Firstly again a big thanks to Mike and Michelle ..I think Dalenes words say it all and I second them ..
As you all know it was touch and go with Bev making it .. from touch and go it turned into at the last minute Bev and her two daughters Katie and Linzi . they arrived at CT airtport at 10:40 on wed night ( talk about cutting it fine ) got through customs etc finally at about 11:50 .. got home just after 12:00 had some nice minestrone soup ready for them .. cracked the bottles of vino raised a toast .. chatted and supped wine and when we looked around again .. it was 2 am our intent was to try be on the road at 06:00 .. when my alarm went off at 05:00 I woke up and realised that this would be a hard act to follow and be possibly downright dangerous travelling tired .. so lay in for an hour extra also gave the girls the time to get a bit more shuteye after their long journey .. got later and made coffee . got myself ready and then woke up the girls .. we then got ready to go .. left the house just after 8 driving along got to century city and realised i had left my passport at home .. drive back thrugh the early morning traffic jam , collect passport so we ended up leaving CT at about 09:00 .. and hit the road .. we stopped quite a bit to stretch and have tea or a light bite and also I cant sit still for too long , used to moving around .. we stopped at Clanwilliam dam ,a beautiful stop that i always used to do many years ago .. the dam nice and full after our rains .. the girls took the opportunity to change into more summery clothes .. as they looked like abominable snowmen when we took off in the morning cold .. ( damm where is summer ?? ) took off again .. did refuelling stop at Bitterfontein .. ( penalty for keeping up good speed with 4 up plus luggage) .. then through to Springbok .. where we had a snack and Bev looked for sunglasses ( result of panic packing at last minute ,, no adaptor plugs for hairdryers etc ,, no cellphone chargers etc ) On the road again .. Can someone explain the ridiculous speed limit of 100 K from springbok to Steinkopf ??? anyhow I did a good job of ignoring it ( hope i dont get any letters in the mail ) Stopped in at Mc Dougalls bay where i had so much fun so many years ago , drove around there .. I cannot believe how much it has grown !! walked a bit in the icy water there .. and then the last stretch .. got to SA customs at 17:00 What a gauntlet to run !! SA then other side of the river then final security where one gets the tags .. ( thats where Kaye saw me standing outside as she got in from Rosh Pina ) .. it was by now 17:30 my phone rings .. a worried voice Richard Opperman .. " where are you guys ? you should have been here ages ago) .. apparently there was a head on collision along the way and they were worried it was us . Got to Op my Stoep a few minutes later .. settle into rooms .. take a short lie down to get rid of journey .. freshen up .. took a drive through town past mine and Bevs old houses , memories flooding back .. and off to POH .. boy did we have difficulty finding it out in the boondocks ... found out my gravel road skills still ok .. got there to be greeted by Mike and Richard .. then the fun started .. I will post some pics .. more later ..
In order
Arrival wed night
Next morning leaving all wrapped up
Piekenierskloof pass .. Bev was enthralled with the scenery .. Girls fast asleep in the back .didnt see a thing
The beautiful clanwilliam dam
Change time .. digging through bags ..
More pics of the journey up .. Bev was fascinated with the long never ending stretches of road , taking pics as we went along ... last one in Mc Dougals .. I did not bother taking too many pics as there will be repeats of entrance to town etc ..more relevant to the mood or the moment ..
Well Thursday night was the first of many nights of partying and greeting familiar faces .. POH was basically my best night , maybe the hype from travelling overcame any feelings of tiredness so I just carried on till early hours ending with the skinny dip in the pool ... I was first over the wall to show it could be done without injuring oneself .. well I used to skinny dip regularly in the pool after wild nights partying , so this was just a revisiting .. and a good start .. again there are dozens of pics of all of us so avaoiding repeats ,,
Friday afternoon was the school tour .. some good memory blasts , plus the pleasure of seeing how the school has grown .. a very emotional moment when the school choir while practicing sang our old school song .. Bev was with me , the girls went to the pool .. after that a drive around town including the graveyard , and more looking at friends old houses .. my how things have changed .. must say I'm pleased with the condition of E 35/11th .. garden still looks good . and somebody new built another pondock on the site where our old one was .. why waste a good concrete slab ?? a bit of lie down and off to the Moth club .. I found myself really not in the mood for a late night , after the long journey and being up till 03:30 .. the girls so too , till the drinks flowed and persona reckless kicked in .. I ducked out at 11:00 before that persona got to me .. left them in the care of Eddie , went back to bungalow .. sat outside had a quiet drink looked at the desert and drank in the sound of silence , very good .. and off to a good nights sleep .. the aftermath follows ...
