Storms River Village - Knysna: 72km/45mi

Sunday 7 March 2004

We do the seventy kilometres to Knysna in less than an hour. We stop for coffee at Old Nick a artist village half way down there. In Knysna we find a room at Inyahti guest lodges. It is a former artist village turned into a guest lodge with 11 individual rooms around a nice patio. It is a bit like Hobbiton meets Safari Lodge. Erik and Ypie, the owners are fellow Dutchmen. Knysna is a friendly town on a saltwater lagoon. For a long time it was a sleepy artist town, but it has now firmly earned its place on the tourist map. It is by no means spoilt and has held on to its charm. We immediately go for the forests for a walk. Diepwalle Forest is half an hour's drive. Road signs warn us that wild elephants are roaming the forest, but only elephants we get to see are the ones on the signs marking the walking trails.  There are three marked colour coded trails. We choose the black route, which is an easy flat walk and well signposted until we miss one sign. After a bit of searching we luckily end up at the parking lot. 

We have lunch back in Knysna at Pacquita an average place with an unrivaled view on the Lagoon and the "Heads", the mountains that mark the exit towards the ocean. Late afternoon we join a boat tour with a catamaran sailing yacht through the lagoon towards the Heads. Boats leave from the waterfront, a newly developed tourist complex with eateries and shops. We are not even half way the lagoon when a heavy thunderstorm catches up with us. Fierce gales, hard rain cause tear up the main sail, but it all works out in the end. After the storm the sea is still too rough for us to venture outside the lagoon. The sun returns as if nothing has happened. Later at night we eat at  Harry B's - a suggestion by Gerard, the receptionist at our guest lodge- and a good one too. Delicious food and good service.

Weather: warm and sunny. max. 30°C/86°F.

Knysna- Montagu: 352km/220mi

Monday 8 March 2004

After breakfast we pay Erik our host and go and look for an internet café and write some emails home. Than it is time to get on our way for a long drive. We first set out for Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo. To get there we have to cross the Outenaque pas over. Klein Karoo, a desert like area is known for ostrich farming. The area is very dry and warm with maximum temperatures of 51°C (124°F). It is a lot warmer than back in Knysna and around lunchtime it is already over 35°C (95°F).  In Oudtshoorn are many ostrich farms open to visitors and we choose - on the Rough Guide's advice - Conga Ostrich Farm. Here we get a 'lecture' on ostrich farming. Ostriches are raised here and after 14 months sold off to the slaughter house. They are bred mainly for their leather and meat. Originally ostrich farming started for the feathers, but around 1914 demand for feathers declined. An ostrich egg weighs more than 1 kg (± 3 lbs) and take about six week of brooding and then 10 hours to hatch.  We get a tour and have a look at the incubators and the farm. There is even opportunity for riding the animals, which some do. It looks a bit like a rodeo, because it is not easy to remain seated. The farm hands are much better at it. An ostrich can only carry persons up to 75 kg. 

From Oudtshoorn we follow the R62 or Route 62, taking us right across the Little Karoo (Karoo is the Khoi-word for " land of thirst"). The land is dry, but varied with wonderful mountain passes. On our drive we do get some rain. Closer to Montagu the picture changes and we enter serious wine country. In Montagu stay at the Montague Rose Guesthouse, run by the very friendly Ben  en Oedeni van Rensburg. We have a large room with a mountain view and we are treated on a beer at the porch. In Montague the weather is fine and temperatures around a very pleasant 22°C/72°F. It is a small town where everyone greets on the street. We eat at Jessica, a fine restaurant in Cape-Dutch pink coloured house. The food is great but the waitress/owner has an arrogant air about her.  

Weather: In Oudtshoorn very hot: 35°C/86°F . During our drive to Montagu showers. In Montague fine and temps around 20°C/70°F.

Tuesday 9 March 2004

After breakfast we drive to the wine district around Stellenbosch. We take the tourist route via Worcester and De Villiersdorp. We then come through the beautiful Franschhoekpass, giving a great view over Franschhoek. This wine farming village, was founded in the 17th century by Huguenots from France. The village is quite touristy and full of quaint Cape-Dutch houses and buildings, while people are at pains to give all a French touch. Some of the houses are decorated with cast iron ornaments called Brookie-lace. 

We drink coffee, and go on to the Boschendal wine estate. This one of the larger and oldest wine estates open to visitors.  The estate dates back to 1685. The present manor was built in 1812. The vinyard and its buildings breathe the grandeur of a colonial past, complete with stables (shop), wine cellar (restaurant) and Slave quarters (Café). We have booked a picnic. We get our basket at the gazebo on the picnic lawn under the pine trees. Tables and umbrellas are scattered over the very large lawn where sit down and unpack our basket. Drinks and desert are served at our table by a good looking waiter. We enjoy the mouth watering food under a clear blue sky. After lunch we do some wine tasting (5 wines for R12), which is done at the Taphuis. 

After all this enjoyment we go on to Stellenbosch, where we get a room at D'ouwe Werf. This hotel from 1803 is the oldest Inn in South Africa. It is a luxurious room with a 19th century four poster bed and every thing else is tip top, as if it were a spanish Parador.

We explore the town and walk past the Rhenisch church from 1840, on the Braak. De Braak is  a central square or lawn. Also on De Braak is the Dutch East Indies Company's gunpowder house.  We walk further and reach the Village museum. This is a group of houses fortunately located next to each other representing a cross cut of the architectural development on the Cape. The houses are furnished with period items and open to visitors. We then come to the Dorpstraat. This street has kept its original character with lots of Cape-Dutch houses and lush trees. The Dorpstraat takes us to the famous Oom Samie se Winkel. A shop full of trinkets, but also nice souvenirs, wine, herbs, teas, sweets, leather etc.  

We walk back to the Kerkstraat where land on a side walk café called Java café, a trendy place to be, enjoy a drink and to watch the people walking by.  Later at night we have dinner in the hotel's restaurant.  

Weather: sunny, ± 25°C/77°F.