Sunday, May 13, 2012

Road-trip To Cape Town

Hello Friends

I'm well and back at Home - my Internet 'Device' is installed, it works but not much of an improvement over my old setup - needs some fine tuning ...

Anyway, it's not good enough to make me enthusiastic about surfing the web but at least I'm connected.

I've just come back from a camping visit to the Etosha Pans and, together with my Cape Town pics, have thousands of images to edit.

Here are a few from the road-trip to Cape Town
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Crossing the bridge over the Orange River at Noordoewer.

A travelling couple stop at a Roadside rest place in the northern Cape.

A lone tree on a curve going up a hill.

A woman hitching a ride - she's holding a ten Rand note in her hand to indicate that she's prepared to pay for the ride - many Truckers make money on the side from hikers ...

A colourful Truck dominates the view.

A ring-knuckled driver concentrates as he negotiates a sharp bend in the road, his passenger with a far-away look - in the back a dude sleeps and in the front, a young girl blows a bubble into space ...

I liked the cars curving over the hill and the telephone poles curving under.

"Skattebol" is a cuddly Afrikaans term of endearment - out of place when applied to these hefty Truckers.

Bathed in Yellow - a traffic controller at road works in the mountains.

Out of the mountains and onto the flat wheat-lands a few hundred kilos from Cape Town.

Well, here goes, my first post from Home ...
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23 comments:

  1. How many times must I make the same comment--I love your posts & I especially love your pictures?!!!

    Re the ring knuckled man: Are those like brass knuckles for hitting people, or just jewelry?

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    1. Thanks Fran - hehe no, the driver looks like a family man, I'm guessing the rings are just Bling ...

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  2. Another mouth-hanging-open at the stunning and interesting images, Graham! I just love the car full of people and that gum bubble about to burst. How did you get a "front" photo of this car? I love Over-landers; we see them often here in Africa: in North Sudan, in Kenya and recently in Dar Es Salaam. They're so organized! I saw a couple packing their groceries in a car park and they had heavy duty plastic egg trays. How cool! Your dimension on the cars curving up and the lines curving down is a unique shot too. Hope your Internet plays the game. I now how frustrating it can be when we cannot connect. Meanwhile, please stay safe and keep those beautiful photos coming. I'll be back! Greetings, Jo (Tanzania)

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    1. Thanks Jo - when I'm a passenger I take hundreds of pics of oncoming cars - most are junk but occasionally I find a gem ...

      Yeah, when camping a few days ago I was watching how organized some Campers are ... kitchen sink and all ...

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  3. So much like the highway here in New Zealand. Same selection of vehicles, especially the 4WDs and curvy bits.. Same road markings, same tarmac, same barriers. Must be the colonial past.
    Landscape much drier though.

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    1. Indeed Kerry ... I think you're right about the shared Colonial past ... I bet you guys drive on the left hand side of the road too ...

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  4. I see your pictures and realize I don't know much about this area of the world. Wheat fields make sense but I have this idea that it is either desert, jungle, or mountains. thanks for the pics.

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    1. Thanks Bill ... the countryside here is very diverse but, don't take my word for it, come see ... you'll have a willing guide ... :)

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  5. Great that you are on-line even if it is a bit slow. Fantastic photos, I just quickly stopped by and saw your post. We had a rushed trip to the UK for an unexpected funeral and will only get home on Wednesday. Take care Diane

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    1. Thanks Diane - and thanks for stopping in at this difficult time - I wish you a safe return to your home.

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  6. What a looooong way to drive! Love the lone tree (wonder where it gets its moisture from). Hope you'll be able to post more often from home now??
    Caroline

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    1. Thanks Caroline - nah ... 800kms is just down the road ... :) ... I'll try to post more often now ... that is, if I don't run out of ideas ...

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  7. exhausting roly poly hills for bikes :)

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    1. Hey Monica - I'm exhausted just thinking of biking those hills ... it's a route that many long-distance Cyclists take on their way to or from Namibia ...

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  8. Love your posts and photos & glad you're back home!

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    1. Thanks for your visit and kind comment Maggie ... :)

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  9. Beautiful photos as always. Makes me want to get on the road. Sadly I'm flying my next trip, you miss too much.

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    1. Thanks Laurie - I love road trips when I'm a passenger - flying's for the birds ...

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  10. Hi Graham .. I thought I'd posted - but perhaps not .. love your photos - so nostalgic to think back on times in southern Africa .. and I love your take on the telephone lines, and other notes to each picture ... cheers Hilary

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    1. Thanks Hilary - I hope you get the chance to visit this part of the world again sometime ...

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