Cycling 54 km down the Swartberg pass

At the start point 

Woke up early to get ready for my ride down the Swartberg pass. Miriam and Jurgen decided to rest instead and I had a quick breakfast before meeting Gavin to collect my safety gear as well as map for the journey. According to the plan, I would be driven all the way to the top of the pass and then make my way back to the backpacker's by cycling back. There was a french couple joining me as well and we watched Gavin prepare the bicycles on the trailer. It was going to be a hot day eventually and I brought along my Camelbak. Gavin advised me to stop midway for lunch at this restaurant along the way and with that we set off.

The views on the way to the drop off point was amazing by itself and we drove up a narrow winding trail for some time before reaching the start point. It was exceedingly windy at the start point and we took a few pictures before starting the ride down. The arrangement was that Gavin would escort us all the way down till we reached the intersection leading down to the Cango caves and he did a good job, waiting patiently as we stopped almost ever 200 metres to take pictures of the ever beautiful landscape. We also had to watch our speed as there were no barricades for most of the way and at some points, too fast and we would just fly off the edge.

Where the track meets road

The cycling path was mostly sand and loose rocks and thankfully mostly downhill except for occasional sections where there was some upslope. After a few kilometres of dirt track, the path moved onto a road and it was way smoother here and the slopes more pronounced. I lost track of the french couple after a few slopes and my natural instinct to cover miles took control. Before long I was at the intersection leading to the Cango caves and heading towards the town. The weather began to take its toll on me then as well as all the dust whenever a vehicle drove by. Slowly but surely I made my way to the lunch point, just by the Cango Ostrich farm which we had visited the day earlier.

Lunchpoint !

Lunch was a sandwich together with a strawberry milkshake which just made the day seem so much better almost instantly. The lady at the lodge was nice enough to ask me to relax in the pool for awhile before carrying on but I preferred to make my way back instead.

The kitchen rules

Leaving the coffee place, I carried on past the Cango caves and made my way back to the backpackers. Interestingly the way back was rather straightforward and it was difficult to get lost. The only problem I would say would be that there are hardly any toilets along the way, especially between the ostrich farm and the backpackers. Seeing the familiar backpacker's signboard I was very relived as the heat was really beginning to get to me and it was a short while more before I was inside paradise backpackers.

Once I returned, the staff collected my bicycle and safety kit and returned me back my deposit. One of the things I really liked about Paradise is that almost all the staff knew the guests by name and a few of them did just that throughout my stay making me wonder if I had spoken to them before and forgotten. We were supposed to leave the day next and I just checked to make sure that Miriam had informed them regarding the shuttle in the morning.

I was incredibly tired and chilled a few hours in the pool before having dinner with Miriam and Jurgen at the backpacker's itself before crashing.

54 km completed.

Fence Patrolling at Woody Cape Section

The day started early today and I was excited. Meeting the rangers in the morning, I learnt that we were going fence patrolling. I was to trek around the fencing separating the park from the Dunes of Alexandria and the views were supposed to be really beautiful.

Having a chat with the section ranger Guy,  I learnt that he was trying to let me experience the beauty of the area within the one week I had and this was definitely kind of him. The drop off vehicle started off and the ride to the start point traversed through plains with many animals moving around in their herds. The path down was stunning, greenery around and by the sides punctuated with a blue wispy sky which looked like part of a painting. I had definitely made the right choice deciding to spend my last week immersed in the silence that Woody Cape offered.

The ride down continued till I caught sight of the magnificent dunes that had held me spell-bound the first time round. I was to walk with one ranger and he was an elderly man and rather thoughtful with a certain quietness around him.

My companion for the day

Walking in silence amid such natural settings was tranquil and my companion would occasionally stop for a short rest before carrying on. Each stop we had was at a point where the scenery would be simply stunning and I relished such breaks. The air seemed to have a certain lightness to it as we covered the kilometers one step at a time. Lunch was along the way and this time round I had remembered to pack something. The patrol was to take almost an entire day and occasionally my companion would point out something to me and tell me about it. The patrol carried on till we hit the forest and carried on through the bush. As time went by, the views of the dunes would occasionally fade to re-emerge again further up. The ranger often told me where the best shots could be taken and even tried taking a picture for me.

