This have been a tremendous year for us, in terms of Big Dreams which are slowly but surely coming to fruition. As you all well know, we set out to bring about an interactive network which might very well assist in bringing us one step closer to finding solutions for some serious problems .
We've had to learn the hard way what it takes to make something of this magnitude happen. It's amazing how, when you are in pursuit of your dreams, and you believe in them strongly, the whole universe conspires to make it happen. We have met so many wonderful people, some of whom were meant to teach a lesson, and some who have brought us closer to our goals, and especially those who have climbed aboard and are now part of this amazing adventure...
Next up, is us hiking around the Transkei - again. Thing is, some of our friends living along this coastline, have urged us to go for a visit, as there is apparantly some unrest concerning the grant to start mining for titanium. Well, we could just imagine that something like this would have an immense impact on this peace of land and it's unique inhabitants. So without further ado, we started putting together what we needed for our little adventure.
We had less than a week to put together something to go hiking along the Transkei coastline. This particular stretch of coastline, had once been our biggest challenge, and it's now a place we go to, to connect with your inner selves. A shocking discovery for me, was that MRC have been given permission to mine along the best parts of this untouched natural marvel. This might be the last time we get to experience this wild coastline, it's challenges, it's blessings, and the memories...
Many special thanks to companies like FLYBOOKS, for supplying us with your super small, travel size laptops, to help us update our blogs, and to GARMIN, for supplying us with a GPS system to plot our routes and stay found, to KARRIMOR, for our durable backpacks and rain gear, to HI-TEC, for all our foot gear, CAMPINGAZ for our amazing cooking gear, TOPEAK, for our bikamper tents, ROYAL CANIN, for keeping our dogs in top condition, and WATERGLEN GUEST LODGE, for always believing in us.
Thursday, 03 January 2008
Wednesday, 02 January 2008
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
FOR A MORE DETAILED VERSION OF OUR JOURNEY, PLEASE VISIT http://www.mariag4g.blogspot.com
Maria certainly has a more informative and factual take on our journey, so please visit her blog for the full story, passion and heroics that we've come face to face with along the way.
CADAC
Thank you to Justine and the team at Cadac for their ongoing support and sponsorship of our sleeping bags and other camping equipment
Thursday, 13 September 2007
Tuesday, 28 August 2007
OUR JOURNEY CONTINUED
HIBISCUS COAST LINE
Going from the north coast to the east coast was heavy going, but mainly because we were getting used to our environment, and of course our gear. The scenery was something out of this world and the beaches great. The towns were so much closer to each other, in fact, virtually on top of each other, the further east we progressed. Very cute little holiday towns where nothing much happened out of season. It was excruciatingly hot and humid, but it made me feel alive and energized.
The people were amazing, but virtually everyone we met, thought that we were mad. There were even those who were becoming cross with us for not heeding to the dangers. The closer we got to the Transkei coastline, or otherwise known as the Wild Coast, more and more people were telling us about how rough and dangerous that was, and we especially met those who have hiked it before, who didn’t think we’d make it past Mzamba. What everyone failed to mention, was that there were no roads, whatsoever, or atm, or anything that someone who travels light, might be into. Anyway, scared out of our wits, we embarked on this piece of untouched heaven like aliens, popping up like mushrooms, wherever we went, which left locals mesmerized.
Going from the north coast to the east coast was heavy going, but mainly because we were getting used to our environment, and of course our gear. The scenery was something out of this world and the beaches great. The towns were so much closer to each other, in fact, virtually on top of each other, the further east we progressed. Very cute little holiday towns where nothing much happened out of season. It was excruciatingly hot and humid, but it made me feel alive and energized.
The people were amazing, but virtually everyone we met, thought that we were mad. There were even those who were becoming cross with us for not heeding to the dangers. The closer we got to the Transkei coastline, or otherwise known as the Wild Coast, more and more people were telling us about how rough and dangerous that was, and we especially met those who have hiked it before, who didn’t think we’d make it past Mzamba. What everyone failed to mention, was that there were no roads, whatsoever, or atm, or anything that someone who travels light, might be into. Anyway, scared out of our wits, we embarked on this piece of untouched heaven like aliens, popping up like mushrooms, wherever we went, which left locals mesmerized.
