Shanghai, October 2014

Shanghai October 2014

Well John is over here visiting his twin Patrick for 10 days. The adventure started off with John, Hannah (Patrick's wife) and son Oliver going out to dinner at Jean Georges on the Bund - a must do for anyone coming to the city. The food is just georgeous!

The following day I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Renmin Square - a so so experience with it being a contemporary art gallery. 

Then a walk around the Peoples Park watching those doing Tai Chi. Then on to the Shanghai Municipal Planning Museum, with a scale model of downtown Shanghai. Well worth a visit.
Then on to the China Art Museum over in Pudong. This is a huge gallery covering 5 floors, any one of which would exceed our national gallery. The art was excellent and there were a huge numbers of visitors. The building looks like an inverted pyramid and is bright red. A must see for the artophile.

Dinner follows with NZ guests of Paddy's from NZ over to do sawmill deals - a Chinese banguet with all the trimmings.

Then two art visits: first to the Long Museum in Pudong - a huge gallery with 3 guests ( I was one). They had an exhibition showing posters celebrating the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Communist Party. A superb Art Gallery with lots of wonderful modern Chinese Art. Then back to the city to the Long Museum West at the Northern end of the Bund. A concrete monstrosity with walls 6m high. Not so good for seeing paintings at that height but great art nonetheless.

Some of Paddy's customers took me for lunch one day before an adventure tourism ride in a local taxi back home. Beats skydiving in Namibia any day!!! All drivers in China are certifiable....

Paddy and I went to hear the Montreal Symphony one evening playing Richard Strauss at the Oriental Arts Centre in Pudong..Its part of the Shanghai Arts festival. We drove over in his Ford Raptor.......

The next day I visited the Jesuit Library which boatsed 560,000 volumes, only 1500 of which were evident - really a waste of time. Paddy suggests the rest were almost certainly burnt during the Cultural Revolution.

Then on to what was billed as the finest art museum in China - the Rockbund.. Well, it covered 5 floors of a downtown building. All the walls were spraypainted in technicolour. Standing around were 25 humans dressed in clown outfits. MMMMMM Not sure who was kidding who!

Finally the Yuz Museum at the Northern end of the Bund, a converted aircraft hanger. Again a lot of modern rubbish.

Still, I had Paddy's driver to cart me around all these places for nothing. 

No visit to Shanghai is complete without a visit to Oscars bar, and a snifter (or two) of Remy Martin XO....

This weekend we all went up to Hangzhou. It's a city of about 8 million 3 hours west of Shanghai. We stayed at a B&B. Spent all day Saturday (literally) in a traffic jam visiting an artists centre in the country. Visited Paddys Lake House on the way home.

The weather so far has been Ok, fine, but heavy smog - what a surprise.

Tomorrow Hannah and I will be looking after a 2 year old and a baby of 6 months for guests of Paddy's from NZ. All family group members will know what experience I bring to a role like this.

September 17

Had a lovely sleep in our little rounduvel. The fire had been lit at 4pm and it warmed up the room beautifully. It had a thatched roof, and was very cosy.
Left the Sani Pass Mountain Lodge at 8am, and headed through Lesotho. We were on the Roof of Africa Route, and we were at an elevation of over 2500 m for most of the day, peaking at 3283 m. Most was on gravel, and much was very rough, so it was a slow drive. From our departure at 8.22 we travelled 18kms by 9.15. There were major road works underway, and for about 100 km's there was a new 2 lane highway being constructed parallel to the old road we were on. It was obviously funded and supervised by the Chinese, as there were many red Chinese trucks carrying gravel, and Chinese supervisors on site along the route. We were held up for nearly half an hour at the site of a blast which had gone wrong yesterday. A couple who arrived at the Sani Pass Mountain Lodge said they waited for about three hours the previous day as the demolition engineer had used too much dynamite and brought down huge boulders over the road.

So it was slow driving along the route for most of the day. There were many settlements at the lower levels, but not higher up. The land had all been terraced, it was extremely dry. Cattle and sheep were often being watched over by a shepherd. They usually wore the traditional garb of woollen hat, heavy blanket and gumboots. The people of Lesotho are very poor. There were few vehicles anywhere, and most lived many miles from any significant settlement.

Unfortunately the air was not very clear, due to dust and the practice of burning crop land - so the stunning Drakensburg Mountains were not clearly visible.

