Hi there, we're having a great time!

Last Blog we showed you the smileys, but didn't explain that they are sheep heads and they call them that because when they cook them they smile...probably because they are finally warm!!! They eat everything but the brain, ledgend is if you eat it you'll think like a sheep, Any way on with the blog....

Picked up the VW and headed out. Along the way we met a couple from Cape Town, Mark & Ruth...with a Kombi just like ours!! Over lunch they told us about a famous drive to "The Hell", so of course we had to do it! The scenery was amazing and the roads were more than that! We camped out for the first time and enjoyed the stars in the southern sky. It was great to get away from the big city and meet some down to earth people. We drove the route 62 road which is like route 66 the USA. We have been busy trying to stay warm as the weather is cool to say the least! I'm sure we'll be looking for cool once we are at the Equator! On our travels we have seen klipspringers (little deer like animals) and baboons along the roadside. They have signs to warn you of the baboons, they can be dangerous! Can't wait to see more wilderness!

Wendy

The food has been excellent! Bobotie, meat pies, dutch oven stews, home made bread at the B&Bs. We stayed in some fabulous old mansions who's past glory is still evident with photos of the old glamour and rich lifestyle of the previous inhabitants hanging on the walls. The kombi has been running good with the exception on a sudden brake issue that we had repaired by Jumpie pronounced Yumpee. He has a shop with lots of equipment but no apparent organization, he appeared to be a little tipsy from his own method of keeping warm, all the same he got us going again,

Most of the old mansions and resorts that we stayed in while away from Cape town do not have any source of heat in the rooms or the building for that matter, everyone was bundled up, brrrrr. And we were on a constant search for warmth, the snow birds that we are, we went to hot springs and were comfy in the pools but again the dining rooms had no heat, nor did the rooms...We finally gave up and moved back to Cape town to a hotel with heat in the rooms. Soon we head off to warmer places.

The Cape region is absolutely beautiful, rolling hills turning into mountains with fabulous mountain roads through passes in the mountains that open into fields of glorious colours and wild flowers everywhere. Ostritch farms, we've never seen so many ostriches. The dutch cape architecture is unique and consistent through the countryside, the people are warm and friendly, I really recommend a trip here, get a car and drive, you will love it, driving on the left side is no great challenge, the roads are excellent and well marked. A GPS is a must.

It appears that our lap top is dying so if updates do not happen often don't be alarmed.

Roger Pearce, our group organizer, has installed a tracking device in his car, to see where the group is and you can log on to;

www.anfs.co.za

user name, afroid

password, mg

Ron