DECEMBER 2004
THE WILD COAST
Craziest thing was the fact that we had to literally drag our bicycles through sandy beaches, carry them over mountains, and swim with them through river mouths. Keep in mind that our bikes weighed anything between 70 & 80kgs, depending on the amount of water we carried at any given time. Dante and Katryn were still puppies, so they couldn’t always keep up, and wanted to remain in their baskets, which made things a little more difficult. Every day here, was a challenge, both mentally and physically. We would wake up with the breaking of a new day, push forward, and it would be dark before we stopped. The most debilitating thing to do, was check the distance traveled on the meter at the end of the day, because it was rarely anything more than 7kms. There was no cell phone signal. We ran out of cash, and had to trade cell phones, or anything worth something, in order to eat, and we ran out of water once, for 2 days. It wasn’t so much that there wasn’t any water around, but we just didn’t know where to find it, plus we were so intend on moving forward, that we forgot the basic rules of survival, and catching up dew with the tent. What was brilliant about this stretch of coastline was that after each grueling day, we could look around, and still be thankful for being where we were.
One of the reasons I love the Transkei so much, is because this was one of the truly mystical places along our way. We got stuck in the most hectic of places, and were destitute many times, but every time, out of nowhere, someone would appear, usually with a biblical name of sorts, to help us out of our predicament, only to disappear in the same mysterious way. The stretch between Mzamba and Port St Johns, is spectacular, untouched, and has an unbelievable energy. Most of our challenges were met here, especially those I set for myself. It was here that I realized that nothing is impossible. The transition in coming back to civilization was something we hadn’t anticipated. The simplicity, and ruggedness of the Transkei, weighed up against a busy East London, where electricity was something that happened with the flick of a switch, and water was available on tap. It took us a whole week to adjust to this change, and I would say this was because, once you go without something, you learn to appreciate the things you take for granted, and very few people understood this.
Craziest thing was the fact that we had to literally drag our bicycles through sandy beaches, carry them over mountains, and swim with them through river mouths. Keep in mind that our bikes weighed anything between 70 & 80kgs, depending on the amount of water we carried at any given time. Dante and Katryn were still puppies, so they couldn’t always keep up, and wanted to remain in their baskets, which made things a little more difficult. Every day here, was a challenge, both mentally and physically. We would wake up with the breaking of a new day, push forward, and it would be dark before we stopped. The most debilitating thing to do, was check the distance traveled on the meter at the end of the day, because it was rarely anything more than 7kms. There was no cell phone signal. We ran out of cash, and had to trade cell phones, or anything worth something, in order to eat, and we ran out of water once, for 2 days. It wasn’t so much that there wasn’t any water around, but we just didn’t know where to find it, plus we were so intend on moving forward, that we forgot the basic rules of survival, and catching up dew with the tent. What was brilliant about this stretch of coastline was that after each grueling day, we could look around, and still be thankful for being where we were.
One of the reasons I love the Transkei so much, is because this was one of the truly mystical places along our way. We got stuck in the most hectic of places, and were destitute many times, but every time, out of nowhere, someone would appear, usually with a biblical name of sorts, to help us out of our predicament, only to disappear in the same mysterious way. The stretch between Mzamba and Port St Johns, is spectacular, untouched, and has an unbelievable energy. Most of our challenges were met here, especially those I set for myself. It was here that I realized that nothing is impossible. The transition in coming back to civilization was something we hadn’t anticipated. The simplicity, and ruggedness of the Transkei, weighed up against a busy East London, where electricity was something that happened with the flick of a switch, and water was available on tap. It took us a whole week to adjust to this change, and I would say this was because, once you go without something, you learn to appreciate the things you take for granted, and very few people understood this.
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL!!!
To my best friend, and travel partner, have the bestdayever, and I hope this will be a year filled with laughter, magic, dreams come true and loads of fun!
MWAH!
BON VOYAGE!!!
Happy holidays Girls!
My mom and Hermien are leaving for Keurboomstrand & Brenton on sea for a week long holiday. The 3 Wine Monsters will be reunited, since Linda moved to Brenton permanantly. Enjoy girls!
I'm at the Waterglen Guest Lodge for the week, keeping an eye while mom's away.
