Monday, Dec 4--Our last day in South Africa

It is off to work as usual this morning as both of us have things we need to do to close out our projects. I don't stay long as there are a number of errands I need to run, not the least being another visit to the Home Affairs office. But first is a visit to Constantia Village, our main place of commerce. Need a bit more cash, some goodies from Pick'nPay, and some goodies from Woolworths. Some items are to take with us and most are for the CREW folks and Dorothy. Back to work for a bit before heading to Home Affairs.

Once again no luck at Home Affairs. I will have to return later in the day, but I get a number to try first. The Immigration officer freely admits it isn't likely anyone will answer the phone, but try anyway. And he gives me 10-1 odds our applications will be approved. Aren't things looking better?

It is back to Kirstenbosch but to the gift shop first for a last-minute item swap and puchase and then to The Tea Room to join Philip and Marcia for lunch. I make it on time and join those two plus Dorothy. One more toasted sandwich for me and a good cup of filter coffee. It was only appropriate we ate here today. Philip suggested we go here for lunch on our first day at work, Monday, Sept 4th. And here it is our last day, Monday, Dec 4th. At least one person I know would describe this as cosmic. And it is a good place to eat in a beautiful setting!

Back to work we go and I try calling Home Affairs. Guess what, no answer. So off I go to sit around until the paperwork is done. There is no choice. Not a long wait to see someone but a bit of a wait until that person returns with our passports updated through midnight tonight. Finally my foray into the bureaucracy of South Africa is done, for this time. And back to work I go.

Now the hard part, saying goodbye to Ismail and Caitlin. We will see Dorothy this evening as she is going to carry our luggage to the airport in her bakkie. And I said goodbye to Wendy last Friday as she was going on leave at the end of that day. Caitlin had put the files I need on my laptop and gotten Tony to sign the protea book. The little succulent we got in Vanrhynsdorp was sitting happily on a windowsill in the CREW office, and the goodies were ready for Caitlin and Ismail's trip to Nieuwoudtville tomorrow. I even managed to catch John Donaldson to say thanks for the arrangements he made and to tell him what a great experience it had been. Then to bid farewell to Caitlin and Ismail. Such good friends and terrific colleagues. Thanks so much to both of you, and I will miss you!

At home I finish stuffing the suitcases and getting the carry-on bags in order. Even a little time for Marcia to nap. Then Dorothy arrives and that means it is time to say goodbye to our special angel. Jenny, you have been so terrific to us. Thank you for everything you did. We will treasure your friendship and our time in South Africa for the rest of our lives. We look forward to seeing you again. All the best to you and your daughters.

With the two vehicles loaded we head to the airport, one more time on the M3 and the N2 for Edward. And what a night it is. The moon is full and low over the city, the lights of the city twinkle all around, and the sky is clear except for clouds on the mountain, as we would expect. Cape Town in all its stunning beauty! What a way to say goodbye to a city that has captured us with its charm and beauty.

Dorothy parks and gets the suitcases loaded on a cart and then meets us in the rental car return lot. A representative from Imperial meets us in the lot and looks over the car. I admit I have damaged two hubcaps and one taillight lens. Not a problem he says, and only the lens needs to be written up. Fine with me. Once inside at the desk I learn there is no paperwork on the rental as has been promised. Oh well, it appears the visa extensions and the car rental will be the two troublesome parts of the trip. I will be in touch with folks at Imperial as soon as possible after getting to VA. Will be interesting to see how quickly my credits appear and how quickly any charges for the lens appear. But for now there is nothing more to do. Oh yeah, I leave the ticket for the vehicle being unlicensed with the Imperial folks. They get to sort that out.

Off to the KLM desk to get checked in, but with a stop to get the bags shrink-wrapped first. For R25 per bag, about $US10 for the three bags, we have the suitcases wrapped in plastic. Seems this is what is being done to cut down on theft in South African airports. Very interesting. Now to see how far the bags get with the plastic intact.

Took some time to get through check-in with KLM. Had to get new tickets printed and then to sort out the handling of LRW. Seems we are over our weight limit. Not sure if it is because we now weigh more or because nothing was said on the flight over. The problem seems to be with the weight of LRW. Never learned how much over but in the end the agent just told us not to worry about it. And so off the luggage went.

With check-in done it was now time to say goodbye to Dorothy. We really weren't looking forward to this. We all promised to not get weepy, and we all managed to hold it together. Thanks for all you did for us and shared with us, Dorothy! You are a dear and very special friend. We look forward to when we are together again.

And then it is just the two of us waiting to start the long trip home. I never imagined our leaving was going to be as hard emotionally as it has been. How was it possible to get so close to so many truly wonderful people in just a matter of weeks? Thanks to all of our new South African friends for opening your lives to us and giving so much to us. You have enriched our lives immensely. May we be together again soon!

And then it is time to fly!

Nov 27 - Dec 3: Our last week in South Africa

The time has come for us to begin thinking about ending this grand adventure. Our departure date is Monday, December 4th. That gives us just one more week for work and play. Much to do to wrap things up and to tell these wonderful folks goodbye. Here's how the week went.

