Still no news...

...on house transfer. Tomorrow is the end of the month, and that's when I think it will happen.

In the meantime, we went out today and splashed out on a new fridge-freezer, washing machine* and mattress. I hate entering PIN numbers for large amounts of dosh, but in this case it still worked. Nice to have Pounds!



* This machine will be well used, as the First Mate and I are expecting a new deck hand to join us in about six months time!!!

Nope.

Not today...

I think we'll be going with the original plan, end of the month...

Keys.

We may, stress the word "may," get our keys tomorrow. According to our friendly and very, very helpful estate agent, transfer looks like it will happen tomorrow. After that, we can start charging rent if the present occupiers aren't ready to move out.

It would be great if it did happen, but not really holding my breath here. There are some things that we were led to believe would be easy, and others that we thought would be difficult. It turns out that mostly everything is easy, so far.

The biggest shock of the move is that we are going to be charged import duty on the car, in spite of checking, double-checking, triple-checking (you get the idea) that as long as we were "returning residents" (yup) and had owned the car for longer than a year in the UK (yup) and were not going to sell it within two years of arrival (yup) then we were not going to pay.

Nope.

Now, with the car virtually in Table Bay, we are told that only people who have "officially" emmigrated from South Africa (uh, no, not us) qualify for this. Since then, we have been going through all the paperwork, and can still find no definitave and clear explantion for this. Oh well, such is life. At least it is still (a lot) cheaper than if we had sold the car, where nobody is buying 4x4's and bought a new one here, where it seems everybody has at least one 4x4!

So, if any reader knows of someone thinking of moving back to SA with a car - be warned!

The easy stuff: had our UK drivers licences changed to SA licences in about an hour, all over the counter, details entered into the system while we watched.

Also, it will, according to the local council (municipality) and traffic department, be legal for us to drive our foreign-registered vehicles here as long as their (foreign) tax discs are current. Nice, since that gives us until next year before we have to register them.

Mmmm, that'll do for tonight.

Wasn't me, officer...

Nope, the foreign registered bike doing 160 km/h between here and there was definitely not me!

The first container arrived today (supposed to have been yesterday, but there was a 'stop-go' at the harbour, what ever that means). Anyway, a phone call at 08:00 this morning informed us that it was on it's way, and should be here by 10:00. Which it was!

Furious unpacking, and everything was out in three hours, including the bike (in it's crate)! Most of the boxes have been put in storage, and some are here at M-i-L's place. The bike presented a bit of a problem, but with a little persuasion (ten litres of diesel) the local brick factory loaned us their forklift. Sorted!

So, after several days (weeks?) of hanging around, we now have our stuff, and can start sorting and unpacking. It's good to be getting on with something now after the waiting.

So, to blow some cobwebs, I went for a bike ride this afternoon - she started first time, got fed, and away we went...

Sticking strictly to the speed limit, of course!

Next, the car and boats...

Wildlife.

So far, spotted a troop of baboons on the main road between us and Hermanus (our closest 'main' town) last week, loads and loads of bird life, mostly doves, but sunbirds are quite common around the garden, as well as starlings and the occasional hadeda (a type of ibis).

It was amusing watching Oscar the cat stalking a hadeda on the lawn, then deciding that this probably wasn't a good idea. You have to bear in mind that until now, the biggest bird Oscar's ever seen is a wood pigeon. Hadeda's are an entirely different kettle of fish, and certainly way too much for little Oscar!

Then, this morning Suzy discovered a mole in the kitchen. Suzy's total hunting skills amount to rearranging feathers in the aftermath of one of Jack's kills, or staring at spiders. She had no idea what to make of a mole, so resorted to the tried and trusted routine - stare blankly.

On the way out for lunch later this morning, had to stop the car to let a puff adder slither across the road - about 75cm long and 3, maybe 4cm thick, all puffed up. I managed to get a couple of photo's as it dissappeared into the bush, but a bit blurry as it was quite dark in there. Still, I might attach one to this post later, when I get my own computer back and can start playing with pictures again.

I wonder what Suzy will do when confronted with a snake in the garden?

