Happy Birthday to our precious nephew, Luke. It was 6 years ago today, we were on our way from Irente to Arusha and then onto the Serengeti, when we got the news that he had been born. Have a great day boy!
Yesterday at 8 am we were dressed in shorts and T-shirts. As the crow flies we are probably around 140 km away, dressed in jackets and scarves, the temperature this morning at 8 am is -1’. So I guess 1600 m above sea level makes a difference.
Gray decided that before embarking on mountain passes we should top up with fuel. Rhodes has a library but no shops or garages. We set off to the nearest town, Barkly East, for fuel, It took us an hour and 20 minutes to get to Barkly East and fuel pumps, just pumps - not a real filling station as we know it with a Woolies garage shop and Mugg & Bean Coffee attached.
This detour was not an ordeal as the scenery was spectacular and the drive alone was worth it. Back on track, as it were, we headed into the beautiful mountains and farmlands, frequently encountering cows or sheep on the road.
It was really pleasant until we got to Volunteershoek Pass. This 18 km route took us from the Wartrail farming community up to Tiffindell Ski Resort. For 3 heart stopping kilometers, which took us about an hour, we scrambled up a steep rocky track with a serious drop into the valley below, not to mention hairpin bends thrown into the mix.
At one point as Gray navigated a particularly difficult section, I got out to ‘take pics of the view’, in reality I didn't want our kids to be orphaned. I should never have doubted Panda and his BFG’s. At the top is a sign that says “the worst is over, 15km to go”.
From there the pass traversed the high plateau to Tiffindell, where we had lunch and looked around. It's still 2 weeks to the opening of ski season, so the place was empty and we were the only guests at the resort.
The return trip took us down Carlisleshoek Pass. The pass is very scenic but had a really steep 14 km descent section with sharp zigzags and hairpins. The last section into Rhodes was through farms.
There are loads of mountain streams and dams in the mountains, obviously the water is used to irritate the farmlands. The local farmers like the snow, as when it melts there is more water in these streams. We came across Loch Ness today, a trout fishing dam, Gray ignored me when I asked if we could look out for the monster. This area is also a big trout fishing area.
Tonight we returned to Walkabouts’ Inn for the 3 course dinner. It was delicious, the chef explained that all her produce is sourced from the local farmers. Then then braved the cold and house, thank heavens for heaters and electric blankets.
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