Met de kennis van nu

De hieronder beschreven tocht is in 2008 gemaakt. Toen was het voor ons al een hoge uitzondering om buiten Europa op vakantie te gaan. De voornaamste reden om dit toch nog eens te doen, was dat Corrie van baan wisselde en nog vijf vakantieweken tegoed had. Bovendien was het in november; niet de beste tijd om dichter bij huis op vakantie te gaan. Ook hadden Corrie en ik dierbare herinneringen een een veel langer verblijf in Zuidelijk Afrika in 1992 (onafhankelijk van elkaar, want we leerden elkaar pas in 1996 kennen).

Ook in 2008 was al bekend dat vliegreizen bijdragen aan de klimaatcrisis. Velen hoopten toen nog dat er tijdig maatregelen genomen zouden worden om deze crisis zoveel mogelijk te bestrijden. Het probleem van de zure regen in de jaren 80 en het gat in de ozonlaag waren immers ook aangepakt.

Inmiddels weten we beter. Tochten als deze ga ik ook niet meer maken. Fietsen kan een van de meest milieuvriendelijke vormen van reizen zijn (elders op deze site zijn er genoeg voorbeelden van te vinden), maar niet op deze manier.

With today's knowledge

The trip described below was made in 2008. Back then, it was already a big exception for us to spend our holidays outside Europe. The main reason for doing so was that Corrie changed jobs and still had five holiday weeks left. Besides, it was in November; not the best time for holidays close to our home. Apart from that, Corrie and I had dear memories of a much longer stay in Southern Africa in 1992 (independent of each other, as we first met in 1996).

Even in 2008, it was already known that air travel was contributing to the climate crisis. At that time, many of us hoped that effective measures would be taken in time to combat this crisis as much as possible. After all, the problem of acid rain in the 1980s and the hole in the ozone layer had also been dealt with.

Unfortunately, we now know better. I won't make trips like this anymore. Cycling can be one of the most eco-friendly forms of holiday (there are plenty of examples of it elsewhere on this site), but not this way.
 

blauwe lijnen: gereisd per taxi of bus / blue lines: transfers by taxi or bus:

1, 2, 3: vanwege druk en gevaarlijk verkeer / because of busy and dangerous traffic.

4: minder mooi gebied en erg gevaarlijk fietsen door vele wegwerkzaamheden en omleidingen langs de N2. (Een ruig alternatief gaat door de Baviaanskloof; je ontwijkt dan de N2, maar mist Robberg en Tsitsikamma.) / less attractive area and very dangerous for cyclists because of many road works and diversions along the N2. (Instead of the N2 you can take the adventurous Baviaanskloof route, but then you'll skip Robberg and Tsitsikamma.)

5: door slecht weer konden we 4 dagen niet fietsen; wel wilden we genoeg tijd overhouden voor wandelingen in Wilderness, Knysna en Tsitsikamma / we lost 4 cycling days because of bad weather and we wanted to save enough time for walks in Wilderness, Knysna and Tsitsikamma.
 
 
 
1. Kaaproute / Cape route
 
date from to
sightseeing in Cape Town
27-10-08 Cape Town Cape Town
 
Kaapstad/ Cape Town
 
 
date from to
climbing Table Mountain
28-10-08 Cape Town Cape Town
 
te voet naar de Tafelberg / hiking to Table Mountain
 
gezicht vanuit Platteklipkloof / view from Platteklip Gorge  
uitzicht naar het zuiden / southward view
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
29-10-08 Cape Town Simon's Town 68 km 4:45 733 m 3 % tarred too busy
 

"vinnig" fietsen we Kaapstad uit/ leaving Cape Town by bike
Llandudno? Déjà vu! Zie/see hier/here.
 
