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At the time we "blind-dated" Almuth was already booked on a cruise-ship from Cape Town back to Europe. It was now time to get her down to Cape Town, and Moira came along for the ride and to see her friend off...
Firstly - a
big round of thanks to our driver (me).... this was going to be a few days - and
a lot of miles - nearly 3,000!! Out of Joburg on the well traveled road towards
Durban, but a right turn at Pietermaritzburg, through Kokstad and into the
Transkei. We'd never been to a Bantu Homeland before and were unsure of the
rules... however, it was getting dark and we needed a hotel for the night - and
as we came into Umtata (capital of the Transkei), we saw a hotel sign and duly
went in. It was pleasant enough and we agreed it would be OK. However, when we
came to Register... the receptionist politely told us that we couldn't stay
there - since it was a blacks only hotel.... OUR hotel was further down the
street. Excellent!! The Africans being able in some small way - to "get back" at
the whites!! Needless to say - OUR hotel was less impressive than the first one
we'd tried - but that was our only choice!!
Early morning dew
on Red Hot Pokers in the Transkei
Up and on the road again next day through Butterworth, King William's Town, Grahamstown and on to the coast at Port Elizabeth. Beyond there - through the Tsitsikama Forest - which the good guide book informed us - large chunks of had smallish trees that were the result of a big forest fire some years before - taking out all the larger trees, and those we saw were newly growing after the fire. Apparently there are wild elephants in there too - or maybe - there were!! And then.....
Plettenberg bay - then to Knysna, George and
then a turn inland to...
the Cango Caves. Now - I though these were
brilliant! basically it was an escorted group that walked into the caves and as
you're going in - you'd get to a chamber where perhaps the guide would turn all
the lights out and explain different rock formations - illuminating them as he
talked. We'd then leave a well illuminated chamber and proceed further in. Parts
were only 3 feet high and you had to bend over to get through. And then you came
to "the end". The guide explained that we could go further if we wanted, but the
tour stopped here. I wanted to go on - as did about 3 other people... so the
guide explained.... up the 30 steps of that vertical ladder, into a very low
chamber - squatting only - crawl through to "the post box", you'll recognise it
because about 4 or 5 feet up a wall is a gap about 12 inches wide, that you have
to "post" yourself through - backwards (feet first), so that your feet come down
the other side and land on a rocky ledge, from there you have to push yourself
through "the squeeze" (the walls of the cave start at 12 inches width - and
gradually got tighter the further you went etc.. etc... and then to the last
cavern where you have to find an opening in the rock wall and push yourself
about 10 feet up a cylindrical hole that returns you to the start.
Well - there were 3 or 4 of us listening to this description - and then it was our turn to "go". Immediately 2 of them said they were going no further, leaving me and one other. We climbed the ladder and got into the squatting chamber - at which point he said he was going back!! Brilliant!! I'd been relying on others to remember all the directions we'd been given - never mind - onward and upward!! I have to say... it was very dark on occasions... I was alone - no-one else was doing this bit of the tour.... and I couldn't remember lots of what had been described. So... the 3 places I remember to this day were...
1. The Post-Box... because I wasn't sure that what I'd found - was the Post-Box. It looked about right... but climbing up, and pushing my feet and legs off out into total darkness, and when my waist got to the edge of the Post-Box, my legs were hanging down a rock wall, but not yet touching anything below.. I thought... "supposing this isn't IT?? Supposing there is a hundred feet drop from here??". Well, I'd gone too far to return, so I let go.... and happily my feet touched "ground" after a drop of maybe another 10 inches!! But it wasn't over yet....
2. The Squeeze... I was certain I was on the right track after the Post-Box and found the Squeeze fairly easily and getting started into it was easy enough - BUT... it inclined about 20-30 degrees and was so tight I had to go along with one foot in front of the other, sometimes being supported in mid-air by the squeeze, thereby preventing my feet provide any forward movement. It really was hard and sweaty, tough work.
3. Cylindrical Hole... I was in a large chamber maybe 40 feet high and perhaps 60 feet across - just about total darkness, rocks all over the floor, just a complete jumble. By this time I'd forgotten what I was looking for - but there was no obvious way out, except to go back the way I'd come, and the guide hadn't described that!! So I'm creeping around looking for an opening of any sort.... nothing!! And then.. over against a far wall there was a dim glow... over I go... and the glow is on the floor.. where is it coming from?? I get down on hands and knees and realise that the "cylinder" starts at about knee height and is perhaps wide enough for a slim person. The glow is coming from a bulb about 12 feet further up the cylinder. So I get my head and shoulders up into the cylinder, and then have to start working pushing the rest of me - up!! This is OK - until my feet are off the ground, and I'm prevented from slipping back down - by the tightness of the cylinder - BUT - this also prevents easy onward movement too!! lots of finger creeping, knee rubbing, elbow bashing later and I'm out.
Brilliant!!
Back on the road - to Mosselbaai, Riversdale and towards dusk we see a wonderful area of Proteas - growing wild...
and then
sundown..... (no they're not Triffids - they're Alloes)
We stayed the night in a hotel in Swellendam. Next day we got to Cape Town and stayed in the President Hotel. Things to do in and around Cape Town...??
Up the Cable Car to the top of Table
Mountain. Almuth's ship is down there somewhere...
Lion's Head
and then off to Cape point and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve
Cape Point - just along (150 Kms to the
West) from Cape Agulhas where Atlantic & Indian Oceans meet. There's a lovely
little bay to the right of here - sandy and pristine - but I've lost my piccies
of it!!
Looking
North, from Cape Point up the east coast, towards Simonstown and Muizenberg.
Quite arty
hey??
And the next day - off she went....