Amazing wonders of Nature

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…  

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.

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…

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 2 Decade Bucket List item done and dusted… barely…

 

Bucket List Item #6– To complete 21 Cape Town Cycle Tours- formerly known by us as “The Argus”…  a 109 km race around Table Mountain.

 

I must confess, like my blogging these past 3 months, my training program went sadly lacking… I did train. But not nearly enough. I also tried something new. Instead of my usual February midday training sessions (summer here, remember…) I trained at night in front of my television set. Doing a few Sufferfest training sessions- really good training material!

But so, last Sunday, 6 March, the day dawned on my 21st race…

And for once it was a nearly perfect day! Last year’s race had to be shortened a lot because of Table Mountain burning, and all the soot in the air threatening our lungs.  In previous races the Southeasterly wind blew a lot- one year up to 12o km/h. But this year- blue skies, no wind, no smoke… perfect!

I knew from the start that I have committed the grave sin of undertraining. I went slowly up Hospital hills, and then suffered a LOT up the 2 km of Edinburgh Drive…  I did manage to ride to the top of this hellish climb. Then, on the Blue Route I felt as if this day just might be survivable… managing speeds of up to 72 km/h on the slight downhills.

At the Naval Base of Simonstown I started feeling quite poorly. A slight wind was now blowing from the front, and the heat picked up a bit. On through Millers Point and over Smitswinkel Bay I felt some strain. But when you reach halfway, there is a long slight downhill, with the wind in your back. That part was really good. On through the beautiful and spooky Scarborough and onwards to Noordhoek I pedalled. But then it started to heat up quite a lot (according to me…)

At the base of the beautiful Chapman’s Peak Drive is a lovely place called Noordhoek Farm Village. For the first time ever I stopped there. Went to their restaurant, and ordered a cup of filter coffee. I was seriously contemplating abandoning the race, as I just felt drained. After the cup of coffee I soldiered on towards Chappies. But I knew I was in trouble. I had a hard time breathing, and my heart rate monitor showed that I was above maximum heart rate- 220 minus your age. At about halfway up Chapmans Peak drive I had to pull over. And then, with the heat and the heartrate going through the roof, I had to walk the last km of Chappies- it felt like a walk of shame! Over the top, I made time up- it is a good 4-5 km of downhill, sweeping turns, dodging slower cyclistts- as a motorcyclist I am really good at downhill riding! But then- the dreaded Suikerbossie Drive in Hout Bay. First a 1 km climb, coming back down again, and then a 2 km steep incline.  As I entered the smaller Suikerbossie my legs just loced up solid in a cramp. I could barely manage to turn my ankle to get my shoe out of the pedal. Some spectators helped me to the sidewalk, and I had to lay down in the shade till the cramps subsided. And then I had to walk the 2 km up again to the top of Suikerbossie…

In order to qualify for a medal, you have to finish the race under 7 hours. As I walked up to Suikerbossie’s top, I realised that I had already used up 6 1/2 hours. To get to the finish line from here is usually more than half an hour for me… Was all the suffering going to be a total waste of time?  Still cramping, I got on my bicycle, and started chasing the clock to be in time for my medal. And it was bad! It is a beautiful stretch of road, going past Llundudno, and the 12 Apostles Hotel, and then through Campsbay, Clifton, Bantry Bay, onwards to the finish line at the Greenpoint Stadion. Most of it is downhill. And a lot of riders, having had a better ride than me, slow down just to enjoy the scenery. But me, cramping a lot and in pain, tried my best to reach the cutoff time.

When I finally passed the finish line I looked at my watch. I have made it, but with only minutes to spare… my worst time ever, including the 120 km/h wind race a few years back. But it counted! At this time I was really in pain. I had to go to an Info tent to go and claim my special 21 st medal. And then, feeling the strain, I went and booked myself into the medical tent. I was feeling dizzy and very thirsty. The medical staff took over, tested my pulse, and blood pressure. My pulse kept on racing at 12o, where I usually go back quickly to 65/70. The other problem was when my blood sugar levels were tested, it was up at 11.3. I have never been diabetic, but in the struggle to finish I have taken on too much sports drinks…

But I had my medal. It has taken 21 years to get this medal.

I might still be the slowest cyclist in my home town. I may not always look like an athlete.

But: I have a 21 Cycle Tours medal. And from next year I am riding with the Argus’ sought after  Blue Number, being a member of Club 21.

I really doubted that I would finish this year’s race. But maybe Winston Churchill was right when he said: “Never, never, never, never, never give up…”

 

 

 

Still breathing… barely

Hi dear friends… So I have been quiet for a while… a few months to be precise…

I always wanted my blog to be a place with a positive vibe, good news and so. So I developed a huge writer’s block.

It was a hard year for me with my eldest son working in the USA. But he has safely returned last week. The US of A has been good to him, and he really enjoyed it a lot. He thinks the people of Gregory, South Dakota are some of the friendliest people around. He was based in Hendricks, Minnesota. The Combined Harvestingvteam travelled through to Texas, Colorado, Montana, both Dakotas and over to Saskatchwan in Canada. He has seen a lot that his father would also love to see one day.  He returned to South Africa, and promptly left for Mozambique again last Friday- week ago, with his girlfriend and her family. His sister also worked until now, and her firm closed for the Christmas holidays.

The rest of the family is at Scottburg just south of Durban. We are having a good time in the Indian Ocean, swimming and suntanning. I also am planning to make a bucket list item a reality, to go shark cage diving if weather permits on Saturday. My eldest 2 children will probably join us in 2 days’ time to celebrate Christmas together.

Why I was so silent on my blog: the situation in South Africa is really getting me down. We have a very expensive clown for a president, and he and his cronies are really ruining our beautiful country. Even the New York Times says so…

In South Africa, if you are white and think the ANC is ruining the country, you must be a racist and longing for the old apartheid days. And that is really getting me down. No, I do not long for old days of racial discrimination. But I am fed up with the corruption and the way our President treats the country as his personal piggy bank. I do not long back to good old days, I look forward to a day in the future where everybody will really be treated as equals, and that I will never have to fill my race in on a form again. South Africa is in real deep… trouble. And while I still have the freedom to say that, I will.

So we are going to enjoy this seaside holiday, I think 2016 is going to be a very difficult year in our country…  we need a good rest before the next struggle starts.

So for all readers who celebrate Christmas, may it be a good time of peace. And for all the rest, may you also experience peace in these troubled times!