No Sores Safari @ Augrabies

After a fabulous (but way to short) stay with Jill, we are on our way to South Africa. Driving through the south-western Kalahari in December is hot hot hot – little did we know we would soon feel cold cold cold. We reach the R of SA via the excellent new Middelpits / Bokspits road that luckily is still lined with Camelthorn trees (pods are underneath the bros).

The small border post is so small that there isn’t even a ‘leaving Botswana’ office; we have to drive back to Bokspits to get our passports stamped. While crossing the border thunder, lightning and rain starts – as well that’s considered a lucky sign around here.

We spend a cold & stormy night at a beautiful lodge with a marvellous pool and a horrible campsite before we reach Augrabies National Park with its falls.

“As the Oranje River approaches Augrabies Falls it divides itself into numerous channels before cascading down the 56 meter high waterfall. The river then continues its path through an 18 kilometres gorge.”

On top of the falls the whole park is a truly great place – have been there before, will go there again!

Loads of rocks, loads of klipdassies.

During our short game drive through the park we do spot some game, but we fail to show Henk-i the biggest antelope of all: eland.

One of the good things of Augrabies is that you can hike – most parks only offer (self) drives. So we took all the precautions (wear sunscreen, a hat, good shoes, and carry a lot of water) and went for it. Another good thing is that not many people are into walking if they don’t have to. So we could fully enjoy the fact that there was a lot of water, and dive in one of the little wild streams. 

On the road again – driving south towards Namakwaland and the West Coast.

On our way!

Finally on our way – the big 2011 pre-X-mess trip. Our first stop is close by: Thamaga. To go to the pottery and see if we can score some presents for the friends we’ll visit in South Africa. As always we find some nice things – and leave with two boxes of not-the-most-handy luggage cause there were some plates & stuff we just had to get for Henk’s new household...

Another ‘must stop’ are the gorgeous rocks we discovered last year when we went to the Desert Race.

   

Our first sleepover stop is Berrybush & Jill – an absolutely fabulous place to hang out and relax. Judging by Bram’s smile this ‘The Bros’ picture is taken after a beer or two. 

Somewhere in between still sleeping and waking up... There’s nothing more relaxing then coffee & delicious breakfasts appearing like magic. Or it must be puppies being all over you all the time. Maud definitely needs a small dog, it so suits her. It’s such a pity Bram isn’t convinced at all it will work better then a new piece of clothing...

It’s so great to see Jill. Just sucks that Tshabong is so far; it has been a year now, way too long!

Jill’s camel Caleb passing by for his water & apples.

Henk-i arrived!

 Hot & tired!

 He took cabin luggage only - and managed to pack mainly stroopwafels, drop, koffie, banketstaaf YEAH!

 Greeting committee from one of the neighbors' yards

no comment:-)

A bit about everything

Finally some pictures:-) Here’s our neighbour & friend Anele, all dressed up and ready to go to church. He’s not going to school yet, so every time we stick our nose out of the door we hear him shouting “Bram! I’m fine!”, and then we have a little conversation. About a week ago he added “Maud” to his vocabulary; I used to be “Bram” also.

 Our neighbours from the other side (right to left): Bram’s ‘mother’, my mother-in-law Mme Binkie, her youngest granddaughter Maduo, and her daughter Mma Sweiu or Mma go Moagi.

 Combining doing chores in town with visiting friends; at Inez & Peter’s.

 Rhythm in their garden.

 We planned a short ‘on our way home’ coffee or tea visit – but ended up staying all evening and having a great wraps-dinner...

 Yet another ‘we are in town, lets visit’ event – in Miena & Bernard’s yard.

Their garden is kindo lush & tropical:-)

 Yeah, we have been poaching again; transplanted ferns from Miena & Bernard to our yard. It’s so dry & hot, and the spring rains are so late, that we simply cannot water enough to get those to settle nicely...

 Results of poaching in  Pietje’s garden in Maun.

 The orange trumpet creepers bloomed fabulously in august – actually most plants bloom in winter or early, early spring.

