Craven : South Africa 2019 TR #4

[craven morehead]

It was quite cool by now and getting dark so we decided to take an early light supper as we had eaten at the hotel restaurant already this week. We found this funky little place BASIC BISTRO . By the time we get home it will be hot showers, TV and some quiet drinkies while relaxing.





As it was quite cool and fairly breezy by now so everyone was seated inside. Some cool stuff on the walls :



Some signs that resonate with me





Funny :




Captain Jack's Soup for me. Chicken, Bacon, Pineapple and Chilli simple but delicious and filling to boot.



Tandoori Chicken Skewers for Mum. She enjoyed these as well.




Basic by name but the food was basic on steroi_s. A twist on plain but delicious at the same time. Very enjoyable place to spend an hour I was a good boy and only had 2 glasses of Shiraz Some times you just fluke a good place and this was one of them.

 

[craven morehead]

Today we were off to Inverdoorn Game Reserve. Having been to Kruger previously we didn't expect too much. It was more about a day out and driving through some more stunning scenery. Now when you see 200kms in South Africa it can take anywhere from 1.5 hrs upwards. With the great roads in the Western Cape I was thinking I would shave some off this estimate but not this time Google Maps was spot on. The first hour was a breeze and then after that we went through some misty mountains and eventually finished with 20kms of dirt to finish. We were due up there at 10.00 so we left at 7.00 allowing 30 minutes to have breaky on the road. So we ended up having coffee and toasties at Ultra City Worcester.



Was about 7c when we arrived and had been as low as 3c coming through the mountains. The Kathmandu Goose down jacket was going to get a work out today.











Some chalets are available for longer stays



The Iziba Safari Lodge







As nice as the place is I think 2 days max would suffice.

 

[craven morehead]

Today's chariot :



Some abbreviated photos of the animals : This place realistically only has a handful of each on their reserve. Now I understand it would be an expensive exercise to maintain but they advertise themselves as a Big 5 Game Reserve which is totally misleading. I dug down later into their website and found this :
" The Klein (little) Karoo was once filled with members of the Big five and other natural life. However, they were virtually wiped out due to settlement and agricultural development. Inverdoorn played a significant ecological role in South Africa by re-introducing endemic species to the region. The lions and elephants seen on safari and the calves residing in the rhino orphanage are all Big 5 members that have been rescued by the team at Inverdoorn."







This was as close as we got to one of the two Lions on the property. They were both rescued from canned hunting places. They were separated from the rest of the wildlife and had to be fed weekly as they had most likely never developed any hunting skills I thought the guide was pretty poor not getting us any closer. There was actually an opportunity to reverse back and get a relatively clear shot of both Lions but this didn't happen. I'm glad we didn't pay overs for today's safari drive.



They had obviously tossed some feed out in this small area before we came out. Although they did say they had to supplement the animals feed.







Wildebeests


An Oryx or Gemsbok over the back




TBC :

 

[craven morehead]

Safari Drive cont :











This old fellow only had one tusk



Young male









There wasn't a whole lot more to show animal wise. We weren't quick enough to get a photo of 4 Kudu that we startled and they ran off into the scrub!

 

[craven morehead]

Now we only paid around R1830 each which included a lovely buffet lunch so we never felt ripped off money wise. We certainly hadn't had any ridiculous expectations but most likely expected to see more than a semi retired Lion hiding behind a tree. I guess they must advertise in a fashion to draw people here so that was that and Big 5 sells tickets. We never got to go across to the Cheetah conservation section which was disappointing as the guide said we had spent too much time chasing the Giraffes and we had to stick to the timetable for lunch. Luckily we had seen cheetahs on our previous trip. The setting was still very enjoyable and I could have easily spent a night there and soaked up the atmosphere along with some more good tucker and a few reds

Lunch was served :




The food was basic but was delicious











The pool area which was in no danger of being used today




Starting the trip back to Capetown

 

[Flying mermaid]

Thinking about the lions they might not have wanted to get too close in an open vehicle. If they came from canned hunting they might have started out in cub patting or lion walking and be accustomed to humans. In the proper game reserves the lions have been habituated to the vehicle/human combination since birth and I have had a lion so close to me I could pat it, but they don’t view the vehicles as food. Even then you are warned not to stand up and change the profile of the vehicle, or move too quickly if changing a lens on your camera. With rescue lions they might have been a little more cautious.

 

[craven morehead]

Driving out towards the gate :



Gate closing behind us :



By this stage I had started to think about fuel for the first time this week The Beamer had already done 960kms and the computer was still saying 100kms left in the tank so the nearest town for refueling was going to Ceres as Inverdoorn is 60 km outside of Ceres on the R356.



We were about 5kms out of Ceres when we witnessed one of the most awesome things we have seen. A troop of between 24 - 30 Baboons crossing the road at pace !! It happened so quickly I didn't have even half a chance to get the Canon out as they were crossing from one paddock over the road to the other side. So Samsung Galaxy photos it was. Not the best but you get the idea







Starting to get out of the phone/cameras range :




So the Bobbejanne were very unexpected but cool to witness

Now some photos of the entrance to the Tunnel : The Huguenot Tunnel is a toll tunnel near Cape Town, South Africa. It extends the N1 national road through the Du Toitskloof mountains that separate Paarl from Worcester, providing a route that is safer, faster and shorter than the old Du Toitskloof Pass travelling over the mountain.




