Lockdown in South Africa

This is the second half of our trip to Cape Town (see link to holiday). It begins in March 2020 BC (before coronavirus) and involves 'elbow-bumping', social distancing, cancelled flights and a strict lockdown that would probably have been a far more difficult isolation if it wasn't for such beautiful scenery and sunny days with wonderful friends.

March 21st -
the first sign of things to come

TIMELINE
Best I start with some sort of guide for you. The virus was declared a pandemic on March 11th. Our British Airways flight home was cancelled on 18th March and we arrived in Pringle Bay on March 20th.
There were already signs of restrictions coming into place amid rumours of a lockdown being imposed.
March 23rd - UK goes into lockdown. The same evening President Ramaphosa announces South Africa will lockdown at midnight on March 27th, for 21 days. We have a few days to organise ourselves and stock up, though food shopping is allowed, very little else is. We are going nowhere !
March 25th our re-booked flight home is cancelled.
April 2nd our newly re-booked flight home is cancelled.
April 9th our 4th re-booked flight home is cancelled, hours before South Africa announces a lockdown extension of 14 extra days, taking us to the end of April.

Our lockdown rules

We had been getting messages from the Foreign Office, recommending we fly home immediately. After registering our presence with them in South Africa they offer us a repatriation flight home. Not with British Airways, as you'd expect, but through a contract awarded to Virgin Atlantic. The cost of this was extreme and initially we felt disgusted and let down by the British government. Once the SA extension was announced we had to make a decision, which was to book this flight and pay the money.
We flew home on April 16th (with permission to break lockdown in SA). Congregating at the Cape Town stadium, where we filed through a temperature check point and handed in our health form we'd been asked to complete. Bussed back to the airport under strict distancing rules and checked in for our 12 hour flight with the other 200 + (I'm guessing) passengers for the impossible to socially distance flight back to London. Where we arrived - no checks, no questions, no problem ! Back in the UK.
April 16th. UK extends their lockdown to May 7th.
April 17th. Having keep our British Airways flight booked for May 3rd just in case and as a back up option, that flight also got cancelled. We'd made the right decision to fly home when we did.

We had been in Pringle Bay for 4 weeks. We had managed to retrieve our left luggage from Margaret's brother's place. We had not gone anywhere near Hout Bay and our flat. We'd not seen other friends there or any of the family again. But we had not got the virus and were glad of that. Here then are some categorised photos that document our time in lockdown.

▶ DAYS BEFORE ...

It was not ALL lockdown in Pringle Bay. We had some days leading up, that allowed us to enjoy the area. On a sunny Saturday these guys were 'jamming' outside The Anchor Doggy Bar, playing 'Wish You Were Here'.
Click a link here: to Margaret's video posted on YouTube. Sing along if you know the words.

The Harold Porter Botanic Reserve at nearby Betty's Bay.

(Left): Margaret (who is affectionately called 'Tree' by these friends), Bill and Anthony at Harold Porter. (Right): Practising social distancing in the house by Bill & Yvonne.

The beautiful Pringle beach, looking North

And looking the other way back towards the homes and Hangklip mountain left.

And Pringle Bay from a pathway leading down from Hangklip.

▶ VIEWS ...

Some of the views from the deck of the house were stunning and ever changing. Turning in a clockwise direction, we had Cape Point 30km West. Table Mountain 60kms, North-West. False Bay stretching out before us in waves with the mountains completing the scene from Klein Hangklip to Voorberg running North to the East.
➤ See this short video, taken from the deck - 180˚ pan left to right: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPcnFy0tNOE

A rather cobbled together panorama of the entire cape peninsula as visible from Pringle.

'Rugare' retreat - home from home - for 4 weeks

▶ FLORA & FAUNA ...

The world famous Cape Flora kingdom was on our doorstep along with animals of all shapes and sizes.
From the 'Francolin Family' with their babies, running through the garden and other birds feeding on the sugar water to whale sightings in the bay, there was never a dull moment.

Blombos - blooming everywhere

(Right) Proteas - The Floral Emblem with its showy pincushion flowers

(Below) Blombos - a honey scented shrub, part of the coastal fynbos

A regular visitor - Monty the mongoose

Tortoise crossing the road

Sunbird at the feeder

▶ SKIES & SUNSETS (just a selection)

Clouds often looked like they were sending us smoke messages in the sky

Table mountain centre stage

▶ PASTIMES & ACTIVITIES
There were plenty of jobs to be done. We helped out - hacking back the garden. Sanding the decking. Exercising within the confines of the property - included online 'Zoom' pilates. Plus lots of books and videos to watch, while John was a real wifi whiz. And painting too ...

Self explanatory exercise

Definitely needs explaining - 'Zoom' pilates in the comfort of your home, for all those game

▶ US ...

What can I say - the drinks store, appropriately under the table. 

Left: The expected 'dodgy' selfie - M (Tree), Yvonne, Anthony, Bill & (half of) John - definitely post drinks!

