This canon was on the deck of the Portuguese galleon Sacramento when it ran aground on 30 June 1647 off the coast of Port Elizabeth – for those of you who do not know Jan van Riebeeck only arrived in 1652 in the Cape of Good Hope so five years prior to old Jan setting foot ashore at the Cape of Good Hope.

What caused the disaster and how many people were aboard the Sacramento is unknown, but 72 made it to shore.  After 10 days the group decided to walk from Port Elizabeth to Maputo – which is about 1 300 km away by the way – from where they planned to get a ship to Europe.  It must have been hostile and wild country back then so an easy walk it was not!  A mere 9 persons survived to reach Maputo (then Lourenco Marques) on 5 January 1648. Now I am wondering did they really know how far Maputo was or were they just sort of taking a guess or maybe started walking and just hoped for the best outcome possible?

The canon weighing in at 2 500 kg was manufactured in Macao, China and cast by the Bacarro family foundry.  The bronze canon was only salvaged 330 years later in 1977 and the detail is still in pristine condition.

How do you get such a heavy canon salvaged from tons of sand in the ocean floor? If anyone knows the story to this, please share it in the comments section. I would really like to know.

The canon overlooks a few rock pools and the sea and a bench provide a space to sit and contemplate or watch the dolphins frolic just behind the white of the waves.

If you are planning to do the nearby hike, make sure you take enough water and some sun protection for the round trip of 8 kilometers.  You can read more on sun wise tips at The African sun is not for sissies

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As the interest in motor sport runs deep in our veins we have visited a couple of motor museums in Europe in the past.  This is no Porsche Museum or Alfa Romeo museum that spread over several floors and hosts any model that  you can think of and more.  This is rather an intimate display of loved Volkswagen products on the premises of the factory located at 130 Algoa Road in Uitenhage.

In  the “Meet the Beetles” area you will meet Herbie from the movies who needs no introduction.  Delilah which is in pristine condition with no plastic surgery done and less than 1 000 km on the clock.  Delilah starts her history on 2 February 1972 at a price of R1 848.  It appears she was part of a divorce settlement agreement however her first owner did not have a driver’s license so she was put in storage for 24 years until her owner passed away.  Since she was put on the auction block in Petrusville (yes, I had to go and Google to find Petrusville) Delilah found her way to Uitenhage and are well looked after currently.

Then there is Matti, which is the youngest ever Beetle in South Africa.  He was the very last Beetle that rolled off the production line on 18 January 1979.  Being last on the production line Matti was fitted with all sorts of special accessories.  This is just three of the personalities in “Meet the Beetles” range.   Jeroen, fitted with sand tracks and jerry cans, also has an interesting story to tell from travels across the Sahara.

The rally Polo in the prominent green and blue colours also caught the eye.  The South African Rally Championship scene was dominated by Volkswagen from 2005 starting with a winning streak  by the legendary Jan Habig with navigator Douglas Judd and ended in 2010 with Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson as navigator.  These are but a few impressive Volkswagen accomplishments. 

But this is South Africa and there are many, many more interesting stories to be told out there.  Beetles, Golfs and nowadays Polos tend to have interesting lives and legends to tell, especially if they had a student life once upon a time.  We would like to hear your interesting stories so drop us a comment at the bottom of the post.

For the younger and inquisitive ones there is an interactive area where they can learn about pistons and crankshafts and try their skill on a rally car or observe a science experiment.  I will say it is good value for money if you keep in mind that the entrance fee is only R5 for kids. 

HOURS:

Weekday 08:30 to 16:00 and every first Saturday of the month from 10:00 to 13:00.

ENTRANCE FEE: 

R10 per adult and scholars and pensioners R5. Remember to prebook your factory tour.

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The lighthouse was originally built in 1861 and the first lighthouse keeper was Charles Hammond.  The cottage next to the lighthouse was erected for Hammond’s family in 1865.  Hammond must have enjoyed a lush green scenery from the top of the lighthouse.  However, today the view of the city is quite different.  The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1973 as there were too many city lights interfering with its visibility. 

If you look towards the sea you have a full view of the harbour and its activities that is always fascinating. On the day of our visit there was a huge car carrier busy loading vehicles.  It looked like a giant ant trial as the cars were rolling onto deck and then suddenly my travel brain kicks in and I am wondering to what part of the world are they being shipped to.  Shucks, it sucks to have a travel addiction!

As we circled the lighthouse tower we spent some time identifying all the beautiful historic buildings and churches of the older parts of the city.  I then realised that I need to update my bucket list to include some more of these historic places.

The Donkin Reserve is quite popular with tourists and forms part of the wider Route 67 trail that criss-cross the city.

Today Hammond’s little cottage houses a visitor information centre operated by Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism.  Pop in and the friendly ladies of The Bay will help you with information on what to see and do, whether it be a quick or extensive visit to area, they will know what you can attend, do and see.

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RISE AND SHINE!

Get up nice and early.  Go for a stroll along Shark Rock Pier to watch sunrise over the Indian Ocean.  What a better way to start your day?

BE A VOLUNTEER

Sancobb (but you will probably still remember it as Samrec) is always looking for volunteers of any age to help with daily tasks caring for the penguins at the centre as well as to help protect our precious marine life.

A GIANT FLAG

Did you know that Port Elizabeth is home to the largest flag in South Africa?  Take a walk around The Donkin  and watch the giant flag of 12 meters by 8 meters, sitting on a 65 metre high pole, fly in the wind.   It has become a real landmark on the Port Elizabeth horizon.

TAKE A WALK

Take a walk on the Heritage Trail and visit 51 historic places around the old Hill area.  While on the trail you can marvel at 1820 Settler history and historical architecture.   Did you know that you can even meet a Queen in front of the public library?

FUN ON THE WILD SIDE

Stay clear of overcrowded beach and head for miles of unspoiled beach at Sardinia Bay.  It is perfect for long beach walks, playing on huge sand dunes until you are exhausted and the German Wurst Wagen.  You can even take your pet there if it is on a leash.

Also see the post Sardinia Bay.

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We popped in here for something to bite after our first ever  “amazing race” we did as a family as a fundraiser to make a sporty girl’s dreams come true and I can proudly add that we slotted into third place from 15 teams!  After the event our stomachs were running on empty so it was time to pop in and  fill up before heading home.

As it was a  windy Saturday afternoon in Port Elizabeth the shutters were drawn against the elements, but did not dampen our spirits as we finished in third place in the “amazing race”.  So we had something to celebrate.  The eatery was rather quiet as it was still early and there was some major rugby matches on television.

Situated in the harbour area it serves everything fish related.  So, we had fish for lunch – had a hake and calamari combo served with chips, hubby’s fish served with rice and the ‘little one’s” fish and some fresh healthy salad.  All the dishes are served with a tartar sauce on the side.

Somewhere during our lunch I noticed this somewhat unusual tree in the middle of the outside area and on closer inspection I saw that it was a cork tree – yes, those that they used (nowadays they use a plastic version) to make the wine bottle corks from. The very first time in my life that I see such a tree up close and personal!   I do not know how old they get, but I guess this one must have been around for quite some time as it has a very big trunk.

This cork oak tree inspired me to do some research once we were home.  Reasearch that took me on a fascinating journey of discovery.  On average a cork tree can reach an age of 200 years during which the bark can be harvested only 17 times.  The art (as it is not that simple to harvest the cork) of harvesting cork can only be done every 9 years and the trees are mainly commercially grown around the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa.  Next time when I sip on my glass of red wine I will appreciate that cork stopper in the top of the  bottle!

“If  you do not like how things are, change it – you are not a tree!” — JIm Rohn

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