Category: South Africa

Day 136: Itaga Luxury Private Game Lodge – Day 2 & Leaving South Africa

We got up early on our last day in South Africa to see the Mabalingwe lions. We were hoping for the best – after all, we enjoyed the Otjitotongwe Cheetah Farm in Namibia, where they had to keep their “wild” cats in a 200+ acre enclosure. If that was what we expected, we were sorely disappointed with the set-up at Mabalingwe. Both the lions and two Spotted Hyenas were kept in tiny fenced-in enclosures – the one for the lions was probably 5 acres, while the one for the hyenas was about half the size. Honestly, we didn’t come all the way to Africa to visit a zoo – we came to see animals in the WILD! Or at least free-roaming.

The guides at Itaga made a point of leaving the resort at 6:45AM in order to be the first arrivals at the lion feeding. We had about 10min to view the lions and hyenas on our own before a dozen safari vehicles showed up, each brimming with tourists. Mabalingwe only feeds the animals twice per week, and given that it was a Sunday and we were only 2hrs from Johannesburg, this was clearly the most heavily booked tour. By the end, we were seriously regretting our decision to join the tour – it was a low note to end our amazing experiences in the wilds of southern Africa.

 

Huge safari vehicles packed with tourists arrive to see the caged predators: Spotted Hyenas and lions

 

So bummed that our first hyena sighting was in a cage. These guys are MASSIVE – the size of a Great Dane! – can’t wait to see them in the wild in Tanzania!

 

A mighty, majestic lion…behind bars

 

Feeding the lions: a truck drives into the lion cage, where the guy in the passenger seat loops a chain around a pole which drags two chunks of meat off the tailgate as the truck drives off

 

Since the meat is chained to the pole, the lion is forced to eat his meal in front of the viewing platform, for the amusement of the hundreds of tourists who are snapping pictures.

 

On the drive back to the resort, we spot free-roaming antelope (with barely a predator to worry about!) in the Mabalingwe Reserve: Tsessebe and Nyala

 

A small herd of hippos in the Mabalingwe hippo pool

 

Grysbok – an adorable, teeny antelope

Our flight to Nairobi, Kenya wasn’t scheduled to leave until midnight that night, so we were in no hurry to get to Johannesburg (especially after all the crime-filled horror stories we heard about car-jackings and police bribes). After breakfast we waited until the last possible moment to check-out, then we asked if we could camp out at the pool and use their Wifi for another hour or so. Finally, we forced ourselves to leave around 1PM – still far earlier than we need to return the rental car and get to the airport.

When we packed our bags, we realized our big backpack (with all our clothes, shoes, medication, toiletries and mosquito nets) had gotten a rip near the bottom, and had split open! We tried to duct-tape it shut, but the tear was too large. We considered looking for a camping store in Johannesburg or Pretoria, but didn’t want to risk getting burgled on our last day in the country. Instead, we decided to wrap the backpack at the airport for USD $7. Good news was the wrapping was very thorough – nothing would fall out with all that cellophane! Bad news was there was no way to wrap the bag without losing access to the shoulder straps, so we have to carry around our 17kg bag like a baby around the airport. We quickly snished our remaining errands (exchanging money, mailing postcards and finding a pharmacy) before checking in to our Air Kenya flight.

We got our tickets from the electronic kiosk, then walked over to the baggage drop counter at 5PM. When we told the attendant we were booked for the midnight flight to Nairobi, she looked us up and down and said, “We’re not checking in that flight yet. Come back three hours before departure.” I’m sorry, what? You mean, we have to hang around the airport before security for another 4 HOURS?!? But we have Executive Lounge Passes!!!! She said there was nothing she could do – she couldn’t hold our bags for us and she couldn’t check them in early. “Is the bag too big for carry on?” We asked. She looked it over, “Em, no, I don’t think so. But it’s wrapped – they won’t let you through security like that.”

That’s what *you* think. We quickly ducked into a hallway and unraveled our bag, then manually re-wrapped the cellophane around just the bottom half of the bag, so the top was still accessible. Ghetto? Yes. Flight-ready? You bet! We got into the security line – one agent tried get Lindsay to put the backpack in their carry-on size checker but when she threatened to cry, a second agent waved us through. After another hour at Immigration we were finally in the Executive Lounge, where we raised a glass (actually several) to our successful navigation and escape from the Johannesburg Airport. Next stop: EAST AFRICA.

 

Wrapping (then -wrapping) our ripped bag before our international flight to Kenya

Day 135: Itaga Luxury Private Game Lodge – Day 1

After another delicious breakfast, we took our leave of the Leshiba Wilderness Lodge, and headed for our final stop in South Africa: the Itaga Luxury Private Game Lodge in the Mabalingwe Nature Reserve. Like Leshiba, it is an artificial game park, where all the animals have been “imported” as a tourist attraction.

There was a stark contrast between the two, however. While Leshiba purchased and fed their rhinos, the reserve didn’t *feel* fabricated – probably because they weren’t trying to do too much. Leshiba had one shtick – a bunch of rhinos, and that was enough. Mabalingwe, on the other hand, touted itself as a “Big 5” reserve. It was a huge, corporate-owned property with multiple lodges in addition to private residences. And while they had to have lions on the reserve in order to call themselves “Big 5”, we discovered that the lions were kept in a fenced off enclosure, as the residents want to make sure it is safe for their kiddies to play in their backyard pools. Bizarre. Against our better judgement, we booked the tour to see the lions the next morning.

