Pissed off in PE

While here in Port Elizabeth I had plans to explore the old part of the city and the beach-front as well as visit the Addo Elephant National Park but that has been put on hold until my next visit. I must admit I could not have found a nicer B&B to have to spend some time in, thankfully I am not stuck in some basic hotel room. 

If you ever visit Port Elizabeth I can thoroughly recommend the Millbury Guest House, I will certainly use it when I come back next time.






Hopefully after nearly three days rest my knee won't object too much tomorrow on our scenic road trip up to Oudtshoorn pronounced Oats-horn. My host and hostess here Colleen and Dennis have given me all sorts of information and suggestions for my future travels so the next seven days are going to be very full.

My flight out of here next Wednesday is not until 9.30pm so after a full day's exploring I was thinking of booking a hotel room to have a shower, chill and change before booking in at the airport but I found that Bidvest have an airport lounge that I can use for up to three hours before my flight and they offer showers, towels etc as well as snacks and drinks for less than twenty quid so that is a bargain and I won't get on the plane smelling like Jock o' The Bushveldt.

Wifi and knees.

The wifi in my B&B ran out 4 days ago so I am playing catchup now I am in the Millbury luxury guest house in Port Elizabeth. This is an amazing place, the bed is big enough for four, my room is huge with a couch, table and chairs, kitchenette, real wood floors and bathroom with shower and double ended bath and that does not include the garden, pool and undercover BBQ area.

For the past few days I have been chilling and doing some casual exploring. I had to check out the Bloukrans Pass which all the signs said was closed but lo and behold some South African gentleman with initiative has removed the government berm and the road is open if a little dodgy in places.

Friday after a failed trip into the forest to visit the first goldmine in South Africa (someone phoned in sick) I went down to Robberg beach for a walk, it was only three or four miles but now my left knee is objecting but it did give me the opportunity to take a photo of the Robberg Peninsula which I had walked earlier in the week.

Saturday I revisited the Farmers market in Sedgefield which is heavily supported and I met a couple of people I had zipped with earlier in the week - I am now fully conversant with all the problems of South Africa having had the benefit of Julie's insight now on two occasions.
While in Sedgefield I had another look at the house I had liked last week and had a good old explore, one of the most interesting finds was Sedgefield Classic cars which was displaying cars from 1940s American and European up to 1980s Japanese Classics?? there were also a couple of Moggy Minors. Being back in the area again I could not resist visiting Hoekwil again for coffee and carrot cake.

Yesterday saw me back in the forest at the Bendigo gold mine outside Knysna but thed best thing was the speed trap put up by a local farmer who is obviously fed up with people speeding past his place.

I also snapped a photo of Knysna's equivalent of Dai Logs.

And being Sunday I stopped for a late lunch at Totties  a backwoods country store that sold everything as well as a buffet three course lunch including roast lamb dinner, with the shade temperature just above 30C I settled for two plates of salad.

I am now in Port Elizabeth for three nights, I did have plans to get out and about but I will have to see how the knee holds up - it is now about twice normal size.

They have an interesting set up in the chemists over here, drugs are only sold in pharmacies but I have been into the 'self prescribing' channel and told them what pills Dr Ramsey prescribed for me last year and they said Oh yes we have them and handed them over, no prescription required.

Even more adventures and another Big Tree.

Today's first adventure was the Tsitsikamma Canopy tour, 10 zip lines through the trees and believe it or not four people in our group of six were older than me.

The team

Our guide and safety man.

30 metres up.

No hands

A great morning, but with the screaming and chatting it drove all the animals away so we only saw a few chameleons and one baby boomslang snake which even though he was only small - less than 18 inches long - he terrified our guide, apparently even at that size they are extremely poisonous.

























































And after a quick lunch it was off for two hours through the forests on a Segway with a compulsory stop of course at the Tsitsikamma Big Tree.

I think I will take the day off tomorrow, just a little touring in the car and maybe a light grilling on the beach.

More adventures.

Yesterday I had to pop into the local Pick n Pay supermarket and just to make my day the cashier's name was Happiness Ngubo and she was happiness personified.
The adventures started with a booked ferry trip to the Featherbed Nature Reserve which encompasses the western headland of the famous Knysna Heads. From the ferry landing we were transported by a Unimog which towed trailers full of visitors up to the top of the headland then it was walk back down again through the bush to a buffet lunch then back on the ferry. The whole experience was informative but a little too organised for me though I did meet some very pleasant Swedish people - may have to go visiting over there sometime.