Around midday we started dropping our elevation, and dropped 1000m in 8 minutes.

We did not stop anywhere in Lesotho, but continued to the Caledonspoort border post, where we left Lesotho and crossed back into South Africa. Very quick to get through both border posts, no queues. It was back to better roads again in South Africa. We had an afternoon tea stop for a break - no need for lunch after our cooked breakfast, and there had also not been anywhere to stop - the afternoon tea cafe was an interesting one; we sat in the garden of what once would have been a grand house, but was now rather run down.

Our destination for the night was Ladybrand, where we stayed at the Top House B&B. His. Was once the home of a very noted citizen, and was the Top house in the town. Very spacious and lovely old rooms, comfy bed. We walked out to one of the eating houses In town for dinner; after a long wait we were served very salty chips and baby chicken, being a whole baby chicken which was very tender but very salty also.

A lovely cooked breakfast was served at 7.30 then we were back on the road. At the start we drove on a gravel road, then on the N1, and travelled 680kms. We arrived at the Cape Karoo Guesthouse in Beaufort West around 4pm. It is a lovely guest house, the rooms are beautifully appointed, and we are having dinner and breakfast here. It is 34 degrees, and a little windy outside.

Tomorrow we head towards Cape Town, to prepare for our  flights back to New Zealand!

Sani Pass - The roof of Africa - September 15th

Sunday 14th - We all (Charles, Leslie, Richard, Therese, John and Liz) headed for Karkloof to the Karkloof Canopy Tour site. Another fine, sunny African day - everything is very dry and brown and they are desperately awaiting spring rains.
After a safety briefing, we were harnessed up and safety helmets and strong leather gloves on, then onto a ute for a short drive up into the native forest to the first platform.

So we were off on the high wires! Hooked up onto the wires, sent off zip lining. The wires were of various lengths; there were 8 sections ranging from 40 to 186 metres in length, and some were very high above the trees and crevices. A great exhilarating time was had by all. Certainly got the adrenaline flowing.

Two hours later we were all grounded. Headed to the Karkloof Falls, but due to the lack of water they were not very spectacular. Into town to a craft shop, the to Curries Post to a restaurant, Terbodore, for lunch. We were joined by Leslie's parents, a lovely couple who had just celebrated 60 years of marriage.

The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting craft and tourist shops on the Midland's Meander route, they back to the farm for a relax on the verandah as the sun set. Certainly a lovely view and very peaceful.

On Monday we left the farm just after 8am, heading to Underberg, where we stopped for morning tea at The Lemon Tree, where we had stopped on Friday - there are few places to stop and this one was lovely. We were welcomed back by the owners who remembered us from a few days ago, and congratulated us on "our" All Blacks win. The temperature was in the low 30s.  At 11.30 we set off up the Sani Pass, with John driving. While it was only 33kms from Underberg, it took 2&1/2 hours. We stopped for photos and to look at the view often, but it was also a slow road. We hit the gravel 19kms from the top, and then the speed was 5 minutes per kilometre - the reason why we hired a 4x4 wheel drive. The South African border post was 8 kilometres from the top, and we checked out of South Africa there. Then the real climb began, and finally we reached the top at 2874 metres. The Lesotho border check post was right at the top, so once stamped into Lesotho we drove the 500 metres to the Sani Mountain Lodge, where we are staying the night. Our rooms are in lovely roundvels; someone will come in and light the fire at 5pm, the generator power goes off at 10pm. It is warm so the water pipes should not freeze tonight.

Dinner is at seven, so we have time to relax and look at the view. Breakfast is between 7.30 and 9.30, then we will drive through Lesotho and back into South Africa, heading to Cape Town, from where we fly out on Friday morning (our time). We have done about 3000kms in the rental vehicle so far.

September 13th

September 10th. In the afternoon we went to Knysna to wander around the waterfront shops, then back to Sedgefield. Dined at a lovely Italian restaurant, la Traviata. It was an excellent meal.

September 11th - we were up and away by 7pm, heading back along the Garden Route back through Plettenburg Bay and then on to new scenery. We drove 600 km's to East London, the drive was through some lovely scenery with ocean and mountain views alternating at various points. Fairly uneventful with roadworks the only major distraction, and there are plenty of those.

