RCYC, Capetown, SA

We just got back from our week long walkabout along the Garden Route in South Africa. We rented a car ( nasty Hyundai i20) and drove from Capetown and stopped for lunch at The Old Goal House restaurant in the charming town of Swellendam. Then on to Mossel Bay for the night at a very nice Protea hotel on the hill overlooking the bay. Dinner at the very informal Kaai 4 on the beach. The Admiral had a mussel pot and I had a traditional lamb bar b que. We visited the excellent Dias museum on the following day. Lots of interesting stuff in the maritime museum, including the replica of a caravel that sailed  from Portugal to Mossel bay in the fifteenth century by the intrepid Senor Dias.
Next stop was Knysna and lunch at the East Head Cafe overlooking the lagoon. It was a fairly calm day and entry into the lagoon would have been easy that day. We stayed at another Protea Hotel, very well located for the Waterfront and the Knysna Yacht Club. We had dinner with our friends, John and Tracey at the The Olive Tree, which I would recommend strongly.
We went on to Plettenberg Bay next day and had a nice lunch at Enrico's at Keurboomstrand. Good restaurant offering local oysters and prawn overlooking Plettenberg Bay and the beach.
We drove east for for a further 25 miles and visited Nature's Valley and had a lovely walk on an almost deserted beach that was reminiscent of the 90 mile beach on the north island of New Zealand.
Next day we had a long drive into the Karoo. We saw lots of ostrich farms in Oudshoorn on our way north into spectacular high desert country to the small village of Prince Albert and then a long drive back to Knysna.
We went over to the yacht club that evening for their end of Movember Party. Lots of red wine and oysters for dinner.
In order to counter these excesses we did a long hike in the Knysna forest the next day. It was a perfectly clear day in lovely, rolling countryside.
On our way out to dinner that night we had an unfortunate encounter with South Africa's seamier side. My ATM debit card was cloned by some crafty locals. It was my fault really as I did not take the usual precautions that I should have done. I made a successful withdrawal at an ATM and while we were walking away two people called us back and said that the transaction was incomplete and that I should re-insert the card. I should have just walked away but I did re-insert the card and put in my PIN. The machine promptly ate the card and before I could get back to the hotel and the internet, these two jokers had maxed out the card. How they got the card out of the machine is not obvious to me but this scam it apparently quite common in Africa I am now sadder but wiser.
Fortunately, the bank made up the loss but from now on, I will only do ATM withdrawals in broad daylight inside a reputable bank. Never use free standing ATM machines and if anyone approaches you, however friendly, while you are doing your transaction, tell them to go away in no uncertain terms even if it means being rude. If an ATM eats you card cancel it immediately as your account is likely compromised.
Leaving Knysna, the next day we went north on route 62, stopping in Callisdorp for a very pedestrian lunch but the port and dessert wine vineyards were worth a visit. That we stayed at the Mimosa guest house in Montague which is also quite beautiful with traditional Dutch architecture surrounded by vineyards.
We had a wonderful 4 course dinner that evening at the Mimosa and slept very soundly indeed.
We drove back through the Franschoek Pass (amazing views) and on to Franschoek itself and then the wine country of Stellenbosch. We visited the Beyerskloof Winery for lunch and some tasting of their wares and then back to Capetown.
While we had wheels we took a small detour to the Gemini-Evo factory where they make RIBs. I found one in hypolon which will fit nicely on our afterdeck and will be a much better choice than our old Westmarine dinghy. They put us in touch with a local retailer who gave us a very good price on the new dinghy and a Yamaha 15 hp. 2 stroke and even better agreed to take the old one in trade-in.
I should have the new one on Monday. Yay!
Back the yacht club where it was blowing a gale literally. 35 kts with gusts to over 50!
Such is springtime in Capetown, oh well.
Photos to follow.