Monday

• Time to check in with Home Affairs to see if our visa extensions are ready. After a few tries I was able to reach someone in the Immigration office who tells me they are not yet ready and call back later in the week. Not a good sign, but we still have a week before we must have them.
• Marcia continues working on her database and has another approach to try. That will keep her busy beyond the time we leave. That actually isn't a problem as she wants to keep working on this project once home. Edward is finishing his revisions of the ID guides he has worked on and making copies of files he will need at home.
• The highlight of this day is dinner with all of the CREW folks--Ismail, Caitlin, and Wendy--at Rooti's Cape Malay Restaurant on the waterfront. We even get to meet the rest of Ismail's family, his wife Zaitoon and young son Uthmaan. And in perfect African/CREW fashion Marcia and I are the only ones there anywhere close to the actual time chosen. No matter, it was a beautiful night on the waterfront and we had just purchased a clock that presented "Africa time." That's: eventually, shortly, just now, whenever -- you get the idea!
• Once everyone had arrived and Ismail had explained the food items we didn't recognize, we ordered and then enjoyed our meals. After eating they presented me with a really great going-away gift, a beautiful book about the fynbos. And the accompanying card made me feel very good about how I had spent the past three months. Thanks for the kind words, the book that will make me think of all of you when I read it, the time we have spent together, and this very nice evening!

Tuesday

• More work on the ID guides and then the afternoon and some of the evening filled with constructing the ID guide for the Caledon Swartberg trip on Wednesday. Did as much as Caitlin and I could at work and then did a bit more at home this evening. Still some holes but mostly complete. Caitlin will pick it up on her way in on Wednesday morning and then print to use on the trip. This trip was to be my last time in the field with Ismail and Caitlin but the length of the trip prevented me from going. That's why the trip to Romansrivier last week was my last.

Wednesday/Thursday

• Both of us kept working on our projects so they would be ready to be left.
  
• Not sure on which day I called Home Affairs, probably Wednesday, but the response was not encouraging. There would be nobody in the Immigration office to answer the phone until the following Monday, Dec 4th, the day of our departure. If I needed something I would have to go to the office in person. Signs are not getting better!

Friday

• To work as usual except only Marcia stays. I head to Home Affairs office to check with Immigration on visa extensions. I see the same woman who took our applications. The manager has been out all week and only she can approve the applications. Only thing to do is come back on Monday, not first thing. Then they should be approved. Very interesting! So back to Kirstenbosch I go.
• Today is the day of the GISP Christmas luncheon. It is at Simon's in Groot Constantia, a very large wine estate in the Constantia valley just southeast of the gardens. All but Philip, who is away on a business trip, are there. Beautiful setting and busy restaurant filled with a number of party groups. A bit loud but good food and good company.
• Marcia and I left a bit earlier than the others as there was a CREW photography workshop taking place this afternoon. I was a bit late and missed most of the lecture material but what I did hear and the time spent taking pictures and discussing how to construct them properly and why they came out as they did reconfirmed I have much work to do in the photo-taking area. And I am making use of so little of my camera's capabilities! As I told Ismail, this course should have happened when I first arrived, not as I was leaving!!
• Packed up and headed home to see if this evening was a good time to get together with Diana. Still have to give her the Evita t-shirts. Turns out we are without Internet service at home and so will have to try on Saturday. Without the Internet we are truly disconnected. Time to start at least thinking about how everything will get packed. Tonight I start with the more delicate items and try to decide what will be packed in a suitcase and how and what will go in the carry-on bag. It's a start.

Saturday
A very full day that is most enjoyable as it is shared with many of our special friends.

• First up is a run to the gift shops at Kirstenbosch before picking up Caitlin for a trip to The Africa Music Store. She will help me make selections of good CDs to take back to VA, both to keep and to share. Seems I have been infected by Africa time as I get too involved in the insect book at the gift shop and am late in picking up Caitlin. Oh well! Had great fun choosing CDs, though probably did buy a few too many. But they were all so good. How could I not bring them home with me!!! Great morning. Thanks for sharing, Caitlin! Keep sending me suggestions on what music I need to hear.
• Once back at the cottage we called Diana from Jenny's phone as the Internet was still out. The decision was that NOW was the time for us to come to St. Ives to visit. Diana and Jitty would find something for us to have for lunch and we would be able to see Diana's house. So off we went. One more time on what has become a very familiar drive for us, down the M3 to the Main Road along the eastern side of False Bay. With the help of the gardener we got Marcia into the house. What a beautiful place Diana has, and the pictures of the family and the old homesteads were such a delight to see. Lunch was wonderful and the delightful pink bubbly was a real treat. But best of all was the company!
  
  But then it was time to be on the move again as we had another engagement to make. Diana gave Marcia some guinea fowl and flamingo feathers to take home. Such fun, and great reminders of things we saw and did. And then goodbys had to be said, at least for this time. Diana, our sincerest thanks for all the special things you have shared with us. And more importantly thank you for your friendship and love. Until next time!
  
  
• When we get home, there are Dorothy and Robyn waiting for us. It is time to head back to the waterfront to go to The Two Oceans Aquarium. We have tried for weeks to do this and now is the time. I drive and Dorothy directs and fishes we go see. A nice aquarium that helps differentiate between the fauna and flora of the two oceans. The visit ends at the predators tank. And when we get to the bottom we see in the tank a very large AIDS ribbon. Very impressive. Yesterday was World AIDS Day. Unfortunately, the statistics about AIDS in South Africa are also impressive. Staggering the impact this disease has presently and will have for many years to come.
  
  
• Back home we go. Still no Internet. More packing is done or at least contemplated. And the weather is changing. The clouds are forming and the wind is beginning to blow. Doesn't bode well for tomorrow.

Sunday
Marcia's account:

• We went on an outing today with Jenny Ross, the owner of The Garden Room, and one of her daughters. We were going to lunch at Vergelegen (pronounced FAIR-hell-lay'-hen) wine estate but first Jenny needed to make a stop at a church where she's going to be arranging flowers for a wedding in 2 weeks. I said that I'd like to go to church with her, since she was planning to be there for a service. So we all set out (Jenny, her daughter Storm, Edward and me) at 9 o'clock Sunday morning to be at the church (which was a distance away) for the 10:00 service.
  
