There was washing to be done and supplies to be topped up, not to mention visiting friends in the area, so we spent two nights at the Mountain Breeze Caravan Park in Stellenbosch.
As soon as the chores were out of the way we visited Jonathan and Debi in Somerset West. Jonathan was at home recovering from a shoulder operation which he had just a few weeks after Debi had a similar procedure.
For our evening meal we met up with Hannlé at Giovanni’s Restaurant in the Eikendal Wine Estate. We had a pleasant day and as always, it was great to catch up with old friends.
The next day was rainy, cold and miserable, unlike the previous sunny day when we were doing our washing. Before we left Mountain Breeze, I asked Roger to turn into the Eikendal estate again; I enjoyed the wine so much the previous evening that I wanted to buy a box which we could take home with us. Just as well. The estate is a short distance from the caravan park, so before picking up speed on the main road, it was time to turn off again. During the turn there was a strange sound which had us puzzled for a moment. A few meters further, as we turned into the wine estate, Roger saw in the rear-view camera that Suzi was not tracking straight. He immediately brought the ‘train’ to a halt, accompanied by an ominous grinding from the rear. The A-frame had broken and the left-hand side was dragging on the road. This was something he had been worried about since we left home.
Without the bolt there was no proof of what had happened and obviously Roger wanted to query it with the installer. He immediately set out on foot, retracing our ‘steps’, through the rain and mud, to where the sound was first heard. And voilà, there he found the sheared bolt. Fortunately, we were not at speed on the main road where the car could have potentially ‘gone off’ and into the oncoming traffic; the other side’s bolt was also worn. It could have been a costly exercise as the insurance does not cover towing a Jimny with an A-frame…
Ufudu was booked for work at AC Motorhomes on Monday the 8th, and we were hoping that there would be a workshop in the area where the bent arm could be straightened, so for the next 4 days we would have to drive separately. It felt rather strange.
We were on our way to Miller’s Point Caravan Park but stopped in at Jonathan’s again, hoping that he could assist in straitening the bent arm. Unfortunately, the 10 mm steel plate would not be straightened in a vice, so we resigned ourselves to the ‘separate driving’ situation.
Millar’s Point is a stunningly beautiful place. And being a municipal facility, it was also very affordable. We stayed two nights. The first night was rather peaceful; it was Thursday and the weekend crowd had not yet arrived. The weekenders started arriving from about lunchtime on Friday and by the evening almost all the stands were occupied.
We awoke to a commotion on Saturday morning. Excited voices and vehicles coming and going soon had us out of bed to investigate. There had been a break-in during the night. The perpetrators had slashed through our neighbour’s tent and stolen their wallets, cellphones and weekend’s supply of booze. I felt sorry for them; their weekend was ruined. I also, once again, felt thankful that we have a ‘solid’ roof over our heads and a door that locks…
The weather was beautiful, so we spent the next day driving around the area, just enjoying the scenery, and catching up with Carol and Mike over dinner, eating tapas at the Foodbarn in Noordhoek. Thanks for a lovely evening guys!
Our next stop was Imhoff Caravan Park in Kommetjie. The caravan park itself was very old-fashioned and nothing to write home about, but there is so much to do in the area that it was only a place to shower and sleep.
A walk on the pier at Mariner’s Warf, followed by the famous fish and chips was a must of course.
Going on board required a ‘small donation’, mmm…, maybe to pay for that distinct whiskey whiff drifting on the breeze? The craft looked like it had not moved in many years and a Google search revealed a far less colourful and exciting history than was given on board!
On Sunday we had a get-together with Aveena and her hubby, Henk, and Etienne at the On the Rocks Restaurant in Bloubergstrand. Once again, we had a sumptuous meal and a lovely time catching up. Drinks were at Aveena’s house in Tableview afterwards. Thanks for your hospitality Aveena, as always.
After leaving Aveena’s house we moved on to the Hardekraaltjie Caravan Park in Bellville in order to be close to AC Motorhomes for our appointment in the morning.
On Monday morning Ufudu’s niggles were swiftly and efficiently sorted out by Hein and his team. At the same time Roger took the A-frame’s bent right arm to an Engineering Workshop close by.
By lunch-time we were all fixed up and ready to move on.