CHAPTER 33 - SOUTH AFRICA, PART II

- this file has NOT been spell checked

-top

Exchange rate 6.0 South African rand to US$1

Mo 12/20/99 - Cape Town (Goodwood)

Robyn's first day at work in Cavendish Square at Classic Eyes

errands, cheap clothes at Clothing Warehouse, cell phone (r10 starter pack, r110 card for 40 minutes, no charge for incoming calls or mailbox)

Kirstenbosch, Pearson's Grave, lost to find

Went to Boulder's for Christmas picture in Santa's hat, talked with group fro Johannisburg, thn couple from Michigan. Both groups borrowed Santa's hat for pictures

dinner with peter and Shirley w/o Robyn, late lg left at 11:30pm

xxxyyyyyaaaa

Tu 12/21/99 - Cape Town (Goodwood)

Rhode's memorial, lost to contour path damn

mass errands, calls, looking for computer, apartment for Robyn. spent afternoon getting Christmas card picture form Boulder's Beach developed, scanning, bordered, and then printed and placed on floppy.. then downloaded to web site and emailed note to people

diner at gaila dand nicci's, paul, tracy, etc

We 12/22/99 - Cape Town (Goodwood)

determined to get to contour path from Rhodes Memorial, brought map with me this time. Met family near King's Block House, father told of Rotary Club's 25,000 people walk into Cape Town, broken into parts, legs coming from different suburbs. Largest tied walk in the world. I excitedly told man f yesterdays sighting - impala "yaes, there are impala, gemsbok, elan, and zebra" cooled my excitement for a unique find

contour path great, forested, shaded, cool

braii at don and sally's don braiimaster. bev and sonny

i was scummy befre chance to shower, bev, "wash clothes?"

moon brightest since 1930 for different reasons like closest t earth, moutain view

Th 12/23/99 - Cape Town (Goodwood)

morning with peter and shirley, wal to Melissa's for juice and muffin with pter then talk about life of a man - young, suffer financially, children, house, invest, i'm fifteen years out of sync

tea with helga

noon - from Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens up Skeleton Gorge and down Nursery Ravine into Kirstenbosch with a stop near Pearson's Grave and in the art gallery to consider paintings as a gift for Peter and Shirley

rental car contract, umbrella for Robyn

530 email across from Cavendish

skeleton shaded and manicured - steps and ladders

nursery open and hot, both trails steep, ran down in sneakers, wished I had boots

quiet night, give Robyn a break from Bob's go-go-go lifestyle, stopped for burgers in Belvedere Road in Rondebosch, watched miniseries "Great Expectations" with Pip becoming a man of society.

Fr 12/24/99 - Cape Town (Goodwood)

in Reebok Rafting shoes, socks in wash

Newlands Forest Office to contour path (0:40) to saddle (1:10) to contour path (1:40) to car (2:10). Paths poorly marked, pissed off. Amidst purple mountain flowers , surprised by exciting view at top of Robben Island, Signal Hill, and then Lion's Head, and the upper cable station came into view

turned off computer hunt

Clifton 1st beach, under red, green, blue, and yellow umbrella, soft sand, strong sun, blue Atlantic

mad dash at 200pm to make laundry in Claremont by 230pm, tire with slow leak squeling around curves

Christmas Eve dinner at Claire and Bloss's mom's home in Kenilworth

heard about bomb at sea point, seven police injured , two seriously, one, a woman, lost leg.

Sa 12/25/99 - Cape Town (Goodwood)

* Christmas *

Peter and Shirley at 1130am

Kinross's at 12:30, left at 930pm - 21 person dinner, lamb, turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, mint jleey, gravy - crackers, hats, flaming rum cake

pool, chicks thrown in

Su 12/26/99 - Cape Town (Claremont)

moved into Carolyn's, Hartfield Village, 1st Ave, walking distance to Cavendish Squae

Kirstenbosch for concert, eight piece band, mostly percussion with two horns, one hour, thousands of people, there hours early laying in shade and slept, manic english boy next to us

Mo 12/17/99 - Cape Town (Claremont)

drove Robyn to work, met Alexandra at Hartfield house, planned to met Jamie, Graham, and others for kloofing Steenbras River gorge (5th time this year). Had met Jamie at Boulders Beach and again with Graham on Skeleton Gorge trail. We had a plan to climb Venster Trail under cable car, but I enticed them with a better option.

Jamie's group, young Jewish people from Johannesburg and some who had moved to Cape Town drove in two cars and showed thirty minutes late at the 1-Stop petrol station on the N2 in Somerset West. I met three others - Craig, Teryn, and Terrance.

At the car park the five asked many questions about the kloof - how high were the jumps, how much walking, how log in the gorge.

The kloof couldn't have started worse. Teryn fell behind constantly. We would wait to allow her time to catch up, then she fell behind again. I ask why she moved so slow and I didn't care for the answer - she had a sprained ankle. How anyone could consider a six hour trounce through a river gorge is such condition I couldn't imagine. Teryn and Terrance fell behind once more, we didn't wait, and never saw them again.

We walked and talked along the trail for twenty minutes to the huge square rock marking the first small pool. Even though I assumed everyone was fit and psyched for walking and jumping, before entering the kloof I stopped and warned the group about slipping on wet rock. I walked ahead, climbed up a short bit of rock and waited near the pool on a long slanted slab of rock and heard a commotion from behind. Jamie's first step onto wet, flat rock sent him down. He landed on his shoulder; the sock popped out and back in. He was shaking, pained, and nauseous. Damn - injured at the beginning of the kloof. Jamie was out of action for the day, he moaned, held his shoulder stiff, and lamented over his golf swing.

The first pool is a good starter for a group. It sort jumpers out and allows novices to practice technique. Alexandra, I knew, was fearful of jumping into water, but Craig and Graham were young guys and had been busy on the walk glorifying the kloof's scenery and action ahead. So, when they stood atop the three and five meter jumps for forty-five minutes repeating, "You go, no you go", and explaining the deep psychological effects of meeting your fears, I became impatient. Alexandra jumped many times from a meter, legs and arms extended outward like a monkey and fear painted across her face, but she conquered her limits. We left the pool without Craig and Graham ever making those jumps. I was disappointed someone in the crew wasn't more daring and wished John was here.

