Not Our Best

To Hondeklip Bay, South Africa

Today was not the best day for Family Hoornaert. As much as we'd like to be the perfect, loving family, we do often fall short of that. Recently, we got a message from a dear woman, Sylvia, who we met at a hotel in Mannheim, Germany. She commented on how carefree and happy we were.  We definitely are that much of the time.  Yesterday, on the other hand, was mostly not one of the happy and carefree days.

In hindsight, part of the problem could have been that none of us slept particularly well in our new accommodations. We got wet during the downpour that hit as we started setting up camp, which was made worse by the fact that we didn’t yet know how to set up the tent awnings.  Meg and I slept on the cots in the kludgy, standalone tent, but didn't bother with the sleeping mats or zipping up the windows.  Kylie too was cold and woke up in the roof top tent at 5:30. She and Dex proceeded to chat and giggle (loudly) for the next hour. I was decidedly not happy as repeated and increasingly loud reprimands had no lasting effect. On the plus side, though, we were all up early and it was fun watching the beautiful yellow basket weaving birds flitting around in the nearby reeds.

We drove most of the day, deciding to head toward the Stilkap Flower Reserve since it was generally on the way north, and we’d heard that this was the peak season for wildflowers.

In comparison to being on the bikes, being cooped up in the car is, in many ways, harder. Partly because Dex and Kylie are beside each other and partly because there is more time without an immediate and focused goal to keep us occupied. We're tying to encourage math and reading during the drives, but that doesn't always work.

Kylie, not interested in homework

Part way through the car ride, now along bumpy dirt roads, Dex declared that he was bored and no amount of reasoning or suggestions of alternate activities could fix it. By the time we finally hit the tiny coastal town of Hondeklip, we were all in a bad mood despite the spectacular sunset in progress. Fortunately, the town municipal camp was open (unoccupied and unattended), so we simply pulled in and started setting up. Within 20 minutes, we were approached by three desperate and difficult-to-understand "residents" looking for food.  We doled out what we could spare, but It wasn't a great first impression. As the night was cold with a brisk breeze blowing in off the Atlantic, we made extra sure to stake down the tents and bundle up... all hoping for a much better night's sleep.