Kay:
No matter how much travelling one does, how many flights taken or how many airport security checks endured, there is always that inevitable glitch and this time it was in Perth where Dennis was identified as a possible terrorist threat because he had a roll of Traveller’s Friend – otherwise known as duct tape – in his hand luggage.
But we were allowed on the flight to Johannesburg unlike a chap seated a few rows in front who was escorted off by policemen who boarded the plane after we had taxied to the end of the runway only to be ordered to return to the gate.
So when it takes 3 flights, 11 hours in transit and 34 hours all up to arrive at your destination, we were so lucky to be met at Port Elizabeth by Pippa Watson. Thank you, Mike for organising such lovely hosts as Pip and Terry whose introduction to South Africa even included boboti and milk tart for dinner.
With our body clocks suitably re-adjusted and TomTom on duty we headed off in Avis for our next host, Altus’s brother Herman van As living in an idyllic countryside location near Stillbaai. We had our own rustic thatched house and you could have joined us there as it slept 12. The spring water there would have to be the best we’ve ever tasted.
Being a garagista winemaker, Herman sent us away after a couple of days with an A4 sheet full of scribbled “must do’s” – especially must-do wine tastings around Franschoek and Stellenbosch. So hard to choose which vineyards to visit and so hard to not buy more than we could consume.