We have a problem, please be patient.

The problem being that we have moved into the new house nearly two weeks ago, and have no internet connection, so am having to use other people's connections until we are hooked up.

Not very easy to blog when visiting others and being out in the sticks means a WiFi coffe shop doesn't exist!

So, updates will come later, when we are online again.

(Missing the surfing) Skip.

Fleas, 4x4's and guns...

To say that I'm feeling knackered is probably an understatement, after moving something in the region of half a tonne of boxes from storage to the house over the last two days. Back hurts, legs hurt, arms hurt - all understandable, but why do my ribs hurt?

The most daunting task though is trying to eradicate the fleas! Hundreds of the things. We misted the place on Wednesday night (after three solid days of cleaning) and were still being bitten. Then we started spraying skirting boards, which had some positive effect, but still they came! This morning we sprayed the carpets, and so far, it looks like it's working. But, if anyone has any suggestions on how to get rid of them outside, in the grass, please let me know!

Told you the house was manky! And they LIVED in it like that!

After three trailer-loads of boxes from storage yesterday, we took ourselves of to lunch at a place called "Coffee on the Rocks" (highly recommended) in De Kelders followed by a little off-road excursion in the Walker Bay nature reserve. The most I've ever used 4-wheel-drive for in the past is snow and ice. Well, soft sand, rocks and gravel is a whole different ball game! Especially trying to pick a route over the rocks so that you avoid cracking the sump or differential(s) on one of the higher bits! It was fun, and the car was more than capable, more so than me, and I think we need to go on a 4x4 drivers course before we venture further into the bush. Looking forward to more though.

And the guns - in order to be insured for household contents here, we have to have a 'linked' alarm system. Linked being, if the alarm goes off, a man with a gun will turn up in minutes to protect us/our house/contents etc. Nice! Oh well, this is Africa! Not too worried though, as burglary is quite rare in our village. Mostly it's opportunistic - if you leave your front door open to the street, with a handbag in view, then I guess it's gone, right?

(Ready for bed) Skip.

Did we kill the Miele?

With all the vacuuming - maybe, maybe not - but we could hear gravel being sucked up from the carpets. Urgh.

Even more urgh, I spent the afternoon cleaning the garage out with disinfectant, it was that bad! It seems the dogs lived in there. Not nice!

But getting there, and hopefully will be in by the weekend. Which is good news.

Even better news though, is that "Three Summers" and the Shoggy (England-speak for Shogun, Mitsubishi, 4x4) have cleared customs and we should be able to pick them up on Friday!!!

Hey, a boat to use on the weekend!!! Though, not "Three Summers" - she still needs a bit of work to repair some minor damage from her maiden voyage on the Thames (yep the one that goes through London), but "Suzy Doo," with her little 15hp Mariner motor will be ready to inflate and go!

One way or another, we are going to be on the river soon!

(Getting there) Skip.

We have a house.

It may be dirty and manky, and dusty, and have doggy-doo all over the garden (I use that term loosely) which is in serious need of a mow, amongst other things - but it's ours!

We spent a couple of hours this afternoon removing nails from walls, bat wing doors (??) and 70's style pelmets from above the curtains that were left behind (I wish they hadn't).

Dust everywhere, dead flies on the window sills, a pond - soon to be removed - full of mosquito larvae, and the grass full of the dogs' (3) leftovers... How do people live like this? They apparently only lived there for 18 months or so, but it was like going into a previously unopened Egyptian tomb, only that would have been cleaner!

Anyway, like I said, IT'S OURS! And, as the estate agents say, it has potential. And lots of it! The lounge area is bigger than the maisonette (not counting loft) we had in London. And that included two bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen and bathroom!

Tomorrow, operation clean-up starts.

And yes, I am looking forward to it.

(Still dusty and dirty) Skip!

We went for a ride!

Yesterday morning, before anyone was out of bed, we decided to go for a ride.

We being me, myself, and I. And a big red VFR. A VFR that hasn't had a decent blow for about two years.


From where we are, there is a road (R326) that heads in a dead straight line for about 4, maybe 5km, before starting to wind through the Klein River valley for a further 20km or so. Nice, but I (and the VFR) was still a bit rusty and not too settled into, as Valé would call it, "the rhythm."

So, take it easy, and let any cars pass if they were too close (one). No rush. Just relax. Then, at the crossroad where this road meets the R316, it was a choice of left to Caledon (27km) or right to Napier (30km, but a nice coffee shop I had been to before). Off we go to Napier.

Rolling hills, as we'd left the mountains behind us now, and we're into farmland, and long, sweeping curves on a wide smooth well surfaced road. Getting comfortable now, and faster, but still sticking more or less to the speed limit (120km/h), around one bend and see some baboons on the side of the road. Another bend, and an eagle (maybe a hawk) hovering over the grass, unlucky mouse. Over a crest, and duck as a crop spraying 'plane flies over my head at about 30m. Wow. The only thought that was consistent all this time was how terrible I would have felt if I had driven this road in a car, and not brought my bike back home!

Stop in Napier for a coffee and a fag.

And back again. Return journey was just a tad faster - visibilty was better with the sun behind me, and I wasn't watching the speedometer too much. Just focus on the road, what little traffic there was, and keep an eye out for those pesky baboons and guinea-fowl. Throttle off for approach to bends, bit of fuel into them, open up slowly half way through, and wind it up as we staighten out. Wow. Wow, wow wow!

5 minutes, and the wind noise seemed to disappear, and it was only tyre rumble and exhaust growl. Dunno where the wind noise went, but it did. It was just a road, a bike, and me. Eyes only for the disappearing road ahead of me, or where it went up the side of the hill in front of me, to work out the bend in the valley that I couldn't see, and for anything that moved in the grass on the side of the road. And ride. Didn't touch the brakes for 30km!

Y'all might find this boring, but it was one of the best motorcycle rides I have ever, ever had, in crisp clear air, an horizon 50, maybe 70km away, and no congestion. Wide open space. Did I mention no traffic?

We think we will like it here!

(Still grinning) Skip.

Well, we have a house...

...but we can't move into it!

Considering that the previous owners wouldn't allow us to store stuff in the garage, and were not going to give us any access until "the cash was in their hands" they are taking their sweet time to move out.

Transfer of the property went through at lunch time yesterday, after which the property officially became ours, but were they ready to move out? Doesn't look like it. Seems they didn't want to pay for a truck to move their stuff, I hear, and now I think that they might be realising the false economy of doing ten 60km round trips in their little car, and being charged occupational rent (by us) for every day that we do not have occupation of our house!

Now, the delay doesn't really make much difference to us, and if they had asked for a day or two to move, we probably wouldn't have minded.

But they didn't ask, and we do mind.

So, that's a weekend of painting and cleaning written off for us, but at least we will recoup most of the money that we have spent on storage.

Things work out, don't they? ;)