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veneer cost in Scottsville KY Dagboek: Week 7 - Wildekus (Episode 8) | Voetspore RSA
Dit was ‘n luilekker dag by Buccaneers Backpackers by Cintsa. Van die manne het op die strand gaan stap. Ander het wasgoed laat doen, bietjie gelees, dagboek geskryf, navorsing gedoen oor die week wat voorlê, net gerus… Dié week bereik ons die halfpadmerk. ‘n Voetspore reis is nie ‘n naelloop nie. Dis ‘n maraton. Ons moet weet hoe om die pas vol te hou. Dit is hoekom ‘n Sondag so belangrik is.
Die begin van week 7. Ons vertrek net na 8 vanaf Buccaneers Backpackers. Dié mense kla dat besigheid nog nooit so sleg was nie. Toeriste bly weg. Veral buitelandse toeriste. Iets moet in hierdie land verander. Dis asof die gety net nie wil draai nie.
Van Cintsa reis ons na Kei Mouth. Ons het ‘n afspraak met John Costello. Hy gaan vir ons die komende week die Transkei wys. Ons ontmoet hom by Billy Nel se museum.
Ons het nou al baie gehoor van motorfiets museums. Selfs al een of twee besoek. Maar niks berei jou voor op wat jy sien by Billy Nel nie.
Billy was ‘n entrepreneur wat uiteindelik Minister van Finansies vir die Oos Kaap geword het. So twintig jaar gelede het hy ‘n kompulsiewe versamelaar geword. Dit het begin by Britse motorfietse. Later sommer enige motorfietse. Italiaans, Japannees, Oostenryks… selfs ‘n hele groep Royal Enfields. Maar dis nie net motorfietse nie. Dis ook motors, vliegtuie, langspeelplate, teelepels, plakkers… dit hou nie op nie. Alles is onderdak. Alles word mooi uitgestal. Mens vergaap jou werklik aan alles om jou.
Mees indrukwekkende is die vliegtuig wat eens aan biljoener Howard Hughes behoort het en waarin pop sterre soos Barbra Streisand, John Denver, die Rolling Stones, The Who… die lys is eindeloos… van konsert na konsert gevlieg het. Binne is daar ‘n slaapkamer, ‘n kroeg, badkamers… alles in ‘n vliegtuig amper so groot soos ‘n Boeing 707.
Ons wou ‘n uur by Billy spandeer. Na drie ure moes ons onsself verskoon. Daar lê nog ‘n lang pad voor. Die Billy Nel Museum is ‘n vreemde, interessante plek.
Ons is oor die Keirivier met die pont. Min plekke in Suid Afrika bedryf nog ‘n pont. Dis nogal ‘n avontuur. Slegs twee voertuie op ‘n keer. R 90 per voertuig.
Aan die oorkant, in die Transkei, reis ons na Trennerys. Ons ontmoet vir Trevor Wigly en Carlos Nkonki. Hulle is gidse in die streek, en saam met hulle is ons, eers per boot, en toe te voet, die bosse in. Dis pragtige woude, en hulle vertel ons van die unieke plantegroei. By ‘n skeur in die rotswand vaar ons met die bootjie in en kom toe aan by een van die mooiste swemgate.
Meeste van die manne duik in. Net nie ek nie. Gideon was eers siek, toe Simon, en nou gryp die griep my. Dis nogal lastig tydens ‘n reis.
Terug by Trennerys en ons sit aan vir ‘n smorgasbord van seekos. Ons word bederf met cuisine uit die boonste rakke.
Vroegoggend ontmoet ons weer vir Trevor en Carlos. Ons wil meer weet van die hongersnood wat die streek getref het in die negentiende eeu.
Ons ry na die poel waar ‘n jong meisie, Nongqawuse, een dag deur die voorvadergeeste besoek is. Dit het in daardie stadium sleg gegaan met die Xhosas. Hulle beeste het gevrek weens longsiekte. Dit is ‘n siekte wat saam met die 1820 Setlaars van Engeland af Afrika toe gebring is. Die plaaslike Nguni beeste was nie bestand daarteen nie.
