Cape to Crest

A road trip across South Africa is a treasure trove of unique experiences- from quaint towns, to desolate lands, rich valleys and outright freaking things. I’ve had a few chances to make the trek from Cape to (Hill)Crest and back, and each has afforded me some novel, charming curiosity. Willowmore, for example, is a great spot. You may pass the dusty town disregarding it as some relic from the Apartheid era, missing the cutest and most peculiar coffee shop. Gosh darn it I forget its name. There is also a great gift store and antique shop attached to it if you ever pass through. But no one-horse town is Willowmore, no siree! We spotted two donkeys there. Apparently my Granma’s family is from Willowmore so maybe I’m obliged to speak nicely about it, but I think I liked it before I knew that.

And then there’s the Karoo- that vast expanse of scrub and sheep that many an artist poet has sought to define. Graaf Reinet is an old favourite (my Mom went to school there) and of course there’s Nieu Bethesda, with the crazy lady owl house that’s rad. I’m desperate to go to the Valley of Desolation next time. I think it’s interesting that there is a tourist destination with nothingness as its sales pitch.

And I haven’t even spoken about Knysna (which makes me feel like I’m in The Truman Show sometimes), Wilderness, Swellendam and the many rivers named things like “Drie Slang Koppies met die Bobbejaan”, or things like that. Small town South Africa is just that wonderful. I grew up in Empangeni, so I should know.

So here are some photos of things we saw along the way and of our adventures in Conan the Barbarian (don’t be fooled by his Kia Piccanto exterior, he’s a beast). I’ve used Poladroid because I use new technology to make things look like they were made with old technology. And I really think they look pretty. Oh the irony.