Morning tea at a cafe at Humansdorp,  and our lunch stop was at Grahamstown; we got to our accommodation in East London about 3:00pm. A very comfortable B&B. The owner is disappointed to learn we are only overnighting and not staying around to enjoy the rugby with him on Saturday. He gives us some sage advice about our route the next day and shows us a safe route around the Transkei which will only be a little bit longer time wise, than the direct route we have been warned against, several times now.

Dinner was at a fine dining establishment down on the Eastern beachfront, Grazia Fine Food Restaurant. Four entrees, four mains and a bottle of wine for less than 1,000 Rand ($100) and the food was exquisite.

Day 35. Friday 12 September.

We expect to take about ten or so hours to get to Howick so we are on the road at 6:00 am. We head up the N2 towards Buttersworth and cut north a few kilometres before we get there towards Tsomo, Ngcobo and Elliott.

We are taken by the spread of the townships through the Transkei area and how each has their own fenced off "quarter acre section" surrounding their homes, usually a small hut or two. Most are barren at the moment, some are ploughed in readiness for planting some form of vegetable crop. Some have power, there is no apparent water source and very few vehicles among them. There are a myriad of people walking along the road edges, either heading to school, waiting for buses or whatever. The towns we pass through are not conducive to stopping for a shopping expedition and the eyes we see watching us appear almost contemptuous. Far from welcoming.

We travel on to Maclear where we spot a roadside cafe just before we leave town. It has off street parking so we decide to stop for a coffee and cake. The owner has recently taken over the business and is very welcoming. She advises she has just put a batch of scones in the oven so if we want to wait 15 minutes we can have them hot and fresh. So we do. We ask her to recommend a good place for lunch on our route and she gives us the name of a cafe in Underberg that she has heard good reports of. A few hours later after travelling up through Mount Fletcher, Matatiele, and Cedarville we are happy to attest that it is a good recommendation.

Shortly before getting to Howick we come across a fatal motor accident which holds us up for about 15 minutes. While it is unfortunate, it is not unexpected. In our travels to date we have witnessed or come upon the aftermath of four road crashes, two today but only this one has had a fatality. For the most part the standard of driving has been good but, just like NZ, there are some bloody idiots out there. It is not uncommon to see cars overtaking on blind corners or double lines or generally taking stupid risks. It appears that most road rules are used only as a guideline and if you keep a 50, 100 or 200 rand note (depending on who you are) with your ID card and licence most transgressions will be overlooked by the officer.

We finally arrive in Howick about 4:30 and our host meets us in town about 10 minutes later. We follow him back to the farmhouse they rent out in the country. A rambling farmhouse in about half a hectare in the middle of a 300 hectare farm with sheep, cattle and some cropping. The road from the edge of town is unsealed, but reasonable condition. The driveway is about half a kilometre of potholes joined together. The welcome from Charles, Lesley and their Great Dane, Bently, is warm and sincere. Charles and Lesley are friends from our OE 2008 cycling trip.

We bounce our way out to a local pizza parlour for dinner and home again for coffee and a good nights rest.

Day 36. Saturday 13 September. (Five weeks completed already.)

We awake to the call of laughing doves and a nice sunny warm day. Breakfast on the verandah overlooking the farm, the valley and the distant hills with sheep bleating in the meadow. Lesley informs us that the TV is tuned in to the rugby channel and that the All Blacks v Springboks game kicks off at 9:30.

You already know the outcome of the game. It is certainly different watching it in S. Africa with the locals cheering when the Springboks make the tackle or score! Fortunately it was a good game, the referee didn't spoil it and the result was right for us, probably made certain by John cheering for the Springboks to try and even up the numbers. A loss would have led to charges of treason however. I have also discovered that Bently thinks he is a lap dog. Have you ever had a Great Dane sit on your lap?

Therese and I bumped our way back into town to do some shopping with Lesley. We have generally had a much needed, very restful day.
Now sitting on the verandah, it has just gone dark. The dog has just caught a rat! We have seen monkeys in the nearby bush. Certainly still in Africa!

