Westcoast

The escape from the harvest and farming for a day at the Westcoast was a very good idea and turned out to be an enjoyable experience. Some very impressive launching of a kite and long walks on the beach (that is driving my Segway for me) we eventually ended up at Muisbosskerm enjoying a very oppulent meal at the famous open air restaurant. I must say the quality is still very good, the theme authentic and the variety of food enourmous. Not just a choice of fish from the braai, but several selections of meat and potjies , oven fresh bread and desert were on offer it was the sheer amount of food piled up deliciously that impresses me each time. Allthough me spent 6 hours driving to and from Lambertsbaai it was well worth it. The sunset was spectacular and we spend a moment thinking of all the cold weather in Germany while having a smile on our faces ;o)
Fuer meine Freunde Bernd und Gabi und Max und Connie in Deutschland ist der Video clip gedacht:

Finally a holiday

Back at last. I needed the bush as a matter of urgency, so since my last blog I just took off to Botswana. If you want to see some pictures click here http://picasaweb.google.com/OudeWellington/WellingtonToBotswana2009?feat=directlink
We had a bit of bad luck 100Km south of Ganzi. travelling at a modest 80Km/h suddenly a big bang and the top water pipe to the radiator exploded. A friendly crowed of Namibians stoped to help, but the top gasket had already blown so all we could do was to haul the car to Grobabis in Namibia and have it repaired as apparently there is no qualified garage is in Ganzi. We wited until almost midnight and spend the night in the car at the border. The repair was professional and within three days we could continue to the central Kalahari. Hot as hell it was, but I enjoyed it very much. It is my favourite space in Africa. After all my previous' years trouble and the trauma of a forced divorce I really felt like the space and infinity of the great out doors. At grasslands a recommendation by my good friend Mike Copeland we encounterd not one but two deadly snakes in the out-door shower at their campsite. As Lizel wanted to adjust the shower head she looked eye to eye at a bright yellow Cape cobra. Three bushman workers busy on their way to feed the lions in the sanctuary volunteered to help. They swiftly found a poffadder and regarded the case closed and could not quite understand us going on about a cobra. The snake sprayed her load straight at me when we tried to chase her away. I washed my face for minutes and was a bit worried for my eyesight. Only after I found the cobra hidden inside the shower structure the bushman believed us and sorted the second snake out as well. With high respect and cautiously I might add. I would have liked to just chase them away but they told us that they would always return and it be too dangerous for future guests taking an innocent shower.
Muremi, Sawuti and Chobe were as wonderful as always and after about three and a half weeks we slowely meandered back to Jo'burg, visited my daughter and then through to the coast to spend more time with our good friends in Port Alfred and Hermanus but not before we stayed at tsitsikama and watched the wales.
Back on the farm the vines had grown and we heard about the devastating storm they had a few days ago and that had smashed one of our new barn doors and a few windows. So after opening copious amounts of letters and emails and have told the stories of the journey we are back to the farm life with labeling and the usual farm work.