Marcia & Edward Go to South Africa

2006-12-09T20:08:00.000+02:00

Monday, Dec 4--Our last day in South Africa

It is off to work as usual this morning as both of us have things we need to do to close out our projects. I don't stay long as there are a number of errands I need to run, not the least being another visit to the Home Affairs office. But first is a visit to Constantia Village, our main place of commerce. Need a bit more cash, some goodies from Pick'nPay, and some goodies from Woolworths. Some items are to take with us and most are for the CREW folks and Dorothy. Back to work for a bit before heading to Home Affairs.

Once again no luck at Home Affairs. I will have to return later in the day, but I get a number to try first. The Immigration officer freely admits it isn't likely anyone will answer the phone, but try anyway. And he gives me 10-1 odds our applications will be approved. Aren't things looking better?

It is back to Kirstenbosch but to the gift shop first for a last-minute item swap and puchase and then to The Tea Room to join Philip and Marcia for lunch. I make it on time and join those two plus Dorothy. One more toasted sandwich for me and a good cup of filter coffee. It was only appropriate we ate here today. Philip suggested we go here for lunch on our first day at work, Monday, Sept 4th. And here it is our last day, Monday, Dec 4th. At least one person I know would describe this as cosmic. And it is a good place to eat in a beautiful setting!

Back to work we go and I try calling Home Affairs. Guess what, no answer. So off I go to sit around until the paperwork is done. There is no choice. Not a long wait to see someone but a bit of a wait until that person returns with our passports updated through midnight tonight. Finally my foray into the bureaucracy of South Africa is done, for this time. And back to work I go.

Now the hard part, saying goodbye to Ismail and Caitlin. We will see Dorothy this evening as she is going to carry our luggage to the airport in her bakkie. And I said goodbye to Wendy last Friday as she was going on leave at the end of that day. Caitlin had put the files I need on my laptop and gotten Tony to sign the protea book. The little succulent we got in Vanrhynsdorp was sitting happily on a windowsill in the CREW office, and the goodies were ready for Caitlin and Ismail's trip to Nieuwoudtville tomorrow. I even managed to catch John Donaldson to say thanks for the arrangements he made and to tell him what a great experience it had been. Then to bid farewell to Caitlin and Ismail. Such good friends and terrific colleagues. Thanks so much to both of you, and I will miss you!

At home I finish stuffing the suitcases and getting the carry-on bags in order. Even a little time for Marcia to nap. Then Dorothy arrives and that means it is time to say goodbye to our special angel. Jenny, you have been so terrific to us. Thank you for everything you did. We will treasure your friendship and our time in South Africa for the rest of our lives. We look forward to seeing you again. All the best to you and your daughters.

With the two vehicles loaded we head to the airport, one more time on the M3 and the N2 for Edward. And what a night it is. The moon is full and low over the city, the lights of the city twinkle all around, and the sky is clear except for clouds on the mountain, as we would expect. Cape Town in all its stunning beauty! What a way to say goodbye to a city that has captured us with its charm and beauty.

Dorothy parks and gets the suitcases loaded on a cart and then meets us in the rental car return lot. A representative from Imperial meets us in the lot and looks over the car. I admit I have damaged two hubcaps and one taillight lens. Not a problem he says, and only the lens needs to be written up. Fine with me. Once inside at the desk I learn there is no paperwork on the rental as has been promised. Oh well, it appears the visa extensions and the car rental will be the two troublesome parts of the trip. I will be in touch with folks at Imperial as soon as possible after getting to VA. Will be interesting to see how quickly my credits appear and how quickly any charges for the lens appear. But for now there is nothing more to do. Oh yeah, I leave the ticket for the vehicle being unlicensed with the Imperial folks. They get to sort that out.

Off to the KLM desk to get checked in, but with a stop to get the bags shrink-wrapped first. For R25 per bag, about $US10 for the three bags, we have the suitcases wrapped in plastic. Seems this is what is being done to cut down on theft in South African airports. Very interesting. Now to see how far the bags get with the plastic intact.

Took some time to get through check-in with KLM. Had to get new tickets printed and then to sort out the handling of LRW. Seems we are over our weight limit. Not sure if it is because we now weigh more or because nothing was said on the flight over. The problem seems to be with the weight of LRW. Never learned how much over but in the end the agent just told us not to worry about it. And so off the luggage went.

With check-in done it was now time to say goodbye to Dorothy. We really weren't looking forward to this. We all promised to not get weepy, and we all managed to hold it together. Thanks for all you did for us and shared with us, Dorothy! You are a dear and very special friend. We look forward to when we are together again.

And then it is just the two of us waiting to start the long trip home. I never imagined our leaving was going to be as hard emotionally as it has been. How was it possible to get so close to so many truly wonderful people in just a matter of weeks? Thanks to all of our new South African friends for opening your lives to us and giving so much to us. You have enriched our lives immensely. May we be together again soon!

And then it is time to fly!

2006-12-08T15:57:00.000+02:00

Nov 27 - Dec 3: Our last week in South Africa

The time has come for us to begin thinking about ending this grand adventure. Our departure date is Monday, December 4th. That gives us just one more week for work and play. Much to do to wrap things up and to tell these wonderful folks goodbye. Here's how the week went.

Monday

Time to check in with Home Affairs to see if our visa extensions are ready. After a few tries I was able to reach someone in the Immigration office who tells me they are not yet ready and call back later in the week. Not a good sign, but we still have a week before we must have them.
Marcia continues working on her database and has another approach to try. That will keep her busy beyond the time we leave. That actually isn't a problem as she wants to keep working on this project once home. Edward is finishing his revisions of the ID guides he has worked on and making copies of files he will need at home.
The highlight of this day is dinner with all of the CREW folks--Ismail, Caitlin, and Wendy--at Rooti's Cape Malay Restaurant on the waterfront. We even get to meet the rest of Ismail's family, his wife Zaitoon and young son Uthmaan. And in perfect African/CREW fashion Marcia and I are the only ones there anywhere close to the actual time chosen. No matter, it was a beautiful night on the waterfront and we had just purchased a clock that presented "Africa time." That's: eventually, shortly, just now, whenever -- you get the idea!
Once everyone had arrived and Ismail had explained the food items we didn't recognize, we ordered and then enjoyed our meals. After eating they presented me with a really great going-away gift, a beautiful book about the fynbos. And the accompanying card made me feel very good about how I had spent the past three months. Thanks for the kind words, the book that will make me think of all of you when I read it, the time we have spent together, and this very nice evening!

Tuesday

More work on the ID guides and then the afternoon and some of the evening filled with constructing the ID guide for the Caledon Swartberg trip on Wednesday. Did as much as Caitlin and I could at work and then did a bit more at home this evening. Still some holes but mostly complete. Caitlin will pick it up on her way in on Wednesday morning and then print to use on the trip. This trip was to be my last time in the field with Ismail and Caitlin but the length of the trip prevented me from going. That's why the trip to Romansrivier last week was my last.

Wednesday/Thursday

Both of us kept working on our projects so they would be ready to be left.
Not sure on which day I called Home Affairs, probably Wednesday, but the response was not encouraging. There would be nobody in the Immigration office to answer the phone until the following Monday, Dec 4th, the day of our departure. If I needed something I would have to go to the office in person. Signs are not getting better!

Friday

To work as usual except only Marcia stays. I head to Home Affairs office to check with Immigration on visa extensions. I see the same woman who took our applications. The manager has been out all week and only she can approve the applications. Only thing to do is come back on Monday, not first thing. Then they should be approved. Very interesting! So back to Kirstenbosch I go.
Today is the day of the GISP Christmas luncheon. It is at Simon's in Groot Constantia, a very large wine estate in the Constantia valley just southeast of the gardens. All but Philip, who is away on a business trip, are there. Beautiful setting and busy restaurant filled with a number of party groups. A bit loud but good food and good company.
Marcia and I left a bit earlier than the others as there was a CREW photography workshop taking place this afternoon. I was a bit late and missed most of the lecture material but what I did hear and the time spent taking pictures and discussing how to construct them properly and why they came out as they did reconfirmed I have much work to do in the photo-taking area. And I am making use of so little of my camera's capabilities! As I told Ismail, this course should have happened when I first arrived, not as I was leaving!!
Packed up and headed home to see if this evening was a good time to get together with Diana. Still have to give her the Evita t-shirts. Turns out we are without Internet service at home and so will have to try on Saturday. Without the Internet we are truly disconnected. Time to start at least thinking about how everything will get packed. Tonight I start with the more delicate items and try to decide what will be packed in a suitcase and how and what will go in the carry-on bag. It's a start.

Saturday
A very full day that is most enjoyable as it is shared with many of our special friends.

First up is a run to the gift shops at Kirstenbosch before picking up Caitlin for a trip to The Africa Music Store. She will help me make selections of good CDs to take back to VA, both to keep and to share. Seems I have been infected by Africa time as I get too involved in the insect book at the gift shop and am late in picking up Caitlin. Oh well! Had great fun choosing CDs, though probably did buy a few too many. But they were all so good. How could I not bring them home with me!!! Great morning. Thanks for sharing, Caitlin! Keep sending me suggestions on what music I need to hear.
Once back at the cottage we called Diana from Jenny's phone as the Internet was still out. The decision was that NOW was the time for us to come to St. Ives to visit. Diana and Jitty would find something for us to have for lunch and we would be able to see Diana's house. So off we went. One more time on what has become a very familiar drive for us, down the M3 to the Main Road along the eastern side of False Bay. With the help of the gardener we got Marcia into the house. What a beautiful place Diana has, and the pictures of the family and the old homesteads were such a delight to see. Lunch was wonderful and the delightful pink bubbly was a real treat. But best of all was the company!

But then it was time to be on the move again as we had another engagement to make. Diana gave Marcia some guinea fowl and flamingo feathers to take home. Such fun, and great reminders of things we saw and did. And then goodbys had to be said, at least for this time. Diana, our sincerest thanks for all the special things you have shared with us. And more importantly thank you for your friendship and love. Until next time!
When we get home, there are Dorothy and Robyn waiting for us. It is time to head back to the waterfront to go to The Two Oceans Aquarium. We have tried for weeks to do this and now is the time. I drive and Dorothy directs and fishes we go see. A nice aquarium that helps differentiate between the fauna and flora of the two oceans. The visit ends at the predators tank. And when we get to the bottom we see in the tank a very large AIDS ribbon. Very impressive. Yesterday was World AIDS Day. Unfortunately, the statistics about AIDS in South Africa are also impressive. Staggering the impact this disease has presently and will have for many years to come.
Back home we go. Still no Internet. More packing is done or at least contemplated. And the weather is changing. The clouds are forming and the wind is beginning to blow. Doesn't bode well for tomorrow.

Sunday
Marcia's account:

We went on an outing today with Jenny Ross, the owner of The Garden Room, and one of her daughters. We were going to lunch at Vergelegen (pronounced FAIR-hell-lay'-hen) wine estate but first Jenny needed to make a stop at a church where she's going to be arranging flowers for a wedding in 2 weeks. I said that I'd like to go to church with her, since she was planning to be there for a service. So we all set out (Jenny, her daughter Storm, Edward and me) at 9 o'clock Sunday morning to be at the church (which was a distance away) for the 10:00 service.

Despite the rain, it was a pleasant drive. We went in 2 cars, since Storm was starting a new job and needed to leave right after lunch. Jenny drove and Edward followed. As we drove, we realized that things were looking familiar. We were near Stellenbosch and as we followed her, Edward said, "Wouldn't it be something if the church is the one Diana showed us the other day?!?"

Well, you guessed it -- it WAS the church Diana had showed us the other day, so we all attended the Eucharist at St. George's Anglican church in the South African Diocese of False Bay. Edward photographed the lovely church and the flowers before we left. The church was built in the traditional Cape Dutch style with bricks which were then plastered on the outside and whitewashed. The roof was thatch.

Then we went on a scenic drive through Stellenbosch, past the university (and some buildings we hadn't seen before) and came back around and went through town past Oom Samie se Winkel and on to Vergelegen. It was absolutely beautiful, despite the gray day! The sun kept trying to peek through, but only for very brief intervals and then it would pour again. It's a good thing we weren't trying to picnic at Boschendal today!

Our meal was stunning -- and we even managed to try the desserts. Jenny and I shared a summer pudding that was perfectly delicious. I had hoped they would have malva pudding on the menu, but the summer pudding was equally satisfying. And-- Jenny has offered to give me her foolproof recipe for malva pudding so I can make it at home. We also had fun while she described a variation of bread-and-butter pudding made with croissants and chunks of chocolate. Edward would LOVE that! He's not much on bread pudding (which I adore) because of course it has raisins in it!
The rain let up enough for us to wander through the gardens to the manor house filled with magnificent floral arrangements and beautiful furniture, and then on to the gift shop. Katie and Juli had asked us to get a bottle of dry red wine for Juli to give her Dad for Christmas. This was the perfect place to find one since Vergelegen is one of two champions in the Biodiversity Wine Initiative, a program that works to preserve valuable ntural habitat while still allowing for ecologically sound management of vineyards.
Now I want to take you quickly back to Jenny's church, St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Newlands, a suburb of Cape Town. I have never managed to take you back there to see the pictures of this beautiful stone church and of the flower arrangements the Altar Guild had done for the weekend of the church bazaar. The theme for the flowers was 'A Prayer for Africa' and so all the floral arrangements were done in the colors of the South African flag. Up in front of the altar was a floral representation of the flag. Of course, LOTS of proteas were to be seen in all the lovely floral designs. If you look closely, though, you will see in each arrangement at least one beaded flower -- a very South African symbol. Beaded flowers and all sorts of imaginative items are made from beads and wire by the disadvantaged (previously or otherwise) as a means of earning an income.

Every day, hawkers stand at all the major intersections peddling their wares: flowers, beaded wire figures, newspapers, magazines, fruit in season, cowboy hats... The list goes on. They take advantage of the fact that there's a captive audience waiting for the lights to change as they work their way up and down among the idling cars, peering into car windows and looking to catch your eye to offer you a special deal! We did our share, bargaining for strawberries, calla lilies, and beaded birds-of-paradise. The hawkers quickly see 'sucker' blazoned across Edward's forehead and know that they will do well!

Once home the real job of packing takes place. There are 3 suitcases that we need to squeeze everything into. Fortunately, we already have shipped a full box of books and papers so everything SHOULD fit. Once this is accomplished, we head off to bed. Monday will be a busy and emotional day.

2006-12-07T15:59:00.000+02:00

Saturday & Sunday, Nov 25 & 26—Darling, one more time

It is our next to last weekend in South Africa and time to go to Darling once again. We have to see our very special friends Pat and Bobby before we leave. And once again, we’re delighted that at least some of the Whitings can do so with us.

After a quick visit to Montebello Design Centre, just up the road from us, Dorothy and Robyn arrive to head to Darling. (And I spelled it correctly this time!) We all pile into Dorothy’s bakkie, the yellow wheelchair this time, for the drive along the coastal route. North of Cape Town we stop for lunch at a local farm stall where Robyn plays on the jungle gym and enjoys watching the chickens and listening to the noisy rooster crow. Then north we proceed.

Along the way Marcia calls out as she spots a plant of interest. This is a new experience for Dorothy who is not quite sure how to proceed. We try to explain how this scenario usually works, but I guess this is something that requires some botany craziness for it to make any sense. Nevertheless, we are successful in getting photos of two plants of interest on the way home. Good job Dorothy!

When we arrived in Darling we stopped first at Evita Se Perron to get t-shirts for Diana. I had to wait a few minutes until the afternoon’s performance was finished, but that allowed Dorothy and Marcia to see Pieter-Dirk Uys after his performance. No t-shirts this time as I need to check with Diana about which ones to get in which sizes. We’ll come back on Sunday.

At Pat and Bobby’s we joined Feli (Felicitas) who was also visiting. There has been someone new to meet every time we have visited. And it has been a delight to be able get to know all of them. Thanks to all!

Great to see Pat and Bobby again, and Pat was doing well after her last round of chemotherapy. Her next was the week following our visit. And Robyn was fine seeing Pat with a shaved head after her chemo (Pat explained that she needed something cool for the summer). This was something that had been of concern to Pat and Dorothy.

Dinner was another braai. This time we started with toasted onion and tomato sandwiches done on the braai. That was followed by a main course of kebabs. Pat and Bobby’s neighbor joined us for dinner, and she provided the wonderful chocolate mousse we had for dessert. And then we were surprised with gifts from Pat and Bobby. Marcia received a birthday calendar with West Coast scenes, something we had seen at the Darling Wildflower Show back in September, and literature about Darling and the area. What a great way to remember the places we have visited! And I received a bottle of Amarula Wild Fruit Cream liqueur. We had heard about this fruit and now we had some of its liqueur to enjoy and share. A truly African drink! Many thanks!! It is we who should be giving you gifts to say thanks for all your hospitality and friendship. We are so fortunate to have family on two continents. Thank you so much for letting us be part of yours.

Folks slept in a bit on Sunday and after breakfast we all headed to Yzerfontein to walk on the beach. It was a bright sunny day with a stiff breeze on the beach and very cold water on our feet. Marcia and Feli stayed in the bakkies as the rest of us strolled up the beach. I didn’t find but two snails this time, but I didn’t pursue the hunt too diligently because my feet were painfully cold in the ocean water. I do not see how anybody willingly puts his or her body into this water.Robyn and Pat headed back to the bakkies first, but not after some fun on the beach. After a bit more of a stroll Dorothy, Bobby, and I did the same. A nice relaxing walk on the beach was good for all of us. And Marcia and Feli enjoyed chatting in the comfort of the bakkie while we were away.

On the way back to Darling we stopped along the road to allow photos to be taken of a lime kiln. There were many of these years ago but most are gone. This one was in good shape and was near the road and easy to see. We have seen many such historically significant structures preserved around the country. It has been fun learning about them in the places we have visited.Back at the house activities for lunch begin to happen. Once again Pat and Bobby are serving a traditional dish. This time it is a potjiekos, “little pot food”. This is a stew cooked in a three-legged iron pot over hot coals. Ours will be lamb with veggies. No one goes hungry here!

Here is Bobby tending the potjiekos with Marcia looking on. While Bobby performed his cooking duties Pat, Feli, Marcia, and I return to Evita Se Perron. I know what t-shirts to get and Pat wants to show Feli the place. While Pat, Feli, and I are off wandering Marcia sees Pieter-Dirk on his way to get ready for this day’s performance. Twice in one weekend!! Then we make our way to the vendors outside.Some fun beaded work and a pressed metal item plus a necklace and earrings just had to be purchased. And it was fun talking to the vendors as we made our purchases. Then home to the potjiekos we went. And another wonderful meal it was.

All too quickly the time came for us to climb into the bakkie and head back to Cape Town. That meant we had to say goodbye to our very special friends. We made no promises but we did say we very much hope to come back to see them in the not too distant future. Pat and Bobby, thanks for everything. You have filled our trip with so much. May your future be filled with joy and happiness!

We drove back to Cape Town with Table Mountain leading us home. It will take some time for me to get used to not seeing beautiful mountains while driving around. And now the week that brings this trip to a close is about to begin. I am not ready for this. But Virginia responsibilities summon...Edward & Marcia

2006-12-07T15:38:00.000+02:00

Friday, Nov 24—Wine country

Here we are getting started on our Le Pique Nique lunch on the grounds of the Boschendal estate and vineyard. Today was Diana’s tour of the wine country around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek and lunch was on this glorious estate. This is an area she knows very well as she lived here for a number of years and her husband and children all attended Stellenbosch University.

We were picked up by Diana in her loaner car as hers was still in the shop waiting for parts to arrive from Germany. There was significant damage done and the repairs were going to take some time. With her was a close friend, Jitty, who lives in Aberdeen in the Great Karoo. The three of us would get to enjoy what Diana had planned for us for the day.

The day was not being very cooperative as it was grey and rain was falling off and on. Not knowing what access would be where we were going we left LRW at home and took the manual chair. Time for Edward to do a little work. Once loaded we were on our way. No dogs today!

We took the coastal route as Diana had heard there had been accidents on the N2 slowing traffic. From the coast we turned inland and shortly after crossing the N2 entered this wine area. Beautiful hills and valleys covered in vines and orchards and magnificent old farm buildings on both sides. As we drove Diana received a phone call from our lunch stop letting her know the restaurant was full and asking if we still wanted Le Pique Nique given the weather. She left the pique-nique order in place and on we drove.

Our first stop was at Oom Samie Se Winkel in Stellenbosch. This is on the lines of what we know as an old general store. There were items both current and old. Of course there was an extensive wine selection and quite a food section. Diana bought koeksisters for Marcia to take home. And Jitty was able to sell some of her handiwork to the shop.

Then it was a quick drive through parts of Stellenbosch, some of the university and an estate turned hotel that had been owned by friends of Diana. Quite a beautiful town that deserves considerably more time than we have today. Guess that will have to wait until our next visit to SA.

It is off to Boschendal estate and our pique-nique lunch. The skies have begun to clear a bit and the rain is not falling and we arrive before serving ceases and so Le Pique Nique we will have. The table is set in the sun and the basket and wine are brought and the feast begins. What a spread of delicious food it was! Here is what was contained in that seemingly bottomless basket.

Tartlet of Smoked Franschhoek Salmon Trout

Snoek Pâté
Smoked Aubergine, Apricot and Sweet Onion Dip
French Baguette

Rare Roast Beef with Wholegrain Mustard
Smoked Coronation Chicken
Country Ham

Lemon and Herb Baby Potato Salad
Three Bean Salad

Cheese, Biscuits and Fruit Confit
(Mature Cheddar and Camembert)

Macadamia Chocolate Brownies

Coffee or Tea

We ate and we ate and then we packed the food remaining so it could be enjoyed later. What a feast, and what a setting! Off in one direction were the mountains, today with a blanket rolling down them. And behind us was the manor house with its tree-lined entrance way. Quite a location for a pique-nique! Stunning!!After lunch we toured the manor house and some of the grounds. We poked our heads into the restaurant and quickly decided we had made the correct decision about where to eat lunch. Then to the gift shop. Quite a nice offering of items, many were things we had not seen before. And of course some of these had to come back to Cape Town with us.