  Despite the rain, it was a pleasant drive. We went in 2 cars, since Storm was starting a new job and needed to leave right after lunch. Jenny drove and Edward followed. As we drove, we realized that things were looking familiar. We were near Stellenbosch and as we followed her, Edward said, "Wouldn't it be something if the church is the one Diana showed us the other day?!?"
  
  Well, you guessed it -- it WAS the church Diana had showed us the other day, so we all attended the Eucharist at St. George's Anglican church in the South African Diocese of False Bay. Edward photographed the lovely church and the flowers before we left. The church was built in the traditional Cape Dutch style with bricks which were then plastered on the outside and whitewashed. The roof was thatch.

• Then we went on a scenic drive through Stellenbosch, past the university (and some buildings we hadn't seen before) and came back around and went through town past Oom Samie se Winkel and on to Vergelegen. It was absolutely beautiful, despite the gray day! The sun kept trying to peek through, but only for very brief intervals and then it would pour again. It's a good thing we weren't trying to picnic at Boschendal today!

• Our meal was stunning -- and we even managed to try the desserts. Jenny and I shared a summer pudding that was perfectly delicious. I had hoped they would have malva pudding on the menu, but the summer pudding was equally satisfying. And-- Jenny has offered to give me her foolproof recipe for malva pudding so I can make it at home. We also had fun while she described a variation of bread-and-butter pudding made with croissants and chunks of chocolate. Edward would LOVE that! He's not much on bread pudding (which I adore) because of course it has raisins in it!
• The rain let up enough for us to wander through the gardens to the manor house filled with magnificent floral arrangements and beautiful furniture, and then on to the gift shop. Katie and Juli had asked us to get a bottle of dry red wine for Juli to give her Dad for Christmas. This was the perfect place to find one since Vergelegen is one of two champions in the Biodiversity Wine Initiative, a program that works to preserve valuable ntural habitat while still allowing for ecologically sound management of vineyards.
  
• Now I want to take you quickly back to Jenny's church, St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Newlands, a suburb of Cape Town. I have never managed to take you back there to see the pictures of this beautiful stone church and of the flower arrangements the Altar Guild had done for the weekend of the church bazaar. The theme for the flowers was 'A Prayer for Africa' and so all the floral arrangements were done in the colors of the South African flag. Up in front of the altar was a floral representation of the flag. Of course, LOTS of proteas were to be seen in all the lovely floral designs. If you look closely, though, you will see in each arrangement at least one beaded flower -- a very South African symbol. Beaded flowers and all sorts of imaginative items are made from beads and wire by the disadvantaged (previously or otherwise) as a means of earning an income.
  
  
  
  Every day, hawkers stand at all the major intersections peddling their wares: flowers, beaded wire figures, newspapers, magazines, fruit in season, cowboy hats... The list goes on. They take advantage of the fact that there's a captive audience waiting for the lights to change as they work their way up and down among the idling cars, peering into car windows and looking to catch your eye to offer you a special deal! We did our share, bargaining for strawberries, calla lilies, and beaded birds-of-paradise. The hawkers quickly see 'sucker' blazoned across Edward's forehead and know that they will do well!

• Once home the real job of packing takes place. There are 3 suitcases that we need to squeeze everything into. Fortunately, we already have shipped a full box of books and papers so everything SHOULD fit. Once this is accomplished, we head off to bed. Monday will be a busy and emotional day.
  

Saturday & Sunday, Nov 25 & 26—Darling, one more time

It is our next to last weekend in South Africa and time to go to Darling once again. We have to see our very special friends Pat and Bobby before we leave. And once again, we’re delighted that at least some of the Whitings can do so with us.

After a quick visit to Montebello Design Centre, just up the road from us, Dorothy and Robyn arrive to head to Darling. (And I spelled it correctly this time!) We all pile into Dorothy’s bakkie, the yellow wheelchair this time, for the drive along the coastal route. North of Cape Town we stop for lunch at a local farm stall where Robyn plays on the jungle gym and enjoys watching the chickens and listening to the noisy rooster crow. Then north we proceed.

Along the way Marcia calls out as she spots a plant of interest. This is a new experience for Dorothy who is not quite sure how to proceed. We try to explain how this scenario usually works, but I guess this is something that requires some botany craziness for it to make any sense. Nevertheless, we are successful in getting photos of two plants of interest on the way home. Good job Dorothy!

When we arrived in Darling we stopped first at Evita Se Perron to get t-shirts for Diana. I had to wait a few minutes until the afternoon’s performance was finished, but that allowed Dorothy and Marcia to see Pieter-Dirk Uys after his performance. No t-shirts this time as I need to check with Diana about which ones to get in which sizes. We’ll come back on Sunday.

At Pat and Bobby’s we joined Feli (Felicitas) who was also visiting. There has been someone new to meet every time we have visited. And it has been a delight to be able get to know all of them. Thanks to all!

Great to see Pat and Bobby again, and Pat was doing well after her last round of chemotherapy. Her next was the week following our visit. And Robyn was fine seeing Pat with a shaved head after her chemo (Pat explained that she needed something cool for the summer). This was something that had been of concern to Pat and Dorothy.

Dinner was another braai. This time we started with toasted onion and tomato sandwiches done on the braai. That was followed by a main course of kebabs. Pat and Bobby’s neighbor joined us for dinner, and she provided the wonderful chocolate mousse we had for dessert. And then we were surprised with gifts from Pat and Bobby. Marcia received a birthday calendar with West Coast scenes, something we had seen at the Darling Wildflower Show back in September, and literature about Darling and the area. What a great way to remember the places we have visited! And I received a bottle of Amarula Wild Fruit Cream liqueur. We had heard about this fruit and now we had some of its liqueur to enjoy and share. A truly African drink! Many thanks!! It is we who should be giving you gifts to say thanks for all your hospitality and friendship. We are so fortunate to have family on two continents. Thank you so much for letting us be part of yours.

