Weekend in Hermanus

10.08.12: Freiden

Um 9 Auer guffen mier vum Dave de Beer ofgeholl. D’Wierder wuar schein an a sengem neien rouden, VW Combi ass ed an Richtung Bredasdorp gaang. Do sin mier als eischt an enger afrikanescher Kerzenfabrik/boutique stoen bliwwen. T’ass e wonnerscheint Geschäft, voller Faarwen an Idee’en. Leider konnten mer ned alles mathuelen, well een daad dann nemei heem transporteiert kritt hett… No eiser eischter Gruppenfoto sin mer weider an Richtung Natur Reservat De Hoop gefuert. Rieseg greng Landschaften hun eis do ob enger 15 km laanger Sandstrooss emginn. Wim er aus dem Auto erausgeklommen sin, hun mier no e puer Schrett entdeckt, datt sech hannert den Dünen di scheinsten Landschaftsbiller gebueden hun: eng rieseg Plage mat Muschelen di bei en scheint hell bloot a kloert Mier feieren. Hei sin mer och deenen eischten Waalen begeint. Mam Dave sengen Spektiven konnten mier se och vun mei no ukucken, an hun während enger Stonn d’Natur, d’Sonn an d’Loft genoss, WOW!

Ed ass weider ob den „Most Southern Point of Africa“ gang, deen sech zu Cape Agulhas befennt. Hei treffen den Indik an den Atlantik obeneen. Als nächst haaten mer um 4 Auer Lunch: Fish & Chips, yumii. Di lescht Statioun wuar Hermanus, Richtung Walker Bay. Ed wuar schon deischter wu mer an der Jugendherberg „Backpackers“ ukomm sin. Zu Hermanus fillt een sech an enger aaner Welt: europäeschen Stil an ed giff een ned mengen datt an desem Land d’Aarmut esou weit a stark verbreed ass. Beim Anchecken kruten mier eis Kummer zu 5 : 1 Duebelbett, en Heichbett an eng Schlofcouch mad Kichen an Buedzemmer. Natierlech haaten se keen Heater waad mer eis ned erwaart, mee gewenscht hetten ;) Den Dave ass eis geint halwer 9 sichen kommen fir d’Duerf bei Nuecht ze erliewen. Mir sin bei den Italiener (Paradiso) eppes klenges iessen gaang an hun eng Flesch afrikaneschen Wein gedronk. Dono sin mer an en Cafe (Tapas) eppes drenken gaang. Doud midd an hallef erfruer ass den Dave ass um halwer 12 rem sichen komm an huet eis zreck an de Backpackers bruecht. Mir wuaren frou ennert eng wuarm Bettdecken ze kommen an sin och direkt ageschlof.

11.08.12: Samsten

Fir zwee vun eis wuar des Nuecht ned esou agreabel. Ed haat gestirmt a gereent wi aus Eemer. D’Joelle an d’Anne haaten gemengt eis Kummer wier iwwerschwemmt an haten gefaart hinnen giff den Daach gleich iwwert dem Kapp ewech fleihen. Kaffi gedronk guff, am Stoen, mad all den Leit di am Backpackers geschlof haten. Den ganzen Daag iwwer wuar schlecht Wierder: ed huet permanent gereent an ed wuar kaal. Als eischt huet den Dave eis mad bei en Aussichtspunkt ob engem Bierg geholl mad enger Vue iwwert ganz Hermanus. Dono kruten mer di reich Quartier’en, wu nierwendrun den Plakkerscamp ass, gewisen. Desen Plakkerscamp wuar aussergeweinlech propper an ennerhaalen. Mir guffen ob immens vill verschidden Aussichtspunkter beim Mier gefouert fier Waalen ze gesin, mee mad weineg Succes… Als nächst huet en eis bei engem Maart erausgeloss, mee just kuerz drop huet et ugefaang hefteg ze reenen. Pletschnaass huet den Dave eis mat an sein Fotosatelier geholl. Seng Foto’en hun eis all begeeschtert. Nodeems en eis abenteuerlech Geschichten zu sengen Foto’en erzielt huet, ass ed dunn ob en Drink an e Snack an de Kitsch Cafe niewendrun gaangen. Den Cafe wuar am Stil vun den 70er Joer’en ageriecht an fir ziessen kruten mer Blueberry Muffins oder en typeschen afrikaneschen Vetkoek. (<<Fat Cook>>) No engem ureegenden Gespreich iwwert d’Apartheid sin mir duerch de Reen a Richtung Gecko, e Cafe am „Harbour“. No zwou Stonnen Chilling am Backpackers huet den Dave eis no 7 ofgeholl fir  an den Annis se Kombuis Restaurant iessen ze goen: typesch afrikaneschen Kascht. D’Iessen wuar richteg lecker =) Beim Bezuelen huet d’Frutzi den Garçon gefroot, wei een ze Fouss zreck bei den Backpackers kommen giff ? Seng Entwert wuar d’Propose eis ze feieren. Kuerzerhand sin mer dunn zu 6 an e klengen, rouden an aalen VW (deifgelued) geklomm, an hun gehofft datt heen de Backpackers och giff fannen ;) An tatsechlech sin mer firun der Dier vum Backpackers erausgeloss gin an hun him als klengen Merci eis Visitekärtchen vum Blogg geloss. (Jo Mama, ech sin bei e friemen Mann an den Auto geklomm, haha) Ed wuar nach ned esou speit, sou datt mer am Obenthaltsraum, deen vun engem Kameinfeier gehetzt gin ass, Bicher geliess an Tagebuch geschriwwen hun. Mier hun och kuerz mat deitschen Volontären aus Stellenbosch geschwaat.