From here Diana drove us to the little farm community, Groot Drakenstein, where she and her husband Buck lived when they were first married. The community has gotten a bit larger and the farm on which they lived has been expanded considerably, but the church and the sporting club were as they had been. Quite a treat to get to see and learn about some of Diana’s life. Thank you Diana for sharing this with us. It was great fun.

Time to head back to Cape Town as the afternoon was running away from us and we had a bit of a ride home. Franschhoek would also have to wait for next time. Got stuck in a bit of traffic on the N2 but not too bad. All in all another great day spent with Diana. Her sharing her special places with us has added so much to our trip. Such a special friend!

2006-12-07T15:19:00.000+02:00

Thursday, Nov 23—Romansrivier

Spent most of the remainder of this week working in the office, adding as many nonherbarium specimen pictures as possible to the ID guides I have worked on these past weeks. I had already completed the Riverlands project and given that to Annelise. But Thursday was a field trip day. Not a bad way to spend Thanksgiving.

To make matters more interesting in these discussions is the fact that the landowner is talking about turning over some of the land to some of his workers. That would be something very favorably viewed by the government. Anything that provides access and opportunity for the ‘previously disadvantaged’ would work in favor of the landowner. But it would also complicate the discussions over what should be conserved. In the meantime, the landowner may yet do something that degrades a bit more of the veld. Not an easy situation to sort through, and as at home the process is very slow.

From the bad section Caitlin and I made our way to the good veld and Ismail met us there. I had been here before with Caitlin, Wendy, Lara, and Albert. It was interesting to see what was blooming this time. Though a little drier there were still a number of things flowering—Ixia, Micranthus, Lobelia, Lobostemon, Aristea, Corymbium, a wonderfully wooly Erica, Pelargonium, Lapeirousia, and even a Gethyllis. Gethyllis is one of those geophytes that typically bloom after their leaves dry. Here it is. Ismail pointed it out to me as I had overlooked it.

But the find of this stop for me was the minifield of Utricularia flowers. The flowering stems were no more than 15 cm tall. They were in a section of the veld that had been wet on our previous visit but now was just moist below the surface. Neat!

Here are two big insects I encountered. The grasshopper sitting on the Bobartia fruit is just striking because of its color and pattern. But the cone-headed mantid is the real stunner. It just disappears into its environment, and it made sure I was always in its view.

On the way back to Cape Town I treated Ismail and me to milkshakes and Caitlin to a Fanta from Wimpy, a fast food outlet. This would be my Thanksgiving celebration. And give thanks I did. These past weeks have been filled with so much, and being in the field with Caitlin and Ismail has been so rewarding how could I be anything but thankful. I couldn’t have asked for better folks to be with, to learn from, and to befriend.

Though I didn’t know it at the time this last photo was quite prophetic. I took it of Ismail and Caitlin as we left the veld for the day. As it turns out this would be the last time I would be in the field with either of them, and fortunately it was with both. As I write this they are in the field in an area around Caledon. I had planned on going with them and this would have been my last trip. But that was not possible and so my trip with them to Romansrivier would be my last field outing. And a great outing it was!

Thanks, Ismail! Thanks, Caitlin!

May your days in the veld continue to be rewarding and enjoyable!

2006-11-29T17:32:00.000+02:00

Monday, Nov 20—Work with no power!

It’s Monday morning and off to work we go. As is usual we are there before 8 and Marcia has started working on her database. This morning I head to the CREW office to see how the weekend in Elim went. Ismail is telling me about the plants they found and the full days they had, and about the collapse of the front end of the Mazda bakkie upon arriving back at Kirstenbosch on Sunday evening. As we are talking Ismail notices that the power has gone out. Turns out this was not a surprise outage but a planned one.

Late the previous week there had been emails sent on the SANBI mailing list telling folks of the planned outage. Marcia saw the first email saying the outage would affect the garden but not the research buildings. Seems the second email stated that the research buildings would also be affected. Marcia didn’t see that one. And the outage was to be from 0800-1600.

I chatted with Ismail a bit longer and commented to him that I needed to retrieve Marcia as she couldn’t do anything with the power out. When I got back to Marcia’s office I found her talking with Dorothy. They were trying to decide where they could get coffee/tea as none could be made here. We discussed this a bit more and decided to head to Melissa’s at Constantia Village to get our morning coffee. We gathered our things and made our way to the lift to get Marcia down to the car. Yes to the lift. We pressed the button and simultaneously realized the lift wasn’t working either! Duhhhh!! We just looked at each other and laughed!!! What were we thinking!!!!

As there was no way we were going to carry Marcia and LRW down two flights of stairs, I went to the cottage and retrieved the yellow wheelchair. (Power was out at the cottage as well. Seems Jenny had received a post about the outage but forgot to tell us. Not a problem.) With the help of two of the work staff we carried Marcia down the stairs. LRW was locked in her office for the night.

After mid-morning coffee and eats Marcia and I began the search for a skirt with pockets. That took us to two malls in the Claremont area and through many stores. Many skirts were found but only one with pockets. And it was at Woolworths! But the search and another stop for food took us into the afternoon so that when we arrived at home the power was back on.

It was back to work on Tuesday. Monday’s events sure made us think about how much we are dependent on powered devices. And it was interesting to learn that in SA electricity for individuals is on a prepay basis. That would make you think about your usage a bit more. And the same approach is common for cell phones.

Oh well!

Edward

2006-11-29T17:13:00.000+02:00

Sunday, Nov 19—Down the Cape

The focus of today was a return visit to Table Mountain NP with Diana. Seems the everlastings (also known as Cape snow; Syncarpha vestita) were in spectacular display on the road to the family cottages on the coast. Diana wanted us to see them in full bloom as Marcia was so taken by the few early ones she saw on our first visit. That would be in the afternoon and so the morning was open for whatever.

It was back to the craft market in Hout Bay to start our day. We had found more interesting things at this market than at the monthly one at Kirstenbosch and so went to do a bit more shopping. It was a nice clear morning but the wind was at it again. The vendors were struggling to hold their booths together and not lose their merchandise. Would be a long day for them! But we did our part to support the local economy. And had to leave some big items that we knew we couldn’t manage. Still not sure how we will pack all that we have bought!!

From Hout Bay we head down the coast by way of Chapman’s Peak Drive. Though windy it is a perfect day for this drive. We can see up and down the coast and off into the Atlantic for kilometers. A truly stunning drive!

After lunch we meet Diana at her place and load her and the dogs, Harley and Dougal, into our car for our drive. We take the route along the western side of the Cape as we did before, starting with Ou Kaapse Weg (Old Cape Way). I am still struck by the beauty of the landscape and the views as we drive around. But I know with time I would take it for granted. Shame!

Diana was correct, the area just before reaching her cottage was an incredible sight. The everlastings were in glorious bloom, and the name Cape snow is so much more descriptive of what you see.

This is Cape snow up close.

And this is mixed in with Cape snow in some places. It is Edmondia sesamoides.

And then they both disappear as you get closer to the shore. But here there were bontebok with young! There had been zebra and ostrich earlier. Her special place always has something to display.

Diana’s sister and husband were staying at the cottage. Diana had brought the treats and so we all had tea and coffee. They stayed on the patio out of the wind but the dogs and I wandered on the rocks. And the wind was even stronger here than back at Hout Bay. But how could one not heed the call of the rocky shore. So much fun!

The local Leucospermum was in glorious bloom. And a patch of bloodroot, Dilatris pillansii, near the main entrance was just starting to open its flowers.

No Cape cobra this time but so many other things to see. And just being here is such a treat! Thanks again Diana!

This is Lobelia pinifolia for Linda! Cute little thing!!

Edward

2006-11-29T16:51:00.000+02:00

Saturday, Nov 18—Rondevlei and the search for flamingos

Having heard that there was a resident flock of flamingoes at the wetland areas of Rondevlei-Zeekoevlei-Cape Town Sewage Works and given that we were nearly blown away during our first visit to Rondevlei we decided to try again. We were in town this weekend and our Saturday was open so the search for big pink birds was on. And this time we started earlier in the morning.

It was a better day, warmer and less wind. But no flamingos here! We saw many of the birds we saw on our first visit—sacred ibis, red-knobbed coots (now with bigger young), cormorants, darters, herons, Egyptian geese, and big white pelicans. Though not seen by Marcia, I did see a pied kingfisher. Very pretty! Of course the carp were still cavorting and making big splashes all around and the little brown birds were flitting in and out of the bushes too fast to be IDed. There were different plants blooming and we figured out most of them, eventually. But the highlights of this visit were the nonbird animals.

As we made our way along the path we found numerous of these structures in the bushes. They appeared to be spider in origin and were filled with leaves and twigs. We never encountered a spider in association with them so weren’t sure exactly what they were. But we did ask the ranger as we were leaving and learned that they were from the rain spider. And there was one on display in the nature center, though not easy to photograph behind Plexiglas. Here is a good Web site that talks about this group of spiders, http://www.museums.org.za/bio/spiderweb/spar.htm. Turns out the webbed structures are the egg cases/nurseries for this spider. Very interesting.

Of more interest and certainly more entertaining to Marcia was our encounter with a BIG tortoise. We were headed back on the same path that we had walked not long before, but now our way was blocked by a BIG tortoise. It didn’t seem the least bit phased by our presence and just sat looking at us for quite some time. Finally it decided it was time to move on. And so it headed up the path straight toward Marcia and LRW. There was plenty of room to go elsewhere but that wasn’t its intent. It rumbled up the path and squeezed between LRW and the bushes and continued on its way. Marcia even got to pat it on its shell without it breaking stride. It wasn’t one of the resident hippos but it was great fun!

And here is a photo of a cooperative mongoose. We have seen them all over but never with enough time to get a picture. This one was close and in no hurry.

We also asked the ranger about the location of the flamingos and were told they were resident in the ponds and flats of the sewage works. We had driven there on our previous visit to the area and so would head there again.

We drove past Zeekoevlei and down the road to the sewage plant and realized there were vehicles beyond where we had been last time. This time we found the road that provided access to the extensive system of ponds and flats. And around we drove, and drove, and drove. We eventually found ourselves just across the dunes from False Bay, but still no flamingos. But we did add to our list of SA birds seen. In the ponds were numerous black-winged stilts and pied avocets.

They were almost enough to balance not seeing flamingos. And then we looked up and across the pond was flying a pair of beautiful pink birds. We found them. The chase was on, but to no avail. But back they came and we got to watch them fly over again. And then they were gone. But we did get to see them!

We made our way along the roads back toward the sewage plant, our landmark to lead us out. And where we wound up was behind the fence and in the actual plant itself. I figured that was not a good place to be but the easiest way out was through the gatehouse just ahead. And I could always use the lost dumb American excuse! But the man in the gatehouse guided us to the gate to use and then opened it and let us out. Not a problem at all. Try doing that in the States!

It was to our well-used Constantia Village for a late lunch and a bit of shopping before we headed home. Another fun day in Cape Town!

2006-11-29T16:21:00.000+02:00

Thursday, Nov. 16—Wolseley

The CREW field trip this week was to Wolseley, a small town near Tulbagh. Caitlin had been contacted by Johan who was working for some landowners who were adding to their wine making activities. He had found some interesting plants that might be specials and so he requested a visit. Off we went. The ‘we’ this time was Caitlin and me and Amira, a young woman from Germany who has been doing volunteer at the Kirstenbosch gardens. Her time with Kirstenbosch was about done but her stay in SA was not. She was going to do volunteer work with a local hospital for a month. Then she would be going back to Germany. But first a visit to the veld.

After some searching and calls for directions between Caitlin and Johan we found each other and were off to find the plants of interest. The owners joined us for a time and then left us to wander. Johan showed us the plants he thought could be special and told us of the plans of the owners in terms of areas to be developed and areas to be left alone.

Turns out that only a few populations of the Leucadendron species found were noteworthy. And a couple of these were only a plant or two or past due for a fire. Not very promising for their continuation. A larger population was located just outside the town cemetery. It might be able to make it.

Though there weren’t many specials, as usual there were numerous plants for me to puzzle over and photograph. And there was an interesting bee fly I chased around for a few minutes. All in all a good trip, with a stop at the Tarzan shoe store in Tulbagh. Then back to Kirstenbosch so Caitlin could attend the reception for the opening of the new wing of offices. CREW is in two of these new offices and its old offices have been redone for new staff members. And it works the same here as at home, the finishing touches were being applied up to the start of the reception. And more was done in the days following!

Now for some photos!

Caitlin explaining things to Johan.

Oscularia deltoides, the neat succulent we found all over. Look at the pyramid-shaped leaves.

Leucospermum cordifolium in glorious bloom. Notice the mountains in the background. You can't get away from them!

Not sure I have seen our species of Cuscuta in such showy display. It is the creamy stringy stems with the white flowers. It was climbing over many different plants. We heard someone here refer to this as witch's tresses.

And last but not least the striking bee fly. It is on the flowers of a species of Crassula.

Edward

2006-11-22T19:12:00.000+02:00

Tuesday, November 14th

Today is the day we have reservations to go to Robben Island to visit the maximum security prison where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment. Both of us feel this is a very important part of South African history and something we want and need to experience. And so off we go to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront to the Nelson Mandela Gateway. Here there are exhibits about the island's history. This is also the boarding point for the 30-minute ferry trip to the island.

The island is north of Cape Town in Table Bay. It is 575 ha in size and at its closest point about 11 km from the mainland. For almost 400 years it has been used as a place to put the unwanted, politically and otherwise. The information brochure states:

"The island's unwilling inhabitants included slaves, political and religious leaders who opposed Dutch colonialism in East Asia, Khoikhoi and other African leaders who resisted British expansion in South Africa, leprosy sufferers, the sick, the mentally disturbed, French Vichy prisoners of war and, most recently, political opponents of the apartheid regime in South Africa and Namibia.

During the apartheid years Robben Island became internationally known for its institutional brutality. Some freedom fighters spent more than a quarter of a century in prison for their beliefs. Yet people such as Nelson Mandela emerged from here to lead South Africa to democracy with a message of tolerance, reconciliation and hope that moved the world."

It was a grey day. The ferry ride over was uneventful and the clouds began to let a little sunshine through. In addition to being a World Heritage Site for historic reasons, the island is also a World Heritage Site because of its colonies of African penguins (more than 60,000) and Cape fur seals, and we saw a few of each. But in terms of the flora it is covered in alien plants!

To handle the wheelchair we were loaded in a small van and joined by two other couples. The others in our group were loaded on large tour buses. So we got something of a personal tour of the island. Our tour guide was Thabo. He lives in the Langa township in Cape Town and travels to and from the island every workday. That's no easy feat in this city that has very limited public transportation. There are taxis and lots of them, both the kind we are familiar with in the States and vans in which as many people as possible are packed. And the drivers of these taxis are very loud, aggressive and often obnoxious. I have learned to give them plenty of room!

Many of the people working on the island are blacks, often referred to as the "previously disadvantaged." Given the nature of the most recent use of the island and given the very strong affirmative action program that seems to impact almost every aspect of South African society, this is not surprising.

Of note, the guides in the prison areas are former political prisoners. Ours, Erich Basson, had been imprisoned on Robben Island for 5 years. Interestingly there are some former wardens also working on the island. The result is that there is a small community on the island with a small school for the youngest kids. And some of the buildings are used as a conference center and guesthouses. There is work being done on a soon-to-be opened restaurant. It appears the restaurant's opening will go along with allowing visitors to walk around the island on their own. This is not possible at this time. Visitors are allowed only a little over two hours on the island before they must return to the ferry for the trip back to Cape Town. Maybe this is intended to prevent overcrowding on the ferries, which could happen if people were allowed to return at will. Hopefully this will change in the future.

We saw the house in which Robert Sobukwe (an early freedom fighter who helped form the Pan Africanist Congress) was isolated, the lime quarry where the prisoners were forced to work, the church for the male lepers, the fortifications used during WW II, the lighthouse, a shipwreck, the slate quarry, and of course the prison in which Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years. Erich painted a detailed picture of what life was like for blacks here. He didn't try to hide things or to be overly dramatic. And he did make it clear that there were good wardens and bad wardens. Nevertheless, these prisoners were denied their most basic rights as human beings. It is amazing so many survived as well as they did. How Nelson Mandela emerged from prison, after 27 years, with the presence and attitude he has is remarkable. For that the world should be thankful!

This is the sign over the entrance gate next to the dock.

This is part of the limestone quarry. It was an overcast day and so there was very little glare from the rock. The cave in the middle is where the prisoners were allowed to toilet. That ensured there was no way for anyone to slip away. One of the things the older prisoners did was write in the limestone to teach the younger prisoners. When the wardens came the writings were easily erased. What fight to maintain what one had!

This is Erich in one of the communal prison areas. He is holding an example of a prisoner's information card. On this card a prisoner is assigned to a category based on race. This determined what food you received, what clothes you wore, and what level of visitation/communication you were allowed.

This is Nelson Mandela's cell. The mat laid out on the floor in front of the blankets was his bed. The toilet was a bucket in the corner to the left of the bench.

And all too quickly it was time to board the ferry to return to Cape Town. It would have been nice to have a bit more time to sit and let things sink in. Such history and so meaningful in terms of what the country is dealing with presently. And Marcia was very disappointed that we didn't have time to visit the penguin boardwalk.

After lunch we roamed the waterfront some and then drove to Long Street and The African Music Store. I had a list of recommendations from Caitlin and was only limitedly successful in finding things. Later I chatted with her a bit more to get a better sense of the style of the artists she suggested. Guess that means a return trip is in order. We'll see what our time allows. This time in two weeks we will be back in Virginia. I can't believe it!

Edward & Marcia

2006-11-21T19:14:00.000+02:00

Gardens, Gardens, and more Gardens!

It is time for the annual open gardens in the area around Elgin. We had planned to go last weekend but the weather didn't cooperate. This weekend (Nov. 11/12) the rain has stopped and the ground has dried. The sun is trying to show its face through the clouds. The Elgin/Grabouw area is along the N2 southeast of Cape Town over Sir Lowry's Pass. This is an area packed with vineyards, orchards, gardens, nurseries, and roses everywhere. This year 21 gardens were open to the public for visits over the first two weekends in November. If there was an admission fee charged, at least part went to a designated charity.

With map in hand we drove what has become a familiar route, east from Cape Town on the N2. This takes you past Khayelitsha, one of the largest townships in Cape Town (there are over 700,000 residents) and from what we see it is hard to imagine that conditions could be much worse. There are areas where the shacks are being removed to make way for decent, more substantial housing. The immensity of this undertaking is so great, though, that it will be many years before the job is done. But it must be completed!

We get to Elgin and begin our search for the gardens we want to visit. Some we know won't be wheelchair friendly and others are not of great interest. We eventually find Keurbos Nursery Garden on Restanwold Farm. This garden is built around an indigenous plant core to which have been added what are described as 'interesting and unusual plants'. It is a nice mix of plants, many we know but a few that we have to ask about. The LRW is able to handle much of the garden but not all, and so Marcia has to sit and enjoy the sunshine while Edward explores some of the more challenging terrain. We enjoyed it nonetheless and Marcia added a few plants to her list of those of interest.

Here is a view of one of the many orchards we passed on our drive. Not sure if these are plums or apricots, but note how all the trees are espaliered. Row after row after row of such trees. And in other orchards the trees are pruned such that there is no central stem, just a bowl of large branches. Obviously labor intensive operations, but able to be done by an unskilled labor force that is large and not well paid.

We roam the countryside a bit more and then head back to the N2. There we find Peregrine Farm Stall where we have lunch and stock up on a few goodies for later. And we visit the highway branch of Keurbos Nursery where we find the newly-introduced Agapanthus variety, 'Double Diamond', a dwarf double white. We had talked about this with someone recently and we thought it might be Jenny. No matter, we bought one for her. Turns out it WAS Jenny and she was delighted to get it.

Next stop was Heaven Scent Garden on Barkai Farm. Had to really get out in the country for this one. This was a working cutflower garden with nursery. We tried LRW here but with no success. Time to get out the manual chair and give Edward a workout. We made our way with some effort and added a few more plants of interest to Marcia's list. The one at the top of her list here was the hybrid tea rose cultivar 'South Africa'. It was a wonderful golden apricot color with lots of substance. She deemed it stunning! Unfortunately, she has had no luck finding a source for it. But I suspect she will continue trying.

That was our Saturday. We headed home with the mountain in front of us and the sun in our eyes. I was a bit weary from all the pulling and pushing but both gardens were fun to visit and the area we drove through was truly beautiful. Certainly glad the weather allowed us to do this.
And here is one of the many Polygalas we have seen, both in the wild and in gardens. Some of these rate as stunning in MY book!

Having read about it in Country Life and then getting a strong recommendation from Jenny, we decided to visit the gardens at the Stellenberg estate on Sunday. This is actually located just down the road from us in the Kenilworth area. Yes, the same general area as the Race Course. But what a different world this was. This was an estate in every sense of the word. Stately buildings and grounds that were meticulously kept. Here is a picture of the main house. It just had an air of elegance about it! And there were at least 11 different garden areas, some formal and some more informal. Each was themed so as to provide a different mood. The picture below is of part of the Formal Garden. Very impressive!!
It was also the case as with the gardens yesterday that the admission fee was donated to a charity. In this case the charity was The Caring Network Trust in Khayelitsha. This group is involved in providing health care services in under-resourced communities. Last year's open days at Stellenberg raised 31,000 rand. A great way for the haves to give something to the have-nots.

