I’m back in Cape Town, but moer, I’m missing those headspace plains of the #Knersvlakte, not to mention the back roads and lekker dorpies of the amazing Namaqua West Coastregion. Die enigste probleem is dat daar te veel wyn en heeltemal te min tyd is, maar nou ja … sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.
Die ander ding is: Namakwalanders het nie ‘n off-switch nie. Wyntyd is enige tyd van brekfis tot middernag verby – dit geld ook vir #Zamalek by spots soos #BagdadCafe – and where there’s wine there’s food, and hospitality, and back-slap cameraderie, en ‘n hele spul kakpraat. In fact, I’m surprised Pistol Peter Kirk and I got any work done in between all the bonhomie and properse #NamaquaGees that characterises the people of this rough-and-always-ready-to-
Have I mentioned it is fokken mooi here in the #NamaquaWeskus? We spent our first night tucking into some quality steaks and a few Maskam Brewing Company lagers at the Letsatsi Lodge NC Famous, and it is rightly ‘famous’. Great food, top class hospitality and unparrallelled service means you HAVE to stop there the next time you’re cruising to #Kgalagadi … kyk uit vir #Letsatsi net oos van die N7, regoor Vanrhynsdorp, Western Cape, South Africa
We met up with Chief Cheerleader Monika De Jager before dawn, and set course into the formidable #Knersvlakte. Daar’s maar min dinge mooier as die son wat opkom oor #Gifberg en #Maskamberg, and we got stuck into a solid slice of #magichour light before continuing on our road trip up to the Bitterfontein Boerewinkel for coffee and the best flippen #roosterkoek you’ll find north of the #DouseTheGlim Line. Great to also meet owner Stefan Gerber, and hear about their plans to finally place SA’s merino wool on the world map.
Cue #BagdadCafe, ‘n bedonnerde padstal op die #Nieuwoudtville pad wat ooswaarts ‘n lyn sny na die binnelandse platorand toe. Wees versigtig, want as die eienaar Owen jou raakdrink, is jy sommer kniediep in die kak, ou maat. Met ‘n paar take-away Zamaleks (lees 12x van hulle) is ons daar weg die #Kobee in, op soek na grondpad passe wat nog net ‘n handjievol mense ondervind het. One of these passes is the #Tierberg ascent; with incline angles of up to 31%, it rates as one of the TOP 10 steepest passes in South Africa.
Bikes were ridden. Drones were flown. Beers were consumed. Kak was spoken. At length. EN daai aand het dinge lekker geraak by #BagdadCafe … net jammer ons het die sunset gemis.
Ja nee, I can confirm that the fun will find you here in the #Namaqua West Coast. There are superb adventures lurking around literally every corner, up every gravel road, in all those little #Matzikamma dorps, and in every little hide-away bay dotting the icy Atlantic shoreline. En jy gaan moer baie wyn drink, maar dis oraait, want dis very blerry lekker wyn, ou pjêl!
Huge thanks to Maskam Guest Farm Bagdad Cafe Letsatsi Lodge NC Famous Bitterfontein Boerewinkel and of course the irrepressibly stoutgat Monika De Jager Julle Namakwalanders is legends!
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