Thursday, March 7, 2019
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Heading home
DHL sold us a huge carton for our African treasures so we have finally gone native.
We looked over the Beastly Fang log Kim together. Very professional. A big thank you for keeping us on the page. I know she missed sleep waiting for news when we had collapsed in bed too exhausted to utter a syllable. Way to go Kim!
The Fangsters Laurie, Pam & Trunk Monkey
Day 26: Cape Town-Hugs, tears, goodbyes, and promises to write
As I pack for the airplane, Laurie drives Fang to the port. Melvyn Palmer from Cars is here to assist.
Our awards banquet last night was certainly notable for the sheer amount of love in the room. The prizes were not just another trophy, but darling wire African animals. Laurie and I took the coveted Spirit of Rally award, a pair of metal guinea hens! We also received wire bulls for 1st in class. After the emotional impact wore off and we realized the burden of carrying animals home, heavy trading took place. I helped celebrate a 45th anniversary by passing along my hen. Laurie swapped hers for a lion.
A good girl band played on the waterfront, so we headed out for dancing. Obligated to burn through the last of our Rand weren’t we?
Every Day Counts !
Your Nav
Be sure to check Beastly Fang Home Page for more posts.
Our awards banquet last night was certainly notable for the sheer amount of love in the room. The prizes were not just another trophy, but darling wire African animals. Laurie and I took the coveted Spirit of Rally award, a pair of metal guinea hens! We also received wire bulls for 1st in class. After the emotional impact wore off and we realized the burden of carrying animals home, heavy trading took place. I helped celebrate a 45th anniversary by passing along my hen. Laurie swapped hers for a lion.
A good girl band played on the waterfront, so we headed out for dancing. Obligated to burn through the last of our Rand weren’t we?
Every Day Counts !
Your Nav
Fang Photo courtesy of Rally Round Facebook
Table Top Mountain, and all the cars ready to ship out. Fang (Chevy), Rhubarb (Buick), Leisel (BMW), Sol (Morgan), and many more.
Our trophy for First in Class
More wonderful awards, courtesy of Rally Round Facebook
Cowabunga and Pam
A horse of a different color
Very interesting Waterfront. And a Wheel!
Visited a car museum with four buildings just like this one for holding the collection. Beautiful cars and grounds in Franscheok.
Amazing scenery in Franschoek
Ariel Motorbike in Museum
Hire Car Category Winners
Gary Anderson and Harry Dobrzensky – Ford Ranger
Against All Odds Award Winners
Jeremy Holden and Victoria Oliver – 1955 Morgan Plus 4
Spirit of the Rally Award Winners
Laurie and Pam Lyford – 1938 Chevrolet Fangio Coupe
Team Award Winners
Team Austang
Alec and Barbara Hammond – 1965 Ford Mustang
Chris and Judy Beighton – 1965 Ford Mustang
Steve and Ruth Lambert – 1972 BMW 2002 Touring
Vintage Class Awards
3rd: Chris and Kathy Grace – 1938 Chevrolet Fangio Coupe
2nd: Neil and Alex Lawson-May – 1935 Buick Sedan
1st: Laurie and Pam Lyford – 1938 Chevrolet Fangio Coupe
Overall Vintage Category Winners
David and Barbara Berks – 1929 Chrysler 75
Pre-1966 Classic Class Awards
3rd: Jeremy Holden and Victoria Oliver – 1955 Morgan Plus 4
2nd: Chris and Judy Beighton – 1965 Ford Mustang
1st: Claudine Bloom and Andrew Twort – 1965 Volvo 122 Amazon
Post-1966 Classic Class Awards
3rd: Alastair Caldwell and Rachel Christodoulou – Mercedes-Benz 250 SL
2nd: Lorenzo Castellini and Paolo Melloni – 1973 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super
1st: Johan Gitsels and Walter Op T’Roodt – 1973 Porsche 911
Overall Classic Category Winner
Steve and Ruth Lambert – 1972 BMW 2002 Touring
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Saturday, October 27, 2018
Day 25: On to Cape Town
Just sinking in that this will be our last day with Fang.
Charlie and the T-Zero crew really changed the rally experience for us. While other teams spent long nights replacing major innards, adding yet another clutch, or lashing onward our four weary Rally Round mechanics to perform miracles, we were gifted with a very solid car. Gravel roads were unkind, mountain passes tested brakes, clutches and nerve, heat withered, and yet Fang persevered, noble and sure footed, day after very long day. So a big thank you to all who turned a wrench, wired a panel, fixed a this or hammered a that. Bravo!
