Day 57 - Lambert’s Bay

Slowly the road ahead emerged out of the midmorning mist bank, still lingering since daybreak. Thick low cloud obscured the Langebaan basin as we bid farewell to Rina and moved out toward the R27 and then the R365 en route to Lamberts Bay. From Velddrift => Laaiplek=> Dwarskersbos => Elandsbaai => Wadrifsoutpan to Lamberts Bay.

The dustbowl east of the R365 compared to the west's blue and jade Atlantic Ocean, again just does not add up? The temperature here up the West Coast is below 16 degrees for most of the morning but as the clouds and few raindrops cleared so it began to warm slightly to no more than nineteen!

The renowned 'Muisbosskerm' was empty, and the little guy cleaning an already clean venue, advised that it has closed down and only opens for functions 😖 So sad, but not as sad as driving through the Lamberts Bay CBD via the main street. Dilapidated homes, once happy weekend cottages, now have broken and soiled couches on verandas and washing in the main street from pillar to post. Wednesday at 14:00 there was nobody, not a soul, closed house doors and not a moving vehicle. We noticed more than a few cars down at the harbour, but other than that, totally deserted. In the caravan park there were only 2 or 3 tents and no caravans, but still other than the security guard, nobody around. No one even at the few tents already pitched. Not even the nasty rotten fish smell from the fish factory.... Lamberts Bay, as if the 'rapture' had taken place and the toll of the Catholic Church bell
was ominous. The sea and the squawking gulls almost sounded like vultures!

We left our caravan in the park and drove to 'Isabellas' restaurant on the docks, making it even more eerie, with no one there either.

On the far side of the harbour and at the entrance, there was a small commotion which was clearly growing as we shared a bowl of 'Mussels in a Green Curry', two beers and two carifs of Red Wine, just before the 'Sea Food Platter' arrived. In the meantime the gulls making a noticeable increase in the use of the airspace above 'Bird Island', and a slow string of fishing boats entering the harbour. Parking at the harbour entrance was now at a premium as Karen and I made our way around to the dock entrance, to find just what we actually came to witness. Screaming women and children, cursing, dirty, exhausted, smelly and satisfied fishermen. Snoek everywhere lay gutted and 'ungutted'! According to one, they (the Snoek) had arrived over the weekend "Laat maar, groot en honger meneer, hulle wil net eet"!

Thousands of 'geflekde' fish everywhere, heaps of guts and gills with red rivers running back into the ocean and the fishing boats kept docking, way after sunset. "Ons het die dik geslaan"!!! We were eventually escorted out of the harbour in a cloud of a different mist! Not all the blue we saw was the ocean and neither was the mist, that blue either! Wafting past were more than a few blue clouds from dried twigs and leaves not really noticed as we past thousands of hectares on our way in of untouched natural vegetation, apparently way less dynamic!

After rigging a 'one night stand' caravan we went down to the ocean with a glass of wine each and watched the sun.

Back at the caravan, it was cold and the air already condensed on the car and tents!

So loved being with friends and family for the past week and a bit, has revived the 'lus' to be caravanning and out on our own again. Loved being with each and everyone of you, for what may just be the last time, was both wonderful and saddening!

Much love and blessings to you all .... and thank you!

Love, Peace and Light!
M&K
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