Road Trip Day 6 - A business day

We arrived last night at River of Joy. It is a small friendly caravan park where the owners are involved in everything and they manage it themselves. At least half of the people we have spoken to have sold their houses and are living permanently in their caravans.

We had business in the city so we left for Bloemfontein after breakfast to take Cubby to Vrystaat Woonwaens Campworld. They seemed very efficient. They knew we were coming, received us and introduced us to Isaak, who was going to be looking after our van. Everybody moved with purpose and efficiency.

While repairs were being done we caught up on e mails and banking in the waiting area, then went shopping at a nearby centre within walking distance.

Three hours and R2000 later we were back in Cubby exploring the area where we used to live.We located the house we lived in from 1979 to 1983.

A lot of changes have been made, higher wall with a locked gate, the garage has been converted to an extra room, a pool and lapa have been added.  I have taken photos but our internet connection here is so spotty I am battling to load them.

Talking about spotty connections, when I was trying to do the yesterday's blog on Brandfort, the site I use wouldn't take me to the page to write a new post. I was considering going to the only draft I had saved and editing it instead. When I opened it, I saw it had Brandfort in the title and I was under the impression that we had never been there before. It was about a trip to Port Elizabeth by train in 2014. It never got posted for some reason so I am going to post it after this one just for Nostalgia's sake.

Road Trip Day 5. A Tale of Two Padstalle

As promised, we got rain this morning. So any thoughts of going to visit the Willem Pretorius Game Reserve or going kayaking on the dam evaporated.  Instead we decided to pack up and leave after breakfast, spend some time in Winburg which was our nearest town and we needed to get petrol before the price goes up tomorrow. The rain is a blessing for the area. The dam is only 33.87 full at the moment.

We turned back a bit along the N1 to see the monument where the Sand River Convention was signed.

We googled Winburg (oldest proclaimed town in the Orange Free State; Bought for 42 head of cattle from the Bataung) and found there were only 2 restaurants, the more interesting one was Jakkelsdrif Padstal along the N1 so when we saw it we drove in for an early lunch.

Cappuccino came in very original mugs

On the same site were farm animals.

Inside was a selection of home-made preserves, crafts and gifts.

After lunch we got going again. Further along we encountered road works (again) and must have missed the turn off to Winburg. So we decided to get petrol in Brandfort instead.  What a serendipitous change of plan!

Brandfort is also full of history.  Jacobus van Zijl, a Voortrekker elder, established a church on his farm,  Keerom, in 1866. The community was visited by Orange Free State president, JH Brand, and shortly afterwards the town was named in his honour.

In front of the main church is a commemorative monument of  the Voortrekker Great Trek.

As we tried to find a gate to get beyond the fence, an elderly man and his dog approached from the other side. He explained that they were trying to restrict access because people were using the church grounds as a thoroughfare. He seemed to be part of the congregation and told us that recently the bell tower had been repaired. Part of it had collapsed and when they came to inspect it, they found big blocks of undressed stone held together with mud. It appears that the vibrations caused by the old bell had finally caused the tower's collapse.

He was Oom Charles and his father had been mayor of the town. He directed us to the house of Rear Admiral Weston where the first aeroplane in South Africa had been built. He was very friendly and chatty.

Unfortunately the house was closed but on the side was a rough map of the town showing, among others, the house where Winnie Mandela had been under house arrest.  We tried to find it but without success. In the process we came across something you don't see in Johannesburg.

Cows crossing the road

Our last stop was another Padstal that I had noticed on the way in.

Inside was a treasure trove of home made arts and crafts.

Franci Marais a bubbly blonde, welcomed us and said that they were very happy that we had come to visit the shop. Would we like a "Koffietjie?" We got to choose a flavoured coffee from the coffee corner.

Again we were impressed by the friendliness of small town people. 

                                              

Franci and Nelrize, the owner,  chatted to us about the history of the town, their own history and their connections to mayors and doctors of the town and even to the Rear Admiral Weston. They offered to organise us  a tour if we came through again on our way back home. Then we would get to see the Winnie Mandela house and the inside of the old colonial house where Weston stayed.

After a lovely visit, we had photos taken and signed their visitors' wall

We are now in Bloemfontein at River of Joy Caravan Park. Tomorrow Cubby (our motorhome) goes in for repair.

Road Trip Day 4 - Aldam Resort

Last night we had a very late supper even though we started the braai as soon as the gazebo was up. 9.30 we finally ate and we were inundated with insects. flying ants swarmed into our motor-home to die, beetles thudded all over the walls. We did eventually switch all the lights off and take a torch outside to try to empty the van of most of the insects but all through the night I was picking up beetles that had landed on me and flinging them to the floor.

We got up late for a leisurely breakfast and watched the audacity of the sparrows coming right under our awning. I hope they were eating dead flying ant bodies.

