CHAPTER 32 - SOUTH AFRICA, PART I

- this file has NOT been spell checked
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Exchange rate 6.0 South African rand to US$1

Mo 11/15/99 - Cape Town, South Africa

(From 11/15 to 11/22 I lost my terse notes when the handheld needed to be reset again so details are vague. I copied from Robyn's diary.)

Logan was only with us for a few more hours. The group - Robyn, Logan, Rick, and Maryke walked through the garden and into Green Market Square. After a lunch on Long Street at the Blue Moon, we said our goodbyes to Logan and wished him the best.

For the remainder of Maryke's stay, the four of us pitched in for a rented car (white Corolla four door, 1.3 liter, 130 rand/day). With wheels we had a freedom none of had seen for at least three weeks. I hadn't driven a car in eight months, since Australia, and enjoyed zooming about the winding streets of Cape Town. We celebrated by eating Indian in Sea Point for dinner.

Tu 11/16/99 - Cape Town, South Africa

The gameplan with the car was to show Maryke the Cape Pennisula. I was the only to have previously seen the sights and I didn't mind pitching in for the car and seeing them again. Playing tourguide is always fun anyway.

To circumxxx the peninsula I chose driing down the west coast and back along the east. The first stop was the famous Cifton beaches, four bright sandy beaches named one, two, three, and four at the base of cute vacation cottages and enormous white condominiums. Here the xxx current makes the water nippy, but I swim is a must on the tour. Clifton is refered to as South Africa's xxx.

We drove south along a famous piece of coastline, Chapman's Peak Drive, a scenic piece of road cut into cliffside and tettering above classic breaking ocean. When we rounded a bend to see the long and white sand beach of Scarborough, we unanimously agreed to stop for lunch and a swim. The cold lunch we made was very palatable, but te water temperature was impossible. We yearned to ride the big breaking waves but with a few seconds in the cold blue sea we were screaming an running for warmth.

Although most Americans believe the Cape of Good Hope to be Africa's southern most point, it isn't, that distinqion belong to Cape Aguilus xxx. It isn't even the southern most point on the Cape Penninsula, Cape Point is. The Cape of Good Hope is a landmark though, especially for tourists. A sign stands at the end of a parking lot near the ocean and reads in English and Afrikans - latitude, longitude, and the duboius xxx credit of being the south-western most point in Africa

While the Cape of Good Hope is great for tourist photos, Cape Point on the other hand is a great promitory over the ocean. When the wind blows the aura of the high viewpoint is best. A falacy is often heard that one can see the meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

The next stop on Bob's Tour was Boulders Beach near Simonstown. Boulders has one of fthe most accesible penguin colonies to man. We all thoroughly enjoyed watching the little African Penguins, also called Jackass Penguins, darting about underwater and wattled on sand. The stand rigid in large groups on rocks, some look untidy from molting feathers. Along with the penguisn, Boulders' beauty is in the small beach itself strewn with large round stones.

We made arrangements to meet Roy (Which Way driver) at the famous meeting spot, the Brass Bell in Kauk Bay. The Brass Bell sits over the ocean on stilts, the pub side is warm with old wood and brass adornments. The atmosphere was cosy, we ordered inexpensive entrees, and waited for Roy who showed late with a freind, both happy and drunk.

We 11/17/99 - Hermanus, South Africa

The tour continued with a trip to South Africa's largest wine region nearby Cape Town called Stellenbosh. Stellenbosch's old univeristy center is attractive Cape Dutch, as are the many surrounding wine farms. We zeroed into the Hartenberg Winery for a cold lunch with too much wine then drove onto Hermanus.

Of the three backpackers in Hermanus, Zoeta Inval (028-31-21242) was the only with soace. We treated ourselves to very nice rooms at the same standard as Newport's expensive bed and breakfastes (R85pp). For dinner we made our first visit to the fantastic Ocean Basket, a seafood chain through the Cape.

Th 11/18/99 - Cape Town, South Africa

Hermanus is a favorite spot of mine in the Cape. On all previous visits I spent many days at the Shirley and Peter Prynn's (Kerry's parents) holiday home in the Veldrif community. Hermanus has great mountains and a cliffwalk for walking, and fabulous varied beaches. The tourist town is small and somewhat quaint.

Group vote opted for a walk on the prety an meandering cliff path before departing Hermanus. We were lucky to spot Southern right Whales just offshore for most sightings are made in October. At my favorite beach, Longbaii, Rick and I fought the mad surf for thrity minutes while the girls watched from shore. With the tide coming up, Longbaii is a blast with rough and big waves that bounce off rock causing two different angles of attack.

