THE LAST LEG

A trip that took me 2 months in which I covered approximately 5000 kilometres was nearing its end and I was preparing for the last part of the first leg of my journey-to-nowhere.  Little did I know what role the word leg would play in my life over the next couple of days.

                

The distance between Douglas in the Northern Cape and Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape is approximately 760 kilometre and took me through small towns like Hopetown, Strydenburg, De Aar, Hanover, Middelburg and the beautiful landscapes near Cradock. 

One of the many farm stalls I stopped at

I arrived in Port Elizabeth late on a Friday afternoon and knew I was ‘home’ the moment I saw the dolosse (harbour walls) so characteristic of Port Elizabeth.  Dolosse (knuckle bones), were developed in 1963 by an East London Harbour Engineer, Eric Merrifield, and won him various awards.  Aubrey Kruger, a colleague of Merrifield, later claimed that it was his design, but he never got any recognition.  A dolos is a concrete block, geometrically shaped and weighing up to 30 tons.  It is now used worldwide to create a barrier between the land and the ocean.

                               

Ben and Wendy, my hosts for the next two weeks, were expecting me and I was welcomed into their home with heartfelt joy and love.  I could not have asked for a better place to stay while in Port Elizabeth.  Their hospitality knows no boundaries.  I had carte blanche to their fridge, their home and their generosity.  Wendy likes to laugh and talk and so do I.  Friends, that allow you to enjoy your early morning coffee with them on their double bed, while still dressed in your pj's, are beyond compare. Bennie has a wonderful sense of humour and an insatiable craving for chocolates.  Their beautiful Siamese cat is of course the centre of attention and a real ‘beauty queen’.

Being naturally gregarious, I could not pass the opportunity to spend time and to have lunch with my ex-boss and ex-colleagues, Steve, Ines, Robyn, Wendy and to chat and catch up with all the other girls and guys I used to work with.  That was truly priceless!.  It was so good to meet up with old friends like Lourens, but sadly I missed Mona his wife, as she was still at work.  Seeing Karen, Hilton, Marinda and Andre as well, made me realise how meagre my life would be without individuals such as these.

My  ‘camp’ people did not disappoint either.  Meeting Nenna at her new workplace brought tears to my eyes.  My hard work of 12 years finally paid off.  2014 started well for most of them as they obtained jobs at the new developments in the area.  Unemployment is one of the biggest obstacles they have to overcome.  Once employed, their self-worth is rebuilt and the morale, not only their own, but also those around them, becomes so confidently optimistic.

Food for the soul, at its best, is spending an evening in the company of Sandra and sharing a bottle of good wine. It was just what the doctor ordered!  Topics of discussion varied from lost love, the pros and cons of having or not having a lover and the challenges we have to face as so called senior citizens (not that she qualifies to be a senior citizen yet).  We talked about our failures of the past, the challenges of the now and the mysteries of our futures.  

An afternoon spent in the company of Ines, my good-looking Italian friend, and her Mom, is sheer joy. Calling me Giovanna, like only an Italian can, sends shivers down my spine.  Ines, like me, is a true Cancerian and we understand our fluctuating moods all too well.   Barefoot, with pizzas to nibble on and glasses of refreshing pomegranate juice, the minutes turned into hours and before I knew it night was upon us and it was time for me to leave with sadness yet again.  My ‘Vrienkie’ (little friend) for life! 

                                                                                   

Long coastal drives, lingering at familiar places and all-time favourite spots and discovering new jewels, left my wandering soul in a mystical state.  The enchanted world of rock and surf at Seaview (the small coastal village I once called home), Maitland, with its seemingly never ending beaches, Kini Bay’s charisma and allure and the serenity that enfolds Kragga Kamma are all fascinating impressions that will last me a life-time and bring me back to this beautiful part of South Africa time and again.

A visit to one of South Africa’s award-winning writers, Annelie Botes, was like having my cake and eating it too.  After an absence of many years she started writing again in 1994 and has since published more than 50 short stories and novellas.  She has won many awards and is also a very popular guest speaker.

Another acquaintance in Port Elizabeth is Anet.  She and I are still new friends, but in the short time she’s been in my life, it has been a bundle of cookies and joy.  We spent an afternoon in the beautiful lounge at the Boardwalk (hotel and casino complex), sipping tea and enjoying delectable sandwiches, with the cacophony of slot machines off in the background.  There was much reminiscing and catching up while enjoying the sights.  The Boardwalk is a vibrant symbol of South Africa's emerging modern market economy and the ever-rising standards for architecture and building construction.  It is a far cry from the colonial architecture that can be seen all over Port Elizabeth.

