Adventure Before Dementia ZA

10/09/2026

Do you have anything to declare?

I've been quiet the last few days, because we have been taking it easy. We had something planned for yesterday, and we knew we'd need our strength for it. So the last few days were kind of like the taper before a big race.

No, it wasn't a marathon, triathlon or anything like that. But we had decided to hike up the Sani Pass, have lunch, and then hike down again. And from what we have read, it's a bit of a challenge. So some of the walks we have done lately, have been to test the water. We have been adapting to the altitude slowly but surely over the last 6 weeks. And we knew we could do the distance.

But it was going to take digging deep, especially for me, to handle the altitude change. Cradock is 900m above sea level. That it's the altitude difference between the SA and Lesotho border posts. Over a mere 8km. Whereas from Port Elizabeth to Cradock is almost 200km as the crow flies, so it is 1/20 of the climb per kilometer. You can only go up in a 4x4. And it's a gravel road. But I wanted to go up, and didn't want to do it with a tour operator like last time, and we weren't prepared to take our car up. So shanks' pony it was to be!

There was a South Africa show many moons ago, and one of the actresses used to say "I nearly died!" And yesterday reminded me of that. I can't remember the name of the show. If you can, please drop it in a comment. I'd love to know.

And by the top, I was certainly not hungry. In fact, I was seriously concerned about not keeping my lunch down. Fortunately, just at the top, we ran into a French gentleman who had passed us on the was up, and we struck up a conversation, and by the end of the 15 minutes, I felt much better. Still not hungry, but ready for a good coffee!

When we got to the resturant, Highest Pub In Africa, we had to take photos so we could show the one from 30 years ago, and the one from now. And they still have the original sign we stood next to, but unfortunately not in a place where we could take a photo with us next to it.

On the way up, several people had stopped to check on us and encourage us, so in the resturant, we felt a little like celebrities. People saying they were glad we'd made it, good job, hats off, respect. It was quite sweet. I was even offered a glass of wine. But I politely declined as I knew I'd need to be stone cold sober to not land on my rear end on the way down. There is lots of loose gravel and going down, my feet slipped many times, even in the correct shoes. But yey, we both managed to correct each time it happened.

And the trip down passed in a flash, I could not believe it when I saw it had taken 2h39. It certainly didn't feel like it.

At the border post, there is a sign that asks "Do you have anything to declare?" So when we got to the counter, Hubby said to the lovely lady who was helping us that he had something to declare. She looked at him and he says "I declare that my wife is flipping crazy!" She had such a laugh. "It's so sweet to see 2 people enjoying being together so much!" Was her response. And she is right, we do have lots of fun together!

On the way home, we popped in at the pub, and ordered pretty drinks, and sat and enjoyed them as the sun set. The perfect ending to a perfect birthday!

But now, I'm just trying to work out, for my next birthday, what crazy thing can I plan to do!

Please note. You have to pre- book your spot at the pub or you will not be allowed in. There is a R200 person booking fee, which is taken off your bill.

Each photo is captioned, so please scroll through them all to see why the photo is there.

10/09/2026

If your retirement is getting closer, this is one of the best articles I have read.

In the last 18 months, since we retired, we have had many conversations. This sums up the ones where people are happily retired beautifully!

If you know this going into retirement, it will help you so much.

Retirement is one of life’s biggest transitions, yet most of us step into it with far less preparation than we brought to our first job. You’ve spent decades building a career, raising a family, meeting obligations and deadlines, and now suddenly the calendar opens up like an endless horizon. Th...

08/09/2026

Tonight's supper and some of tomorrow's necessities. What hell does poor Hubby have to endure tomorrow?

06/09/2026

A different landscape

After a night of heavy storms, we woke to a campsite covered in mist. Mist is really beautiful, and in my opinion, it hides so much, and that different view is lovely. Yes, I wear a cap to the ablutions to keep my glasses dry, and I have a towel to dry our feet when we get back to the caravan, but it is really pretty so worth the minor inconvenience.

Where Drakensberg Gardens is normally about mountains, today it is about trees and the river. The river is definitely flowing stronger, but still not strong. And the dry waterfall we saw this week, is probably flowing a little. But it's too slippery to go and look at the moment. So when the rain clears, we'll redo that section of the trail, and see how the rain has changed the waterfall.

I'm not normally a fan of black and white photos, but I thought grey photos on a very grey were appropriate.

Have a wonderful Sunday, and may the week ahead be wonderful!

05/09/2026

500 days and counting

It is hard to believe that we have been on the road for 500 days today!

500 days of adventure.
500 days of living the dream.
500 days of living together in the caravan, and we're both still alive!

And yet, if I look at where we have been, what we have done, and what we have seen, it's hard to believe is only 500 days.

We've had 31 stops, 28 unique campsites, meet countless people, and spent far more than we had expected. The fuel price hasn't helped in that department!

But most of all, we are filled with awe and gratitude. Awe at how beautiful this country is, and gratitude that we can be on this journey.

