African Overlanders
Monday, May 14 was a bad day. At 10:00 we left for the storage where
the container with the two vehicles was. But it was impossible for
us to have access to the container. We returned to African
Overlanders. Duncan made several phone calls and obtained the
delivery of the vehicles. We returned to the storage. Alas what my
disappointment was to discover that the batteries of Mercedes-Benz
"G" were empty and that the automatic gear box was positioned on car
park thus impossibility of pushing my truck. We returned for the
second time to African Overlanders. Duncan ensured me to have a
solution, to follow. These trips took much time because the Cape
Town highway is congested permanently.
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I had asked for the assistance of Bernard Giraud who answered me by
recalling me that there is a pushbutton under the rubber mask of the
shifting of speed and materialized on the top. I must acknowledge
that I had read it in the handbook. But alas I had forgotten it. I
do not think that the person who put my truck in the container is
left though it is lit. On Tuesday, May 15 Duncan told me that the
electronics of the modern vehicles consumed much energy to the stop,
in particular during the one month transport into container. With
the battery of the other vehicle with the engine turning Duncan
started the "G". By safety I returned to African Overlanders.
Boulders Penguin Colony
On Wednesday, May 16 I left African Overlanders around 11:30 to go
to Goodwood to buy the T4Africa maps at Safari Centers Africa then I
went to the supermarket for food. After frugal and late lunch I went
to Boulders Penguin Colony. I was very disappointed the 300 penguins
were actually three on a covered rock of their dejection. There were
more sun bathers on the beach. With the authorization of the guard I
bivouacked on the car park in front of a restaurant. The night was
calm and windy.
click on the pic for opening the gallery
Cape Point
I left on Thursday morning May 17th for the Cape of Good Hope. The
Table Mountains was still in the fog which rose little by little as
I approached the course. No circulation on the sinuous road.
Tourists were still at breakfast because the funicular to reach the
headlight opens only at 9:30. I waited by making a tour of the
platform. The bird's eyes view at the bottom of headlight is
splendid of beauty and of brutality so much the wind is violent. A
thought came me for the sailors who failed here the search of the
road of the Indies. By leaving the southern extreme point of Africa
I stopped in Simon's Town to admire the colonial houses with the
worked balconies bathed by the morning sun. On the way towards the
coast of the Indian Ocean I traversed a road placing the ocean in
landscapes of mountain to the laminated colors of red, pink and
ground at the edge of white sand beaches. After Strand the road
curved between cliff and abrupt above the sea. I reached my bivouac
at the beginning of afternoon in a spot perfectly isolated at the
seaside after the village of Kleinmond.
click on the pic for opening the gallery
Hermanus
While leaving the quietude of the bush camp I was going to visit the
town of Hermanus on the coast considered to watch whales but also
for its sumptuous apartments and luxurious hotels. It is of a
remarkably maintained whiteness. I was not delayed. I decided to
return to African Overlanders because I had just learned that it is
not possible to receive a new 90 day visa on my return from
Botswana, except returning to my home country. The question is to
know if there a minimum duration between two entries in South
Africa!
click on the pic for opening the gallery
The GPS road tacklog
from African Overlanders to Clanwilliam
from 2018/05/19 au 2018/05/20
Melkbosstrand
I left African Overlanders by knowing that I will return there
certainly in September to make a return ticket in France, my home
country, in order to obtain a 90-day new visa. The only uncertainty
which remains, is the imposed duration of the stay in France by the
legislation of the immigration of South Africa. Before to drive
towards the border of Namibia I made a detour by Goodwood to return
to Safari Centre Africa in order to buy in complement of the Atlas
of the Southern Africa the SD maps, version 18.05 lately published,
for my GPS Garmin hardware. I had envisaged a short way to bivouac
in Melkbosstrand vis-a-vis the misty ocean to having time for the
maps installation.
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| Au lever du jour, at sunrise |
Clanwilliam
On Sunday, May 20 occurred in the fog and the spray from the sea by
along Atlantic coast. I had two visits to make with detours that I
abstained to be carried out due to the absence of view, sometimes
lower than 50 meters. I progressed up to Lambert's Bay where I had
decided to bivouac at seaside. But the quasi worthless visibility
encouraged me to carry on my way up to Clanwilliam where not finding
a safe bivouac, I went to the camp-ground of the corner not
falchion, neither WiFi connection nor hot showers nor dinking water.
A misfortune never arriving only, the credit of the Sim card bought
on Internet before leaving France was already consumed! Small
troubles accumulate. Well not, I will not call upon the devil… for
this time.
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| Camp Clanwilliam |
