles
  • 12.7kmiles
  • Day 1

    Off we go! At Heathrow

    February 3, 2018 in England ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    Wales beat Scotland so that's a good start!
    Plane chocker block - not a single seat to be had so it's going to be pretty miserable.
    Welcome home Fran - just in time for the rugby. Sorry Niamh, apparently Roger's supporting France - I'm with your lot!
    Next stop Cape Town x
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  • Day 4

    Cape town

    February 6, 2018 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Day 1ish ,Day one was a knackering occasion! Long flight,change at J'burg for Cape Town. No real issues bar Hertz at Cape Town. Poor Jane pi##ed about for an hour about car and insurance. Sorted but Caveat emptor boys, if you do not use THEIR insurance excess, they make it an issue. Mrs G great, I would have been on Robbin Island!!
    Arrived at our Res.
    .(rather nice), via supermarket for a shop and a couple of well earned beers. Please note,apart from Hertz, not really any worse than a trip to Cyprus,just twice as long!! Slept well after a 1/2 bucket shower each. No real rain for 4yrs. Bit of a comp as to who can use the least water.. Currently fat Roger winning with 1/2 a bucket per shower. Sadly Mr G gets the cold half. Ha! ( No joke this place is dry!!!) Slept well.

    Day 2 proper like. Vasco in control!!!! Decided on a quick sortie down to Cape Aghulus, two and a half hours each way,for the benefit of the uneducated among you (joke)!, the most Southern Point in Africa where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.
    Mrs G the most Southerly bird on the African Continent at that time. Rather impressive where the 2 Oceans meet! Mrs G spotted an Ostrich with a few kids which made her happy. Lots to see. We got home in time to meet Rod and Sandy for dinner tomorrow but had a good meal. Rod and Sandy have take a FAB place in Steenberg on the golf course ,not inexpensive for sure. We ,however, are shacked up with the Norwegian Consul, so.on your bike team,tough! They have a really nasty fierce Shnauser ( no dirty jokes!) Called Buster who loves biltong! A bit of a pussycat! Had a great dinner Ribs and stuff without Needham's and Gavshon's as we had the wrong night. Great trial run and took a 5 min cab to Rod and Sandy,s for a late digestif. Gt fun with Grant and Sarah on good form. Taxi arrived so got home with surprisingly tidy considering the company! Suspect tomorrow may be ugly!,, Time for bobos,both tired,xxxxGriffs in Africa. Interesting point though. We were going to walk to Rod and Sandy,s house and the local security guys would not let us as too dangerous so we took a cab. Nice to be advised by the locals but it was a great evening.

    .

    H
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  • Day 5

    Cape of Good Hope and Boulder

    February 7, 2018 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Lazy start this morning. Our trip to Cape Aghulus was probably a bit much having just arrived the day before. Also, it is very hot so maybe a bit of heat exhaustion too (just thought I'd rub it in as gather you are freezing in the UK!).

    So today we drove down the length of the Peninsular from Hout Bay to Muizenberg. For the most part stunning scenery and very windy roads but as we got closer to Cape Point it became more rugged, arid and windswept. Baboons everywhere - nasty things - and some ostriches. The proteas are just about to flower so we're hoping they do before we leave. Wondering if the drought is delaying that. We have had no rain and it doesn't look as if there is any on its way.
    Stopped at Boulder for lunch - our most expensive to date - about £50 but Roger had oysters and we then had grilled Tiger prawns peri peri and salad - delicious. For the most part lunch/dinner is costing in the region of £35 and the steak house that we have been to two nights running ('cos I got the wrong day to meet up with the Gavshons!) lets you bring your own wine (you can buy a very tidy Rose/White for £2-3!

    Boulder is where you can see the African Penguins close up - literally feet away. They don't seem to mind hundreds of people gawping at them - happily sitting on their nest waiting for their eggs to hatch - a few had already so there were some very proud Mummy penguins around.

