OCTOBER 2006 ANDREW BARTON IN BOTSWANA AND NIPPERS CARNIVAL

October 2006.
I received this email from Andrew Barton who used to be an active member of the MPRG. He and Benita moved to Botswana when he was promoted through Standard Bank. I found it to be such an interesting piece of writing.
Being close to parts of SA that we haven't seen much of before, plus Benita not wanting to take a chance with flying or malaria, and this place enjoying it's long weekends, we have traveled around the northern part of SA a bit this year.
Last weekend we stayed on a guest farm near Groot Marico. First stop, Oom Piet Mampoer. Moer!
A very hospitable gent, who clearly samples a significant amount of his own product, was quite insistent that we tasted all 15 flavours of his mampoer. Fortunately not in tot glasses, but tea spoons. One was really a bugger, 80% alcohol with hot chillies in it! He brands it as F U 2 Mampoer! He then gave us another one to 'neutralise' the taste and burn, which it did...but only because it was even worse! However, I must say that the F U 2 made for a terrific flambet on our awesome bosveld steaks that night!
Oom Piet is quite a 'legend' in a part of the world where the AWB found much support. In fact, he leads the local Israelite movement that finds 'support' in the Old Testament re their very right wing views. So, not a guy that took our 'no's' for an answer ..... He just kept pouring!
We found a terrific restaurant about a km from Oom Piet, overlooking the Marico River. The owner is also an Afrikaner, Jacques du Plessis, but one who's sister, before the end of apartheid married a local resident of New Brighton and has been living there ever since. A very liberal Afrikaner family indeed. One of his guests at the lunch was Jennifer Ferguson, one of the first ANC Member's of Parliament in 1995. She was/is a singer and after a bottle or two of red starting singing at her table; clearly quite impressive!
Anyway, in chatting to Jacques I suggested that he and Oom Piet probably didn't share a drink together. Indeed not!!!......but the stories that came out then could have filled a few more books for H C Bosman! He said that Oom Piet has been selling mampoer for decades, but that nobody has ever seen him grow citrus or have any delivered to his farm and suspect that he buys 98% alcohol, dilutes with some Marico river water and adds flavourants.....Jacques insisted that we do ourselves a favour and pour all the Oom Piet mampoer we bought down the drain and rather buy his stuff!!! He was quite sincere about this too............
Only in SA could two such characters live about a km apart, but I suppose complete avoidance of each other creates 2-part harmony!
We also found out that there are about a 150 distillers of mampoer in the district; two of which 'have the dubious distinction of distilling with a license'. The other 148 continue their proud legacy of showing authorities the middle finger - marvelous stuff!!
A new coffee shop has just been opened by two 'boys', pink napkins and ouma's doilies [spelling?]. Decorations a little odd [can't say 'queer' I suppose..]. Next time we pass through will have to pop in to Oom Piet and over a dop ask him about this.....!!!.
A really interesting area that is still filled with many characters indeed. Many more books could be written!!!
Cheers Andrew Barton
October 2006 started off with our Daughter Nicci, and three children coming to see us. They had just moved back from the UK and were now going to be based at Stefan’s Parents home in Stellenberg, Cape Town.
This month we had the official first day of Nippers on the 1st Sunday of the month. There was not a huge turnout but enough to have a good couple of games. Deon Engelke is good at organizing games for the Nippers. That Sunday afternoon we had a little celebration at Michael’s house in Mount Croix for little Daniel who turned one. School started the following morning both for Ally and for Barbara’s Play School.
After quite a long break due to a whole host of reasons, we resumed our cell group the following Thursday. Tracey had just bought a 50% partnership in Coimbra Cycles together with Andre who we hear is an accomplished Springbok cyclist. Jan Havenga seems to have lost interest in the business and Tracey has great plans for the refurbishing of the shop. As a result Tracey was not at the group as she had a meeting at the shop. Ian was also not there due to a camp near to Addo. Elize was back after a trip to Turkey with her sister and mother. Little Cloe was now a year old and walking around the house, quite independent. Ally had her picture in the Weekend Post as one of the Nippers returning to training on a Sunday. Leah told us that she had entered a Miss Majesty competition at Walmer Park. It seems that she did well and received a whole host of prizes and vouchers. Herman and Tracey had recently returned from their trip to Switzerland but the main topic remained the Cycle Shop. All round there was a lot to talk about and so we never got to watch the video that I had borrowed from the church. My video machine was not working anyway.
The following Saturday was Biathlon Trials for the EP Meeting due later in the month. What I did was my normal 15kay run in the morning early, then went to the office on the motor bike. Michael had his car in for repairs and was using Barbara’s car. Barbara got a lift with Debbie Derry and I collected Nicci later. I arrived at the Biathlon in Gelvandale just in time for the Senior Vets and then did not have too long to wait for our swim event. I had run the one Kay in just under 4 minutes which is what I strive for. I did not have a good swim and finished in 107secs whereas Markus for example finished in 65 secs. Still my time was a good deal better than the last meeting. As it turned out both Ally and I were chosen to represent EP. Saturday evening was an incredibly warm night and we had sausages on the Braai. The wind picked up later but I had determined to go for a cycle the next morning and so was up early and did only about ten kays but it was my first ride in ages. I had fitted two new tubes and felt that I should at least do some training for the Energade Triathlon coming up in November. Sunday Morning we were in Church and I was able to hold Nicci’s baby Zara through the whole service. She slept for a good period. After church we went down to Nippers. Ally & I on the Bike and the rest in the car. It was a good morning and the surf was just right for swimming and body boards. Nicci left for Cape Town that afternoon. A friend of hers from London had recently died in Bonnievale and she would be attending the Funeral during the week.
This week would be very full. I had a Cell Group leaders meeting on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday I was with Johan Sadie and Thursday I did the King trip as well as Cell at the Brinks. Friday Ally had her Hip Hop concert rehearsal. On Saturday morning I did the 20 Kay run down to the beacon, then it was our sales month end. The afternoon I spent increasing the size of the Yellowwood tree hole. That was hard work as I first dug though the rocks and then had to struggle through the clay, scraping the dirt out with an old jam tin. I intend to really give this tree the very best chance of growing to its full potential. Later that afternoon we watched the Bulls and Cheetas Currie cup final which was, in the end, a draw. Ally had her concert that evening. It was a really entertaining show with a variety of acts. Sunday morning Ron and I did the Marine drive. It was good to be out there again on the bike. Ron was not as fit as he has been in the past and so he was a good companion for me.
I had to assist with the Level testing of the new Nippers at Hobie Beach that morning. At Hobie beach there was also a Swim and Run event. A two Kay swim, a one Kay swim or a five kay run. There was also a Surf Ski event going on at the same time. The Scuba divers were also out for a Swim and dive. Hobie beach just seemed a hive of activity on that beautiful Sunday morning. The nippers had to do a short run, a swim and then answer a number of questions on water safety and beach activity. I then collected Barbara & Ally form home. They had been to church. Ally had been on a Bus Treasure hunt with the Sunday school.
We went down to Nippers after collecting Amber and Ian. It was a really good session as we made the children swim out past the breakers and then they did the same with the body boards. We did this a number of times to help build their confidence and then did a bit of beach sport; running and flags.
The following weekend started with Ron & I going to a talk by Brian Downey. Brain was the person who started the franchise “spec savers”. It was an interesting talk and I was appointed to thank Brian. Spec savers is the main sponsor of the PE Ironman. Brian had also taken part and completed the event. On Saturday morning it was the Inter-provincial Biathlon. Both Ally and I are not top competitors but we enjoy being part of the whole thing. We had to rush Ally off to an Interschool Gala immediately after we had done the swim. The next morning (Sunday) there was another level test as well as a Biathle for Ally & I. From there we rushed off to the Nippers practice. It was again perfect conditions and Hannes & I were able to send the Nippers into the water with Malibu’s and Body Boards. We recorded times and were able to select teams for the Carnival the next weekend. I had to leave Nippers midway and rush off to the airport for the Morkels Annual Launch which was being held in Parys on the Vaal River.
This week Graeme Gilmour visited our Cell Group. Michael moved to Knysna to open a new branch of Furn City. Saturday morning I got back on the road and did the 20kay to the Beacon and back. That afternoon I bought the compost and finally planted the Yellow wood tree that I had bought. After the Saturday evening service our Neighbours, the Mussets and Tim joined us for a tree planting ceremony.
Nippers Carnival. Hosted by Sardinia Bay at Kings Beach. Sunday 29.10.2006.
The Under Ten Nippers had basically two training sessions leading up to the Sardinia Bay Carnival. The Coaches I tried to record some times and positions in practice sessions prior to the Carnival. We had little information to go on but decided to do the best we could with what we had. Once Hannes & I had selected the teams I emailed our selections to the various parents. As Sunday dawned I think that there were a number of concerned parents. The sea had been quite choppy on the Saturday due to an Easterly that had been blowing. The West wind was blowing and the morning started off overcast. Barbara & I even packed jackets for the day. But this was to be the most amazing morning.
Warren & Keith had brought the tent and all the boards and we soon set up for a day on the beach. This Sunday morning we had a full house of Nippers at Kings Beach for the Under Ten team. Hannes was not able to be there due to a Christian commitment. The Under Ten coaches and safety officers consisted of Roger Fraser, Donald Mc Gillivray, Peter Wilson, Alex Odendal, Gavin Rogers, Clint Meintjies, Patrick Billson, Craig van Greunen and a variety of other people doing all kinds of tasks from recording results, catching the finishers and aiding the Nippers in the sea. They had a busy morning with a Long Run; Beach Sprints, a Surf Swim; Run/Swim/Run; Body Boards; Malibu Boards; Flags and ended off with the Taplin Relay. Our Under Ten team had been Awesome in how they competed.
The Coaches were particularly impressed with the Nippers who competed out of their Comfort Zone. Nadia is by no means a front runner or swimmer but she was prepared to take part over her fears. The Burrell twins: Amber and Astrid competed in the full spirit of the Nippers Under Ten Team and will be competitive as soon as they have developed confidence and ability. Even Maurice who has a tough time with the Huge Waves that sometimes appear on the beaches was prepared to swim out and around the Buoys. I recall one time when Donald & I were waiting for the Nippers to swim out to us; we saw a wave that was breaking beyond the Yellow Buoys and must have been about 2 meters high. Matthew Hepburn and Kei Hodgson were willing competitors and added to the team effort. Flags is an event which really builds character. Every Nipper knows that elimination means having to sit out. Yet they still line up and risk the anguish of missing a flag. And those who do reach the final ten have to run up and down over and over in an attempt to grab the flag. This in itself is very tiring.
Of course we have a number of Nippers who excel. This is due to a combination of dedicated training and God given talent. I think that the spirit of the Under Tens came out when it came to the Taplin Relay. Christian was prepared to be in two teams, first on a Body Board and then on a Malibu. Everyone was quite exhausted by this time. The Nippers had been out in the water four times already. There were a number of big sets of waves coming through. The idea of another swim or board event was quite unattractive to many of the nippers.
Run Swim Body Board Malibu
Marie Maurice Matthew Hepburn Christian
Jamie Lee Caitlin Matthew Wilson Kim
Amber Ally Lara Connor
Tristan Christy Christian Matthew Mc Gillivray
These four teams did so well and surpassed all expectations from a first carnival. I think that all the parents and the coaches join me in congratulating the under ten Nippers in the spirit in which they took part in the Sardinia Bay Carnival. As it turned out this was to be the only team event of the day as time caught up with us and the Carnival was called to a close at 14.00 after the Taplin Relay. But by then everyone was sunburned and exhausted. I had brought water and constantly tried to stay hydrated but at the end of the day felt like a sandblasted fried chip.
Sardinia Bay can be congratulated for hosting and excellent Carnival. The day went off very well. I was happy when Anthony informed the parents of the Under Tens that they were expected to be in the water during the sea events and that they should assist where the Nipper was experiencing difficulty. It is a huge boost to the confidence of the Under Tens to know that there are lost of Dads and Safety Officers in the water to help them through the surf. Although this was an official carnival, Anthony controlled the event more like a practice session for future events. Barbara and I left before the announcement of the results. I am sure that we will soon hear of which teams won. I felt particularly proud of the Under Tens and how well they had played the game.