Marcia found another plant of special interest. This was Thunbergia 'African Sunset'. Not sure if we will have any more success finding this one. The associated Stellenberg Nursery didn't have any currently available but the propagator assured Marcia that she had seedlings started which would be available later in the season.

And isn't the ladybird beetle cute!

Much to the amusement of a number of folks I had great fun trying to photograph the animals we saw. Here are two beauties!

Oh yeah, I forgot to say that this garden was even less wheelchair friendly than the ones we visited yesterday. That was even printed on one of the sheets used to advertise the event. Nonetheless we figured we could manage, in the manual chair of course!!!! We did get to most places but it was up and down steps, with many folks helping along the way, and through the grass and up and down the hills. My poor little body was ready for a rest when we were done. But it was worth it. These gardens were just incredible. And it is hard to imagine that this is one family's residence. Truly a different world from that in which most of us live.

On Sunday evening Marcia went with Jenny to the Evening Prayer at St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Newlands, Jenny's church. She will have more to say about that in a later entry. But let me add that the result of this visit was that I had to go to St. Andrew's early Monday morning to take pictures of the church and the flowers. Marcia will explain more about that as well.

For now that about covers our garden weekend. Three very different gardens, each with something to offer. But I need to go back to work to let my muscles recover!

Edward (with notes from Marcia!)

2006-11-20T17:52:00.000+02:00

Time to head back to Cape Town

No time for going anywhere before we start our last retreat day. Breakfast and then a full morning to put all of what has been discussed over the previous day and a half into a picture of where CREW wants to go in the coming years. It is very ambitious, with offices in more locations around the country and more activities being undertaken in each of these offices. Everybody seems pleased with the progress that has been made and with the good and the not so good things that have been identified. There has been real openness and willingness to deal with all issues. Everyone rates the retreat a success and feels this is a good foundation from which to build and move forward.

Though the discussion could have continued into the afternoon departure had to happen soon. Suvarna had a plane to catch in Cape Town around 6 PM and so lunch would have to be along the way. One change had to be made to the traveling grouops. Annelise and Caitlin swapped vehicles so that Annelise and Tilla could continue their discussions on the drive back. And once we rearranged the wheelchairs and luggage, my vehicle could stop along the way and not worry about meeting with Ismail in Cape Town. I would get the LRW from the back of the bakkie on Friday morning.

Caitlin, Wendy, Marcia, and I loaded outr things and departed from Nieuwoudtville. The passge over the pass was uneventful and our first stop was the succulent nursery (Kokerboom Kwekery) in Vanrhynsdorp. Easy to see why busloads of tourists stop. Bench after bench of plants, most small and very inexpensive. Makes it very easy to decide you want one of this one and one of that one and one of ...

Caitlin had great fun choosing the little beauties she wanted to take home. And one of her selections was a little kokerboom. Marcia even had to have one. It will be with us until we leave and then I will donate it to the CREW office.

Speaking of leaving, there has been another change in plans. This one was not of our doing. Marcia called KLM to see about our seats for the return flights. But there was a slight problem. Northwest had changed its flight schedules and so we really didn't have return flights at this time. The KLM representative said she would look into this and get back to Marcia with more information. It took about a day but we do now have flights to return home. Departure has been pushed back one day, to Dec. 4th, and we connect in Minneapolis not Detroit. No big deal just a short period of concern until things got sorted out.

After succulent shopping Wendy found a place to buy bread and we stopped at the local garage for another picnic lunch. Wendy, Caitlin, and I ate at the stand-up picnic table and Marcia had lunch in the car.

Then it was back on the N7 for the ride back to Cape Town. But first a brief stop to allow me to investigate this unusual area. The region of the Succulent Karoo around Vanrhynsdorp is known as the Knersvlakte. The name is Afrikaans and means grinding flats. But exactly why these terms came to be the name of this region is less clear. What is clear is the strange nature of this region. In addition to being very arid, rainfall being typically no more than 125 mm per year, the surface of the soil is covered with white quartz pebbles. The landscape appears blotchy white because of the presence of these pebbles. It is the grinding of these pebbles underfoot or by wagon wheels that may be the basis of the region's name. What is also clear is that this region is rich with succulents. Between those pebbles are numeorus species of small to very small succulents, some only a few leaves in size. And a species may be limited to a very small area, a patch or two of pebbles.

Here is a picture of the soil surface where we stopped. Can you find the succulent in this picture?

Now look at this picture. See what looks like a baby's bottom? That is one of the succulents, probably a species of Argyroderma. Note the structures at 3:00 and 6:00. These are fruits. The seeds would be splashed by raindrops, when it rained, and so dispersal is obviously very limited.

And look at all those pebbles!

Here are two different succulents, vygies, that were growing along the side of the road. Notice the bubbly surface of most parts of these plants, the glistening of the stems and leaves. The outer cells are swollen and filled with water. Another adaptation to deal with limited water. These are probably in the genus Mesembryanthemum.

Have to be impressed at all the ways plants have adapted to survive in these very arid environments. The fynbos has its beauty and specialness and so do all of different arid regions. Certainly makes me want to return in late winter/early spring to see these areas following the rains. But that will have to be in another visit.

The rest of the ride home was uneventful. Dropped Caitlin off at home and Wendy at her car at Kirstenbosch. Then home for us. Though too short this was a great trip. We got to see some very interesting areas of the Karoo and to share time with some terrific people. I hope they found my contributions useful and worth their efforts to bring me and Marcia along. My sincerest thanks to Tilla, Ismail, Caitlin, and Wendy for including us. And to Suvarna and Annelise for their warmth and wonderful friendliness. We really had a great time!

Edward

2006-11-15T21:28:00.000+02:00

The week in which we were originally scheduled to leave!

I' ve already reported what we did on the weekend of the 4th and 5th, so now to the week that followed. Though a week earlier than usual for this month (the first not the second week) it was Monday and so the hacking team headed for Kenilworth Race Course This time I remembered to bring my hat and gloves, which I left in the CREW office last month, and we had good weather. This month it was Caitlin, Wendy, and me from Kirstenbosch with a stop along the way to collect Dr. Muasya. As it turned out Ismail met us there.

Once at the race course we met the usual group of volunteers and off we went. Dr. Muasya was there to look for sedges and Caitlin and I accompanied him for a bit and then rejoined the group to do a little hacking. Here are the two of them puzzling over another tiny sedge. Caitlin does so get into her plants!

As this was supposed to be the last hacking outing for this year, Wendy had brought the fixings for a tea to thank the volunteers. Everyone gathered amidst the aliens and enjoyed tea and juice and muffins and other good things to eat. Quite a spread. Here we are enjoying the repast, with Wendy doing the serving. Once done the group set off with Dr. Muasya and Caitlin to learn about sedges and to look for two rare species that could be on the site. Much was learned, but the rare species were not found. There is too much overgrowth and an immediate need for a fire. All part of management, but hard to do in the middle of a race course!

Just wanted to show you how some of the veld at the race course is returning after a recent fire. And if you look in the background you can see the always present mountain. This is the one we live and work under, Table Mountain. Certainly feels different from Tidewater Virginia!

And I have to present a few more plant photos since the plants are why we are here! In some ways I have been a bit lacking in my presentation of the Cape flora. The genus Erica, the genus of heaths, is a major contributor to this flora with hundreds of species. And I haven't shown you any! So here are two we found at Kenilworth. These show you the two commonly found flower shapes, tubular and urn. Flower color is often red but can be white and even yellow.

And this is a beautiful Spiloxene! Blooming with this were yellow Ixias and the white and pink selagos (either Selago or Pseudoselago) you see in the picture with Table Mountain in the background.

Three visits and three different sets of flowers in bloom! Very nice to be able to have seen the progression. Do hope they continue to make progress in their battle with the alien plants there.

In the afternoon plans were being finalized for our departure on Tuesday morning. All members of CREW plus three guests will be departing for Nieuwoudtville for a retreat. The Crew contingent consists of Tilla, Ismail, Caitlin, Wendy, and Suvarna. Tilla and Suvarna are in the Pretoria office. The guests will be Annelise, Marcia, and me. Annelise is presently a botanist with Cape Nature. She is working to start a CREW office in Kamieskroon, which is north of Cape Town and about 3/4 of the way to Namibia. This is in the area of the Northern Cape province called Namaqualand, another of the regions that is dry and rich in succulents . One other volunteer was asked to go but she was not able to do so. That left me. I asked more than once if there would be any problem with accommodating the wheelchair and was told more than once that things would be arranged. Given this and that everyone made me feel I would be able to contribute, I agreed to go. Once meeting time and departure instructions were determined Marcia and I went home and got things ready for the next morning.

Due to a delay in Suvarna's arrival we got a later start than planned. I drove Marcia, Wendy, Annelise, and me and we headed straight to Nieuwoudtville by way of the N7. The other group, Tilla, Ismail, and Caitlin, went to the airport and picked up Survana and then met us at the Clanwilliam Dam for a late lunch. Then we finished our drive of around 300 km to where we would be for the next few days. The drive took us into more and more arid regions, and along the way we saw the vineyards disappear to be replaced by citrus orchards -- thus the name of one of the major towns we passed, Citrusdal. We also saw many fields of Aspalathus linearis, the source of rooibos tea. This has become an important crop for export. Then it was just large areas for grazing sheep.

Once we arrived in Nieuwoudtville we met Bettina who would lead and moderate our activities. The retreat then began with an outline of where we going over the next two days and introductions. Though I had interacted with most of these folks for two months it was good to hear their introductions. After the schedule for the evening was determined we got ourselves settled where we were staying. The four in my group would be staying at the Rooi Dakhuis, the Nieuwoudtville version of the Red Roof Inn. Both the name and the building say so! As we were the only ones staying there we were given the keys to the place and then figured out the rest on our own. Interesting!

The others stayed across the street from Bettina's office/home where we were having the retreat. Tilla owns a residence here as she has a special fondness for the area. Not surprising for a botanist as Nieuwoudtville is known as the bulb capitol of the world. There may be as many as 50 different species of geophytes in a square meter of veld here! In the spring these seemingly barren fields explode in incredible displays of colors. We were too late to see this but Bettina gave us a slide show of this year's production. Wow! No wonder this quiet little village becomes a bustling town each spring.

After we got settled and caught our breath we returned to Bettina's house for a braai. Everybody had a chance to relax and enjoy some great food. It wasn't long after dinner that folks began to head to bed. It had been a long drive and the Nieuwoudtville heat was taking its toll. And Marcia, Wendy, and I are going to visit the nearby gorge and waterfall in the morning. Heading to our B & B under a full moon, we could't help but exclaim at the beauty of the night sky and all the stars. Without the glare of city lights, the stars are simply breathtaking. We did note a bright band of 3 stars which we later learned was Orion's Belt.

Up early and to the gorge we go. Somewhat surprising to be driving through this arid landscape and to come across an impressive gorge with a waterfall at its start. Not much water flowing at present but at other times of the year it is substantial. And at the base of the waterfall is a spring-fed pool that never dries up. In our walk to see the gorge and the waterfall we see a variety of plants with interesting adaptations to deal with the arid conditions. And a few of them are even blooming. And various insects were out doing their best to find enough food to eat. We find a small army of large grasshoppers munching away. At least they found this vegetation edible?!?

Then it was time to head back. Both because we needed breakfast before we got started with business and because it already was getting warmer. It would be another hot day.

Over this day, even over lunch, and half of the next day the CREW folks and guests work on identifying strengths and weaknesses and defining a strategic plan. There are problems everyone agrees must be dealt with but there are so many strengths and such passion in these folks that I have no doubt they will continue to be successful. I do hope my limited contributions were of value to them. I look forward to keeping in touch and learning about how they and the CREW project progress.

Before dinner we all take a drive to the kokerboom forest to see the trees and to enjoy a sundowner. The trees are quiver trees, Aloe dichotoma. We saw these in the Karoo National Botanic Garden, but that doesn't compare to seeing them in their natural environs. It was late in the day and the light was beginning to fade and the result was almost surreal. Here are some pictures from our visit.

These are Edward's pictures.
Wendy, Ismail, Tilla, Marcia, and part of Suvarna inspecting one of the kokerbooms. Notice that Marcia is right there under the quiver tree. Tilla and Ismail wouldn't allow her to stay in the car. We half carried and half wheeled her out to the edge of the forest. Quite a workout for all who participated, but Marcia was happy to be included.

My attempt at being artsy.

These are from Caitlin.

Enjoying our sundowner!

Edward in a a deep burrow, either aardvark or porcupine, with Annelise looking on!

Night is falling.

Making like kokerbooms and then on our way back to town and dinner.

Our last day in Nieuwoudtville and our return to Cape Town will have to wait for the next entry!

Edward & Marcia

2006-11-13T20:33:00.000+02:00

November 4th & 5th

This was originally to be our last weekend in South Africa, but we all know how plans change. After we had spent the day touring the Cape peninsula with Diana and before she left for her trip to numerous European destinations, we had arranged to go to Darling to see a performance at Evita se Perron. That was arranged for the 5th. But more on that shortly.

If you remember, we had had a week of bad weather and service interruptions leading up to Saturday the 4th. And the weather was predicted to be lousy through the morning on the 4th. And it was just that when we arose. We rethought our plans for the day and decided to wait until the next weekend to go to the Elgin Open Gardens. Visiting gardens, nurseries, vineyards, and orchards after a week of rain didn't seem like a great idea. And now we had the next weekend to do this.

We had a leisurely morning at the cottage and let the rain finish. We checked in with Dorothy who had invited us to dinner if we didn't go to Elgin. So we were on for dinner with the Whitings and we could do something locally. After lunch we made a quick stop at Constantia Village, our mall of choice, and purchased a few provisions. Then we headed to Hout Bay to visit World of Birds http://www.worldofbirds.org.za/index.html. We figured a couple of hours there would be plenty and then we would head to dinner. That was a miscalculation on our part! We spent 2+ hours there and were one of the last to leave and we really needed more time. Many birds and other animals to see. Many were not African, but still fun to see. Some were birds from home, exotic to South Africans but not to us. But Marcia got to see a turkey in full display for the first time! Here are a few of the things we saw.

This one is for Katie and Kathy. There were numerous parrots and their relatives. Lots of gaudy colors. And LOTS of noise!

And this one is for Marcia. Reminds her of the African gray that was at the B&B in Arniston.

This one is also for Marcia. She loved the color of these South American scarlet ibis, especially the variation in the coral color from bird to bird and the numerous shades of color in the plumage on an individual bird.

Here is Marcia having a tete-a-tete with an inquisitive avian admirer. It had an unusual crest of upright, curling feathers. Here was a spike job you'd be proud of, Katie!!

Here is one of the many primates to be seen. A pair of these tiny moustached creatures had free reign in one of the greenhouse areas, along with a pair of Knysna louries. Couldn't get a picture of these beautiful green birds.

I really should have done a better job keeping track of what I was photographing, but I was too busy watching the animals and looking to see what was coming next.

Just a couple of interesting side notes. When we drove into the parking area at World of Birds the usual security person was there. His name was Alexander and he directed me to where I should unload Marcia and then park. "How do I know his name?" you ask.

Well, parking areas at most good locations have at least one security person present. Not sure how much these folks actually do but at least they are there and something of a presence. After I parked the car and headed to the entrance Alexander walked up and handed me a small piece of paper. It gave me his name and stated that he would be looking after my car while I enjoyed World of Birds. At the bottom in big letters it read DONATION ONLY. Of course I tipped him when we left!

A second note: when we went to pay our entrance fees we were only charged for me. There was no charge for the person in the wheelchair. That has happened at least one time before. Here it might be that the paths were something of a challenge for someone in a wheelchair. Don't really know.

Then off we went to have dinner at the Whitings. They live in a development called Marina de Gama. As you can guess it is on the water, on Zandvlei. This is a body of water that empties into False Bay, the bay on the eastern side of the Cape peninsula, the Indian Ocean side. From their back yard you look west across Zandvlei to the Muizenberg Mountains and the community of Muizenberg. Further south are St. James (where Diana lives) and Kalk Bay. Quite a pretty view! Pat and Bobby were neighbors until about a year ago.

We brought the penguin video (City Slickers) that Diana had loaned us and we watched it with Robyn. It was about the penguins at Boulders Beach in Simon's Town. Cute video. Makes me glad these cuties are not in my back, and front, yard! And for dinner we had roasted chicken, roasted potatoes (which Marcia and I fought over!), veggies, and then -- to Marcia's delight -- Malva pudding. Great dinner, great company, great evening! Thanks Dorothy and Jon!

On the way out I had to see the western leopard toads living in the excavated area around the water pipe and meter. This is a threatened species of toad that brings out the toad brigade during breeding periods. These folks help the toads cross roads to get to their breeding areas without being squished. And here were three of them living comfortably in the water box. As you can see this is a very pretty toad.

Now to Sunday. As I already mentioned we had made reservations for Diana to join us to go to Darling to see a performance at Evita se Perron. Pieter-Dirk Uys is the actual person behind all of Evita se Perron. And one of his characters, maybe his best known character, is Evita Bezuidenhout. Peter-Dirk as Evita has been performing cabaret acts for many years, with many of the topics being pertinent historically or to current events. Here is the link to Evita's Web site -- http://www.evita.co.za/index.htm. There you can find more about this amazingly talented man and the projects he supports.

Diana met us at the cottage Sunday morning and off to Darling we went. We learn about Diana's trip as we drive, and about the problems she faced upon her return. Seems there was some unauthorized time behind the wheel of one of her cars by a fellow who works for her. And he didn't actually know how to drive! Quite a bit of damage was done to her car and the garage! But that wasn't going to stop her from enjoying this afternoon.

We are in time for lunch, which is lamb with rice, potatoes, veggies, and salad. And for dessert we each get a koeksister -- one of those delicious syrup-drenched treats. That is all, except for Marcia who gets an extra one snuck to her!

And then it is time for the show. The one we see is called "Tannie Evita Praat Kaktus". Here is the description from the Web site:

Evita Bezuidenhout's legendary and hilarious state-of-the-nation address on the nature of politics and the ecology. She presents South African History as it only could have been imagined, and yet based on fact. Every performance reflects the news and views of the moment. It is 99.9% in English!

It wasn't quite 99% in English but close. She began by picking on the foreigners, and she had a good time with the two Americans. Then she filled an hour with her nonstop rendition of South African history and the present state of affairs. It was terrific. Great satire and great points made about the state of things presently. Very glad we did this.

Finished the day with a nice drive home and tentative plans made for Diana to take us on her wine country tour. That will come after her knee surgery, which takes place on Tuesday. She expects to be better than ever in short order.

It was another great outing with Diana. How lucky we have been in terms of the people we have met! Thanks Diana.

To come is our trip to Nieuwoudtville.
Edward & Marcia

2006-11-12T14:52:00.000+02:00

Miscellany

It's time to fill in a few gaps in terms of things done since our second trip to Darling, October 21 & 22. During the two weeks that followed we both mainly worked in our offices. For much of the week following our trip east I was not feeling great. Just some viral bug that had me running a bit slowly. Nothing serious but it caused me to skip a field trip to the Bredasdorp area. That and the late return for that trip. But I did go on the field trip to Shaw's Pass, which is outside Caledon. Once again I put together the ID guide for the trip. This has really
helped me become familiar with the plants and develop good mental images to use in the field.

It was a full bakkie for this trip--Ismail, Caitlin, Wendy, Albert, and me. We met three others in Caledon and one of them, Hink, joined us to go to the pass. Once there we spent most of the day making our way over the koppies looking for the specials. And we were quite successful. We found a number of the proteas we were seeking and a vygie, a very small member of the Polygala family, a Bobartia, and a legume that was blooming nicely for us. And it was a very pleasant day as well. Here are a few pictures of some of the interesting things I found. Of course there were more plants found for which identities are still needed. But I am getting better.

In all of the green is a bladder grasshopper, probably Physemacris variolosus.

Here it is easier to see. The males have the enlarged abdomens that are used as resonating chambers for their calls. Very impressive.

And on this Bobartia is one of the numerous blister beetles around. You can guess why they are called blister beetles! I just looked.

Now for a plant or two on their own. The first is Ornithogalum dubium. Notice how rocky the soil surface is behind the Ornithogalum flower. This is typical of the veld throughout much of the Western Cape.

The second is the special legume we were hunting, Otholobium lanceolatum.

Nice fuzzy pea flowers. Very pretty.

Thursday and Friday I helped Caitlin gather specimens and materials for the sedge workshop to be held Friday afternoon. Dr. Muthama Muasya from UCT was coming to give a short course on identifying sedges, members of the Cyperaceae. These are difficult specimens to ID because their reproductive parts are so small.

There were about 20 present for the workshop, which went very well. It would have helped to have more microscopes but we managed with what was available. And it would have helped to have a bit more time. But overall the workshop was very informative and gave me better understanding of this group of plants.

As Marcia and I were getting ready to go home Ismail dropped into Marcia's office to offer us tickets for the Flower Show. What timing! That was the major thing we had planned for the upcoming weekend. And you have already read about how great the show was. And about the loss of services over the course of the following rainy week. That must mean I am getting closer to being caught up. Will try to get the events of Nov. 4-12 posted as soon as possible.

That's all for now since I have to arise early tomorrow to take pictures at Jenny's church. Marcia went with to church with Jenny this evening. The numerous florals were arranged for the church's bazaar the previous weekend. It seems the big flower display is coming down tomorrow and Marcia wants pictures.

Later!
Edward

2006-11-11T22:38:00.000+02:00

Darling revisited-1

As I mentioned earlier, the weekend after our trip to the Karoo, Klein Karoo, and Garden Route was spent with Pat and Bobby in Darling. This time we were joined by Dorothy, Jon, Robyn, and Vallerie, a cousin of Robin's. There was nothing special planned, just a relaxing weekend for old friends and new friends to get together.