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
THE DOLPHIN COAST
The way in which our journey unfolded was till this day a lesson in life that I will hopefully never forget. We bought a map, but relied mainly on direction from the locals of the areas we were traveling through. It made our route so much more difficult and unpredictable, but we reckoned it’s the journey that matters, not the route. As we meandered along, heading south towards Cape Town, we had many weird and wonderful encounters. The weirdness originated mostly from having absolutely no idea what to expect next, and also from being approached by anyone, at any given time. We were exposed to all the elements, of which human nature was the scariest. I am happy however, to be able to say, that that is a myth, if one takes a look at all we have received from complete strangers. People were fascinated by our story, and our travels, and whenever we found ourselves in a fix, it wasn’t long before someone lends a helping hand. The first week of our journey, consisted mostly of trying to find balance and be comfortable on the bicycles, to get used to the traffic, when there’s mostly little to no shoulder to ride on. We carry a heavy load, and take up a sizeable portion of the road.
There wasn’t a day that went by, in the first stages of our travels, that I didn’t at least once, have the urge to phone home and ask to be picked up. Physically it was one of the most draining, challenging things I have ever done. Once the uncertainty and fear of the unknown subsided a little, we relaxed, and absorbed the magical energy of everything that surrounded us.
It’s amazing to witness the changes in cultures, the further along we went. Sometimes, it was truly unbelievable to think that we all grew up in the same country. Then again, when you have 11 official languages, and God only knows how many different cultures, it’s bound to be a bit different. The places we ended up in sometimes, was to say the least, very scary at first, but always turned out to be a beautiful encounter. To me this was a lesson never to judge, and never to presume, just because you are not familiar with something. As long as you keep in mind, that your contribution to any given situation, determines the outcome. If you believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it’s all good, you’d be all right.
There wasn’t a day that went by, in the first stages of our travels, that I didn’t at least once, have the urge to phone home and ask to be picked up. Physically it was one of the most draining, challenging things I have ever done. Once the uncertainty and fear of the unknown subsided a little, we relaxed, and absorbed the magical energy of everything that surrounded us.
It’s amazing to witness the changes in cultures, the further along we went. Sometimes, it was truly unbelievable to think that we all grew up in the same country. Then again, when you have 11 official languages, and God only knows how many different cultures, it’s bound to be a bit different. The places we ended up in sometimes, was to say the least, very scary at first, but always turned out to be a beautiful encounter. To me this was a lesson never to judge, and never to presume, just because you are not familiar with something. As long as you keep in mind, that your contribution to any given situation, determines the outcome. If you believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it’s all good, you’d be all right.
Tuesday, 07 August 2007
ST LUCIA: World heritage site
Ramsar and world heritage site status
Lake St Lucia (37 000ha) and the Eastern Shores (30 000ha) together comprise the largest estuarine system on the African continent. Lake St Lucia was declared a Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO protocol – South Africa’s first- on December 1, 1999. It is a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. This means that its value as a conservation area extends beyond the borders of the country. It is a habitat for birds such as the small waders which breed in northern Eurasia, and migrate to the southern hemisphere to avoid the northern winter. It is also of regional importance for duck and other water bird populations which are able to survive at St Lucia when there are severe droughts elsewhere in southern Africa. Once the drought is over, these birds migrate northwards to restock the wetlands in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
South Africa has an obligation to look after its Ramsar site and to ensure that it is adequately conserved. The Convention secretariat maintains a list of threatened Ramsar wetlands, and assists member countries by sending monitoring teams to advise on how to conserve these threatened wetlands. A monitoring team sent to St Lucia a few years ago advised the South African Government that mining of the Eastern Shores would be detrimental to the St Lucia wetland.
The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park has been inscribed upon the World Heritage List of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Inscription on this List confirms the exceptional universal value of a cultural or natural site which deserves protection for the benefit of all humanity.
The ongoing fluvial, marine and saeolian processes in the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park World Heritage Site have produced a variety of landforms including coral reefs, long sandy beaches, coastal dunes, lake systems, swamps, and extensive reed and papyrus wetlands. The interplay of the park’s environmental diversity with major floods and coastal storms and a transitional geographic location between sub-tropical and tropical Africa has resulted in exceptional species diversity and on-going speciation. The mosaic of landforms and habitat types creates superlative scenic vistas. The site contains critical habitat for a range of species from Africa’s marine, wetland and savannah environments.