We had a number of things to catch up on. We needed to pay at reception and get tokens for the washing machine and tumble dryer. I thought I'd cycle although I didn't see reception on the map they gave us. Everybody I asked said, "Go up" I abandoned my bike on the bottom terrace and climbed stairs and walked and climbed more stairs and walked some more. Finally, seemingly at the other end of the resort, we found it. We were so hot and tired we bought ice creams and sat on the deck overlooking the dam.

While we were there, feeling lazy, we decided we might just as well have lunch. I ordered chicken strips and chips and Mr Panda had Russian and chips.

Needless to say this was too much for me and we asked for a takeaway box. Tonight we had leftover chicken pieces, cut up chips, cubed tomatoes and tinned peas, all mixed together with mayonnaise.
I call it "Motorhomers' Mish Mash"

Just after supper a strong wind came up so we decided to take down the gazebo "just in case."
Of course it's very still now but rain has been predicted for Winburg tomorrow.

Tomorrow we head for Bloemfontein.

Road Trip Day 3

The Motor-home Club is a very caring community.Yesterday when we were putting up our awning and battling a bit because we have only used it once before, a lady came across to help even though she only got to hold a pole. We got chatting and eventually she invited us to come and see her motor-home which is an old converted bus which originated in America. We enjoyed a cup of tea with her and her husband.

This morning when we met at the bathroom, she told me that it was their turn to have problems. Their battery was flat. Since we had received so much help from so many people, I was quick to offer our jumper leads and a start. By the time we got there with our jumper leads, somebody else from the community had offered his small car to provide the necessary start and we all celebrated when we heard the roar of the big bus motor.

At 9am there was a devotional service for those interested and at 10am was Chairman's tea where business of the club is discussed and everybody brings a plate of eats for the tea.

We packed up soon after and hit the road towards Bloemfontein, planning to stop at Willem Pretorius Game Reserve.

Driving through the Free State

The journey was pleasant although there were extensive road works along the N1 and we went through some patches of rain. 

We arrived here just before 7pm but we suspect this is not the caravan park we intended to go to. It is called Aldam Resort and I think it is about 15km short of the actual game reserved. Nevertheless it is very nice and fairly empty.

Road Trip Day 2

It rained overnight. By the morning I was regretting not having put up our gazebo.  Chairs were wet, table was wet, it seemed like everything was wet. Nevertheless I had a lovely bath in a fantastic bath room - bigger than my bathroom at home! Lovely hot water too.

Although our helpful friend worked on our water system this morning, it still leaks and we are totally changing our plans. Instead of spending an extra day here after the rally ends, we are going to accelerate our journey, leave tomorrow with the others, spend only one night at Willem Pretorius Game Reserve and hasten to Bloemfontein where we will have our tap repaired.

There had been a plan to go into Parys to visit a craft market this morning but because of the persistent rain, it was decided to abandon the attempt.

This afternoon we took a lazy stroll along the banks of the river.

A fly fisherman teaching his son the art

After a sunny afternoon it is now raining again - more like a thunderstorm than a steady rain.

 The signs were there

Road Trip Day 1: The Adventure Begins

When we were meeting with our small group on Monday evening, everybody wished us well for our journey. Our hostess said, "You will have adventures. Just remember, God puts the right people in the right places at the right times." Little did she know how soon the adventure would begin.

Our first stop is Eastco in Parys where we are joining a motor-home rally. Lovely caravan park. Each site has its own level concrete slab covered by a large shade awning, its own electricity supply, water, dustbin and braai. Down the hill is the Vaal River. The ablution blocks are clean, modern, spacious and well equipped. There is a laundry with washing machines and a tumble dryer and even a fridge and freezer.

After we had had lunch, we set about organising ourselves. Once the gas was connected I lit the geyser, the electricity was connected and we were about to wash up when I noticed the pump noise when I hadn't switched on the tap. When I went to investigate water was pouring out everywhere - from the bottom of the motor-home, from the floor, from the side of the fridge. I switched off the gas and then we decided to drain the water tank that we had filled up yesterday.

We went to visit our neighboring motor-homers and ask for advice. Before long we had two knowledgeable and practical friends taking out the fridge and basin and trying to find the source of the problem.

It seems like the tap we had had put in about a year ago had become detached from one of its pipes. As it was getting towards "Meet and Greet" time, our friendly helpers said they'd continue tomorrow.
Before we ate supper we had a lot of cleaning up to do but it couldn't have happened at a better time or place. We are surrounded by friendly, helpful people who belong to the same motor-home club as we do.

Later this evening we noticed our electricity was no longer working. Watch this space. The adventure continues tomorrow.

Road-trip Day 0

Today was my last day at work. I gave my speech of thanks without messing my mascara. Tomorrow we head off in our motor-home for a 3 month trip.

The plan is to go to Port Elizabeth slowly, travelling about 200km per day and staying one or two nights at each stop. Then Christmas and holiday in Port Elizabeth before travelling slowly to Cape Town, 2 weeks in Cape Town and then slowly home via Kimberley.

We haven't booked anything. We want to be free to stay as long or as short as we wish. We leave tomorrow at 8am. Adventure here we come!