We continued along the river, clambering over rock, pushing through bush, and crossing chest deep pools. Near the next jumping pool, the first large pool, Jamie realized he lost his glasses. He had them atop his cap and somewhere behind us they fell. I doubt my poker face worked then, it was already one o'clock and hadn't yet don the first big pool, now we had to search for his glasses. The rest of the crew walked back over his trail. The glasses could hav fallen in hundreds of cracks, in long grass, or into small pools. While returning unsuccessful, Graham impressed me with a recreation of Jamie's moves and pinpointed the probable spot of the incident and alas, there the glasses sat. We all had walked over them at least once, it was a miracle they weren't broken.

The day became better. The scenery marvelled the crew, I challenge any adventurous person to travel the gorge a not be impressed by the canyon walls, waterfalls, swimming pools, rock formations, and rock clambering. We spent another three hours moving making our way to the top and returning. I normally end the kloof at a high waterfall terminating into a deep dark round pool. Around the fall ninety degrees of sheer wall mesmerize, below is a good sized pool for dawdling with an inclined rock jump from the side. A minutes walk up the incline is a magnificent view of the sea an Cape Point on the horizon.

The trip down is the most fun, it's quick and exciting, especially if the kloofer is willing to jump ten meters. A total descent would start at the waterfall with a short dive, a quick walk to a lower, long cliff overhanging a another medium sized pool. Jump, swim across, clamber for five minutes across rock and climb down a wide sloping falls to the top of the third large pool. Here may be he longest swim, a minute or two. The bottom of the third abuts the top of the second large pool where there are options to jump from ten or thirteen meters, or to walk around - definitely not recommended. The swim across is a bit shorter than the last and then a bushwhack follows to the first large pool. The quickest way down is about a ten meter jump, of course walking through the jump is less fun. On this day I chose to leave the kloof here, meeting Robyn after work was now tight. Since Craig and Graham were into the jumping now, they complained they could meet their original fearful jumps in the first pool.. Altough the guys didn't jump from ten or more meters through the day, Alexandra and the guys worked their ways higher and really impressed me. We walked out comrades and smiling, except for lamed Jamie who walked out slowly on the trail.

I worry hard about people on the kloof hurting themselves. With the many options for rock climbing, clambering, and jumping, many people are hurt, some seriously. On Suicide Gorge a girl was paralysed a few weeks ago. Today I helped a young boy off a scary slanted perch he somehow worked his way onto. On my last visit I watched a girl fall onto her back from thirteen meters and heard another girl fall from a cliff through bushes and trees. Neither appeared seriously hurt. With the amount of tension I produce within myself, leading a trip is almost not worth the effort. The kloof would be more relaxing as a follower or with people I know to be competent. On January 9th I have six spots for Suicide Gorge, a more intense kloof I have done twice before but I would be pressed to guide.

didn't make Robyn's pickup

drove to Kinross's to drop keys for Caroline, stayed for dinner, used computer for email

Tu 12/28/99 - Hermanus

drove secondary road along coast from Gordons Bay, over Steenbras Bridge, and into incredible costal scenery.

At 11am booked into Hermanus Backpackers (50 rand per night)

then went straight to visit Jonathan and Lee Mylrae with kids Katy (xxxx flower girl), Douglas, and Robert at Jonathon's family's summer home in Rockland's south of Hermanus.

many people and kids, Jonathon's parents Bill and Jean xxx

talked with Jonathon and Lee for hours, lunch, windsurfed, more talk, dinner, laid under stars, left at 1030pm, funny way to live them without plans to see one another again

We 12/29/99 - Hermanus

no bed in room B, slept from 11 to 1, went to lounge, girl at 3am tried to crawl through window and scared me, almost push her, woke to cartoons at u7am, heard someone say I was lost and probably drunk. girl at reception apologized, gave money back, showed me proper bed

parked at Voelklip. walked to three dams, first nearly empty, others full, looked for trail beyond third dam but instead found a girl in funky purple wrap laying on back with eyes closed and holding stick along her chest. Asked her about trail, not one, directed me to small pool nearby. Sat and talked with Denise for an hour, then we bushwhacked through gorge, climbing rock, walking slowly through tannin pools, and were scratched up pushing through bush. Fun trip, and I worries about steep descents down and leaving belongings behind were unfounded. Denise is a hippy type, into alternative explanations for lifes existence, calls to frogs and listens to stars and so on

dinner with Denise at steenbras (lemon butter slamon, 38 rand)

Th 12/30/99 - Cape Town (Claremont)

typed in morning, Longbaii, Glynne, Martin, Alexandra.

Peter and Shirley - pickup luggage Robyn and I left and to send them off to Switzerland to Hedley's. email in Observatory, dinner at standard restraurant

Fr 12/31/99 - Cederberg

*New Year's Eve*

There were many possibilities for New Year's Eve. .

Leatitia and friends invited us along to a large party in Blouberg with views of Table Mountain and the fireworks, although at last minute they opted for a get together at Club Mykonos in Langebaan. Gail organized a sixty person "Round the World" party on a remote beach close to the Cape of Good Hope where every few hours they would enter fashion and cuisine from a foreign land. The Kinross's were attending a long planned party in their upscale neighborhood - a man built an addition to his home for the occasion. And there were many others. Every restaurant and main tourist site had plans, Cape Town was wild with foreigners, and even the ANC were having a huge bash on Robben Island. Of course we weren't invited but Wojtek was an organizer and his plans were very interesting.

I wanted to be as close to nowhere as possible. Maybe my best idea before reaching Africa was to be remote in the Egyptian desert, but meeting Robyn changed that possible plan, and the Cape area became my scope. Even with a few weeks to go I could have obtained tent sites at two different spots in Gemsbok Kalahari National Park. I liked the idea of being able to say, "I spent the millennium in the Kalahari", and of course I would have loved to hang with the wildlife for four or five days. But Robyn was looking for work and with the long driving distance the plan fell apart. On the Otter Trail I heard Nick speaking about a cabin in the Cederberg National Park and I figured the Cederberg would be the closest to nowhere I could obtain, so we were invited. Gail's old boyfriend Rob was the organizer. Besides the plan for a cabin near Algeria, I wanted to extend the idea of remoteness by spending the night on the plateau nearby, the same John and I had walked across earlier, but Robyn never would budge to this extreme. While I would have been perfectly pleased with two sleeping bags under the stars without a sole in sight, Robyn needed some socializing on New Year's Eve.