    Although we have the hire car, we are using Uber to get around when we go out at night. 'Happy' is our chap - so pleasant and doesn't seem to mind if we are a bit late or have a change of plan - just laughs all the time - definitely a happy, chappy!
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  • Day 5

    Botanical Gardens and Camps Bay

    February 7, 2018 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    This was Mrs G's day! Botanical Gardens in Cape Town is a world heritage site. Unsurprisingly they are fantastic. Desert conditions however mean that they are not at their best, still fantastic though. Great canopy walk on a bridge just as wobbly as the London one!
    After that off to the Table Mountain cable car. Long queues so abandoned that idea as prawns and calamari were calling from Camps Bay. Many beers at 1/2 local prices with the usual seafood ( Jane's Kingklip was delicious ) and not too pricey - lunch about £40-. Off to the beach for Mrs G to tan the pins and a dip. I went into shark infested water but could not tempt her in. The shark was very relieved! Big surf running although out at sea pot calm- long South Atlantic swell. Anyway Jane toasted herself for a few hours so tranquility reigns at last. Still managing 1/2 a bucket to shower. Only reason I went for a dip!
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  • Day 6

    Table Mountain and Hout Bay

    February 8, 2018 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Well ,hey ho,another day as Mrs G's slave! Table Mountain today with a late lunch at Hout Bay. 9.00am start to beat the Chinese and various tourists! Not early enough sadly. 45 min queue and the into the cable car. All we needed was a few pairs of skis and a Frenchman to stuff us in and we could have been on the Motte. ( not at 30 degrees though!) Windy day at the top with stunning views over the Cape peninsula. A cold front was coming in so not great for photos. Not a Dassie in sight. This is a small rock rabbit,elephant's brother. Too late for the Proteas too sadly but Mrs G happy to have a wander around. Worth the trip and photo bombed a Chinese group to get my own back! Back down in the bucket and off to Hout Bay for lunch. Tafelberg is world heritage site so worth a visit.
    Hout Bay is an old fishing port and still in use by deep water fishing boats. Went for a stroll along the long beach,not a shark in site,but still could not persuade Mrs G to have a dip. Leisurely lunch of prawns and vino and off to fetch Christine from the airport. 2 hour delay- British Airways of course!
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  • Day 9

    Stellenbosch & Franschhoek

    February 11, 2018 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Early start, Shelagh wanted us to get to Hermanus early but we didn't realise quite how long it was going to take us with all her 'plans'!,,,
    Our first instruction from Shelagh was to stop off at the Delaire Graff' winery in Stellenbosch. what a beautiful place - gardens, sculptures, great food, great wine and guess what, we saw the ORIGINAL ( Blue Lady??? jane. Says). Chinese lady by Tretchikov ,the copy of which was given to daughter 2 months ago. I knew I should have kept it as an expensive knock off. (1million pounds apparently). We had a light lunch,small tasting and came away with a case of Cab Franc Rose. A great experience in magnificent scenery and awesome sculptures to boot. Long way round but worth it to see why they are water rationing the Cape. The biggest reservoir is dust bowl, no water, just dry. This was really frightening to see so expect your Cape apples to be more expensive. This is the fruit bowl!!
    Graff winery is one of the finest in Stellenbosch. It is famous for both its wine and its art, especially its bronzes of Cheetahs. Fab gardens. Enjoyed a small tasting. I did not want to overindulge as alc driving not appreciated, and with Jane and Chris navigating did did not want to do even more miles,tyres nearly bald already! Great views over the Stellenbosch valley. A real must for visitors. None of this costs a bomb although Graff is Relais et Chateau!
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  • Day 9

    Hermanus - Big Reunion

    February 11, 2018 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    We left Graff and arrived at the T junction. The front said Left, the back Right. Decided to back Mrs G in the front (Obviously)! Very tricky driving a car when Vasco wants to go one way and 'Amerigo' in the back seat the other. A car cannot go 2 ways at once. However common sense prevailed and we went past the biggest dam supplying Cape Town with water. Nothing less than a dust bowl. Dead old trees, no water, like something out of a John Wayne Western. Really frightening as this is South Africa's fruit bowl. Apples, oranges,lemons,etc,etc, as far as the eye can see,but no rain.
    Most beautiful drive down to the coast with Polly Parrot (Christine) giving a running commentary all the way. God the SA women can talk! ..... but we did it and didn't get lost - much! Vasco great. Found Shelagh's lovely house in Hermanus and hugs and kisses all round. 38 yrs is a long time! The ladies with so much catching up to do gave Murray a chance to fill me with beer. It was very hot mind you!
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  • Day 10

    Cape Town to Paternoster

    February 12, 2018 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Crack of dawn rising to drop Christine'Polly Parrot' at Cape Town airport to catch the first camel to Johannesburg . Had a great time with her and look forward to seeing her in the future. We had lots of fun.

