The Great TREK - #28

August the 6^th – Our 7^th leg

Today we took a drive up the west coast with our kids and 1 niece. The West coast road (the R27) starts in Cape Town and crosses the west coast all the way to Velddrif (Close to Saldanha) just after Langebaan in West Coast National Park. We did not do the whole road as we had to go to Hospital at 19h to visit my father-in-law in ICU (see my previous post), so we had to stop at Yzerfontein, go to Darling, then Malmesbury and return on the N7 (connects Cape Town to Windhoek in Namibia).

So this was actually a very relaxing day, stopping at Melkbosstrand, Grotto Bay, Jakkalsfontein Private Nature Reserve, Yzerfontein, went for a coffee at !Khwa ttu, theSan Education and Culture Centre, before returning through the N7 back to Bloubergstrand.

 Melkbosstrand

 Yzerfontein

 On the R315 to Darling

The Great TREK - #27

August the 4^th – Our 7^th leg

Today I decided to take my wife and one of her sisters to town center (Cape Town) just to relax and walk a bit. The hospital experience is never good. The weather was not helping, so we went home earlier than anticipated.

Street Flower seller

Cape Town City Gardens

A Local friendly face

The Great TREK - #26

August the 3^rd -  Our 7^th Leg

Today we had the biggest setback of our whole trip. We decided to take the whole family for lunch in Blouberg (the in-laws live close by) and my father-in-law decided to get very sick where we had to rush him to the nearby hospital, where the doctors informed us he developed septicemia. 

(As I am writing this blog entry on the 9th October, he is still recovering in hospital).

I am going to Mars

There.

Got my boarding pass for Orion's flight to MARS

           

The Great TREK - #25

August the 1^st -  Our 7^th Leg

Because there is still a 955km trip to Table View (Cape Town), we left Kimberley at 04h30, As I wanted to show my wife and Daughter the beautiful historical village of Matjiesfontein which is 720km away (long drive). DEcided to have an early lunch at Steers in Beaufort West (11h00) before arriving in matjiesfontein at 13h00. Again this villages just astonishes me for its beauty, cleanliness and friendly  people.

After visiting the village, we still 235km before finally arriving in Cape Town at 17h30.

Sunrise just outside of Victoria West from the N12

Matjiesfontein

Matjiesfontein Museum

 

Timeless cameras

Matjiesfontein Railway Station

Farm Stall close to Worcester

The Great TREK - #24

July the 31^st -  Beginning of our 7^th Leg

First setback of my TREK. My wife's flight was delayed in Lisbon due to the French air traffic controller's strike, so her luggage did not make the connecting flight in Frankfurt. Therefore our plan to visit Kimberley for 1 day was not possible as we arrived very late indeed.

Just had time to have a quick dinner at the beautiful Protea Hotel Kimberley and go to sleep.

We wanted to go visit the Big Hole, that 150 years ago was a flat topped hill, until word spread that diamonds had been discovered, thousands of prospectors, armed with nothing but a shovel a pick, descended on Kimberley to create the largest hand-dug excavation in the world. This massive "crater" is 214 meters deep, with a surface area of 17 hectares and a perimeter of 1,6 km, surrounded by the original buildings of the mine.

Protea Hotel Kimberley