Vandag nog glo die Xhosas dat daar met die voorvaders gekommunikeer moet word. As mense sterf word hulle by die huise begrawe wat kommunikasie makliker maak. Die voorvaders het aan Nongqawuse verskyn en opdrag gee dat alle beeste doodgemaak moet word en alle graan vernietig moet word. Die effek sou wees dat hulle alle vee, in dubbel die getalle en gesond, sou terugkry. Die Engelse Setlaars sou ook in die see gevee word. Voorspoed en welvaart sou terugkeer na die Transkei.
Sowat 80% van die mense het na haar geluister en die opdrag uitgevoer.
Nongqawuse het voorspel dat haar professie sou waar word op 18 Februarie 1857 wanneer die son rooi sou word. Dit het nie gebeur nie. Hongersnood het die mense getref. Die bevolking van die streek van meer as 100 000 mense het gedaal tot minder as 30 000. Vandag steeds glo baie dat as ál die mense geluister het na die professie, as álmal gehoor gegee het aan die opdrag, sou die voorvaders uit die dood opstaan en die Britse Setlaars die see in gevee word.
Dis ‘n aangrypende stukkie geskiedenis, en het ‘n ernstige effek op die streek en sy mense gehad.
Ons reis verder noord deur die Transkei. Hierdie was in die Apartheidsjare Suid Afrika se eerste sogenaamde onafhanklike tuisland. In 1994 is die streek weer by die res van Suid Afrika ingelyf.
Aan die Transkeise kus loop daar nie ‘n pad nie. Dis altyd die binneland in. Ons is terug na die N2. By Viedgesville het ons weer see toe gedraai, na Koffiebaai en Hole in the Wall.
Daar is min landskappe so dramaties soos dié by Hole in the Wall. ‘n Reuse muur in die see, en in die middel, ‘n gat waardeur die branders breek. Dis hipnotiserend om daarna te staan en kyk.
Laat middag reis ons verder, met grondpaaie, na Port St. Johns. Dis reeds donker met ons aankoms by Spotted Grunter en ons word hartlik ontvang deur Cindy en Bronwyn.
Die griep het my plat getrek. Ek kry ‘n telefoniese voorskrif by dr. Lukas, gaan apteek toe, en klim toe in die bed. Die is ‘n ding wat mens so gou moontlik moet probeer afskud, en min medisyne werk so goed soos slaap.
Die ander vyf manne is saam met John na die fonteine van helende water. Dis net buite Port St. Johns. Die plaaslike mense kom skep hier van die mineraal ryk water. Van die fonteine is pienk. Ander is blou. Van die klei by die fonteine word ook gebruik as gesigroom. Simon en Norbert drink selfs van die water. Hulle opinie – dis bitterlik sleg. Dit ruik soos vrot eiers. Waarskynlik die ammoniak in die water wat die sterk reuk en geur gee.
Daarna is dit terug na Port St. Johns. Vanaf die landingstrook bo op Mt. Thesiger is daar die mees ongelooflike uitsig oor die dorpie en die Umzimvubu riviermond. Die Sao João, of te wel St. John, ‘n Portugese skip, het in die 17e eeu by Port Edward gestrand. Die seevaarders van weleer het, verkeerdelik, die plek geïdentifiseer as die mond van die Umzimvubu, en vandaar die naam.
Port St. Johns… vandag amper ‘n Afrika dorp soos wat ons dorpe leer ken het op die vasteland, die afgelope twee dekades. Markte op straat. Vars vleis wat verkoop word. Ook hoenders, eiers, klere, groente en vrugte. Musiek wat blêr uit ‘n klanksisteem wat meer steurnis as musiek maak.
Port St. Johns is veral bekend vir sy aktiwiteite op die see en daarvoor is die manne na Off Shore Africa. Saam met Rob Nettelton en Debbie Smith gaan die manne die see in met ‘n rubber duck. Hierdie is een van die gevaarlikste plekke om met ‘n boot, by ‘n riviermond, die see in te vaar. Maar anderkant die branders wag ‘n verassing.
Dis ’n skouspel soos die malgasse die see induik om vis te vang. Daar is ook stompneus dolfyne in die omgewing.
Hulle stop by Brazen Head. Rob vertel van die gevare van die Wilde Kus. By die blaasgat het talle mense reeds gesterf. Hulle besef nie hoe gevaarlik die kus is nie. Maar dis ‘n dramatiese kuslyn met kranse tot in die see. As jy die plek met ontsag hanteer word jy ryklik beloon.
