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Tramps like Us

March - June 2022
And so it begins…..First stop KOSI BAY Read more
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  • Tramps like Us
    Day 1

    Day One.. First stop - Kosi Bay

    March 16, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    And a VERY good morning to all you fellow “Trampers”

    As mentioned to many of you on WhatsApp last night, we left Nelspruit and the Lowveld in the early hours of Wednesday morning at 05:30. Said our final ‘goodbyes’ to Johan and Annatjie and Shelley, who will be living with them, for which so many thank you’s J&A😢👍🏻🌹

    Hadn’t even left Nelspruit’s precinct, Karen faffing with The Penguins, and I took the incorrect turn🙄 Anyway, headed out without any further issues. Sadly, one cannot circumvent any of the towns, which at best are ‘Shitholes’. Through Badplaas, Amsterdam and Piet Retief, where we have to admit to having a Wimpy Burger!

    In no way is this intended to be a negative ‘Blog’, but merely an actual account of what we experience along the 3 months ahead. However, Mogadishu’s visuals one see’s from time to time on TV, is right on our doorstep, or maybe just a ‘stone throw away’! As you can see on the GoPro video, the countryside is amazingly beautiful, as one cherish’s it from a totally different angle now. Hopefully these are the memories forever!

    With beautiful rolling hills left and right all the way, looking particularly stunning, knee to hip-high green grass everywhere on account of the well above rainfall the country has enjoyed over the past month, or so. The downside is the damage to the road network. The rain and heavy trucking has caused untold damage and even the recent repairs will need to be redone, not before long. The tarmac between Piet Retief and Pongola is a thriller, most of the way! The ‘Super Python’ at Disney World can take some tips here!

    Anyway, the rest of the way was all beautiful although scary at times, what was supposed to be a 6-7 hour trip took 9 (for various reasons)!

    However, our campsite at Utshwayelo Kosi Mouth Lodge & Camp just outside Kosi Bay is really better than expected. “Half-a-K” from the beach and right now it’s raining, hard enough not to leave the caravan 😩

    Chat later!

    👍🏻🌹    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    1
    Day 2

    Day Two - Kosi Bay

    March 17, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Last night was an outright beaut! On and off showers throughout the night and before daybreak rain kept pelting down…. and then it stopped long enough to decide to take the 3.5km walk down to the Kosi Bay estuaries, beach and to view the fish traps etc.

    Down came the rain several times again and drenched to the bone we walked back the 3.5 to the camp. Having walked the route through the flooded estuaries, we knew we could 4X4 our way back to the beach and back. Packed a light lunch and few cold ones and some wine for Karen and drove to the beach.

    The tides almost approaching high, we were still able to walk and swim through the incoming channel’s of warm water, relatively warmer in than out. We swam for over an hour and eventually drove back at about 15:00.

    ‘Braaied’ at just after four amidst the scourge of school holiday makers arriving🙄 and only today I read “Hell on Earth are people”…. I am sold!!!p

    Tomorrow afternoon we check into Sodwana Bay for 4 Days.

    “Love, peace and light”

    Chat soon
    M&K    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    1
    Day 3

    Day 3 - Kosi Bay

    March 18, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Yesterday ended on somewhat a lower note! Just as we were getting comfortable pretty much alone, which is my jam, my fourth gear was stripped as people arrived.

    I kid not, but possibly should have been predicted, a ‘specimen’ arrived with family in his brand new Land Rover (Gas bottle perched on the roof, see photo’s and Papa in his “FORD” also with family on board, proceeded to rig the biggest Circus Tent.

    ‘Boetie’ now with swimming costume and combat boots, walked around camp with his 9mm strapped under his belly (WTF). Funny thing though the ‘Gat’ was only hitch sporadically, so either there was a ‘cease-fire’ or he was scared it would fall in the long drop?