OTTER HIKING TRAIL SEPTEMBER 2006.

SEPTEMBER 2006. OTTER TRAIL.

Aunty Mary’s Birthday.
Barbara’s Aunt Mary turned 80 this month. So Barbara and Gail drove down to Cape Town (where Aunty Mary lives) for a small celebration. They met up with Dawn and all stayed in Cathy’s flat. Barbara took the strechers and it seems that they had a good weekend. The drive was quite tough as the recent heavy rains in this area had caused the Kiemas Pass between Wilderness and George to wash away and the traffic was very slow. Barabra said it took them something like three hours to drive from Knysna to George.

Lady MPRG Athletes in Action
Within our running group we had two athletes competing in International Competitions this month. Tracey had been chosen to represent SA at the World Triathlon event in Luzanne, Switzerland. She had trained extensively for the event but as it turned out she had an athsma attack half way during the cycle and was not permitted to complete the race.

Meanwhile Margie Saunders was taking part in the world Biathle event in Manchester, England. Margie had also been training hard for her event and the hard work paid off as Margie is now the official world champion Lady Biathle in her age group. Talking of International players; Barbara & were watching international hockey and we thrilled to see Jenny Wilson playing such a huge role in a tournament where SA beat Spain. I think that Jenny scored two goals in the match that we watched.

KTV Market Day
This weekend was Ally and her friends’ KTV Market day at the Boardwalk. Barbara & other moms had been hard at work making stuff to sell at the stall that they had booked. Barbara & Ally made fluffy hearts with a hook attached. They also covered notebooks with fluffy material, made magnet matchboxes and fluffy ended pencils. The other members of the gang were: Megan (captain), Lara O and Lara S. I made two batches of crunchies for them to take along.

On the Saturday morning I went for a 15kay run with Earl. The rest of the MPRG were doing the Muirite Marathon. Then I collected Ally from Michael and drove down to the Boardwalk where we met up with Debbie Derry. After a bit of confusion as to which table we were allowed to use, we found ourselves a suitable table opposite the Wimpy and the children set up shop. They called themselves “Fluffy Heaven”.

Parents took photo’s. I really did very little as the children seemed to have everything under control and so left for work. At about 13.30 when I returned to the shop I was delighted to find that they had practically sold out of all their wares. And we were able to pack up reasonably early. I heard that there was a prize giving but Ally had arranged to spend the night with Lara Odendal in St Francis Bay and so I left carrying chairs and other kit.

That afternoon I seemed to kick my heels around for most of the day. Barara was in Cape Town so I cleaned the pool, washed her car and did very little else. Sunday morning after church I visited Macro to buy our headlamps for the Otter trail. I did some other shopping at the same time. That afternoon the people doing the trail came over and we set up our plans for transport and other logistics. I took out all the backpacks and hiking stuff formthe cupboard and set it up for the hike.

During the first week of September I had some head office people to visit our area and seemed to have a great deal of stuff to do as well. I had to plan for the hike and make sure we had everything we need for the trip. Especially having Ally along we don’t want to over pack. Also had to arrange for the tshirts. In the end I found what weems to be suitable at Edgars. They have a house brand dry fit type of shirt at a reasonable price. R100. As opposed to buying a Nike or Addidas at three times the price. I also discovered a new lady who does embroidery so was able to have the T-shirts individually embroidered for the hike. I enjoy doing this as it becomes a real souvenier of the hike.

Biathlon Season
On Saturday 9th, it was the start of the Biathlon season. I started off the morning with a 15kay run to the beach. Feeling quite strong was basically able to stay with the group. The previous evening I had bought a Snoek from the Spar. And then we had put this on the braai. It was a total experiment for me. It turned out more or less okay, but very bony and a little dry.

After the run I had to go to the office and then met up with Barbara and Ally at the Westbourne Oval where the run was taking place. Ally had done very little run training and was slower than when she is training hard. Megan Derry was also there as was MC Burri with his Dad, Marcus. When it came to our turn it was only Chris, Marcus and a few others in our age category. I was able to stay just behind Marcus and we ran just over 4mins for our 1000m.

Then we all drove across to the VP school where there is a “bubble’ over the pool which keeps the water at a good warm temperature. The “oldies” were first off and I managed to stay afloat for the 4 lengths of 25m each. Ally’s age group was next up. She had an excellent heat with a 45sec 50m. This was one of her best times ever in the pool and by my reconing she beat Megan by a split second. These were trials for the interprovincial in Bloemfontein later in the month.

That afternoon I collected the backpack for the Zeelies from Robin Holmes. He has to have a back operation and we spoke about the Namib Nauclaft hike for June or July next year. We will see how that works out. Another option is the Fish River Canyon again. I have had a lot of people wanting to do that hike. Tim came over and we watched the Springboks play the Australian team at Ellis park. It was the final game of the Tri Nations and we had lost all our away games but won in Rustenburg the previous weekend and managed a win again.

The week before the Hike.
On Monday I had to be in Jhb for a head office meeting. I got back from the meeting on Tuesday and the following day (Wednesday) Barbara & Lene went to George & Knysna for an interview for Lene and to register the children at a scool for next year. Michael is planning to move to Knysna to be the manager of a new Furncity shop that is opening there.

This was Wednesday the 13th September and Nicci,together with Christian, Aaron and Zara moved back to SA from London and they moved into a flat at 4 Nassua Single which the Stoney’s had built for their family. They plan to continue their Photo and Video business operating out of Cape Town. They specialise in Wedding photography and Viedeography.

The following evening was the Achilles AGM which Tim & I Attended. The Achilles committee is such a successful and hard working group of people and they really keep the club alive and healthy.


Clarendon Sports Day
I had taken the Friday as the first day of a week’s leave. It was Ally’s Sports day at Clarendon. It turned out to be a windy day with chairs blowing about but the kida had a great time shouting for their house. Clarendon house had a great start but fell into second place behind Jordan house with Windsor bringing up the rear. Barbara & I ran in the parent and child race and we both managed a second place. They have straight races, shopping trolley, pick up grocery, bean bag on the head, legs tied together races and a ball between the legs run. Dawn came through from East London that afternoon and we did the final packing of our backpacks.


Saturday 16th. First day of the Otter trail.
Rory and Nina came through with their combi as did Hannes and Jacqui. They had their eldest son, Calvin with them with a friend of his, Stuart. Jordan was not able to be away from school as he had band practice commitments. Then there was Deryck Le Roux and Rob Ermes in one combi.

The other combi consisted of Rory, Nina, Dawn, Ally and myself. John Kotze was due to join us but had come down with a bad cold. We were able to leave PE at just after 07.00am. We stopped off at Storms River Bridge for a coffee and hamburger. At the entrance to Storms River Mouth we registered for the Hike and paid the R80.00 entrance fee per person. Some of the group had wild cards and did not have to pay the entrance fee.

Storms River Mouth.
Hannes and Rory did the vehicle transfer to Natures Valley while the rest of us started the trail. It was overcast and chilly but we had a good first few hours. The trail has been made a good deal easier with a number of walkways, ladders and bridges to take away some of the boulder hopping. We came across some day hikers who turned at the waterfall. I had a swim but the others seemed a little nervous of the cold water. I do not blame them as the river water was freezing. The recent heavy rainfalls made the waterfall quite spectacular.

Hannes and Rory joined us shortly after we got there. They must have walked at quite a pace! The walk from the waterfall is about an hour and we got to the Ngubu huts at about 14.00. I think that Hannes was probably a little concerned about Jacqui as she had recently had an operation and was still in recovery phase. However it seems that right throughout the hike, Jacqui coped extraordinarily well. As Rob and I approached the camp we seemd to take a wrong turn and ended the day with some steep rock climbing which we really did not need with the packs at their heaviest.

Hannes’ group took the first hut each night. Almost everyone seemed to pass out that afternoon. These two huts are located close to the sea a little distance apart. A recent addition to the Otter trail is the “Boma” that has been built between huts. We never made use of the Boma as they really did not look inviting and the fireplace is not the central point as it is at the individual huts.