Visiting the Cango Caves and Cango Ostrich farm

Woke up early today all excited and met Gavin in the morning for the drive down to the Cango caves. Gavin helped us with getting the tickets and we had some time to spare before entering the park. Visitors enter the park in tour groups and with a tour leader who explains about the formations inside and while waiting, I decided to grab a quick bite at the restaurant just by the waiting area. We had chosen the adventure tour and this meant that there would be sections of the caves where we would be required to crawl and move through narrow spaces. It was very clearly explained with even cutouts showing the actual size of the openings. I had a good breakfast overlooking the road which we had driven up and was mistaken for a guide by the lady serving breakfast ! Many of the locals would mistake me for a local from Durban a number of times and as time went by I began to get used to this. 

The tour started at 0930 am as stated and it was truly remarkable to see formations so many thousand years old beautifully preserved and taken care of for many generations to view. The lighting were well done as well so that parts of the caves could be highlighted as we walked on, bringing focus to the beautiful formations.

Charmaine squeezing through a section of the caves

 The guide was very friendly and answered our questions patiently and for most of the time flashes from cameras dominated the walk. It was however interesting that compared to the cave system I had visited in Korea, the manjanggul lava cave system, the cave floor here was dry. It was also interesting to know that many years ago, the caves had been used as a location for concerts. Amidst explaining about the stunning formations, the guide would wait for us to take pictures and the pace of the tour was just perfect. The beginning of the adventure tour is the end of the usual tour and we were asked to leave our bags at a spot before proceeding. 

Just as shown and explained, the adventure tour involved lots of time spent squatting as well as movement through narrow spaces and corners. For most of us, it was just time consuming at times rather then difficult and everyone made it through safely. It was definitely exciting to take pictures amidst such small spaces and we had plenty of laughs along the way. I met the one and only Singaporean traveller here and it was nice to meet someone from where I had come from. Charmaine was with her mom and visiting South Africa for a week and we took turns to take pictures through the entire adventure tour.

Entrance to the adventure tour 

Moving through the caves gave me an idea of the processes that would have shaped such beautiful structures and after crawling, sliding and climbing thorough the adventure tour, it was time to head back to the entrance. It was an awesome tour and a must try for anyone who does not have a severe claustrophobia. Besides a few bruises and scratches, all of us were good and due to the smooth surface of the caves, it's definitely a good idea to wear shoes that can grip rather then flip flops.

 The next part of our day was to the Cango ostrich farm and after a quick freshening up, we were good to go with Gavin. The ostrich farm is midway between the Cango caves and the backpackers and we were there shortly. 

We again signed up for a tour through the farm and it started off with an introduction to ostrich products as well as the history of the farms. I learnt that the semi-desert climate was perfect for ostrich rearing and ostrich leather was expensive amongst other things. There was also a wall art made up of the things that had been found in the stomachs of ostriches and it could be seen that they eat up pretty much anything lying around. The tour went on to explain on how ostrich eggs were incubated and we got a chance to carry an actual ostrich egg albeit an unfertilised one. Our tour guide asked me if I wanted a kiss from an ostrich and I agreed with some hesitation after watching the force at which the ostriches pecked off pellets from her hand. Some of us got 'hugs', some got a massage and I got the kiss, perfectly captured by Mariam with a hand held camera. This was a moment to remember. 

Next up was the part where some of us could go for an ostrich ride and it sure did seem like a tedious process, with 2 ostrich handlers catching the bird and bringing it to a station where the rider could mount. The ride was very short and involved the bird running for a few minutes before the rider would fall and be caught by the handlers. I did not try this but Jurgen did and it was truly amusing to watch. The tour ended with a showcase of the strength of ostrich eggs and we got to stand on a clutch of eggs without them cracking. The 3 of us were hungry by now and decided to have a meal at the Cango Ostrich farm restaurant. The highlight was of course ostrich fillet and it was truly delicious and apparently healthier then other red meats due to the low fat content and lean nature.

The ride back to the backpackers was short and we got to relax and unwind before setting off for dinner at the restaurant just opposite the backpackers. Dinner was again something exotic, wilderbeest. It was perfect that Miriam and me had the same taste when it came to ordering food and we shared a bottle of wine as well. It was pretty amazing for me to see the wide variety of meat available on most menus and this was exciting for me, coming from a country that has variety in food but not much in terms of meat.