Dis laat middag toe die spannetjie terugkeer na Spotted Grunter. Hulle vertel my van die opwindende dag wat hulle beleef het. Die dag se rus het my ook goed gedoen, met net een probleem – ek is besig om my stem te verloor.
Ons braai ‘n vis op die kole. Dis ‘n heerlike mosselkraker wat John en Cindy gereël het. Dit was ‘n uitstekende dag aan die Wilde Kus.
Ons verlaat Port St. Johns en ry met die brug oor die Umzimvubu Pondoland in. Die roete neem ons oor Lusikisiki en dan weer in die rigting van die kus.
Ons ry deur die Magwa teeplantasie. Dis die grootste teeplantasie in die suidelike halfrond. Ons stop by die plantasie se kantoor en ontmoet Tulani Mtembu en Zandele Pangwe. Hulle vertel ons van die tonne tee wat geproduseer word. Dit word vermeng met ander tee. Tulani vertel dat tot 70% van die tee wat ons daagliks drink, is Magwa tee.
Na die teeplantasie besoek is dit die een waterval na die ander. Die eerste een, die Magwavalle – ‘n 144 meter gordyn wat na benede stort. Indrukwekkend. Daarna die Fraser valle. Toe die Alice valle, of ook die Angel valle.
Ons reis met die plato af na die kus. Onderweg, nog ‘n klein waterval. ‘n Naamlose een. Teen die middag kom ons aan by Luputhana en gaan maak kamp onder die melkhoutbome. Toe is dit see toe, om te sien hoe branders teen die rotswand breek en dan tientalle meters die hoogte inskiet.
Ons sien dolfyne en malgasse in die see baljaar. En ook walvisse. Met die hommeltuig gaan stel Streicher ondersoek in. Daar is ‘n viertal Southern Right walvisse wat met hulle vinne op die water slaan. Dit lyk amper of die een rugslag swem. ‘n Ander een rol om en maak sy bek wawyd oop. Dis te pragtig om te sien.
Die aand braai ons ’n worsie by die kampvuur. Weer eens, ‘n uitstekende dag.
Die oggend gaan ons vir ‘n wandeling. Vanaf Luputhana is dit sowat 5 kilometer se stap tot by Waterval Bluff. Onderweg is daar egter iets anders om te sien.
John kom sy hele lewe lank reeds in die gebied. Tog het hy eers onlangs gehoor van die grot, teenaan die see. Dis ‘n gesoek. Af klouter oor die rotse. Na ‘n tydjie vind ons dit. ‘n Hele saal wat deur een pilaar opgehou word. Dis verstommend mooi.
Ons gaan verder, na Waterval Bluff. Hier is een van die min plekke in die wêreld waar ‘n waterval tot in die see stort. Dit is asemrowend mooi. ‘n Toneel waarna jy vir ure kan staar.
Uiteindelik stap ons terug motors toe. Is weer ‘n hele ompad tot by Port St. Johns waar ons vir John groet, en daarna reis ons na Mthata.
Mthata is die hoofstad van die streek, en hier word daar hulde gebring aan een van die grootste leiers wat Suid Afrika opgelewer het. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela het net suid van Mthata, by Qunu, groot geword. In die dorp word die staatsman vereer in ‘n museum. Madiba het as staatsman duisende geskenke, toekennings en vererings ontvang. Hy het gesê hy doen dit namens Suid Afrika. Die geskenke, asook ‘n kort, bondige geskiedenis van sy lewe, word uitgestal in die gebou wat voorheen die parlement van die sogenaamde Republiek van die Transkei was.
Laat middag reis ons na Ugie waar Madelaine Venter ons by die Forty Winks gastehuis onthaal met ‘n heerlik aandete en ‘n warm bed. Dis besig om koel te raak.
Ons nuttig ontbyt by The Cock and the Cat in Ugie. Daarna is dit oor Maclear en Naude’s Nek na Alpine Swift. Hylton en Sunelle Dunn het onlangs Alpine Swift gebou. Dis ‘n plek waar atlete op ‘n hoogte van meer as 2 000 meter bo seevlak kan oefen. Maar dis ook ‘n uitstekende plek vir ons om die naweek af te pak.
It was a relaxing day at Buccaneers Backpackers in Cintsa. Some of the men took a stroll on the beach. Others did laundry, read, updated the diary, did research for the week ahead, lazed around … This week we shall reach the halfway mark. A Voetspore journey is not a sprint. It is a marathon. We must know how to keep the pace. That is why a Sunday is such an important day.