Folks slept in a bit on Sunday and after breakfast we all headed to Yzerfontein to walk on the beach. It was a bright sunny day with a stiff breeze on the beach and very cold water on our feet. Marcia and Feli stayed in the bakkies as the rest of us strolled up the beach. I didn’t find but two snails this time, but I didn’t pursue the hunt too diligently because my feet were painfully cold in the ocean water. I do not see how anybody willingly puts his or her body into this water.Robyn and Pat headed back to the bakkies first, but not after some fun on the beach. After a bit more of a stroll Dorothy, Bobby, and I did the same. A nice relaxing walk on the beach was good for all of us. And Marcia and Feli enjoyed chatting in the comfort of the bakkie while we were away.

On the way back to Darling we stopped along the road to allow photos to be taken of a lime kiln. There were many of these years ago but most are gone. This one was in good shape and was near the road and easy to see. We have seen many such historically significant structures preserved around the country. It has been fun learning about them in the places we have visited.Back at the house activities for lunch begin to happen. Once again Pat and Bobby are serving a traditional dish. This time it is a potjiekos, “little pot food”. This is a stew cooked in a three-legged iron pot over hot coals. Ours will be lamb with veggies. No one goes hungry here!

Here is Bobby tending the potjiekos with Marcia looking on. While Bobby performed his cooking duties Pat, Feli, Marcia, and I return to Evita Se Perron. I know what t-shirts to get and Pat wants to show Feli the place. While Pat, Feli, and I are off wandering Marcia sees Pieter-Dirk on his way to get ready for this day’s performance. Twice in one weekend!! Then we make our way to the vendors outside.Some fun beaded work and a pressed metal item plus a necklace and earrings just had to be purchased. And it was fun talking to the vendors as we made our purchases. Then home to the potjiekos we went. And another wonderful meal it was.

All too quickly the time came for us to climb into the bakkie and head back to Cape Town. That meant we had to say goodbye to our very special friends. We made no promises but we did say we very much hope to come back to see them in the not too distant future. Pat and Bobby, thanks for everything. You have filled our trip with so much. May your future be filled with joy and happiness!

We drove back to Cape Town with Table Mountain leading us home. It will take some time for me to get used to not seeing beautiful mountains while driving around. And now the week that brings this trip to a close is about to begin. I am not ready for this. But Virginia responsibilities summon...Edward & Marcia

Friday, Nov 24—Wine country

Here we are getting started on our Le Pique Nique lunch on the grounds of the Boschendal estate and vineyard. Today was Diana’s tour of the wine country around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek and lunch was on this glorious estate. This is an area she knows very well as she lived here for a number of years and her husband and children all attended Stellenbosch University.

We were picked up by Diana in her loaner car as hers was still in the shop waiting for parts to arrive from Germany. There was significant damage done and the repairs were going to take some time. With her was a close friend, Jitty, who lives in Aberdeen in the Great Karoo. The three of us would get to enjoy what Diana had planned for us for the day.

The day was not being very cooperative as it was grey and rain was falling off and on. Not knowing what access would be where we were going we left LRW at home and took the manual chair. Time for Edward to do a little work. Once loaded we were on our way. No dogs today!

We took the coastal route as Diana had heard there had been accidents on the N2 slowing traffic. From the coast we turned inland and shortly after crossing the N2 entered this wine area. Beautiful hills and valleys covered in vines and orchards and magnificent old farm buildings on both sides. As we drove Diana received a phone call from our lunch stop letting her know the restaurant was full and asking if we still wanted Le Pique Nique given the weather. She left the pique-nique order in place and on we drove.

Our first stop was at Oom Samie Se Winkel in Stellenbosch. This is on the lines of what we know as an old general store. There were items both current and old. Of course there was an extensive wine selection and quite a food section. Diana bought koeksisters for Marcia to take home. And Jitty was able to sell some of her handiwork to the shop.

Then it was a quick drive through parts of Stellenbosch, some of the university and an estate turned hotel that had been owned by friends of Diana. Quite a beautiful town that deserves considerably more time than we have today. Guess that will have to wait until our next visit to SA.

It is off to Boschendal estate and our pique-nique lunch. The skies have begun to clear a bit and the rain is not falling and we arrive before serving ceases and so Le Pique Nique we will have. The table is set in the sun and the basket and wine are brought and the feast begins. What a spread of delicious food it was! Here is what was contained in that seemingly bottomless basket.

Tartlet of Smoked Franschhoek Salmon Trout


Snoek Pâté
Smoked Aubergine, Apricot and Sweet Onion Dip
French Baguette


Rare Roast Beef with Wholegrain Mustard
Smoked Coronation Chicken
Country Ham


Lemon and Herb Baby Potato Salad
Three Bean Salad


Cheese, Biscuits and Fruit Confit
(Mature Cheddar and Camembert)


Macadamia Chocolate Brownies


Coffee or Tea

We ate and we ate and then we packed the food remaining so it could be enjoyed later. What a feast, and what a setting! Off in one direction were the mountains, today with a blanket rolling down them. And behind us was the manor house with its tree-lined entrance way. Quite a location for a pique-nique! Stunning!!After lunch we toured the manor house and some of the grounds. We poked our heads into the restaurant and quickly decided we had made the correct decision about where to eat lunch. Then to the gift shop. Quite a nice offering of items, many were things we had not seen before. And of course some of these had to come back to Cape Town with us.

