Apricots were still ripening and not ready

Introduction In the previous post I wrote about Appelkoostyd, well they were not ready nor was there a party as yet but that didn't temper the weekend. On our way through the "Kleine Karoo" to Montagu we made various stops such at the delightful farm stall by the name of "Die Pampoenstalletje" where the time seems to have stopped ticking, as well as a winery on this wine route and lasty Montagu Dried Fruit a new co-op with wholesale prices.

Our camp was a private membership one called "Baden Klub" e.g. only by invite through other members. It is nestled between the magnificent mountains a few kms north of Montagu and at the end of a gravel (stof) road. See Google Maps We had to cross a river ford which had been washed away during the floods two weeks previous, photos of the river in flood and during our arrival - and others - can be viewed at the link right below. The farmer was the entire weekend working on repairs with a bulldozer getting ground and gravel from the mountain and dropping it in the river. This farmer was not the only one, as bulldozers were employed over a large area stretching from Ceres to Montagu.

Goggo's Arriving at our hut we were welcomed by a snake which got away in the bush and in the hut was a huge hairy spider, the latter which we removed with broom and bucket and dumped close to his friend the snake, however the next day he/she/it was home again now right above my bed, grrrr. The last day I couldn't get into my hiking boots because a was squeezing a large frog (padda).

Flood

We went explored the area on the Friday, that's a lazy walk uphill overlooking the camp, looking for springbokkies, birds and other gogga's (insects). The first night a made spaghetti bolognaise washed away with "Grolsch" beer (still from Community Carnival) and South African wine from Robertson around the corner, where else. Saturday morning we went to town, well village a lekker platteland dorpie, full with plaasvolk and we bought our goodies for the evening braai. On our return to the camp we stopped at the luxury 4 * * * * http://www.avalonsprings.co.za/ and were stopped by the Afrikaans speaking security guard at the entrance. "Niemand is toegestaan nie" My answer was that I was not Mr Niemand and was from the Insurance, "Oh that's ok than" and he proceeded to open the boom for us. The above website has some reference to spectacular flood films and photo's which really shows what it must have been. Ah well that's what insurance is for "Kak en Betaal is die wet van die ou Transvaal"

That evening it was Bert's turn and it was a master braai. After a good sleep we started the highlight of the weekend being a hike through the canyon along the river. The flood had changed the path, washed away by boulders etc and it became more bundu bashing, boulder hopping, climbing, scrambling, scaling and whatever else was needed to get through to the end. My boots show it and the need to be polished again. Some pools and the shade at some parts were quite welcoming. At the end we came in a cul-du-sac with a straigh rock face, fortunately we could pull ourselves up some 20 metres on chains and get out of the canyon. Thereafter it was a quick rest, cleaning up and dammit finding a car with a empty battery. Some "manne met hulle bakkie" came to the rescue after which it was straight home.

Photo Gallery

Click here to see all my photos http://tinyurl.com/MontaguGallery

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