Robyn and I arrived about 2pm to Uitkyk, the cabin one hundred meters from Prik, where John and I stayed three weeks earlier. Unlike Prik, Uitkyk (c1937) was older, bigger, and more conveniently designed. I pointed to the cabin while in the car on the road, both Robyn and I were happy with the look of the white mortar building with a large sloping green corrugated roof. Around the peripheral is a wide concrete veranda, with the roof overhanging across the front. There are four bedrooms, two baths, and a braii area adjacent under tree cover.

We met Rob, Anton, Bessie, and Natalie there, then sat by the small roadside pool created by dam. We talked about travelling, took turns plunging into the pool, and curiously paid attention to a small black snake in the water.

Since my sleep had been less than desirable for days now, I slipped into a bed. I later woke with the whole crew in attendance, total of nine - Robyn, Rob (CT), Anton (CT), Bessie (CT), Natalie(Germany, England), Nick (CT), Ingrid (Pretoria), and Tanya (Germany, CT).

On the Cassiopeia handheld I searched through the world time zones and created a spreadsheet listing on a hourly basis New Year's Eve celebrations around the world:

GMT+ Cape Time NewYear

12 2 PM Auckland, NZ

11 3 PM Soloman Islands

10 4 PM Sydney

9 5 PM Darwin

8 6 PM Perth

7 7 PM Bangkok

6 8 PM Kazakhstan

5 9 PM Karachi, Pakistan

4 10 PM Seychelles

3 11 PM Madagascar

2 12 AM Cape Town

1 1 AM Zurich

0 2 AM London

-1 3 AM Cape Verde

-2 4 AM Rocas, Brazil

-3 5 AM Nuuk, Greenland

-4 6 AM La Paz, Bolivia

-5 7 AM New York, New York

-6 8 AM Mexico City

-7 9 AM Aspen, Colorado

-8 10 AM Los Angeles

-9 11 AM Anchorage

-10 12 AM Hawaii

-11 13 AM Western Samoa

xxxx sat around braii talking, wondering where a bomb may explode in Cape Town, discussing medieval England, and other scattered topics. We ate about 11PM, typical for many South African get-togethers. Near midnight we brought out a couple of bottles of champagne ("sparkling wine" in South Africa), shared the Barney hats Robyn and I bought at Pik and Pay, and had a countdown starting thirty minutes before midnight. We cheered, toasted, and congratulated one another. I shook hands with the guys and didn't mind a bit kissing the ladies.

Sa 1/1/2000 - Cederberg

typed, cleaned up, most of the others slept in

walk started at Sandrif at noon to Wolfberg Cracks, Rob and Anton climbed buttress, Robyn, Ingrid, and I walked through more difficult right crack and down easier middle crack (third crack on left is for technical climbers only). 2:45 to make top, slow because of Ingrid, estimate was 1:30, air was cool, has been since arriving, could have used a second shirt, followed family of four adults and five small children, otherwise would have been lost, at lest difficult to see where to go, clambering, climbing up and down throughholes, shimmering up cracks supported by back and feet. Beautiful rock formations, tittering columns, arches, long corridors of crack, red colored rock, warm, nice lighting. stopped at top for 30-45 minutes eating late lunch, enjoying view of rock about us and valley below with Dwarsrivier wine farm and rocky mountain backdrop. Watched little kids top roping, first a cute little girl of about five with long curly hair. Because of gut gas, desperately descended ahead of girls, stopping to wince and let pain subside.. Walked into Sandrif to fix problem and retrieve car that Rob convinced us into leaving there.

slept until 9pm

sat around braii until nearly midnight, most slept outside on concrete veranda, stared at stars, slept well, cool

Su 1/2/2000 - Cederberg

started Tafelberg (Table Mountain) hike at 10am, made top at 220p, left 3pm, to car 6pm. We all went, nine of us. We drove over the same pass near Uitkyk toward Sandrif, turned left onto another gravel five kilometers after the pass, and left again onto another road. Each road was worse than the last, the Corolla skirted holes and rocks and I worried for losing a muffler or something else. The others drove 4x4's. We park the three cars under a cluster of lone trees. Tafelberg peaked out from rises in front. Over an altitude change of 1000 meters we crested three hills and crossed three plateaus. The pace of the nine was good, except for Ingrid again who hadn't ever done such walks. Natalie hadn't either, but she was a runner and skipped over the terrain with purpose. The inclines started moderately and the scenery at first wasn't impressive after yesterday's excellent trek. But as we pulled up into the scenery and were surrounded by scraggily ceders and then great long vistas of flat glacier valley and wondrous rock formations my chest felt light. At a large rock providing some shelter from sun and wind we made our lunch stop. Behind was Tafelberg, a large, shear prominent flat topped mount of orange-red sandstone. When Ingrid dragged in, it was difficult to point and say this was our quest. She was a trooper though and wouldn't give in. In the center of the last flat plateau stood a unusually large, lone column of eroded sandstone as if someone piled rocks one atop the next. It would have made a great photo surrounded by expanse but I saw noway up, although the walk back revealed a cairn at top. The last slog brought us to the xxxxxuuuuu cave colors boulder climb chain top walked about sat at marker down i 3 hours

Mo 1/3/2000 - Cederberg (Wolfberg Arch)

zzz

I woke in the cabin to dishes and pans clanging in the kitchen. A couple of people were up early cleaning the house for departure. There weren't big plans for the day, only to met at the Algeria dam pool before heading south the Cape Town. Robyn and I drove to the pass nearby Uitkyk so I could check messages. There were a few - one from Leatitia asking for a ride back to Cape Town from Malmsebury (she had already found a ride), another short garbled message, one from Claire trying to make arrangements to lend her car to me, and lastly from Bloss saying Claire car was no longer available (damn - I'm over budget most days and I was hoping to save car rental for a week).

At Algeria's pool we lounged, talked, and horsed around. Robyn sliced a large watermelon we had brought into Flintstone's sized pieces. The leftover juicy rine made good weapons for making people sticky and throwing down bathing suits, Ingrid's in particular.