From here Diana drove us to the little farm community, Groot Drakenstein, where she and her husband Buck lived when they were first married. The community has gotten a bit larger and the farm on which they lived has been expanded considerably, but the church and the sporting club were as they had been. Quite a treat to get to see and learn about some of Diana’s life. Thank you Diana for sharing this with us. It was great fun.

Time to head back to Cape Town as the afternoon was running away from us and we had a bit of a ride home. Franschhoek would also have to wait for next time. Got stuck in a bit of traffic on the N2 but not too bad. All in all another great day spent with Diana. Her sharing her special places with us has added so much to our trip. Such a special friend!

Thursday, Nov 23—Romansrivier

Spent most of the remainder of this week working in the office, adding as many nonherbarium specimen pictures as possible to the ID guides I have worked on these past weeks. I had already completed the Riverlands project and given that to Annelise. But Thursday was a field trip day. Not a bad way to spend Thanksgiving.

To make matters more interesting in these discussions is the fact that the landowner is talking about turning over some of the land to some of his workers. That would be something very favorably viewed by the government. Anything that provides access and opportunity for the ‘previously disadvantaged’ would work in favor of the landowner. But it would also complicate the discussions over what should be conserved. In the meantime, the landowner may yet do something that degrades a bit more of the veld. Not an easy situation to sort through, and as at home the process is very slow.

From the bad section Caitlin and I made our way to the good veld and Ismail met us there. I had been here before with Caitlin, Wendy, Lara, and Albert. It was interesting to see what was blooming this time. Though a little drier there were still a number of things flowering—Ixia, Micranthus, Lobelia, Lobostemon, Aristea, Corymbium, a wonderfully wooly Erica, Pelargonium, Lapeirousia, and even a Gethyllis. Gethyllis is one of those geophytes that typically bloom after their leaves dry. Here it is. Ismail pointed it out to me as I had overlooked it.


But the find of this stop for me was the minifield of Utricularia flowers. The flowering stems were no more than 15 cm tall. They were in a section of the veld that had been wet on our previous visit but now was just moist below the surface. Neat!

Here are two big insects I encountered. The grasshopper sitting on the Bobartia fruit is just striking because of its color and pattern. But the cone-headed mantid is the real stunner. It just disappears into its environment, and it made sure I was always in its view.



On the way back to Cape Town I treated Ismail and me to milkshakes and Caitlin to a Fanta from Wimpy, a fast food outlet. This would be my Thanksgiving celebration. And give thanks I did. These past weeks have been filled with so much, and being in the field with Caitlin and Ismail has been so rewarding how could I be anything but thankful. I couldn’t have asked for better folks to be with, to learn from, and to befriend.

Though I didn’t know it at the time this last photo was quite prophetic. I took it of Ismail and Caitlin as we left the veld for the day. As it turns out this would be the last time I would be in the field with either of them, and fortunately it was with both. As I write this they are in the field in an area around Caledon. I had planned on going with them and this would have been my last trip. But that was not possible and so my trip with them to Romansrivier would be my last field outing. And a great outing it was!

Thanks, Ismail! Thanks, Caitlin!

May your days in the veld continue to be rewarding and enjoyable!

Monday, Nov 20—Work with no power!

It’s Monday morning and off to work we go. As is usual we are there before 8 and Marcia has started working on her database. This morning I head to the CREW office to see how the weekend in Elim went. Ismail is telling me about the plants they found and the full days they had, and about the collapse of the front end of the Mazda bakkie upon arriving back at Kirstenbosch on Sunday evening. As we are talking Ismail notices that the power has gone out. Turns out this was not a surprise outage but a planned one.

Late the previous week there had been emails sent on the SANBI mailing list telling folks of the planned outage. Marcia saw the first email saying the outage would affect the garden but not the research buildings. Seems the second email stated that the research buildings would also be affected. Marcia didn’t see that one. And the outage was to be from 0800-1600.

I chatted with Ismail a bit longer and commented to him that I needed to retrieve Marcia as she couldn’t do anything with the power out. When I got back to Marcia’s office I found her talking with Dorothy. They were trying to decide where they could get coffee/tea as none could be made here. We discussed this a bit more and decided to head to Melissa’s at Constantia Village to get our morning coffee. We gathered our things and made our way to the lift to get Marcia down to the car. Yes to the lift. We pressed the button and simultaneously realized the lift wasn’t working either! Duhhhh!! We just looked at each other and laughed!!! What were we thinking!!!!

As there was no way we were going to carry Marcia and LRW down two flights of stairs, I went to the cottage and retrieved the yellow wheelchair. (Power was out at the cottage as well. Seems Jenny had received a post about the outage but forgot to tell us. Not a problem.) With the help of two of the work staff we carried Marcia down the stairs. LRW was locked in her office for the night.

After mid-morning coffee and eats Marcia and I began the search for a skirt with pockets. That took us to two malls in the Claremont area and through many stores. Many skirts were found but only one with pockets. And it was at Woolworths! But the search and another stop for food took us into the afternoon so that when we arrived at home the power was back on.

It was back to work on Tuesday. Monday’s events sure made us think about how much we are dependent on powered devices. And it was interesting to learn that in SA electricity for individuals is on a prepay basis. That would make you think about your usage a bit more. And the same approach is common for cell phones.

Oh well!

Edward

Sunday, Nov 19—Down the Cape

The focus of today was a return visit to Table Mountain NP with Diana. Seems the everlastings (also known as Cape snow; Syncarpha vestita) were in spectacular display on the road to the family cottages on the coast. Diana wanted us to see them in full bloom as Marcia was so taken by the few early ones she saw on our first visit. That would be in the afternoon and so the morning was open for whatever.

