Kari and Erik Helgesen
Randi and Bjorn Fuglevaag
Trondheim - Norway
25 January 2004
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I met the Helgesen's and Fuglevaag's at their hotel in Cape Town and after a short period of us getting to know one another we started out on our Winelands / Garden Route tour
We first did a short tour of the city where I took the above photo of Erik, Kari, Bjorn and Randi in front of Table Mountain as seen from Bo-Kaap.
This photo was an accidental photo taken of Bjorn but a wonderful one at that. JJ
We visited the Afrikaans language monument where I took the above photo of the foursome.
We stopped in at Cotage Fromage for lunch
After stopping in at Cathbert Country house we moved on to Kayamandi
In Kayamandi we met up Bani Bagotso and had a great time with the group as the following pictures show
Kari and Watieswa having fun
Kari, Nosandile and Randi in Nosandile's house/shack
We met the kids in the above photo and they simply insisted that we take their photograph. JJ
After our visit to Kayamandi we travelled to Moyo Restaurant where wse had a wonderful evening as the below pictures show.
WHAT A GREAT DAY THIS WAS TO OPEN OUR TOUR WITH
Day 2 - Cape Winelands
We started out our day with a wonderful breakfast at Cathbert and then travelled to the town of Franschhoek.
Breakfast at Cathbert
The foursome pictured with the Franschhoek Valley behind them.
After a short walk in Franschhoek we stopped at the Huguenot Chocolate factory where we purchased wonderful handmade Belgian
Bjorn enjoying himself at the Corkscrew Antique shop
We stopped in for lunch at Hillcrest Berry Farm
We travelled to Rust en Vrede where we went through a winetasting and the spent some time at the magnificent Manor House on the site
We started at the Mooiberg Farm stall where Randi and Kari posed as Spice Girls. JJ
We returned to Cathbert after a short tour through Stellenbosch where we enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by our hostess Ann Morley.
Day 3 - Travel to Knysna
We started out in the late morning and travelled to Knysna via Franschhoek, Caledon, Riviersonderend, Swellendam, Albertinia, Mossel Bay and the Wilderness
We stopped for lunch in Swellendam at Le Belle Alliance restaurant where we took the above picture.
After arriving in Knysna at 18h30 and driving through some heavy rain we arrived at Overmeer guesthouse. We took some time to settle in and then went to La Loerie for a great dinner.
Day 4 - Knysna and the Wilderness
We started our day with a visit to "The Heads" in Knysna.
We travelled on to Belvedere where we met Lionel and Renay Booth at their home on the estate. In the above picture we see Kari, Renay and Randi on the stairway of the Booth's cottage.
After our visit to Renay and Lionel we stopped in at the The Little Round Church on Belvedere and then moved on to the Scarab Factory in Sedgefield where the following photos were taken.
Being hand printed in elephant dung paper JJJ
Andrei explains the printing machine at Scarab to us all
We stopped in at the Botha and Barnard furniture showroom where we took the above photo
We arrived in the Wilderness and had a light lunch in a local little restaurant before moving on to the Map of Africa where I took the below fun photo of the four friends.
Bjorn, Randi, Kari and Erik enjoying the view of the Wilderness from the Map of Africa site
We returned to Knysna, took a break and moved on to Tsala for a fabulous dinner.
The below pictures show how great our evening was at the restaurant in the trees.
Erik the king of Tsala! JJJ
Kari and Randi admiring the wonderful rooms at Tsala
Coffee in the Tsala lounge
Day 5 - Knysna to Port Elizabeth
We started our day at 07h00 when I took the foursome to Brenton on Sea where they walked the 6km stretch to Buffallo Bay
The start of the walk
Disappearing on the beach
We did it!
We spotted the dolphins that can be seen in the next two pictures on the Buffalo Bay beach
We returned to Overmeer for breakfast
The Famous Four on the Overmeer balcony with the Knysna Heads in the background
Before leaving Knysna we stopped at a curio stall to shop for curios
We stopped at the soap factory outside Plettenberg Bay
The Helgesen's and Fugelvaag's at Plettenberg Bay with the Beacon Isle Hotel in the background
Admiring the forests in Natures Valley
Having fun on the beach of Natures Valley
No one decided to do the bungi jump off the Bloukrans Bridge. JJJ
We stopped for lunch at the Stormsriver Bridge
We travelled on to Port Elizabeth and arrived at Lemon Tree Lane guesthouse at 17h30. After a short break we went for a great dinner to Wickerwoods restaurant
Day 6 - Safari day
We started our day by travelling to the Addo Game Park. We met our Eyethu guide, Headman, at the Addo gate and then moved on the game park to view game.
Bjorn enjoys the elephant viewing
at Addo.