Through the morning I had started strongly considering staying behind in the Cederburg. I couldn't face more time in Cape Town without a sidetrip planned and with the car borrowing plan awry, there wasn't a reason to return. Robyn took a lift from Rob and I made a bad plan for staying the night at the Wolfberg Arch near Sandrif.

The plan was bad because the park offices were closed, I couldn't obtain a permit for access and overnight camping, and at Dwarsrivier where I also needed a permit for the access of private land the women there was adamant about not walking without a permit. I told her I would simply do a day walk to the Wolfberg Cracks, but I intended on sleeping at the Arch. The last problem was that I left my car on Sandrif property overnight and the women was now alarmed. I'll have to wait to see if she monitors my presence.

I left the car near the tented camping area rather than at the trailhead for safety reasons. The walk to the trailhead took less than fifteen minutes, then I started the long slog up to the cracks. The sky was clear, the wind less than the previous days, and the air temperature much hotter. With a full pack and the tougher conditions I was soon drenched in sweat and gasping for air. I started off halfway through a group of daytrippers, left them behind, then was passed by a longhaired daytripper. I pushed up the steep in the heat then became curious about my heartrate - 160, 20 beats faster than my normal max, so I slowed a little. Near the base of the three cracks the longhaired daytripper had binoculars in hand, watching spiders spin webs from tens of meters off the sheer rock. This was the last time I saw another until 7:15am the next morning. I made the base of the cracks in an hour, then chose the easiest, middle crack and popped out the top end in twenty minutes. Finally I believed the estimated time of an hour and a half, for this was a huge difference in our previous walk up the fun right crack that took two hours and forty-five minutes.

The cracks are beautiful - sheer red-orange stone and large boulders, but the middle crack doesn't compare to the more difficult right one. When we talked of the right crack yesterday, descriptive terms such as "natural jungle gym" were applied.

I had made the top as quick as possible, I couldn't have navigated the right one alone probably anyway (maybe with rope for the backpack), I didn't want to see more people to ask questions I would then reply in lie about, and I wasn't sure about the true length of the trek.

The map showed a relatively flat walk across the mountaintop to the Wolfberg Arch and after a few minutes I could see the arch in the distance. I didn't pump my hopes up though, without reference distances in mountains are very difficult to judge. I followed cairns marking the trail well. The landscape was long, dry, and desolate. Rough and massive sandstone boulders were strewn about and dark green coarse grass grew in between. The walk wasn't flat though, there was some hills a nd rock clambering. When the wind blew lightly, it sometimes made a soft sound against the rock, otherwise the land was dead quiet except for my plodding boots. In the end I reached the arch in a total of two hours and thirty minutes and could have easily returned before dark.

The rock surface of the half circle of arch is orange-red and gray. As I approached a extremely bright red Erica bush made for good foreground in my first photo. Not one other was at the arch. I placed my backpack down, kicked off my boots and socks and placed them into the sun to dry, then sat to gaze across the misty landscape. Long mountains mixed with flat plateau and wavered to the horizon. The only sign of man is a jeep crack east of the natural monument. I pondered how this could form and assumed with erosion the center fell out and rolled off the ledge beneath.

top of crack 1:15 (est 1:30), 10 minute break, total time to arch 2:30 (est 4:00)

I was a little spooked. I kept repeated the words of the permit girl, "If anything happens to you, you're in deep trouble", and then worried about what may happen. There are baboons and leopards, and I saw a sign about supporting the cheetah population although seeing a cat would be by great chance. Maybe I worry more of having a poisonous snake or spider crawl into the sleeping bag with me.

I had arrived about 4:30pm, did some quick exploring, and spent about an hour typing directly beneath the arch, squirming and eventually.blowing up my sleep mattress to sit on. I munched on leftover cheese and tomato sandwich from lunch at Dwarsrivier, ate chocolate Cadbury smeared with Skippy peanut butter, and again gazed across the long landscape. I walked around nearly aimlessly, wishing I had company, watching the sunset, and then looking for a suitable spot to sleep. I placed the mattress in a few spots before being somewhat satisfied then made an extension of the three quarter length mattress with flat stones.

I really wished I had an old camera with a bulb setting (infinite timed open), a 21mm lens, and a tripod for star trail pictures. In frustration I looked again at my Nikon N6 and on manual mode found a shutter setting of "--" one click after 30 seconds. Damn! This may be bulb! With only a handful of shots left on the film I didn't experiment and instead immediately set the camera on a rock pointing fairly south with the arch at the left of frame.

I waited and waited for the sky to darken. I laid on the mattress and stared at the sky, noting one by one stars as they appeared. To the east the stars brightened more readily, I noted Orion's Belt, Euphrates, and other nameless (to me) groups.

The quietness was absolutely amazing. Besides the rare sound of an insect and the occasional wind softly brushing rock, the loudest noise was a dull buzz originating in my ears and that noise became louder and louder as I listened.

I laid and repeatedly calculated what I thought the best aperture setting maybe and realized the camera was set wrong, the aperture was to large, the stars would be overexposed. Without a flashlight or matches I couldn't readjust the Nikon in the dark. At 10pm I turned the aperture open and dozed lightly for an hour, wondering about the spooks of the night, then retrieved the camera.

Tu 1/4/2000 - Cederberg (Kromrivier)

Sleep was difficult on the hard surface, my shoulders stiffened and pained, and I woke repeatedly to find a comfortable position. I had enjoyed the night though, the remoteness, the dry clear sky full of stars, and the ageless surrounds of strange sandstone rock.

I had slept with my head buried to conserve heat and woke at 5:3am with the sky lit and the sun just below the horizon. I gulped two handfuls of muesli, drank a swig of water, packed, and departed stiff and drowsy. The warm colors on orange rock were splendid. The sun peaked over the mountains and I stopped for a last picture of the arch. Why was the sun in my eyes? I was walking directly east although I thought I would had south. I walked head down and followed the cairns again at quick pace. I had walked out too quickly and missed some scenery, I realized this because I didn't remember much of the trail. Most of the walk was over rock but in places there was sand and I occasionally check for my boot mark to verify the trail back. I came along a ride, the greens of the cultivated valley to the right was softly lit and pretty. I had walked far, was full of sweat and breathing hard, and looking at my watch noted an hour had past. I should have been at the crack, then without any warning, I had walked straight into the middle crack.