Once we passed through the 3.9km Huguenot Tunnel it was a smooth run back down to Capetown with more stunning countryside everywhere you looked another great day was had!

 

[craven morehead]

Today would be our last day in beautiful Capetown so I had to face the inevitable trip to the markets with Mrs CM The Long Street markets were only a short stroll from our hotel. All in all it was okay and the prices were about half maybe even cheaper than the stores down by V&A Waterfront as you would expect.







Someone is happy definitely in her preferred environment !!









High finance going on here





After enduring the torturous wait ( actually I snuck off and had a few beers ) while Mum checked out every stall. I emerged with a new beer drinking BBQ shirt African style which should work a treat back at home in CQ.



Job done! Time to head back down to the Waterfront for a last walk around.

 

[maia200]

Great photos and memories. Thanks for sharing your journey. Looks absolutely wonderful.

 

[craven morehead]

Dropped into La Parada for a quick drink and snack : La Parada offers tapas born from Spanish heritage and specialises in sharing small plates that are curated for the South African palate. With an eclectic Spanish-infused interior, La Parada promises delicious adventurous dishes served in a stylish yet easy environment.













Looking outside while enjoying a Devil's Peak beer as the clouds begin to come in.





The Duck Croquettes were a little on the too deep fried side of things and while the slices of orange and the sauce worked really well the end result was only a 5/10




Nice enough place to spend an hour. Think we will head back over to the Food Market after a bit more of a a stroll around to soak up some more memories.

 

[craven morehead]

Great photos and memories. Thanks for sharing your journey. Looks absolutely wonderful.

Many thanks @maia200 I glad you have enjoyed the TR. The Trip Reports are a great resource where we can share and learn with our fellow AFFer's South Africa itself is a wonderful and beautiful country notwithstanding it's political & social issues.

 

[amaroo]

It’s nice to catch up on such an awesome TR. I can see it’s about time we start organising a trip Cape Town!

 

[Flying mermaid]

It’s nice to catch up on such an awesome TR. I can see it’s about time we start organising a trip Cape Town!

When you do, this is where you need to stay - It’s your sort of place and I think you would enjoy the wine cellar

Luxury Boutique Hotel & Villas in Cape Town | Ellerman House

Ellerman House in Cape Town comprises an award-winning luxury boutique hotel and two private villas, set above Bantry Bay with breathtaking ocean views.

www.ellerman.co.za

 

[maia200]

Many thanks @maia200 I glad you have enjoyed the TR. The Trip Reports are a great resource where we can share and learn with our fellow AFFer's South Africa itself is a wonderful and beautiful country notwithstanding it's political & social issues.

Yes I was in Cape Town in 2015. Johannesburg last year. Always lovely to see it through someone else's eyes and the photos are superb. Enjoying the thread.

 

[craven morehead]

Quick feed and lap around the Food Market before heading back to hotel for last night :



I didn't fancy getting my ring stung for R54



But then went and ordered this South Indian curry that was 8/10 hot but taste wise was $h!t. Oh well only R60 and I ate it anyway



We sat on the upper level and chilled for 30 minutes









All sorts of tucker on offer :







Well that's a wrap for the V&A Waterfront

 

[craven morehead]

After a fantastic week in the Western Cape it's time to head back to Natal : BA6305 CPT-DUR ✈

Just to show how things co-exist in South Africa a couple of on the go snaps as we head in on the main highway to Capetown Airport. The townships certainly have different levels of construction etc and these shots from both sides of the road would be at the lower end of the scale.







Safely back at the airport. Handed the BMW back to AVIS with full tank of gas and there were no issues at all. Checked credit card and correct hire was charged.
A porter with his trolley offered his services and we made good use of him. We chatted on politics and all sorts of topics as he wheeled our luggage all the way from car park into terminal and up the escalator to check in counter. He said he was always conscious when he had to ask punters which class they were flying. He was a very polite and engaging fellow and I tipped him R100 as we had exerted minimal effort getting to check in. Now into the lounge :








We grabbed a seat up on the second level: Looking down at entrance level. The only thing that appeared to be offered down there that wasn't available on second level was some hot food.


Barista coffee available on the third level. Toilets were also up there.


Looking back down at Mrs CM on second level. Plenty of room for everyone today



The lounges I have experienced so far on this trip have been excellent.

 

[Flying mermaid]

The slow lounges are quite spectacular for domestic business lounges aren’t they!

 

[craven morehead]

Last shots of and from the lounge as our flight is called :





BA6305





Boarding front and rear :




Seats 2A & 2C




Check ya later Capetown it was a blast


Had the same bland beef and tomato pasta served as I had had on the trip down thank God for the red wine

 

[craven morehead]

The slow lounges are quite spectacular for domestic business lounges aren’t they!

@Flying mermaid I could not agree more !!

 

[craven morehead]

Some interesting reading in the Sunday Times It certainly didn't feel like this when we were out and about. However when you read that the gangs recently shot 6 of the newly formed anti-gang squad to prove a point as to runs the place you can take it as Gospel.





Who ever you speak to, Black or White seems to have for the most part the same opinion that Ramphosa is hamstrung by the pro Zuma faction of the ANC





This cartoon certainly seems to be on the money :