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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
    2
    2221
    Day 22

    Day 22 - WildCoast / Port St’Johns

    April 6, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    As the days drag on, so 05:00 becomes 06:00 becomes
    07:00 day-by-day!!! And so on!! This Caravan is snug as a cartoon 😖 Come on "Spell Check".... as a cocoon! 😉

    And now 1 Cuppa in the morning has become 3, so getting out we are two hours behind the ball-game! We ran an 8km this am, there and back to the ocean! The road, paved, concreted, potholed and muddy, with shaIed gravel in places, looks like a Std 6, science experiment! Why this particular road, clearly getting millions thrown at it remains as unclear as the afternoon mist, hanging over the same path. Apart from a few very 'larney' dwellings, one or a few belonging to 'The Honorable Mayor' of Port St.Johns no doubt, there cannot be any justification?

    After a swim on 2nd Beach in 'PSJ' along with a herd of tubby looking Nguni's also on the beach, we took a drive around the town. Not unlike what we have also experienced in Moz, along the lines of Inhambane or the likes, very little of the dreadful Apartheid era remain. Apart from the Town Hall and the Police Station (believe it or not) every other structure is a ruin. Ever present in these towns are the likes of KFC and Debonairs, proudly advertised by the plastic bags and styrofoam punnets littering the streets, also... 'Without any names' and Ackermans, is also a hit!

    I got chatting to Keke, the one and only 'Life Guard' on a beach with no one else except Karen, myself and 9 Nguni's, I asked him about the local demographic's? Pondoland (not what you are thinking, Johan Meyer) Pondoland😖 I asked Keke who lives in Pondoland? 'Pondo's' was correctly the answer, according to Keke! So, still being a little confused and probably ignorant, I asked him "So where do the Xhosas live?".... "In CapeTown" replies Keke FFS!!!

    Then there was Themba, who wanted to exchange Oyster's for cash. We agreed to catch-up tomorrow at 10:00 with some fresh Crayfish.... let's see how that turns out?

    The rest of the afternoon Karen and I took a drive on the same road described earlier to its extremity, where it petered out into a typical, eroded Transkei 'twee-spoor' track, that only a Toyota could successfully tackle 😉 On a deserted hill overlooking 270°'s of the Indian Ocean, coloured in several different shades of brown, from the flooded Mzimvubu River and a deep blue on the horizon, we drank beers and Flying Fish, ate Biltong, Simba Chips and Woolies Mixed Nuts, until the Nguni's came home.

    Later in camp, a braai of Beef Fillet and Marinated Chicken Kebabs (also Woolies) put us to bed, as the predicted rain started to patter.    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    Day 23

    Day 23 - WildCoast/ Port St Johns

    April 7, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    One just has to love the early morning smells of Pondoland. Mixed up somewhere and somehow in the fresh clean sea-air, there is always a sniff of wood-fire smoke, warming the old traditional 'Donkey' for a decent hot shower. Added to which, the obligatory stench, now and then, of the ancient 'Transkei Sewer Systems' here in our beautiful Estate 😳!!!

    Directly across from our camp, the 50m's of lawn, the 80m wide Mzimvubu River (still bank to bank), is an Indigenous Coastal Forest, climbing the cliffside, all of 700m high. I'm not sure if Reeds and Bamboo along the river are considered Invasive and/or Indigenous or not, that aside this natural jungle of several different tree types is awesome. Driving through the 'jungle' yesterday, it was so encouraging to see a signboard indicating that there is a deforestation project, of alien vegetation taking place, right here and now. Brilliant!

    And then of course, how could one ever disregard inside the 1960's Transkei Ablutions? Even here 60 odd years later, drip stains in the toilet bowl from river water. Plugs chains without plugs and the then most fashionable....Shower Floors!!!😳 Cracked, broken, smashed, wall tiles, cleverly pieced together like a mosaic puzzle! Algae and Moss encroaching on grout spacing, anything between 10 and 30mm wide. Rusted chrome pipe and sticky plastic shower curtains, also attacked by Mould, like under a Diesel Mechanics thumb nail😳

    I spoke to Roy from 'White Clay Resort' earlier and he has given us the Thumbs up to make the trip from Port St.Johns via Mthatha and Mqanduli to Coffee Bay and Hole-in-the-Wall. Despite the approaching weather front we believe we have made the correct and calculated decision to continue tomorrow morning.

    As of today we have officially been 'off-the-grid- for three weeks now. Apart from the absolute luxury of Munster for a few days, we are 'Winging' it.

