The trip from Penang to Cape Town was relatively uneventful. It’s about a 17-hour flight via Singapore, and was the first time I’d flown Singapore Airlines, an efficient and well-organized airline. The flight from Singapore to Cape Town (stopover in Johannesburg) was packed, but I made an advanced seat selection and was comfortable. However, an aisle away there was a loud snorer :o(, that even earplugs couldn’t drown out. He would awaken, and there was peace for a few minutes before the snoring started up again. I’ve never encountered this before on a long flight, and hope to never again…
CPT and Onrusrivier
For the first month, possibly longer, I’m staying at a house in Onrus – in the Overberg area near Hermanus. From Cape Town International Airport (CPT), it’s about a one+-hour drive, so I wondered how I’d fare after not sleeping for over 24 hours and driving on the opposite side of the road.
It wasn’t bad, even with intense South African drivers! Instead of going over Sir Lowry’s Pass, I considered traveling the coastal route via Kleinmond, but was in the wrong lane and missed the turnoff. There were a few accidents along the N2, but my flight arrived in the morning, so happily, I missed heavy rush-hour traffic.
My rental car is a VW Polo – manual transmission, so I’m re-learning how to drive a stick shift. This trip, I noticed a decided change for the better at CPT. I was able to get setup with an eSIM quickly and easily, and a mini-lease rental car booked in advance also went well. I braced for the worst, but thankfully, the experience was 100% better than those from the past.
Driving Mishap
I stopped at a farmstall for some basics, and as I was pulling back onto the highway, momentarily forgot which lane – opposite from the US – to pull into. Luckily, I corrected quickly, but a nearby highway policeman saw the maneuver and motioned me over. He was a young guy and admonished me for the mistake, which could have caused an accident. I apologized and humbly explained my situation – being fuzzy, having just gotten off the airplane after a long flight, etc., etc., blah, blah. He listened…
After I presented my US Oregon driver’s license, he seemed to “get” my situation, and started chatting. He asked me how crime was in the US :o(, and I was honest. Then, he asked where Oregon was and what it was like, and I described it. As he was starting to write the ticket – somehow I got the nerve to ask him for “a break”. He looked me square in the eyes and said OK, this is a warning, drive carefully and then motioned me back on the highway – whewwwww close call!
Accommodation and Hot Versus Cold
By far, for me, the most challenging and disorienting part of extended travel is adjusting to a series of different short-term apartment accommodations – different landlords, beds, bathrooms, kitchens, WiFi, etc. – none are perfect. There’s always some issue to be resolved. I’ve stayed at the same house in Onrus before – last time in 2019.
It’s winter in South Africa and most older houses don’t have central heating. Although it’s not really that cold temperature wise (60s-70s day and 50s-40s night), it’s a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean, and the chill can get to your bones. Wearing layers is a must, there’s a space heater, and I got a supply of firewood for building fires, especially in the morning and evening. The weather was glorious when I arrived, but we had a storm last night, which is supposed to blow over by tomorrow. The sea is wild, and the Hadedas – a.k.a. the loudest bird in South Africa – are making themselves known – maybe welcoming me…. There are many little songbirds in the area, and they sing sweetly all day long.
The rapid change from extremely hot, humid weather in Malaysia to a chilly South African winter is severe. Adjusting to a new country takes a few days, even when you’ve been there before. At the same time, the change to a new and different location is also exciting.
The Penang / South Africa time difference is six hours, so there’s also a bit of jet lag. I’ve briefly felt goofy and even “lost it” a few times, but am holding up fairly well. All travel experiences are valuable, and you always learn something from each place visited. Of course, it’s better to focus on positive experiences, but you learn / grow more from the challenging “out of your comfort zone” ones. I’ve had my share of those…
Chill Time
Since January, this has been an exciting, epic trip – Poland, Slovenia, Turkey, Serbia, Georgia, Malaysia – what was I thinking :o)? Being in South Africa again is a great time to relax, reflect, and let it all sink in. The Western Cape is one of the most beautiful places I’ve experienced in my travels. Throughout the years, it always pulls me back!
More later…