    Vasco took over navigation and we hit the coast road without incident. Bit like Wales here, PC Plod with a speed gun round every corner but without PCEvans's sense of humour! Once out of Cape Town,the world is brown. The terrible drought is more apparent here than anywhere else. We saw some dead sheep and all livestock is suffering. Even the Ostriches are dusty. A long drive to Langebaan, a two lane road from horizon to horizon. I didn't know the Romans got this far south! Stopped briefly in there to check the place out - Great Kite Surfing and fishing country plus an Iron Ore mine, so some very large bulk carriers anchored off. No reason to hang around so off to Paternoster. Snook in a late lunch at a restaurant on the beach (packed out) but worth the wait for a plate of prawns and a few beers. Castle Lager of course!

    Accomodation superb, albeit a little isolated. After a late barbie of Boerewors and chicken, double bolted all entrances and exits. Can't have Mrs G making a run for it! Waste of time as we had a thunderstorm with huge squalls which would have made her hair go curly. I don't like locking myself in without my Browning. Every creak wakes me up but any trouble and I would set Mrs G on them. God help the Burglar.

    Paternoster itself is an old fishing village and probably hasn't changed that much in decades. This morning (weather not great) we went down to the beach and bought twelve crayfish for about £25 - that's our supper tonight! .... and another couple of nights too!. Enjoying chilling out - not a huge amount to do here but we'll have a busy week in Botswana next week so nice to have a quiet few days
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  • Day 11

    Encore Paternoster ....

    February 13, 2018 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    ... so you are going to get very bored of sun, sea, sand - lekker crayfish, beer, wine etc. We have a few stories, real gems as it happens, which I will leave Roger to tell you about. But for now some great pics ... (we're only allowed six per footprint)!Read more

  • Day 11

    The Real Africa!!

    February 13, 2018 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ -2 °C

    2days of rubbish here,we seem to have got out of sync. However,driving north yesterday fact finding for future visits. First stop St Helena bay across the same dust bowl. We are told that the Karoo is 1000miles of this. St Helena a nice port but nowhere to lunch and much the same as every other coastal village. Ok, then to Cape Brittania named after the square rigger that hit the shoals there in 1847 and went down, and Stompneusbaai round the corner. Never found it and suspect it was where the cannery now is! Lots of lovely yet inexpensive houses on the beach ( very Greek style) ,but no infrastructure. A week in these places would make you slit your wrists!
    Paternoster is a hot spot with its' two restaurants. We ended back here for a late lunch before cooking crayfish on the indoor barbie. (Not a great success as more smoked than grilled.) However, boiled the rest in salt water New Quay style and had them with a salad and a couple of bottles of Zonnenbloem Sauvignon Blanc. Really boring day with a lot of driving but things livened up that night. ( Not Mouchey Pouchey, you understand!) Very windy and we locked up at about 11ish. Lots of creaks and groans from the house but noises were not quite right! Went downstairs to track down the squeaks. They were coming from outside a window and sounded as though someone was trying to unscrew the outside hinges. Gave a firm knock on the shutter and the noises stopped and that was that. This morning the 2 screws holding the hinge were gone! We got the boss over this morning and he apologised for the drug infused Cape Coloureds . Apparently these are the root of most of the problem. Anyway he left Frans, a Slovenian,no teeth, does Frank know him I wonder?) to do a repair. He rescrewed the hinge back, looked fine but I thought I would check, just in case you understand,and took the screws out with my fingers. This is so Africa! Anyway,I sent him packing to get some bolts. I came back to find him holding a drill bit in a pair of molegrips and trying to drill the hole! Borrowed a drill from the builder 20 yards away and the job was finished,finally. The rotten burglar tried another door but fled without his pliers! Really,I mean a Ramraider would not get in here. Still miss my Browning but if he comes back tonight I will set Mrs G on him.
    Lazy day after that.Walked the beach to see the fishermen landing the crayfish and had an early lunch. Chilled in the sun and we went for a dip. This water is very cold but hard core RG plunged. Mrs G said she did too but her shoulder were still dry and her nose an inch longer so she only paddled.We watched a lovely sunset(dead romantic), and bolted ourselves in for the night. Where is my Browning, but hey Ron, I would probably miss the b******d!
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