And to Laurie. She became the heart and soul of our little band of adventurers. By day two she knew everyone’s
name, their car stats and probably what brand of transmission they ran. She distributed healing potions for tummy, rashes, and colds, tried to feed me health foods ( no!) and finally, organized a rally chat group that the organizers even use.
I can only imagine what the macho men thought when we showed up. She changed their minds quickly on the road and track, and then slipping into her mechanics suit and crawling under Fang. A huge cheer for a real champion.
To all who followed our exploits, thank you. We hope you enjoyed the ride.
Your Nav
Be sure to check Beastly Fang Home Page for more posts.
Charlie and the T-Zero crew really changed the rally experience for us. While other teams spent long nights replacing major innards, adding yet another clutch, or lashing onward our four weary Rally Round mechanics to perform miracles, we were gifted with a very solid car. Gravel roads were unkind, mountain passes tested brakes, clutches and nerve, heat withered, and yet Fang persevered, noble and sure footed, day after very long day. So a big thank you to all who turned a wrench, wired a panel, fixed a this or hammered a that. Bravo!
And to Laurie. She became the heart and soul of our little band of adventurers. By day two she knew everyone’s
name, their car stats and probably what brand of transmission they ran. She distributed healing potions for tummy, rashes, and colds, tried to feed me health foods ( no!) and finally, organized a rally chat group that the organizers even use.
I can only imagine what the macho men thought when we showed up. She changed their minds quickly on the road and track, and then slipping into her mechanics suit and crawling under Fang. A huge cheer for a real champion.
To all who followed our exploits, thank you. We hope you enjoyed the ride.
Your Nav
Be sure to check Beastly Fang Home Page for more posts.
Friday, October 26, 2018
Day 24: Penultimate Rally Day
Knock out scenery, storybook villages, and a visit to the dreamy home of a renowned wine maker. Tomorrow we parade to the finish line, drink a little champagne and head into Cape Town for our final evening together.
Your Nav
Your Nav
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Day 23 Driver Photo Log
Be sure to follow Laurie and Pam along on Polar Steps
Good name for a dining room
Fang in front of our room
Drink up
Markers
Garden Art
Sophie's Choice Restaurant
Quirky Place
Day 22: Swathberg Pass-Nav Log Update:
A very long hot day. And the best one too. We did not put lips to beer until after 7PM, so jazzed from the Swartburg we could have continued driving all night.
The Swartburg ranks among the premier mountain passes of the planet, sufficiently hair raising and seriously spectacular.A total blast to drive. Some prefer not to look down and keep eyes on the narrow, twisting dirt track.
High dessert, yucca, wild flowers, no people. Occasional well funded farms, mohair country. Seldom any cars at all on the hundreds of kilometers of roads we ripped down. Fang almost achieved the 120 speed limit when I forgot to mention to Laurie we had 90 minutes to make our time control 188.9 kilometers away! Twenty five km of that passage was a raised concrete single lane. Grand fun for me, not so much for our driver.
Fang soldiers along, the 150 km of gravel on route vibrated his extremities. Lots of racer tape appearing on rally cars, patching hoods, trunks, lights, roughly in place.
Noise wise we are now silent except for the in car giggling. In emergencies, I play the Mexican Hat Dance. It works well on goats and the SA army.
Your Nav, her work almost done
Be sure to check Beastly Fang Home Page for more posts.
The Swartburg ranks among the premier mountain passes of the planet, sufficiently hair raising and seriously spectacular.A total blast to drive. Some prefer not to look down and keep eyes on the narrow, twisting dirt track.
High dessert, yucca, wild flowers, no people. Occasional well funded farms, mohair country. Seldom any cars at all on the hundreds of kilometers of roads we ripped down. Fang almost achieved the 120 speed limit when I forgot to mention to Laurie we had 90 minutes to make our time control 188.9 kilometers away! Twenty five km of that passage was a raised concrete single lane. Grand fun for me, not so much for our driver.
Fang soldiers along, the 150 km of gravel on route vibrated his extremities. Lots of racer tape appearing on rally cars, patching hoods, trunks, lights, roughly in place.
Noise wise we are now silent except for the in car giggling. In emergencies, I play the Mexican Hat Dance. It works well on goats and the SA army.
Your Nav, her work almost done
Be sure to check Beastly Fang Home Page for more posts.
Day 22: Top of Swartberg Pass
Photolog via your Driver:
Milling at the top of Swartburg
Looking South East
Video of Arrival On Top
Follow Laurie and Pam via Polarsteps: Link: https://www.polarsteps.com/LaurieLyford/1067569-coffee-hotel?s=b9cdc111-303e-45ba-aba6-3c3ab6ad8ceb
Be sure to check Beastly Fang Home Page for more posts.