A good meal and conversation followed and before we knew it, it was time to head back to the backpackers. Visiting the bar at the backpackers, we had a few more drinks before calling it a night. 

I had signed up for a ride down the Swartberg pass the next day and it was time to get some rest.

 Time to sleep !

Moving down to Oudtshoorn and settling in to Paradise Backpackers

The next part of my journey was to Oudtshoorn, widely known as the Ostrich Capital. Taking the Bazbus down, it would be a decent journey as heading to the backpacker's involved another addition shuttle service down through the karoo or semi desert country.

 I had to reach Port Elizabeth by the 4th of March and hence had to skip some stops along the Garden Route. The pick-up shuttle service was prompt and it helped that most of the waiting points had a Macdonald's right beside. Gavin, a very friendly staff from Backpacker's Paradise and Joyrides (www.backpackersparadise.net) came by to pick us up. It was definitely interesting to watch the temperature rise as we drove on through from the town to where the backpacker's was located. The reception at Paradise was very warm and it's easy to understand why it has a reputation as a good backpackers. The dorm rooms were very spacious and clean and the small pool was perfect for the hot afternoons, to just chill and cool down with a drink.

 I met Mariam and Jurgen here, a German couple travelling through the garden route as well as we became fast friends. It was almost late afternoon by the time we reached the backpackers and the day would be spent just settling in and relaxing. The change in temperature also meant that we were glad just to unwind in the pool. Dinner was at Buffelsdrift Game Lodge and we got a lift there together with a few other girls who were heading there for dinner. After catching sight of a few hippos and giraffes roaming around, we settled in to a really nice dinner. 

Mariam and I ordered South African Bobotie a South African dish made of traditional cape malayan flavored coarse milled venison, baked with an infused yogurt topping served with papadam, toasted coconut shavings, tomato chutney, olive preserve and brown wild rice. The dish was really good and overall dinner was awesome !

We had signed up to visit the Cango Caves as well as the Ostrich farm tomorrow and Gavin would bring us there first thing in the morning. 

Time to sleep !

Hiking at Bontebok National Park

The agenda for today was a visit to Bontebok National park, just 5 kilometres away from the backpackers. The park was created just to increase the population numbers of the Bontebok and these animals could be seen grazing around even as we drove into the park. Stephanie drove 4 of us into the park and to the main office where we paid for the conservation charges and collected a brochure of the park. There were a few hiking routes and Patrick and me did a shorter route before deciding on the much longer one. We made arrangements with the backpackers to pick us up around 2 pm and so had plenty of time.

The first loop we did was a short one as mentioned but offered nice views of the surrounding landscape.

 The camping ground overlooked a pond and the surrounding mountains. The vegetation and shrubs were different from what I had been accustomed to and we stopped by several of these to take a shot. It was a relatively hot day but a good day to hike.Along the way, we came across a tortoise walking and eating and stopped by to take pictures. It was however sad that it had a fishing line snared onto it and the line seemed to be coming through its mouth so we presumed there was a hook embedded there. It was wandering rather close to the camping grounds so it made sense that it had swallowed a hook.

As it was too big for us to carry we had to leave it where it was but took pictures to inform the park officials later on. Reaching the tortoise was the end of the first loop and we moved on to try a slightly longer one, ending at a supposed coffee place.

The paths were pretty easy to follow and the routes clearly shown on a board map. As we made our way to the coffee place, I was stung by some insect. Apparently a hive had been disturbed and it was just unfortunate that I got stung. Moreover the fact that I was allergic to stings and did not have my medication with me made things worse. Luckily Patrick spoke to some other hikers who agreed to drop me off at the backpackers and I could take my anti-histamine tablets. That was the end of the hike for me.



Meeting up with Patrick a few hours later at the backpackers, I still had some swelling but was otherwise fine. The medication had not completely worn off and I was still feeling sleepy and dazed. It was a good lesson to carry my first aid kit wherever I went to and this would come in very handy several times over in this trip.

It was our last night at Swellendam and we decided to head to Matheson's once more. This time Patrick chose to have salad while I decided on a meat dish. Dinner was awesome and we had a last walk back down the quiet roads that had been our walk-way the past few days.

It was time to move on.