    Friday morning up with the gull’s and after a cuppa’joe took a 3.5km run down to the estuary and then back to the camp. We packed up and parked the caravan and drove down to the beach and spent the morning swimming in the sea and lagoon. After a shower back at camp we set off to Mbazwana and Sodwana Bay. En route we drove through several villages with populations, that of many cities. Thousands of kids leaving school and as many young guys just hanging around. Where are all these people going to earn a living one day? Where are all these jobs coming from, food and roofs overhead? More and more poor people just simply getting more poor and more and more kids! I wonder when last did Cyril and even Julius visit the places, without politicians hats on and no security detail. There in Mbombela we think there are masses living in Numbi, Acornhoek and Kabokweni… you ain’t seen nothing yet!!!

    Just short of 100km we arrived at our campsite. Very basic and in the bush 18 km from the beach which turns out to be sub-optimal, some guidance here would really have been appreciated.

    Non the less a good night sleep and up and about in the morning.    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    2
    Day 4

    Day 4 - Sodwana

    March 19, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Lulled asleep last night by the gentle chaos of a nearby ‘shebeen’, which the Caravan Park owner assured us of our safety and reminded us we were in Zululand, made us sleep soundly. Given that the previous day/night we were closely guarded by ‘Boetie’ and his 9mm, events could’ve escalated last night.

    As the singing faded, so the cacophony of farm animals took its place. A chorus of cattle, roosters, goats and dogs woke us early enough to spring into action for an early morning run, which eventually didn’t happen. Arrived at ‘Coral Divers’ (18km away) on the seaside of Mbazwana but in time to miss todays scuba dives. We booked an early morning (08:00) scuba for tomorrow 20th March.

    Spent the rest of Saturday morning and mid afternoon soaking up clear Zululand sunshine on the beach and swimming in amazingly warm water. We returned to Coral Divers for a bite to eat and an hour of the first continuous and stronger Cellphone signal, since we left home.

    Back at camp Daniël fired up the “Donkey’, providing for a hot shower later.

    “Peace, Love and Light”

    Mark & Karen    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    Day 5

    Day 5 - Sodwana

    March 20, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Way before alarm wake up time at 05:30 we were up and about drinking coffee and getting ready to scuba dive on ‘Anton’s Reef’ just 2 miles offshore and between 12 and 15 metres below. In perfect conditions 7 divers, Trent the Dive Master and Abrie our Skipper. A proper tattered ‘Rubber Duck Boytjie’ Tall, thin, blond/grey, sunburned to a lighter shade of biltong. Gaps in his dentures slightly narrower than the cracks in his heals🙄… All of late 50’s and I’m not sure all the fumes were from the Outboard motors😳

    Non the less, a great launch through the incoming surf and out to Anton’s. Both of us a little rusty on the Diving drills and protocols but pretty much like riding a bike. It was really an unreal reminder of wearing a proper mask for a change! Getting back into the water and diving again after about 15 years or so was challenging. Taken back to the days of slithering in and out of a wetsuit, and on and off the duck.

    My left leg fitted perfectly into the ‘Long John’ although the calf’s were always a snug fit😜 I just so battled several times to get my right leg in, eventually I realised it was not going to get into the arm-sleeve 😬 I have to admit to looking around to see who was watching… no one!

    The rest of the dive was beautiful, schools of reef fish everywhere, turtles, rays and coral. Some shoals of game fish also passed by and no large critters! One hour later back onto the duck and back at the camp by 10:30.

    Karen cooked up a ‘Smash Burger’ of note for lunch and that, with a couple of Windhoek Draughts along with a buildup of some carbon in the blood, should get us to bed very snappily tonight!

    Hang-on…. Oh wait we have to go back to Coral Divers to pick up some signal to post our last, most recent chat.

    In the meantime right here in Coral Divers resort we have hooked up with Jarrod Smal and knocked back a few and have attacked a pizza each.