Rather than drive the quick route back to the N2, we drove along the coast, stopping at Stoney Point to view another penguin colony (not so accessible, fencing). The drive north of Betty's Bay is superb - long uninhabited mountain scenery with crashing blue ocean beneath.

After booking again into Zebra Crossing (small double in front, mosquitoes, R110 total), we ventured to the inexpensive and varied Sea Point again for dinnner and afterward treated ourselves to a few laps past the prostitues working the dark streets nearby. We all got a kick of the silliness ad jokes flew. We were surprised to see some very sezy ad attractive girls, one of which gave a titty show that I missed.

Fr 11/19/99 - Cape Town, South Africa

Today was Marykes last day. Robyn and I spent the day chasing errands while Rick drove Maryke to the airport mid-afternoon. In the evening we met Carolyn Kinross (Kerry's cousin) at the Sandbox in Camps Bay, then ate Italian nearby. My last visits to Cape Town were a blast when Carolyn and I were together. We were two of the twelve on the Otter Trail and walked in Silvermine together.

Sa 11/20/99 - Hermanus, South Africa

I had a couple of visits with Peter and Shirley Prynn (Kerry's parents) during the week and yesterday asked if a night in Hermanus was okay. On the way, Robyn, Rick, and I stopped at the Steenbras River for a "kloof", the first of many this vacation.

In Afrikans "kloof" translate as "gorge", to "go kloofing" is a term describing the sport of hiking through a river gorge, which consists of trail walking, boulder hopping, rock climbing, swimming, and jumping from heights into water. In Australia, New Zealand, and other countries, the term used is "canyoning". Abseiling is often included in the fun, especially in commercial packages. In the Cape Town vicinity two kloofs are popular, Suicide Kloof and Steenbras Kloof. Permits for both are hard to come by, Suicide is booked a month in advance and the office for Steenbras in Gordon's Bay is open only business hours. Most permits are bought by two adventure companies who then charge 250 to 400 rand for a day outing. Considering the complications and in particular that the access to Suicide is through a manned gate and that Steenbras is not staffed, the simple solution is to kloof Steenbras without a permit.

I had been to Steenbras two or three times during my last visits to Cape Town and this would be the first of many day trips. I knew the kloof was fairly easy to navigate, but on this trip I missed the landmark big square boulder that leads to the first small pool which is good warm up for higher jumps. Rick was cautious and lacked excitement, a previous experience nagged him and he sensed my unfamilarity . Once at the first big pool naviagation was obvious, we stayed in the gorge. Without hesitation I walked to a ten meter jump and flung myself to the water, crashing and splashing full of adreniline. Equally enjoyable are thejumps and the river canyon beauty. The trip was good, Robyn was hooked on the canyon scenery of handsome dark pools and pretty waterfalls, a wonderful way to enjoy a piece of South Africa. (See 12/11/99 for more detail on the kloof.)

The secondary road from Gordon's Bay to Betty's Bay is superb, great uninhabited mountain and ocean scenery.

We sat at Peter and Shirley's small vacation home in Hermanus (Voelklip) with tea and chatter. They were interested in talking with Rick, an intern doctor from Holland, and Robyn from Australia having traveled for years.

Rick and I thrilled ourselves with a swim at the rough Longbaii (Long Bay) where a upcoming high tide creates a washing machine effect in the narrow, long walled beach. Later, per my suggestion, we dined at Green's, an old favorite, but were disappointed with the portions. We laughed at the appetizer Rick and Robyn split - three pieces of bowtie pasta on a plate.

Su 11/21/99 - Cape Town, South Africa

In the morning we had a pleasant breakfast with Peter and Shirley. Afterward, Robyn, Rick, and I ventured into the mountains directly behind Voelklip to the three dams that were once the towns water source. On previous trips the group I accompanied would lay on a beach near the wall of the first and largest dam, sun basking and jumping from cliffs nearby. But this year the dam was near empty, it looked sad and unnatural. We walked to the second dam which was full and swam off the wall. From the center of the dam wall the scenery up and down the steep green gorge was very pretty. In contrast to the plunging drop off one side of the dam, the other invited a refreshing, cool, and relazxing swim in tanin water
xxxxyyyyy
oooppp

walk up to three dams
long bay
rick to observatory

Mo 11/22/99 - Cape Town, South Africa

walked into twon, bo kab --- not
tasks
waterfront

Tu 11/23/99 - Cape Town

rikki, lion's head in morning
met rick ad pepe at 1pm at zebra, they gave us a lift into town for groceries and otter trail errands, saw them again picking up car, gave them lift t observatory