 Last year’s yucca cutting gets bad leave burn from the scorching hot winds.

 Last Saturday we were up & about at 5 am to attend the Unveiling of the Tombstone for Dineo’s brother Stephen, who passed away last year, and for his son, who passed away earlier. The ceremony is a bit like a funeral.

 At the end of the ceremony, everyone walks around the grave and puts a little stone on the tomb.

 One of our village elders.

 My aloe marlotii settled beautifully - got part of those from Peter Dow. The rest I dug out myself somewhere in the bush.

 My Echinacea.

Vakantieplan! 4200 k's, plus additional driving around - around 5000 in total. Glad our 1990 Hilux just has been serviced thoroughly by Pietje!

New Camera Rules!

Bram's new camera arrived (thanks Rory!) - he's happy like a kid on Sinterklaasavond. And very busy; every new feature has to be thoroughly tested. It even has a special 'picture your pets' setting:-)

Moving objects at rest.
This is just a preview; we'll do a huge post coming Monday (if the Internet works...)

Netherlands

We are in the Netherlands for two months (June & July).
Amazing: I'm updating our blog in the train - there's an experiment with (for now free) internet-access in trains going on...
Dutch people: please sms or mail us your phone number(s); we both lost most numbers by losing (Maud) or drowning (Bram) our cell phones:-(

House, Garden, Dwgs

 

Some fairly recent pictures of new projects in & around our house, our gardening attempts, and of course our canine darling beauties. Here’s the most beautiful (and grumpiest) of all: Tsarina Lisa.

 

We finally started finishing the roof terrace on top of our bedroom. The roofing over the terrace is supposed to cool down the bedroom, and provide a dry & cool place to sleep during the hottest summer nights. and to add a cool party place with a magnificent view to our premises.

 

This project will also add a cool party place with a magnificent view to our premises.

 

View from the deck around the hot tub.

 

Finally a bookcase; having all our books in crates was really not handy!

 

In the middles of this purple stuff there is a baby lemon tree.

 

Meanwhile Bram’s rock pigeons chased the sparrows from their nesting place. After adding some wire the nest could hold mom & dad fatso and their chicks.

 

Our girls.

 

New dog hobby: sit underneath the nest, stare at it with open mouths, and just keep hoping these delicious snacks will tumble down from heaven.

 

Our attempts at creating a green wall around the plot are already working out at some spots. The flamboyant tree we raised from seeds last year.

 

In between neighbour mme Binkie and us we try to keep the soil free from weeds as required by the village rules, and make a goat- and cow-resistant cactus & aloe‘garden’ to prevent soil erosion and to have something nice to look at.

 

One of the succulent borders; this ‘originally from Madagascar’ plant is producing babies like there is no tomorrow.

 

Baby baobab in between the famous purple stuff that we use all over the garden to prevent soil erosion and have something flowery to look at.

Aussies Moira & Nadia enjoying a well earned rest after another night of guarding the premises. Or was it one of their many ‘chase the effin’ monkeys’ efforts during the day?

Easter Bunnies

 

Over Easter Judith drove up from Pretoria with her sons Sam & Oliver. They broad a huge basket full of Easter goodies, so Easter Bunny Bram had quite a job hiding everything in our yard.

 

Sam & Ollie test their climbing abilities on our biggest marula tree.

 

It’s autumn: nice cool nights and warm but not blazing hot days. Our flora is really happy with these milder temperatures, and on top of that fabulous rains in April. Everything starts to flower!

 

Easter, the works. Hide the sweets, jail the dogs, invite some friends for the Easter Egg Hunt, provide a mountain of pancakes, and the party can begin. Bram only came back home from his month in Pretoria on Good Friday – he might have expected something else from ‘peace & quiet in the village’.

 

Easter colours.

 

The tour guides have a break.

 

Sam & Ollie test every Botswana rock they encounter – next time Sam will bring his rock climbing gear.

 

And then: April 30, Koninginnedag. Luckily the Cape Honeysuckle provides plenty orange decoration.

All set to go to the official Dutch Koninginnedagparty.