Day 21 Nav Log: Eastern Cape, Craddock
Waking In the quaint village of Craddock is like stepping
back in time. Restored row houses, a true Victorian Hotel,
Jazz band on the porch, gin and tonic in pitchers, iron bedspreads. New Orleans amid the diamond hills?
Landscape yesterday semi desert, huge mesas in the distance, yuccas in bloom and high altitude passes. Our
bumpy test was a military training area with the good name of Commando Drift. We are without an accurate GPS but rally on.
Huge and long day now as we head to the hills.
Your Nav
All posts 'Home' select here
Link to more related photos posted by Driver in yesterday’s Log
back in time. Restored row houses, a true Victorian Hotel,
Jazz band on the porch, gin and tonic in pitchers, iron bedspreads. New Orleans amid the diamond hills?
Landscape yesterday semi desert, huge mesas in the distance, yuccas in bloom and high altitude passes. Our
bumpy test was a military training area with the good name of Commando Drift. We are without an accurate GPS but rally on.
Huge and long day now as we head to the hills.
Your Nav
All posts 'Home' select here
Link to more related photos posted by Driver in yesterday’s Log
Follow Laurie and Pam via Polarsteps: Link: https://www.polarsteps.com/LaurieLyford/1067569-coffee-hotel?s=b9cdc111-303e-45ba-aba6-3c3ab6ad8ceb
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Day 21: Umngazi Photolog via Your Driver
Sunrise today
Lunch Stop
Our Room. We're staying in little houses you see in the picture. We estimate late 1800s. Destined for raising, a woman bought them all and refurbished along with The Albert establishment.
This evenings dining venue
Downtown Cradock
The band has been playing for hours, the same tune. I think they are quitting soon
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Day 21 log- Full Nav Update: Umngazi Villas BFNW, SA
Confronted with the groaning board on offer in the Oyster Box breakfast garden, Nav could only do justice by concocting bizarre combinations..avocado croissants with Parma ham and Stilton, passion fruit smoothie and Waldorf salad.
We waddled to Fang, got the wrong turn of the day over with immediately and headed to the Dezzi Racetrack, a short 148 km down the N2.
Dezzi is the real deal. A very pleasant, well designed road course with good elevation and tarmac. Each vehicle , rental trucks included, took two turns of two laps each. The three time Belgian world rally champ won the fuzzy dice with blistering times in his racing Porsche.
Laurie probably was fastest in the sedate class. Everyone enjoyed the romp on a good track.
The landscape, green, green hills, deep valleys and glimpses of far away pounding surf lured us to another diet buster, the beachside Blue Lagoon bar. Nav ate too much and fought off a gastric coma during the four hour run to Umngazi Villas by the Sea.
No real report could fail to mention the surreal trip through Flagstaff and yet, again words cannot convey the sheer magnitude of activity crammed onto and around the Flagstaff main drag, equal in mayhem to Bombay’s best efforts.
The trip from altitude down to sea level includes 133 turns, switchbacks and postcard views. So here we are,up a river by the sea, surf for music, ensconced in the very same cabin where Nelson Mandela slept. Maybe even the same bed. Or did he sleep in the one Laurie now uses?
Your Nav
We waddled to Fang, got the wrong turn of the day over with immediately and headed to the Dezzi Racetrack, a short 148 km down the N2.
Dezzi is the real deal. A very pleasant, well designed road course with good elevation and tarmac. Each vehicle , rental trucks included, took two turns of two laps each. The three time Belgian world rally champ won the fuzzy dice with blistering times in his racing Porsche.
Laurie probably was fastest in the sedate class. Everyone enjoyed the romp on a good track.
The landscape, green, green hills, deep valleys and glimpses of far away pounding surf lured us to another diet buster, the beachside Blue Lagoon bar. Nav ate too much and fought off a gastric coma during the four hour run to Umngazi Villas by the Sea.
No real report could fail to mention the surreal trip through Flagstaff and yet, again words cannot convey the sheer magnitude of activity crammed onto and around the Flagstaff main drag, equal in mayhem to Bombay’s best efforts.
The trip from altitude down to sea level includes 133 turns, switchbacks and postcard views. So here we are,up a river by the sea, surf for music, ensconced in the very same cabin where Nelson Mandela slept. Maybe even the same bed. Or did he sleep in the one Laurie now uses?
Your Nav
Please note some photos re-posted: photos in previous post select here
Sunset From Beach Bungalow
Video of Eagle Swoop at Umngazi
Be sure to check Beastly Fang Home Page for more posts.
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