Robyn and I rented car after much time spent resear hing the possibilities. A company in Stellenbosh called "Best Beatles" sounding unusual and interesting. They have a fleet of forty plus old Beatles for 1200 rand a month, unlimited miles. But I though better after hearing horrow stories of the Beatles, of course many were from the competition. We instead returned to Imperial on Strand St. where the manager made a nice deal and we sneakily upgraded with a large Cape Colored women when the manager was off duty (red four door Toyota Coralla, 32,000km, 99 rand per day inclusive of insurance and taxes, 150 kilometers per day, 1 rand per kilometer thereafter).

noon gun on top of bo kap (malay district)
xiu xiu

We 11/24/99 - On Road To The Otter Trail

Today, our last before the famous Otter Trail, was spent shopping and with other last minute chores. Of the six spots I had, Robyn, and Rick's friend Pepe took two, two were unspoken for. The sixth was taken by good buddy John Mckinney who was rejoining the trip with five weeks off. He would finish our prepaid airline tickets and travel from Cap Town on his own. Robyn and I bought food for four and with Pepe planned to retrieve John from a mad trip through Washington, D. C., Frankfurt, Johannisburg, and into Cape Town at 11:20pm.

Robyn and I made plans to meet Rick and Pepe at The Lodge in Observatory at 6pm. The foursome then drove to fetch the Dutch guy's friend from Bulawayo, Christine, and now a fivesome, we ate Italian in Sea Point. The most interesting aspect of the mellow night were the working ladies along Main Road, one of which twice bared her breasts for our pleasure although I missed both shows.

John's flight was due at 11:20 PM, Robyn, Pepe and I diligently awaited his arrival, half asleep in the ca outside international arrives. Pepe looked at the scheduled flights in the ghostly quet airport and declared that no flights would arrive tonight, that one from Frankfurt on Luftansa was due at 12:20 PM tomorrow. Damn! What happened? The flight at 12:20 PM matched John's fight number. The time was now after midnight and we raced back into Observatory for a 24 hour email cafe to confirm the situation. John had called Rachel from Frankfurt and confirmed the mess. We were to start hiking the Otter Trail in the morning and still had a six hour drive to Storm's River. I left a long winded email for John, the gest xxx was to rent a car one way and catch up the second morning.

This was a good blunder. There were issues - we had wasted a night, had to drive six hours and start the trail sour, rented the car for the three of us, didn't know if John would come along, and thus didn't know what food should be - or not be - carried for him.

We flew off to Storm's River.

Th 11/25/99 -Day 1, Ngubu Hut, Otter Trail, South Africa

We cruised through the night. I drove from sometime after 1am, at 4am I hit a huge rabbit.. I was fiening xxx sleep, my head was nodding, and shortly afterward Robyn took command Before leaving Australia she had lost her license so when we sped into a road block we worried. A policeman ran over, "You have no front license plate, you must have one for the speed detectors". No license plate?! How absurd! We played it up and all jumped out to look and say, "Yes, no plate." Then I realized it was left on the back of the bunny rabbts head. The cop excused us when a large tractor trailer came racing into the roadblock, he never asked for a license from Robyn.

We paused in Plettenburg Bay for breakfast and to check email from John, then moved onto Storm's River.

The Otter Trail is known in the Cape as South Africa's premeire hiking trail. It's 42 kilometers, five days, and four nights of constant coastal and forest beauty with moderate challenge. Each day only twleve people set off from Storm's River mouth westerly on the trail, staying in two wooden cabins at each night's scenic location.

Booking nearly a year in advance is essential. Sister Monica and I both applied just after Christmas last year. I was denied, Monica's was accepted and she did the leg work to close the booking.

After orientation and finding my trip in the sign-in log from four years ago, we were off at 1pm. The walk started very nicely along the wild coast and without much challenge. The path coursed along the strong sea and over orange lichen covering off-white colored rock. The views along the coast were breathtaking, inviting pools of clear seawater bordered the ocean waves and the open trail across the rock, and when the trail did meander through the forest bird calls were abundant. We then passed the first landmark, a large mouthed cave with bat dung and bones and shells from inhabitants long ago. Seventy-five minutes and we made the first important landmark - a large and beutiful waterfall and swimming spot.