    Good night and….
    Love, Peace and Light,
    M&P    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    1
    Day 6

    Day 6 - St Lucia “Human Rights Day”

    March 21, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    The original plan for today was to take a run to Coral Divers and then a visit to Lake Sibaya, which if memory serves, a Fresh Water Lake that contains Sea Fishes that have evolved of centuries and have adapted to freshwater 🤔 I have tried to Google that fact and cannot find any confirmation….. urban legend? However, it does have the second largest population of Hippos and Crocs in KZN, and 22 species of 🐸

    We woke too late and decided to travel to Lake St Lucia and thankfully we did. Given the holiday, it was very quiet on the roads but when we checked into Isimangaliso Wetlands campsite here and fully unpacked, only to find that our Electricity point did not work. Full credit to the staff they did get things going quite quickly 🤜

    Drove around St Lucia and got our bearings found the main beach that was host to the entire Nongoma and Nkandla, celebrating HRD!!!

    The campsite is very well maintained and I’m still not sure what I am missing but there must be 100’s of campsites but only a handful occupied.

    The proof of the pudding is in the eating …. we shall see!!!

    Check out the Crested Guinea Fowl in our Camp.

    Must go and braai right now, so

    Love, Peace and Light

    M & K    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    Day 7

    Day 7 - St Lucia

    March 22, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    “RÉMY MARTIN” Champagne Cognac, in anyone’s book…. what a lot of ‘kak’!!!

    So when we left ‘Mount Hay’ over 10 years ago now, we salvaged a bottle of this, thinking we were really smart, but not! Why we didn’t give it to December or Sibongile when we left Nelspruit, I will never know! For those would can’t put Tequila away, have not reached the bottom of the barrel yet! At over R1,200.00 a bottle, it’s daylight robbery!

    Anyway, first a run through the campsite here in St. Lucia and the small village and a fall out with the Security Guard at the main beach, we ventured north up to Cape Vidal on a tarmac road, better than most parts of the N2 highway. Through the Wetlands Reserve and the Lakes, surprisingly quite a variety of Game. Elephant, Kudu, Buffalo and Warthog, probably as many sitings per kilometer as the Kruger.

    The beach at Cape Vidal, also beautiful with about +- 100 people on a 7 or 8 kilometre long beach. Much snorkelling for all ages. Just when I thought the ski boats at Sodwana were ships, wait to see them here at Cape Vidal🙄!!! And the tractors Boys in the old days, it was the oldest most repaired and rusted, get put out to pasture down here on the coast enjoying their last Golden Mile before they totally fall apart. These days tractors are not just sold for agriculture, the biggest and the best are here on the beaches, now and then doing some work. You farmer boys are way behind the 4 Ball…. so get your act together!!!

    On our way out we ended up behind a 4 car stationary convoy, blocked by a herd of 20 elephant refusing to move on. For an hour and a half we were stopped by them, with the train behind growing from 5 to over 10 reversing all the time😳 Of course there had to be the ever present idiot, who knows better and overtakes to see if he can be the man😖 Amazingly, when they have passed to get onto the frontline and have to turn around or reverse, non of them look into your eyes as they pass👀 F**king idiots, and you guessed… “GP”number plates!

    A great Curry thanks Karen and to bed!

    Love, Peace and Light
    M & K    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    Day 8

    Day 8 Richards Bay

    March 23, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Vitality Points to be caught up on, so a 6km at 07:00 was completed. Got back, packed up camp, showered and cleared out by 09:45.

    Arrived in Richard’s Bay (and I’m still not sure why), two hours later. A really well organised and laid out campsite (Richard’s Bay Campsite). Well established, no doubt a throwback from the pre ‘94 era, and everything still in very good nick. The roads inside the park immaculate and the facilities still in a clean proper working order. Hot water, full on Laundry and private entry to a controlled beach, thankfully not a soul to be seen!

    Herein lies the issue and for heaven’s sake! There are more than 100 campsites and if 10 are occupied it’s a lot. The first fully open school holiday’s since Covid began two years ago, yes the Petrol price high and there is war in Eastern Europe, and, and, and but to still have only a 10% occupancy, is shattering. This mind you, this is the situation in every campsite we have stayed over in.

    It feel like Armageddon is real!