In less than two hours from starting off I was at the trailhead, ten minutes later at the car. It was still there, no note, noone running and yelling, "Stop, yo villain of trespassing!". I risked confrontation again by driving to the trailhead to Malgat swimming hole rather than leaving immediately. I couldn't resist the perfect swimming hole, especially since I was filthy, tired, and hot.

(left arch 537am, top of crack 641am, bottom 730am, car 740am)

Malgat (15 minute walk), the same swimming hole John and I spent a great day at recently, was deserted. The sun was pushing into the sky, but the temperature was not yet hot. I jumped in and shivered a little while drying off. I rinsed my socks and t-shirt, then laid in a daze on the polished rock. I repeated the jumping and drying process and on one cycle was surprised to see an old woman swimming silently below. I smiled and said, "Hello". She scowled and swam away. After awhile groups of young people excitedly filed in. I was happy to have entertainment watching kloofers and tight female bodies in bikinis.

stayed from 8am to 11am, then to Kromrivier Farm and Tourist Park

most with family names of Wagener and Nieuwoudt between 1881 and 1915

breakfast - lemon cream biscuits, Nussfit "chocolaty hazelnut spread", and Skippy Peanut Butter

put in - coming down from arches, nearly tripped looking at "bird", like university

Matjiesrivier for key to gate for Bushmen paintings then looked at honeycombed caves, massive rock supported by columns of stone

red men and elephants under an overhang of orange-red rock

I drove back to Kromrivier and straight through to end of jeep trackrunning parallel to Krom river, parked, walked along path toward Disa Pool and was directed to a nice peaceful pool in a grassy setting ten minutes from car park.

I wanted to sleep under the stars again. Near the big oak tree was what looked like a soft patch of long green grass, maybe I should have bedded there, but I wanted to be nearby the car. I laid my sarong and then the mattress pad on the sand near the car. I stuffed the sleeping bag cover with everything available to make a good pillow, set up N60 on the mini-tripod besides the makeshift bed and waited i n the quiet for darkness. One radio station came in clearly and I hearrd at least a dozen songs in succession without a commercial, songs including Sheryl Crow, "Life in a Northern Town", and "Chuckey's in Love". I wondered who was in the quiet room at the other end, not talking, and sticking CD's into a player.

I laid facing east, noted the same constellations again, searched for the Southern Cross that initially hung below a mountain, and waited for the southern horizon to darken. At 9:30pm I started a picture (200 ASA, F5.6) and woke an hour later to close the shutter.

We 1/5/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

I slept well, much better than the previous night. A few times I woke to the buzz of some insect and ducked my head into the bag. After picking up the simple camp and noting small animal prints I walked to the first swimming hole a few minutes up trail.

nice being alone for decisions, felt good, decided to walk to cross

hot! arugh!

pass from Dwarsrivier, path access a couple of kilometers north. Near the beginning of the access road is the interesting looking Cederberg Observatory, a small Felix the Cat replica. The road carried on for six kilometers and became a fun challenge avoiding rocks and swooping around sandy turns with the wheels directed by soft ruts.

As I pulled into the round sandy lot at the trailhead a couple started walking on, the man had plastic lower legs braces and used two metal crutches. I caught them at a small stream where he had difficulty ascending the bank. Imagine a man in his condition relishing the outdoors when so many more fortunate people laze at home.

My new found morning's energy was immediately thwarted by the heat and the incline of the trail. My legs immediately started aching and I wondered if I still suffered from dehydration.

top xxxxx

filled water bottle, small girl upstream naked

6km access road, 918am trailhead, 1015am at maltess cross, 1108am left, at car 11:50am

drove back road through the Cederberg, 65k on dirt road through dry valleys and up and down long passes, past old and pretty homestead, white Cape Dutch design, some with well maintained flower beds. varying interesting mountains, different patterns of rock and vegetation

Outstanding views down pass into Prince Albert's Hamlet, across valley to Ceres, up another pass

to Bain's Kloof, heard often about, went to first pool because of ding dong guy, beautiful drive out on very winding road with sheer drop to river below. Over pass, and continued impressive pass along mountainside into Wellington

met Robyn at store, hoe to change and eat, movie - "The Red Violin"

Th 1/6/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

chores, looked at computer in Goodwood, met Robyn at house, to 3rd for picnic with many others, too, many gays guys

movies - "Paperback Hero", Aussie

rental car had liberty taken of it, passengers door open dome light on nothing broken outside or removed from inside

Fr 1/7/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

Robyn to work

town - Incredible Connection, check on special cd-rom drive for Compaq with funky case (R1034)

computer in Tyger Valley, good on paper, shambles, unpresentable

haircut

Robyn at 8pm, pizza dinner in Sea Point, pros

xxxxxxzzzzzz

Sa 1/8/2000 - Botrivier

Weeks ago I made reservations for Suicide Kloof (R34 each), the ultimate kloof (river gorge hiking) in the area, and tomorrow was the big day. The event evolved a little with the kloofers gathering at Bessie's parents cabin near Botrivier tonight. After dropping Robyn at work, washing the car (finally!), and driving up to Platteklip (east of Goodwood) to look at computer for Peter and Shirley, I met Carolyn at our place in Hartefield Village. Just after 4:00pm Rob and Nick stopped by to start a convoy to Botrivier. On the way we met Laetitia and Seretta and now with a three car convoy drove through Somerset West, up Sir Lowry's Pass, and then north of the N2 past Grabouw into private forest and farm lands.

The "cabin" was the renovation project of a couple of old woodcutter's buildings. The job seemed formidable, but the potential was obvious. The chaacter filled house, mostly stone and plaster, sits on a hill with awesome views overlooking many mountains with pines, farms, and dams. Concrete posts around the house hint at a new veranda in process.

Bessie's parents were also full of character. Her dad, Ricky, wore work stained full body blue overalls. He's a neuropathologist turned carpenter, plumber, and concrete pourer with a definite artsy and eccentric personality. Norma is also a doctor, a anaesthesiologist, so Bessie and Anton call them the "Spin Doctors"..