The waterfall is at the day trippers trail end, access from here on is open to Otter Trail participants only. But the waterfall alone is well worth trip. It's a high xxx and steep cascading falls termintating in a large deep pool. The water is colored dark with th

Fr 11/26/99 -Day 2, Scott Hut, Otter Trail, South Africa

I woke first at 7am and while walkingorange gorge tickled the imagination to it's mysteries within.

I had suggested more than once that the oppurntunity to mountain bike from the Swartberg Pass (1600m) to Oudtshoorn (300m) would be a wild time, but my companions didn't bite. The trip is a minimu of three hours excluding stops like at the Cango Caves, Rust en Vrede swimming hole, an Ostrich Farm, and a leopard and crocidille farm.

Our recent Dutch friends had often poked fun at the Afrikans language, claiming redundant negatives in phrases and calling it the language of a five-year old. Perhaps I shouldn't have made a similar comparison of "Australia" to English, for Robyn then hopped into the drivers seat as John and I gazed at the gorge to the north and drove twenty meters down the pass. She then laughed at my shotgun footbreak as she drove down the gravel winding slope, but I never noticed my foot slamming the floor.

ostrich steak, ostrich kebab, and ostrich boerwurst (sausge) braii

Oudtshoorn

Fr 12/3/99 - Yzerfontein, South Africa

nice drive along the back-route R??, desolate and dry, farmhouses like oasises planted far from one another on land with little tilling. The towns were very pretty - Barrydale, xxx, xxx - each anchored by a large, stout, and attractive old Cape church. Homes, old and new, were nicely manicured gardens on new and old homes

We popped into Observatory to harras Rick into coming along for the weekend, to do email, and to wash Leatitia's car. Our car was even more of a mess - it was filthy, the speedometer stopped working just north of the N2 west of Knysa, a tire leaked air, the radio was useless, the highbeams shot up to the moon, and popping the bottom of the plasti rear fender after bumping (Robyn's been using the term 'smashed') into a rock earlier in the day didn't help the poor red beast either.

We met the Basson sister's in Goodwood near the N1. I hadn't seen Leatitia since early summer of 1998 and Seretta since the winter before. These twins are friends that worked with my boat partner Matt in Nantucket and New Jersey. They visited Newport the many times and the four of us had great times on many weekends in Nantucket. The twins have a sister that cou;d easily be confused as a triplet, Susari.

The Basson family have a very pretty and comfortable beach house opposite the cold Atlantic in Yzerfontaine, south of Langabaan, an hour from Cape Town. There we were to spend the weekend playing cards, reading, swimming in the nut chilling water, and simply chatting.

Sa 12/4/99 - Yzerfontein, South Africa

giggling at 8am, sisters swimming, John, joined, then Robyn and I.
Elanie (Laetitia and Susari's roommate) and Jock showed

Jock Story: On Jock's sixth skydiving jump, he mistakingly pulled the main chute tearaway instead of the student practice rip while spinning latererly and fell helplessly until a pressure sensor deploy his emergency chute. Because he was spinning he became tangled in the auxillary and after panic, managed to free himself.The next issue was the lack of steerage with the round secondary (the main is square and can be steered by guidewires), so as he descended with rather fast forward velocity he took tally of the many possibilites to hit - power lines, phone poles, buildings, fences, and planes leaving and arriving the airport. Jock was near peeing himself, especially as he entered prison grounds nearby the airfield by sailing over a barbed wire fence and then nipping a corner of a building. He had had no instruction for this emergency chute, and so landed incorrectly and broke the fibula xxx in his lower left leg. A temporary Cuban doctor at the local hospital insisted the leg wasn't broken and perscibed aspirin, but he insisted on an xray that proved otherwise. Besides this incident he has broken arms and legs seven times while skateboarding, playng rugby, and various other activities.

Braii of lamb chops and boerwurst, cards

Su 12.5/99 - Cape Town

Langabaan, socializing at a restraurant overlooking the lagoon, frisbee
the backpack, chinese takeout

Mo 12/6/99 - Cape Town

sea point
bond film

Tu 12/7/99 - Cederberg Wilderness Area

Today was a day of reckoning for Robyn. Her main ATM account had run dry and her days of playing were numbered. Her choices now were to find work in Cape Town or to fly somewhere else to be employed. I wrongly teased her into joining us to the Cederberg, a park to the north, and she flexed under the better soundng taunt, but relented and decided to persue employment.

