After a good night’s sleep in the old school, and a hearty
breakfast, it was back on the road again. We were heading further north to
Kamieskroon and it seemed as though the weather was clearing, with plenty of
bright sunshine, but it wasn’t long before another cold front swept in from the
sea, bringing heavy rain and icy winds. Snow is forecast for the higher areas
and 7 degrees is the maximum temperature for tomorrow. So although we are
expecting sunshine for the next few days as the fronts move away, the owner of
the Kamieskroon Hotel assures us that unless the air temperature rises above 17
degrees, the flowers still won’t open. We heard from other travellers that the
Calvinia and Springbok areas are magnificent, but they too are under rain
clouds so there is no point chasing inland.
We are extremely comfortably ensconced in a cottage in the
mountains at present, with heaters in every room, every convenience for the
self-caterer, from salt to spare toothbrushes, and the prospect of a stroll in
the veld and up the mountain behind us once the rain has cleared. There is
evidence that we are surrounded by masses of wild flowers although they are
tightly closed to preserve the precious pollens from being washed away by the
rain before pollination can take place. Should seeds not form for next season,
this would be disastrous for the economy of the region, which relies so heavily
on the tourism generated by the natural wonder of its floral kingdom.
There must be many, many disappointed bus tours up here at
the moment, with the inclement weather extending so far into the flower season.
We have seen lots of caravans making the trip to camp among the flowers and I
can only say that I am incredibly grateful that we are in this homely and
thoughtfully appointed establishment.
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