Ah, and we got news that the second container, with the car and boats, is due into Cape Town on the 27th of this month. Guess who's hitting the river early next month! And the off-road 4x4 trails around Walker Bay!!

Can't wait!

Bats!

Just been standing in the middle of the lawn of M-i-L's cottage, where late this afternoon the miggies (midges?) were flying around in clouds. Now the sun has set, and it's getting dark, the bats are out. They fly so fast and erratic that it's hard to count them, but I'm guessing there are 8 to 10, flitting to and fro, having a great meal of the miggies!

I keep standing still, and they fly within half a metre or so of my face, then suddenly turn away. Sharp turn, slight flapping sound, gone again! Every now and then there's a squeek, but otherwise they are silent.

South Easter is howling though, cloudless sky except up against the mountains where the wind hits the cliffs, and a hot day followed by a chilly evening.

Oh, and only spotted three whales in the bay today. But then, we weren't really looking...

In limbo.

Well, been staying at mother-in-law's place for just over a week now. Our first container should be arriving on Monday, so should get it here on Wednesday or so. Problem is, we can't unload into the house, as we don't get it until November 1st. So, I guess it will get unloaded into storage - but at least we will have access to our stuff some time next week.

Especially my tools! There is quite a bit that can be done around here, but I need those tools!!!

Oh, and the bike. That's causing a bit of a headache, as customs might want to inspect it before releasing the container. Little do they know - it was packed first, so is right at the back. If they want to see it, there is a hell of a lot of unpacking to do to get to it! Should I tell them about the stuff that will fall out of the container as they open the doors (that are quite literally holding the contents in)? Haven't decided yet ;-)

At the moment, we're just waiting. Waiting for the container. Waiting for the house. WAITING FOR THE BOATS!! Car's sorted, new registration plates a couple of days ago, so it's no longer a 'Vaalie' car, and the locals don't look at the plates and see an 'outsider' anymore. :)

Oh, well, a few more days of waiting, and at the end of the month things will start moving again. Don't expect much here before then!

Home. Well, nearly...

Long flight. Long, long flight from London, but after 11 hours arrived in Johannesburg after seeing an amazing sunrise somewhere over Botswana.

Got to chatting with the on-board staff on the plane (SAA), telling them about how long we'd been away, and stuff. Nice people. Just before landing, one of them came over and gave me a bottle of Cape red wine, saying "Welcome home!"

Spent two nights in Johannesburg, then left at about 04:30 on Tuesday morning for the Cape. Arrived in the dorp, our new home town, at 20:00. Fifteen and a half hour's driving through some spectacularly wide open space, one thousand, six hundred kilometres later, and I'm now home.


Well, almost. We don't move into the new house until the beginning of next month, but close enough.

Went whale spotting this afternoon, about 16 in total, but they weren't giving us a display - just lounging around, rolling over and warming their bellies in the sun. No rush, I have time to photograph them later!

So good to be here, but still really tired from all the travel. Next week's plan is to chill, meet the locals, and take it easy.

Oh, did I mention the sun shines here?

Farewell green island.

All done. Packed.

I'm ready to go home now.

Cancellations and bookings.

Amazing how easy it is to sign up to a new, for example - 'phone - service, isn't it? Type your name, address, bank details etc., and wow! All done! Well, that's what the First Mate did many months ago. Now I need to cancel it. So far, four 'phone calls (one from her in SA, with no luck) and they still won't do it. Total time on 'phone between the two of us so far is around two hours. AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!

On a positive note, looking at SAA's website, I see a price of £635 for a one way flight to Jo'burg, but unfortunately their site doesn't 'do' Macs, so I have to 'phone them. I tell them what I want, single ticket to Jo'burg, this Saturday. "Oh," she says, "we have a sale at the moment, so you can get a return ticket for £384!!"

BOOKED! Done! I'm outta here on the 4th October. Sunday lunch in the sun is already booked!

Forecast here in London is for overnight temperatures going down to around 5ºC during the next night or two. No thanks...

Oh, and the cats made it safe and sound.

Which is good.