It was back to the craft market in Hout Bay to start our day. We had found more interesting things at this market than at the monthly one at Kirstenbosch and so went to do a bit more shopping. It was a nice clear morning but the wind was at it again. The vendors were struggling to hold their booths together and not lose their merchandise. Would be a long day for them! But we did our part to support the local economy. And had to leave some big items that we knew we couldn’t manage. Still not sure how we will pack all that we have bought!!

From Hout Bay we head down the coast by way of Chapman’s Peak Drive. Though windy it is a perfect day for this drive. We can see up and down the coast and off into the Atlantic for kilometers. A truly stunning drive!

After lunch we meet Diana at her place and load her and the dogs, Harley and Dougal, into our car for our drive. We take the route along the western side of the Cape as we did before, starting with Ou Kaapse Weg (Old Cape Way). I am still struck by the beauty of the landscape and the views as we drive around. But I know with time I would take it for granted. Shame!

Diana was correct, the area just before reaching her cottage was an incredible sight. The everlastings were in glorious bloom, and the name Cape snow is so much more descriptive of what you see.

This is Cape snow up close.

And this is mixed in with Cape snow in some places. It is Edmondia sesamoides.

And then they both disappear as you get closer to the shore. But here there were bontebok with young! There had been zebra and ostrich earlier. Her special place always has something to display.

Diana’s sister and husband were staying at the cottage. Diana had brought the treats and so we all had tea and coffee. They stayed on the patio out of the wind but the dogs and I wandered on the rocks. And the wind was even stronger here than back at Hout Bay. But how could one not heed the call of the rocky shore. So much fun!

The local Leucospermum was in glorious bloom. And a patch of bloodroot, Dilatris pillansii, near the main entrance was just starting to open its flowers.

No Cape cobra this time but so many other things to see. And just being here is such a treat! Thanks again Diana!

This is Lobelia pinifolia for Linda! Cute little thing!!


Edward

Saturday, Nov 18—Rondevlei and the search for flamingos

Having heard that there was a resident flock of flamingoes at the wetland areas of Rondevlei-Zeekoevlei-Cape Town Sewage Works and given that we were nearly blown away during our first visit to Rondevlei we decided to try again. We were in town this weekend and our Saturday was open so the search for big pink birds was on. And this time we started earlier in the morning.

It was a better day, warmer and less wind. But no flamingos here! We saw many of the birds we saw on our first visit—sacred ibis, red-knobbed coots (now with bigger young), cormorants, darters, herons, Egyptian geese, and big white pelicans. Though not seen by Marcia, I did see a pied kingfisher. Very pretty! Of course the carp were still cavorting and making big splashes all around and the little brown birds were flitting in and out of the bushes too fast to be IDed. There were different plants blooming and we figured out most of them, eventually. But the highlights of this visit were the nonbird animals.

As we made our way along the path we found numerous of these structures in the bushes. They appeared to be spider in origin and were filled with leaves and twigs. We never encountered a spider in association with them so weren’t sure exactly what they were. But we did ask the ranger as we were leaving and learned that they were from the rain spider. And there was one on display in the nature center, though not easy to photograph behind Plexiglas. Here is a good Web site that talks about this group of spiders, http://www.museums.org.za/bio/spiderweb/spar.htm. Turns out the webbed structures are the egg cases/nurseries for this spider. Very interesting.

Of more interest and certainly more entertaining to Marcia was our encounter with a BIG tortoise. We were headed back on the same path that we had walked not long before, but now our way was blocked by a BIG tortoise. It didn’t seem the least bit phased by our presence and just sat looking at us for quite some time. Finally it decided it was time to move on. And so it headed up the path straight toward Marcia and LRW. There was plenty of room to go elsewhere but that wasn’t its intent. It rumbled up the path and squeezed between LRW and the bushes and continued on its way. Marcia even got to pat it on its shell without it breaking stride. It wasn’t one of the resident hippos but it was great fun!




And here is a photo of a cooperative mongoose. We have seen them all over but never with enough time to get a picture. This one was close and in no hurry.

We also asked the ranger about the location of the flamingos and were told they were resident in the ponds and flats of the sewage works. We had driven there on our previous visit to the area and so would head there again.

We drove past Zeekoevlei and down the road to the sewage plant and realized there were vehicles beyond where we had been last time. This time we found the road that provided access to the extensive system of ponds and flats. And around we drove, and drove, and drove. We eventually found ourselves just across the dunes from False Bay, but still no flamingos. But we did add to our list of SA birds seen. In the ponds were numerous black-winged stilts and pied avocets.


They were almost enough to balance not seeing flamingos. And then we looked up and across the pond was flying a pair of beautiful pink birds. We found them. The chase was on, but to no avail. But back they came and we got to watch them fly over again. And then they were gone. But we did get to see them!

We made our way along the roads back toward the sewage plant, our landmark to lead us out. And where we wound up was behind the fence and in the actual plant itself. I figured that was not a good place to be but the easiest way out was through the gatehouse just ahead. And I could always use the lost dumb American excuse! But the man in the gatehouse guided us to the gate to use and then opened it and let us out. Not a problem at all. Try doing that in the States!

It was to our well-used Constantia Village for a late lunch and a bit of shopping before we headed home. Another fun day in Cape Town!

Thursday, Nov. 16—Wolseley

The CREW field trip this week was to Wolseley, a small town near Tulbagh. Caitlin had been contacted by Johan who was working for some landowners who were adding to their wine making activities. He had found some interesting plants that might be specials and so he requested a visit. Off we went. The ‘we’ this time was Caitlin and me and Amira, a young woman from Germany who has been doing volunteer at the Kirstenbosch gardens. Her time with Kirstenbosch was about done but her stay in SA was not. She was going to do volunteer work with a local hospital for a month. Then she would be going back to Germany. But first a visit to the veld.