    In the afternoon a trip back to Lusikisiki and then onto see the Magwa Falls, which were probably not worth the trip, but the Magwa Tee Estate was beautiful. 1,800 hectares of Black Tee in full production, quite an eye opener, employing 1,500 Mapondo's.

    Lots of Love, Peace & Light.
    M&K
    👍💐    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    Day 24

    Day 24 - White Clay/ WildCoast

    April 8, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Yesterday morning Friday 08/04, up at 06:00 struck camp and showered, ready for further southwards down the coast, but still in the EC and on our way to 'White Clay' between Coffee Bay and the Hole-in-the-Wall.

    Being the first in and out of the ablutions, I was attacked by hundreds.... no hundreds of Squadrons of Mozzies! I always wondered, being right next to the Mzimvubu River, where they were??? More incoming Mozzies than shower drops😖

    Our route out of Port St.Johns=> Mthatha=> Viedgesville=> Mqanduli=> Coffee Bay and finally to our destination, 'White Clay Resort'. 4 Hours (+-200km).

    The road conditions on the first stage, PSJ to Mthatha on the R61 were absolutely perfect except for the extreme Speed Humps and the usual farm stock, including as many 'Road-Kills'... a menu of Cattle, Donkeys and Dogs!😖

    19km on the M2 to Viedgesville was also fine, but the the partly tarred road between Viedgesville and Coffee Bay was epic, as was the unsurfaced 4X4 track between CB and White Clay.

    Whilst every care was taken to miss all of the above hazards, not all could be avoided. Pothole collisions were common, even at a moderate speed, meaning slow. We were advised to get in behind any 'low-flying' taxi, (they know all the pressure-points and the best route around them) but that was not to be! Clearly we were one of those pressure-points to taxi's, and they knew exactly their way around us too!

    As we descended into White Clay, the most stunning view of the Indian Ocean, the beach at low tide and the caravan park, already occupied by a group of four caravans that left us at PSJ, a day earlier.

    The expectant weather pattern we were desperate to beat, was lingering just inside the horizon, ever threatening!🌧️ Large squalls of passing showers over the sea, thankfully stayed away just until we had pitched camp and then!One or two light showers as we sat, beer in hand and watched the 'big-boys' also just pass by. By late afternoon as constant drizzle interrupted by nothing and then a few more showers and nothing!

    The most people together (a tour group, led by the legendary 'Alfie Cox') we had seen since leaving Mthatha arrived for a Seafood Lunch, which smelt all of an early dinner for us, after they left for the Ocean View hotel in Coffee Bay.

    We sat for hours in the very rustic and typical Transkei Restaurant, nailed and held together with #06 'Blou Draad' wire and 6inch nails! Equally the usual and legendary framed photographs of giant trophy catches of Red Stumpnose, shark and Cob. Badly reconstructed taxidermy fish heads of massive Mussel Cracker and other huge, what look like Sea Monsters hang off all the cracked walls of the Pub, held together with a dozen layers of enamel and whitewash. The 150 degree vista of the ocean from the Pub and Restaurant at nearly 100m above the sea level, directly above the crashing high tide, takes me back those 50 odd years, to Coffee Bay and the Lagoon Hotel. The view of the bay, the ocean and the whole world from this dot, not even on the map is breathtaking!

    A delicious seafood dinner, the contents mostly supplied by 'BidFoods', whose truck we passed somewhere on the Snakes & Ladder board en route here, drenched by several Windhoeks and at least a bottle of wine, sent us to bed by 19:00. Also drenched and true to the 'YR Weather App, the constant rain and as many showers were happening for the rest of the night. The sound of persistent drizzle, only blocked out by the storming breakers and passing showers. Tucked away in our Jurgens “X-Cape”, what a mesmerizing nights sleep.

    Love, Peace and Light,
    M&K
    🌺👍    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    1
    Day 25

    Day 25 - White Clay/ WildCoast

    April 9, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    So for the record cellphone signal here in White Clay is also zero, and that is why we have been off-line, but we are well!

    All night pounding of surf and sporadic passing showers made for good sleeping! We woke to seeping clay underfoot and continuous showers throughout the morning. Breakfast and coffee in bed until whatever time was called for. In the morning, rain showers were not as heavy as predicted but by the afternoon we experienced some drenching rain, and then a milder afternoon to sunset. Still very cold, like under the Duvet cold, my domesticated upbringing was tested, and I spent time reading my Roald Dahl book. After many paragraphs being read several times, to keep me awake I was tasked with untangling Karen’s ball of wool. Even if I tried my best (or worst) there is no way I could get it so knotted, in the first place!