South Africa has an obligation to look after its Ramsar site and to ensure that it is adequately conserved. The Convention secretariat maintains a list of threatened Ramsar wetlands, and assists member countries by sending monitoring teams to advise on how to conserve these threatened wetlands. A monitoring team sent to St Lucia a few years ago advised the South African Government that mining of the Eastern Shores would be detrimental to the St Lucia wetland.
The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park has been inscribed upon the World Heritage List of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Inscription on this List confirms the exceptional universal value of a cultural or natural site which deserves protection for the benefit of all humanity.
The ongoing fluvial, marine and saeolian processes in the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park World Heritage Site have produced a variety of landforms including coral reefs, long sandy beaches, coastal dunes, lake systems, swamps, and extensive reed and papyrus wetlands. The interplay of the park’s environmental diversity with major floods and coastal storms and a transitional geographic location between sub-tropical and tropical Africa has resulted in exceptional species diversity and on-going speciation. The mosaic of landforms and habitat types creates superlative scenic vistas. The site contains critical habitat for a range of species from Africa’s marine, wetland and savannah environments.
The greater St Lucia system can be described in 5 recognizable ecosystems namely”
- The marine system – East of the park and 280 kilometers of Indian ocean coastline and adjacent marine eco system. The endangered leatherback turtles swim thousand of sea miles, to return to the place of their birth, to lay eggs in the metal enriched beech sands.
- Eastern shores (Dune & Forests) – inland and east of lake St Lucia consisting of grassy plains, wetlands and ancient coastal dune forests that grows on the world famous sand dunes, dunes that extents the full length of the reserve. The dunes form a natural barrier between the lake, rivers and the Indian ocean and are covered by climax forest.
- Lake St Lucia – Largest estuary system in the world. this extensive 85 km lake is an average dept of 1 meter and home to more than a thousand hippos, several thousand crocodiles, 526 birds, and 114 species fish. Migrating birds – some flying more than 18 000 miles and fish use this lake as a nursery
- Mkuze swamps – Northern end of lake St Lucia and Expansive papyrus wetland
- Western shores – savanna and thornveld – the driest area
Friday, 03 August 2007
NEW BEGINNINGS
REMEMBERING THE BEGINNING:
We have cycled, roughly 10 000kms in and around South Africa, and hiked, canoed, and hitch hiked roughly 3 515kms. It has taken us 1 year and 7 months on the road, and a year in between, to get this far. We have visited 250 towns in our country that is excluding all the small villages, and townships.
The story begins somewhere around August 2004. I guess we were both at a time in our lives, when change was inevitable. I was dissatisfied, and felt like my life didn't make much of a difference, that it needed substance. So, one night out with friends, we started talking nonsense, and I mentioned my state of mind, and said that I was thinking of taking my backpack and go walkabout around South Africa . Maria was just about the only one who thought that it sounded like a good idea, and so we dreamed up the most fantastical epic journey of a lifetime. Of course everyone else started laughing, and it soon became a challenge. Before we knew it, we had everything we thought we might need for our trek, including a bicycle, because walking just didn't seem so appealing anymore. Against all warnings of the dangers that await us, we headed for St Lucia, because we figured cycling along the coastline might be great for sightseeing, and that Cape Town would be sufficient distance to find substance, purpose, and meet the challenge. Oh, and lest I forget! We each had a puppy which was coming with us!
My parents took us to St Lucia, and all the while, my dad was saying, that there was no way that we'd get all that gear on a bicycle. We haven't even tried to pack the bikes yet, as we were making our own carriers, and they weren't completely finished yet. So it was questionable whether the carriers would carry half our stuff, let alone the whole lot. It being the first time that we've set out to do something like this, we packed everything, from extra pairs of shoes, jewellery, a whole lot of luxuries, cd's, way too much clothes, and I won't even go further, because it's hilarious.
Anyway, the day after my parents left to go back home, we've finished building the carriers, and loaded (or at least we tried) the bikes. Everything did not fit onto the bikes, not by a long shot. We each had to send an entire backpack home. It was one of the saddest things ever, but unless we wanted to be able to move, we had to. Show's you, sometimes parents do have an idea, and so to listen wouldn't be so bad.