On Saturday morning we made our way to the N7 to head north from Cape Town. Though we didn't need gas we stopped at the garage just north of Cape Town so that we could revisit the pond where we sat and watched birds on our first trip to Darling. And so I could get a cup of Wimpy's coffee! No new birds seen but Marcia enjoyed seeing all the weavers' nests.

The drive took a little longer than expected because we found ourselves in a slow moving line of cars that was, as it turned out, a funeral procession on its way to the cemetery for a burial service. The deceased must have been someone well known or important in the community as it was a long line of cars and there was one large bus and many cars of folks at the cemetery. We decided to continue on our way and not attend the service!

Bobby met us at the gate and let us in. Despite the delay caused by the funeral procession, we were a bit earlier than he expected and he had to quickly get out the ramp for the back door. Not a problem. Marcia went right in. Pat looks fine and she is handling the chemotherapy reasonably well. It is certainly good to see them again!

A little while later Dorothy, Jon, Robyn, and Vallerie arrive. Vallerie is a few years older than Robyn but the two of them get along extremely well. This is the Whiting's first visit to Pat and Bobby's new location, and so after lunch it is time to see the place. And I get to see what Bobby has done since our first visit. By way of videos and running through the sprinkler the girls are kept entertained while the adults catch up.

The big event of the day was the braai. Two fires were started and the wood was burned to just the right stage before the fish and the kebabs could be brought out. As the cooking proceeded we all got a bit smoked and had a good time playing a silly game called Pass the Pigs. In this game we rolled pigs instead of dice and scored points based upon how the pigs landed. A snouter, a leaner, ...! Then dinner was ready and it was delicious. South Africans sure do enjoy their braais! And so have we!

On Sunday Bobby took Jon, Robyn, Vallerie, and me to Yzerfontein, a small village on the Atlantic just west of Darling. The girls went splashing in the water and played in the sand, but the water was much too cold to actually swim in it. And the wind was blowing briskly, but the sun was beaming down brightly. As we walked along the beach I noticed a snail in the sand in the surf zone. I showed it to the girls. That set Vallerie on a quest to collect every one on the beach. She had a wonderful time finding these snails and then releasing them so she could find some more. Not sure how many she ultimately found but it was at least 100.

Not sure which snail this is, but it sure was numerous along this beach. I could feel it using its radula on my finger as it probed its environment.

Once all of us were chilled enough we headed back to the bakkie. Here are Jon, Robyn, and Vallerie warming up as we get ready for the ride back to Darling.

As we drove back back to Darling Bobby showed Jon and me the property he and Pat own in town. Several pieces of it are on the market but one piece may be where they build a new house. It is in a great location with a stunning view across the valley to the mountains many kilometers to the east. Maybe that is where we will see them if we get back to SA in the future. Sure would be nice!

When we get back to the house Bobby's dad and a couple, Peter and Maryann Price, who were long-time friends are there to join us for lunch. Bobby and Peter have known each other since they were kids. And what stories they had! And what stories Peter had about all sorts of things! And then when another younger couple (she is a real estate agent) arrived to talk about Pat and Bobby's properties there were many stories about doing business in South Africa. What an entertaining and informative afternoon it was!

Then it was time for the folks from Cape Town to head home. Dorothy and Jon loaded up the girls and headed out. We headed home shortly after. But before we left we promised Pat we would be back before we left for VA. We couldn't leave SA without visiting these wonderful people one more time! She has her next chemo on Nov. 8th and so a week or so after that she should be feeling well enough for us to visit. Such special folks. It feels like we have family in SA. What a nice visit!

Edward

2006-11-11T22:16:00.000+02:00

I know I have a substantial amount of catching-up to do but I can't resist posting the sign on the side of a truck we saw today. We were on our way to Elgin, east of Cape Town, to visit the gardens open for viewing. As we sat in traffic and said 'no thanks' to the street vendors selling hats, sunglasses, world maps, newspapers, cell phone car chargers, and township art pieces, up pulled this truck. I grabbed the camera as I knew Harold would want to add this one to his collection. So here it is!
Edward

2006-11-03T20:14:00.000+02:00

This week!

Though I owe you an entry about our weekend in Darling and the week that followed, I must say a few words about the week that is almost done. Last Saturday we went to the South African Airways Cape Town Flower Show. It was held on the grounds of the Lourensford Wine Estate outside of Somerset West, which is 40 km to the east of Cape Town. What an estate! Not only was it large enough for the flower displays, there was a field large enough for polo matches, which were part of the festivities.

The high point of the show, and worth the price of admission all by itself, was the Kirstenbosch-South Africa Chelsea exhibit. This is a recreation of the gold medal winning exhibit at this year's Chelsea Flower Show. It was truly stunning! I have never seen so many blooming proteas in one place at the same time. And not just the common ones, but many different ones. And loads of other native plants. We walked around it multiple times, in awe each time. Only problem was that the other exhibits paled in comparison, though many were very good. It was a most enjoyable show. And it made it necessary to visit the plant shop at Kirstenbosch garden to purchase a bouquet of flowers for the cottage.

Upon our arrival at the cottage we found that we had no Internet service. Oh well, we had been doing so well for so long it had to go out at some time. That is the state of Internet service in SA, not very reliable, expensive, and slow. We are lucky to have the service we have in the cottage. It is better than what we have at work. Seems there has been no competition until very recently and so there was nothing driving the market for any changes. We have it so good at home!

On Sunday we went to craft markets. We returned to this month's edition of the Kirstenbosch market and then headed to Hout Bay where there is one every Sunday. Found lots of neat things at both places and had to bring some home with us. Who knows how all of these items will fit in our luggage. Can't worry about that just yet. Then went across the street to a very nice arts and craft store. Some very nice items there as well. It does appear we will be returning to Hout Bay on some Sunday soon.

Found a nice cafe at which we had lunch, and a Woolies for some bakery items, and then we headed home. We did so by way of the route around the west side of Table Mountain through the communities of Camps Bay, Clifton, Sea Point, and Green Point. This route leads back to Cape Town and is another great ride with the ocean on one side and mountains on the other side. Very slow but very nice ride as it was a beautiful day and many folks were out enjoying the weather, the beach, and the exotic foods festival. Once at home still no Internet. I worked on blog entries offline so that upon the return of the Internet I could try to get back on track. Well Sunday became Monday and Monday became Tuesday and still no Internet. So it was quite a relief to find upon my awakening on Wednesday morning that the Internet was open for travel. Then I tried to take a shower, but to no avail. There was no water.

Shortly after I learned of our water situation Jenny knocked on the front door to tell me the whole neighborhood was without water. So we made breakfast the best we could and then headed to work. But remember that work is just up the hill from the cottage. And that's right, there was no water there either. Work went on as usual with just a bit of juggling needed to keep everybody in tea and coffee. And the seminar by Dr. Andi Wolfe from Ohio State went ahead as scheduled. Who would have imagined I would be attending a seminar such as this by a US colleague in Cape Town. And to make it even more interesting, she did a postdoc with Claude DePamphilis at Vanderbilt Univ and this started her work on the SA hyobanches, a group of parasitic plants. Claude, Marcia, and I were in grad school at UGA together! Small world! Or as I like to say, cosmic!!

We learned that a water line burst just two streets over from the cottage. Work continued through the day, and late in the afternoon the work was completed. Water was again flowing when we returned home after eating dinner out, just in case.

Through most of this week we have had wind and rain and low temps. Seems to be reverting to winter again. And today there was even a thunderstorm, something not common here in the Cape. But another surprise was waiting for us when we awoke this morning. The water was flowing but there was no electricity. We had electricity around 3 AM when I was up watching the rain come down in torrents. But we had none at 6 AM. We had a makeshift breakfast and got ready to go to work as the rain continued to fall. When there was a break in the rain I loaded Marcia in the car and began the routine of securing the cottage. There are two locks on the wooden front door and then one lock on the iron-barred security door. Once those are all locked I activate the alarm system. Strange thing was the alarm was powered though the cottage was not. Something strange here! I looked next door and saw that the main house had power.

I chatted with Belle, one of Jenny's daughters, who said she would let her mom know. Figuring that was all I could do we went to work. Upon our return home the cottage was still without power. Seems mom never got the word. Not to worry, in Jenny ran and saw the circuit breaker had blown and needed to be reset. And that was all it took. But we have no idea what caused the outage in the first place. It doesn't matter. We have run the list of services that can go out at the cottage and so should be in good shape until we depart. At least that is how I am going to proceed.

Next up I will tell you about our return visit to Darling and my trip to Shaw's Pass. But that will have to wait for another day.

Edward

P.S. Marcia and I did meet Ingrid Nanni. I have seen her a number of times before and she was part of the Botanical Latin workshop. It was very nice meeting her and getting a chance to chat. I will try to get by her office again for another visit.

2006-11-01T23:08:00.000+02:00

The Great Karoo, the Klein Karoo, & the Garden Route--part 6

Well our travel week is about done. It is time to pack our bags for the trip back to Cape Town. But first another terrific breakfast overlooking the lagoon and through the mist the heads. Also, another enjoyable conversation with Peter and Mart. It has been so much fun meeting people at all of the places we have been and getting a chance to learn about them and their parts of South Africa. This has made the trip so much more meaningful and personal for me. I just wish I could introduce many of the folks we have met to you personally.

After breakfast we head east once more for a return to the Garden of Eden boardwalk. And we are very pleased we returned. This is a boardwalk through a section of the forest designed for wheelchair use. It is flat and broad and made from planks of wood that have been slotted so as to provide traction and to not stay wet long. Though there are no rails Marcia has plenty of room and so doesn’t seem to feel she is in any danger of slipping off the sides. Off we go to visit the forest.

There are some markers on some plants along the way, but mostly it is just a walk through the forest that quickly engulfs you once you get on your way. At places you have to push fern fronds out of the way or duck to go around a leaning branch. For Marcia that is a good thing as it means she is really in the forest. There are numerous places to leave the path and sit on a bench or have a picnic lunch. They have done a really terrific job.

We encounter two crews of workers who are busily redoing sections of the boardwalk. As was the case for the N2, the recent rains did considerable damage to the boardwalk. One section was closed still. As we stopped at this dead end we got to chat with an official with the park about the situation. We also got to tell him how nice the facility was. He seemed pleased to hear this. I hope he passes our comments on to others.

In addition to enjoying the boardwalk we also enjoyed seeing some of the native trees that constitute these forests and some of the animals inhabiting them. There was limited bird activity, maybe due to the work being done, but we did see a big spider, a huge millipede, a huger slug, and a charming frog. Not everything can be big! Some interesting fungi, lichens, and moss as well. All in all a very nice walk!

On our return to Knysna as we did on our way to the forest walk, Marcia took pictures out the window as we drove past the township to the east of Knysna. This was on both sides of the road and continued for some distance. This is a typical township with tiny shacks in mostly horrible condition. There were dogs around and cows and pigs and goats grazing on any unoccupied land. I know we need pictures of the townships as they are so much a part of the SA landscape, but I feel that we are intruding on people’s lives when we take these pictures. I am certainly not comfortable driving into a township just to take pictures. So this is what we do.

And while I say that this is a “typical” township for the poverty-stricken Africans, these shacks are actually in better shape than some of the townships closer to Cape Town. At least here there’s some room between the individual dwellings. In the more crowded areas outside the city the shacks are side by side.

There are government-built low income housing settlements that put the poor into decent housing, but clearly there’s a pressing need for much more housing to be built. We’ll put more pictures into future entries.

We returned to Feathers to settle our bill and get our box on its way to VA. It probably won’t be there before we get there, but what fun it will be to have it arrive after we are home. Then the birds can find new roosts.

Back to the N2 we go. Marcia tries to relocate her orchids but to no avail. We revisit the delays for road work and eventually reach Mossel Bay (named for the plenteous mussels to be found there). From Mossel Bay one can look back and see much of the coast we have traveled along these past two days. Overlooking the harbor is the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex. The Maritime Museum is the focal point of the complex and is built around a replica of the ship used by Dias on his voyage from Portugal that started in August 1487 and ended in what is today called Mossel Bay in February 1488. Of more interest to us was the Shell Museum and aquaria. Quite a nice display. And of course there was the usual display of plant specimens with names attached, but in addition there were beds of labeled native plants throughout the complex. Quite a nice set of attractions for an admission fee of 6 rand, which is less than a dollar!

The rest of the day was spent on the road, the N2, back to Cape Town. The ride was uneventful and the trip over Sir Lowry’s Pass with the sun in our eyes was again quite exciting. The pass is the gateway from the Overberg to Cape Town and its suburbs. A quick stop at the local market and we were home. It was a very nice day, but too much driving, and a super week. One night to catch our breath and then we head to Darling to visit Pat and Bobby with Dorothy, Jon, and Robyn.

Good night!
Edward & Marcia

2006-11-01T20:29:00.000+02:00

The Great Karoo, the Klein Karoo, & the Garden Route--part 5

It’s time to leave Calitzdorp and cross more mountains to make our way back to the coast and the Garden Route. Enjoyed another delicious breakfast and more enjoyable conversation with the SA couple before chatting with Zurika about arrangements for the ostrich farm. Her first choice couldn’t do it this morning and so we are headed to Rietfontein Ostrich Palace. The sign on the road labels this as the oldest working ostrich farm, which means it is a production farm not a show farm. Show farms came after the crash of the ostrich market early in the 20th century as a way to provide some income. Now there are many show farms complete with ostrich rides and races. We wanted to learn about ostrich production.

We are met at the farm by the owner who leads us to the pens where some of his birds are kept. Others are roaming his fields. He described his operation and answered all of our questions. Marcia got to feed one of his human-raised birds but wasn’t able to see chicks as she had hoped. Seems the rainy weather had resulted in the loss of the previous clutch and so instead of little ones there was a new round of eggs to incubate. This is a picture of one of the penned females on her nest. Given how hard she was to spot in that small space, I can only imagine how hard she and the nest would be to spot in the veld.
But that is what has to happen with the free ranging birds as the eggs are collected every two or three days.

We discussed everything from the egg to the meat and leather and the state of the market. At the moment there is a ban on export of ostrich meat due to concern about avian flu. The hope is that the EU will lift the ban shortly and then Asia will follow. These are the two largest markets for the meat. And we did try ostrich at lunch in Oudtshoorn two days ago and it was very much like lean beef. It did not taste like chicken! Once back in the main reception building we got a lesson on real versus fake ostrich leather. And of course we did our share to help his economic state by purchasing a few items. Then we were on our way.

Next was a drive through the Red Stone Hills. And they are strikingly red due to the red and orange sandstones and mudstones that were laid down more than 250 MYA and then tilted into this spectacular landscape. This turned out to be a longer drive than we had anticipated as we got a bit lost and had to double back at one point because there was just too much water rushing over the road. And all of the roads through the hills were gravel and with the rains this meant the end of a clean car. By the end of the day we needed our friendly garage crew from the start of the trip and at least a double wash. But that would have to wait. Oh well, all the dirt hides the scratches!

After crossing Schoemanspoort pass we make it to Oudtshoorn for lunch and a visit to Lugro leather. Zurika suggested this as a good source of ostrich leather products. There were some beautiful items but the prices were a bit too high for me. But it was nice to see good quality ostrich leather products. Then southeast we head to George and our day’s destination, Knysna.

There are three parts to the rest of this day’s journey. The first is to finish our ride through the Klein Karoo. This ends with another mountain range, the Outeniqua Mountains. Of course this means another pass, this one being the Outeniqua pass, part two. More incredible views and numerous wildflowers in bloom on the side of the road but no place to pull over. Marcia spots what looks to be an orchid and so wants to be able to stop, but it’s not possible. Then we reach George, a large town on the western end of the Garden Route, though not truly on the Garden Route as it is a bit inland. It is here that we pick up the N2 for the rest of our journey east.

The third part is the ride along the coast from Wilderness to Knysna, the first section of the Garden Route. This takes some time as there is much traffic due to all of the road work being done. The recent rains have done considerable damage to the road and one section after another is under repair or replacement. These delays give us time to enjoy all of the scenery as we go by lagoons, dunes, lakes, and beautiful coastline. And then we pick up sections of forest. It is easy to see how this became known as the Garden Route.

We arrive at Knysna and find our way to the Guinea Fowl Lodge. I have my choice of rooms and there is no question which one Marcia wants. It is the one that looks out over town and the Knysna Lagoon all the way to the Knysna Heads, two sandstone cliffs that border the mouth of the lagoon where it empties into the Indian Ocean. Quite a stunning view!

We will drive around the lagoon to the heads tomorrow and see how far we get on the Garden Route. For this day that’s all.

Next day: Met Mart last night and met her husband Peter this morning. They are the new, within the last year, owners of the lodge. They retired from their farm in the Free State and moved to Knysna. They are delightful and are very interested in making things work for Marcia and the wheelchair. They admit they are not truly wheelchair friendly but want us to tell them what could be done to make things more accessible. Peter has done much of the recent work on the place and seems most willing to do what he can to accommodate. Over the course of our stay we have wonderful conversations about his time growing up in rural South Africa and his profession as an organic farmer. And it turns out his cousin, Ingrid Nanni, has been at Kirstenbosch Research Center for many years. I am to say hello to her once back at work. Small world!

This day begins with another great breakfast and then we are off. We drive around the eastern side of the lagoon down to the head. It is easy to see why people settled here. The vistas are truly beautiful.

Then to a place called Feathers, a shop that features carved birds and other wildlife related items. My solo inspection perusal tells me this is a shop Marcia wants to visit. Through a side gate and the work area Marcia can get into the shop. And some time later we depart to return the next day to settle the tab. We are going to send as many things as possible home and so this gives the helpful salesperson time to determine shipping weight and shipping charges. Glad we read about this place!

Most of our day is spent making our way along the Garden Route from Knysna to the Elandsbos River. We go in and out of the Tsitsikamma National Park, which sits between the Indian Ocean and the Tsitsikamma Mountains. Here are remnants of the original evergreen forest that covered much of this area. Important tree species in these forests include the yellowwoods, Podocarpus falcatus and P. latifolius; Cape chestnut, Calodendron capense; ironwood, Olea capensis; and stinkwood, Ocotea bullata. And to see more of this area after we wander through Plettenberg Bay, a very upscale touristy community, we leave the N2 and take R102, a route suggested to us by folks we know and folks we chatted with while getting gas. This route spends much of its time in the national park and makes its way from coast to mountains across valleys and through two gorgeous passes, Grootrivier and Bloukrans, with forest and streams just next to the road. This is a view looking down on Grootrivier Lagoon from the top of the pass.
There is a little community, Nature’s Valley, next to the lagoon. And the drives on the passes were great fun as well!

Along the way we rounded a corner and on both sides of the road were seas of yellow. This area had recently burned and here was part of the response. There were thousands of blossoms of Moraea ramosissima on display. Off I went to take pictures and to see what else was there. Then the bees caught my attention. All those Moraea flowers had the bees out in force.And so it was my job to catch them in the act. I won’t tell you how many shots were discarded in the evening review session. Good thing I am shooting digital! But I sure had fun trying!

As we finished our trip on the R102 and made our way to the N2 for our ride back to Knysna, we encountered a small bluish/purplish flowering tree along the side of the road. It turned out to be another member of the Fabaceae, the legume family: Psoralea affinis. There are legumes of all sizes here and throughout South Africa. Very attractive!

We head back on the N2 with two more stops to make before Knysna. The first is the Knysna Elephant Park. An interesting aspect of the indigenous forests we have been in today is that they were home to elephants. In the 19th century there were as many as 500 African elephants adapted to living in a forest habitat. By 1904 there were 20. By 2000 there were no more than 3. And today there are probably none. This elephant park was started in 1994 to raise orphaned elephants and to provide environmental education and local jobs. It seems to be doing all of these things reasonably well. Though this wouldn’t be elephants in the wild, Marcia was really keen on visiting the elephants.

After a short video about the elephants and the park, Marcia and I and one other visitor board the open-sided trailer to be taken into the field where the elephants spend the day. This is quite a ride for Marcia in her LRW.She hangs on tightly as we bounce along, and I hold onto LRW tightly as well. No disasters either going out or coming back, fortunately. Once there we learn more about the elephants and Marcia gets to feed them. That was a bit more than she bargained for because one of the larger females kept trying to butt in to get more than her share. You can see Marcia keeping the food she had planned to give the smaller adult female away from the piggish one. Fortunately the native employees who work with the elephants know very well how to handle them, and after a couple of stern “Trunk down” commands, the food got to the intended recipient. The elephants grasp the food in your hand with their trunks, and you can hear their noisy breathing as they’re doing it. Actually they grasp your hand, too, and get it covered with dirt and saliva and some of the pelleted food all at once. Quite an experience!

We stop at Garden of Eden boardwalk after the elephants but it is getting too dark to take a walk through the forest. That will have to wait until tomorrow. So we find The Cruise Café along the waterfront in Knysna and enjoy a delicious meal as the sun sets on the lagoon. Sure covered quite a few different things today. Even left a few for tomorrow. Until then!

Edward & Marcia

P.S. The following picture is presented to remove any doubts that we are actually taking this trip together!

2006-10-27T19:17:00.000+02:00

The Great Karoo, the Klein Karoo, & the Garden Route--part 4

In keeping with what has become one of the secondary themes of our trip, eating our way across South Africa, we had wonderful, and large, breakfast to start our day in Calitzdorp. And a pot of brewed coffee, how nice! We chat with Zurika about things to do and decide to head to one of the wineries and then to drive one of the other passes while she checks on a visit to a working ostrich farm. We will check with her in the afternoon about the ostrich farm.