    Karen cooked up one mean Lamb Curry in the 'Pressure Cooker', which after a couple of beers and wine in the pub, made for another great night's sleep.    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    Day 26

    Day 26 - “Hole in the Wall”/WildCoast

    April 10, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    "White Clay" never heard of it, or even this location, it is "Black Clay" and that is everywhere! Toenails constantly have a mascara ring on the outer edges😳 Okay, so there is soggy Black Clay water seeping in everywhere... and that is enough complaining!!!

    A small window in the weather opened up and we took a trip to The "Hole-in-the Wall" The road surface not unlike tracks before, partly tarred with patches of gravel and ankle to knee deep potholes, now full of water and mud, +-7ks from WC.

    Although cloudy overhead and very little sun, no rain. We had a beautiful walk down to the rocky 'beach' through a Coastal Forest directly to, in front of the 'Hole'. Not quite high tide but still with breakers crashing through. A walk up the left hill and cliff face, was an awesome view again of the whole world!

    As you can imagine, not all peaches and cream though. From when we parked, we were badgered by a teenage little Git, who insisted on being our Guide! FFS... one can see the HITW from kilometers away, and on arrival it is practically just over a dune away. On a foot path, now eroded several inches deep into the dune and lush grass, one can hardly miss it! This little do€s persisted walking in front of us apparently leading the way, until I lost it with him. After a few calls in English, eventually in his own mother-tongue a really asked him quite politely to 'fuck-off ' and leave us alone!!! Somehow my broken iSiXhosa had an affect and resonated, the little leach got the message and left. Obviously tagging out ahead so as to claim later that he had 'guided' us!😖

    On our return at around midday, Karen made us a delicious cheese and egg toasted sandwich, right out of the Top-drawer! After a cup of coffee we took an amble down to the WC beach, but as we arrived the wind picked up, accompanied by some light showers. Incredibly here on the Wild Coast, how fully grown-to-overweight cows graze right on the cliff-edge of a precipice, a couple of hundred meters above the crashing sea!

    I did say earlier "enough complaining!" so this is not complaining just as a good reporter should, tell the whole story.... the rough with the smooth! We have had so much rain, that the water-table has risen higher than the Mens Shower Outlet, creating a cesspool to stand in. I consoled myself that the black colour of this Dam is the clay mentioned earlier, I sincerely hope so! My alternative plan 'B' is to shower in the 'Ladies', where Karen says the tide us not as high!    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    Day 27

    Day 27 - Coffee Bay / WildCoast

    April 11, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    That is exactly how one should wake up on a Monday morning!

    06:45 Coffee on the verandah overlooking our bay, and between 20 and 30 Porpoise cruising by. The usual low cloud persists and sporadic light showers. Took a 5km run this morning, all those massive Wild Coast up hills are a killer, on top turned at the 'Israel Spazza' and headed back to camp at White Clay.

    Karen cooked a delicious breaky of bacon and 'eggy bread'😋

    Before showering I took a quick dip in the ocean. My Challenge on this trip is to swim in the sea at every location we camp at, and we will both run at every location too! So far we are on track and hopefully achieve my and our goal!

    After a shower we set off to visit Coffee Bay. As I have mentioned in previous posts, as a family we holidayed every year for 16 years at the Lagoon Hotel there. Paramount Chief Kaiser Matanzima (?) who became the first President of the National Party's Republic of the Transkei, which the entire world rejected as a independent state! These were only 'puppets' of the National Party😖

    Matanzima personally took control of the Lagoon Hotel and today it lays derelict and in ruin. Sadly most windows gone the odd one still draped with sheets and/or covered over with newspaper and 1980's 'Scope' center-spreads! The entire village which now does boast a beautiful new bridge, is littered with everything possible, bar nothing. The stunning beach is completely empty (no wonder) but for many years of high spring tides, flooded Umtata River debris and pollution and shipping lane wastage, nets and buoys. Flotsam of complete trees and logs and untold volumes of plastic!

    Having a beer and wine at the still intact Ocean View hotel, along comes (out of the blue) an old High School & army mate, his wife and her parents Raymond and Liz Keeny, celebrating her father's 88 birthday!More beers and then lunch ended in us arranging getting together for dinner at the Hole in the Wall Hotel this evening.