Rory discovered that there are showers at this hut. The shower is located on the West side of hut 2. I never used the shower but had a swim instead. Just a reminder to all who have done this amazing hike: Plan to spend time in the “loo with a view”. This is a place to relax in solitude with better views than most penthouses can offer. I think that a group should take a communal magazine that is placed in the Loo each day!

The Crow Story
As I was sitting doing nothing in the hut I heard a rustle outside and went to look. There was a Crow strying to steal my packet of rolls. I had also set out the evening meal for later. Fortunately I did not lose any of our precious food to the scavenger but poor Deryck was not so lucky. He lost and entire pack of Kebabs to the Crow family. I heard him comment later that he hoped that it was Chili. My own experience is that our birds at home love Chilis and will eat them quite readily. Barbara sometimes experiences the extent of the burn when they have had some Chili and then “Kiss” Barbara they will burn her mouth.

We had ourselves an early braai and there seemed to be tons of meat and other goodies. Barbara & I had decided to have a meal of chicken and precooked Basmati rice. It was delicious. This evening we braaied at the first hut as the weather did not look too good and we needed the shelter of the overhanging bush. As it turned out this was a good decision as the rain fell intermittently all evening. This evening someone spotted a seal in the waves just in front of the braai area. I know that Hannes and others were convinced that this was an Otter.

Something that I learned this evening is that Salticracs are a far better proposition than Bacon Kips. The latter seems to disintegrate into a crumbed mush while Salticracs seem to stay whole. I was also envious of Rory with a loaf of health bread that he had brought. Rory gave Ally a handy stick on light that she used to do her Sidoku Puzzels. Ally, Dawn and Barbara spent many hours doing these puzzels while relaxing in the huts. Nina had a Sydney Sheldon book that absorbed her attention till late every evening.

Day Two of the Otter Trail.
On the second day we started off at about 09.00. The weather seemed okay until just before we left. A sudden shower had everyone putting their poncho’s over the bags. I tend to heat up very fast on the trail so stayed with my trail shirt and as we were under the canopy for most of the first section did not feel the rain. After a short climb the first escape route fooled the boys who walked quite a way before realising their mistake. We had stopped at a lookout point where Calvin and Stuart caught up with us. These two high school chaps really showed all of us older generation how fit and strong the youth is.

Our next stop was to walk onto the Skilderkrans view point. I was quite impressed with the way that Ally was managing the climbs and how she handled the danger of this particular section. From here you are able to see across to Bloubaai. But do not be fooled: there is still a long haul before you reach the turn off to Bloubaai.

Kleinbos River Crossing
We had to cross the Kleinbos River. Fortunately the stream was not flowing too strongly and we were able to assist one another across the river without incident. Carrying the heavy packs across this stream is always a bit of a challenge. Robin Holmes had told me of the time he did this hike and they were unable to cross the river. So they had to backtrack and take the escape route. There after the ranger had taken them to the next hut.

Bloubaai and the Monster Climb
We had planned to walk down to BlouBaai which is at about the 5kay mark. I was happy to see the bags lying at the turn off. The walk from the turn off is very short and normally well worth the extra effort. I walked down towards the beach but was just in time to see that everyone who had walked down to the beach had already turned back. The tide was high and the weather not inviting. From Bloubaai there is a VERY long pull to the top of the krans. Nina said it took her 45minutes. It must have taken the back markers an hour. I know that Rory was most unhappy with this day. He had thought that it was under two kays to the hut from Blooubaai whereas it was more like three kays.

I saw that Rob was taking as much strain as I was. I know that he was carrying quite a heavy pack with three beers per evening and two bottles of wine. I also saw that as we progressed on the hike he would pull some of the most amazing goodies out of his bag. As he and Deryck came up to the overnight camp, Rob stumbled on a loose rock and did a cartwheel. Sounds funny, but not to the hiker with a heavy backpack and a bottle of wine with only the cork to protect the contents! Seriously, Rob was lucky to escape with cuts and bruises and also that he had Deryck in the vicinity to lend a hand.

When we finally got to the Scott huts we were all quite exhausted and ready for a rest before supper. The weather continued to threaten rain but we were able to Braai again. I had taken an Idea from the Perks’ and precooked some mince. We made some rice to go with this and it seemed to go down well with our family.

By now I had noticed how many outfits Rory had with him. He told me that he had carried the Sleeping bag on the outside of the pack for the first few days so that he could fit in all the food requirements. But he had a few pairs of longs and clean shirts every evening. By the way; Rory and Nina did not suffer at all in the food department either. They had a variety of huge steaks, keebabs, sausage and ribs for each evening braai.



The Tornado and Whale
This evening we sat at hut two for the braai. The huts are situated at the mouth of a river. As we sat chatting at the braai Barbara noticed a pencil thin line of a tornado (See footnote for more about Tornado’s) coming down from the sky. To the West of this line we could see heavy rains falling. We estimated that this was taking place about ten kays out to sea. As we watched this unusual phenomena the tornado grew in size and made its way right down to the ocean where it churned up water and caused an upward fountain. Dawn was able to record this spectacular event on her camera.

Meanwhile I think that it was either Rory or Barabra who spotted a Whale in the bay just in front of where we were sitting. After a while we thought that there may be two of them. Some of the group climbed over the rocks to get a closer view. Ally & I were the last to get there and were soon chased away by the rain.

Day three of the Otter Trail.
The third day was to be one of our best. The weather was great. We started just before 09.00 and regrouped at the Elandsbos River. Some of us had a quick swim. As it was we all had to take off shoes for the river crossing. The beach at Elandsbos is worth a stop and we enjoyed a snack here. The day’s walk has many ups and downs. We pass the beach a few times and have to climb up and down some tricky rocky sections.

Hannes found a beach to have a swim. He and the boys were leaping off a rock into the pool below. They had just got off this rock when a huge wave washed over the rock. The wave was strong enough to have caused some hurt if they had still been standing on it. Rory & Nina were up on the top of the rock when this wave hit and, while they were not caught in the wave, I think it gave them a bit of a fright.

After this section there are a few climbs and then there is another monster climb up past the Balancing Rock. But when you reach the top of that climb there is just a short walk to the top of the Lottering River. One of the features of todays walk was the flowers that we saw. I think that the sunny sky after overcast wet days had created a special kind of magic. There were all varieties and colours of fynbos from brightly coloured vygies to Red Hot Pokers and Watsonia.

Crossing the Lottering River
From here you can see the huts on the other side of the river but it took us at least an hour or more before we reached the huts. First we had the long climb down to the river and then the crossing of the river. It was close to high tide and we had to wade across, carrying our backpacks on our heads. Hannes used a splash cover to float the bags across. A word of caution: it is best to take a pair of sandles or Rockies on a hike like this. If you should have to walk on rocks or in water you will find out just how tender your feet have become. Rory & Nina had taken a leisurely stroll from the swimming pool and we waited for them to get to the river before we all set off for the final 15minute walk to the Oakhurst Huts. These two huts are situated on the rocks overlooking the river mouth.

The Oakhurst Huts
Babara & I had our traditional sundowners and snacks on the rocks and enjoyed watching the sea pounding the rocks with the gulls flying past. There were a pair of Oyster Catchers pecking away at the juicy bits on the rocks a little way off the shoreline. We had a bold pair of Red Wing Starlings join us for some peanuts. Barbara managed to spill her precious glass of sherry so I galantly shared my beer with her. And Ally managed to knock the cup of beer over as well. Aah Well! We saw a pair of Dolphin swim past and expected to see the rest of the school but that was all we were to see that evening.

We had brought some fillet steak for the third evening. Barbara & Dawn were too tired to really enjoy it so we saved most of it for the next day. I think that Ally was quite happy with that arrangement as she could enjoy steak rolls for her lunch on day four. The night at the Lottering river was quite scary. At about two in the morning a huge wind rocked the cabin and driving rain lashed down at us. Barbara got up and saved our clothing that we had left outside. I think that many thoughts of having to abandon the days walk must have taken place. But when I got up at 05.00am I was pleasantly surprised to see clear sky and only a light breeze.

We had planned to leave close to 06.00am to try to make it to the Blaaukrans River Mouth while the tide was still low. Low tide was at 08.30am and the 10 kay walk from Lottering to the Blaaukrans River Mouth is four & a half hours for Dawn and a little less for the faster walkers. Fortunately there are Kilo Markers all the way along. The only one that we missed was the 5kay marker. The Six kay marker can also easily be missed as there is a rocky climb at the 6kay point.

This section of the hike is not that tough but should not be underestimated as there are lots of rocky climbs up and down as well as a number of hills. We did the first four kays at about 20mins a kay but then slowed down quite considerably once we reached the more technical sections. The recent heavy rains made the pathways quite mushy to walk in. I know that more than one person had a really muddy boot by the end of the day. Ally in particular would get her feet stuck in mud every now and so often. Barbara, Dawn, Ally & I were bringing up the rear. While we walked Barbara spotted a Knysna Loerie. It is not often that one sees these elusive birds but once spotted, their bright red wings give them away. Today we had to walk in a variety of weather conditions. At stages the rain would be coming down quite strongly and at other times we were in sunshine. However as Dawn & I reached the point above the Blaukrans we saw that a number of the group had gathered at the top. Hannes, the boys and Rob were down at the river.

The Blaauwkrans River
Hannes was trying to find a crossing point but the tide was coming in too strongly and we would have had some dangerous swims. Added to that all our kit would have got wet. Just at this time the rain was coming down and I was not sure what to do. I tried to phone the emergency number (Andre Reily, a Ranger) we had been given but there was no reply. I left a voice message and it turned out that he was in a meeting all morning. In the end the decision was that we would take the Escape Route (E6).

This was to be a never ending climb. It seemed to go up and up and up. The steps were huge and I used my hands to pull myself up some of the steps. I reached the top quite tired. Calvin and Stuart had run down to assist anyone needing help with bags. I think that Dawn & Barabra were quite happy to allow them to carry bags up to the top. Rob had also been right down to the river and I could see that the water on his brow was not the result of rain drops.