Saturday morning I wake up fresh and rested , no sore head or wilted lettuce lying in the back of fridge feeling ... Try to raise the girls .. only croaky voice .. " cant make it to the little theatre tour , will do the bus tour later " I left them to sleep their something like 03:00 coming home off ... had fun at the little theatre , again impressed how the entrance has changed and the cosy foyer .. wandered around .. climbed up into the projection room and through to the stage along the walkways , now I know how the phantom of the opera felt ... spent a lot of time chatting .. time flew .. rushed back to lodge at about 12:15 to find the girls just woken up drinking coffee outside looking sort of sorry for themselves .. tried to get them moving for the bus tour .. they opted to go to the pool instead .. me ready for an afternoon of bar hopping .. off we went dropped the girls at pool ... we did our shortened tour and ended up back at the darts and snooker club .. went to pool to collect the girls .. nowhere in sight ?? Oh well back to darts club .. have a drink or so out again to look for them ... find them wandering around .. Bev I'm really impressed .. Our Bev did a memory lane walk .. from the pool to her old house in 2nd ave and back to the pool to retrace steps ... only problem is the mad dogs and Englishmen syndrome .. no sunscreen , they all got a bit of sunburn ... anyow we went back to darts club .. they sipping carefully .. still a bit liverish i suppose ??
PLAYING LIKE CHILDREN .... I mentioned earlier about moods or moments and worthwhile pics .. we left the Dartsand snooker club did another small drive around town . then on the way out saw the rocking horse in the one park ... " dam I'm sure that's the same rocking horse with the cast iron head that used to be in the park in center of town .. stop .. run to it .. yes I'm dam sure ... so we proceed to play like children .. on the rocking horse .. to the maypole like thing . No witches hat to play on but this will do .. then onto the merry go round .. Bev took a tumble or two but was back like a flash .. enjoy our childish moment ....
Had a hoot in that park .. left laughing like a bunch of excited kids .. the girls looking a lot more chipper ... back to the lodge .. but I have a surprise in store for them .. seeing as we did not go to the top of swartkops hill on the afternoon tour .. we going to do our own tour ..
We get back to the lodge and I suggest going up to the top of the hill .. so I take the car a small distance .. pretend it cannot go further .. so lets walk up .. well that's what we did .. the girls now wrapped in towels .. pulling them around faces and looking like Bedioun women in the desert .. up we go , me egging on ... get to top .. me and Bev do a sprint for the last section and I climb up on the white beacon post .. Bev regrets not going up there now but she was afraid the wind would blow her away like a leaf ... took some pics of the brige and river mouth as well but wont post for fear of repetition ... Enjoy ...
The summit .... the girls now looking fresh and recharged ready for another night of partying .. only thing I said was .. " IF THERES A NEXT TIME GET A PAIR OF SENSIBLE STRAP ON SANDALS FOR MOMENTS LIKE THIS ,, FLIMSY THINGS WITH HEELS DONT DO .. " downhill is tricky in those things ...
added pic of the hill from the lodge ...
Back to bungalows .. a short lie down .. then to freshen up for the bowling club ...with the promise of not stayin out too late .. ha ha who we kidding ?? more later ... ape
Sandy
Hi3 Great pics of you guys,what park was that in? notfair
Would have loved to have been there! daman thnx
@ Pam .. new park in 5th ave near the old X ray the park in town central does not exist anymore . its a creche ... yes we had fun and revisiting of childish moments ... Sandy X
Great pics Sandy. Hope you've got more.
Thanx for sharing the experience with us, Sandy! Great pics, lovely memories.... bravo
Hi Jnr .. how you doing .. not too much theres so much taken by other people .. did not want to bore with repetition .. Bev and her daughters tooka lot on their phones as well but cannot download till they get back .. they will be sending to me and I can add on .. .. Richard and Debbie and Barbara still have to post as well so lets wait and see ...
I wasn't sure if it was the park in 11th Ave as our house use to back on to it,nearthe Reids
There was a park also near our first house in inner cres ,opposite old xray.
Bet you are all well and truly knackered!!!!!!!!!! ha ha
Ok so that same park , inner cresc but the rocking horse was definitely from town central park .. tired .. knackered .. a mixture ... just relaxing at home today .. doing the posting before i have no time being back at work ..
giverose
Thanks for the pics Sandy - Wish i could have been there notfair
Saturday night .. went to the bowling club another braai .. Thursday was potjie , delicious .. Friday lamb spit and Sat braai with skilpaadjies .. sooo rich ,, only eat one .. again more faces .. including Barend Mathee who was at tech with me , many wild days .. his wife Jackie ( Myers ) looking very good . After the supper some of us played bowls .. our team Me Bev , Katie and Linzi were called the non blondes .. we beat the other team and got out while the going was good .. too many ciders were doing things to my aim ... again another till early hours of morning partying and chatting ..
Thanks for the "different" selection of photographs. It was great to see part of the trip to CDM as well - many of us having travelled the same road. Post some more??