Yesterday Robyn had bought makeup, a nice blouse and shoes, and today she looked great. We chauffered Robyn to Sea Point to hit the various optometrists there, then onto Cavendish Square in Claremont. From there we wished her luck and started our trip to Cederberg, first stopping at Pik 'n' Pay (182 rand) on Main Road for three days of food.

2.5 hour drive north on the N7 to Algeria, the main camping area in the Cederberg Wilderness Area.

At the office in Algeria a very uniformative Afrikans women suggested a couple of hikes, saying they were both good walks. John asked about a walk to a swimming hole and she offered Crystal Pools and again quickly said it was a good hike. She loaned a map to move us out the door and we were gone with plenty of questions yet asked.

(Other hikes of interest in the area: Maltese Cross, Wolfberg Arch, Wolfberg Cracks (up middle, down right), water atop Algeria)

The main camp area in Algeria has fifty campsites and two cabins, south four kilometers are five more ccabins. We had reserved ahead, an incredible cabin named "Prik" ("Prik party of two, Prik party of two...") for three nights at an unbelievable cost of 100 rand (US$17) per night (max. five people). The red bricked cottage had a long veranda looking into the nearby mountains, a good sized living and kitchen area (sink, frig, cutlery), two beadrooms, and a toilet with shower. The cabin was attractive and neat and plenty of room for two. Outside, perpetual sprinklers watered bits of grass and some plants. We walked in circles around the pad and remarked at our good fortune, we had wished others joined us.

I crashed soon afterward on the couch cushion on the floor and woke two hours later to the sounds of John cooked pre-marinated lamb on the stove. With spiced rice, the lamb was great. ealna and Australia, we ate lamb whenever possible. Afterward, we did a reconisince mission by following a signposted "pool" behind our bungalo. After nearly ten mnutes of bashing through prickly and sharp overgron bush we came across a small pool suitable for a naked dunk. The spot was also the source for water for the cabns. Below, on the road to our cabins drive, is a pool created by a short dam wall, but this seemed unsuitable considering it's location adjacent ot the road.

We 12/8/99 - Cederberg Wilderness Area

We stuffed ourselves with rolled oat cereal, bananas, cold long life milk, and bread alternated with peanut butter and jam. The estimate for our hike to Crystal Pools was three and a half hours. We started walking directly from our cabin.

From 8am and for the next hour we ascended along a gorge in the shade. I carried the daypack with a one and a half liter of water, lunch, and Nikon while John carried his waterbottle. We climbed quickly and after the nice hour in the shade spent the next two in the open sun with the air heating up. The western Cape is dry and hot, especially in the summer. Coming out of the shade we passed through "Die Gat" xxx and around the southern side of Grootrandskop (1524m) then were happy to see a plateau area called Grootland. The Cederberg is made of eroded sandstone mountains lending interesting rock formations. Along with funky rocks piled one atop another, there were many dead trees, gray from weather and twisted in vain to the sky. With recent rain, grasses were happily green and some yellow and purple flowers were out. In Grootland we had long vistas of this terrain, and once near the center there was a feeling of being within an ampitheater of rock sandstone mountians.

There weren't any signposts and we were armed with only the map. An obvious landmark of telephone poles running through this plateau only confused us - we didn't see them and so with uncertainty, we made our best guess. Another confusion were the many trails crossing this dry landscape, many more than on the map. A cabin named Sleepad was far up a mountainside to our south and this find did help with direction. We descended a short way, crossed over a pleasant clear stream and followed a contour along Froot-Hartseer before ascending it. We reached another flat area but by now we were beat from the heat and not happy about the distance.

We stopped, checked the map, and guessed we were near Crystal Pool and that Crystal Pool Hut was just atop a ridge. Still, we were uncertain where exactly, these (us) two bozos were. We slogged and sweated and griped up the ridge and once reaching the top after three hours of walking we were happy but disappointed because the expected hut was obviously not there. But the hut wasn't obvious though, it was buried within rock for shelter. Our first reaction of relief at seeing Crystal Pool Hut turned to curious humor - the hut looked like it was built at the turn of the previous century. It was gray with tin roof and foreboding. There was one small window and inside was a plain hard mud floor with strawgrass strewn about. I read the graffiti dates - all within the last eight ears and had a hard time imagining someone would willingly spend a night.