Blaaukrans River Bungy Camp
At the top I was now cold and miserable. The cold West wind was blowing and the rain started to fall once more. We were on the forest road and off we went. Dawn sets a good pace on this type of surface and she tended to lead the pack. It did not seem that we had walked that long when I heard shouts behind us. And we all turned around and went back. Now we were walking into the driving rain. I was really cold.

It seemed that someone had found a different route and I was in no mood to argue. Fortunately Nina had the presense of mind to think. And we walked to where the Blaukrans River Bridge Bungy-Jump camp was. The strangest thing of all was, as I reached the National road, my phone rang. I was expecting a call from the Ranger and was surprised to see that it was Dawn’s husband, Richard, calling from East London. Dawn had a short while to explain to Richard where we were and what was going on.

The Coffee Shop.
Probably the most scary part of the entire hike was crossing the national highway. Nina found us a shortcut and we were fortunate enough to come across a man who worked here. He called the people at the Storms River Mouth and they sent someone to fetch us. Meanwhile we all congregated at the Coffee shop where we had something to eat and drink. Some of us were able to phone home.

I remember Rob talking to Trish. His comment regarding the hike: “this is not for sissies”. After the morning that we had experienced I totally agreed with him. That day I remember thinking to myself: “I wonder if some of the group think that we are being irresponsible in taking Ally, at 9years old, with us?” Taking Ally along had given us a great deal of joy. Barbara had done all the real work of being there for her. But for myself; my thought is that this is a character builder. And I simply love her company.

Rescue & riding on the back of the Bakkie to Andre Huts
The bakkie that was sent to fetch us was just big enough for all of us and our kit. Dawn had the prime spot in the front but still refused to share her Beanie with Barbara who was freezing in the back. We were all squashed up like sardines but the ride was still quite fun. Jacqui nearly lost her hat in the wind but by some lucky fluke the hat became caught in some of the gear instead of flying off the bakkie.

The route we took was back towards the toll gate, then right crossing the N2 in an Easterly direction and then back across the Highway over the bridge just to the East of the Toll Bridge. We then drove back along a very long road to the point where we would normally have had to collect wood. We would never have made it if we had to walk this whole way. From here it was a short walk down to the Andre huts. Of course we did carry wood down to the huts where we discovered piles of wood at the Boma and under hut one. As we walked down to the camp we were reminded of the last time we walked down this hill: Suzanne and Tim had this misunderstanding of the lost Bone/phone. But that’s another story.

The Andre Huts
This had been a really different and eventful day. We finally reached the huts at about three and finished off the day in style. It was a bright sunny afternoon. We were able to hang our wet stuff out to dry. The Shower here is quite spectacular. It is an open shower with a view to the sea. Probably one of the most unusual but welcome showers of the entire East coast of South Africa. We were soon gathered around the fire with an abundance of snacks and drinks. I had our second fillet steak to braai. This evening we had the steaks with Smash. Rob had an amazing variety of snacks.

Poor Deryck was down to the bare minimum as his rations had been curtailed by the crow on the first night. But I really don’t think that any of us suffered from lack of sustenance on this hike. In fact I don’t think that I have ever seen more eaten by so few under such tough conditions. I remember Rory handing round some delicious (Merino Butchery I think) Sausage. This is unheard of on the last day of a five day hike. Rob came up with a dessert of Licorice All Sorts. Mmmmm.

Day five of the Otter Trail
The next day were we greeted by a clear sky and a light breeze. Perfect walking conditions. We started off at 08.00. We had started each day with thanksgiving and a special prayer asking for Jesus to accompany us on the trail. I am quite certain that the comment made by Rory: “We are going to be fine as this is a group from the church” was totally true. It was not so much that we were Christians but more that we invited Christ to be part of the hike every step of the way. The last day of the hike starts with a 30minute hill climb. But thereafter there is a lot of contouring along the edge of the cliff. There are also a few short ups and downs but no technical sections.

Ally leads the group
On the last day Ally lead our little group, setting up a cracking pace. I was able to chat to Ally and this was my best day for being with her. We spoke about the various flowers and she spotted the King Protea, the Pin Cushion Protea, the Erica and various other flora. Ally had managed this hike very well with no whining or moaning.

There is one particular lookout point on this section of the walk that should not be missed. Hannes in particular pointed out the ledge that overlooks the sea below. The ledge is in such a position that the hiker is about 140m above the sea and the ledge jutts out so that you are actually directly over the water itself. Don’t get too close. There is no protection. We finally reached the end of the trail and climbed down to the beach at Natures Valley. Barbara and Dawn had seen a whale and tried to alert us but we were too far ahead.

Natures Valley
From there it is not far to the lagoon. The heavy rains had caused the lagoon to breach and we had to take our shoes off to cross the Groot Rivier and then a short walk on the tar road to the campsite. The walk from the huts today took us exactly three hours. Nina had a floppy moment and had asked Rory to fetch her from the Natures Valley car park.

When we got to the Combi we realised that we had a flat battery. We were lucky to find some local people who assisted us with the loan of their battery to get our vehicle started. Once the combi was going Rory did not turn off the ignition until we reached the Storms River bridge. Most of us were able to shower and clean up for the ride home. We had borrowed Gerald’s trailer and loaded all the kit into the trailer and the people into the combi.

The drive home
Our next stop was the Storms River Mouth were Hannes collected his combi and we set off for home. The stop at Storms River Bridge was welcomed as we were able to buy ourselves hamburgers and cold drinks. Rory did all the driving in our combi on the way home. I am sure that he was feeling quite sleepy and felt that I should have relieved him for at least some of the way. I had a good snooze and felt quite refreshed when we reached PE. We had a big surprize when we got home. Our Daughter, Nicci and her three children were there. We knew that they would be coming but expected them only the next day. Nicci had made a big stew and Michael, Lene and his family also enjoyed the meal that Nicci had prepared for us.

Tired Legs
Yes. I did have tired legs for a few days after the hike. The following few days I was quite stiff and sore. On Saturday I went for my first run and really battled. Fortunately I had Gerald to run with as the rest of the group had dropped me. On the run Gerlad picked up this huge kitchen knife and I think that the two of us must have looked quite menacing to anyone passing us.

Start of the Nippers Season.
The following Sunday was the start of the 2006/2007 Nippers season. I had agreed to assist with coaching again. Ally would still be in the under ten’s group. We did not do much in the way of training but it was more of a work party and setting up for the following Sunday. It was good to see the Nippers people again. Lee, Varrin, Warren and others. Nicci brought her family down to the beach for the morning. Ally has no trouble with hooking up with friends and that morning she invited Cayli to come to our house after Nippers. Cayli’s mom is Tanya and it seems like she is going to get involved with coaching this season. Tanya is already a lifesaver at Summerstrand. That evening Ally spent the night with Cayli. Sunday was a public holiday so Monday was a day off for many. Some of us turned out for the run. It was quite windy so we did a 12 kay to 14th ave Walmer. Later in the day Tim phoned me to go for a run so I did a further ten kays with him.

The Path to Reconciliation.
We discovered something that I had never seen before. On the Walmer side of Upper Valley road there is a Pathway erected in 2003 by the Young Family. It starts in 1903 and works its way through to 2003 with dates and quotes along the way. It ends overlooking Baakens Valley and has three large blocks of stone with the word Reconcilliation carved in the middle stone. Later that afternoon we took the children to the cycle place in Walmer and then I showed the family this little pathway. This running twice seemed to set me back as on Tuesday I ran again but by the afternoon my knee was quite sore & I had to ice it. That afternoon I gave blood and was given a writing case which is something that they do when you give 4 pints a year.

Gelvandale 15kay.
On our trip to Kingwilliamstown, Tim & I spoke about doing the 15kay race on Saturday. Neither of us have been active members this year and we were overdue for a participation league event. On the way back from King I had decided to stop over at the Crossroads Stall. This is a stall run by a group of men who have had hard times and are now trying to recover. Although John, from the Monday evening group, calls it the funny farm and tells us that many of the chaps smoke Dagga in the fields. John had also announced, very proudly, on Monday, that his daughter had been appointed as head girl at Collegiate for the coming year.

The Crossroads Stall is ten kays this side of Grahamstown at the turn off to Salem. At the stall I bought a Outeniqua Yellowood tree, about a meter tall, for R35.00. They hav e all kinds of vegetables, plants and other goodies. I also bought some cabbages (2 for R5.00) for the rabbits and a bottle of Honey. I was delighted with the purchase as I had been wanting to plant a Yellowood in our garden but never gotten round to it. When we were in Johannesburg for Ena’s Birthday party, Keith had shown us the indigenous trees, mainly Arcacia, that he planted in front of his house. And my brother, Ian is busy with the reforestation of indigenous trees at his farm in Costa Rika. So now this was to be my opportunity to join the tree planters.

On Saturday morning I first had to scratch out my running vest and then even deeper in my drawer somewhere I managed to find the licence numbers to pin onto the vest. Now came the most delicate part of all. The shorts. I have to be very careful that, in the dark, I do not take out the wrong shade of blue shorts. I then collected Tim at 05.30 and we drove down to the Gelvandale Swimming pool where this race starts. It was good to see so many of the Achilleans there. After we had registered, Tim, Bob, Graham & I did a short warm up run. Graham is even more injured than I am and he had decided to walk. We also came across Treloar and chatted to her for a short while about the Biathlon and Baithle. She shows a keen interest in Ally’s progress.

The race started at 06.30 sharp and Tim and I took it very slow. At the start of the race I had met Joy and Gary, both members of Achilles who I had not met before. Also there were Liz, Leslie, Justin, Tony and a number of other Achilleans. Davera was there. I am sure that she planned an easy morning as she will be leaving for Hawai for the World Ironman Championships in ten days. We passed Liz A, Peter P and Tom D and then caught up to Graham Nell. The three of us ran together for a good couple of kays. What I love about running with people like this is that they kays seem to fade much easier as you chat along the way. There are some nasty hills during the first half of this event. Going up a hill we passed Marlene from Cowie Striders. This lady is a Grandmaster but we only passed her after five or six kays.