Here is a picture of the back of the guest house, a very attractive building with much care given to the grounds outside. Beautiful thatch roof and inside the ceilings in the rooms are of bamboo that is harvested locally. The original building is from 1830 and it is in great shape. Very well taken care of. And the pictures below are of the view from our window across the vineyard to the mountains. Certainly makes it easy for one to relax.

Should have paid a bit more attention to the sky. It was already beginning to gather some clouds. And these would bring us rain throughout the day.

We once again took advantage of the informational materials provided in our room and drove toward a winery by way of a tour of the buildings of Calitzdorp. That also provided us with some of the history of the city and region. And it led us to De Krans winery, which had a path through the vineyards and orchards with information about the different grapes and fruit trees being grown. We set off on the path and quickly realized LRW wasn't happy about the loose sandy substrate. I parked Marcia under a nice trellis and continued on the walk to see the rest. I passed a number of workers busy pruning the new growth of the grape vines. And as I neared the end of the walk the rain began to fall. So back I headed as quickly as possible to get Marcia in before the rain became too heavy. I am sure there was some puzzlement among the workers as Marcia sat in the rain and didn't head in. I think a rescue party was being organized as I helped her make her way back to the tasting building. And taste we did! But first an ornithological interlude. This bird is a hoopoe. What a striking bird it is. And it is even more so when it has its crest raised. This is the third or fourth one we have seen. I still get excited when I see one.So here it is about 10 in the morning and Marcia and Edward are tasting wines. We at least get our hostess to only pour one glass for the two of us, not two! When the dust settles we have purchased one bottle of the tawny port, one white, one rose, and two reserve muscat. The grand total was less than $20! Great prices for some very good wine. I am amazed at the number of wineries around and continue to wonder how they all survive. And I have to say I have never seen so many grape vines!

We finished our drive through town and looked at more buildings and historical sites and then headed west to Seweweekspoort pass. This is a less traveled pass and only has a gravel road. And this pass was through the Klein Swartberg Mountains, though they were pretty spectacular to me. We just ambled slowly through the pass, stopping as we needed when something caught our attention. And we did this through periods of heavy and light rain. As has been the case in all areas we have visited, there were numerous wild geraniums to be found. Here is one of the large ones, both is terms of plant and flower. Many individuals of this species of Pelargonium were as tall or taller than the car. And the flowers were 2+ cm across.

Upon our return to Port-Wine we learned that the weather and other circumstances will prevent us from seeing ostriches this day. Maybe tomorrow. Not a problem. I can work on editing and labeling pictures before dinner, again to be in house. Tonight is a traditional South African entree, bobotie. Bobotie is a slightly sweet spiced minced dish with a custard topping. Add to that squash fritters and Malva pudding for dessert and you get two very full and contented tourists from Virginia. And what made the meal even nicer were our table companions. They were a younger couple from Joberg/Pretoria and their young daughter. He is an economist and his dad was a farmer. Learning of his family's experiences and his views of the state of the country was most enjoyable and educational. Quite a nice way to finish a very enjoyable day.

Edward

2006-10-26T20:40:00.000+02:00

The Great Karoo, the Klein Karoo, & the Garden Route--part 3

Time to leave BW and to head south and a little west. That means we leave the Great Karoo and cross the Swartberg Mountains to get to the Klein Karoo. To do this we have to drive through one of the numerous passes through the mountains. We take the pass through Meiringspoort, a route that follows the valley of the Groot River gorge. What a ride this is, twisting and turning through the folds of the sandstone layers of the Cape mountains.
And along the way there are very nice places to pull off to admire the view, each with big open areas with restrooms and picnic shelters with braai facilities of one sort or another. South Africans love to braai!

Where we pulled over there were additional informational displays and a short path to one of the many waterfalls in these mountains. The buildings in these areas were all thatch-roofed structures. These roofs are constructed of a species of restio. Restios are southern hemisphere plants that in appearance are very similar to our rushes, Juncus. But there are so many different species here, over 300 ranging from a few cm in size to meters. Many species were used for thatching historically but now one species is commercially most used, Thamnochortus insignis. The literature states that good thatch roofs can last from 30 years along the coast to 70 years in dry regions such as the Karoo. And they are very attractive!

It appeared that a number of the buildings where we stopped had been damaged by falling rocks. Workers were busy reconstructing the roofs of two of the buildings. Thought this might be of interest.

Note how thick the thatch layer is, and how flat and smooth edged the finished roof is.

Just a note about the informational display. As has been the case for informational displays in a number of settings, there were numerous fresh plant specimens presented. With each were scientific name and common names, usually both English and Afrikans, and use and/or importance information. Where would you see this in the States?

The Meiringspoort is a botanically rich region. Plants from four different veld types can be found: forest (more found along the coast where we are going), Great Karoo, Klein Karoo, and fynbos. The result is very high soecies diversity and many endemics. It is from here that the wild geranium Pelargonium zonale was collected in 1689. This is one of the most important parent plants in the modern geranium industry. Quite a place.

Once through the mountains we stopped in Oudtshoorn, the hub of the Klein Karoo and the center of the orchid feather boom in the 1880s. It is a big city now and ostriches still play a large role in its life. But now it is not for feathers but meat and leather are the products. And to perform for the tourists at one of the many ostrich show farms. After lunch we strolled through a bit of downtown Oudtshoorn, calling it quits when LRW couldn't overcome the barriers. Then we packed up and headed to Calitzdorp.

As we got closer to Calitzdorp we noticed a large whitish raptor on the telelphone poles, not just a few but many. These were southern pale chanting goshawks. And the Calitzdorp area is a hotspot for them. There was also one jackal buzzard that played hard-to-see with us. It flew just out of view as soon as we approached too close. Pretty to watch it fly at least!

And before we knew it we had driven through Calitzdorp. It is even smaller than BW. I don't remember seeing a robot in town! We found Port-Wine Guest House, thatch roof and a grape vine arbor and a vineyard and the mountains out our window. We decide to have dinner here tonight. Good decision. Delicious food and Malva pudding for dessert. Had a nice chat with Zurika, number two in charge and in charge of the kitchen. She spent a year in Winston-Salem, NC, as an au pair. Small world. She will help us in deciding what to do the next day. Great people once again.

Edward

2006-10-25T20:45:00.001+02:00

The Great Karoo, the Klein Karoo, & the Garden Route--part 2

After a full breakfast at the Donkin CH we took a quick tour of Beaufort West using the guide from the lodge. What I finally realized was that the famous heart surgeon Christian Barnard was a BW son. There were many references to a Chris Barnard around town, but I was slow in making the connection. Given that we stay just down the road from Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, where he worked and performed his famous operation, I shouldn't have been so slow. Once done looking at the famous places in BW we began our tour of Karoo National Park. And to balance the family picture in the previous post here is one of my copilot and spotter. Styling, don't you think!

This is a typical view of the landscape, low shrubs with much bare soil. Notice the patches of color on the soil's surface. Hard to imagine these are plants that are in bloom!
And this is one of the plants responsible for the color. Another of the vygies. Notice the leaves even show some yellow color.And notice the stones on the soil surface. They were of all sizes and all over. A very tough environment for a plant!

Along the road we drove, very slowly, with me and my copilot looking for anything interesting. When something interesting was spotted the car would stop and out I would go to investigate. It was after doing this for some time did we realize we were not to leave our car unless in designated areas. How could that work for a pair of curious foreign botanists surrounded by new and different plants! And we would have missed seeing this beauty, a member of the milkweed family, Hoodia bainii. What a find by Marcia! This specimen was a bit more than a foot tall amidst all the other scrubby shrubs.

And here are some of the other interesting plants we found. Just amazing how many different species there are and how many were in bloom. This is Karoo violet, Aptosimum indivisum, and it is not a true violet.

This is Dicoma spinosa, a member of the Asteraceae. Just one of many with spines.

This was a shrub we saw all over the Karoo. It is Grewia robusta.

And now for some really big thorns! These go with the pretty white flowers below. They all belong to Maytenus heterophylla. The Master Gardeners should be happy Marcia doesn't have this in the arboretum!

We saw animals as well and could identify many of them. There were springbok and female kudu, birds of all sizes, at least two different skinks, and tortoises big and small. Here is one of the big ones.Probably a leopard tortoise. Marcia really enjoyed seeing these guys!

And there were insects! This is the elegant grasshopper that is often found in great numbers on a particular milkweed, which this is. Only found this one.

And one of the many butterflies visiting the available flowers.

We were able to take The Fossil Trail as it was wheelchair friendly, but the heat was once again a bit too much for Marcia. Once refreshments were gotten we headed up the road to Klipspringer Pass. What a beautiful drive that was all ours. We could look back across the park and see all the way to BW, at least 30 km away. This picture doesn't begin to convey the grandeur of the landscape. What a great drive up and back.

It was on the drive down that we spotted the kudu in the valley grazing in the shrubs along the waterway. No males with the big horns, but neat to see anyway.

Finding some shade for Marcia I headed off to follow the Bossie Trail. This is a trail up the side of a koppie, hill, along which many plants have been numbered. A small pamphlet is available to tell you about each of the numbered plants. Sixty-five different plants are numbered and some have more than one specimen marked. A nice hike and plenty to see along the way. Great way to learn new plants!

As the day progressed the sky filled with some dark and heavy clouds. Should have been a sign of things to come, but we had other plans. It was dinner at the restaurant at the reception area and then a night ride to look for animals.

Had Karoo lamb as we were supposed to do while in the Karoo and it was delicious. Then we got loaded on the vehicle that would drive us around in the dark. But first it was put on the parkas as the rain was starting to fall. And then the lightning and thunder began. But off we went to see animals. What a ride! Very few animals out as they knew better than to be out in a storm as energetic as this was. The lightning lit up the sky for huge distances and the thunder was deafening. But onward we bounced. We did see a few animals but mainly saw rain and lightning and thunder. And the temperature dropped markedly. A good Karoo storm! Though we didn't see much it was a good ride.

On the drive out of the park we did add to our species list. We spotted a hartebeest grazing on the side of the road. It seemed to enjoy the spotlight of our headlights and made no attempt to change what it was doing. We left it to its feeding and finished our drive back to the Donkin CH. We were exhausted. What a great day. What an interesting habitat to visit.

Edward

2006-10-24T20:10:00.000+02:00

The Great Karoo, the Klein (Little) Karoo, & the Garden Route--part 1

It's Saturday, October 15th, and we are packed and ready to go. We went to the From the Earth Expo at the Cape Town International Convention Center on Friday evening. This was a display of agricultural products and activities brought to the city. Many animals and much food to sample and buy. Not many people in attendance but maybe there were more on Saturday and Sunday. Had some good conversation with a beekeeper and folks from WWF-SA. Also got information on different degree programs in agricultural fields. Glad we went.

Off to the east we head along the N1, one of the main national highways. This one is the one that goes to Johannesburg, known as Joburg, and Pretoria and ends in the far northeast of the country, at the border with Zimbabwe. We weren't going that far, just to Beaufort West in the heart of the Great Karoo. Our first stop is for gas at a garage along the highway. Getting gas is an experience no matter where you get it in SA, but this was quite an experience. When you turn into a garage at least one if not many attendants greet you and attempt to direct you to a particular pump. In this case there were many attendants guiding me in. I told one of them to fill the tank and before I could say anything else the others were giving the whole car a wash. Not with a hose but with buckets of soapy water and rags. They even scrubbed the tires and hubcaps and towelled the car dry. Usually they wash the windscreen, and usually after asking. But this time it was the whole car. I rummaged through my pockets and collected some bills and change to give them. It wound up being 24 Rand, a little over $3. And that was probably generous by SA standards. Wow!

The next stop was the Karoo Desert National Botanic Garden in Worcester. Karoo is a term that is applied to the arid regions of SA. This encompasses a huge area and extends from the Atlantic coast above the area of the fynbos across more than half the interior of the country. As you probably already guessed there are differences across this huge area, thus the Great Karoo and the Klein Karoo (and these are only two). And the differences come down to rainfall, when it occurs and how much falls. The Great Karoo is a summer rainfall region while the Klein Karoo is a winter rainfall region. The result is that though the landscape is a harsh one, there is tremendous plant diversity present. Some of the descriptions of the Karoo seen are 'richest desert flora in the world', 'largest variety of succulents found anywhere on earth', and 'more species than in the whole of Great Britain'. And one source puts the number of plant species in the Karoo, all varieties, at 9000. Thus the stop at the botanical garden. And it was worth it. Plants of all shapes and sizes and flowers the same. Not all of what we saw would be in the Great and Klein Karoos, but much would. And the others were from areas we probably will not get to see in person so this would have to do. Here are a few pictures to give some feel for what we saw. But first I have been instructed that photographic proof was needed to show I am actually still around! And the hat proves it!!

This is what the landscape looks like. Notice the patches of color. And notice there is much silver and grey to the foliage as might be expected in such a water limited environment.

Here is what some of the patches of color are. And there are reds and purples and whites! Most of these plants are called vygies. And if you think you've pronounced that word correctly you are terribly mistaken. I am still trying to get it!

The big plants below are a species of aloe (Aloe dichotoma). The common name is quiver tree. Guess what is made from the trunk. And the trunk is used as a natural fridge! The sap is also used. This plant is found in the very dry regions of the Karoo known as Namaqualand and Bushmanland. These areas are to the north of the Cape and continue into Namibia. Neat plants! And notice the mountains, they are everywhere!

Great run through the garden but it did get hot. A bit too hot for Marcia and she was showing the signs of overheating. So after a spin through Worcester looking for a convenient place to get some lunch we got back on the N1 and made a stop at a little shop next to a local garage. Marcia got her ice cream and I got a toasted ham, cheese, and tomato sandwich with a ginger beer. I am going to miss these sandwiches! Everybody makes them and with some wonderful fillings. Then on the road we were again. This was for a lengthy drive to our evening's destination, Beaufort West. BW is a small town in the middle of nowhere, but it is on the edge of Karoo National Park, and that is where we wanted to be.

It was a long drive with many delays for road work. Not just any type of road work but three very specific types: maintenance, rehabilitation, and construction. And lots of it! The landscape became noticeably drier after we made our way through vineyards and olive groves. Then there were sheep and every once in a while a few cattle. We were in the Karoo.

We arrived in BW and drove through town in about 5 minutes, and that was even with time at robots, those are traffic lights. We found our place of residence for the next two nights, Donkin Country House, and I was not impressed. We could manage with the wheelchair but it was not wheelchair friendly. The chef was not going to be in town to prepare our Karoo lamb dinner on Sunday evening as planned (not a problem as it turnd out). And there were a few too many bugs in the room for Marcia. It could have been worse. Next up was to find a place to eat. That was something of a challenge, remember how big BW is, but Mac Young's A Taste of Scotland Restaurant was found. I am still trying to figure out why Scotland in the middle of the Great Karoo in SA! And we were the only ones there. Once again, it could have been worse! At least we got to head to bed early. Good thing as it turned out, the next day was very full!

Edward

2006-10-13T22:28:00.000+02:00

Midpoint update?

If all had gone according to plan, this would be something of a midpoint update. But we all know what happens to plans, they change. And ours changed in a big way this week. Marcia had been making noises about already knowing she wouldn't want to leave when the time came. And that there was so much more to see, and since we were already here we might as well... Get the picture? So she called the airline and found there were a few dates available for us to change our flights. And supposedly the change fee wasn't too much! So we did it! We get to stay in South Africa almost one month longer. WOW! Our new departure date is December 3rd. Isn't that exciting! And what was very nice was to hear was how pleased everyone here was that we were going to be here a bit longer. As I keep saying, everybody we have met has been so terrific. We couldn't feel more welcome and comfortable. Thanks to all of them! And thanks to all back in VA who made it possible for us to even consider doing this. And especially to our three girls, your support has meant so much to us. Thanks!! We love you.

There will be a cost, aside from the monetary one, to this extension. There will be no time in Amsterdam. We fly from Cape Town to Amsterdam to Detroit to Norfolk with only a few airport hours in between flights. When we arrive in Norfolk late on the 4th I suspect we will be in pretty bad shape. Oh well, we get to miss Amsterdam in December following three months in spring and early summer in South Africa!

Now to what's up here. I spent the last three days taking a Botanical Latin workshop. Yeah, yeah, I know, who would willingly sign up for such a course! We covered too much in this time, but it was very informative and quite enjoyable. Who would have guessed I would be able to do this. And in two weeks I will participate in a workshop on identifying sedges. I have tried my best to not deal with these plants as their taxonomy is based on such minute detail and is such a mess. But this will give me a chance to really work with these plants and to gain a bit more familiarity. Another neat opportunity!

And to the week ahead. As it turned out the CREW folks will be away in Pretoria for the week. So Marcia and I will also be out of our offices for the week. We head to Beaufort West tomorrow. Beaufort West is in the Karoo, the arid region that fills much of the central to western part of the country. We will visit Karoo National Park while we are there. From B.W. we head to Calitzdorp, which is in the Klein (Little) Karoo. This area is also very dry but is closer to the coast and filled with mountain ranges. This is the area that experienced the ostrich boom and bust. The area is still known for its ostrich farms and for a number of spectacular caves. We will let you know what we find. And then we drop down to the coast and stary in Knysna, which is on the Garden Route. This is an area where the mountains come down to the coast and moisture levels are high so forests are supported. The scenery and native flora are the highlights of this area. And then we head back to Cape Town and a quick overnight before we return to Darling to see Pat and Bobby. Dorothy, Jon, and Robyn wil also be there. That will be fun. And then it is time to go back to the office.

That's it for our news and for what the next week has in store for us. Probably won't be able to post any updates until we are back in Cape Town. Until then, Edward.

2006-10-10T21:40:00.000+02:00

Tuesday October 10, 2006

This past week has been a quiet one. We have settled into the routine of going to work at 7:45 AM and getting back to the cottage at about 5:30 in the afternoon, unless Edward's CREW team is out in the field. Then home time could be an hour or so later!

I am working hard on a database for GISP, finding links to management plans for invasive species that have an impact on endemic plants. This isn't just limited to invasive plants that crowd out natives, but also to introduced diseases, insect pests, or feral animals that impact native plants. The countries most advanced in this area are New Zealand and Australia -- at least they have been aware of the problems of invasives for the longest amount of time and have the most complete management plans in place for dealing with unwanted species.I'm spending all of my work time on the computer. I have the most wonderful view up the side of Table Mountain from my office window. Sometimes I just gaze out at the sight and find myself in disbelief that I'm really here in South Africa surrounded by such beauty. It's easy to get lost. I just realize how happy I am to be here.

Friday afternoon my coworker Dorothy asked if we'd like to get together with her family for a pizza at the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay. We drove out early enough that we could pull off by the side of the road in St. James and look down at the ocean. It didn't take long to spot a whale and then another one right next to it and more activity over there... A fin, tails up out of the water and spouts misting up as one surfaces to breathe. It was hard to pull ourselves away to go meet Dorothy, Jon and Robyn!

We got to the Brass Bell a bit before 6:30 when we had planned to meet. We got a parking spot near the entrance and got out to look for the ramp Dorothy had assured me was available to get me into the establishment. We got to the apparent entrance to realize it was a staircase down to the lower level, complete with a VERY steep and narrow ramp running along the side of the steps. There was wall on one side but no railing on the other to keep one on track. It was one of those cases where I took one look at it and said, "You've GOT to be kidding!!"

Edward and the Brass Bell staff assured me that they could get me down the ramp. NO PROBLEM. I wasn't sure about that. I did want to live to enjoy the pizza.

Well Edward walked down ahead of me to keep me from going headlong, directing as we went. One of the staff walked right beside me to make sure I stayed on the ledge and didn't fall onto the steps. The other guy went down behind me holding on to make sure I didn't get away. The chair was in its lowest gear, but that wasn't any help because it moved forward without any help from me. Talk about nerve-wracking!!!!

Obviously I survived since I'm here tapping away on the keyboard. The pizza (pronounced PITS-za) was really very good -- a nice thin crispy crust. Ours had ground chicken, feta cheese, and slices of fresh avocado. Delicious!

Edward and Jon talked fishing. I think they're already making plans for an outing. But first they had to introduce the American couple to a good South African Dom Pedro. I'm not sure that a Dom Pedro is only found in South Africa, but I'm willing to give them credit for it. It is actually a drink masquerading as a milkshake. It is made of ice cream and alcohol -- Kahlua or whiskey or Frangelico or whatever strikes your fancy. Ours was made with Kahlua. Yes, we SHARED one. We had to get me back up the ramp and Edward needed to get us home!

We had a delightful evening with the Whiting family. However, it's pretty safe to say that I won't be returning to the Brass Bell unless it's for take away!

Marcia

And now a few words from Edward. We had driven down to St. James to see whales earlier in the week as well. On Wednesday I went in the field with Caitlin leading the trip. We returned to the area around Slanghoek but to different sites. We found a number of specials, species under threat, and even had a bit of a birthday celebration.

Albert is a fellow visiting botanist who is working with CREW. He is from Catalonia and has spent time in Mexico and New Zealand, and maybe other countries. He is working on a book about exotics in his country and so decided to come to the source of many of them, South Africa. And he is working on learning English. His birthday was Tuesday and so Caitlin had brought a cake for him. We all sang Happy Birthday to Albert and shared in his cake after we spent the morning finding those specials. Then we found more at the second site we visited that afternoon. All of this meant we were late returning, once again leaving Marcia a bit stranded. This also meant Albert needed a ride back to his place. I offered and Caitlin agreed as she was also running late because of late return. So instead of taking Albert right home, the of us headed to St. James to see whales. And whales we saw! Just amazing to be able to drive just a bit down the road from work and to just pull on the side of the road to watch whales! And more were seen on Friday evening on our way to have dinner with Dorothy, Jon, and Robyn, as Marcia said.

