1,000 miles away

Michael - Thursday

Buffalo and elephant packed around a water hole
Olifants River Game Reserve. 95F.

Red pincushion at home
in Knysna. 55F.

Well, 1,800 km actually. That's the distance - give or take ten kilometres - from my house in Knysna on the south Cape coast to our bungalow at Olifants River Game Reserve in the African bush. Although the roads are excellent the whole way, it's a long way if you are driving on your own. I decided to stop over twice to make it easier - once at Colesberg in the middle of the Great Karoo, and once at my friends house in Johannesburg. That was a good decision because I arrived relatively relaxed, and as it turned out things could have become hairy along the way.

That device in the middle is a windmill to pump water.
Not today. 37F.

The first part of the trip is the drive from the coast up into the center of the country. Although the route I took from George on the coast through Graaff Reinet involves no very steep twisty passes, it still involves a couple of long climbs, and South Africa has been in the grip of an icy cold spell. It turned out there was snow on the pass. Nothing that would disturb someone from North America, but snow is quite unusual in almost all of South Africa. If it were to snow more than a flurry in Johannesburg, say, everyone would talk about it for weeks. A more serious issue is that no one here has the slightest idea how to drive in snow. The insurance companies hate it. Well, not only had it snowed on the pass - which had been closed for some time during the morning before I reached it - but also over all the high country beyond for about 100 km. Still, there was a festive air. Cars with children pulled off the roads and the kids threw snowballs at one another - something they'd probably only seen in movies before.

Not a problem, but a surprise. 37F.

Anyway, I was happy to arrive at Colesberg. The Barracks B&B had a warm fire in the dining room, a warm air-conditioner in the room, and a warm welcome. I was lucky that my timing was right to enjoy the snow but not to be significantly delayed by it.

Two days and 1,100km later I was back home at Olifants! And warm!

A tussle at 95F.

He's not curious. He's after a handout!
Olifants. 95F.

Thirsty work!

So here I am. Was it worth the trip? you ask? You're  not paying attention to the pictures!