What that I enjoy about running in this suburb is the way that locals stand in their bare feet, shorts or pajamas, often holding babies, and cheer you on from their driveways and veranda’s. In our own suburbs we hardly see a sole. I saw a grandmother with two children as they walked to the shops. The grandmother was quite happy to walk down the street in her pink gown, slippers with the two children in tow. Different! Another thing we came across, was a group of five men standing next to the road, each of them holding a quart of beer and a cigarette in hand. We wondered if they were starting, or if this was merely a continuation of last night’s party. During the long marathons like Two Oceans, we often see supporters cooking breakfast on a Scottle Braai with a beer in hand. But somehow this was different.

As we reached the halfway mark I mentioned to the others that I could see Moff just ahead of us as well as Bob not too far away. This seemed to give Tim new energy as, with five kays to go, he charged off ahead to catch the two of them. Graham also seemed to get stronger and moved on just ahead of me. We passed Moff. Then, with about three kays to go, Marlene came up from behind me. Now I felt hurt. This lady is no spring chicken and here I was battling to stay with her. We ran together to about two kays to go and then I decided that I would have to try to stay ahead of her. While drinking a coke at the finish I saw that Leslie, Joy and Gail must have had a great run as they looked as if they had been there for ages.

I ran as hard as I could to the end. I was not able to cach Graham who knew that I was going to be trying hard. I have no idea what my time was but I do know that I am very happy to be able to take part in an event like this. During the past week I had become very aware of how fragile we all are. A longtime member of the MPRG, Jacqui Wilmot, now Nieberg, has fallen victim to cancer and is undergoing Chemotherapy. Jacqui has a ten month old baby, Alexandra. There is also Lloyd Lindsay who is also very ill with cancer and Susan Burri who is still very weak after her renal failure and being in intensive care. It seems so unfair that here are three wonderful people who have never abused their bodies with smoking etc. And who have stayed fit with running and other sports and who are now not able to take part like we can.

I am no longer getting old. I am old!
After the run we went back to my car. I then realised that I had not locked the car before we left. Also that, while I had tied the Key to my shoe, I had somehow lost the rest of the bunch of keys and could not open the steering lock. Tim and Bob helped me search. Eventually Bob found my spare set of keys which was in the consol but the rest of the bunch were lost. How this happened in that short time of the morning is a clear indication of the aging process that is setting in. I simply could not remember what I had done with the keys an hour and a half earlier. Anyway a short while later Tim found the bunch in the ashtray. As we stood chatting at the car, John Kotze finished the run. He has also been ill and was feeling very low. His son, Greg, had done the 5kay in a very credible 26.30. We spoke to Justin after the run. It seems that he may also be planning to do another Ironman.

The Planting of the Yellowood Tree
After work on Saturday afternoon I did something that I never do: I went gardening. I took my grandchildren; Christian and Aaron and dug a hole on the front verge. I used a Pick and Spade and we made quite a substantial hole. We then went round to the rabbit hutch and scooped up some droppings and poured this into the hole, making a mush of water, sand and manure. Finally, in went the the Yellowood Tree. I really know little about trees or gardening and it will be interesting to see if this wonderful tree survives. Tracey and Herman have bought the Coimbra Cycle shop from Jan Havenga. On Saturday afternoon I went to the shop to buy some tubes and a saddle bag. Tracey and her partner, Andre were there and it seems that they are going to renovate the shop to give it a complete new look and feel.

That afternoon I spent watching Currie Cup rugby and babysitting. The rugby was not nearly as exciting as it had been the previous weekend. Ally went off to spend the night with her cousin, Carry. Barbara & Nicci went to the shops to buy a present for Daniel’s birthday the next day. The Weekend Post had a large, front page, colour picture of three of the Summerstrand Nippers as they splashed through the surf. Ally was in the middle of them. The reporter managed to get their names wrong. It was Kim van Greunen, Jamie Engelke and Ally.



The following is some information on Tornados that I found in the Wikipedea.
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air which is in contact with both a cumulonimbus (or, in rare cases, cumulus) cloud base and the surface of the earth. Tornadoes can come in many shapes, but are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel, with the narrow end touching the earth. Often, a cloud of debris encircles the lower portion of the funnel.
Tornadoes can be the most destructive storms on earth. Most have winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) or less, are approximately 250 feet (75 meters) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. However, some tornadoes can have winds of more than 300 mph (480 km/h), be more than a mile (1.6 km) across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 kilometers).[1][2][3]
They have been observed on every continent except Antarctica; however, a significant percentage of the world's tornadoes occur in the United States.[4] This is mostly due to the unique geography of the country, which allows the conditions which breed strong, long-lived storms to occur many times a year. Other areas which commonly experience tornadoes are Australia, south-central Canada, northwestern Europe, south-central and eastern Asia, east-central South America, and South Africa.[5].
The word "tornado" is an altered form of the Spanish word tronada, which means "thunderstorm".

TSITSIKAMMA HIKING TRAIL SEPTEMBER 2006.

TSITSIKAMMA HIKING TRAIL 26TH SEPTEMBER 2007

Peter, Barbara, Ally & Mark
Ian and Jenny from New York
Patrick, Patti, Dominic, Isabelle & St John from Durban
Gerald & Pat
Robin
Dawn from East London
Engela, Natasha, Lauren & Tamaryn

We began this hike by making the booking shortly after completing the Otter Trail in September of 2004. As it happened Ian was able to join the hike and so too was Patrick. It was the first time in many years that the three Giddy Boys were able to be together for any length of time while taking part in a common activity.

I had heard that there was a portage service available, which meant that the very young and the not so fit could also take part. For the rest of us it meant that we could do this hike in luxury. The cost of the hike including the bag carrying service was R500 pp. We booked it as a six-day hike starting at Natures Valley and ending at the Storms River Bridge. The total distance is about 61 kays. I also purchased a hike T-shirt for each of the hikers, which I had embroidered with the name of the hike and the individual's name as well. These will be a useful souvenir for each of us to keep.

Jenny arrived from Jhb on the Wednesday afternoon and left for Plettenbergbay the following morning, Ian arrived on Friday afternoon, hired a car and after spending a night with us drove through to Plett on Saturday morning. Patrick had left Westville on Friday afternoon, slept over in Ladybrand on the way through and then drove straight through to Plett on Saturday. So the hike gave both families time to visit Ena and to do some shopping for the hike in Plett. Dawn came through from East London on Saturday and spent a few days with Gail. Dawn agreed that I should do most of the catering as we normally do when on a hike. So I bought provisions that should be sufficient for five people. I found that I had to think and rethink the catering a number of times as I did not want to be ridiculous with the amount of food and luxuries but also did not want to be too Spartan either. I had given blood the previous week and they had given me a little flask as reward. I was looking forward to using this and the two cooler bags that they had previously given me. One was a wine cooler and the other a six pack cooler.

We were also able to arrange that Mark come on the hike with us. Mark is presently at school in Vryheid in KZN and spends weekends in Saldana Bay. His home is in Pretoria (Tshwane I think that it is now called). Mark took the bus from Vryheid to Pretoria and then to Port Elizabeth. A long trip for him but he was really looking forward to the hike and it was a pleasure to have him with us. Mark arrived in Port Elizabeth on Saturday afternoon and was able to spend a few days with us before the hike started. It was good to have him back.

We spent a good part of the weekend packing and planning our meals. I had taken leave from the Friday afternoon. Engela had offered to lend me her fancy video camera so I would not have to lug the big bag that I am familiar with. I had run on Saturday morning and had somehow developed a stiff neck. This troubled me the whole weekend but fortunately by Monday morning was hardly noticeable. During the period leading up to the hike Michael had secured himself an Assistant Managers position at the FurnCity branch of Ellerines about a month previously. Cathy had just landed a job at FlightCenter in Cape Town and was due to start on the same day that the hike started. This meant that we had a whole positive vibe in our lives at the time.


Monday morning 26th September 2005.

Day one. Finally Monday morning arrived and we did a last bit of arranging and were ready to leave shortly after 09.30. Engela phoned to say that she would meet us at Storms River Bridge, as she still had to go to Greenacres for some more shopping. Gerald had leant me his trailer. This was a blessing to us as there was no way that we would have been able to fit all our stuff in the boot of my car. We took a slow drive through to the bridge and soon after we got there Engela and Trips arrived. More shopping of course and we were on our way to Natures Valley.

I contacted Graeme and the others that we were due to meet and confirmed that we would be there shortly. After the Toll Bridge we took the turn off to Natures Valley and were soon looking down on the splendour of the valley. We do not travel this road often any more and so enjoyed the forest road. At the rest camp, De Vaselot, we unpacked and began to separate our stuff. Graeme met us there and we explained the various fridge and freezer arrangements. He would be delivering our daily requirements so that we could have fresh foods every day. We had five cars altogether and had decided that we should transfer the cars to the Storms River Bridge while leaving just one car at Natures Valley.

Once this transfer was complete we were finally ready to start the first day’s hike which was a short 3kay walk to Kalander hut. We all had our daypacks so at least looked like hikers but our huge pile of baggage had been loaded into the truck and would be waiting for us at the hut. Tracey (From our church fellowship group) had phoned to wish us a good hike and had described their weekend at the Kudu Kaya at the Baviaans Kloof. It seems that they had waded and walked to the pool where Tim had slipped when we did the YsRivier kloofing trail earlier in the year. It sounded like they had an incredible weekend.

The first day starts along the old main road and after crossing the Groot Rivier turns off into the forest. They were in the process of building a boardwalk and so this part of the trail was made even easier. Our first hazard was a little stretch of water but after that it was an easy walk and we were soon at the hut and setting up camp at the Kalander Hut. The hut is crowded with bunks but there are four rooms so the younger group immediately declared their independence by claiming the room with 8 beds. Ian and Jenny had a room to themselves; Barbara, Dawn & I had the front room while the others shared the fourth room. The hut is located very close to the beach where the Otter trail ends. So we spent some time on the beach fooling around and getting to know each other. I don’t think that anyone was brave or foolish enough to go for a swim.

