PrettiEST, finEST, farthEST… an adventure of extremes
The problem with living on a continent as beautiful and diverse as Africa, adventurers often look past the reasonably easy destinations. The concept of "the further you go, the more beautiful it will be" gradually becomes part of your travel planning and you are always looking to push the envelope to get your fix.
This concept is described perfectly in Johan Bakkes' book, Openbaring, where the premise is that they always plan trips with extremes (the "-est" trips). In his travel journal, he refers to late-night chats in his bar, where he and his travelling companions plan the next big adventure, emphasising the extreme ("-est") principle. The hottest, coldest, highest, farthest, prettiest, smallest, and most unknown places are prerequisites. He later confesses that this methodology is often successfully used to deter their wives from joining the adventure. We used these methods for our South African overland adventure during December. However, unlike Johan's wife, it never scares Natasha. On the contrary – the crazier my ideas, the more exciting for her!
Our departure point, Komatipoort, in the far east of South Africa, was the furthest place, within our national border, to Alexander Bay. It also happens to be the widest part of the country. The road includes villages and remote locations that you never bother to visit. When you do get the chance one day, you will regret not passing through there earlier.
Our first overnight stay was in Vryburg, about 900km from home – almost the entire length of the N4. For most travellers, this is a well-known road, and it takes creativity to keep it interesting. Feel free to buy the book – it’s a great travel companion, containing incredible descriptions of each town. Available from Exclusive Books, this region by region guide covers the origin, history and various interesting anecdotes from most small towns in South Africa. As we tour through the fascinating little towns, our two-way radios connecting the