▶ BUMP ... 'Hello, Goodbye' - from Mr President.

THE END of the beginning. 

British Idles

Having travelled around 24,000 miles across the planet earlier this year (to and from New Zealand) and in an effort to limit our carbon footprint any further after such a large 'tread', we felt inspired by New Zealand, a land not much bigger than our own, to look at our own little island with fresh eyes.
From our base camp in Hurley we set out for dog minding duties in Hastings. A midweek airbnb cottage near Hay-on-Wye on the Welsh border. Visit to friends in Norfolk and then another cottage in Cornwall for a week of amazing September sunshine. Throw in a few National Trust visits and here you have our 2019 Photo Review of the Year.

HASTINGS

The one and only Pedro (our favourite schnauzer) on the beach with Margaret chasing.

Pedro chasing pebbles with Margaret - and on the train to Battle.

Beachy Head lighthouse

Hastings Old Town 

HAY-ON-WYE

One the numerous bookshops in the small town of Hay.

NORFOLK
A weekend visit that included these gardens.

Fantastic gardens and house at East Ruston.

Cynthia, Bill and Margaret in the greenhouse.

CORNWALL
A week of sunshine and scenery.

Absolutely 'banging' - Kelly's: Cornish for ice cream.

Jimmy, Josie & Margaret at the Minack Theatre.

Minack Theatre view.

Porthcurno Beach (south coast of Cornwall)

Sennen Beach (north coast near Lands End)

Cloudless blue skies in Cornwall (Sennen Beach)

Beautiful Trebah Gardens - hydrangea valley

Two birds in the Trebah Gardens

NATIONAL TRUST

NT Croome. near Worcester. Church and wildflower meadow.

Rothschild's NT Ascott. Topiary clock.

HURLEY-ON-THAMES

Hurley's Secret War - Day of blue plaque unveiling.

Hurley Skies seen from the van.

Cricket on the green.

(left) A poppy lined cycle path just behind Littlewick Green.










And (below) I almost forgot this shot taken at Combe Martin in Devon on the way back from Cornwall.

Link to NEW ZEALAND blog if you missed it previously....

A Tale of derring-do

Addy woke early that morning. The wind had disturbed him, though the usual mechanical sound of a cable car was strangely absent. The day warming him up nicely and the thought of a tasty lizard for his breakfast on his mind.

   Meanwhile 700 meters below three intrepid hikers had arrived at Table Mountain to discover a rather quieter scene than expected. Very few people, no queues and weather conditions preventing the cable car from running. “It may open later” they were told.

    Exchanging looks of uncertainty they quickly decide to ‘go for it’ and hope that the cable car would be operating by the time they planned to come back down after walking up.

   At first the path was straight up! Steep steps and rocks for half an hour meant pausing for breath and to admire the view became easier once the narrow contour path was reached leading to Platteklip Gorge, a zigzag path upwards to their destiny.

   This path was unusually busy today and Addy had been surprised at all the walkers passing him by, only to be further confused when they appeared going back past him a short time later. How was he going to find something to eat with all this commotion and noise going on.

   Indeed as Gill, Steve and Bill (the intrepid three) slowly climbed the mountain they too witnessed the amount of activity, though mostly it was people coming down having already reached the top only to discover that they had to walk back down again.

   The signs didn’t look good for our three trekkers and the prospect of a return hike, which meant conserving energy for later, was on their minds. Also the day was heating up and rest and water stops were slowing their progress.

   Addy however was enjoying the warmth and basking in one sunny patch of ground after another was fun, especially as there seemed less disruption now.

  Something that hadn’t gone unnoticed by those still climbing. Definitely less people descending, maybe the cable car was running. A concerted listen for any sound didn’t confirm anything.

   However just then there was a sound from Gill, startled she stumbled to her left to regain her footing and balance as her right hand avoided grabbing young Addy. Shocked, everything froze! Addy dead still, his 18” of curled chequered scales, distinctive of puff adders, clear to see. No one moving, then everyone did. Addy slowly made his way to a shady crevice as Gill recovered her composure and spoke of how she had heard a hiss just as she was about to put her hand down on a ledge with chequered markings. It was a close call. Addy still hadn’t found his breakfast and three people still hadn’t reached the table top, but they were nearly there !

   Very soon the top was reached and people were spotted who couldn’t possibly have walked up Table Mountain. Spirits lifted - the cable car was in fact operating, but it was a short window of possibility, as no sooner had welcome and necessary refreshments been administered to our triumphant three, than the weather turned misty, cloudy and windy in rapid succession. “Everyone leave the mountain immediately” the announcement said and the cable car filled up with descending visitors, some more relaxed than others and some with photographic evidence and tales of an encounter with a dangerous snake !

Made it, just !

And the view, briefly.

Puff Addy

For the record > it was a 3 hour climb up and 5 minutes to get back down again. (Approximately) 1500 calories shed compared with 150 Rand lighter for the cost of the rotating cable car ride.