We decided that 16.00 was about the right time to get the fire going and in no time a feast of meat was being grilled with Patti doing most of the cooking. After the meal Robin had the youngsters playing cards. This was a real highlight as I often heard them asking later on the trail whether they could play cards again. They had great fun with much laughter. As is normal on the trail most of the group would be in bed between 20.00 to 21.00.
Tuesday Morning

Day two. We had agreed to leave fairly early the next morning as we did not know how every one would cope with the walk and so by just after 07.00 we were all packed and ready to go. We left this huge pile of bags for the truck crew to collect, locked the door and set off up the hill to the lookout point. Today our first adventure was a chain, which we could use to abseil down a short section of the pathway. There was also a set of steps but most of the group preferred the abseiling. The trail took us into the forest and a number of tea and lunch breaks. The trips set a precedent or standard; almost each stop meant that we would have to look upwards as one or more of them would be straddling a branch above us.

It was interesting to see the variety of trail food that had been prepared. And was clear that this was not to be a trail where people would lose weight. The trail first crosses the old main road connecting Port Elizabeth to Plett and then passes through a tunnel that is beneath the toll road (N2) just West of the Toll Gate. After about 5kays we reached the waterfall. This is a good picnic spot and we were walking at a rate of between two to three kays an hour. Over the whole hike we would average something like two kays an hour, this included a multitude of stops, breaks, swims etc. The faster youngsters could have set a much faster pace but they had strict instructions to regroup at suitable intervals. Nobody swam at the waterfall but there was a lot of tree and rock climbing. The weather had been cool for most of the day and was ideal hiking weather.

We still had about eight kays to go and so set off once everybody was fed and rested. Along this path we came across a group of people who were harvesting the ferns. It seems that they worked for the Forest Fern Nursery, which is located on the East Side of the Storms River Bridge. They explained that they would harvest a variety of flora which would be sold to local and overseas markets.

As we walked we could see the Indian Ocean through the trees. We saw that the seas were looking quite rough due to strong winds but where we were, in the forest, we hardly noticed the wind strength. Today we were also able to see the Blaauwkrans Bridge from the trail. The last section of this day’s hike is a jeep track and quickly leads to hiker to the Blaauwkrans hut which over looks the valley and the stream below where there are a number of pools that can be used for swimming. We reached the Blaauwkrans Hut at about 14.00. We had walked for between six to seven hours. I think that we would have been a lot slower if we had been carrying full backpacks.

Our baggage was safely stored in the hut and the fresh and frozen foods were intact and accurately delivered. We had marked the daily requirements with the day of the week. I carry trail soap and prefer to wash in the streams. Others used the showers that are provided. This hut has two rooms. The youngsters again claimed their territory while the snorers bunked in the second room. In the middle of the night Jenny, Ian and Patti decided that the volume of snoring was getting out of control so evacuated the adult room and moved to the youngster’s room. Strangely enough there was almost no snoring once they had gone but the youngsters reported an increased level of snoring in their room that night!

This evening I had planned for a supper of mince and rice. The mince was left over from Wednesday evening when Jenny had been at our house. I had frozen the leftovers and this provided a delicious supper for us. The huts are equipped with a separate kitchen or Lapa area, which is well stocked with firewood as well as braai grids, heavy cast iron pots and kettles. There is a separate shower and toilet area. The showers can be made warm if the hiker is prepared to boil the water in a kettle and to use the bucket system provided. I think that the buckets in this hut were leaking and so it was either cold showers or bath in the stream below.

Graeme had said that we could order additional foods if required and so I decided to try this out. I had packed six rolls for each day but decided to order bread and also realised that there was a possibility that Barbara and Dawn may become increasingly more thirsty as the trail progressed, ordered an extra bottle of Sherry as well. Ian realised that he had left his glasses and Jenny’s hot water bottle at the Kalander hut so left a note for the truck crew. These items were returned to him later.

We had been had warned that we could expect rain during the first day or two. We had had some rain during the night but had taken most of the towels and baggage into the hut for the night. For the rest of the hike we had perfect weather. At no stage, except perhaps Friday afternoon, was it particularly hot. The evenings were cool but bearable.


Wednesday morning.

Day three. Our breakfast was planned for coffee, hot chocolate and rusks. Ena had promised to send a container of those delicious rusks that she makes. But it seems that Patrick had been remiss and forgotten them in his car. I then decided to make the most of this and use this as a blackmailing tool against him. If Ena was to discover that he had not brought the rusks for us; and that we had gone hungry as a result; the consequences would be too horrific to bear thinking about! This morning we left at about 08.00am. The air was crisp but most of us required only shorts and a T-Shirt, while Gerald needed double layers including his “Moffie Broek”.

The days walk starts with a short descent and then a fairly long ascent. Walking uphill in the early morning is not difficult although the heat means that the hiker should remain well hydrated. Looking back from the hill that we climbed that morning we could see across the valley. I always marvel at how quickly we walk uphill to the most magnificent views. This morning was no exception. The morning sun on the valley, the dew on the fynbos, Erica, Watsonia and variety of Protea bush created a breathtaking experience.

After about five Kays we reached the young group. They had found a stream where we relaxed for a snack and enjoyed the fresh sound of the stream as it rushed over the rocks. When everyone was fully rested and ready to press on we had to cross the stream. The trail provides a chain to assist the hiker. The youngsters went on first and I was amazed to see how the level of the water rose in the short while between them leaving and the rest of the group. The second group had to remove their boots or else would have to walk in wet boots for the remaining eight kays.

From here there was a steady climb with undulating pathways for most of the rest of the day. As the trail nears the Keurbos hut there is a section of jeep track and then just before the hut is the Twin Tubs. These are two rock pools just off the pathway, which we walked back to after off loading our packs. Isabelle was first to jump in with Dominic and Ally following shortly afterwards. Others seemed to be willing to get their feet wet but not much more. The mountain streams are fairly chilly at this time of year. After they had all left, Patrick, St John and I had our evening bath. Meanwhile back at the hut, Patti was busy boiling water in all three kettles so that the group could enjoy a hot shower. I never found out whether she was doing this because she is such a good considerate person or if it was that she could no longer stand the odour that goes with hiking for four days.

Each evening would start off with the happy hour, pre-dinner snacks and fire building. I think that it was Bill Corkill who had once declared that happy hour may not begin before 17.00 until the second night on the trail when it was permissible to have a pre-happy hour beverage at 16.00. Robin set this standard for this hike and I was able to open the first of my ration of two Millers Draught Beers at that time.

Just before the hike I had visited the local Solly Kramers intending to purchase the Windhoek draught that had been so successful on previous hikes but had been conned into buying Millers beer with the offer of a free six pack. Let me not complain. The Millers went down very well on the hike. The pre-dinner snacks were probably the highlight of each evening. They varied between cauliflower, carrots and other fresh vegetables with dip to oysters and muscles on Crackers. But the most indulgent of all was when, on their last night, Ian and Jenny brought out the caviar on crackers!

The Keurbos Hut evening was to be our Pootjiekos evening. Patti had brought Pork Fillet and we had a pack of drumsticks. There was also a variety of vegetables, which was cooked in the cast iron “Drie Poot Pot” and we had a most delicious supper. I tried to make a custard and peaches for pudding but strangely enough this was not as popular with Ally and Mark as I had thought it would be. I think that they were too much in a hurry to get back to the “teenagers room” after supper each evening. That was where the real fun was to be had.

Thursday morning.

Day four. This was to be the last day of hiking far Ian and Jenny who had to catch a flight to Port Elizabeth on Friday afternoon. The bread, which I had asked the truck crew to buy, had been waiting for us in the hut the previous evening. This was fantastic as we now had two loaves of fresh sliced bread to make sandwiches and I was able to make a good pile of pastrami, cheese, lettuce, and ham and mayonnaise sandwiches for the day’s hike. It was going to be “another tough day in Africa”! Today’s hike begins with a climb, which is easily manageable in the morning cool and provides the hiker with splendid views of the valley, the Indian ocean and even views of Plettenbergbay and the Robberg. After this climb there are some fairly steep descents down to the Elandsbos river at the six Kay mark. A mistake that we, as hikers, often make is that we do not take time to look back on where we have come. These views may be the best that we will have.

The Elandsbos stream, like most on the hike, provides the hiker with an ideal opportunity to take boots off and to soak tired feet. It is quite amazing how soaking feet and legs in the icy water of the stream can refresh legs that were previously aching. At this point the river is suitable for a swim and many of us took full advantage of the opportunity. While others used this as an excuse for a bit of sun tanning and snacking. Patrick was last to arrive with St John and provided Ally with her most amusing moment of the hike as he changed to his swimming costume.

Shortly after the swimming hole is the narrow bridge crossing. This is a 30meter swing bridge where there is a 20cm board to walk across and the handholds are ideally suited to adults. Ally and St John were stretched to their limit, as they had to cross the bridge with arms fully extended to try to reach the rope. But along with everybody else they took this in their stride and were soon on the other side of the river and walking strongly up the next hill. I had tried to film this but realised that the battery of the camera was flat despite the fact that Engela had provided two batteries and that she had fully charged them prior to the hike.

I think that it was about here that we started the spelling and maths exercises. Between Isabelle and myself we set both Ally and St John spelling and maths tests which helped them to keep their minds off their tired legs. Up to this time they had been coping incredibly well and often leading some of the more senior of the hikers. As often happened at this time of day we would rest often as the heat became quite stifling particularly when we were in the tall fynbos that cut out all breeze but failed to provide any shade. This hike is one, which I would not like to tackle during the summer months, as I do not enjoy walking in the heat. The days would be longer and the river water warmer but I find the afternoon heat energy sapping.

The walk to Heuningbos Hut took us about seven hours and was well worth the effort. As we were hiking I had this thought that I was kind of in a training mode. Tim and I had this idea that we could complete the BAFER ultra. This is a 100kay two-day event along the Amatola hiking trail. What worried me is that I had forgotten just how tough a hiking trail can be and the extent to which your feet take a pounding. Oh well, that will have to be another story. The Heuningbos hut faces the West and has some cool pools just below the hut. When we got there we went straight down to the pools and were able to enjoy a swim while the sun warmed us up as we got out the water and sat on the warm rocks. This evening was the last evening for Ian and Jenny so we had the compulsory photo shoots of the Giddy families and the Giddy boys.