Pam I have photos for you but cant reach you and Keith on your email address. Please email at jlcreedy@shaw.ca if you want?
Thank you Sandy.
John and Lei
Sunday Morning .. we took the day nice and easy .. drove around a bit more looking at various things taking pics ..
Mavis first two are yours ..
Verona your old house in 1st avenue ...
Viv two pics of E 6 8th looking good your old pondock still there
Hit a glitch with pics will repost ..
AGAIN TRY
Sunday Morning .. we took the day nice and easy .. drove around a bit more looking at various things taking pics ..
Mavis first two are yours ..
Verona your old house in 1st avenue ...
Viv two pics of E 6 8th looking good your old pondock still there
Hi3
Hi John, have you tried on our O/m email?
Pam and Keith
Heres one for the Smith family .. we took another drive to the graveyard .. Bev had bought a pot plant .. and planted it on Uncle harry's grave .. dug with her own bare hands .. bang went the manicure and nail polish ...
One of Bev in front of her old house 56 2nd more of the Barrat homes when Bev sends her pics to me ...
THE " GERMAN BUNKER "
You folks may have read somewhere in the topic that in the quarry where one could find rose quartz .. its as one enters the town overlooking the salt pan .. We as kids used to eplore there believing the shaft to be the entrance to an old german bunker from the war .. we would climb down the ladder rungs tapping the wall looking for the secret entrance ... which brings me to the question what is that structure there for .. ??? well i took a drive there .. surprise !! the quarry has been dug out to expose part of the " bunker " .. the wind and sand have taken their toll on the brickwork .. but yes the shaft with the ladder rungs is still there albeit a bit filled in .. oh boy the memory blast .. also a pic of the salt pan drying up after the rains ..
Also the tunnels we as kids used to burrow into the side of the quarry ... silly buggers ...
The rest of sunday ... well we had a Braai at Op my stoep Lodge from 4 in the afternoon .. Fanie our host kindly supplied some salad made by his wife .. Thanks ...
I only took a few pics .. one the wall of number plates is indeed fascinating .. including one VIV 001 GP .. Now Vivienne when where you in O'mund travelling incognito and rolled yet another car kindy donating the number plate to posperity ?? ha ha
I drew my car up close so that we could have music .. bad decision cos the smoke from the braai billowed in .. my car now still smells like a braai .. only a few pics here sorry .. me not camera happy ...
A highlight for the girls was Fanie taking them up the dunes in his 4x4 while we were getting braai ready and chatting ... only Bev dared stay in for the downhills ...
Phew !! well thats me done posting for now .. Riiichaard .. where are your pics ? !!
Yes, - waiting on the two R..'s pics - Rich... and Rein.... !!!
Thanks Sandy!
bravo Sandy nice.
Thankyou Sandy for what you did. The photos are lovely. Brings back good memories. Have they widened the roads? because it looks like the fences have been put back towards the houses......outside our house there used to be tar roads.....
:emot112_2:
Thanks
Mavis
Mavis .. no widening .. all the same ... there was always road and gravel sidewalks .. maybe just the boring brown colour of the houses now . and of course many of the lush gardens there no more .. glad you enjoyed ...
bravo Absolutely wonderfull Sandy daman
Thanks for sharing those moments with us Sandy 3d smiles(281)
Fantastic sandy.
wish I had asked you to make pics of our old home.
Yes I agree with Dalene and Sandy - Mike you and Michelle are super stars!! - what a fantastic 5 days we had in Oranjemund - brilliant...brilliant...brilliant!!
Unfortunately you folks will have to wait until the weekend. I am off to johannesburg for two days on a business trip - so I will only be posting on the weekend.
I have over 400 pictures of various town, school, party, many more indoor and outdoor shots.
So watch this space!
Ahhh Richard! - .... suppose we have to be patient!
Copied this from your profile - and I think this is a dedication to the weekend - what a ride it was:
Life's journey is not to
arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways,
totally worn out, shouting
'...holy sh*t ..what a ride!'
I second that!!
dont think ive anything new here with my pics and i am really late getting them on.....
more here...will put headings on later.......but think youll all see what they are......
same again no headings
just had visitors for an hour in between and now cant remeber which ive put on .......so sorry if i double up with any and al sort it out later....
and more.......
and then back to cape town for a bit of sunbathin at nicoleens.......also one of sandy's little girls......
more that i missed......got quite a few more but they are a bit repetetive...so al not bother with them........
Good to see our Bev came to the party eventually ... nice pics girl .. nobody has asked how I hoofed meself up onto the pillar yet i see ... cat3
I just assumed that you used your wings...... msn emoticon (8)
Nice Pics Bev. Sandy I don't need to ask, I put nothing past you.
well Sandy i was there but even i dont know how the hell you did it...i remember you tried talking me into having a go ..lol