September 10th

The morning was damp in Sedgefield, but we travelled along the coast about 70ms to Plettenberg Bay and it was warmer and sunnier. Spent the day visiting different animal and bird attractions. They were all set up to rescue pets which people no longer wanted (lions which had become to big, for instance) or animals no longer wanted by zoos.
First we went to Birds of Eden, the largest single-dome free-flight aviary in the world. We saw many of the 200 different species, but certainly not all. Some very colourful birds from all over the world, visible from a wooden walkway which goes up into the canopy of the trees. Richard was popular with the birds _ he had a couple sitting on his shoulder for a long time! They had obviously been pets and one was very talkative.

Next stop was Monkeyland, where we were able to wander around in the sanctuary with the free-roaming apes, monkeys and lemurs. Many had also been kept as pets and came from all over the world to be re-homed at the sanctuary. There was a 128meter suspension bridge; while walking over it the monkeys were running alongside!  

After a quick lunch we visited Jukani, where there are a variety of big cats which have been rescued - lions, white lions, tigers, cheetahs, cougars, caracal, African wild dogs, and hyena. We walked around the electrified enclosures and heard about how they have saved some of the animals.

Then it was time to get our dinner supplies from a well-stocked Pick and Pay supermarket and head "home". We lit the braai - Therese successfully got it burning - and had beautifully barbecue steaks for dinner.

This morning is chore time - put the washing into the big commercial washing machine and went for a game of mini-golf nearby while the cycle ran. Then started the dryer while we finished the golf. Liz was the winner over the 18 holes, beating John by one point, while Richard was third.

September 8th

We were up and breakfasted and leaving the unit just after 8am. Headed first back along the coast then inland to George, and then to Oudtshoorn. Went over 800m Outeniqua Pass. It was cloudy and almost raining when we left the coast, but cleared up to be a lovely day inland. After a 1.5 hour drive we arrived at the Cango Caves, and had a coffee while we waited for the 11am tour. No one was game enough to do the Adventure Tour which needed one to be fit and slim, to go through some very small holes in the caves! Our tour was through the first five chambers - around 550m into the caves. There were some amazing large caves with stalagmites and staligites forming large columns. Amy and Jeromé had been here two days prior, and Amy sang Panis Angelicus in the first big chamber, which until the 1950's had been used for concerts.
The underground spaces were amazing, and we enjoyed the experience.

From there we drove back to the Cango Ostrich Farm. Here we had lunch before doing a tour - seeing the incubators, and feeding and -Therese - riding an ostrich. She stayed on for at least 8 seconds. There was a weight limit of 80kg so John and Patrick were not eligible, and I did not want to risk a broken bone!

Next stop was the Cango Wilderness Ranch. We finally got to see a leopard! Or two, in fact. The park was home to many different species from Africa and around the world - lions, tigers, lemurs, crocodiles, and many more.

Last stop was an ostrich skin handbag manufacturer, where Liz purchased a new handbag. Will be an heirloom piece for Amy.

A supermarket stop for dinner supplies and home to Swartvlei.

September 7th, 2014

We left Cape Town just before 7am, and had a smooth exit from the city on the N2, following the instructions of Ms Garmin.

Breakfast was at Hermanus, where we watched a whale frolicking in the sea in the distance while we ate. We then went to Cape Agulhas, and stood at the southernmost point of Africa.

From there we drove along the Garden Route to Sedgefield,cohere we are staying in a timeshare unit for 5 nights. Arrived around 4.30, unpacked, and went to the Spar (supermarket) to get our supplies for dinner and breakfast.

Had a rice risotto for dinner, then headed to bed for an early night after ä few long days of travel.

Woke to another beautiful African day. Sat on the balcony for breakfast, after which we wandered around to see the facilities at the resort. There is a swimming pool, mini-golf, and a few canoes. It is situated on a lagoon. Very pleasant spot.

We went to Sedgefield and drove the Tourist Route - it took us through the township, where the many residents were sitting outside enjoying the Sunday sun; children were playing on the roads but moved over quickly as we came by. Sedgefield is known as a mosaic town, and there were examples of mosaic statues and art works all along the drive. The road then went out to the coast - the Indian Ocean - and then we drove along the side of the lagoon back to the main road.
Lunched at a sand bar and restaurant - sitting in the sand - where we shared a pizza, then drove to Knysna to go down to the coast. Magnificent view of the Heads, with the Ocean crashing in through the narrow gap.

Back to the unit, and now sitting in the lovely late afternoon sun enjoying a G&T.