Left Kei at about 9am to go to East London airport, dropped off the car, flight on time and arrived Jo’burg airport at 1.30. Couldn’t check in until 4pm. Put our luggage in storage and went across the road (20 meters) to the Intercontinental Hotel and had lunch on the terrace.
Checked-in and went to the lounge to update blog.
Took a little drive around Kei, had a cuppa at Yellowwood , a very interesting campsite and coffee house. Walked the beach at Morgan’s Bay and had lunch on the Deck, part of the hotel. Last day with Jeff and Cheryl. Great stay.
Took a trip via the ferry across the river and took the gravel road cross country through the spread out villages of the Transkei. Had lunch at Trennery’s a small hotel on the coast, very pleasant. Went for a drink at the Bush Pig pub before dinner.
Chilled most of the morning, Irene and Cheryl shopped a little and I helped Jeff with a little gate problem. Jeff suggested we take the two canoes down to the river, the tide was coming in so we started at the mouth and canoed upstream towards the ferry. It was a lot more windy than expected and Irene struggled to get to the other side as the wind kept blowing her to the shore. Made it eventually. Brai in the evening with four other local friends of Jeff & Cheryl.
Left Hout Bay at 8am to Cape Town airport for our flight to East London and on to Kei Mouth up the Wild Coast to visit Jeff & Cheryl. Another smallish 40 seater jet and this time we were charged for 3 kilos excess baggage. Bit of a cheek as there was only 16 or so passengers on board.
Picked up the hire car and went to Woolies to do a little shopping for Cheryl and arrived at Kei about 2pm. Chilled the rest of the day
Went into CT via our favourite shop Weylandts and drooled over some of the furniture etc. Bought a couple of packable nick knacks.
Spent a few hours at the new Silo Musuem on six floors of the old grain silos converted to a fab hotel and contemporary gallery.
Went to a local Italien Resto in the evening that served a great gluten free pizza, Irene really chuffed, the first pizza she has had for ages
Woke to a beautiful view over Hout Bay. Today we met Dave and Renate. They came here for coffee then we took a trip to the weekend market at the end of the bay. We remembered more stalls last visit two years ago, today there were more food stalls. People seem to go for breakfast or lunch. Quite eclectic. We wondered for about an hour then took the car nearer our lunch venue. We first took a look at stalls along the Quay side. We were early for our table, but it didn’t matter they were ready for us. Brendon our waiter from a previous visit had prepared all the staff for us, we felt like celebs! Great lunch of fish, Rock shandies and a bottle of red. We got back to the apartment about 3.30/4pm and have soaked up the sun on our balcony and read books for the rest of the afternoon. A very pleasant day.
Bit cool and cloudy first thing. Went to Kalkbay and had coffee, browsed the shops and Irene bought some tops and shoes. On to Camps Bay and had a bite to eat. Weather warmed up and the sun decided to appear. Out in the evening to Colin and Janes for dinner just 5 min drive away.
We left Monte Bello in Windhoek at 7.15am for the airport. Our flight to Cape Town was at 9.20am. The airports about 40km out of town, looking for a flat place for an airport!
We arrived in CT at 11.20 am, good flight in a small 44 seater jet, bit bumpy landing! Long, long queues for passport control, but it meant we chatted to a man who had been president of Namibian rugby until recently. By his size, obviously a rugby player! Picked up our hire car and hot footed it to Hout Bay. Our studio apartment is great. Spacious, great views over the sea, huge balcony with plunge pool. A little too cold for us, but great in warmer weather! CT is about 20/22, a bit cool after being in 38/40 for the past four weeks!
We shopped in the local mall, by the beach for a bit of breakfast food, and wandered around the port. After looking at the menu we decided to book the Warfside Grill for supper. We’re just back from there. We had a bottle of La Motte, a favourite of the Butt/Harris/Kelly days here, with a huge seafood platter of prawns, calamari, mussels and line fish on a bed of savoury rice and smothered in lemon butter with peri peri on the side. Delicious and totally stuffed! Cost about £25 for two! for the fish, £12 for the La Motte.
Now back at the apartment to get some sleep!