It took us 5 days, before we could muster up enough courage to actually leave St Lucia. We were terrified, because it's one thing talking about it, and a completely different thing actually doing it. We thought of all the worst things that could happen to us, and the fact that there were hippopotamuses in an unfenced area near the road, didn't help much either. Eventually, we had no choice, thus, 2 Girls and 2 Jack Russel puppies left St Lucia on the 23 rd of October 2004, en-route to Cape Town. We were traveling alone, with no backup vehicle or support team. I suppose the challenge lay in making something work that originated from a last minute decision, a calling, or destiny if you will. We had no time to prepare and no previous training or experience. Not knowing was part of the excitement, I guess!
Wednesday, 01 August 2007
CANOE TRIP DOWN THE ORANGE RIVER: JULY/AUGUST 2005
THINKING BACK ON OUR JOURNEY...
Once we reached Upington, we had an idea already that we wanted to go and see the flowers in Springbok, but we have a rule, that we wouldn’t cycle the same road twice, unless it was vital. The coincidences which presents us with the means to do what we thought of doing, is something that always surprise me. We were talking with people, about our doubts regarding the cycle to Springbok, when in a matter of a week, it was arranged that we would canoe along the Orange River, as far as ….., have our bicycles sent ahead, and so we would not be required to break our rule. Karsten Boerderye has decided to sponsor all our gear, and accommodation, as they had two guest lodges on the banks of the Orange. Spar sponsored our necessities, and Bezalel sponsored wine, and a video camera.
Fantastic, we thought, unless of course you count the fact that neither one of us knew how to paddle, at all. This became yet another great challenge for us. There were the rapids, which took some time getting used to, the oversized lizards, and those human sized baboons with a red ass, and blue cheeks. It was in the middle of winter, so the water was really cold, but the days were super hot, and at night the tent would be frozen. This was also a completely different task than we imagined. We were canoeing in a croc, which was heavily laden, I might add, and it wasn’t one of the fastest vessels around. The croc also had a slow puncture, which we tried to patch many times, but nothing seemed to work, so we had to re-inflate at least 3-4 times a day.
The river wasn’t in flood, so it took almost a week to cover the distance that others would do in 2 days. We were given a satellite map, which didn’t help at all, it only had us confused, and got us lost, traipsing for days around dead end streams. After day 2, we started drinking water straight from the river, and it was all good, except that everything acquired the taste of a muddy river. In our search for the farm Raap en Skraap, which would appear on the left hand side, more or less 3 to 5 days from departure, we came across some very interesting individuals, not many though, maybe a total of 4, and they all seemed shocked to see us emerging from the river, apparently we got our calculations messed up again, and picked the wrong season for our little rendezvous!
It’s all good, because things are the way they are for a reason, and here we were, platzed into the deep end, spiraling towards overcoming the elements, and surviving out here on our own. I suppose most intelligent beings know that you require a guide for this kind of thing, especially when you’re clueless, but we’re good.
After 8 days on the Orange, we reached our destination, and we were so glad to find some sort of comfort, like a hot bath, a bed, good food, and fabulous company. What would’ve been a one night stop over, turned 3 days, and it was what our burnt, warn out bodies deserved for our efforts. When it came time to leave again, we weren’t all that optimistic, because we were told that there was a waterfall/gorge a couple of days ahead, and that getting there was a little tricky, as there were many rapids going down into the gorge.
We had to stay on the right hand side when we came closer, and just before we go down to the falls, we must take the canoe out of the water, and carry it around, where we shall find a contraption where we can abseil ourselves and our gear down into the gorge.
We did everything correct, except go down at the right place. From the top, we could see a massive rapid in the distance. We managed to find an easy access to the river, and walked ahead to stare at this rapid for a while, trying to think how anyone could go through that, and survive. When we finally, stupidly, decided that we should go, we headed down towards the canoe, tied everything down, which could fall out, Maria held on to Dante and Katryn, and I paddled towards the monster. As soon as I steered into the rapid, the canoe got sucked right from under us, leaving us emerged in the water, being smashed against rocks, and sucked under. Just when you think it’s over, it’s starts all over again. I finally found myself on the banks , hauled myself out of the water, and saw Maria heading towards another big one, a dog in each hand.
