Ahh… Trees… The light breeze cooling as it moves down, off the mountain slopes, across the big lilly ponds & through the deep shade.
Nyati's parked in the "Pine Forest Holiday Resort" situated in the middle of a beautiful residential suburb of Ceres.
For the first time in MONTHS there was no distant horizon shimmering in a heat haze.
Ceres was literally a breath of fresh air.
I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the Karoo, the Kalahari, the high, dry sheep country, but my whole being welcomed this change in enviroment. We're lower now, denser air, nice big trees, beautifully manicured gardens.
Every breath brings the mixed scent of so many flowers… not dust.
Nyati's designed & built for the wild side… I LOVE it too, but oh Man, it's nice to be able lay back in the arms of suburbia occasionally.
Especially such a nice, NEAT, green & safe one like this.
Nyati's taken a hammering from the shocking roads we've used.
The fuel & water tank repairs're holding up well, but it's time for a thorough mechanical service, a change of oil, of all filters, oil, fuel, air, & a general "tightening up" of everything.
The radiator's been shaken so hard, it's broken off its mountings, the fixing brackets too…
Maybe the tyre pressure's been too high.
Difficult to know, but we're embarrassed about the bits of fencing wire holding the thing in place.
Apart from that, & the covering of dust inside, of course, the truck's in very good shape.
So anticipation of the next few weeks of nice tar roads, gently taking us downhill to the coast & the mechanical work shops of Cape Town, is high.
Like for a holiday.
It's peak "Whale watching" time in Hermanus, & the back roads down through the mountains & winelands, via Worcester & Villiersdorp, look inviting.
Okay, so it's going to be the rugger Semi-finals watched at Hermanus.
GO BOKKE.
Hi Paul. It was sooo nice meeting u in Onrus camp this past weekend. I came to say goodbye on Sunday when we packed up. But u were not zround. So sorry . I still wanted to hear many more of ur great travels. Enjoy ur trip and al ur wonderfull experiences. Whish i could do a travel with u in Nyati. All the best and please keep in touch. I will follow u on ur blog. All the best. U rock. Mwa
Thanks Iona,
I enjoyed meeting with you this weekend too…
A kindred spirit, I thought.
Enjoy your travels & please keep in touch when you can.
You must have enjoyed Ceres in the Dennebos camp. It is a lovely little town with beautiful mountains surrounding it.
Oh yes… I could have settled in there if it hadn't been for the loud calling of the ocean.
The Gypsy couldn't resist.
We're in Hermanus on the cliff top… Aaaah, now we're REALLY happy… Ocean breeze, whales frolicking… Another perfect day in paradise.
Ahhh… Ceres, beautiful… bizarrely it’s made me think of Portugal where our little break is drawing to a close. SO MANY things here make me think of home… from the thick, spongy grass, hibiscus, jacaranda and beauganvillia flowers to the sandy landscapes and beaches which have reminded me of Mapelane, Durban, Sodwana and St Lucia, and to all the South African brands and products in the supermercados… including Ceres fruit juice!!! Enjoyed a litre of granadilla flavour all to myself, happy days! This and reading your experiences in Nyati makes for an ideal recipe for a dose of homesickness.
Relax my Georgie.
You have a WONDERFUL life, home & family in England now.
If you were to do a similar "road trip" around Britain & the continent (as you're doing NOW) I think your personal "Gypsy" would turn somersaults… It's SUCH a cool place to holiday. :-