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keys to view this panoramic photo
Viewing elephants from our combi vehicle at Addo
We saw quite a bit of animals on the game park and at lunchtime we returned to the main rest camp where we had lunch with the elephants being our entertaining visitors
The elephants of Addo
Erik thinks, "Who cares if there an elephant about 50 yards away!" JJJ
After our visit to Addo we moved on to Schotia Game Park where we went on a wonderful afternoon, game drive , a great lion hunt night drive and then had supper in the lapa at Schotia to end our day
Bjorn enjoys viewing the gemsbok while our ranger Johnnie explains all to us about these animals
We saw an incredible standoff between this rhino and the crocodile on the side of the waterhole
Sunset on Schotia
We met 2 wonderful couples from Holland & England over dinner at Schotia before returning to Port Elizabeth.
ALL IN ALL THIS WAS A WONDERFUL DAY
Day 7 - Travel to Cape Vaccas
We packed our bags at Lemon Tree Lane after breakfast and had Megan of Lemon Tree Lane take this picture of us before we left for Cape Vaccas
We travelled on to Cape Vaccas via Jeffreys Bay. While in Jeffries Bay we stopped at a local Saturday morning craft market where I took this picture of Kari and Randi shopping.
After Jeffrey's Bay we travelled via Plettenberg Bay to Knysna where we had a light lunch at Isle de Pain.
We then moved on to Cape Vaccas and in the evening we had a wonderful dinner prepared for us by Katriena at the cottage on the sea.
Day 8 - Chill out day at Cape Vaccas
This was a day of total chill out. The foursome spent time swimming on their own private beach as well as walking all mover the Cape Vaccas nature reserve. we had a wonderful cheese lunch at the cottage in between all these activities.
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In the evening Katriena prepared a wonderful chicken dish for us and a great meal was had by all.
Day 8 - Back to Cape Town
We packed up at Cape Vaccas and started to make our way back to Cape Town via Route 62
Our last picture at Cape Vaccas with Katriena and Pieter joining us for the photo.
We moved on to the Gouritz River bridge where we saw the bungi jumping facility
Eric, Randi and Bjorn having fun at the bridge
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While Erik, Randi and Bjorn considered the jump Kari said now and and took off. JJJ
We visited the aloe factory in Albertinia where the foursome all tasted Aloe juice.
At Heidelberg we took the turning to cross the Tradouw Pass to Barrydale
Kari having fun in a cave on the Tradouw Pass
Erik helps Kari down from the cave
A wonderful shot of the foursome on top of the Tradouw Pass
We stopped in at the Route 62 Restaurant in Barrydale for samoosas, sloppy chips and boerewors rolls
My last picture of this fabulous foursome outside their hotel on Greenmarket Square in Cape Town.
Boo Hoo - Why did this great tour ever have to end??? The Helgesen's and Flugelvaag's were absolutely wonderful people to travel with. We shared so much with each other and I cant recall one moment where we were not enjoying ourselves in our 8 days together. This really was a fantastic tour which is going to be very hard to forget with great credit having to go to this fabulous foursome for making this all possible as they were such easy travellers to tour with.
THANK YOU VERY
VERY MUCH
RANDI, BJORN, KARI and ERIK
Welcome to my cork club
Received 11 February 2004
Dear Selwyn.
Thank you for your e-mail, for all the nice feelings you expressed about the
wonderful tour we shared. We can only say that we have the same thoughts and feelings. None of us had expected so many experiences, such beautiful
nature, and so interesting insight into life of South African people of
different societies. Your great knowledge about your country and your
people, your way of communicating it and your wonderful sense of humour, not to mention all your amusing tricks, made it so much more than ordinary
information.
I think all of us felt that the strongest experience was visiting Kayamandi.
That gave us a mixture of very good and very bad feelings. The happy looking
children, the choir singing and dancing and the “shaks” they lived in ---
After having seen that the first day of our tour we had to make a comparison
with many of the places we visited afterwards and the way of life we could
lead: Enjoying the Winelands area and taste its products, visiting Moyo and
other good restaurants, do shopping in African markets, going on safaris,
walking along beaches and swim in The Indian ocean – we will never forget
it. The places you had chosen for us to stay over nights also gave an extra
asset to our holiday; they were all relaxing and special.
When back in Cape Town we used the day to buy some presents, looking around and visiting Table Mountain. Luckily the weather was nice and we also got that before we had to say goodbye to your wonderful country.
Thank you ever so much for the CD with the pictures! They will certainly be
looked at many times. Our video is also very good.
If you ever get to Norway, please contact us!
Kind regards
Kari and Erik
Received 19 February 2004
Dear Selwyn.
We have now returned from Stockholm after helping our daughter and the kids moving to another flat. It was so good to look at your mail with all the nice words, when we got home, it touched our hearts. We could not agree more to what Kari and Erik wrote. It was a wonderful experience touring with you, we enjoyed every day and all the different things we learned about your country.
Randi has recommended Cape Town and our trip to all her colleagues at the travel agency and will certainly tell clients about your wonderful city.
Thank you for the CD with the photos, lots of good memories in days to come.
The four of us will soon get together, look at Erik’s video from the tour and make a toast to you with “MAMPOER” from Buffalo Hills.
We join Kari and Erik and say “If ever in Norway come and visit us”.
Best regards from
Randi and Bjørn