I ran as fast as I could, and when I reached them, it didn’t look good. Maria’s legs were smashed, the dogs were in shock, and the canoe was nowhere in sight, gone. We waited for the shock and pain to subside a little, hiked up to the top of one of the mountains, to see if we could spot our canoe, but still nothing. We hiked back towards the campsite to see if we could still find any warm coals from our campfire, and we were in luck, because all we had with us, was the clothes we had on, no shoes, nothing warm, no food, nothing whatsoever! There wasn’t a lot of wood around, bearing in mind that this could very well be a desert, and that the only greenery is along the river banks, and we were stuck in the gorge.
We walked around for two days, without shoes, our feet eventually raw and cut open. There was nobody, anywhere, and we were starting to loose the plot completely. We got burnt to a pulp during the day, and at night we virtually froze to death. It was late on the second day, when the dogs started going crazy. They have been so good all this time, and were more concerned with us, than where their next meal came from. They had found the canoe! Stuck between some rocks, deflated, and all our stuff was gone. Maria had to climb over some serious rocks to get to it. Luckily the pump was still tied to it, so we could inflate it, although the damage was quite substantial, we could still get ahead, slowly but surely.
As we paddled forward, we picked up everything from the water, that we had, even water bottles, an oar, airtight bags, although they were semi submerged in water. We carried on until it was getting dark, then we saw a nice camping spot, cleaned out the bags, only to find that everything got soaked. There wasn’t any food worth eating, or cell phones, or camera’s or anything that would work. Our diaries, and all the records we’ve been keeping, ruined!
It was at this delusional point, where I was convinced that we had died and gone to hell. We managed to dry the tent and sleeping bags by a fire, and even though it wasn’t completely dry, it beat sleeping out in the cold, in only a short and t-shirt. The next morning, very early, we pushed forward, but we were both on the verge of passing out. Just before lunch time, we reached the farm Coboop. These people only had to give us one look, before they fed us, gave us a bathroom to clean up, and a beautiful, soft bed. We passed out for a couple of hours, and then joined them for a barbeque.
This was thus the end of our river journey, because our canoe had seen better days, and Maria refused to go back on the water, I must say, so did I, I just didn’t have to say it out loud. If I could do it all over again, I would, it was that amazing. This has been a tremendous adventure, and nowhere else, have I ever seen such splendor and harsh beauty. The color of the mountains along the riverbanks vary in shades of red, brown, camel, and sand, and the reflection it made on the water was magical. We have seen so many different species of birds, and magnificent reptiles and other fauna. It takes a different kind of animal to be able to survive out here, and to be in the middle of their territory was
Once we reached Upington, we had an idea already that we wanted to go and see the flowers in Springbok, but we have a rule, that we wouldn’t cycle the same road twice, unless it was vital. The coincidences which presents us with the means to do what we thought of doing, is something that always surprise me. We were talking with people, about our doubts regarding the cycle to Springbok, when in a matter of a week, it was arranged that we would canoe along the Orange River, as far as ….., have our bicycles sent ahead, and so we would not be required to break our rule. Karsten Boerderye has decided to sponsor all our gear, and accommodation, as they had two guest lodges on the banks of the Orange. Spar sponsored our necessities, and Bezalel sponsored wine, and a video camera.
Fantastic, we thought, unless of course you count the fact that neither one of us knew how to paddle, at all. This became yet another great challenge for us. There were the rapids, which took some time getting used to, the oversized lizards, and those human sized baboons with a red ass, and blue cheeks. It was in the middle of winter, so the water was really cold, but the days were super hot, and at night the tent would be frozen. This was also a completely different task than we imagined. We were canoeing in a croc, which was heavily laden, I might add, and it wasn’t one of the fastest vessels around. The croc also had a slow puncture, which we tried to patch many times, but nothing seemed to work, so we had to re-inflate at least 3-4 times a day.
The river wasn’t in flood, so it took almost a week to cover the distance that others would do in 2 days. We were given a satellite map, which didn’t help at all, it only had us confused, and got us lost, traipsing for days around dead end streams. After day 2, we started drinking water straight from the river, and it was all good, except that everything acquired the taste of a muddy river. In our search for the farm Raap en Skraap, which would appear on the left hand side, more or less 3 to 5 days from departure, we came across some very interesting individuals, not many though, maybe a total of 4, and they all seemed shocked to see us emerging from the river, apparently we got our calculations messed up again, and picked the wrong season for our little rendezvous!