On Saturday we took our time in the morning and then went to our favorite mall, Constantia Mall. Needed to get a few things and to visit a jeweler. Marcia's watch had been pulled off her necklace, but fortunately was not lost. We just needed to have it reattached. And at the first jewelry store we entered it was done. Then to Woolies for a some supplies. By the time we left the mall the wind had started to increase, but the sky was blue and the temp was reasonable. So we headed to Rondevlei Nature Reserve.

Rondevlei is a reserve to the east of the city that is centered on a wetland system. It is a great spot for birds and there are a few hippos there as well. Though the substrate around the vlei, not easy to define but certain types of inland bodies of water, was sand the path had a mat over the sand that made it more or less wheelchair friendly. So along the path we went and into the bird hides we made our way. As the afternoon progressed the wind got stronger and the temp began to drop. Not a great day to be out looking for birds but a few new ones we did see. And Marcia saw a few white pelicans, though none got very close. A rare protea, a new tortoise, and spawning carp were also added to our life lists! We weren't certain what the fish were or what they were doing as we watched them, and they were big fish, but I guessed that might be what we were watching. I called the office on Monday to find out for certain. And these carp were big, up to 16 kg.
We stayed as long as we could but the wind and the dropping temp finally won. We climbed in the car and drove through some of the adjacent reserve and watched the wind whip up the waves on the water. Learned later there was damage in a number of areas due to the wind. As we drove home it was blue where we were but Table Mountain was covered in heavy grey clouds. Not a good sign. Shortly after we got home the skies opened and the rains began. And they came down heavily through Sunday and into early Monday. We made a good choice at Woolies, we bought soup to have for dinner.

Sunday was a stay at home day given the miserable weather. We got our accommodations made for our trip to the east. Three locations with three wheelchair friendly B&Bs chosen and bookings made. We leave on Saturday, October 14th. Should be great fun. I worked on identifying and labeling pictures, and actually made some progress. Nothing spectacular done but not a bad day.

Monday began with rain but the skies cleared and the hacking crew actually had a productive morning back at Kenilworth Race course. Different things blooming (see pictures below), and the rain made it easier to remove the Port Jacksons. If only I had not left my gloves and hat back in the office! After a stop at the furniture store so Ismail and Wendy could choose furniture for CREW's new offices, it was back to Kirstenbosch and the last entries on the latest ID guide, this one for Hopefield.

One of the many Pelargoniums, with really neat fruits!

And maybe later in the week I will be attending a Botanical Latin workshop. Caitlin sent in a registration form for me but we have heard nothing to know if I can go. Will see on Wednesday.

Edward

2006-10-07T22:11:00.001+02:00

The trip to Arniston, part 2

So back to Arniston we head after our visit to the Cape. We do so by way of the historic community of Elim, a Moravian mission station started in the 1830s. There are numerous old thatch-roofed buildings in the community -- both residences and community buildings, most of which have been declared national historic sites.

Even in a village as small as this there is concern about the natural environment and the inhabitants there. The community started a nature reserve outside of town to preserve a type of fynbos that is unique to this area, and so bears its name, Elim fynbos. Unfortunately we were unable to visit the area as the roads were in very bad shape. But it was nice to drive through the village and see the buildings and adjacent farmland. And we saw a troop of baboons in a field on our way. There were old ones and and young ones, even babies still being carried by their mother. Imagine driving down a country road and seeing baboons strolling in a field next to the road!

Our route back to Arniston took us through Bredasdorp and that gave us a chance to visit Julian's. Julian's is a restaurant, art gallery, ceramics store, and a B&B. I can't say anything about the B&B, but the rest were terrific! We learned about the place from Allister, our host at Southwinds. He had listed Julian's on his restaurant list and he had place settings from Julian's for use at breakfast, each table with a different design. See the website-- http://www.juliankeyserceramics.co.za/about.html--for more info. We made a few purchases of ceramics, not sure how we will get them home, and we ate a wonderful dinner. The menu had so many interesting items it was a real chore deciding what to order. Unfortunately, there was not room for dessert as these also sounded very interesting.

And then we were back in Arniston! It was a most enjoyable day.

On Sunday we were again treated to a most substantial English breakfast. As it turned out, that was a good thing as we would be some distance from anything most of the day. After breakfast we loaded the car and headed east to De Hoop Nature Reserve. This is a reserve run by Cape Nature. It runs along the Indian Ocean for some distance and extends inland an equally large distance. All in all it covers about 36,000 hectares, encompassing magnificent dunes, some wetlands, and fynbos, mainly limestone fynbos. After driving many kilometers of gravel road, something we did much of this weekend, we arrived at the reserve. From the top of the hill near the entrance we could see the dunes in the distance and the large expanse of the reserve between us and the dunes. Off we went.

After a stop to look at (and photograph!) plants I decided I would avoid clambering through the brush. I was covered with ticks, and most of them were tiny little ticks. I did my best to remove them but continued to find them the rest of the day. But it was worth it as we spent the rest of the day seeing neat animals. Here they are.

This is a hamerkop. There were two of them and they were just carrying on. They almost don't look real, their heads are such a funny shape!

These beautiful antelopes with white faces are rare bontebok (on the ground) and an eland. The bontebok were hunted almost to extinction but they have recovered by being bred and protected here.

This is another one that was almost lost. This is a Cape mountain zebra.

Impressive dunes! When we reached Koppie Alleen I climbed to the top of one of the dunes to look out into the Indian Ocean. Quite a sight! The wind was blowing and the sand quickly erased any evidence that you had walked there. But if you looked into the water you realized that those weren't rocks causing the breaks in the water, those were whales. There were at least 10, maybe more, southern right whales just off the shore. Unfortunately, there was no way to get Marcia to this location due to steps, a wooden bridge, and too much sand. And the howling wind would have made her miserable. I took pictures and tried to describe what I saw; neither did justice to what was actually there.

We headed back and encountered two interesting creatures. For both I stayed in the car! The nonfeathered one is a puff adder. Look at the girth of that one. Seems I only find poisonous snakes!. This one just had an attitude that said "I'm bad!" It was easy to give it a wide berth.

And you know who this guy is. It is so surprising to look out across a field and to see an ostrich or two, or two dozen! This time there was no chance for a close encounter between bird and car.

This picture really belongs at the beginning of this entry as it is the Anglican church in Bredasdorp. Beautiful stone church with a thatch roof. And the service was taking place as we drove by, with the singing easily heard outside. Marcia recognized the music -- it was 'Regent Square' ("Guide me, o thou great Jehovah"). It certainly was appropriate given our location.

After leaving De Hoop we again went through Bredasdorp and then headed west. We drove through some truly beautiful valleys with a quiltwork of fields and farms. There were sheep, goats, cattle, and ostrich farms, and much ripening wheat and other grains. Every once in awhile there would be a vineyard. This was not wine country but staples, and lots of them. And there were mountains all around. The area is known as the Overberg. It is known for its beauty. And it was beautiful country.

Eventually the country landscape was replaced by the N2, one of the major national highways. It was Sunday evening and the traffic was heavy. The route to Cape Town took us over one of the chains of mountains by way of Sir Lowery's Pass. Quite a ride with incredible vistas along the way.

And then we hit Cape Town and its traffic. We tried to stop to get something to eat -- but not on Sunday after 4, or earlier in some cases. Nothing is open! So we headed straight home and eventually made it.

What a great weekend! More neat places visited, more new animals and plants seen, and more interaction with the wonderful people of South Africa. This is kinda fun! Who knows where we will go next.

Edward (with a few words from Marcia!)

2006-10-03T20:47:00.000+02:00

The trip to Arniston-Part 1

Well off we head on Friday morning to travel the coast and see some of the eastern part of the Western Cape. We drove south from Newlands to Muizenberg to start our trip east along False Bay. Went past some townships and upscale communities and a few beach parks run by Cape Town. Sure those are packed during the summer months.

Followed the shore along the eastern side of False Bay along a spectacular road. There was fynbos with all sorts of things in bloom to my left and and crashing surf and miles of ocean to my right. No whales but what a beautiful drive. It compares very well with Chapman's Peak Drive, but free and less traveled.

Eventually we made it to Betty's Bay. Here there is another colony of African Penguins and more importantly Harold Porter Botanical Garden. So around the garden we went. In addition to many plants that were new, there were a good number of plants I did recognize. That is encouraging! This garden is set at the base of the Kogelberg Mountains and is part of the Kogelberg Reserve that stretches from the top of the mountains to the ocean in an attempt to preserve some of the important habitats found here. And now for a few pictures of what we saw.

This is a king protea in glorious bloom! The bloom is at least 8" across.

This view is looking from the garden into the mountains. As is typical in public places such as this there are numerous hiking trails to take you into other parts of the garden and its surroundings.

This is Disa Falls, home of the Disa orchid. It blooms later in the year.

And now for one of the pincushion proteas! Makes you want to plant a number of them in your garden!!

And wouldn't it be nice to have birds like this orange-breasted sunbird as regular visitors to your garden of proteas. This is one of the proteas in the genus Mimetes, usually with a common name of some type of pagoda. This is probably the red-crested pagoda.

Found our way to the Tea Room and souvenir shop. Once again I was struck by how inexpensive prepared food is in South Africa. This has been the case in eating establishments of all types. After lunch we made a few purchases from one of the smallest souvenir shops I have seen. But it was packed with many neat items, and many interesting books. And two called out our names and so have been added to our library. Turns out they were good additions as they were useful during the remainder of our weekend.

Got back on the road and continued our coastal trek southeastward. Went through Hermanus, a former whaling town and now a tourist place for whale watching. Looks like a touristy place. As it was getting late in the afternoon we headed inland so as to get to Arniston before it was too late. Nice ride through the country and a few small towns and then we were back on the coast, now the Indian Ocean coast, in the small seaside village called Arniston. This has been a fishing community for many decades and continues in the present. The Southwinds B&B was found and Allister was met. The ramps worked fine and the accommodation was very nice. We decided to stay close by and so headed to The Arniston Hotel for dinner. Dinner was great, but probably most important was Marcia being introduced to Malva pudding. As it turned out, this was the start of our eating our way through the weekend!

Saturday begins with Allister and Jane providing us with their cooked breakfast. That would be eggs, bacon, sausage, tomato, mushroom, avocado, and toast (if desired). That would be in addition to the cereal, cheese, yogurt, fruit, and muffins available. This is Jenna's type of place! Couldn't quite do justice to the muffins and so packed two for later. And off we went in search of the southernmost point in Africa. To Cape Agulhas we headed.

But first we stopped at the beach area of Arniston just down from the Arniston cave, the cave supposedly large enough for a wagon with its horses. Here is the view of the village from the beach.

And here is one of the flowers called everlastings. This one is in the dune sands just back from the beach. We have seen another in the fynbos in Table Mountain National Park on the way to Cape Point.

But most surprising was the orchid found in the dune sands, and the number of individuals present. Once we realized what we were seeing we found them on our drive throughout the day as long as we were not too far from the coast.

I believe this is Satyrium carneum. Unfortunately its numbers are declining in large part due to habitat loss.

From Arniston we headed west to the village of L'Agulhas and Cape Agulhas. Along the way we stopped to identify plants and birds and to allow me to enjoy the intertidal rocky shore. I collected seashells for Marcia and found some interesting things that still have me puzzled. But no paper nautilus shells were found, much to Marcia's disappointment. Our drive took us past numerous agricultural fields, and a common sight in many of these fields was the blue crane. Not just one or two but often dozens.

And we got to see them displaying for a time. That was neat!

We did eventually make it to Cape Agulhas. This is a view from the shore just east of the point looking to the lighthouse. Walked down to the southermost point and climbed the rocks some more. Quite enjoyable! And the kelp seen in the Atlantic Ocean is not found in the Indian Ocean.

And once again it was getting late and we had many kilometers of gravel road to travel, with a stop in Elim along the way. But that will have to wait for another entry. I have to get to bed as I have an early field trip tomorrow. Heading back to the Worcester area but to a wetter habitat. Ishmael won't be going this time, Caitlin will lead the trip. I have been working with her the last few days and have really enjoyed getting the chance to chat with her. Tomorrow should be fun.

Good night!
Edward

2006-09-28T19:16:00.000+02:00

Well it has been a slow week, that would be three days with the Monday holiday, of work. Marcia has been continuing to build her database of management practices dealing with invasive species as well as a contact list of people working with invasive species. I spent most of my time preparing specimens from field trips and their data sheets for submission to the herbarium for ID determination or confirmation. I did break the week with a talk at the University of Cape Town followed by a quick trip to a local preserve. The talk was about local community perceptions about and involvement in an adjacent nature preserve. Conclusions were drawn about what needed to happen to allow a preserve to draw from the local community and to be able to give back to the local community. Similar problems to those seen at home were presented and discussed. Not surprising were funding and engagement by way of environmental education through teachers so as to get students more interested and involved.

After the talk Caitlin, Albert, and I drove to Harmony Flats Nature Preserve, to the east of Cape Town just off False Bay. This is one of the preserves/conservation plots on the Cape flats. The Cape flats is an almost gone habitat that is only found around Cape Town. It is a very sandy substrate that supports a distinct type of fynbos. Much effort is being expended to preserve as much of what is left of this habitat as possible. Thus Harmony Flats! What is so striking about this site is that it is maybe 4 ha that is bordered to its north by the Casablanca township. To its east and south are upscale residential communities. Through the middle of the preserve is a well-worn path that appeared to be predominantly used by the township residents going to and coming from work in the nearby residential communities. And the folks who have taken ownership of the preserve and worked to remove aliens and helped bring school groups to the site are from the township. Very interesting, and oh what contrasts!

We went because a species of Ixia was in bloom, a species that is one of the specials. And it was in glorious bloom. So was a species of Protea with limited distribution. And this was a small Protea, less than a meter tall. But it was in glorious flower. Seems I was too late for the fly orchid, but I did get to watch the Cape clapper lark doing its breeding display. This lark displays by flying straight up from the ground and clapping as it goes. It sounds just like a person clapping. At the peak of its ascent it stops clapping and whistles while it descends in a arc back to the ground. Great display and fun to watch. No pictures of the lark but a few flower pictures.

The Ixia was found!

A species of Lapeirousia.

A Protea known as scoly, short for Protea scolymocephala.

Tomorrow we head out on another excursion. This time we are going east and south from Cape Town. We are going to what is called the Southern Cape. And more specifically the Overberg-Breede River area. We will be staying just east of Cape Agulhas in a seaside community called Arniston. Cape Agulhas is the southernmost point in Africa and is actually where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans merge. This is supposedly much less dramatic than the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. We will find out. We will take our time on the coastal road tomorrow and then decide where we want to go on Saturday once we get settled tomorrow night. We will head back to Newlands on Sunday at some time. Should be fun, and we might get to see more whales. Hope to have some good pictures as well!

Edward

2006-09-25T20:05:00.000+02:00

It's Monday morning, the public holiday for Heritage Day, and we wake up to the sound of rain, and lots of it. It started last night following a major blow. The winds blew the curtains through the windows and rattled the doors. None of this bode well for the day to be good for touring the lower peninsula. We were to be picked up by Diana Buchanan, the woman who lives in St. James (a seaside community just down the penisula from Cape Town) and who found The Garden Room for us, so we could go to Table Mountain National Park and make our way to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. We met, and I mean met for the first time, her last Tuesday for lunch at the Tea Room in Kirstenbosch Garden. And at 10 AM today she was taking us on her tour.

At 10 we loaded both wheelchairs and Marcia and me into Diana's car with Diana and her two little dogs. And off we went. And 71/2 hours later we returned home. What a day! I am still shaking my head at what we got to see and where we got to go while being hosted by this wonderful woman whom we met less than a week ago. Amazing!!

And here is what we saw:

ostriches, both on the farm and in the wild
the Atlantic Ocean crashing on the rocky shore
blacksmith plover, two guarding their nest with two eggs
African black oystercatcher
angulate tortoises, of all sizes
parrot-beaked tortoise, at least one
Cape cobra, big but heading in the other direction
baboons, big and with young
red hartebeests, at least 6 dashing right in front of us
African penguins, hundreds of them

And not to be left out are the proteas and other wildflowers that lined the road. This was mountain fynbos with proteas ranging from the small and delicate to the large and woody. Great to be able to see how the vegetation changes from one area of the park to the next. Different species of protea present and in different abundances and with different associated non-protea species. Moisture and soil type are major determiners of these associations, fynbos types.

What was really so special is that we were able to go to a section of the park that is not open to most visitors. Seems Diana's grandfather had purchased land along the Atlantic coast down this Peninsula early in the 20th century. He farmed it for some time but then mainly used it for a place to go on holiday. Eventually there were four houses built, one for each of the sons and their families. Then in 1938 part of the peninsula was declared a nature reserve. Over the years more land was added and it became the Cape Peninsula National Park. The name changed in 2004 to Table Mountain National Park. The original family property was now engulfed by the park. What resulted was the families retained access to their land with the park all around, but no new buildings could be built and a hiking trail through their property was developed. Not a bad deal. The four houses/cottages overlook the rocky Atlantic shore. The sound of the ocean is just fabulous and the rocks and tide pools are so inviting. Diana's cottage is decorated with all sorts of things collected from shipwrecks from their shoreline. And she told us about her multi-year record of always coming home with crayfish after going out on the rocks to catch them. What a very special place to be. After I had done some rock hopping and exploring and it was time to go, Marcia voted to stay. A real treat for us to be able to experience this.

And now for a few pictures!

This is the view from Diana's cottage. Though not easy to see, one of her dogs is sitting in Marcia's lap.

This is looking north to Olifantbos Point. Olifant=elephant and bos =bush. Not sure there were actually elephants here at any time.

Lichens and a tough little composite just beyond the high tide line.

One of the pincushion proteas in glorious bloom. And there were others that were even larger and packed with more flowers.

So cute!

The woman in the red hat behind Marcia is Diana, our so very generous and special host. How very fortunate we have been.

And the diaper hat made it to South Africa! Check out what the sign to the left says.

Dankie, Diana! What an incredibly special day this was.

Edward

2006-09-24T21:31:00.000+02:00

Back to Darling and the rest of our adventure. We arose on Saturday morning to the sound of more rain. And it was even heavier than the day before. Everybody eventually arose and made their way to the kitchen for breakfast. After saying our goodbyes to Pat and Bobby we took advantage of a break in the rain to get ourselves loaded into the car and on our way to the flower show. The show was being held inside but the vendors were in the field outside the building. And it was pretty messy from all the rain.

We headed inside to see what wildflower shows were all about. And what we found was nothing like our flower and garden shows. Using the plants found in the natural areas around Darling landscapes were designed and recreated. These included the different substrates and types of water bodies seen in the veld. Animal specimens were also added.The different habitats created were labeled by type, e.g., sandveld or fynbos. The pictures give a sense of these displays but not a good feel for how much detail there was. And how many blooming plants were in each. Amazing displays!

In addition to the landscape displays there were some arrangements of the native flowers. Not fancy but very pretty. Most impressive to me was the display of specimens of these plants with labels presenting both their common and scientific names. And people were viewing these and knew many of them. It was striking to see so many people of all walks of life interested in these plants and in the preservation of them in their natural habitats. And there were plants available for purchase for what seemed very low prices. A note about plants for sale, both at these shows and at the nursery we visited, they were not typically in pots. Instead they were in plastic sacks. Interesting.

From the show we headed south from Darling but first stopped at the meat market in town. We had had some of its sausage at Pat and Bobby's and wanted to get some to take home. Then it was off to Mamre. Along the way we tried to purchase some orchid flowers at the orchid show but couldn't get into the sales area without paying admission again. So I kept my money and gave them none.

In Mamre the theme was the same but it was evident that Darling has been doing this flower show thing for many years longer than Mamre. The flower exhibits were in a tent and there were vendors on the grounds all around. But the vendors were more local and there was more of a small town festival feel to it. There was even a brass band that paraded on the street next to the show grounds. Nevertheless, the flower displays were very impressive. And I got to introduce Marcia to Sophie and Ann. Sophie is the lead CREW contact in Mamre as well as the coordinator of the Mamre flower show. She and Ann had arranged the school group for Plant Monitoring Day (see earlier entry). It was very nice to see them again and Sophie seemed particularly pleased that we had come to see the show.

After refreshments we headed home by way of the coastal route, R27. That took us through numerous beach developments and past some very fancy homes. All in all a most delightful trip north we had. And to round out the weekend, on Sunday we went to Kirstenbosch to see the Biennial, the display of botanical art. Some truly stunning pieces of art were seen. Then to see some living specimens in the Conservatory. A great way to finish a really packed and enjoyable week in Cape Town and its surrounding areas!

Edward

2006-09-24T08:56:00.000+02:00

Today is Heritage Day. This is what I have learned about the holiday (material is from http://www.info.gov.za/events/2001/heritageday01.htm).

*After South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994, a Government of National Unity (GNU) was formed.
* Government agreed that prior to the 1994 elections, there were important historical days that the apartheid government did not recognise.
* These days were "unofficially" commemorated but not part of the calendar of public holidays.

* Cabinet decided that there should be a day (24 September) on which South Africans commemorate their heritage.
* The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST), as the custodian of South Africa's culture, was given the responsibility to plan and manage events for Heritage Day at the national level annually.
* The first Heritage Day commemoration took place on 24 September 1995.

* Although South Africans have diverse cultures, elements of national unity, nation building, reconciliation and national patriotism should be emphasised.
* The ideal is to preserve, exhibit and promote our diverse but connected cultures.
* Heritage Day should encourage the youth, in particular, to embrace South Africa's common heritage.

And in talking to a few locals I got the sense that there may have been a holiday in September that was not politically correct that was dropped. I couldn't confirm this, however. Nonetheless today is Heritage Day and tomorrow is a public holiday. There are celebrations all over and President Mbeki is speaking at one of the events to be held in Cape Town today.