Each hut has a set of “Rules”. Barbara & I remember this hut well; as we had once walked to the hut and had to share with others who had come there with the sole purpose of adding to the profits of S.A.Breweries. One of the rules of this hut was “No Vulgarities” I cannot remember for certain, but perhaps we had complained to the hike management at the time and this was their response.

We were able to get cell phone reception and we were able to chat to Ena and assure her of our safety. The evening was much warmer than the previous three evenings and Patti decided to move her sleeping accommodation to the kitchen area. Between her and Engela (assisting with the placing of firewood to seal the area against draughts) they set up a cosy boudoir in a corner of the kitchen.

This evening was warm and the sky was clear so we were able to do a little stargazing and even saw a satellite. Satellites are only visible in the early evening as they reflect the sun. Once the evening meal was finished and most of the hikers had gone to bed I was able to sit at the fireside with some of the youngsters and tell stories which others have long become bored with.


Friday Morning.

Day five. I had again ordered two loaves of fresh bread and so was able to use left over pork sausages together with a variety of cheese, lettuce, ham and pastrami to make the days sandwiches. Ian and Jenny had planned to walk some of the way to the main road but before we left the truck crew were there to collect them and all of our baggage. They would be dropped off at the Storms River Bridge where their hired car was parked. We said our good byes and left them to make their way to Port Elizabeth and then back to America. They phoned on Sunday to say that they had reached their home in NY safely despite delayed flights.

Ian had been talking of a combined trip to Cloudbridge, their farm in Costa Rica. It is a farm that they are in the process of converting from a cattle ranch to a nature conservation area. They are trying to clear out the thorn and dense brush that has been left over from the cattle farming and to replant indigenous trees. One of the main problems that they encounter is that the young trees that they plant will soon become covered with the dense thorn bush if it is not cleared every few months. Ian tells me that it is purely a conservation effort and that there is no commercial venture planned, even though they are also creating trails and that a variety of people enjoy the trails. They are also considering building a hut along one of the trails. Ian tells me that the farm adjoins a national park and that the trails are very mountainous and difficult.

The hike from Heuningbos to Sleepkloof is fairly well known to both Robin and myself. We instructed everyone to fill as many water bottles as possible. As happened on most mornings, we started off with a climb and then a steep descent. These descents are normally tiring on the feet and when we reached the stream at the bottom we gladly took our boots off and had a soak in the cold water. We also had a snack here and I again urged everyone to fill their water bottles to capacity. What we did not know is that just a few meters further on the trail crossed the stream for a second time. Here it was wider and deeper. The heat was already quite intense and Engela & Pat decided to dip themselves fully into the water, clothes and all!

Finally we set off for the toughest section of the whole hike. It is particularly tough because of the time of day as well as the fact that the trail is through tall fynbos and so there is no cooling breeze. Halfway up this section there is a spring which must be used to refill water bottles again. If the hiker does not use every opportunity to drink and drink regularly there is a real chance of dehydration but in any event the heat is energy sapping. I was walking with Isabelle and Robin and we had to stop often to take advantage of tiny bits of shade and to try to recover our strength. Fortunately we had sufficient water.

After we reached the neck we saw Barbara, Ally and Dawn coming up behind us. We waved and they waved back. What we did not realise is that they were short of water and were trying to attract our attention. Eventually they did reach the neck and Barbara told me that Dawn was suffering even worse than they were. As it turned out everyone got to the top and after a short period of relaxation and a snack we began the long descent to the river below. I went a little ahead and filled the water bottle so that I could provide Barbara & Dawn with water if they should require it. But they were fine and we were soon all enjoying the shade of the forest and the cool water below. Patti made some Ginger tea and I heard Barbara & Dawn raving about how good it tasted.

From the river it is another 2kays to the Sleepkloof Hut but an easy forest walk. We reached the hut as the tail enders at about 16.00 this having been the toughest day. Showers and clothes washing on the trail does not really take the dirt from the hiker but it gave us a sense that we were at least acceptable. The Smoke and Sweat of the trail takes some really deep cleaning which only comes in the form of Skip, OMO, Sunlight and similar detergents. As happens on the last night of any trail there was a festive mood and a sense of achievement. However much we tried we could not eat as much as we had brought so there was a fair amount of left over food. The supply of beverages was not as plentiful and by the end of the evening of telling the same stories as we tell on any trail and pretending that we find each other incredibly funny, we were all ready for bed. By now the young group had become quite firm friends and seemed to have an even better evening than the older group of hikers.

Saturday morning.

The last day. I was up early as usual and chopped wood for the morning fire. Having hot water available in the morning makes life a little easier as there is often washing to be done and coffee to be made. This morning Robin, Gerald & I left a little early, as we were still to fetch Robin’s car at Natures Valley. This is a very easy forest walk and within 40mins we were at the Storms River Bridge. We had passed Graeme and the Truck crew along the pathway and so we knew that they would be back soon with the baggage. We immediately set off for Natures Valley where we picked up Robin’s car and drove back to the bridge. The rest of the group had started just after us but we heard later that they had set a cracking pace and walked the final three kays in about 37 mins. We decided to have a breakfast on the deck at Storms River Restaurant before heading back home. The service was prompt and we were soon taking last photos and ready for the last lap.

Patrick would meet us at our house and then carry on to East London where they stayed the night with Dawn in East London, before heading off to Durban on Sunday. I spent Saturday afternoon cleaning up and trying to cross tape the video that I had taken along the trail. It was only then that I discovered why the battery had not lasted as long as expected. What I had done on the second day was to film us reaching the top of the first hill and then put the camera into the carry bag, Still Recording! So I have about 40 mins of film of the inside of a carry bag with the sounds of my puffing and panting as I walk through the forest. I have not listened to the whole tape but hopefully I did not say anything that could be construed as vulgarities or insulting. This is just another example of my being lazy to use my reading glasses when I should be reading instructions.

The drive back to Port Elizabeth was easy with Mark and Ally asleep for most of the time and Barbara & Dawn completing a crossword puzzle with clues which leave me baffled.

Mark and Ally enjoyed the afternoon sun in the pool and in each other’s company. At about 16.15 we took Mark to the Greyhound bus and provided him with a few snacks for the road. He would have to travel to Pretoria and then on Sunday to Vryheid to be back at school on Monday. The weather on Saturday had begun with a really hot day of about 30 degrees and then in the late afternoon the wind came up and the temperature dropped considerably. It seemed that we had had the very best of the holiday weather on our hike. The next week was going to be a busy one for us as Michael’s wife, Lene, was due to have their third baby on Monday morning (Daniel) and Nicci (also pregnant) was due to fly in from London this week with her two children, Christian and Aaron.

Finally thanks to everyone on the hike for your company and the wonderful fellowship that we enjoyed together. Also thanks to the Gendalls for the loan of their sleeping bags and the McGillivrays for the loan of their gas cooker. I have managed to put together about 40 mins of the hike (Highlights of the first three days) onto video and have this available should you wish to see it.


Peter Giddy
2 October 2005.

Contact Details for the hike:
044 874 4363 (Ivy)
ivy@cyberperk.co.za

THE TRIPLE FILTER TEST BY SOCRATES

The Triple Filter Test

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high
esteem.

One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Socrates,
do you know what I just heard about your friend?"

"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything, I'd
like you to pass a little test. It's called the 'Triple Filter Test.'"

"Triple Filter?"

"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my
friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going
to say.

The first filter is 'Truth' Have you made absolutely sure that what
you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man said, "actually, I just heard about it and ... "

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or
not.
Now let's try the second filter, the filter of 'Goodness' Is what you
are about to tell me about my friend something good?"

"No, on the contrary ... "

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about
him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though,
because there's one filter left: the filter of 'Usefulness' Is what you want
to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither
true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

The acquaintance was silent.

ENA GIDDY 90TH BIRTHDAY PARTY AUGUST 2006.

AUGUST 2006

The Month of August 2006 started off with a bit of a disaster as heavy rains caused flooding in the city. For ourselves we lost the tree in front of the house. This tree had been a haven for bird life, including a pair of nesting Knysna Loeires. It had also provided us with privacy in our front lounge.

The winds and rain caused the tree to fall across the whole of Eaton road and Barbara & I had to saw the top branches off to allow cars to pass by the house. I took the day off from work and phoned into the office and advised the rest of the staff to do the same. The following day schools were cancelled as the citizens of PE tried to deal with the extent of the flooding. Barbara, Ally & I took a drive down to the Zwartkops River. It was flowing fast and we saw how the river had overflowed onto the road. The bottom of Brickmakers Kloof had been washed away as had the section of Kragga Kamma road callled Linga Longa.

This was to be an interesting month. We had planned a Dinner for Ena’s 90th Birthday in Johannesburg. Ian and Jenny would be there for a Lecturing assignment. Ian & Alice drove Ena from Plettenberg Bay to Franschoek, Clanwilliam, Pata Nostra and up the West Coast to see the Namaqualand Dasies which by all accounts were the best in years. They spent a good week or more touring and having a great time. Ian Spence was battling with his hips but seemed to manage okay despite that. They stopped off at Augrabies to see the Falls. Due to heavy rains the falls were at their best. There was a new addition to the sightseeing in that there is now a boardwalk that the viewers have to obtain the best vantage points. They then went to Uppington and finally to Johannesburg.

Ian had some work to do in Jhb and Barbara & I had booked a flight ages ago. Patrick met up with a friend of his in Jhb. On the Saturday morning I was able to do a 15kay run with Tim in the morning. Then Ally had a Hockey Derby at the Erica school. Nicci, Jacqui and Cathy had gone to Erica Primary school when they were at that age. Ally’s team did very well. They seemed to be finally achieving some rythym in their play and it is now almost the end of the season.

