Getting ready to roll...
16 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Juanita has been serviced, my hair has been cut, final shopping is done - all that's left is to pack: equipment, food (including bread-making stuff), warm clothes for the mountains and swimmingLeggi altro
We're rolling!
17 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Lunch at Villiers
17 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
An OK drive to Villiers. We have been swapping drivers regularly. We have stopped for lunch at the Wimpy here and will now leave the N3.
Wimpy looking up when they serve balsamic and olive oil.
Vrystaat!
17 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
The Free State is as flat as ever. But today it was a brilliant green! Lots of mielies! But I couldn't get a good picture flying by at 120 kph.
The first signs of the escarpment and the MalutiLeggi altro
The more things change...
17 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
The more they stay the same. Bethlehem is unrecognizable as the same town we travelled through 60 years ago, and Clarens is now a tourist trap instead of a little Vrystaat dorp.
But the Escarpment isLeggi altro
... in Clarens
17 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
We are staying in one of the Clarens Cottages. It is very modern, very comfortable and a bit impersonal. But it's in Clarens, so it's fine! It's also a lot cooler in Clarens than in Modimolle: we areLeggi altro
Clarens day 2
18 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 1 °C
We actually managed 3 exciting things today: We drove several kms back towards Bethlehem to look at the Ash River Outfall. This is where the water from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project flows out ofLeggi altro
Caledonspoort Border Post
19 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
So into Lesotho we go. No problems at all at the border with chatty types on both sides.
Top of the World
19 gennaio 2017, Lesoto ⋅ ⛅ -10 °C
View point at top of pass.
Well Bill created this Footprint when we were there but unable to post anything. So here are the pictures from the Top of the World.
Katse Dam
19 gennaio 2017, Lesoto ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
It took us 5 hours from Clarens to the Dam wall with all the stops for oohs and ahs and pics and driving hazards, but it's worth the drive!
Here are our first impressions:
First sight of the Dam wall,Leggi altro
Orion Katse Lodge
19 gennaio 2017, Lesoto ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Finally made it to the Lodge only to find our booking was just a room - no self-catering 😑
Oh well.
The room is reasonably appointed with a shower in the bathtub. We will just have to have dinnerLeggi altro
Katse Dam wall tour
19 gennaio 2017, Lesoto ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
On our way from the Dam to Katse Lodge we stopped at the Visitors' Centre to enquire about tours. Angela had insisted we should do a tour that goes through a tunnel. There was a tour to the Dam wallLeggi altro
Driving in Lesotho
19 gennaio 2017, Lesoto ⋅ ☀️ 1 °C
Driving in Lesotho - especially to Katse Dam - is both hazardous and stressful. High, steep mountain passes, up and down around and around. You cannot drive fast because around the next bend might beLeggi altro
Living in Lesotho
19 gennaio 2017, Lesoto ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C
Some pics of people and places on our route. There were lots of little settlements and a couple of bigger towns. Every available slope was covered with mealies. And everything was GREEN!!
Pictures ofLeggi altro
Golden Gate
20 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
We left Katse this morning at 8 and got to the border at 12. Much better than yesterday. We picked up a Mosotho mama at the border and dropped her in Clarens.
We needed to pick up Bill's pills at theLeggi altro
Golden Gate Day 1
21 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Cold, windy and overcast. The rondavel is very gloomy so we slept 'til 7. Walked towards the natural swimming pool, but it's frustrating not to be able to scramble up mountains any more 😕
ALeggi altro
Golden Gate Day 1 some more
21 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
A drive around Blesbok Loop yielded a few blesbok and some black wildebeest - and lots of pretty wild flowers and Golden Gate scenery. We walked in the campsite this afternoon. Crossed the bridge butLeggi altro
A pilgrimage
22 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Every time I or any of my sisters go to Golden Gate we make a pilgrimage to the van Reenen family graveyard. In our youth we spent many an Easter weekend at Lusthof, farm of Oom Percy and Aunt Lily deLeggi altro
Golden Gate Day 2
22 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Today was the day for the vulture restaurant.
But it doesn't seem to exist 😣
Not a single vulture and no new carcass.
However the wild flowers were lovely and the scenery stunning.
We haveLeggi altro
For my Sistas!
23 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Well, there was a sign to 'Surrender Hill' ie Lusthof, so on our way from Golden Gate to Hobhouse I insisted on the detour...
First the Mushroom Rock which you can really only see coming the otherLeggi altro
Invaders of the Free State
23 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Everybody knows the Eastern and Southern Free State is grasslands, but obviously the first white settlers didn't like it so planted exotic trees. Here is a selection seen on our route.
LombardyLeggi altro
Hobhouse
23 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ 🌫 21 °C
So we left Golden Gate just after 8. Detour to Lusthof took about an hour. Then we stopped in Ficksburg to replenish food supplies - we are not sure when we'll be able to do it again 😊
TheLeggi altro
Hobhouse Day 1
24 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
When I woke this morning it was raining, and has continued to do so on and off all morning. So today was declared a day of rest and getting to sort Lesotho pictures.
We just had 'koffie' with ourLeggi altro
Hobhouse Day 1 Cont.
24 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
So we made good progress with updating everything this morning but felt the need to get out and about this afternoon
So we drove through Hobhouse back towards Ladybrand as far as a rather nice damLeggi altro
Hobhouse Day 2
25 gennaio 2017, Sud Africa ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
This morning dawned overcast but cleared quite soon, so we thought it was safe to drive out and see the world. Started with a 'short' drive to a nearby dam on the old main road (!) to Wepener, onlyLeggi altro





























































































