But, at least we found a good landmark and so turned back toward Crystal Pool. We descended from the shabby hut and found the river and searched for the pool. The river was nothing more than a stream in this dry season and we tried hard to make it more than it was. We found a pleasant shaded spot under rocks for lunch beside the stream, then clambered over rock in search of the illusive pool. After a fun twenty minutes climing and jumping the rock but without success, we made our way back to our start with the river and took turns sitting our bare butts in a bathtub sized pool of pollywogs and waterbugs. Because of the sun drenched heat even this disappointment was cherished.

The idea of the walk back to our cabin was repulsive. We were both exhausted after the fast paced three hour to the hut and stream. Even though we drank until our belly's were full, we were probaby still dehydrated and thus sore. From Crystal Pool to Grootland was a easy down and up. In Grootland, the ampitheater, we stopped amidst an area of flowers. I took two photos of John on the trail and then spun slowly to study the unusual landscape of sandstone rock hills and mountains before walking off again with eyes concentrating on the trail. With the afternoon sun there was no shade. The air temperature was high without wind. Our feet felt swollen, our legs ached to the bone, and our mouths quicly went dry after drinking. As we started the forty-five minute descent toward the cabin my toes started jamming and soon afterward my knees ached. With this soreness I questioned my health and age, but forced myself into believing heat was the culprit. The more we hurt, the quicker we seemingly walked to finish the torture About twenty minutes before Prik Hut we stopped in the only shaded alcove, loosened out boots and I splashed water o my head from one of the two small trickles runing passed. When I stood the stiffness had me walking like an actor from "Dawn of the Dead".

At the hut we raised our feet and munched on Ouma's muesli rusks with peanut butter and questioned our hike. Every movement hurt for the remainder of the night. Once satsiated xxx on snacks, we drove the four kilometers to the Algeria office and the camping area. There I called Egypt Air (still no payment on our Ticket Planet tickets from Cape Town to Zurich), and John called Laetita to plan the weekend. Tha camping area has a large dammed swimming hole and we wobbled into the cool and refreshing river water amidst frollicing kids and parents.

The evening was spent chewing on life's mysteries of women, marriage, and getting fat and old. I fried lemon and herb marinated lamb and heated cream corn. After dinner there was more chat about traveling and reminessing over our adventures during the first eight months, and after laying our beds on the veranda in the cool air for the night we commented on the constellations, satiellites, and shooting stars..

Th 12/9/99 - Cederberg Wilderness Area

Altough we appreciated yesterday's trek and laughed about our soreness, we weren't eager to repeat ourselves, and so opted for a leisurely day around a waterhole called Malgat

malgat - crazy ass
maalgat whirlpool

(tanslations xxx). We drove 26 kilometers south along the dirt track to the very small village of Cederberg, east for a kilometr toward Sandrif, over a river pad and right at a fork with a nondescript sign labeled "Malgat". We parked our red machine underneath a small stand of pines, and walked for twenty minutes through brush, over rocks, and came beside a river.

Further on we found the waterhole, a magnifiecent work of art by mother nature, a dream after yesterday's paddles. The ancient river cut a large gorge through sandstone ridden land and more recently the river cut and polished the stone to a more managable size. A three meter waterfall amidst red and orange rock spilled into the open waterhole.surrounded by many different height jumps. We confirmed the height of the highest jump by measuring seven body lengths - about twelve meters and the depth was beyond my reach. There were many shorter jumps also. Being the boys we are, this was the best amusement park. The sun cranked down most of the day and we found enough shade for lunch on a shelf just above water level. We spend six hours here and watched others come and go.

A couple, Ian from Cape Town and Lucia from London, entertained us for hours. Lucia was frightened to jump and spent her time standing at the edge of a three meter jump shaking her fists and looking for courage only to walk away. This went on for hours, sometimes with Ian holding a camera to his eye, eventually she did jump and was estatic.

Midafternoon, an older man and four young boys visitied. Two boys hadn't a problem in leaping from moderate heights, swimming and running around to laugh and repeat the process. The other two were very nervous. One of the first two and one from the second pair had a bet - if one jumped from twelve meters then the other must jump from eight, otherwise "five bucks" would benefit the single courageous one. John and I stood on the twelve meter cliff and prompted the boy into jumping. We promised him he wouldn't die, and he looked at us sideways and said "thanks", realizing we kiddingly meant he may be only hurt. The second daring boy joined us and said flatly he wouldn't do it. Twenty minutes later the uncle called from across the pool for the boys to leave and bang - they were both off. I had jumped between the two. When the second came down he pitched forward a bit and I worried about his slapped face, but he came up holding his stomach and moaning. Soon he was laughing and very interested in hearing a description of how he splashed down. His comment, "I was falling forever!". By this time the first made the cliff for his money and yelled, "He said he wouldn't pay me!". We were all laughing.

xxxbeterabovepara.

