SA 20081212 Umkomaas to Kokstad

	near Umkomaas			Ifafa
				Southern Mall Port Shepstone
	near Port Edward		R61 bridge across Mthamvuma River	Wild Coast !

				fog near Bizana
Contents SA-2008-2 Journey	East Griqualand Satellite Maps	SA 20081212 UMKOMAAS to KOKSTAD	Kokstad	`BLO fecit 20090114`

After breakfast and using Gail's E-mail, I left Umkomaas at 09:00, odometer 21,778 in light rain. Driving on N2, I bypassed scores of Indian Ocean beaches till Port Shepstone where I visited the mall because of stomach problems, then opted to leave N2 - the direct route to Kokstad - and to take R61 to Port Edward. Although I had planned to stay there, the Hotel Edwardian was too expensive and the next accommodations, Sun, across the steel bridge even more so (R 1,500 according to the gatekeepster)
I stopped in very busy Bizana and tanked for R 261, then continued in a heavy fog which made me decide not to continue on R 61 to Port St Johns, but instead solve "my" Eastern Griqualand mystery and turn near Magusheni to connect via Fort Donald to N2 at Brook's Nek and onward to Kokstad at the foot of Mount .... Although the outskirts were very crowded, a quieter part of Hope Street ensued near the church, where the second B and B had space in a large house. The maid's English was very poor but she gave me her cellphone to talk with the owner. This was about 17:00 and I first took a rest, then went further along Hope to a Pakistani restaurant where I enjoyed a good lamb curry, two glasses of lasi and conversation about Obama and Osama. To my regret, no one knew about the Griekwas, so it was not till a month later back in the USA I found this fine website of Scott Balson solving my mystery of the distance between Griekwastad and Kokstad.

SA 20081212

UMKOMAASto KOKSTAD

UMKOMAAS
to KOKSTAD