Marinthia and Louis welcomed me into their home, a place where one can find exquisite art, eat fabulous fusion food, experience a sun that puts sparkle in the morning and a night that starts with a startling silence. But, their home is also a melting pot of animals.  Great Danes, a Weimaraner, a pint-sized cheeky lap-dog, aristocratic Bengal cats, adorable donkeys, a snow white pony, meerkats ( Suricate, a small mammal belonging to the mongoose family), birds, geese and chickens, to name but a few.  Marinthia and Louis truly give real meaning to the word animal-lover.  Spending time with Marinthia compares well to having a dark chocolate Magnum (a gourmet ice-cream) for breakfast.  It is always delectably splendid to share some time with her!  Making the transition from her being my boss a couple of years back to becoming one of my best friends came easily enough.  It is undeniably a friendship I truly treasure.

The morning of my departure came all too soon and waving Wendy and Bennie goodbye in the early hours of the morning, was not an easy task.  Never did I feel the urge to turn back so strongly

A quick pit-stop in Joubertina, where a dear friend, Merle lives, came at the right time.  Joubertina is a small town hidden halfway down the 190 kilometre Langkloof  (long gorge) and is overlooked by a mountain peak named Formosa (1675m), the highest point in the Tsitsikamma mountains. It has majestic tranquillity written all over it.  It somehow reflects Merle’s calm and humble personality.  A hidden treasure per se!

Little did I know what misery was on its way when I left Joubertina in the heat of the day.  I was heading for my next stop, Nautilus Bay, when a little discomfort in my knee turned into an excruciating pain and it seemed like a merciless warning that this leg of my journey was not going to be a joy-ride.

The route from Port Elizabeth to Nautilus Bay, a coastal reserve with panoramic sea views, took me through some of the most beautiful parts of South Africa.  It was good to see that some areas are still untouched by mass tourism.  I could not help but stop ever so often to appreciate the fairy tale scenes and to marvel at the beauty that surrounded me.  It was rainy and foggy when I reached the peak of the Outeniqua pass and the visibility was poor which gave it an almost supernatural ambience. It was fascinating to observe the scene as I was descending, leaving the majestic mountain behind and heading for the coast.

Finally reaching Nautilus Bay, I went directly to the home of Stephanie and Henk.  And although I had to spend the evening on crutches, bandages and painkillers, the time spent with Stephanie and Henk, was worth all the discomfort.  Stephanie’s cuisine, Henk’s wine, the ocean as a backdrop and the stories and laughter in between, brought us to midnight and way beyond.  Unfortunately I had to cut my visit short, as I knew I was in trouble with my knee, but not before enjoying a most refreshing breakfast, a last view of an azure Indian Ocean and being mesmerized by the riches of my surroundings.

I was welcomed in Cape Town by my caring kids and family after a very long and exhausting trip.  It was good to feel Missy’s arms around me, it was good to catch up on all the gossip of the past weeks, heavenly to sleep in my thirty-year old bed  and to cuddle up with Neara and Shika my pet snakes.  My wandering soul and sensual passions will have to back off for a while.  My knee needs a rest and my health has to be my first priority.  But, I continue to reassure myself that nothing is permanent and this too shall pass.  For the present my trip to Namibia will have to stay on ice. Eish!  I look forward to resuming my journey to nowhere.

The word Eish! is used in South Africa to express exasperation or disbelief.  The word was first transliterated from the Xhosa language to Afrikaans and then to English.


GALLERY

Dolosse

With Bennie

With Wendy

Tessa the pure-bred.

Andre and Marinda

Ines, with her brother and mother

Kite surfer at Maitland

Maitland

Pollock Beach Port Elizabeth

Anet

Marinthia's donkeys

Great Dane

Marinthia feeding the meerkat

Between Joubertina in the Eastern Cape
and George in the Western Cape

A wind-farm situated between
Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp

Aerial view Joubertina
Photo courtesy of Joubertina Tourism

Hops

Street scene Joubertina

Near Nautilus Bay

View Point Outeniqwa

Tired and sore

Sandra

Stephanie and Henk

With Stephanie