This is the view of Port Elizabeth (PE) from the top of the lighthouse – this SA flag is the largest flag within SA and flies proudly in PE. 

I stayed at the Beach Hotel, which is just across the road from the beach and next door to the Casino (not that I visited the Casino). I spent quite some time on the beach front watching the waves – I have noted that the beaches I have seen have quite freroious waves at times – and when the wind is up all you can see is white caps on all the waves, it is fasinating to watch – I’m quiet capitvated by the waves, its almost hypnotic.

  
Port Elizabeth seems still quiet colonial and the buildings are reminsinant of a British influence, however some buildings are in need of repair. In is a rather pretty city and the people I met were gereally friendly.

My reason for going to Port Elizabeth was to go to Cradock where my grandmother was born. I hired a car and drove to Cradoch which was about 2.5 hrs north of Port Elizabeth. Driving in SA is easy the only thing you need to be weary about is not to stop along the way – make sure nothing is visible in the car that is worth being stolen, keep all handbags etc in the boot of the car- my phone and camera was kept in the glove box – before leaving Port Elizabeth I had contacted the pastor/minister of the Anglican Church I was visiting in Cradock to see the church records for my grandmother – he was expecting me around lunchtime.

It was a pleasant drive the roads were reasonably good, the speed limit was 120km (no reason to speed). I was monkeys and the occasional Baboon along the way. As I approached Cradock there where a couple of township close to the town, and it was easy to find the Church. The street was covered in Jacaranda trees, it was so quaint looking almost like a postcard.

After spending some time with the pastor of the church and going thought the church records we could not find my grandmothers records he suggested going to the Dept of Home Affairs – I thanked him, he gave me a blessing and I was further on my way, to the Dept of Home Affairs, thankfully this is a relatively small town and I didn’t have to wait long as I did when in Durban. You do have to remember when I Africa everything is on Africian time ( slow).

I spent several hours looking through the old birth registers, the one for my grandmother was destroyed in a town flood, however I think I found a sibling in a later register. For now I have come to a dead end however the searching continues.

I also went to the Dutch Reform Church to look at there records without any success …… I decided to have some lunch, the easiest was KFC and then decided to drive back to Port Elizabeth before it got dark.

The drive back was uneventful apart for stopping for a couple of photo shoots…..

Next stop Johanesburg …….