    In the meantime, Karen and I have also discussed our immediate plans. By all accounts, this weather is still set for several days to come and the chances of us sitting it out here in this muddy black clay at 'White Clay', have become more and more remote, with every passing shower! We have made the call to pack up tomorrow morning and to head to Morgan Bay, where by all accounts the weather has passed, and it is time!

    Early evening at 18:45 Karen and I in pouring rain and definitely in 4X4 went to join Ray, Liz and folks for dinner to celebrate 'Dad's' 88th. By hook or by crook we returned safely to 'White Clay' still in pouring rain.    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    Day 28

    Day 28 - Morgan Bay/ WildCoast

    April 12, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    The plan this morning (Tuesday 12 April), is to get to Morgan's Bay about 80km north up the coast from East London.

    It continued to pour all night and just before day break, it stopped for the forty minutes we needed to strike! No time for coffee, breakfast or any ambling!

    In the slushy black mud it took us less than the forty we were blessed with, and quite possibly, to get packed up before the deluge again, we were inspired!

    Packing away all the camping gear etc has. become so routine and slick! All but the sodden ground sheet, all but totally submerged in the blasted black clay. No problem after packing all away we went down and let the tide wash it out. Standing like two fishermen in the waves, we left behind clouds of mud for the sea to swirl away!

    The road all the way back to just before Mthatha was awash. For a long period we were able to hitch a ride on the back of a taxi who knew the path between the filled craters, like the back of his hand.

    Driving from the direction of Mthatha=> Idutywa=> Butterworth=> and eventually Morgan's Bay, a marked change in the landscape and architectural design of huts, houses and backyards and even the road conditions. Having arrived in the Morgan's Bay Caravan park, which is a few steps up from White Clay, but guess what?.... Beautiful lawn and.... black mud😖😖😖!!!

    It must also be said that, now after 1 month of being 'Homeless' and 'On-the-Hoof', Karen needs to be commended for numerous accolades 🥰👍🥇

    Vince calls her the "Mystic Unicorn", because she doesn't take my sh1t and she even butts back, with her evil horn! No but seriously Karen is in her element and is just loving it, at least she can remember which pole goes where and what is next. She regularly cooks up a storm in the Pressure Cooker and with all this rain has saved our bacon with many square meals which otherwise would have meant slim pickings. Together we have sorted out who does what, when, but without her it could just have been disastrous 🥰🏆

    So back here at Morgan's we arrived in the rain and have also learnt by now, there is no reason to try and sit it out and wait.... the end never comes, rain, rain, rain!

    The Morgan's Bay Caravan Park, situated right up against the lagoon, 100m from the beach. The sites have lush lawns (when not churned up) and all electricity connections. The ablutions and showers have been newly renovated and have a 5 Star rating, and then some! Full on laundry and tumble-dry facility, really all top quality and the best so far by a long shot!

    Price wise (and we knew the Easter Weekend would be costly), normal price from tonight until Thurday R240 per campsite but on Thurday to Sunday night up to R690😖😳but wherever, it will be steeper into the weekend. At the moment it is practically empty, as usual but we are told 'sold out show' over the Long Weekend! Right now we are tucked away in the caravan whilst the rain keeps teeming down outside!    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    1
    Day 29

    Day 29 - Morgan Bay/ WildCoast

    April 13, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    🎼"Here comes the sun,
    Here comes the sun,
    And I say "It's alright, Little Darling...."!!!🎼
    GEORGE HARRISON

    We heard from an 'Old Salted' Eastern Cape ripped apart piece of Sea Weed that, it doesn't rain on this side of the Kei River🤔 BS!!! It rained like hell last night 😖 but awoke to a brand new day, sunshine and to the screech of Fish Eagles🌞🌞🌞

    Now I can admit to not having been ahead if the game for most of my life, but we did get ahead of those KZN Storms and Floods, for which we are most grateful! Imagine us raving about our "Tramp's like us" journey, only to be seen on SABC3, eNews and even Sky, floating down the Winkelspruit into the Indian Ocean😳😳😳

    We cranked up the pace and ran a 6km and then a refreshing swim in the sea. A healthy mixture of salt water and brown river water, whips up a tasty brown foam, swept off the sea by a gentle offshore.