Fr 12/10/99 - Cape Town (Tamberskloof xxx)


Sa 12/11/99 - Cape Town (Goodwood)

John's main goals during his Cape stay were to hike the Otter Trail and to kloof.

oooooxxxxzzzzz

John, Robyn, Carolyn, Leatitia, Elanie, and Liz. Robyn met Liz at the Backpack, a chiropracter from California.

in at 1045, out at 530p

The mouth of the Steenbras River is just south of Strand (near Gordon' Bay) on the coastal route to Hermanus. Just north of the bridge crossing the river is a parking area to the right. The walk down to the river reveals that the concrete bridge is attractive, beneath is an ocean vista with waves crashing at the river mouth that slowly make there way upriver. We followed the obvious path, walked through a gate with a sign explaining the illicit activities such as dogs, hunting, sleeping and so worth, but also the worrying need for a permit.

The kloof can start at a narrow, long, shaded section of river, but we had hiked only fifteen minutes, it didn't look relatively exciting (maybe we are wrong) and I didn't remember where it led to.

In an open area with a telltale large boulder to the right led to more satisfying hole with broad pitched rock on one side, and shorter jumps opposite, but again I was unsure and walked through alone while the others stayed on path. I had wished they came along for this section was good bushwacking, rock clambering, and here I found myself soak straight through while trying to navigate small but deep pools. I suppose I worried most about the access to the hole, Elanie was slow and overly cautious walking down to the river on moderately steep rock. I thought time would be better spent at a larger hole and I also worried about the others enjoying themselves as much as possible.

The others were five minutes ahead of me. I found them at the first large pool or three, their togs strewn aside, laughing and splashing in the wonderful tanic water of the Steenbras. The pool was filled by a ten meter waterfall. The fall of water glistened grasses that miraclulously found route through the center and the breadh told of times when larger quantities of water came poured over. A leOne obvious jump hung high to the left of the falls

on way back mins Leatitia and Elanie

xxx more


Su 12/12/99 - Cape Town (Goodwood)

farm, le med

Mo 12/13/99 - Cape Town (Goodwood)

errands, egypt air, curio browsing in Green Market Square, imax, "Extreme"

Kinross dinner, 7pm, monkeys - ~marmisets, braii food at Richards at 1030 left after mdnight

Tu 12/14/99 - Cape Town (Goodwood)

A trip for John wouldn't be complete without a hike up Table Mountain, dominate physial feature of Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula. From any spot within many miles of the city this magnificant mountain cane be seen. It's huge, as if an 8,000 meter peak was lopped at 1,000 meters and left flat on top. There are nearly an infinite number of route options for walking on the mountain and each is different.

I had picked up a book on the best hikes on the pennisula and the Right Face - Arrow Face Transverse stuck out for it's hairiness. It is billed as one of the most difficult hikes on the mountain and we found warnings everywhere - in the book, on the countor map, and on the mountain. The real appeal were narrow cliff edges and lots of exposure, a near technical climb for the steep cliff faces that require clambering

John, Robyn, Alexandra, and I started the walk late. By 9:30 am the summer heat was already oppressive, I believe we all had misgivings about the climb, but with John leaving in two days, we were running out of time.

We paid for our tariness and sweat to a drench immediately. The climb for the first hour was laborous and hot. We occasionally hide in the rare shadows of rocks. There were a couple of fun clambers and then under the cable car a junction to the tranverse and around to Fontain Ledge and to the top. The highlights were on the transverse, two rock squeezes through the mountain and very exposed ledges - 100 meters down - overlooking Lion's Head, Signal Hill, and the city below. The cool rock and air of the shadowed ledges made the torture of the Cape Town summer worthwhile. Here we sat and ate biltong, rusks, and fruit cake from Wooly's.

While walking near African Ledge the noon cannon from Signal Hill reverberated through our side of Table Mountain, John early lost his foting from the unexpected blast.

We returned to the junction, crossed beneath the able car, and rounded the corner of the Western Table into Fountain Ledge. The mountainside was alive with yellow, pink, and purple flowers. Above, a few empty climbing ropes swung softly, the loation of a commercail adrenaline abseil company. The walk was simple and easy to near the top of Plattklip Gorge and then across to the cafeteria near the upper cable car station.