The start of week seven. We leave Buccaneers Backpackers just after eight. People here complain that business has never been this slow. No tourists. Especially overseas tourists. Something in our country must change. Almost like the tide does not want to turn.
From Cintsa we travel to Kei Mouth. We have an appointment with John Costello. He will be our guide in the Transkei for the following week. We meet him at Billy Nel’s museum.
We have heard a lot about motorcycle museums. Even visited one of two. Nothing prepares us for what we are about to see in Billy Nel’s museum.
Billy is an entrepreneur who eventually became the Minister of Finance in the Eastern Cape. Twenty years ago, he developed into a compulsive collector. It started off with British motorcycles. Later any type of motorcycle. Italian, Japanese, Austrian … even many Royal Enfields. But not only motorcycles. He also collects cars, aeroplanes, long-playing records, teaspoons, stickers … endless. Everything roofed in. Each item beautifully displayed. One gazes in wonderment at the surroundings.
Most impressive is the aeroplane which was once owned by the billionaire Howard Hughes and transported famous pop stars like Barbra Streisand, John Denver, the Rolling Stones, The Who… the list is endless … from one concert to the next. On the inside is a bedroom, a bar, bathrooms … everything in an aeroplane almost the size of a Boeing 707.
We only planned on spending one hour at Billy’s. Eventually after three hours we excused ourselves. A long road awaits us. The Billy Nel Museum is a strange but interesting venue.
We cross the Kei river with a ferry. Few places in South Africa still operate a ferryboat. Quite an adventure. Only two vehicles allowed at once. R 90 per vehicle.
On the other side, in Transkei, we travel to Trennerys. We meet Trevor Wigly and Carlos Nkonki. They are guides in this region, and accompany us, first by boat and then on foot into the forest. These are beautiful forests, and they inform us of the unique vegetation. We sail with a boat through a rift in the rock face and arrive at one of the most spectacular swimming holes.
Most of the team dive in. But not me. Gideon was the first one to fall sick, then Simon, now I have caught the flu. It is quite a hazard when one tours.
Back at Trennerys and we are treated with a smorgasbord of seafood.
Early morning and we are greeted again by Trevor and Carlos. We want to know more about the famine that perished this area in the nineteenth century.
We drive to the pool where a young girl, Nongqawuse, was one day visited by her ancestor’s spirits. The Xhosas were going through terrible hardships at that stage. Their cattle died of lung-sickness. This is an illness that the 1820 Settlers brought to Africa from England. The local Nguni cattle were anti-resistant.
Today, the Xhosa people still believe they should communicate with their ancestors. Diseased people are buried at their homes to simplify communication. The ancestors appeared before Nongqawuse to command the slaughter of all cattle and the burning of crops. This would result in receiving double the numbers and healthy livestock. All English Settlers would also be wiped into the sea. Prosperity and wealth would return to Transkei.
Almost 80% of the people adhered to her and obeyed the command.
Nongqawuse predicted that her prophecy would realise on 18 February 1857, when the sun turns red. It never happened. Famine struck the people. The population in this region declined from 100 000 to 30 000. Even today few people still believe that if everybody listened to the prophecy, and adhered to it, the ancestors would rise from the dead, and all the British Settlers would end up in the sea.
This is a gripping part of our history and has a serious effect on this region and its people…
We travel further north through the Transkei. During the Apartheid years, this was the first so-called independent homeland. In 1994 the region was again incorporated with the rest of South Africa.
There is no road on the Transkei coastline. Always inlands. We drive back to the N2. At Viedgesville we turn towards the sea again, on the way to Koffiebaai and Hole in the Wall.
There are few landscapes as dramatic as at the Hole in the Wall. A giant wall in the sea, and in the middle, a hole through which the waves break … What a hypnotic site to see.
Late afternoon we travel on dirt roads to Port St Johns. The sun has already set when we arrive at the Spotted Grunter Resort and we receive a warm welcome from Cindy and Bronwyn.
I am incapacitated with flu. Dr Lukas gives me a telephonic prescription. After visiting the pharmacy, I go straight to bed. One must get rid of this as quickly as possible, and nothing works as well as bed rest and sleep.