We were woken just before dawn by the deafening roar of a lion not far from the camp. Nobody actual saw them but the noise was chilling. It meant we we up early for our last five hour drive to Windhoek to drop off the car. We did catch a glimpse of two lion before we exited the park gate. The last sunset and dawn in the bush sadly.
This thrilling four weeks and over 6000 kms of the trip is now over, the stunning scenery, wilderness, wild animals and intense heat is how we planned it and we were not disappointed.
The car safely deposited back to Bushlore we arrived at our very nice MonteBello Guesthouse at 3 pm.
Out to dinner tonight and meeting up once more with Ivana and Reiner who kept on bumping into on our trek around Namibia from way south to the far north. Such coincidence
Cape Town tomorrow and proper beds
Left Onguma for our last nights stop in the bushcamper at Okaukuejo Rest Camp about 140 kms drive. Took it slowly and stopped at various waterholes and took a few detours some of which were successful and others not. One detour took us right up against the Pan, quite a site. Spotted lion, rhino and hyena. Arrived at camp about 6 ish and sorted all our luggage back into our cases. Spicy bean pot for dinner
Our camp for two days is just outside the park so had to re – enter today. Drove around Fishers Pan, no water in any of the pans. No cats at all today but lots of other game and birds. Back to camp about 2.30 and chilled around the pool. WiFi at the camp reception good. Ate in the little restaurant, pasta for me and game steak for Irene. Very nicely cooked.
After 5 or 6 days in the wilds without internet and spasmodic network signal we can now catch up with the blog.
Only had one slightly concerned friend wondering if we were ok as he hadn’t heard any news and lack of blog report. Nice to be missed!
Photo gallery of the past few days
Ongongo Springs we accessed via a 6 km off road trail and this is where I (Paul ) went skinnny dipping ( sorry no photos)
On the road from Olifantsrus to Onguma Camp, western side much more game, the non touristy end
A gallery of the last few days. We have been in the Wild’s with no WiFi or network coverage so a résumé of the what we have seen. One more day in the park then off to Windhoek to drop off the camper. Shame
Left Olifantsrus Camp at 6.15 for the long drive to the Far Eastern side of Etosha for our two night stay at Onguma Rest Camp which is actually within a private reserve that ajoins the main park.
Stopped at most of the waterholes on the way and were rewarded at the first with a couple of lions on the prowl.
At onother on the western end it was teaming with all sorts,giraffe, kudu, zebra, wilderbeest, springbok, ostrich and lots of birds. No cats or elephants .
The rest of the way in the hot part of the day we didn’t see much at all
Stopped at Okaukuejo and Halali camps for drinks, lunch and wee wee
At the last waterhole before our camp we were watching some birds giraffe and a warthog when over the brow of the hill came about ten or so elephants for drinks at the hole, again running the last few meters as per the other evening . Great sight sitting and watchimg the antics, swishing water all owner themselves etc
Arrived at camp about 4pm, great site with our own ablutions, wash up area etc. Sat for a couple of ours by ourselves around the pool, one advantage in coming in the “hot” season is that it is very quiet, great!,
Chicken in red wine around the camp fire, not many of these left sadly
Left Khowarib about 8am, after paying our bill. En route to Etosha, Olifantsrus Camp. We stopped on the way for diesel, they had it at Palmwag. Then shopping at Kamanjab, basic, but it worked. Even managed the post Kalahari Magnum! Arrived at the park about 2.30pm, bought our park permit from the usual dour staff at the gate! Our camp was about 60km from the gate. We stopped at several waterholes and were rewarded with giraffe(loads), springbok, kudu, ostriches, bateleur, zebra (loads), Secretary bird, great bustard, the back end of a rhino, and lots of elephants. At the camp we settled in chatted to neighbouring campers, had a beer, then went to the hide. Lots of zebra there, plus two jackal, guinea fowl, springbok. We left to eat and everyone came back telling us we missed a rhino! Really, why didn’t he wait? We’ve met again a couple from Vienna who we’ve crossed paths with three other times en route. So much so she invited us to go to visit them in Vienna. A charming couple. We must share email addresses. Lots of bugs here tonight, attracted by the light, moths and other things. I feel very twitchy! We went back to the waterhole after we’d eaten, very sad we’d missed the rhino, but we were rewarded with the rhino who came back, two single elephants and a spotted hyena. Great viewing.