Sometimes beauty arrives where you least expect it. I was amazed by the beauty of this Pincussion Protea, found next to the gravel road near Gourits River Mouth, South Africa last week… Continue reading
That beautiful 1925 Type 23 Bugatti!
Yesterday I shared some iconic hood emblems of three classic cars. The Bugatti really stood out for me. I just love Bugatti! This beauty can be seen at the Franschhoek Motor Museum in South Africa.
You remember this one:
But it would be so unfair not to show the rest of the car as well…
1925 Type 23 Bugatti
And a short history of this beauty in English and Afrikaans…
Now this is truly a thing of beauty in my eyes…
What is in a name? Three of the Best…
Wordless… Just wish I owned any one of these three…
At the Franschhoek Motor Museum, South Africa.
What a Car! 1930’s Bentley
I am not that familiar with the classic cars. Readers may enlighten me as to the model of this beautiful 1930’s Bentley. But in my uninformed eyes this is one of the most spectacular front ends of any car, ever… what a beauty!
It is residing in the Franschhoek Motor Museum, South Africa
The Cord 810- Timeless Beauty!
One of South Africa’s best destinations for petrolheads is the Rupert family’s Motor Museum just outside the scenic town of Franschhoek. I had such a fun day with my eldest son, just enjoying the beautiful cars in this magnificent collection.
I would have loved to hear this car start up, and would be in heaven if I could drive it around the block! But seeing it in real life was already a huge thrill!
You can read all the technical data here at wikipedia. I will post one or two more in the coming days of this experience, maybe it will help clear my creative block.
Australian Masterchef and some Life skills…
Dear Aussies- As a South African, I am supposed to hate you guys. It has something to do with rugby union (but you also struggle at the moment, I see…) and cricket. That magnificent game that you sometimes play so well… as do we…
We make a lot of jokes about you guys- something to do with handpicked ancestors. And some unfortunate encounters with sheep in the Outback…
Be that as it may, Australian Masterchef has really become our (my wife and I, not the whole of SA!) favorite program of all time. In the process we have seen a few things that really excites us about you as a nation. Let me share a few thoughts and impressions.
- You focus on the main thing. In this program it is about the love of food. Of good chef skills, and presenting an amazing dish. And the love for food shines through all the way, and binds you together.
- Your respect for nature, and the respect for the good ingredients used to cook shines through- well done! Your agricultural products and seafood looks amazing.
- You are amazing at people skills! I am amazed by the way the judges handle all contestants. Everybody is welcome and important, and it does not matter what their background and level of education might be. Everybody is treated with respect, and the underlying impression I get- the goal is to help every contestant to be their best, to produce their best cooking, to learn from their mistakes and to improve as chefs. I really love that there is none of the Gordon Ramsey Hell’s Kitchen style yelling and insulting going on.
- Mistakes are tolerated– and improvement encouraged. Everybody sometimes have a bad day in the kitchen, and knows it. The way that people are encouraged to get up, dust off and try again are really inspiring- learn from mistakes, do it better next time.
- Even elimination are handled with dignity- there is none of that “You’re the weakest link, goodbye…” sendoffs. I love the way that each leaving contestant is encouraged to follow their dream. The way that contestants victories are celebrated when they leave is really good. And the humane way the Judges act towards contestants- well done guys!
- The way that contestants support one another, encourage, help… it looks like one happy family. Maybe not all Aussies are like that, but you do give a very positive picture of a healthy nation.
- The way contestants grow along the journey, producing food that they could never imagine before…
- Marco Pierre White on the one hand scares- that look over his glasses… on the other hand inspires and share experience designed to push contestants to a next level- great to see a 3 Michelin star chef being an inspiration and a mentor– true greatness.
- It seems as if everybody taking part gets a truly life enriching experience!
- You have inspired our own cooking and the dare to try some new techniques and styles.
- Billie McKay was such an amazing winner last year, I would love to sit at her table one day.
- Would love to end with a Shannon Bennett desert!
In conclusion: As a Pastor I would love to see more of these life skills displayed in church! In the way all people act towards each other, love and support one another even though we might be from different backgrounds and opinions.
And finally: Aussies- see you on the Rugby field… you will bleed…
Respect!
Nylstroom: A small message of Hope
The last blog post shared some of the scenes around our town, gripped in one of the worst droughts in history.
I have shared some photos on facebook about the state of our town’s dam, the main water supply. But here is some of it for those readers not on my facebook…
I have taken this rock to our church, as a token of remembrance- we need rain…
Beauty in death…
I also learned this past week that one beer can really hurt you. And no, I did not step into a broken bottle…
A week or two ago my wife and I sat in this dam, between the cracked dry mud, and we prayed. Something mayor is going on in our lives, and we are experiencing the onslaught in so many ways. Landing on the front page of the Afrikaans newspapers all over South Africa, just by buying a beer at a National Cricket Game and being identified as a pastor afterwards did not help at all.
This morning I had to deliver a letter at a Crocodile farm. I took the long way home, feeling very down and out at the moment. The long route took me across some of the beautiful scenery in our part of the world, even if it severely dry at the moment. I just am in no mood to be amongst people today.
And so, with this long route back home, I drove past our Donkerpoort Dam again from the other side, and went in there again- it is one of my favorite praying spots.
The Lord must have invited me there. Because what I have seen, has really blessed me. It did rain over the weekend, quite a lot in some places. And when I walked over to the middle of the dam, I saw this sight… the change has begun. The slow restoration of hope has started to change the scenery…
A very small stream has begun to flow, covering the cracks, bringing the promise of a new season… It is still very small. It disappears into the dry earth quite suddenly. But… it is there. And if it continues to grow, it will make a huge difference…
Friends in wet countries will probably not understand my excitement over such a small amount of water. Friends in desert countries will rejoice with me. In a normal year, even these rocks will be a few meters under water.
