Postcard

Back home, avoiding the nightmare up Houw Hoek, thanks to Google. Never leave home without it. That means that we did a detour up the Highlands Pass, which – it turns out – is much more fun in a big Toyota than it ever was in a Hyundai SUV.

Just over three hours back then, including a quick comfort break. And my back is really feeling much better, despite the prolonged sitting it has had to do today. Yesterday, I managed a couple of 1km walks. Today, buoyed by the fact that I could actually feel my right foot when I woke up this morning (first time in 9 days), I headed out into the wild, stormy weather of the Southern Tip and knocked off 4.5km on the beach.

Lovely.

Took the camera and did some snaps, rather than anything fancy: this was about the exercise, after all. This one reminded me a bit of the old fashioned (1980s, lol) postcards we used to see in the shops in the Isle of Man, so I popped a filter on it, and it now looks exactly like them:

160dpi, nogal!

Dear Grandma,
The weather is lovely apart from last night when we thought we were all going to die in the huge storm.

Today we went walking on the beach.
It was nice.
Lots of love,
6000

Football this evening, and some racehorsing tomorrow. So lots to look forward to.
Assuming we make it through tonight as well.

Pete has a point

I am here: 34 48.878 S 19 56.390 E http://maps.google.com/maps?q=loc:-34.8,19.93984

Piet se Punt – literally “Pete’s Point” – with just the crashing surf, a few Black Oystercatchers, the battling contrapuntal cello and piano of Ludovico Einaudi and the mad, mad wind for company. Still, this is summer and it’s still shorts and t-shirt weather.

It’s a rare moment alone – the kids and the wife back at the cottage sleeping off the midnight fireworks on Struisbaai beach to see in the new year – and I’m enjoying it.

It’s elemental, lonely and almost belittling to see the power of nature. I could quite happily die here, although the intention is rather to head back and sink some Black Labels over a potjie.

All the best for 2012 and thanks in advance for sticking with 6000 miles… through what promises to be another year.