Once again I was treated to a terrific South African braii. I decided the single best thing South Africa is the braii, especially with lamb chops and boerwurst. If I never leave, I would certainly be dead from heart disease by fifty.

We braiied behind the workshop on open fire and grill. The wind kicked up and we huddled close to the heat, talked, and ate. The crew was light on energy, I suppose some wanted to save themselves for the gorge tomorrow, and we were horizontal by 10pm or so.

Suicide Gorge is famous to both locals and adventurous young travelers, and even with Parks Board personnel. especially for the mandatory high jumps and it's one way route - once you obligate, there isn't any turning back. Legends nearing folklaw have been built. Many people have heard of the trail and each know for certain that the highest mandatory jump is - 13, 14, 18, or 20 meters. Suicide Kloof can be the topic of great fireside stories for these reasons and more truthfully for the number of incidents that occur each year. Recently a 21-year-old girl was paralysed from neck down in a fall.

So, obviously Suicide Kloof has a deep attraction for those who love to test their metal and for those who enjoy a very long hiking day over varied terrain in great scenery. In my previous two visits to Cape Town ('94, '95) I did the kloof with Alan Mcguire and his now defunct Heart Stoppers. After five tours to Steenbras Kloof (Kamikaze Canyon) and two to Malgat swimming hole in the Cederberg I was certain that the jumps weren't a frightening issue. Although the jumps would be exciting I was equally interested in comparing the kloof with the Steenbras, getting exercise, and the comradery of the big group.

Tomorrow would be a fun, long day.

Su 1/9/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

Unless everything is just right, sleeping in a tent can be less than desirable. Once again I swore at my mattress pad for being too short and at myself for the small slope I put us on that rolled my body sideways and off my pad. Caroline faired worse in a lighter weight sleeping bag, and was without a pad and makeshift pillow.

Rob woke everyone at 6:15am. The sun was low over the pine forests and lit the high landscape with near horizontal yellow rays. The sun produced sharp and brilliant lines with the dark green pine trees and their shadows. After a breakfast standing in Ricky and Norma's kitchen and waiting for Bessie's sister Vum (Jenny), tents were down, we were packed and off.

I originally obtained six spots on Suicide Gorge. I repeatedly filled five spots with different people - some have problems sticking to a plan - and left my sixth open for one who could guide the trail better than myself. I knew from my past two forays at Suicide Kloof that the path in and out was not obvious. I didn't want to be lost and I also didn't want to compromise the safety of others. Rob volunteered to be my sixth, the guide. Anton, also a trail veteran, called ahead for another six people.

So, we were a large group for tr kloof, twelve in total - Caroline, Rob, Nick, Anton, Bessie, Laetitia, Seretta, Andre, Vum (Bessie's sister Jennie), a couple named Kevin and Marie, and myself. Large groups are harder to managed and I wondered what differences among crew we would see. The terrain is very varied - hours of trail hiking, cliff jumping, swimming, boulder hopping, and rock scrambling.

We drove through the town of Grabow and were in the Hottentots Holland National Park within thrity minutes. Our large group prepared themselves quickly, most wore sneakers or river shoes, shorts, t-shirt, and a hat. We shared backpacks for food and later found Marie brought a full wetsuit and Rob a top half.

The trip started with a two-hour walk, the first half along a dirt road within open mountain scenery - rocky and patched with grass. After coming off the road and following trail down to a river, we hit the landmark wobbly bridge, certainly the same I saw four years ago. We bounced and jumped on the wooden slatted, wire suspended bridge, then turned immediately left. About another thirty minutes and a large sign reading "Suicide Gorge" pointed into bush and to a deceiving less than impressive stream.

Once the long line of kloofers were together, we walked a short way upstream to a bright grassy eight meter slide over rock. Half of the crew had a go. The top of the slide was flat and easy to sit on but then the slide angled steeper as it descended finally throwing people into the air a couple of meters above a pool. There was a mysterious trick to technique for some people landed angled sideways with one arm out stiff and eyes open wide, but a couple landed feet first. Andre was the funniest, his eyes and face grew further into horror in proportion to descent until he also landed angled into the cold water. The slide was good to pump up adrenaline and for a first laugh.

Presentation is everything. I have a nearly unreadable faxed map from the Nature Conservation Office with names of some jumps - "Commitment Jump", "High Jump", "Waterfall Jump", and "Highest Jump". A tour operator might explain that the kloof is one way, the day lasts eight to nine hours, and the highest mandatory jump is forteen meters. He would then describe the beauty of the gorge and watefalls, the possibility of seeing wildlife on the mountains, and lunching on pretty white boulders scattered along the river. And if you already paid and he was evil, he may then talk about the accidents, snakes in the gorge, and big burly guys turning chicken at the top of frightening jumps. The truth is that each jump can be walked down or around, maybe one spot requires a six meter jump, it probably depends on how adventurous bushbashing one can be given something more fearful. But, of course, bushwhacking on sides of steep canyon walls can also be dangerous. We had the straight scoop from Rob who had run this gauntlet four or five times. We knew the day would be long but that the high jumps were optional. From my perspective, staying in the canyon and jumping from obvious cliffs or higher was the most enjoyable route. Climbing down from a good jump perch just isn't on.

There was plenty of boulder hopping and many jumps. Comparatively, the first section of Suicide Kloof up to Junction Pool where our tributary met the Riviersmond River was not as scenic as the Steenbras. The walls were not as sheer and rough, they were sometimes short and grassy on top. But of all the kloofs I have seen, Suicide has the one spot that beats all where two large pools are back to back. The first gorgeous pool's jump is beside a beautiful arcing ten meter waterfall over bright green grass. The jump is open and obvious, plenty of exposure over a big pool of tannin water within a high bowl of rock cliffs. Across the pool from the jump platform is a cut in rock and below is an out of sight waterfall and the next pool below.