2006-09-23T20:43:00.000+02:00

Time to finish up from last week and then fill you in on what has happened this week. But first I must own up to a screw-up or two on my part. And I do believe these will be costly. I have done a reasonably good job on the roads with my driving. There have been no accidents involving other cars or even any real close calls. But that is not to say I haven't had some problems with this driving-on-the-other-side-of-the-car/road business.

Seems I have not developed a good sense of how much car there is on my left hand side. In the first day or so of driving I turned left and didn't clear the curb and so ran the left rear tire into the curb. Did some scraping of the rim and the hubcap. Not too bad but noticeable. Then when we were on our excursion last week and on one of the gravel roads I got too close to the shrubs lining the road and scraped the side of the car, again the left side. And last but most certainly not least, was last night. We got home from the nice ride along False Bay and the great dinner at Kalky's and I was backing the car into the carport at the cottage. I have to back in so that there is room to get Marcia out of the car. I had the car lined up in my right hand rearview mirror and thought all was well. But there was one of those sickening sounds of car hitting an immovable object. I hit the carport support column with the LEFT rear of the car! Not only were there scratches on the rear bumper but I had broken the left rear taillight, not much but there was red plastic on the ground. And there was some scratching just above the bumper on the rear panel next to the taillight. I sure hope my Super Waiver Insurance that I am paying for covers this! What a mess. The bulk of the car is supposed to be to my right as I drive, not to my left. Not sure I will be able to change this perception much in two months!!!!

Now back to the good stuff. Last week we took an excursion away from Cape Town. We headed north from the city to what is called the West Coast. A major reason for the excursion was that the weekend of the 15-17 was the time for two wildflower shows. The towns of Darling and Mamre were both holding their shows then. In addition, just outside of Darling an orchid show was being held. Another reason for the excursion was that we could stay in Darling and then head even further north to visit places on the Atlantic coast, seaside villages and the West Coast National Park.

With the help of Dorothy, a GISP employee with whom Marcia is working, we made arrangements to stay with Pat and Bobby Beckman in Darling on Thursday and Friday evenings. Pat and Bobby are former neighbors of Dorothy's who had moved to Darling and as we learned when we got to their home had moved into their new home less than a month earlier. By new I do not mean new in age but new to them. As it turned out the house was built in the early 1890s and was full of interesting history, which Bobby and Pat very entertainingly shared. And it was a neat house as well. The room we were in was early in its existence the surgery room for a doctor. The built-in cabinet in the wall was his medicine and instruments cabinet. Fun stuff like that! And to make it even better Pat and Bobby were two of the nicest people you could imagine.

So on Thursday we ate lunch at the cottage and then headed out of town. We managed to get out of town with me making only one wrong turn on the highway, and that mistake was easily corrected. We stopped for gas and next to the station was a dam, and that means a human created body of standing water, a pond. And so for the next 30 minutes or so we sat and did our best to identify the various birds there. And there was quite a variety. There were two species of weavers with numerous nests hanging from the trees. There were many African sacred ibis, a few blacksmith plovers, one red-knobbed coot with a young one, and numerous gulls. Great fun. As we drove from there to Darling, especially after we got off the mian highway, we saw other interesting birds in the fields we passed. Some we could ID and others we couldn't. Fun to try.

As we approached Darling we tried to visit one of the marked wildflower reserves. Yes there are pieces of land that are set aside as reserves because they are filled with a stunning array of wildflowers. And most of these are private reserves or local village preserves. Very different from in the States. This first reserve was not really doable in our vehicle, and the car has the scratches to show for the attempt. The next reserve was doable and so we took our time driving through and stopping to look at the flowers that caught our attention. A very nice ride. I got to show Marcia some of the plants I had been seeing on my field trips. Fun!

Our next stop was at the Duckitt Nurseries Orchid Show. Here we are in the middle of the country and there is this massive orchid nursery. I do mean massive. We were told there is an area at least the size of 5 rugby fields under glass filled with orchids. And at any time there are at least 20,000 orchid plants on site. The production facilties were not open, but this was the weekend of the annual show. Displays of orchids based upon a theme were constructed and open to the public for viewing. There were also orchid plants and an array of orchid flowers and arrangements for sale. Admission was R20, about $3. Take a look at some of what we saw. Very impressive.

How about this arrangement!

Marcia liked this one!

Much temptation in the sales area and the prices were not just reasonable but cheap. As we were traveling and obviously couldn't bring any plants home to VA, we made no purchases. But not so for many others.

Onwards to Darling we went and 22 Long St. we found. We met Pat and Bobby and after attempting the ramp he put over the front steps just for us we decided to head for the back steps. It was just too steep for LRW. We carried Marcia into the house and lifted LRW inside and we were there! We chatted and roamed the other buildings until it was time for dinner. And for dinner we had a curried beef dish from the Malay influence. It was tangy and quite good. Great fun learning about the food and its history as we ate. We sat and talked for hours, and then Marcia and I both ran out of steam and headed to bed.

We were awakened to the sound of rain. Ate a hearty breakfast and let the rain subside and then headed north. Tried to stop at another wildflower reserve, Tienie Versveld, but it was still raining a bit and there was no easy way to get the wheelchair into the site. After a bit of driving our first stop was at a Fossil Park. In the process of mining the site for phosphate a number of years ago fossils were discovered. The mining has ended and at least part of the site has been set aside as a protected site. We visited one of the dig areas where the fossils are viewable in location. Quite interesting. It was also interesting that one of the goals of this project was to employ residents from the local community, one that was associated with the mine when it was in operation. Our guide was a resident of the community.

Then it was on to he coast. We wound up in Paternoster. A quaint fishing village that is now booming with rental places. Beautiful setting. For lunch we had toasted sandwiches, which we had discussed with Pat that morning, sitting outside at the Paternoster Lodge. When done Marcia purchased a string of seashells from a boy on the street. They now hang in the cottage.

From Paternoster we headed south along the coast until we got to West Coast National Park. We took our time driving through the eastern side of the park, braking for plants and animals. One interesting thing seen was that there were a number of plants with bags tied onto the ends of branches. It was a pollination study being conducted by Dr. Miller from Amherst College. Small world!

And you know who these guys are! --->

We continued to make our way around the park. Saw a beautiful steenbok and almost had a run-in with a very surprised ostrich. As it was getting late we decided to head back to Darling and had to pass on going up the western half of the park. At the tip of the western arm was the wildflower site. Oh well, not this time.

Back to Darling we went and when we arrived at the Beckman's the ramp had been moved from the front door to the back door. And here it worked great. As I said, nice folks. This evening there were 8 others staying, ranging from 6 months to my elders. Nice group and fun to be in such a friendly and comfortable setting. Another nice meal and more good converstaion and then we called it a day. And it was most enjoyable.

Have to leave the actual flower shows for another entry. Time for me to call it quits. But I did say I would tell you what the brown structure in the Babiana ringens was for. It is a perch for the sunbirds that come to pollinate the flowers. They hold on and reach down to probe the flowers. Isn't that neat!??!!

Good night!
Edward

2006-09-22T20:09:00.000+02:00

Friday, September 22, 2006

Hello everyone,

We have had a busy week and the days are already slipping by far too quickly. The callas are obviously coming to the end of their blooming season. The inverted cones still standing have browning edges and are looking bedraggled. The street venders aren't hawking voluptuous armloads of blooms at intersections any more. The callas have been replaced by greenhouse roses, beaded-wire flowers, and boxes of strawberries.

We left the Research Centre mid-afternoon since the day was sunny and clear and the temperature was actually comfortable. Ishmail had told Edward about some garden centres relatively near by -- a couple of regular "everyday" nurseries, and a couple that specialized in indigenous plants. One was on Main Rd. in Wynberg, just beyond our by-now-familiar Wynberg Pharmacy.

It seemed like a great afternoon for a ride. It was about 3:30 when we left -- still plenty of daylight. It was maybe 4 or slightly after when we went by the first closed nursery. Two more followed in short order. Obviously we haven't gotten the finer points of shopping schedules under our belts!

Ah, well... It was still a lovely day for a drive once we got beyond the busy crush of city traffic and as we headed down the western coast toward the Cape of Good Hope. We were only hoping to get part way there, since we are planning a trip to Cape Point on Monday. We were heading toward the picturesque town of Fish Hoek and driving along the coast looking out over False Bay. As we approached St. James, the coast road drew even with the water and we could easily look out over the waves crashing toward the rocks. We pulled over for a while to sit and watch and my eye was caught by something near the surface of the water. I thought I had seen something, but I could just as easily have imagined it. Then as I watched some more, 2 jets of water spewed up from the blowholes of a pair of whales swimming together. A mother and calf, perhaps?

The period from July to November is when the southern right whales come up from the cold waters of Antarctica to breed and calve in the warmer water off the southern coast of Africa. September and October are the peak months to spot the whales, which can be viewed without even setting foot on a boat. They can be spotted from land as they crest the surface of the water. As we watched, we saw first a backfin and then a whole flipper held up out of the water -- the whale must have been rolling over!

St. James seems to be a small seaside resort town. Lots of beachfront homes with a hotel and various accommodations being offered and a short stretch of antique and furniture shops mixed with art galleries to attract the tourists. A number of restaurants were there to tempt -- requisite seafood restaurants, at least 3 Italian restautants, an Indian restaurant and a Japanese restaurant and sushi bar. I was ready for seafood. There was Kalky's offering "the best fish and chips" or the tonier Harbor House with glassed in walls overlooking the bay. I thought that I'd really like to have a great view over the bay looking out the 2nd story through the restaurant's vista over the water. Unfortunately, one has to be able to climb the steps to get to the restaurant on the 2nd floor. So we ended up at Kalky's after all and it was terrific! They were doing a brisk business and it's not hard to see why!

The place is quite open and laid back. The selection is varied; the portions are generous and the prices are very reasonable. What did we have? An order of fried linefish and chips (the linefish of the day was yellowtail [tuna]), an order of crayfish and chips, and a Greek salad. Edward reports that the crayfish were the "biggest damned crayfish HE'd ever eaten." I do have to spoil the fun here and tell you that the crayfish were a pair of split and fried rock lobsters. Quite a delight -- we polished off every morsel!

Marcia

2006-09-19T19:43:00.000+02:00

It's been rainy and cold in Cape Town as of late so I have been able to spend some time trying to put names on my flower pictures. Somewhat successful, but still have quite a few that need more digging. Doing this and constructing the ID guides for the CREW field trips have helped me learn some of the major components of the different floras I have been wandering through. The diversity of geophytes is amazing. And then there are the succulents in the Great and the Little Karoo yet to be seen. Wow!

So here are a few flower pictures to try to show you some of what we have seen. They don’t do justice to how the landscapes look and the real beauty of the flowers. Hope you enjoy.

This is one of the numerous geophytes that are everywhere this time of year. I think it is in the genus Baeometra.

This is Homeria flaccida. Though it is quite attractive, seeing a field filled with these is not really a good thing. This plant is toxic to livestock and so is abundant when its fellow geophytes have been eaten.

This is a gladiolus. There are many species and the variety is delightful. Some I would never have recognized as a glad initially.

Amother genus we know but not one I recognized as such. This is Rhus dissecta. Neat leaves and fruits.

Another member of the Iridaceae, the iris family. Not many iris as we know them but lots of iris relatives. This is one of the species in the genus Moraea. There are dozens of them.

The two stalks with small white flowers are Lachenalia fistulosa. These are relayed to hyacinths in our gardens. Again there are dozens of species in this genus. This picture gives a small feel for what I have seen in my field trips. Wildflower gardens filled with many different species. Stunning!

And last for tonight but certainly not least is my present favorite of the geophytes. This is Babiana ringens. This is another large genus in the Iridaceae. Linda Johnson knows so folks at CNU can ask her, but for the others take a guess what that vertical brown structure is about. Remember this is a geophyte and so this plant is not very tall, maybe 30 cm. But it is bright red. I will add the explanation to an upcoming entry.

Hope you have enjoyed these pictures. After I catch up with my narrative I will add more. I should be out in the field two days this week. But now I have to work on an ID guide for one of the trips.

Edward

2006-09-17T23:12:00.000+02:00

September 17, 2006

The week in review.

Last I left things we had had a wonderful afternoon at Lynn Jackson’s house and great drive around Chapman’s Peak. Then we are into a new week and a busy one it turned out to be.

Monday: Edward headed to Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town with Ishmail and Caitlin. We met a group of CREW volunteers who were there to hack the invaders. Why were we at a racecourse to remove plants? Well, Kenilworth is an active racecourse that is also the site of remnants of both acid sand plain fynbos and seasonal wetland. This makes it home to 275 indigenous plant species, many of which are specials, plants that are rare or threatened. But there are also a staggering 61+ species of aliens! And numerous individuals of many of these. Not good odds. And the location is also a geological island, a granitic outcrop in a sea of quartzitic sand. All on 45 ha in the middle of eastern Cape Town! Seems like an important site to maintain and to work to improve.

We set to work in an area that had numerous Port Jackson trees (Acacia saligna) and another woody invader, possibly a sesbania. We dug as many up by the roots as possible and cut off the largest near soil level to at least slow them down.These plants are real threats to the native plants in the fynbos and renosterveld communities. They grow quickly and flower in immense numbers so seeds are numerous and easily spread. And not surprisingly they were planted intentionally originally. Location changes but the action of humans is the same. After a few hours of this we hiked through some of the racecourse to see the flora and to allow Ishmail and Caitlin to check the status of populations of some of the specials. All in all a tiring but pleasant morning.

In the afternoon I worked on taking photos of herbarium specimens and line drawings for the ID guide for one of the upcoming field trips. I had worked on the descriptions for the trip to Saron over the weekend but what were needed were the materials for the trip to Malmesbury, which was on for Tuesday. So I worked on the photos for the most important specials and took them home with me to add the descriptions. Got that finished Monday night so that Ishmail could print it on Tuesday morning before we left.

P.S. On the way back from the racecourse Ishmail stopped at a local store and bought koeksisters for the three of us, Caitlin, me and himself. Now these were the Cape Malay version of these small sausage-shaped doughnuts, not covered in syrup but in coconut. Quite good. Yes I know what I just said, something with coconut was worth eating. When in Rome…

Tuesday: Met Ishmail early this morning so he could print out the ID guide and then we were off to the Malmesbury area. Malmesbury is northeast of Cape Town and again we are revisiting sites that have historical records of the presence of populations of these specials. We head up the hill above the town and take off through the veld. Very dry but numerous plants in bloom, some I recognize as ones I have seen before, but many are new. A surprise was finding Drosera. They are growing in rocky soils that at this time are very dry. Neat! I was also struck by the number of caterpillars we saw. And not small drab ones either.There are some plants that have dozens of caterpillars merrily munching away. In these winter rainfall areas not only must the plants spring to life when spring arrives but also everything else that depends upon them. Also found a bunch of termites at work. There was an opening into the soil and termites were coming to it from all directions. Each brought a piece of plant material, a small flower, part of a leaf, or part of a stem. At the entrance to the hole they dropped what they were carrying and other termites transferred the material to a termite in the tunnel. This termite took the material away. Great fun to watch.

After lunch looking over the town we roamed another nearby site and then headed back to Cape Town. We made one last stop, at a rest area along the highway. What this consisted of was a pull off area that had a concrete structure that could be considered a round picnic bench with seats. After walking through the dumping area, folks everywhere are inconsiderate thugs, we were in a small patch of fynbos with proteas and numerous geophytes in bloom. Not sure if Ishmail found any specials here but he at least could document the status of the site.

Then we made our way back to Cape Town. And this is what one sees from many kilometers away on a clear day. Impressive!

Almost forgot, today was a day filled with ticks. We found them on us all day long. I even found one on my hat when I took it out of my bag later this evening. Ishmail said we were not in an area that had any problems with tick-borne diseases. That was good to hear.

Wednesday: Today was the day for the trip to Saron, more east-northeast from Cape Town than yesterday. At least that was where Ishmail and I were headed. Caitlin and her crew were headed further north and west from Saron. Didn’t get quite as early a start as on Tuesday, and in addition there was considerable road work that lengthened our drive. We arrived at Saron and waited at the Municipal Building as there was a possibility someone was joining us. As it turned out that didn’t happen. So off we headed to look at what was labeled municipal land. Maybe on paper, but the local farmers had other ideas and what we found was clearly grazed. There were a few interesting plants but not many. But there were some naturally wet areas that had some different species. And there were more species of Drosera. By the time the day was done I had seen little pinwheel species and multi-branched upright species, and some had large showy flowers.

In one of the wetter areas Ishmail found specimens of Isoetes, quite a find given how small it is and how much it looks like the sedges in the area. And then he found this tiny little toad. The caterpillars continued!

Then we headed up the hillside in a stonier and drier area. Numerous species of proteas seen — Protea, Leucospermum, Mimetes at least—among other species not seen before. Interesting site but with the wind not very strong we were attacked by little gnats and nasty ants that dropped on us from the vegetation as we walked past. Interesting plants but not so much fun with the insects. One plant did get much attention and a specimen was taken to verify its identification.

From there we headed to one more location. Ishmail found the general area but the details didn’t match. He stopped at a small store/postal office to ask directions. We headed further up the side road and eventually stopped at a residence to ask again. After some discussion out came a woman who jumped in the vehicle with us to show us the site she and her neighbors had set aside as a conservation reserve. We never would have found this on our own. Over the fence we went and around the site she led us. Ishmail seemed very pleased we found this site and he took notes about a number of plants found, and a specimen or two. The bugs here were even worse than at the previous site, with something similar to a horse fly to go along with the gnats. But there were enough interesting plants to keep us occupied.

When we headed out we realized what time it was, after 4:30. There was no way we were going to make it back to Cape Town by 5. Ishmail was able to call the switchboard and get connected with Philip Ivey. He passed a message to Marcia to sit tight. We were on our way but would be a little while in getting there. Look at what the view of Table Mountain was this evening.There it was with its tablecloth in place! When we did arrive it was almost 7. A long day for her and a long day for me. We quickly packed up and headed home.

When we arrived at home Jenny was out and greeted us. She said she had just done some roasted vegetables and would bring over a plate for us. Not only did she bring over a bowl of roasted vegetables but also roasted chicken breasts and homemade meringues with whipped cream. Everything was great. What a nice thing for her to do. As I said before, we have been provided with a guardian angel!

Guess I won’t finish the week’s review tonight. I need to wrap this up and head to bed. More will be done tomorrow.

Edward

2006-09-17T09:16:00.000+02:00

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Just a quick note as we have learned more about how this blog thing works. Entries are dated by when they are first created and saved as drafts, not when they are actually posted if they are worked on over a period of days. That explains why there are two entries for Sunday, September 10, 2006. The second, More catch-up..., was started on the 10th but not actually posted until the night of Saturday, September 16. That would explain some of its content, I hope. We will do better about dating and posting so that things flow more logically. So if interested look back over the blog and read that second entry dated Sunday, September 10, 2006.

Edward

2006-09-10T20:12:00.000+02:00

It's Sunday and what a great day it was. We spent a quiet day at the cottage on Saturday, except for a quick trip to Wynberg Pharmacy for some supplies. Marcia had developed some pressure sores, probably due to all those hours in the plane, and we needed to redeuce the pressure and protect the areas to give them a chance to heal. Our resident nurse, Jenny, was called in for consultation and a plan was devised. Thus the trip to the pharmacy. Quite an amazing pharmacy compared with those we have in the States. It's probably not really so different except in what sorts of things can be obtained without a prescription.

But now back to today. Lynn Jackson, the director of GISP, invited us to her house at Hout Bay for lunch. Hout Bay is further south down the Cape Penisula on the Atlantic side. We woke to a cold, gray, windy morning. Not a great day. We were told that the weather on the other side of Table Mountain could be quite different. And when we arrived at Lynn's house it certainly was. We sat outside in the sun under beautiful blue skies for most of the afternoon. It was delightful. We toured her garden (the picture is just a sample of the stunning clivias in bloom, not to mention all the orchids about), met her two schnauzers--Salt and Pepper--and her two cats--Smoky and Tiger--and eventually her 18 year old daughter, Nicole. Nicole was studying for a pair of finals to be taken this coming week. She is finishing high school and is hoping to attend the University of Cape Town to study business/commerce, something to do with accounting. It was nice chatting with her over lunch. And it was very nice chatting with Lynn to learn about what she has done over the years and what is ahead for GISP, some changes that might be quite dramatic.

Lynn had checked and learned that Chapman's Peak Drive was open. It had been closed for some time but reopened just last week. This is a cliff road along the sheer cliffs of Chapman's Peak between Hout Bay and Noordhoek. What a road! The picture doesn't begin to do it justice. The sun was bright and the wind was blowing and the vistas were incredible. Then we arrived at Noordhoek and the views of the villages tucked in the valleys and along the coast were just beautiful. Again the picture is a poor representation, but it is the best you will get. Notice the house with the thatched roof. There were a number of these down the hill in Noordhoek. Nice digs! And there were people walking out on the beach. I can't imagine anyone thinking about even getting near the water. These are the cold waters coming up from the Antarctic. The beaches on the Indian Ocean get the warm water!

From Noordhoek we headed east toward Fish Hoek, which is on the eastern coast of the Peninsula on False Bay. We didn't get to the coast but could see it. Quite a sight even from a distance! We headed back north toward home. We went past numerous vineyards and through Tokai Forest Reserve. What a gorgeous drive. Then a stop at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden for a visit to the shop and bookstore. Lots to look at and I got stuck in the bookstore trying to decide which field guides I had to have. Many too many to consider! Will have to return as they closed the shop around us. That won't be a problem. Not to worry, they waited to close until we had collected numerous items for purchase.

The protea vendors were out front when we went by earlier in the day but had gone when we left the garden. Probably will need to replenish the supply by next weekend. Marcia can't get enough of them. And it appears on the weekends there is more variety.

