And were are off

At 8.12 this morning we started our great adventure. We left the Cape Grace Hotel and headed off along the cost road towards Stellenbosch.
We are a little bleary eyed due to lack of sleep. As mentioned in the last post we had a really nice room overlooking the joyfully coloured little fishing boats. What we did not know was at 4.00 am they decide to move around. One of them in particular wanted to be a formula 1 jet ski boat and had taken his exhaust system off. It's quite amazing how much echo there is around a bay at that time of day or was it night.
This is the view from the quiet side of the hotel) We really slum it on these rallies:)

Anyway Philip Young flags us off with a steel band playing and much hooting, hope it woke the guys up in the fishing boat.
The roads are very good and the traffic quite light compared to SE England. The scenery even just leaving Cape Town is stunning. It's not long before the rally route leaves the main roads and heads cross country on gravel roads.
These are really nice well graded gravel roads and they take you to places you would never normally see on the tourist route. It also gives you a chance to put your foot down with no danger of speed cameras. Speed cameras in South Africa have been sub contracted out by the police and the company running and enforcing them does not play fair so you have to be extra careful.
We have started our animal count, not quite in the big 5 league yet but we are quite proud to have seen two mongoose, an ostrich and a rather large snake.
They didn't spot me hiding behind this tree.

In the afternoon we have our first bit of competition. We have to cover 10 kms in 9 minutes on a hilly gravel road. If you do under the 9 minutes you technically do what is know as 'clear the stage' I only usually manage to do that when i sing, but today with Julie and Mollys help we 'cleared the stage' Come on Molly.
I forgot to mention the scrutineering, Molly passed with flying colours. The 'drink' we bought for the scrutineer was a bit of a waste of time, he turned out not to be the scrutineer at all. Think he could have mentioned that before the 4th whisky.
It looks like all the cars have finished the first day safe and sound, bit dusty and tired but thoroughly enjoying South Africa.