Imagine standing with toes over the cliff edge, looking down at the large dark tannin pool and mentally noting the shiny section of water directly below, the target of your crash spot. For some reason your body sways - maybe the wind, probably a little vertigo - and a chill runs along your spine. The dizzying feeling rushes blood quickly around your chest and you smile, the adrenaline boost is the reason for this madness. And then with full awareness and appreciation, you take in the surroundings, first the long grassy waterfall a body length away to the right, your fellow kloofers waiting and watching from across the pool on rocks, and those kloofers behind and to the side fighting with their own common sense. Further right beyond the waterfall is a high vertical rocky cliff, and then you note this pool emptying through the rock cut straight ahead into another large pool requiring the next high jump. You're full with a sense of appreciation of witnessing a special section of river few have the chance seeing. And with a deep breath three things happened simultaneously - upper body starts dropping forward, left knee rises, and you push off with right foot. Total concentration is on the water surface rushing toward your eyes, other stimuli such as noise from wind over body or clothing is beyond awareness. At last moment before impact a quick checklist runs through the mind - legs together, hands at side, head straight, and mouth closed. The impact is first taken by a slap of your feet, your knees buckle a little, and with one giant rush - butt, hands, shoulders, and head are under water. If the body has entered with the smallest backward lean then you arc forward feet first and feel a forcable yaw underwater, a rather fun feeling.

This is my normal process, others vary. Many rookies give disregard to technique, but from the lower heights technique is less critical. From eight meters it's nearly impossible to hurt oneself unless landing flat on the back or chest. (I saw a young girl land flat backed from thirteen meters and appeared okay.) An issue with my technique that is a challenge to control is coming down slightly sideways. When this happens from ten meters I have the habit to place my palm out to brace the fall, getting a hard slap across it. Once from eighteen meters four years ago on Steenbras my head took a slap and a two-hour headache developed. This is why I haven't jumped higher than thirteen meters this year - been there, done that, and hey - it could hurt!

But problems are rare and with lower heights not a serious issue. Polishing technique is part of the fun. Without the fear of hitting I can force absolute concentration on the sensation of falling through air, which is the ultimate feeling.

We each jumped and swam to rocks on the opposite side to wait for others to jump. At the end were Caroline, Laetita, and Seretta with Rob being the good guide and hanging back. We cheered the nervous kloofers on and once gathered walked through the cut and onto ledge above the second pool, similar in size and equal in beauty.

At Junction Pool where we lunched, Suicide Kloof continues down the Riversmond River and comparatively is quite tame. Rob's version was to go upstream on the Riviersmond instead, for the canyon here is more interesting. Navigating the only Riviersmond downstream is the second, easier official kloofing trail. We boulder hopped for a long while. Rob, Anton, and Vum raced ahead. Nick, Andre, and I stuck with the rest. With speed the hopping becomes a challenge and fun, for some though it can be laborious.

We horse played in small pools along the way, pulled each other off rock, and dunked one another. We caught Rob, Anton, and Vum at "Long Pool", probably labelled "Big Jump" on the map. The three were busy rock climbing along a transverse five meters high over deep water. We sat and watched as each eventually gave in and they jumped off into the pool. We rested, talked, passed pretzels around and made a decision to split the group in half. Six who had been challenged enough took the immediate exit out of the canyon while the others (Rob, Anton, Vum, Nick, Andre, and myself) stayed on to see the prettiest part of the today's canyons.

This trip started with a fairly difficult rock climb near Long Pool's waterfall (half went up a hairy crack to the right). I was unsure of myself, shaking, and glad water was seven meters below. I did make it although technique was definitely lacking!

The river was of more pretty pools and rock hopping, then dark rock walls closed in and grew shear - the effect was magic, similar to the Kleinbras River on the Otter Trail. We terminated our upriver trip at a waterfall spinning off carved rock into a large pothole. The rock climb and scramble up loose rock and grass was a bit nerve racking, but I didn't look down and chuckled when Anton said, "One slip and you're done".

We crested the top of the gorge, Vum held her hands up and danced around like Rocky, high from the successful long, hard day. This group of five were in good shape, we walked quickly on the trail, three even ran the second half back, but I walked and talked with Andre and Anton. The first six had arrived at the cars about ten minutes before us.

On our drive back, Caroline remarked that she preferred the Steenbras Kloof with nicer pools and less boulder hopping. I enjoyed the chance to see another kloof and appreciated the long day. Without doubt the twin pools are the prettiest part of either kloof.

Mo 1/10/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

drive, left at 9am

Wellington

Bainskloff, pass finished 1852, mountains looming over winefarms,

Tweede Tol Caravan Park

Franschhoek

Villiersdorp

Grabouw

into city for a fast meal of fish and chips (R16) at Ocean Basket on Upper Long St.

home about 10pm

Tu 1/11/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

brought Robyn to work, looked at computer at MicroTek in Cavendish Square. Visited Peter and Shirley to welcome them back from Switzerland and talk about the computer. Met Robyn at 5; 30pm, purchased cheap night movie tickets for "My Life So Far" at 8:15pm, a movie about a cute boy growing up in a funny family in Argyle, Scotland. Drove to Camp's Bay for Rob and Nick's Tuesday social club. Home after midnight.

We 1/12/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

Looked at map of Table Mt and saw a path with many X's, meaning caution. The Vensture also had X's on it and we found it fun, thought this with moiré X's would be more fun! Attempted Diagnol Trail, too windy, cable car closed, clouds over top, walked out on pipetrack from Kloofneck. Chickened, brought suit for Clifton but too windy, Camps Bay beach empty, ocean whitecaps

shopping

Robyn out 9p, Simosas and prepared rice for dinner

bomb off tonight at Wynberg Municipality building, injries only

Th 1/13/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

Typed

Looked at flights at Flight Center in The Links

Bought Cape Ads and looked again for computers, found what seemed like good deal (333mhz, 32mb, 4.3gb, 8mb, 14", win95, office, R2900). The computer made quite a stir becaue of family politics and the cost. n two different occasions I had spent three days running around in search of a suitable machine and when it appeared that I would be turned off again, I bought a new Cape Ads on tuesdya morning, phoned for what appeared to be a good deal (after brutal interrogation of the owner), and paid for half of the computer without telling Peter and Shirley.

Robyn out 730p, 8pm Africa Cafe

Fr 1/14/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

1030a to 3pm at Prynn's setting up computer

typed

Pickards - All four children were home (Jan, Katherine, Adam, and Phillip). There were also other dinner guests, Sean and his wife xxx wo each own businesss - tree felling and a travel agency. Sean was big into climbing and coaches Adam who has won (as well as Jan) national championships. The talk centered around action activities and traveling. The Pickards are big on both. The family spnt most of December skiing in Austria, tomorrow Jan and Jenny plan on running a thirty kilometer road race without much preparation. The evening was very enjoable with these great topics of conversation.