I needed to see this promise of hope this morning. The wonderful sound of water flowing. The frogs- where have they been??? has started croaking again. And I so long for the day the fish wlll be jumping again at sunset, and to hear the cry of the fish eagle again soon…
A little bit of water brings a lot of hope to a dry place. I now pray for the same to happen to my heart…
PS Photo Quality sucks… took it with my phone- plan to go and show it to my wife this afternoon and take a decent camera along. And pray a little more…
Global Warming is real around my home town…
I see a lot of politicians around the world trying to deny the effect of Global Warming. Some call it just a myth. But each month sets new records as the warmest month in human history. And it is wreaking havoc around the globe. Some places get a lot more rain than usual.
But here in the Limpopo Province of South Africa nature forgot to send rain, this whole season long. The effect- it is the first time in my 22 years living in our town, that our town’s dam is drying up completely. This is our main water supply.
This is the last remaining water in our dam, with water levels now getting too low to pump any water out anymore.
This lonely rock would in a good year be more than 10 meters under water…
Even my Pick-up (Bakkie!) is going boldly where it has never been before….
Fortunately our town has a new government after the last Local Government Elections. While the previous regime did nothing to ensure water supply, the new Municipality is keeping us up to date about the water supply, and have started to order the drilling of a few boreholes, something the previous mayor and friends failed to do in the past 6 dry months. We also get water pumped in from Pretoria, our capital. The previous town council became in arrears with their payment of water, so supply was severely limited.
Fact remains- it is very dry around here. We need rain very soon in this new spring season, as nature is having a very bad time, plants and animals dying from thirst..
I hope I can post a photo with an overflowing dam soon…
Those Magnificent Flying Machines
Today was the annual Nylstroom Taildraggers Fly Inn, and I had just a short time available to visit. As always I felt a bit jealous, as it must be one of life’s greatest joys to be able to fly.
But I did have a few minutes to take a few photos. Here is some of this year’s happy moments…
Botswana weekend on the bikes- still good to be alive!
It is winter in the Southern Hemisphere. And my wife went to visit her sister in Ireland, on Turkish Airlines… missing the attack at Istanbul with just 6 days…
On the way to the airport 9 days ago my phone started buzzing. My friend knows how I was not looking forward to this 3 week period without my wife. His first suggestion was that we should go visit Katse Dam in Lesotho on our motorbikes. But Lesotho in winter is really, really cold! After dropping off my wife at the OR Tambo Airport, I went and stayed over at his place in Kempton Park. And then, over a bottle of good red wine, the idea was developed a bit further on. If Lesotho is that cold, how about a trip through Botswana instead? You see- I have a virgin passport, that were badly in need of a stamp to pop it’s cherry.
So we decided, and sent word through our Whatsapp group of friends. And soon enough the owners of 6 bikes decided it sounds like fun, why not? Three of them will also bring their wives along. On Thursday evening, the 30th of June, three of us stayed over at one of our friends’ guest house. If you ever need a good place to stay over in Lichtenburg, South Africa, Sundown Guesthouse is your destination… The owner really wanted to come with us, but then found that his passport has expired… but we had such a good evening together in Lichtenburgh.
The next morning another two friends joined us, and four bikes departed, going over the border with a painless experience (not that usual in Southern Africa!) We waited in Lobatse for the other two bikes, completing our group. We then went onwards to the capital, Gaborone.
And here our friends booked a delightful Backpackers Lodge called Mokolodi. This is a very good place to stay over when visiting Gaborone, just a few kilometers outside the city in a very quiet and peaceful neighborhood.
We pitched our tents, and then went exploring the capital. One thing that always amazes me about Botswana is the way this country is developing and growing. The new business district is something to behold- such vibrant and imaginative new buildings going up. Botswana means business.
We returned, and pitched our tents.
Photo: Mavis
Preparing for a cold night in the African winter. But as we Africans do… the cold did not bother us at all. We braai’ed. Barbequed. And enjoying a night together around the camp fire, under the African starry sky. And as always it went along with good story telling, and some liquid beverages consumed…
Photo: Mavis
It was a cold night in a tent, as I was laying alone in the dark… but African Winters tend to be cold… The next morning my friend caught me exiting my very small tent…
Photo: Philip
On Saturday we rode from Gaborone up on the main highway of Botswana, up to Mahalapye. This part of Botswana is really flat, and not with such marvelous wildlife as you get up beyond Nata. Here you ride just to ride, and be with friends. We were very well pleased with the petrol price in Botswana- refined in South Africa but not nearly so much taxed as in our country. We had a good rest stop in the Wimpy at Mahalapye, and then turned east towards the Martins Drift border post. Here we were again reminded how grumpy and unfriendly South African border staff can be. We have much to learn from the way Botswana operates…
We headed to the very, very small town of Marken, where we stayed over at the local pastor’s farm. We pitched our tents under a beautiful old tree (Marula?) 
And then we had another lovely evening under the stars, around the camp fire… man, winter is bad in South Africa… 🙂
This camping was very basic, but with hot showers provided by a “Donkey”- a fire heated geyser. There was no mobile phone reception, just us under the starry sky, underneath the Southern Cross. And around the camp fire we told stories, shared some experiences, addressed some whiskey, and shared some more of life’s wisdom.
It is for such experiences of the shared passion of motorbikes, friendship, nature, our faith, and the camp fire burning under a starry sky, that we live. And yes, my friends made the 3 long weeks without my wife much more bearable!
PS. So Sorry I rode so slowly through Botswana- I really just know of some people having received huge speed fines in very remote places, and I can’t do the time, so I did not do the crime… 🙂
The Rider 