Simon's Town: koloniale huizen en pinguïns/ colonial houses and penguins
 
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
30-10-08 Simon's Town Cape Point vv 53 km 3:43 684 m 3 % tarred not too busy
 
 
bloeiende Protea's/ blooming Proteas
Cape Point
 
2. Wijnroute / Wine route
 
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
31-10-08 Simon's Town Stellenbosch 63 km
transfer by taxi
 tarred very busy
31-10-08 Stellenbosch Wellington 53 km 3:43 638 m 3 % tarred too busy
 
Khayelitsha: de andere kant van Kaapstad / Khayelitsha, the other side of Cape town
wijnvelden bij Wellington/ vineyards near Wellington
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
01-11-08 Wellington Aan de Doorns 77 km 5:01 628 m 3 % tarred quiet
 
dal van Breerivier / Breerivier valley
eten in een boerenschuur / food at a farmstall
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
02-11-08 Aan de Doorns Franschhoek 76 km 5:51 918 m 3 % tarred not too busy
 
Klipbokkop
Theewaterskloof
Franschhoek Pass
uitzicht op Franschhoek / view at Franschhoek
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
03-11-08 Franschhoek Franschhoek 46 km 3:29 376 m 2 % tarred mostly quiet
03-11-08 Franschhoek Gordon's Bay 70 km
transfer by taxi
 tarred very busy
 
 
boerderijen bij Franschhoek / farms near Franschhoek
 
3. Walvissenroute / Whale route
 
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
04-11-08 Gordon's Bay Kleinmond 53 km 3:53 494 m 3 % tarred not too busy
 
kust bij Rooiels / coast near Rooiels
botanische tuin Harold Porter / Harold Porter botanical garden
wapens en fietsen verboden: kamperen in Kleinmond/ camping at Kleinmond: no guns, no bikes
 
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
05-11-08 Kleinmond Hermanus 45 km 3:06 333 m 2 % tarred too busy
 
groen wonen in Hawston / evergreen house in Hawston
 
 
walvissen voor de kust van Hermanus / whales offshore at Hermanus
maar het grootste nieuws vandaag is Barack Obama! / but today's greatest news is Barack Obama!
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
06-11-08 Hermanus Elim 70 km 4:43 811 m 3 % tarred/gravel busy till Stanford, later quiet
 
 
stille grondpaaie en "langverwachte" picknick / quiet dirtroads and picknick at Langverwacht
Elim: witte huisjes met kerk / Elim: whitewashed cottages and church
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
07-11-08 Elim De Hoop 95 km 6:34 827 m 4 % tarred/gravel quiet
 
nieuwsgierige struisvogels staren ons aan / curious ostrichs are staring at us
 
 
het is best ver naar De Hoop / it is a long way to De Hoop
date from to
game walk in De Hoop nature reserve
08-11-08 De Hoop De Hoop
 
elanden / elands
bontebokken / bonteboks
Kaapse bergzebra's / Cape mountain zebras
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
09-11-08 De Hoop De Hoop 28 km 2:18 263 m 3 % gravel very quiet
 
duinen en strand bij Koppie Alleen / dunes and beach at Koppie Alleen
 
4. Langeberg route
 
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
10-11-08 De Hoop Swellendam 61 km 4:38 885 m 4 % gravel quiet
 
 
over stoffige wegen naar Swellendam / on dusty roads to Swellendam
date from to distance   roads traffic
11-11-08 Swellendam Swellendam
sightseeing in Swellendam (while rain is pouring down)
12-11-08 Swellendam Montagu 115 km
by car (because of very bad weather)
 tarred mostly quiet
 
Tradouw pass
wijn in de Kleine Karoo / wine in the Little Karoo
land van bazen en knechten / land of bosses and servants
 

garage in Kaapse stijl / garage in Cape Dutch style
date from to
stuck in Montagu: all roads flooded or blocked by landslides
13-11-08 Montagu Montagu
 
massa's water in de anders zo droge Kleine Karoo/ serious flooding in the semi-arid Little Karoo
Montagu 17:02:27
Montagu 17:02:28
 
5. Knysna route
 
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
14-11-08 Montagu Swellendam 115 km
by car (because of bad weather)
 tarred mostly quiet
15-11-08 Swellendam George 240 km
transfer by Baz Bus
 tarred busy
15-11-08 George Wilderness 28 km 2:03 311 m 4 % tarred/gravel quiet
 
we nemen de fietsen mee in de Bazbus naar George... / we carry the bikes by Bazbus to George...
...en fietsen naar de camping Ebb and Flow / ...and cycle to the campsite Ebb and Flow
 
date from to
canoring and hiking along Touw River
16-11-08 Wilderness Wilderness
 
kanoën en waden in de Touwrivier / canoeing and wading in Touw River
 
 
hadeda ibis  
parelhoen / guinea fowl
 
bonte plevier/pied plover
wevervogel / weaver bird
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
17-11-08 Wilderness Homtini 66 km 5:14 801 m 4 % tarred/gravel mostly quiet
 
aalscholvers / cormorants
een simpele buurtwinkel en een prachtig onderkomen in Homtini / basic shopping and a great shelter at Homtini
 