One story was of one of South Africas best climbers pushing his femur into his thigh for instance. I had read about the "climbing" accident on the front page of the Cape Times. Sean corrected the article by telling of the chicken contest the climber was in on while base jumping - last one to open their chute won. He won, but now faces a long recovery period in hospital. The reason for claiming the incident as a climbing accident is for evacuation insurance purposes.

Before leaving the Pickard's, Jan gave a tour of the house. I was shown each of the kids bedrooms with a networked NT computer in each. The livigroom has a fifth computer, also networked with the printer adjacent. I was impressed. even more impressive was dams room with most of the ceiling and walls setup as a climbing gym. Near the house entrance is a new temperature ontrollled wine ceiling underneath the stairway with a huge and heavy safelike door. Upstairs the family rom is being updated into the "men's" room, dark panelling, leather furniture, a full sized snooker table, and mounted heads of wildebeast, springbok, and more.

Sa 1/15/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

Used LP book on Egypt and a couple of other books (climbing, birds)

Tickets from Air Egypt, 402 rand for CT to Joburg

Hike - run across oldish Austrian couple with short sleeve shirts and arms folded across chest, looking for way to cable car, no map, showed them Wway. Down top of Blinkwater Ravine and up three seventy degree ladders. A lot of people on top considering cablecar closed. An elderly couple from Germany used their grandchildren as translators to ask for way down. A local girl asked where she could find water. These people were unprepared, imagine if table cloth set in. decided to walk down Fountain Ledge and the Venster Trail, the same trail John, Robyn, Alexandra, and I ascended weeks ago. The trail is not recommended to those inexperienced at rock climbing. I find ascended steep rock much easier than descending and I wished to mayself a friend was accompanying me. Just as the thought dawdled through my mind, I looked ahead and saw a slow line of twelve Cape people from a religious group. They were mostly round teenage girls and all wore dark blue t-shirts and in red and white writing the shirts said, "Jesus is Lord". This wasn't my idea of company and even more annoying - they wouldn't lend me space to pass. Frustrated, I leaped ahead over rough rock and past a few at a time, finally finding free air. I scrambled down the first small section of steep rock and wondering how this lumbering and inexperienced group would do. As I walk on I heard voices, I wondered if there were more ahead, if so, at least they were moving faster. The voices became louder as I started rounding an exposed buttress, then I heard wailing. Somehow I knew this was a colored girl. She was on her knees, leaned over onto her arms, and face buried into her hands. Her plump butt pointed at me and because she wore brown pants a horrid, and gratefully incorrect thought shocked hit me - she was naked. My second thought was that a friend of hers plunged over the cliff. I asked in panic, "What happened!" And then - this all happened quickly - I looked left and right to see many more butts pointing at me from people also prostrate. Then I realized one was singing and another praying and so on. This was strange, but when I noticed a shirtless longhaired dude - a cross between Jesus and Charles Manson - sitting one a exposed rock atop the cliff, I shrugged, laughed to myself, and kept walking quickly.

I felt amiss today. On the walk up I my breathing suffered and I coughed fluid stuck in the top of my lungs from running sinuses. That gratefully cleared, but on the descent my knees ache. I wished to finish. One and a half hours from the top (cable car station) I was back in the Kloof Neck parking lot and pulling off my tattered boots.

(1057 car at klof neck, 1125 Diagnol Trailhead, 1215 outcropping on Porcupine Gorge, 1230 top, 2pm left upper cable car station, 3pm on contour path, 325p at car)

The next errand was to find Robyn a going away gift. It was almost obvious, she loved warthogs and was fond of Blacky, I decided on a stuff toy replacement, so I head to the Waterfront. I had called around without much like to toys stores two days previous. My last call to Cardies was supposedly successful. A girl happily replied that they had three sizes in stock, "Small, medium, and large!". But, it was a put-on, I found they never stocked soft toy warthogs! Damn that *i&^%! I settled on a small gray hippopotamus named Tiny.

shopped

laetita and seretta to Mexican restaurant I Waterfront home at 11pm

Dwezeals car broken into

Su 1/16/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

Robyn off, waited for Carolyn to call so we Robyn and I could arrange a visit to Dwyerskloof where her parents were staying on a farm near a river Caroline raved about. I had wanted to See Chris and Marylou again before leaving and was disappointed when she never returned my calls. Robyn and I employed plan B, lazying at a beach. I chose Llangabaan which we had passed weeks ago and were curious about.

wind, huge sloping boulders, cold

to high tea at Mount Nelson (R100) pig out on salmon and cucumber sandwiches, pastries, pies, cakes.

Met old fiend Claire at her cottage in Constantis

diner with Alister and Doris and their huge greatdanes

Mo 1/17/2000 - Cape Town (Claremont)

Today was my last day before departing South Africa and I ran crazy attempting to accomplish a long list of tasks. The quantityand weight of items in my pocession had grown considerably since arriving into Africa five months ago. I sorted through everything, throwing away brochures, reciepts, and other papers, while setting ascide documents no longer needed but wanting to keep I gathered 5.71 kliograms afte two hours of sorting and with shipped it to myself fromm the postoffice at the bottom of Second Avenue (R160, insured). I was also now holding about ten rolls of exposed films and wanted to avoid lugging them around because of heat and chance of theft. I sent them to mom FedEx (R209). There were many other tasks on the list - phoing people, picking up small items, and lastly helping Shirley with using her new computer.

dinner at Bev and Sonny. Don, Sally, Peter, Shirley, and Robyn attending.

Tu 1/18/2000 - Flight to Cairo

Robyn off, crying

backpack 20.5kg

to Joburg o a Boeing 727-200 1245a over shanties, Hottentot Hollands, could see Sir Lowry's Pass - rough and featureless mountains giving way to green farmlans abutting the mountains. minatures. Captai Van Amerva (sp)

one and a half hourflight Before touchng down we skimed tree studded green farmland and residential areas neighborhoods into xxx Airport, Johannasberg.

to Cairo

Slept most of the way on the Egyptian Air Airbus. I cramped myself and craned my neck into strange positions - against the window

infant wailing

-end