After some searching and calls for directions between Caitlin and Johan we found each other and were off to find the plants of interest. The owners joined us for a time and then left us to wander. Johan showed us the plants he thought could be special and told us of the plans of the owners in terms of areas to be developed and areas to be left alone.

Turns out that only a few populations of the Leucadendron species found were noteworthy. And a couple of these were only a plant or two or past due for a fire. Not very promising for their continuation. A larger population was located just outside the town cemetery. It might be able to make it.

Though there weren’t many specials, as usual there were numerous plants for me to puzzle over and photograph. And there was an interesting bee fly I chased around for a few minutes. All in all a good trip, with a stop at the Tarzan shoe store in Tulbagh. Then back to Kirstenbosch so Caitlin could attend the reception for the opening of the new wing of offices. CREW is in two of these new offices and its old offices have been redone for new staff members. And it works the same here as at home, the finishing touches were being applied up to the start of the reception. And more was done in the days following!

Now for some photos!

Caitlin explaining things to Johan.

Oscularia deltoides, the neat succulent we found all over. Look at the pyramid-shaped leaves.

Leucospermum cordifolium in glorious bloom. Notice the mountains in the background. You can't get away from them!

Not sure I have seen our species of Cuscuta in such showy display. It is the creamy stringy stems with the white flowers. It was climbing over many different plants. We heard someone here refer to this as witch's tresses.

And last but not least the striking bee fly. It is on the flowers of a species of Crassula.


Edward

Tuesday, November 14th

Today is the day we have reservations to go to Robben Island to visit the maximum security prison where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment. Both of us feel this is a very important part of South African history and something we want and need to experience. And so off we go to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront to the Nelson Mandela Gateway. Here there are exhibits about the island's history. This is also the boarding point for the 30-minute ferry trip to the island.

The island is north of Cape Town in Table Bay. It is 575 ha in size and at its closest point about 11 km from the mainland. For almost 400 years it has been used as a place to put the unwanted, politically and otherwise. The information brochure states:

"The island's unwilling inhabitants included slaves, political and religious leaders who opposed Dutch colonialism in East Asia, Khoikhoi and other African leaders who resisted British expansion in South Africa, leprosy sufferers, the sick, the mentally disturbed, French Vichy prisoners of war and, most recently, political opponents of the apartheid regime in South Africa and Namibia.

During the apartheid years Robben Island became internationally known for its institutional brutality. Some freedom fighters spent more than a quarter of a century in prison for their beliefs. Yet people such as Nelson Mandela emerged from here to lead South Africa to democracy with a message of tolerance, reconciliation and hope that moved the world."

It was a grey day. The ferry ride over was uneventful and the clouds began to let a little sunshine through. In addition to being a World Heritage Site for historic reasons, the island is also a World Heritage Site because of its colonies of African penguins (more than 60,000) and Cape fur seals, and we saw a few of each. But in terms of the flora it is covered in alien plants!

To handle the wheelchair we were loaded in a small van and joined by two other couples. The others in our group were loaded on large tour buses. So we got something of a personal tour of the island. Our tour guide was Thabo. He lives in the Langa township in Cape Town and travels to and from the island every workday. That's no easy feat in this city that has very limited public transportation. There are taxis and lots of them, both the kind we are familiar with in the States and vans in which as many people as possible are packed. And the drivers of these taxis are very loud, aggressive and often obnoxious. I have learned to give them plenty of room!

Many of the people working on the island are blacks, often referred to as the "previously disadvantaged." Given the nature of the most recent use of the island and given the very strong affirmative action program that seems to impact almost every aspect of South African society, this is not surprising.

Of note, the guides in the prison areas are former political prisoners. Ours, Erich Basson, had been imprisoned on Robben Island for 5 years. Interestingly there are some former wardens also working on the island. The result is that there is a small community on the island with a small school for the youngest kids. And some of the buildings are used as a conference center and guesthouses. There is work being done on a soon-to-be opened restaurant. It appears the restaurant's opening will go along with allowing visitors to walk around the island on their own. This is not possible at this time. Visitors are allowed only a little over two hours on the island before they must return to the ferry for the trip back to Cape Town. Maybe this is intended to prevent overcrowding on the ferries, which could happen if people were allowed to return at will. Hopefully this will change in the future.

We saw the house in which Robert Sobukwe (an early freedom fighter who helped form the Pan Africanist Congress) was isolated, the lime quarry where the prisoners were forced to work, the church for the male lepers, the fortifications used during WW II, the lighthouse, a shipwreck, the slate quarry, and of course the prison in which Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years. Erich painted a detailed picture of what life was like for blacks here. He didn't try to hide things or to be overly dramatic. And he did make it clear that there were good wardens and bad wardens. Nevertheless, these prisoners were denied their most basic rights as human beings. It is amazing so many survived as well as they did. How Nelson Mandela emerged from prison, after 27 years, with the presence and attitude he has is remarkable. For that the world should be thankful!

This is the sign over the entrance gate next to the dock.


This is part of the limestone quarry. It was an overcast day and so there was very little glare from the rock. The cave in the middle is where the prisoners were allowed to toilet. That ensured there was no way for anyone to slip away. One of the things the older prisoners did was write in the limestone to teach the younger prisoners. When the wardens came the writings were easily erased. What fight to maintain what one had!


This is Erich in one of the communal prison areas. He is holding an example of a prisoner's information card. On this card a prisoner is assigned to a category based on race. This determined what food you received, what clothes you wore, and what level of visitation/communication you were allowed.


This is Nelson Mandela's cell. The mat laid out on the floor in front of the blankets was his bed. The toilet was a bucket in the corner to the left of the bench.


