WWS 20

Where We Sleep: Pretoria, Judith
Our last stop in South Africa is Judith’s mansion in Pretoria. A beautiful house, surrounded by a magnificent garden with swimming pool, and only a 15 minutes walk to Pretoria University, where Bram teaches – an ideal spot!

WWS 19

Where We Sleep: Potchefstroom, Louis
Whenever we’re remotely near to Potch, we have to detour and enjoy Louis’ fabulous hospitality!

WWS 18

Where We Sleep: Jamestown, Nick’s parents
Staying with tannie Elsa and oom Nico feels like being at home. It’s like a warm shower of realness after all the pretenders we met along the coast. Like last year tannie and oom spoil us with attention and delicious food.

WWS 17

Where We Sleep: Victoria Baai, Carmel
Not liking the first two campsites at all, we try the third (and last) spot on our list. Last because we were a bit taken aback by the ‘Your Christian place to relax’-add, but it proves to be a wondrous place. Erected in the fifties you step back in time when you enter the buildings. The campsite, gardens and see-view are indeed very peaceful, beautiful and relaxing.

WWS 16

Where We Sleep: Kaapstad, Newlands, Paul Jenkins’ apartment
Monday we get the keys to Paul’s apartment and enter our luxurious, spacey place to stay. Maud can hardly stop playing around with the Real Washing Machine!

WWS 15

Where We Sleep: Simonsstad, Edith & Murray
Arriving in Kaapstad on Sunday we discover there’s a slight fuckup with the keys to our place to stay. Lucky us, because we can spend the night at Edith & Murray’s in navy-town Simonsstad, next to the Indian Ocean. Good company, magnificent view, delicious seafood – what more can you want?

WWS 14

Where We Sleep: Beaufort-West, Privaatplaats Springbokkie
The next two nights before we enter Kaapstad we would camp in Great Karoo National Park. Upon arriving we hear it’s full because of a marathon. We drive back to Beaufort-West and find this heavenly private game-farm, where the antelopes graze around the tent at night. See white springbuck and you’ve seen a fairytale come alive!

WWS 13

Where We Sleep: Kimberly, Gastehuis Hadida
According to plan our first camping night would be in Vaalbos Nature Reserve. When we are nearby we realize we tried to camp there years ago, but couldn’t reach it because the bridge over the Vaal-river was flooded. Now we discover the reserve is closed because they’re going to mine there. The Municipal Camping we ended up at years ago was horrible, so we drive back to the mining-town Kimberly and take the first signposted guesthouse. Also not an experience to repeat, but it’s nice to have experienced it once.

Back Home

“We saw you driving into Morwa and thought let’s give them 10 minutes”, Bester says when he enters the yard just after we arrive back home. Those 10 minutes were enough to assemble a mountain of stuff in the living room, wondering how that pile ever fitted into the small bakkie. And how come we need so much for a little trip.
While Bester, Bashi and Manase tell us the latest Jeff phones to say we should move our ass over to his yard for a braai. First we have to offload the cement and furniture Bester brought, and enjoy his – forgot the name, but it is nice coffee-liqueur indeed. Meanwhile the neighbour-dogs hop over for a bit of cuddling and food. All in one it’s good to be back home, and even better this place got to be like home.
For those of you who want to track our traces, we’ll give a brief route description, filling in details later.
The day after Valentine’s Day we crossed the border at Ramatlabana, and drove to Kimberly via Mafeking and the Great Karoo. February 16 we reached Beaufort West, where we camped two days in a private game-farm – 800 ha of heaven.
As planned we reached Cape Town Sunday 18. After a night in Simonstown with Murray and Edith, we stayed in Newlands (CT) at Paul’s apartment, until Sunday 25. We had a fabulous time, attending Dutch Match (matchmaking event South African and Dutch design offices), the Design Indaba - and some parties.
After our week of (net)working we did a bit of the famous Garden Route: Somerset West, Mosselbaai, George. We camped two nights near to Victoriabaai, where we managed to find yet again a heavenly spot.
No matter how nice our camping spot was, how beautiful nature is along the coast, the Garden Route sucks. We were ever so happy to drive to Jamestown February 27, to visit Nick’s parents. The stunning beauty of the Eastern Cape, and, far more important, the feeling of coming home when we stay with tannie Elsa and oom Nico, and of being with people who don’t pretend – what more do you want?
March 1 we drove on to Louis. How lucky we are, feeling sorry to leave, but going somewhere where we’re happy to arrive. Potchefstroom was as usual busy, busy, busy: so many friends to spend time with, and meanwhile organizing ourselves for the last week of our trip.
Sunday 4 Bram moved to Pretoria, with a suitcase full of fresh business-clothes, to teach at Pretoria University. March 7 Maud followed by bus. Saturday, when Bram turned 51, we drove back home (thanks to all the nice b-day wishes by phone from Holland on the way it took no time at all). Yesterday we took the familiar Tlokweng Border again, but new this time . . yeah, the proud feeling of skipping the ‘other passports’ counter!