I'm done and it is not yet time for bed. Yeah!

Edward

2006-09-10T10:25:00.000+02:00

More catch-up, but now to back when we arrived.

The picture shows all of the important components of our living arrangement in Cape Town. You know who the woman is, and that's LRW once again. The car is our rental from Imperial Car Rental. It is a Toyota Corolla with automatic transmission (something I am immensely grateful for). We are supposedly getting the discount rate through the garden, and if this is the discount rate I can't imagine what the nondiscounted rate is. I have never had balances due of this magnitude on my VISA! What the heck, we are in SA!!! And behind all of the person, LRW, and the car is The Garden Room. The window over the back of the car is our kitchen window. The second picture gives a better view of the actual cottage.

And the third shows the main house to which we are attached. This is where Jenny, the owner from whom we rent, and her two daughters live. Notice the ADT sign next to the main door. Security is a big item here. The house and cottage are alarmed and the neighborhood is patrolled. Upon our arrival Jenny made it clear that crime has been on the upswing and one has to be very careful. Do not leave items in the car. (That means I take LRW out of the car every night and load it back in the car every morning. Guess I should consider this my new exercise routine!) Pay close attention to your surroundings and the people about. This was stated again by Lynn Jackson when we ate lunch at her place. This is a time of great change and in some ways stress in South Africa. There is a large segment of the population that is unemployed, there are many immigrants from other poorer African countries, and this is a country trying to make a new democracy work. And it was said that there has been an increase in the presence of organized crime activities, very sophisticated car theft operations and even illegal harvesting of natural resources such as abalone. And the government has limited resources to stop such activities.

As one drives around this concern about security is evident everywhere. Homes are behind walls and gates. There are security signs posted on almost every building. There are security company personnel and vehicles ever present. Stores and parking lots have security attendants. But people seem to go about their business as we would but with this added layer of concern. Does make one think about what we take for granted.

What is also very evident is the disparity between the different segments of society here. Even is small towns it is very clear who has resources and who does not. The differences in living conditions is very stark in many cases. Not far from a very posh development behind its high fences and gates are shacks in all states of disrepair. Contrasts!

On a brighter note, directly across from our cottage is something of a park. The hill begins to ascend somewhat steeply up toward Table Mountain. As mentioned earlier where we work is just up the hill from us. Between here and there the hill is covered with a great variety of plants of all sizes, many of them blooming at present. There is a little stream that runs through this area and the sound of the running water is one of our background sounds.The others are the guinea fowl that are here almost all the time, the red-eyed dove (Marcia has a different opinion as to which dove is around), and the fly-overs by the noisy hadeda ibis. The guinea fowl are everywhere, in the front yard, in the back yard, on the roof, in the trees, and they call all the time. And then when the wind blows! But it gets quiet at night and there is not much traffic on our street.

Now to driving and shopping. On the first Saturday we were here we got directions to a nearby shopping area so that we could get provisions, that would be cash and groceries. So we load ourselves into the Corolla and prepare ourselves for our first venture onto the streets of Cape Town. And remember, I am driving from our passenger seat and I am driving on the left side of the road! This is not easy. At every intersection I have to consciously think about where I am, where the traffic is, and where I am trying to be, and for the first few days I have to turn off the windshield wiper that I turned on thinking it was the turn signal. It takes some time before I realize I have a rear view mirror in the car as I have to look left to see it. I have this knot in my stomach that won't go away and actually only gets tighter when I round a bend in the road and there are cars coming at me on my right side! By the time we make it to the shopping center I am tense and exhausted. It took a great deal of concentration to keep things together this first time. I only had one close call, fortunately.

We begin by visiting Melissa's for lunch. It was quite good. Purchased a few treats and then headed to the grocery stores after withdrawing the limit from the ATM, R3000. That is about $415. Guess where we head to start our grocery shopping. None other than Woolworths. Yep, Woolworths. If you want to know more, go to Wikipedia and look up Woolworths. You will learn some interesting things!! Purchased some of what was on our list here but decided to get the neccessities at the more reasonable Pick'nPay store. Headed there and shortly after we did the announcemnt was made that the store was now closed. What was happening? Seems stores close at 5 PM on Saturdays and it was now 5 PM. We scurried to get what we could and then made our way to the till, register, to leave. Very interesting.

We had an uneventful ride home, though it took my full concentration to do so. We unloaded the car and then settled in for the evening. Think we had some bangers for dinner.

As we had more shopping to do, on Sunday morning we asked Jenny what the hours of the stores would be on Sundays. Seems they open from 10 to 2 on Sundays. So off we go again, along with most everybody else. It was very busy, but we got what we needed and did so before the store closed around us. Made a pharmacy stop as well and then headed home.

Can say the driving has gotten easier and less nerve-wracking. But I still have to think about what to do when I arrive at intersections. And rotaries, roundabouts, are great fun! But I am managing. I have driven a few times at night and really do not enjoy that. Then I really have to be focused as everything seems very much more out of place. I am sure that this will get easier, but at the moment it is a bit too stressful. And security issues also increase after dark. Another reason to get off the roads before the sun goes down.

Okay, I believe I have covered most of the procedural things. That should make it easier for me to stay current with my entries about what we are doing. I will work on a review of what happened last week tomorrow. It was a busy week!

Later,
Edward

P.S. Here is what the inside of the cottage looks like!

2006-09-07T22:50:00.002+02:00

Guess it is my turn to let you know what I have been doing. On Monday I checked in with my contact at Kirstenbosch, Leschelle Morkel. She is the personal assistant to the director of Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Dr. John Donaldson. He made the arrangements in terms of what I would be doing while at Kirstenbosch and she coordinated everything else. She showed me around and then introduced me to Tony Rebelo, one of the botanists, who is mainly doing office work at the present. He is on the Threatened Species Programme and is presently working on updating the Red List of threatened species and has a major monograph on the fynbos that will be published soon. He gave me numerous suggestions on places to go and field guides to get. And he let me take the proof of the fynbos monograph to read and edit. That should give me great background about this unique flora and its causes. And I may be working with his group in October when he gets a field team up and running. A bit later Leschelle introduced me to Dr. Donalson who had been busy earlier. A CITES workshop was to begin the next day and last minute preparations were happening. While I was doing this Marcia checked in with her folks in GISP and was getting settled. Soon it was time for lunch, and since the weather was great and I had to wait until the next day to meet Ishmail Ebrahim to see about what his group was doing I suggested we head to the Garden to have some lunch and see some plants. And off we went.

After a quick trip to the cottage to get the essentials, as Marcia mentioned we are just down the hill from the Research Center, we made our way into the garden and found the Botanical Society of SA office so we could join. That would provide us free entry to all of the national botanical gardens and a discount in the bookstore. Haven't made it there yet but know there will be a hefty toll to pay given all the field guides one needs to deal with the tremendous floral diversity. But it is for a good cause, the botany of SA! Ate lunch at the Tearoom and had enough food for lunch the next day. Then we took off to see the plants. And my what plants there were to see. Here are a few pictures that don't begin to convey the colors and shapes and sizes of the plants. We knew a few, we had good ideas about the likely general identity of some, and we had no clue about many. But that was why we were there, to see and to learn these plants. And so around and up and down we wandered. LRW struggled at times because the paths were not always smooth and not always flat. And the slopes were often a challenge. LRW and its captain stayed upright the whole afternoon but there were some moments of almost. And by the end of the day we were being careful about the route we took as the battery was running down. We all made it out in one piece. Next time we tackle a smaller section so none of us gets too taxed.

Jenna, this one is for you. The leaves of this bird of paradise were over 20' tall and the blossoms were at least a foot across. Wow!

Proteas by the dozens! And they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Just incredible.

And for Michael and Sherwinnii: a beautiful bird on a glorious protea!

And that building in the center of the photo (with the green roof) is where we work! What a setting!!

So Tuesday comes and I get to meet Ishmail who is Coordinator for the Cape Floristic Region for CREW (Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers). This programme works with local volunteers to identify and protect populations of threatened plant species. At this time of year this involves field trips to sites around the area to determine the status of these populations, to do education programs to school groups, and to clear sites of invasives. So on Thursday I went with Ishmail to a site outside Mamre, about 40 km north of Cape Town in what is called the West Coast. We met a group of 26-30 9th graders from the local high school. They spent the morning learning about the sand plain fynbos habitat we were in and about sampling to determine the status of the three dominant species at the site. They laid out 10 m x 10 m plots and determined GPS locations of their plots. Then they sampled 1 m x 1 m quadrats and determined their locations using a random number/direction system. Good exercise that kept them focused and on task for most of the time. I can't give too many details of the lesson and the interactions because most was done in Afrikaans. Below is a picture of Ishmail with the students. All the yellow-flowered shrub in the background is an invasive acacia from Australia. A major problem and all over!

On Tuesday afternoon I worked with another volunteer, Albert from Spain. He was putting together an ID guide for the 'special' species to be looked for at a particular field site. This involved gathering pictures or illustrations of the species in question from the texts or herbarium specimens in the Compton Herbarium located in the Centre. I worked on the guide for the upcoming trip to Worcester on Wednesday and Friday while others were out in the field. It felt good to use my botanical background in a way different from what I usually do. And combined with the trip to Mamre on Thursday I am beginning to get a feel for some of the members of the flora. What was most enjoyable was the run up the mountain next to Mamre after we finished with the students. Ishmail showed me some undisturbed granitic fynbos habitat. Here is a picture of one of the numerous succulents with daisy-like flowers. They come in all colors and sizes as well. And the lichens just couldn't be left out!

Okay, it's that time again. I have got to go to bed. It has been one week since we arrived and it has been a good week. There is so much to be seen, but we have made a good start.

Later,
Edward

2006-09-07T20:38:00.001+02:00

September 7, 2006

Greetings, everyone! I'm afraid I have been playing hooky from the daily diary -- there have been just too many wonderful things to see and take in... I hardly know where to begin!

Our self-catered accommodation is a cozy, 1-room apartment right next to the Botanical Garden. We can actually see the Research Buildings where we are working from our front doorstep -- they are directly up the side of the mountain above us! There is a street running up to the Research buildings, but they are cut off from us by a gate which is usually locked. We have to go around the "long way" to get in but that's hardly a chore!

We started in here at the Garden on Monday morning. I am doing volunteer work with GISP, the Global Invasive Species Programme, whose work it is to educate and lobby for the maintainence of biodiversity by preventing the wholesale spread of invasive species. The unchecked numbers of invasive organisms -- plants, animals, insects, viruses, whatever -- reduce the biodiversity of any given area, allowing less room for native species to develop and outcompeting the natives for water and nutrients.

At present I'm doing internet research on management plans for control of invasive species -- seeing where plans have actually been put into place so that the plans can be compared. It is hoped that this will result in an accepted model of what constitutes a good management plan.

I can't begin to tell you of the delight I have everywhere we go of seeing all the magnificent flowers. Red bottlebrush trees are in full bloom and everywhere are clumps of birds-of-paradise, the Strelitzias. The protea are blooming all over the upper reaches of the mountainside in a glorious riot of reds and pinks and oranges and whites -- many like pincushions and many other other-worldly looking flowers with playful fuzzy edges!

There are kids out at the traffic lights ("robos" in this part of the world -- short for "robots!") selling bunches of the hugest white calla lilies I've ever seen! Yes, I know they grow like weeds here and that the locals refer to them as "pig lilies", but I love them still!

In our room here I have a beautiful basket of protea flowers that Katie and Juli sent. Have a look see.

Cheers.

Marcia

2006-09-05T22:33:00.000+02:00

Edward continues to try to catch up!

8/30th--First full day in Amsterdam doesn't begin very early. The phone rings and it is Leschelle from Cape Town. She is confirming the last aspects of arrival in Cape Town, the shuttle from the airport and the delivery of the rental car. And it is 10 AM! We never sleep this late. Seems we are still adjusting to the time change. No matter, we are on our own schedule for a few more days. By the time we get things in order we have missed the hotel's breakfast service and so head onto the streets to get something to eat. To Cafe Ole we go and cheese/ginger pancakes and a chocolate croissant with burned bacon do quite well. The choice was raw or burned? Guess who ordered which!

Then we head toward the Tulip Museum and the flower mart. The Tulip Museum is a little place with numerous steps. I go in to look around and two couples come by and see Marcia on the sidewalk out front and the men decide they can get her inside with no trouble. Well, with a little struggle and some straining by the fellow whose idea this was she and LRW were inside the gift shop. The museum itself was downstairs and not at all doable. By the time we were ready to go the two couples had gone. Not to worry, we were able to enlist another shop visitor and the store keeper to assist in our departure. And away we went. The museum was quite informative, by the way!

Over the cobblestones and the canals we went and made our way to the floating flower mart. Stall after stall filled with beautiful bulbs and other plants for sale. Marcia was a bit disappointed as she was expecting to see more cut flowers. Fun nonetheless.

More wandering and a stop for Australian hand made chocolates and then a run through some of the University of Amsterdam. After a bit of rain when we set off the day became quite pleasant though cool.

After a brief stop at the hotel we headed toward the central train station and passed many of the tour boats that take folks through the canals. Quite a sight. Following the advice of what appeared to be a local couple we headed down one of the side streets. Very soon we found ourselves in the The Great Swan ordering Danish split pea soup. Perfect choice for a cool evening. We finished the walk down the street but bypassing the red light district this time.

8/31st--Up a bit earlier today but still not on the new time yet. Had breakfast in the hotel and then headed to the train stop to go to the botanical garden, Hortus Botanicus. Had to wait for one of the new trains that had a wheelchair ramp and one of these that had space. And it was cold, windy, and rainy. One came and the staff was very helpful and off we went. We began with the plants of South Africa and then made our way through most of the garden. Made time for lunch, of course, and by early afternoon the weather was much nicer. Headed back to the hotel at what must have been rush hour on the trains. Took some time to get one with space. Then a quick roam around Dam Square and a stop for an ice cream float. That was good. Back to the hotel to get ready for the flight to Cape Town in the morning.

9/1st--Up early, 5 AM, after trying to sleep most of the night but not very successfully. Oh well, we will have 12 hours on the plane! Had tickets for the airport shuttle but it didn't run as early as we needed it, so a taxi we took. Got to the airport with plenty of time. Retrieved our luggage after a few tries with the credit card reader. Beat the rush to check in with KLM and LRW made more friends. After the other luggage was checked we took LRW to the baggage desk and the two men there had a great time as we took it apart and boxed the controls and the support rod. LRW was in good hands. After breakfast and visiting some of the numerous shops we went through minimal security and the KLM gate check. All of the KLM folks we dealt with were great, and it would only get better. We loaded first but with a bit of a hitch as there was no aisle wheelchair other than the one in the plane. We made do with that and then we watched as the rest of the 300+ passengers found their seats and got settled. Amazing! And Sunshine got to ride in the body of the plane for the first time! Off we flew. And for the next 11+ hours we ate, watched movies and other programs, and tried to sleep, and ate some more. I am not sure how many meals we actually had, but nobody went hungry. And then we were in Cape Town!

Seems there were a number of folks headed to conferences or other work related events as once we cleared customs and headed to the exit there was a sea of signs looking for folks. Fortunately the shuttle driver knew what to look for and found us. He got us loaded, all luggage and two wheelchairs, with no trouble. The nice young man who wheeled Marcia from the plane through immigration, baggage, and customs also helped. He seemed very interested in helping me put LRW back together. Then away we went to find The Garden Room. The plant silhouettes were teasing us as we drove, but that would be for days to come. We had a bit of a time finding the cottage, but as we approached what seemed to be the place we saw a woman on the phone in her front door looking about. That was Jenny Ross. And we were there. We got everything unloaded and into the cottage and she gave quick instructions on procedures and where things were and then bid us good night. She had flowers out and food in the fridge and on the table. It was easy to see we had been provided with a guardian angel who would take good care of us. We were really in Cape Town! And it was time to get some much needed sleep.

And it is time again for me to quit so that I can get some sleep so that I can function tomorrow. As I will soon explain, Marcia and I have work to do and so I can't stay up all night boring you with our doings!

Later,
Edward

2006-09-05T20:27:00.000+02:00

Amsterdam Pictures!

The Flower Mart in Amsterdam.

Here it is from the backside, floating in a canal.

Some plants near and dear to two botanists at CNU! Yes, the red one is a favorite of Linda's.

In the butterfly room at the botanical garden, Hortus Botanicus.

And we bid Amsterdam and the view from our room farewell. The gentleman had stopped to empty the rest of his joint into a small pipe to finish his smoke!

2006-09-04T21:25:00.000+02:00

September 4, 2006-----Edward tries to catch up!

Where do I begin? I promised to fill in details when I posted upon our arrival in Amsterdam and now we are in Cape Town and so much has happened. So here goes. And I will try to do it by days to keep some order to my thoughts.

8/28th--The first of many airport experiences was had when we arrived at the Norfolk Airport to start our adventure. As usual I had us there more than early and so there was plenty of time for the little red wheelchair (LRW) to begin to make friends. In we rolled to the NWA counter and the ticket agent was thrilled to see us, actually to see LRW. She set about figuring the best way to get it ready for its ride as cargo. She called George, an NWA baggage handler, to help her. And then the search for packing materials began, but fortunately I had my always useful roll of duct tape in my carry-on bag. Don't ask! And with George doing most of the design and installation the chair was ready to be scanned by security. George wouldn't let me help carry LRW as he wanted the TSA folks to see how light it was. Then the TSA folks took its picture, one of each section, and spent at least 10 minutes studying those pictures. Then away it went. And as the picture from the Amsterdam airport showed, the ride went well. And in Amsterdam there was a baggage handler waiting with LRW to make sure we could get it back together. Except for a slight delay in leaving Detroit, something about a security breach, late passegers, and an obnoxious couple in the wrong seats, the flight to Amsterdam was uneventful. Fortunately the obnoxious couple wore themselves out with their complaining and spent most of the flight asleep. Fortunately because they were moved to the seats next to me!

8/29th--Once we arrived in Amsterdam we loaded up our luggage and headed for the storage lockers. Thank goodness these were available. We used the next to largest and needed two of them, one for the manual wheelchair (Sunshine) and one for the two big suitcases. And there was little room to spare. And much to Marcia's amusement there was white powdery material along one side of my bag. Seems the powder container had lost its lid! But the extent of the mess was for another day and another continent!! (Probably had some security folks shaking their heads.) Into the hotel shuttle we went with little trouble and to Hotel Rho we headed. We were the last to be dropped at our hotel and so we got quite a ride through the city. At the hotel there was a moment of small panic as there were many steps at the entrance. Not to worry, we were in a new section that was entered through the garage door on ground level. Into the room we went and without much delay a nap was taken. Then to do some exploring. Down one street, along a canal, and then we realize we are in the red light district. And in the not-just-for-coffee coffee bar area and the buy some seeds to grow your own shop area. So in a different direction we head and to find a place to eat would be a good idea. We wind up at a cafe next to Dam Square where we can watch the people go by and get something warm to eat. Great fun trying to differentiate all the languages heard! I am not very good at this. Then we head back to the hotel to really collapse. And collapse we do!

All for now. I have to do dishes and get to bed. It will be day two at Kirstenbosch tomorrow. And more entries to make to try to get up to the present.

Edward

P.S. Marcia and LRW did fine, even with the cobblestones and curbs. More tests to come for the two of them.

2006-08-29T21:45:00.000+02:00

August 29, 2006 Days 1 & 2

Just a few pictures from our travels from Norfolk to Amsterdam. After I get a bit more sleep I will attempt to provide some text to accompany these.

Ready to leave!

In Amsterdam with all the stuff! And we packed light!! And yes I already have a multi-item list of things I forgot!!!

2006-08-21T21:01:00.000+02:00

August 21 2006

The idea about applying for a sabbatical took root at JUST the right time, since the deadline for applications for the 2006-07 school year was November 1, 2005!

I found the SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute) website http://www.sanbi.org/frames/kirstfram.htm. SANBI oversees all of South Africa's botanical gardens, but is based at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa. We discovered that there were opportunities for international horticulturists to do volunteer work at Kirstenbosch or at one of the seven other gardens in South Africa. Edward jumped through a lot of hoops. He contacted folks at Kirstenbosch to make preliminary arrangements for us to visit. He managed to get the application submitted to Christopher Newport University, along with the necessary documentation. Then we sat back and...

WAITED!!

Decisions wouldn't be made until January, 2006. We heard that there were 7 applicants for sabbaticals, but that the university would only be funding 4.

We had a good Christmas. Edward made me promise not to buy any Christmas gifts since we needed to be saving our money for a possible trip. Of course I buy Christmas gifts all year, so I already had a good deal of my shopping done, but I tried very hard to be good!

Finally, the word came. Edward's sabbatical for Fall semester 2006 had been approved!

2006-07-27T22:13:00.001+02:00

July 27, 2006

Another month and we'll be on our way to Cape Town. It's hard to believe we're really going to be living this dream!

This all started a little over a year ago when Edward forwarded me an article about shrinking habitats for proteas, those wonderful, exotic -- almost alien-looking to those of us in the northern hemisphere -- plants native to South Africa and Australia. As I read the article I thought wouldn't it be WONDERFUL to see the proteas in their native habitat? Edward seemed to think that would be pretty wonderful, too, so we started looking into planning a trip to South Africa.

Edward found an online travel agent that advertised accessible travel planning for people needing wheelchairs and since that was a real need, we started trying to plan an itinerary. I had done my homework and knew what we wanted to see, but I had a hard time getting across to the travel planners that we were REALLY interested in going to see the PLANTS -- and not in going on a wildlife safari! After several months of emailing back and forth and not getting far fast, I thought that if we were going to go through all the trouble of getting to Africa, we might as well stay for awhile. Maybe Edward should apply for a sabbatical...