And all too quickly it was time to board the ferry to return to Cape Town. It would have been nice to have a bit more time to sit and let things sink in. Such history and so meaningful in terms of what the country is dealing with presently. And Marcia was very disappointed that we didn't have time to visit the penguin boardwalk.

After lunch we roamed the waterfront some and then drove to Long Street and The African Music Store. I had a list of recommendations from Caitlin and was only limitedly successful in finding things. Later I chatted with her a bit more to get a better sense of the style of the artists she suggested. Guess that means a return trip is in order. We'll see what our time allows. This time in two weeks we will be back in Virginia. I can't believe it!

Edward & Marcia

Gardens, Gardens, and more Gardens!

It is time for the annual open gardens in the area around Elgin. We had planned to go last weekend but the weather didn't cooperate. This weekend (Nov. 11/12) the rain has stopped and the ground has dried. The sun is trying to show its face through the clouds. The Elgin/Grabouw area is along the N2 southeast of Cape Town over Sir Lowry's Pass. This is an area packed with vineyards, orchards, gardens, nurseries, and roses everywhere. This year 21 gardens were open to the public for visits over the first two weekends in November. If there was an admission fee charged, at least part went to a designated charity.

With map in hand we drove what has become a familiar route, east from Cape Town on the N2. This takes you past Khayelitsha, one of the largest townships in Cape Town (there are over 700,000 residents) and from what we see it is hard to imagine that conditions could be much worse. There are areas where the shacks are being removed to make way for decent, more substantial housing. The immensity of this undertaking is so great, though, that it will be many years before the job is done. But it must be completed!

We get to Elgin and begin our search for the gardens we want to visit. Some we know won't be wheelchair friendly and others are not of great interest. We eventually find Keurbos Nursery Garden on Restanwold Farm. This garden is built around an indigenous plant core to which have been added what are described as 'interesting and unusual plants'. It is a nice mix of plants, many we know but a few that we have to ask about. The LRW is able to handle much of the garden but not all, and so Marcia has to sit and enjoy the sunshine while Edward explores some of the more challenging terrain. We enjoyed it nonetheless and Marcia added a few plants to her list of those of interest.

Here is a view of one of the many orchards we passed on our drive. Not sure if these are plums or apricots, but note how all the trees are espaliered. Row after row after row of such trees. And in other orchards the trees are pruned such that there is no central stem, just a bowl of large branches. Obviously labor intensive operations, but able to be done by an unskilled labor force that is large and not well paid.


We roam the countryside a bit more and then head back to the N2. There we find Peregrine Farm Stall where we have lunch and stock up on a few goodies for later. And we visit the highway branch of Keurbos Nursery where we find the newly-introduced Agapanthus variety, 'Double Diamond', a dwarf double white. We had talked about this with someone recently and we thought it might be Jenny. No matter, we bought one for her. Turns out it WAS Jenny and she was delighted to get it.

Next stop was Heaven Scent Garden on Barkai Farm. Had to really get out in the country for this one. This was a working cutflower garden with nursery. We tried LRW here but with no success. Time to get out the manual chair and give Edward a workout. We made our way with some effort and added a few more plants of interest to Marcia's list. The one at the top of her list here was the hybrid tea rose cultivar 'South Africa'. It was a wonderful golden apricot color with lots of substance. She deemed it stunning! Unfortunately, she has had no luck finding a source for it. But I suspect she will continue trying.

That was our Saturday. We headed home with the mountain in front of us and the sun in our eyes. I was a bit weary from all the pulling and pushing but both gardens were fun to visit and the area we drove through was truly beautiful. Certainly glad the weather allowed us to do this.
And here is one of the many Polygalas we have seen, both in the wild and in gardens. Some of these rate as stunning in MY book!


Having read about it in Country Life and then getting a strong recommendation from Jenny, we decided to visit the gardens at the Stellenberg estate on Sunday. This is actually located just down the road from us in the Kenilworth area. Yes, the same general area as the Race Course. But what a different world this was. This was an estate in every sense of the word. Stately buildings and grounds that were meticulously kept. Here is a picture of the main house. It just had an air of elegance about it! And there were at least 11 different garden areas, some formal and some more informal. Each was themed so as to provide a different mood. The picture below is of part of the Formal Garden. Very impressive!!
It was also the case as with the gardens yesterday that the admission fee was donated to a charity. In this case the charity was The Caring Network Trust in Khayelitsha. This group is involved in providing health care services in under-resourced communities. Last year's open days at Stellenberg raised 31,000 rand. A great way for the haves to give something to the have-nots.

Marcia found another plant of special interest. This was Thunbergia 'African Sunset'. Not sure if we will have any more success finding this one. The associated Stellenberg Nursery didn't have any currently available but the propagator assured Marcia that she had seedlings started which would be available later in the season.

And isn't the ladybird beetle cute!

Much to the amusement of a number of folks I had great fun trying to photograph the animals we saw. Here are two beauties!



Oh yeah, I forgot to say that this garden was even less wheelchair friendly than the ones we visited yesterday. That was even printed on one of the sheets used to advertise the event. Nonetheless we figured we could manage, in the manual chair of course!!!! We did get to most places but it was up and down steps, with many folks helping along the way, and through the grass and up and down the hills. My poor little body was ready for a rest when we were done. But it was worth it. These gardens were just incredible. And it is hard to imagine that this is one family's residence. Truly a different world from that in which most of us live.

On Sunday evening Marcia went with Jenny to the Evening Prayer at St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Newlands, Jenny's church. She will have more to say about that in a later entry. But let me add that the result of this visit was that I had to go to St. Andrew's early Monday morning to take pictures of the church and the flowers. Marcia will explain more about that as well.

For now that about covers our garden weekend. Three very different gardens, each with something to offer. But I need to go back to work to let my muscles recover!

Edward (with notes from Marcia!)