    The run up out of these seashore villages is crazy. Even as you run 'up' it seems the gushing water next to the road is also running upwards! Stay with me on this one, okay! In fact, true to the laws of gravity, it is flowing down, and so are you running downhill, it just doesn't feel like it😖

    So this now leads to a thought after 000's of running kilometers? If running down forward's is so easy, if one runs 'backwards- uphill' shouldn't it be equally easy?🤔🤷🏻‍♂️

    Visited 'Kei Mouth' to do some food replenishment only to find that the SPAR had burned down about six weeks ago😳

    Spent the afternoon 'beaching' and then off to the Morgan Bay Hotel for their 'Local's Special' every Wednesday evening. Delicious Lasagne was it! 👍

    Good night,
    Love, Peace & Light.

    M&K
    👍💐    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
    Day 30

    Day 30 - Morgan Bay/WildCoast

    April 14, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Last night at dinner, I overheard the rowdy EC locals talking about a ''Beach- Clean-Up", and true to their word, they were up and at it early this morning.

    We took advantage of the clear weather and ran to Kei Mouth, a 9km there and back. All along the two km long beach, then up into the forest along a single track, at first rocky and then wet, muddy and slippery. Up to the lighthouse, that in itself should have raised suspicion, but nonetheless. Ran past "Wacky Point" with 'Love where you Live" graffitied all over the walls of some makeshift lookout, lifesavers hut, security hut, gate control or whatever? Maybe a tuck shop, shabeen or even a broken down home, but there it was! I can just hear you guy's.... "9k's, sure but only at Sea level"!!! Losers!!!

    Trying to navigate through the Easter weekend, we will continue to stick it out here at Morgan's until Monday and then check out where next 🤷🏻‍♂️ Though times😂!!!

    Took an afternoon stroll in the direction of 'Double Mouth', which we decided to take a run up to, in the morning instead. Decent weather for a change so surprise, we braai'ed again.

    The little kids from over the road were a treat as we sat down to dinner. Three of them on bicycles dashing around the caravan park. William from our ‘Williams Team’ who had already been showered by Mom, was in the thick of it and way out in front. The splash pool mud puddle, directly in front of us was his favourite as he ‘Apexed’ on our corner every lap! Little William is a handful at six years old, but a delight. A kid, not dirty is not a kid! The irresistible mud bath was 30cm deep in places and 6m long. With our continuous cheering William, just got himself deeper and deeper into trouble when he gets home. His first lap was tekkie to ankle deep, but by the 10th, knee deep! After his umpteenth lap, his clean pyjamas had a black mud steek from his ‘poephol’ to the crown on the top of his head! As the sun sets, Mom has no idea what is about to arrive home😇

    A family arrived here in Morgans Caravan park, after dark! For twenty minutes we watched this happen, as they unpacked a brand new monster size tent with only car lights to help! We just couldn't stand it any longer, so we offered to help. Shame they had no idea where to even start. Karen and I (also pretty much ignorant) managed to get a roof over their heads, before calling it a day.    Read more

  • Tramps like Us
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    Day 31

    Day 31 - Morgan Bay/WildCoast

    April 15, 2022 in South Africa ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Happy Easter🐰 to ALL 8 of our regular "Trampers"!

    Kick-off was delayed this morning by last nights accurate weather prediction of a dank and miserable start to the day which extended to right now at 20h00.... and more is still on the cards for tomorrow😖

    We were scheduled to run up to the cliffside viewpoint but looking up at it from down here earlier, looks suicidal! A scene from The Game of Thrones or The Hobbit .... so we didn't!

    What did have a ring to it, was lunch and beer at the Kei Mouth Golf Club with Ray (my High School and Army mate) and his wife Liz, who we met last week at 'White Clay'. That will have to suffice as our regular 'Friday Date Night' because, as we speak its coffee in bed already😖

    So the question needs to be asked and answered? Why does Battered Calamari taste better down here at the coast than it does Inland? Even if it is derived from the same I&J frozen packet, caught out at sea by some mangy chinese fisherman?🤷🏻‍♂️

    I suppose it's the same as Kudu Droëwors is more delicious in the Northern Transvaal, than it does in Mosselbay for example? Whatever!

    Did we need to choose the wettest Summer in living memory to embark on this journey? In April, winter pyjamas on the South Coast? To swim in Cuppachino flavoured waves in the 'Transkei' and to lay in bed all day in a 4X4 caravan? 4X4 as in 4m X 4m and then rain, rain, and more rain! In addition to which, with a 'chick' who talks incessantly from dawn to dawn, sometimes without even taking a breath?

    (Just joking🍯!!!)

    It's been many years since I last had a beer in bed🍻 The struggle, I hear, is real!!!

    Love, Peace and Light
    M&K
    👍💐    Read more

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