    Now that we have been on the road for over a week, and have camped/caravan’ed probably more than most, so my observation is thus; most campsites in our price range are pretty much the same, flat surface, not too soft or hard, easily accessible, hot water/cold water, clean and hygienic, close to the amenities, etc, etc, etc! The swing vote to what makes the difference between an average and a very good caravan park or campsite is ‘Single-Ply’ or ‘Twin-Ply’ toilet paper!

    I have no doubt that many of you have also sat for collectively many hours and contemplated this! My thought line, along with much mathematical calculation is…. wait for it. Surely both the rolls of Single and Twin are the same length and I’m not stupid so I do understand that both rolls being equal in size, width and diameter means that per kilometer, the Twin is half a long as the Single… I get that! However, after many years of experience, I am also sure one uses three times as much Single Ply as one would Twin … Yes? Give me a ‘YES’!!! Okay, so in the final analysis, although more expensive per roll, Twin is actually cheaper per square or even per Kilometre! Not to mention that I have yet to find Single Ply that is scented! My good friend Koos Meyer will tell me that “this only makes ‘sh1t’ smell like Lavender anyway!!!

    Love, Peace and Light,
    M&K.    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    1
    Day 9

    Day 9 - Drakensberg (Golden Gate)

    March 24, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Firstly, much appreciate all of you following us, your encouragement, comments, ideas and involvement, it feels like you’re all here with us. Miss and love you All!

    👍🏻🌺

    If we do get too much/too boring etc. please let us know!

    We left sunny Zululand (Richards Bay) early this morning and travelled the better part of the entire day. Connected with as many rural and back roads as we could. RB to Empangeni => Melmoth => Babanango => Nqutu => Over the ‘Blood River’ (bank to bank, in full spuit) => Dundee => Glencoe => Ladysmith => Harrismith and Golden Gate. Never been on most of these roads before!

    From Empangeni all the way to Babanango, you have never seen so much Sugar Cane and Blue Gum plantations, like ever! The rolling hills and the building thunderstorms above them, were truly stunning. We managed to skirt around these and as we stopped to pitch camp, down came the heavens soaking us to the bone. That all cleared the moment we completed erecting camp🥴 We left the Coast with a temp of 32* and right now we are Freezing at below 15* here in the Berg 😱🥶❄️

    Luckily some leftover Curry Mince from a night or two ago, has saved what would have been a very chilly night. This caravan has been an absolute star! Handles the roads well and is perfectly convenient for us both.

    Talking about dodging, we nearly even took a very wrong detour… we nearly ended up in Nkandla… true story. (See pics).

    Check out the beautiful setting sun on the cliffs here at the Golden Gate Caravan Park.    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    Day 10

    Day 10/1 - Golden Gate

    March 25, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Yesterday evening ended with a downpour not easily forgotten! Wet and cold but inside our digs turned to be pleasantly warm all night.

    After a Cuppa-Jo we ran through the Golden Gate canyons! So I have been to the Drakensberg several times in my life but this time, not rushing to a destination has been particularly special. Taking note of all the dramatic Sandstone formations, colours and shapes that have hung in there for millions of years.

    How ashamed and embarrassed I am, after the best part of 60 years, only now am I awake to these wonders. These cliff faces are completely awesome, the Eastern Free State is a total opposite to the rest of the province. Ashamed that only 3 hours (maybe 4) is a wonderland that surely deserved better from me and even all of us. Now I know this circle of ‘Trampers’ are in fact pretty well traveled, certainly domestically but not to have spent days on end here, taking in such beauty must be a sin, certainly on my part.!

    Looking at all the photographs and in years to come when/if future generations see all these Electricity and Telkom poles, are they too going to be in awe? When they ask what is this horrible mess in front of all this beautiful scenery?
    And they will ask “What were they for?”
    And we will answer “For telephones and electricity”
    And they will ask “Did they work?”
    And we will answer “No”!
    And they will ask “Why then, did you make so many?”

    Now already, we really see how we have destroyed such a beautiful place…. or will it be even worse?    Read more

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