They have another match at the Westering primary school on Tuesday 22 August. There is a great deal of support from parents and teachers for these games. Ally’s team consisted of Megan Derry, Lara Swanepoel, Nicci, Emma (who had also payed in the B team earlier), ANO and Ally. They won the game something like 4 / nil. After the game, Barbara dropped me at work and she & Ally went off shopping.

I had a fairly busy morning but was able to write a short speech as Ian had suggested that he, Patrick & I should say something at the dinner. I have added a transcript at the bottom. Barbara & I left the car at the airport and were fortunate to be checked in by Simone Hauft – an ex friend of Jacqui from her school days. She made sure that we had good seats on the plane and also booked our return seats for the next days return flight. On this trip I learned how to play Sidoku. It was my first attempt. Barabra & Ally love the game. We cleaned up a few games in the 90 minutes we were in the air. I had a book to read but the Sidoku is quite addictive and I never even started my book.

When we arrived in Jhb, Keith was waiting for us. Suzanne had gone off to Holland for her annual visit to the family. It was Edmund’s turn to accompany her. Julia was on the Natal coast and Nills had just returned from a trip to Bolita bay with a friend of his. We collected Nills and then Keith showed us the route that we would take to the Linger Longer restaurant that evening. A little later we sat in the cool transvaal Gauteng evening chatting in Keith’s garden. They have a special interset in Trees. Keith had been for a 17 kay walk in a game park that morning. He is training for a climb in the Andes next year. Barbara had a lie down before going to dinner. I can fall fast asleep very easily but Barbara sat and played more Sidoku. The drive to Linger Longer was made easy by the fact that we had been there earlier with Keith. But just as we were approaching the restaurant, crossing Rivonia Road, a maniac in a sports car came screaming past us. I chose to drive at a slow speed due to the fact that we were in Keiths car and we were in unfamiliar territory.

We met up with all the family. Nicci Spence, Ian and Jenny had gone to a great deal of trouble to make the table special. Balloons, petals and shiny stuff on the table, small flower bowls all made for a stunning table setting. Ian & Jenny had their laptop computers there. They were switched on and playing a series of photographs. They had also made up a collage of photo’s that they displayed on the wall. We had the use of a semi private room for our celebrations.

At the table were: Ena, Barbara & I, Ian & Jenny, Ian Spence & Alice, Patrick, Nicci Holliday, and Ena’s friends; Jennifer, Natalie & Betty. 12 in all. Ian ordered wine, we were offered bottled water and then introduced to a long list of starters. Barbara & I declined the starters. The prices were horrific. Others had some interesting stuff like a Firecracker, Scallops, Avocado soup etc.

The main course came quite some time later. Barabra ordered a rack of lamb. It was excellent. I had the Kingklip. It was a minature helping and really not cooked that well. I saw that others had ordered Langoustines, and other fancy dishes. Fortunately for me; Betty was sitting next to me. She had ordered the Salmon and exclaimed how they had dished her enough for an army. Mmmm! though I. I was in the army once and I determined that any leftovers would be mine. Sure enough, she hardly had any and I was able to have good dinner due to Betty leaving more than half of her dinner.

At these family dinners of Giddy’s and Spences it is quite common to share your plate of food with all and sundry around you. Barbara was offered Scallops from Jennifer. I saw Langoustines being passed around. I wondered why order 6 if you only eat 4. But nothing went to waste as the sharing of dinner ensures that the small helpings that a fancy restaurant like this serves, enables the less hungry to pass on their leftovers to gluttons like myself.

Ian made a speech. He remined us of how we had moved into our caravan at Brookes hill overlooking the Humewood beach. And how Ena had managed to feed three ravenous boys plus all their mates with pancakes and an array of other specialities. Patrick was next to talk. He had prepared a speech but he speaks so well that he was able to relate a number of very funny stories of Ena’s past such as the Mayonaise that she made. While most of the modern moms whould never dream of making Mayo at home, Ena painstakingly adds drop by drop of oil to ensure the perfect texture. He did not mention it that evening, but Ena also makes her own Ice Cream as well as Marmalade.

My own speech was also quite well received. After the speeches we had dessert. Fortunately I had not brought my reading glasses. I had borrowed Alices’ to read my poem. And so could not see the prices of the dessert but was horrified later as we stole a menu and I saw that we had paid the earth for only a small helping of pudding. I had a pair of Crepes and Barbara had a Crème Brulet. The time went so fast that I was amazed to see that it was already 23.00. Anyone who knows me knows that I can hardly stay awake past 20.00 so this was very late for me. We had had a fantastic evening and looked forward to climbing into bed back at Keith’s house. Fortunately I had very little to drink and was confident to drive home. As we made our way along the William Nicole drive, a second madman came rushing past us at a traffic light. Crazy these Joburg drivers!

The next morning, Barbara was not feeling her best. She made us some coffee and I went through to see if Keith was awake. We decided to go for a early morning run and made our way up and down the Bryanston hills for the next 100 minutes. It was good to be able to spend some time chatting and catching up on his news. Keith told me about his morning run the previous day. He goes to a game park where he puts on a back pack and spends over two hours walking and running over some tough terrain.

He tells us that there is also a cylce track in the game park. Cyclists pay R10 or R20 and then have a circular route of about 67kays that they can safely ride without having to worry about the cars & trucks that we find on normal routes. After the run, Keith treated us to Mug & Bean breakfast and then dropped us off at the airport in penty of time for our 11.00am flight back home.

Back home that afternoon the weather was totally different to the warm morning that we had experienced in Jhb. It was chilly, wet and windy. Barbara spent most of the afternoon at home. On Monday afternoon I went for a short cycle with Ally. We passed a young boy running around the Grey. He is a std 9 pupil and tells me that he is hoping to make next year’s first rugby team. Xolani Facu. I will be watching the Grey rugby teams with interest next year.

I have been attending meetings for Addicts with Tim recently. This has been a real eye opener for me. All kinds of people have this problem and are trying to get over it. These meetings are run by John Preller. They are for recovering Addicts and Alcoholics. Real tough for a person who has to completely abstain and who interacts with others who can control their intake of alcohol.

Tuesday 22nd. It was Kerry Bryans birthday. This couple used to be in our cell group but left at the beginning of this year. Recently they sold their home in Wares Road and moved to near the old Polocrosse field near to Lovemore heights. They now live on a game reserve type of plot where six units have been built. They have a stunning house with all the fittings and have buck running around the property. We met Chris Lovemore there. Herman tells me that this man has made huge amounts of money in property development on the west side of the Lovemore Heights area. Ron and Lynne have remained friends with Rhoda and Kerry and were there as well.

This Wednesday, Barbara & Lene went off to Knysna. Michael had been offered a job in Knysna. It was with Furn City where he was currently employed. The company was due to open a new branch and had offered Michael the job of branch manager. Barbara & Lene were an advance party in the quest for accommodation, Schools and work for Lene.

Thursday 24th. We missed Cell Group last week due to others being out of town. So despite the fact that Charles & Ingrid could not be there as they were sick and Elize being overseas, we decided to go ahead and the Brinks came over. Tracey is about to leave for Luzanne to take part in the international Triathlon competition. She showed us her outfit. A Green and gold tracksuite that most of us would love to be able to wear. As well as the cycle pants and top that she will wear for the event. Right now Elize is in Turkey touring with her mother. Tracey tells us that Tracy Holliway is in the process of looking for a new job that does nto take her out of town as much. Dale is apparently very happy in his new job as HR executive for the African region.

On Monday morning, during the run, Mike Dean had made an interresting comment about how people in modern society are so wrapped up with their own lives that they coccoon themselves and do not meet new people. This is quite true for Barbara & I and I heard Andy agreeing as he said that their Sunday lunches with family are all the entertaining that they do. I then and there determined that I would change this for us and so this Friday we invited some people, who we met at school, (100 club and Hockey) for supper.

I also invited Mike as he was the one who put the idea into my mind. Desire Young was a friend of the Polo playing family of the Giddy’s. Desire knew Wayne, Charlotte and Mike Giddy. Desire, Kenny and their two children; Kate and Allison, Mike Dean joined us for supper and a game of Cranium. Then on Saturday morning I enjoyed an 18kay run with the group from Mill Park. That after noon, Barbara & ally went to see some of Ally’s friends in a Ballet at the Opera House.

Then later Barbara & I attended the Saturday evening service and the Braai at Nick and Audrey afterwards. This was a first for us as we knew about this braai after the Saturday evening service but had never been able to attend before.

Sunday morning I was supposed to go running with Tim but overslept. I spent most of the day cleaning the pool that had become thick with algae and the car which was filthy after Brabara’s trip to Knysna and the rains that we had had in PE.

ENA GIDDY 19 August 2006.

90 years have past
The deed is done, the die is cast
Our old Nene and Wilfred Lionel
First made Ian; and Ena was the final

Born in Scotland, schooled in Paris, and then Spain
Walked, & cycled through snow, sleet and rain.
Mourgat; Brittanny North of France
College in Edinburgh left nothing to chance.

Back and forth moved her dad.
A ladies man sure was this lad.
An inventor too, this engineering man
The conveyor belt was truly his plan.

Then as Ian moved to a career in Mining
Nene & Ena followed to the land of shining
Land on the Vaal was what they bought
Find a good man her mother taught.

Allan’s friend was John Pike
Ria’s friend Ena seemed a Good Strike.
The farm now too much to hold
Nene followed Ena to the City of Gold

The next move was the Avenue of Jan Smuts
The Cape Town move took some Guts
Modern Appliances worked out right for Dad
And the move to Port Elizabeth seemed quite mad


Kids in tow the move they made
Furniture and Appliances was Allan’s trade.
Finally back to Jo’burg they came
The life in PE far too tame.

Plett was next on the list
A house on the coast just seemed best
Plettenberg bay was a great place in the sun
Ena and Allan, family, friends. Just having fun.

Now it’s Ena: Parties, Bridge and Dinners
Never mind who are this days winners
Enjoy your life and make it the best
And put the younger people to the test.

Ena has certainly made the best of a life at the coast
Lets all rise and drink a toast
To Ena, our Mom, Sister and friend to All
A wonderful person to those who recall.