It’s all good, because things are the way they are for a reason, and here we were, platzed into the deep end, spiraling towards overcoming the elements, and surviving out here on our own. I suppose most intelligent beings know that you require a guide for this kind of thing, especially when you’re clueless, but we’re good.
After 8 days on the Orange, we reached our destination, and we were so glad to find some sort of comfort, like a hot bath, a bed, good food, and fabulous company. What would’ve been a one night stop over, turned 3 days, and it was what our burnt, warn out bodies deserved for our efforts. When it came time to leave again, we weren’t all that optimistic, because we were told that there was a waterfall/gorge a couple of days ahead, and that getting there was a little tricky, as there were many rapids going down into the gorge.
We had to stay on the right hand side when we came closer, and just before we go down to the falls, we must take the canoe out of the water, and carry it around, where we shall find a contraption where we can abseil ourselves and our gear down into the gorge.
We did everything correct, except go down at the right place. From the top, we could see a massive rapid in the distance. We managed to find an easy access to the river, and walked ahead to stare at this rapid for a while, trying to think how anyone could go through that, and survive. When we finally, stupidly, decided that we should go, we headed down towards the canoe, tied everything down, which could fall out, Maria held on to Dante and Katryn, and I paddled towards the monster. As soon as I steered into the rapid, the canoe got sucked right from under us, leaving us emerged in the water, being smashed against rocks, and sucked under. Just when you think it’s over, it’s starts all over again. I finally found myself on the banks , hauled myself out of the water, and saw Maria heading towards another big one, a dog in each hand.
I ran as fast as I could, and when I reached them, it didn’t look good. Maria’s legs were smashed, the dogs were in shock, and the canoe was nowhere in sight, gone. We waited for the shock and pain to subside a little, hiked up to the top of one of the mountains, to see if we could spot our canoe, but still nothing. We hiked back towards the campsite to see if we could still find any warm coals from our campfire, and we were in luck, because all we had with us, was the clothes we had on, no shoes, nothing warm, no food, nothing whatsoever! There wasn’t a lot of wood around, bearing in mind that this could very well be a desert, and that the only greenery is along the river banks, and we were stuck in the gorge.
We walked around for two days, without shoes, our feet eventually raw and cut open. There was nobody, anywhere, and we were starting to loose the plot completely. We got burnt to a pulp during the day, and at night we virtually froze to death. It was late on the second day, when the dogs started going crazy. They have been so good all this time, and were more concerned with us, than where their next meal came from. They had found the canoe! Stuck between some rocks, deflated, and all our stuff was gone. Maria had to climb over some serious rocks to get to it. Luckily the pump was still tied to it, so we could inflate it, although the damage was quite substantial, we could still get ahead, slowly but surely.
As we paddled forward, we picked up everything from the water, that we had, even water bottles, an oar, airtight bags, although they were semi submerged in water. We carried on until it was getting dark, then we saw a nice camping spot, cleaned out the bags, only to find that everything got soaked. There wasn’t any food worth eating, or cell phones, or camera’s or anything that would work. Our diaries, and all the records we’ve been keeping, ruined!
It was at this delusional point, where I was convinced that we had died and gone to hell. We managed to dry the tent and sleeping bags by a fire, and even though it wasn’t completely dry, it beat sleeping out in the cold, in only a short and t-shirt. The next morning, very early, we pushed forward, but we were both on the verge of passing out. Just before lunch time, we reached the farm Coboop. These people only had to give us one look, before they fed us, gave us a bathroom to clean up, and a beautiful, soft bed. We passed out for a couple of hours, and then joined them for a barbeque.
This was thus the end of our river journey, because our canoe had seen better days, and Maria refused to go back on the water, I must say, so did I, I just didn’t have to say it out loud. If I could do it all over again, I would, it was that amazing. This has been a tremendous adventure, and nowhere else, have I ever seen such splendor and harsh beauty. The color of the mountains along the riverbanks vary in shades of red, brown, camel, and sand, and the reflection it made on the water was magical. We have seen so many different species of birds, and magnificent reptiles and other fauna. It takes a different kind of animal to be able to survive out here, and to be in the middle of their territory was
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