Unimog and trailers

The Knysna Heads from the nature resort

The Knysna heads from sea-level.

That trip was finished by 2pm so it would have been madness not to go on the Mitchell's brewery tour and tasting. The tour itself was interesting but the beer was less so, I found it a little lacking in taste.

Today was admin day, I only had a pair of swimming shorts and an England rugby top left that was clean so after dropping off a suitcase full of clothes at the laundromat I went for what was supposed to be a 9 km walk around the Robberg PeninsulaI. It may be 9 kms as the crow flies but that does not take into account the ups and downs - talk about burning calves but I am glad I did it. 

Robberg beach from the Robberg Peninsula National Park

Steak tonight and I am taking my hostesses advice and going to a restaurant only used by locals.

Twilight cottage.

I am staying in Twilight Cottage in Plettenberg Bay for 10 days and I have certainly fallen on my feet the place is immaculate, quiet and perfect for a base for exploring the area. Have a look on line, it is better than the photos on booking.com. On the way down here I had to make a detour back to Hoekwil to have coffee and carrot cake again, the best I have ever tasted.

The cafe at Hoekwil, well worth the detour

After going to the farmers market in Harkerville for staples, yesterday was recce day and I booked some trips, so after touring Knysna, having a long chat with the guy (with a Long John Silver peg leg and home made false teeth) in the wooden boat shop and a Sunday roast in the Bosun's Pub and Grill, I arrived at Southern Comfort Ranch for a two hour horse ride with my own personal guide. I booked it because they use the western saddle (not that weird pad that could only have been invented by masochists in Britain) It was a fantastic experience riding through the forest but now it is time for a hot bath to get rid of the John Wayne walk.

My camera shy horse Caprice.

My personal guide Joseph and she still won't look at the camera.

Back in the groove.

What would I do without Ibuprofen and Imodium? I am now back. Today's trip was canoe up the river, moor up then walk up to the waterfall, have a swim in the pool at the bottom of the second waterfall then reverse route a mini triathlon but it made me feel rejuvenated, that was the first exercise in a week.

First waterfall.

Second waterfall and plunge pool.

I was thinking of hiring a push-bike when I had finished but enough is enough, maybe another day.

House prices over here are shockingly cheap after the fall in the value of the Rand, I got to look at five properties in Sedgefield yesterday and I am having a look at two smallholdings tomorrow before heading off to Plettenberg Bay which will be home for the next ten days.

My present accommodation has been ideal, situated as it is in the centre of Wilderness but it does have the drawback of having an Italian restaurant with a a nice atmosphere on the ground floor so the waistline is definitely not declining in size.

Heading West.

My overnight stop on Thursday was in Swellendam but I arrived too late to visit the museum which is apparently the number one thing to do in this town, it had been raining all day and did not stop all the time I was there so Thursday night was a washout, literally.
I had been looking forward to getting to Wilderness where I arrived on Friday morning because I had plans to go canoeing, cycling etc etc but after the dodgy meal I had on Thursday night I have had to stay close to home and now that is clearing up my knees are complaining. I was  getting frustrated by all this but after a deep breath I am beginning to enjoy the relaxed side of travelling which in my case seems to be driving from cafe to cafe sampling the healing benefits of carrot cake. I did pay a brief visit to the farmers market in Sedgefield it was impressive, over a hundred stalls selling fruit and veg and all sorts of honey, herbal medicines ethnic food you name it, I will go again next week. I walked the first half of Wilderness beach on Saturday with my shirt off, wrong move, I was only walking for about an hour but now have more sunburn than I wanted.
Sunday's trips.......

The Woodville Big Tree, I have a feeling there may be more "Big Trees" around, watch this space

Map of Africa

Yesterday was a recce of Sedgefield and I made arrangements to view some properties tomorrow and today I went as far as Plettenberg Bay (my next stop) to recce that and Knysna as well, there are a lot of places to visit and things to do I just hope all the pills I am taking work.

Buffalo Bay, definitely on the visit list especially as you can walk there from Knysna of canoe down from the main Garden Route road.