We have been on the road for 5 months!

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We left our house in Pretoria on the 26th of April, and it feel like years ago already.
We have been living on the road for 5 months now, and I can say one thing - humans are very adaptable.

 I must say - we have managed to adapt quite quickly - this feels like our new "normal".

 Our routine is basically to get up, do some work and schoolwork, eat in between and then explore whatever there is to explore. Some days that means filling our time with research about what the possibilities of exploring are.

 Conflict happens - as it does - but it is easier to "get over it", because we don't want to spoil the next adventure.

 Our fears have all come true - the ones we mentioned in our first youtube videos. The frustrations are also the pleasures - being together all the time. I read Cindy's blogpost where she kind of sums it up that conversations are interrupted all the time. The kids are always there, so they feel like they are allowed to take part in grown-up conversations now.

 One challenge is to get the kids to remember that they are still kids and that they are not welcome in all conversations. This becomes quite clear when we befriend people on the road and they sit around chatting with the adults. I may be a bit old fashioned, but I don't think that it is always appropriate for kids to take part - or even just be present - when grown-ups talk to each other.

 We have now been in 5 of the 9 provinces in South Africa. Each one presenting us with its own uniqueness.

 Kwazulu Natal with its green and lush beauty everywhere, Mpumalanga with is charming waterfalls, Limpopo with its wild bushveld, North West with its fun rides at Sun City and the Northern Cape with its stark contrasts of desert and mighty rivers.

 I am falling in love all over again with this beautiful country of ours. That is the one great thing about this roadtrip - and for that I will wish it for everyone I know.

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Kersfees-koekies!

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Prent
Ek en my niggie Keara-Lin dreig nou al 'n rukkie om koekies te bak vir kersfees. So sy het toe uiteindelik gister die hele dag hier by my kom kuier en ons het 2 bakke vol koekies gebak! Ons het eers 'n Golden Cloud boks-koek gebak en cupcakes gemaak van dit Kyk net hoe mooi lyk dit! Dis nou nie - "food-magazine" kwaliteit nie, maar goed genoeg vir my blog, dink ek! Daar moes toe natuurlik ook tee-tyd gehou word! Toe begin ons met die soetkoekies - altyd 'n wenner!  Keara bestudeer haar handewerk met 'n kritiese oog - Kyk net hoe mooi :-) Die volgende batch was biscotti -- mmmmmmmm----  eweredig verdeel... :-P Feast your eyes! En laastens vanilla crescents Al die resepte wat ons gebruik het is op my pinterest-profile: http://pinterest.com/rutcloete/christmas-cookie-time/
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The best surfing spots in South Africa along the West Coast (so far)

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Prent
We have been road tripping South Africa for the last 10 months now, mostly along the coast. While we were in KZN, our son went for surfing lessons and the feeling was so awesome, he kept bugging us to get to more surfing spots and surf again. We eventually listened to him and bought a surfboard while we stayed in Langebaan. So, here is a newbie's opinion of where to surf along the West coast, starting in Langebaan. 1. Langebaan We stayed in Langebaan for a whole month in November 2018. We surfed in front of Kokomo's restaurant, where the waves were small enough to handle... or completely non-existent. Langebaan is one of the best places to windsurf and kitesurf... but since we did neither of the two - it wasn't one of our best places to surf. If you are a newbie and wanting to surf, we would recommend going to Muizenberg for that. Langebaan 2. Jacob's Bay We spent a day or two at Jacob's Bay, where there are only a few people and houses, so it feels...
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Travelling through South Africa - some things we've learnt about self-catering accommodation

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Prent
simple things make us happy - like having a "braai"  When we set off on our adventure, we had already decided (after some investigations) that the camping options in South Africa are simply too expensive to consider for a year long roadtrip. So we have been staying in self catering units these past few months, except for when we actually did camp at St lucia. We are currently in our fourth month and we have learnt some things along the way regarding self catering units in South Africa. 1. Everyone's standard of cleanliness is not the same. To overcome this, we have formed a habit of travelling with cloths and handy andy to clean where necessary. The funny thing is that most places do not place a broom or a mop in the unit so cleaning remains a challenge. We have stayed in a few places where the cupboards were puke-invokingly dirty... not sure how that works.. but anyway. 2. The basics are not always provided. You'd think that any plac...
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