12.08.12: Sonden

De Moien sin mer erem um 10 Auer ofgeholl gin an sin ob en Aussichtspunkt fir Waalen gefuer. D’Sonn ass lues a lues erauskomm. Ob daer Plaatz hun mer 4 Surfer’en nogekuckt, di ganz no un de Waalen probeiert hun, ob de Wellen ze reiden. Suguer dem Aly sein Haus sin mer kucken gaangen. Shark Diving konnten mer leider ned maachen, well d’Wiederconditiounen ed net zougeloss hun. An daer Shark Diving Bay (Keinbaai) hun mer am Great White House zu metteg giess bis datt mer eis dunn schlussendlech rem ob de Wee fier a Richtung Bonnievale gemaacht hun. Ob der Farm ukomm huet den Dave eis nach verschidden Fotoen vun him gewisen. Spazeieren gaangen sin mer och fir eis bessen ze beweegen no daer laanger Fahrt. All wuaren mer frou eng wuarm a laang Dusch geneissen ze kennen. =) Als Owesiessen hun mer e bessen improviseiert: Rechter an Croque Monsieur ouni Haam, Cornflakes an Schmieren sin ed dunn gin. Mier hun elo zimlech laang gebraucht fir eisen W-E ze resumeieren an waerten elo an d’Bett goen, eis gudd ausschlofen.

10.08.12: Friday

Dave de Beer, our guide, picked us up at 9 a.m. His red VW Combi took us to Bredasdorp where we “visited” a beautiful big candle shop. The weather was quite nice and we took the first group picture before leaving for De Hoop (Nature Reserve). Getting out of the car we discovered a beautiful landscape and behind the dunes the hidden blue sea. With binoculars we could closely watch the whales and enjoyed the pure nature moments during one hour in the sun. AMAZING! Then we drove to “The Most Southern Point of Africa“which is situated in Cape Agulhas. A marker at Cape Agulhas indicates the official dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. At 4 p.m. we ate Fish & Chips for lunch, yummy. In the late afternoon we arrived in Hermanus (Walker Bay). When we arrived at our youth hostel, Backpackers, it was already getting dark. We got a nice room for 5 with a kitchen and a bathroom.(no heater =( ) Dave brought us to town at 8.30 p.m. to discover the nightlife in Hermanus which is similar to an European city. We ate a little snack at an Italian Restaurant (Paradiso) and drank African Wine. Afterwards we went to a small Café (Tapas) for a drink. Dave came to pick us up at 11.30 p.m. We were very tired and we were glad lying in our warm bed and were fast asleep.

11.08.12: Saturday

Tonight there was a horrible storm outside and we were worried that the rainb could come inside our “house”. We ate breakfast (standing) with all the guests staying at the backpackers as Dave picked us up to start our trip. The weather was very bad and it was cold all day long. We drove through the richer parts of Hermanus all round a plakkerskamp which was surprisingly quite clean. We went to different places to watch whales with only few results. Our next stop was at a market. After a few minutes it started to rain. All wet Dave took us to his own photo gallery to show us his work. After some adventurous stories about his pictures we ate South African meals at the Kitsch Café. (70ies style)

We talked about Apartheid and continued our trip to the Gecko- Bat before returning to the Backpackers. We had two hours of free time and stayed in our room to talk about everything that came to our mind. =) We had dinner at nice little South African restaurant called Annis se Kombuis. The waiter brought us home safe at 9 p.m. and we finished our day in the common room next a fireplace with a book or our diary. We met nice German volunteers from Stellenbosch and slept like little babies that night =)

12.08.12: Sunday

This Morning we got up at 10 a.m. and Dave de Beer took us to a whale-watching-point. The sun came out and 4 men were surfing very close to the whales. We drove  to De Kelders to take a look at Aly´s house. Unfortunately the Shark Diving was cancelled because of the weather so we had lunch at the Great White House in Keinbaai. Inside the restaurant the bones of a whale were hanging on the ceiling. After the lekker chicken or fish we ended our trip with the ride to Bonnievale. Back at the farm, Dave impressed us by showing his beautiful pictures of wild animals, whales and birds.

Everybody, even Marloes and the rest of the family, were exhausted after the long weekend, so everybody prepared his own sandwich for dinner.

Now we are tired and we will go to bed with a big smile on our face.