South Africa - KLEIN KAROO

We rented a car and travelled the Klein Karoo in South Africa. It was more than beautiful and truely a place where there is space for the mind. Please come along on our ride through the KLEIN KAROO.

Madagascar

We surfed to the north cape of Madagscar with 35kn. The counter current on the west side of Madagascar immediately introduced itself. Our average speed of 5 - 6 knots declined in ten counts to 2 knots. It is the oddest feeling to come to such a quick 'stand stil' after 24 days of full-on sailing. The Southeaster peaked at 45kn and helped us on beams-end over white waters to Nose Hara. Finally – rest. Nose Hara is a fascinating island with very interesting rock formations and landscape. It is very impressive and we enjoyed our rest there where we could air out the boat after the long ocean voyage.
         On towards Nosy Mitsio and we got acquited with the tremendous variable currents and wind directions in the space of one day. It must have been the most frustrating day skipper has yet experienced.

We arrived in Hellville, Nose Be, mid morning. And were almost immediately greeted and welcomed by Kool, who in partnership with Jimmy, take care of the dinghies for a fee. The quay has no facilities for dinghies and the port is over crowded with local boats and ferries all day long. Thus, it was real handy to have Kool and Jimmy there for help. Jimmy speaks English and went with us for the clearing in procedures, for a fee. If you speak french, you might be able to have the bribes pass you by. If you don't, like we, you're bound to pay all the bribes. Which ofcourse you expect at the time, but are unable to voice a stand-off.

Nosi Mamoko was our first experience of village life. The lady chief (who arrived long after us) was a proper b...t.. Honestly the worst experience of 'local' we have yet had in any country. Our initial good feelings she wiped clean with her unfriendly, demanding, un-accommodating attitude. We had no reason to stay in her village where filth abound and lemurs are sick looking, therefore left.

Russian Bay was super good. Andre's Restaurant was a delight.

Value for money. Hearty meals (ordered before). Good tasting Madagascar beer -  English style - and locally produced good rice wine and all kinds of interesting things, like good and happy looking lemurs. Fresh baked bread can be ordered – which we did more than once. Andreas is actually a wealth of information. We made a tour with Paul over the mountains and were very happy with the care he took and the local knowledge he could share with us in English. Again – value for money. Watch out for Polene(sp?). Confirm with Andre's who's the good and who's the bad guys. One day and night a tent safari pitched camp under the palms on the beach front. The tour guide, Ravo, made a good impression when we met on shore. It reminded me of catered safaris we did in Namibia. We sailed twice to Russian Bay and

stayed fourteen days total even though we only planned two days. Snorkeling was good. Schools of fish stayed happily around our boat. Russian Bay was good.

The Honey River had no honey but the school was very happy with the English / Malagasy dictionary we gave them. No-where did we had security issues yet, but everywhere alertness is high. The people in general are friendly. 

Waypoint sailors

Nowadays hordes of new generation cruisers jump on the bandwagon of sailing around the world. The initial passion of discovering and experiencing the unknown had to make way for the number factor. Today the reason is "to be counted".  To be able to say you've done it. Or perhaps to say 'could afford it', since everthing cruising has become so ridiculously expensive. Therefore the today cruiser crosses the oceans with blind trust in human developements like gps, sattelite and insurance. 
The time when a certain amount of skill and interest were required to be able to navigate. Or finding a good star and horison at exactly the good time of morning or evening to take a bearing of and work out with lots of maths and tables and what have you's, where on earth (actually on the ocean) are you in order to ensure you continue in the good direction, are all things and facts which fill history books now. 
In an idyllic anchorage up in a sheltered creek in Savusavu Bay one day, motored True Blue Ozzie yacht passed us on their way out. They made a confusing zig-zag-turn between empty moorings. We thought they were busy with other things and not on attention. A short while later, the South-African catamaran Impi also passed us on their way out. She up on the bow keeping a lookout. He charging at too high speed as was his habit, between the yachts. At exactly the same place between the empty moorings, Impi made the exact same confusing and unnessary (in fact a more risky maneuver towards the coral edge, than safe) zig-zag-turn between the empty moorings. It instantly struck us clear as lightning - waypoint sailors. Not allowing themselves to trust their own observations and logics. Yet, Impi advertises his waypoints on his blog, for other insecure cruisers to follow?
From time to time we also wish for waypoints...