The five other men accompany John to the fountain of healing water, on the outskirts of Port St Johns. The locals come and replenish this rich mineral water. Some of these fountains are pink in colour. Others are blue. The fountain clay is also used as face lotion. Simon and Norbert taste the water. Their opinion – awful. It smells like rotten eggs. Probably the ammoniac in the water that gives this foul odour and taste.
We return to Port St Johns. From the landing at the top of Mt. Thesiger one sees the most spectacular view of the town and the Umzimvubu river mouth. The Sao João, or rather St John, a Portuguese ship, stranded here at Port Edward in the seventeenth century. Former seafarers incorrectly identified and named it the mouth of the Umzimvubu.
Port St Johns has for two decades been a town like we refer to other towns on our continent. Street markets. Fresh meat for sale. Also, chicken, eggs, clothing, vegetables and fruit. Loud music from systems that bleats out more distortion than music.
Port St Johns is especially known for its sea activities and that of the men from Offshore Africa. Rob Nettelton and Debbie Smith take the men on a sea trip with a rubber duck. A river mouth is one of the more dangerous places to enter the sea by boat. On the other side of the waves awaits a huge surprise.
Majestically to watch the gannets dive into the water to catch fish. There are also bottle-nose dolphins in the vicinity.
They stop at Brazen Head. Rob narrates about the dangers of the Wild Coast. Many people lost their lives here at the blowhole. They did not realise how dangerous this coastline is. It appears to be quite a dramatic coastline with cliffs stretching right into the sea. If you handle it with respect, you will be richly rewarded.
It is late afternoon when the team returns to the Spotted Grunter. They excitedly relate their experiences of the day. A day of rest did me the world of good. One problem though – I am busy losing my voice.
We have a fish braai. Delicious musselcracker that John and Cindy organised for us. An excellent day at the Wild Coast.
We leave Port St Johns with the bridge that crosses over the Umzimvubu into Ponodoland. The route takes us via Lusikisiki and then again direction to the sea.
We drive through the Magwa tea plantation. The largest tea plantation in the southern hemisphere. We stop at the office and meet Tulani Mtembu and Zandele Pangwe. They tell us about the tons of tea that are produced here. It is then blended with other teas. Tulani says that 70% of the tea that we consume daily is Magwa tea.
After our visit to the Magwa tea plantation, we see one waterfall after the other. The first one, the Magwa Falls – a 144 metre water curtain plunging below. Impressive. Then the Fraser Falls. Followed by the Alice Falls, or Angel Falls.
We travel with the plateau to the coast. Along the way, another small waterfall. An unnamed one. In the afternoon we arrive at Luputhana and set up camp under the milkwood trees. Then straight to the seaside to watch waves break against the rocks and shoot ten-odd metres high into the air.
We see dolphins and gannets frolicking in the ocean. Whales as well. Streicher takes a closer look with the drone. There are four Southern Right whales slapping the water with their fins and tails. It appears as if one is doing backstroke. Another one rolls over and opens its jaw. Absolutely awesome.
That evening we braai wors … on the campfire. Yet again, an excellent day.
In the morning we take a stroll. A 5 km walk to Luputhana to Waterval Bluff. Along the way, something important to see.
John has been in this area all his life. He only recently heard of a cave, right next to the sea. We search all over. We clamber down rocks. After a while we find it. A natural hall supported by one pillar. We are rendered speechless.
We move on to Waterval Bluff. Here we find one of the few waterfalls in the world to plunge into the sea. Breathtakingly beautiful. A scene we can watch for hours on end.
Eventually we return to our vehicles. A detour to Port St Johns where we said good-bye to John and travel to Mthata.
Mthata is the capital of the region, and this is where we bring homage to one of South Africa’s greatest leaders. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela grew up at Qunu, south of Mthata. The statesman is honoured in the town museum. Madiba has during his reign, received numerous gifts, reverences and awards. He said he did it on behalf of South Africa. The gifts, as well as a short concise history of his life, are exhibited in this building which was formerly the so-called parliament of the Republic of Transkei.
Late afternoon we travel to Ugie where Madelaine Venter of Forty Winks guest house entertains us with a hearty meal and good accommodation. The weather is getting cooler.
We have breakfast at The Cock and the Cat in Ugie. We then travel to Alpine Swift via Maclear and Naude’s Neck. Hylton and Sunelle Dunn recently erected Alpine Swift. It is here where athletes train at a height of more than 2 000 meter above sea level. Also, an excellent place to unload for the weekend.