After drowning ourselves in drinks, we descended the mountain through the steep Plattklip Gorge, an endless staircase of long rock steps. John and I moved ahead of the girls, and because John was at my heels, we started running down at a pace to fast for our geriatic age but without incident. We waited near a trickle of a stream for the girls, striped to just short and played in the water to cool my feet and soak my hair, body, and shorts.

A group of six Cape Coloured stopped, three couples that John and I had passed, and we joked and talked with them while waiting. They reminded me of all the improperly prepared people on these trails, people in sneakers and without socks, a guy with long black pants, an old overweight man, and so on. These people were nuts, the steepness requires fitness, the heat proper protection and water, the weather precautionary forethought.

The girls strolled up, stilll in constant chatter, an stopped for a rest. We choe the countor path back to the our original trail under the cable car rather than continuig down to Tafelberg Road, a more pleasnat and quicker option.


swim at Alexandras


everyones - ate in car



, billed as one of the most difficult hikes on the mountain called Right Face - Arrow Face Transverse, with narrow cliff edges and lots of exposure, a near near technical climb for the steep cliff faces that require clambering

from lower cable car station, up Venster Buttress to Arrow Face Buttress, across Africa Ledge to Right Face Buttress.

xxxx

xxxxxxaaaaaa

We 12/15/99 - Cape Town (Goodwood)

John's last request
kloofing with John, Robyn, Gail, Ivonne. John and I concentrated on Gail the most adventurist of the three. Gail and Ivonne split earlier, walked out, the three came back through kloof
Blue Peter with Laetitia, Susari, Elanie, Table View

Th 12/16/99 - Cape Town (Camps Bay)

Reconcilation Day
John gone
Clifton 3rd, babes got John thinkinghard of working here, Le Med, mad dash for flight, boo hoo
moved into backpacker in Camp's Bay called Anamasz - describe, Allan
cooked at Anamasz, drove below to Camp's Bay, bought ice cream, ate on Chapman's Peak Drive

Fr 12/17/99 - Cape Town (Camps Bay)

errands, email (R7.50/15 min), looked for santa claus hat, hat, t-shirt
Cavendish Square, Robyn had interview for optologist position, got it
ate in Cavendish Square
"Runaway Bride", Richard Grier and xxx

Sa 12/18/99 - Cape Town (Camps Bay)

Sandy Bay, nude beach filling with fat old men and gay guys. entertaining, tried to sleep, Robyn kept ayig, "Bob! Look at that!" - chick with rear up in the air (prostrate check), two guys didn't look, gguy with rod
met up with Clair, sister Bloss, and husband Wojtek at Bloss and Wojtek's home in Scarborough. know Bloss ...., ate dinner there

Su 12/19/99 - Cape Town (Camps Bay)

kloofing Steenbras with Gail xxx and company (siz total, parttime roommate Nicci, xxx, two from Johanisburg (including Matthew)
Su 12/19/99 Nepal silver ring lost up Steeenbras Kloof
Su 12/19/99 Hat lost going down Steenbras Kloof
ate at Gail and Nicci's housesit

----xxx----foods
South Africa's greatest foods: boerwurst, biltong, rusks, wine, Spar muesli, Appletizer and Grapetiezer, and varied fruit juices.

Like cereals at home, one can't help but study the Ouma's Rusks box (muesli, of course). Ouma is shown on the front, sides, and back, an old Afrikans woman bearing apron and toothy smile happily removing fresh rusks straight from the oven. But the box side with a touching history is most humorous,

"It all began in 1933, the year when the Great Drought touched the very heart of our nation.

In the tiny town of Molteno, in the heart of the Karoo, the local pastor hoped to lift the spirits of the women in his congregation by giving them each a half-crown.

With tears in her eyes, Ouma Greyvensteyn was determined to put this gift of generosity to good use.

That very same day, Ouma baked her rusks to sheer perfection and sold them to visiting farmers' wives. Within days, orders for Ouma's delicious rusks were pouring in.

So, it was from one-half crown, a unique rusk recipe, and dynamic baking talents, that Ouma's reputation as South African's most famous baker was founded. Ouma, on behalf of all your fans we would like to thank you, you've made us all proud, proud of our heritage, proud to be South African.

Baked from Ouma"s original homestyle recipe, Muesli rusks are a delicious and crunchy snack. Ouma's Muelsi rusks are always an ideal treat for anyone, and can be served anytime of the day - morning, noon, or night."