We've been asked what our favourite campsites have been, and we certainly can't say this is no. 1, no 2, etc. But our favorites, in no specific order have been:
- Plett Forever - kayaking, cycling, beach
- Dwarswegstrandoord - beach walks, so much to do in the area
- Leentjiesklip - the sunsets and West Coast NP for flowers and cycling
- Mountain Splendour - hiking, so much to do in the area
- Gooderson Drakensberg Gardens - hiking

The places we have enjoyed the most are not only the ones where the campsites are great, but are also well situated. Where we have been able to cycle lots or hike or explore.

Not on the list is Vanzylsrus. It was a lovely clean place to park the caravan, but there are no on-site facilities. But the campers we met there, I have to be honest, were some of the loveliest people we have met. We've met lots of wonderful people, but there was something special about the people there. Maybe it was that we were all in the same situation, all living on the road permanently, and similar ages. They immediately felt like old friends. And we all arrived within a day or 2 of each other. But whatever the reason, they immediately became friends, and I look forward to our paths crossing again.

There are times when we have bookings well in advance. And there are times when we don't know where we'll find ourselves in a week. Some places are dirt cheap for what you get. Some you feel like you are paying for the name. But each one is an experience we'll not forget.

We said when we set out that we don't want to stay at the same place again and again, but that is not something we'll stick too. There are some places that we've enjoyed so very much, that we know we will be back again, even if we don't know when.

But for now, we look forward to a couple of new places after here, as we had back to PE over the next few months, so we can spend time with the family over Christmas.

This is the full list of places we have stayed, in order. There are a couple where I didn't include photos, simply because I didn't have a photo I really liked. I'll caption the images so you know where each is.

1.Storms River NP
2.Pine Lodge, PE
3.Carochalet, Middleburg
4.Augrabies NP
5.Monate, Upington
6.Tweerivieren, Kgalagadi NP
7.Monate, Upington
8.Klein Pella, Pella
9.Springbok
10.Leentjiesklip, Langebaan
11.Woodbourne, Knysna
12.Pine Lodge PE
13.Jeffreysbay
14.Dibiki, Riversdale
15.The Baths, Citrusdal
16.Malkoppan, Lambertsbay
17.Goegap, Springbok
18.Kroon Lodge, Kamieskroon
19.Vanrhynsdorp
20.Bulshoek Dam, Clanwilliam
21.Leentjiesklip, Langebaan
22.Vanzylsrus Kuilsrivier
23.Dwarswegstrandoord, Groot Brak
24.Plett Forever, Keurbooms
25.Willows, PE
26.Tortoni, Maclear
27.Rocky Bay, Park Rynie
28.Bahati, Hluhluwe
29.Bluff Eco, Durban
30.Mountain Splendour, Winterton
31.Gooderson Drakensberg Gardens, Underberg

And last, but certainly not least, THANK YOU to each of you who had joined us on this journey. Every reaction, every comment and every share makes it worth creating these posts.

And to each and every one who has made suggestions about things to do in an area, thank you. There are so many things we would not have known to do, and have really enjoyed doing.

To the next 500 days!

05/09/2026

Yesterday was a cold and rainy day, so we couldn't go out to play, so I cooked instead.

Being our anniversary, I had to do something special🤣

Hubby laughed really hard when he saw the decoration on the pie. BTW, it was a "venison wors cottage pie" pie. Because that was what ingredients I had. And the muffins were chocolate with Rolo centers.

Cooking is SO not my thing, so Hubby thought it was a real treat.

04/09/2026

Day after day, we have had hot sunny days. Last night we watched as the weather changed. The clouds were stunning.

03/09/2026

One year ago, but 34 years of the best decision...

Early in the morning of the 3rd of September last year, I got out of bed to go to the bathroom, and something in my back made a popping sound, and a pain like I have never experienced before, shot down my leg. Needless to say, Hubby had to help me to the ablutions, and it really felt like a very long walk. My leg kept on collapsing under me and besides the shooting pain down my leg, there was a lot of numbness in my leg. And getting up from the loo, that was a whole different experience!

As soon as I got back to the caravan, I looked up the local doctor and made an appointment. And sciatica was diagnosed.

Fast forward 8 weeks, and there had been no improvement. I'd eventually had an MRI, and the damage was not going to go away, so I had been to the ortho, and I had a microdiscectomy scheduled. Great decision for me!

If I look back on the last year, it has been pretty good. The back issue was a blimp on the radar, if I look at the year as a whole. I have always taken my health for granted, but looked after it, and this reminded me that I must appreciate it more. And the great thing is that, I have been making a concerted effort to get stronger than I was.

For those who have had a similar op, I'm sure you will remember that the recovery can be frustrating. I still have some residual numbness. If I walk barefoot, it feels like I have a blob of chewing gum under my foot. My flexibility is still not back completely. But I'm very close to where I was.

And I'm very grateful for Hubby. He has been a pillar of strength and support. When I was unable to do things, he did everything without complaining.

And tomorrow, we celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary. I've made some bad decisions, and I've made some good ones.

But marrying my Hubby, now that was the best decision ever!