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
18-11-08 Homtini Knysna 48 km 3:49 608 m 4 % tarred/gravel first quiet, later busy
18-11-08 Millwood Millwood
walk in Goudveld Forest
 
heuvels en Goudveldbos bij Millwood / hills and Goudveld Forest at Millwood
 
 
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
19-11-08 Knysna Bella Manga 60 km 5:48 1058 m 5 % gravel very quiet
 
10:00 uur / 10:00 a.m.: townships in Knysna
12:00 uur: fietsen door de bossen van Knysna / 12:00 p.m.: cycling in Knysna Forest  
 
13:00 uur: oude geelhoutbomen / 1:00 p.m.: old yellowwood trees
 
     
16:00 uur: modder en steenslag / 4:00 p.m.: mud and gravel
17:00 uur: de eerste koeien / 5:00 p.m.: the first cows
19:00 uur: gravel wordt asfalt... / 7:00 p.m: gravel gets tarmac...
...en nog net voor donker een rondavel bij Bella Manga / ...and just before dark a rondavel at Bella Manga
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
20-11-08 Bella Manga Plettenberg Bay 23 km 1:38 90 m 4 % tarred first quiet, later busy
20-11-08 Plettenberg Bay Robberg

2 x 10 km

 transfer by taxi tarred busy
20-11-08 Robberg Nature Reserve
hike along Robberg coast
 
schiereiland Robberg / Robberg peninsula
hagedis / lizzard
strand / beach
kiezels in rots / pebbles in rock
fabaceae aspalathus aspalathoides (verwant aan rooibos / familiar to rooibos)
 
wijdse blik vanaf kustpad / wide view from coastal path
 
6. Tsitsikamma route
 
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
21-11-08 Plettenberg Bay N2/Nature Valley 25 km
transfer by taxi
 tarred busy
21-11-08 N2/Nature Valley Nature Valley 18 km 1.06 63 2 % tarred quiet
21-11-08 Nature Valley
hikes around nature valley
 
kustpad bij Nature's Valley / coastal path near Nature's Valley
 
 
 
uitzichtpunt / viewpoint
protea
verkoelend water / cooling water
 
wandelspoor in oerbos / hiking trail in indigenous forest
 
     
 
     
's avonds op het strand / beach in the evening
 
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
22-11-08 Nature Valley Storms River Mouth 44 km 3:30 566 m 5 % tarred quiet
 
 
 
dassies: nauw verwant aan de olifant! / dassies: closely related to the elephant!
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
23-11-08 Storms River Mouth Storms River Mouth
hike along coast path
 
langs het Otter Trail / along the Otter Trail
 
     
 
rotsen in de branding / waves hitting rocks
 
kust van Tsitsikamma / Tsitsikamma coast
antilopen / antilopes
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
24-11-08 Storms River Mouth Port Elizabeth 215 km
transfer by taxi
tarred very busy
25-11-08 Port Elizabeth Addo Elephant Park 80 km
by hired car
 tarred busy
26-11-08 Addo Elephant Park
game drive in hired car (cycling not allowed!)
 
hartebeest in Addo Elephant Park
eenzame rood bemodderde olifant in de bush... / lonesome red muddy elephant in the bush...
...en pal voor ons op de weg... / ...and right in front of us on the road...
 
     
 
...gevolgd door een hevige strijd om zijn drollen / ...followed by heavy fighting for every piece of his shit
 
gepantserd paren / armoured mating
oud en geil: laten we hem Zuma noemen / old and horny: let's call him Zuma
en hier gaat Pumbaa / and here is Pumbaa
groepsbad / group bathing
 
avondspits / evening rush our
 
date from to distance ride time altitude gain average gradient roads traffic
27-11-08 Addo Elephant Park Port Elizabeth 80 km
by hired car
 tarred busy