Horse-riding at Swellendam

Woke up today early as always. Had a nice surprise waiting as I showered and came back to the hut.  A family of guinea fowl were moving about the garden and it was nice watching them run about with chicks. Moments later another family joined in and I managed to take a quick shot of them running towards the stream behind. Today would be horse riding up the trail and it was something i was looking forward to. Breakfast was chips which I had gotten the day before. The ride down to the stables was fast and we had a quick introduction and a walk around the stable. Stephanie had earlier mentioned to me that they had had 17 horses before and now had reduced them in number. Eran was taking care of the horses and everyone helped to fix the saddles on before getting up for the ride. All three who were there with us ( Vanessa, Eran and Stephanie) have extensive knowledge on horses and treated them really well. The ride was a trail ride and felt really comfortable.

The horse I was on was apparently 28 years old and the ride was simply so relaxed with him. The views as we rode on were amazing as well and I had a nice chat with Eran as the ride progressed on about her life in Africa. We rode on for like an hour before coming back to where we started. After spending some more time in the stables, Eran gave us a drop back to the backpackers.

 The rest of the day was spent exploring the town and we decided to head to a nice restaurant for dinner, Mattsens.(www.dining-out.co.za/md/Mattsens/3227) Dinner was great and windy so the oil lamps had to be lighted and relit again several times but the meal was simply delicious and the service really good.  After a delightful dinner of pita bread appetiser and cheese infused steak and pizza, it was time to take a slow walk back to our quiet hut. Both Patrick and me enjoyed the silence very much and how the mountain always seemed to peer at us wherever we were. The walk back to the hostel along quiet roads with beautiful houses also seemed fulfilling by itself.

Another beautiful evening at Swellendam.

Moving down to Swellendam

Woke up today morning preparing to take the Bazbus (www.bazbus.com) down to Swellendam. I had been wondering if last minute requests would be entertained ( Had applied for my ride much later then the recommended 96 hrs) but it was no issues at all and I got my ticket settled and an email from them. The bus came on time as well and we went about picking up a few others before heading down to our respective stops. The bazbus service drops you literally AT the doorstep of the backpackers so its very convenient for those who don't get a car.

My stop was to Swellendam backpackers (www.swellendambackpackers.co.za), located at Swellendam, about 3-4 hours drive from Cape town. It was rather amazing that nothing was mentioned about Swellendam in the coast to coast book considering that it has stunning scenery. On enquiring with the only other backpacker who dropped off at Swellendam, I found out both of us had come by for the fact that the Langberg mountain range forms the backdrop of Swellendam.

Checking into Swellendam backpackers, we were greeted by Stephanie     ( the owner) and given a very warm welcome to a very cozy backpackers. It felt more like walking into a home rather then a hostel and for the two of us, the laid back atmosphere was just perfect to unwind. It was possible to catch a glimpse of the mountain from the couch at the front and this would become my favorite spot over the few days I stayed here.
We were wondering how many days to stay but that decision was made for us since Bazbus does not run on sunday towards Port Elizabeth. This meant we would have to leave the next day or stay for 3 nights. Choosing the latter definitely made more sense.


                                                                   


The backpackers is set over spacious land and natural surroundings, with a small stream running further down and hibiscus flowers in full bloom. The dorm was a cozy wooden hut built further in and new huts are being built to add on to the existing ones.

The day today would be a pretty lazy one and I felt no need to move around doing anything but rather to just enjoy the lush surroundings. Stephanie has 3 dogs and a cat and they never failed to liven up the place whenever the children were not running around playing. Patrick had an afternoon nap and we took a walk to town.

Patrick and Frodo on the couch

 Swellendam is a very old town and very authentic in that sense with equally old fauna to match. The supermarket was about 10-15 minutes away by walking and we went to a restaurant just by the supermarket for dinner. Dinner was 'herb pizza', or rather pizza with mushroom sprinkled on it. Swellendam backpackers has a bar with a barbeque area just opposite and barbeques happen almost on a daily basis followed by drinks on the deck just outside under the open sky.

Stephanie advised us to go horse-riding up the trail the next day and this would be the plan. After a chat and sitting at the couch, it was time to retire for the night. The hut does not have electrical lighting but the backpackers' does provide oil lamps providing a very rustic feel to the whole experience. I would eventually see that at many other places such as restaurants in Swellendam, lighted lamps were used extensively as well.

It was a perfect ending to a lazy day.