In the meantime, we had an evening drive scheduled for our first day at Itaga, led by Robert, our first (and only!) Caucasian safari guide. Why am I pointing this out, you may ask? Well, it didn’t really register with us that Robert and all of his colleagues were white, while all of our other guides up until now have been black. But when we were chatting with him about his career as a guide, he mentioned that he grew up in his grandfather’s private lodge in Kruger National Park, and that was where he learned everything he knows about tracking. When we asked why he didn’t want to work as a guide in Kruger, he said he used to until he was fired. “Why?” we asked. “Because of the color of my skin – they only want black guides.”

Now, I’m not going to say, “Poor Robert, that’s reverse racism!” This guy grew up with incredible privilege and probably has many more opportunities for (better paying) jobs than the guys that are now “stealing” his job at the national parks. But we did notice that *every single guide* at Mabalingwe was white. Not saying it’s better or worse, just noticing the difference between a private game reserve vs. the national parks.

Armed with the gate code, we say farewell to Leshiba and brave the trecherous 4×4 road down the mountain

 

The waterhole just outside the Itaga restaurant attracts many antelope, including these beautiful Nyala

 

There’s just something about Coca-Cola – whenever Igor tried to enjoy a can of happiness, some cute little animal tried to sneak a sip! Itaga has a tame squirrel that was hand-reared on the premises, and he quickly made friends with Igor

 

While Igor was playing with the wildlife, Lindsay discovered the hotel had A PUPPY! Do we really have to go on a safari? I can totally just stay here and play with the puppy.

 

The elusive Tsessebe, Africa’s fastest antelope, and a herd of wildebeest

 

This silly giraffe was eating too fast and got a branch stuck on his face! So cute.

 

A private house within the Mabalingue Reserve – a view of White Rhinos as you and your guests enjoy sundowner drinks on your patio. How the other half lives in South Africa

 

Our sundowner drinks, next to an empty waterhole. We be poor.

 

Sitting by the fire for an hour and a half waiting for dinner to be announced. Finally, the waitress comes over and says, “You know you can eat anytime you like, right? You’re not waiting for anyone, are you?” Thanks for the tip – we would have been sitting there all night! Gimme food!

 

Our last hotel room in South Africa – a luxurious end to a fantastic stay!

Day 108: Cape of Good Hope

So we were planning to get an early start, since we were planning to drive out to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, but as we were having breakfast a little law & order incident occurred to cause a significant delay. While we were enjoying our coffee and tea on the third floor balcony, chatting about our plans with a South African couple sitting next to us, all of sudden two cop cars pulled over a red sedan. The drama unfolded: a third police car arrived and the officers started to search the car. After they pulled out a gun from the glove compartment, the driver was handcuffed and the cops started searching the trunk, pulling out a woman’s purse and a child’s backpack, which had a laptop in it. Now, we weren’t within earshot, so it could very well be these items belonged to his wife & daughter…but we wouldn’t bet our money on it.

While this was very entertaining during our meal, we soon realized that the cop car was blocking us in. Since we didn’t want to obstruct justice, we had to wait it out in our room. Hey, beats cable!

Watching a guy get arrested after cops pull a gun and stolen goods out of his car

When we finally got out of the hotel, we drove out to visit the Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point, both a part of Table Mountain National Park. We didn’t have enough time for any hikes, but it we still have a beautiful day for driving around the coast.

 

The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve

 

Igor admiring the view from the cliffs of the Cape of Good Hope

 

Seals and ostrich hanging out at the Cape of Good Hope

 

Baboons and birds looking handouts at Cape Point

 

The birds were so ballsy – they started eating out of our hands!

 

Riding the funicular up to Cape Point

 

Funicular fun at Cape Point!

The two Cape Point Lighthouses

 

View from the first Cape Point Lighthouse – still a long way from home

 

The Da Gama Cross (actually, it’s a replica – the original was torn down by the Dutch)

 

Igor trying to play with a wild ostrich

We left the park in the late afternoon in order to reach Boulder Bay – another hotspot for viewing Jackass Penguins – in time for sunset. When we arrived, we discovered that the penguins here are even bolder than the ones in Betty’s Bay (pun intented)! The beach where the penguins exit the water doubles as a swimming beach – the penguins couldn’t care less if a little kid was splashing in the water – he would walk right on by! At one point, we saw two kids follow a penguin that was hopping up the staircase leading out of the beach…second later one of them starts to cry, and the other says, “MOM! He got bitten by the penguin!” Humph. That’ll learn ’em.

 

Boulder Beach – where the Jackass Penguins are literally coming out of the boulders!

 

Igor getting some great close-ups of the penguins

  

South African “Jackass” Penguins

 

Jackass Penguins are not shy, and will walk right past a human standing in its way

 

Lindsay was able to get right in the penguin’s face for a GoPro video!

 

We were planning to stay until sunset, but as we already had 100+ pictures by 4PM, we headed back early – making sure to check under our car before driving off

Feeling very satisfied with our day of sightseeing, we headed back to Cape Town via the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive along the coastal cliffs. We got back to the guesthouse just in time for sunset. We popped open the bottle of bubbly we had picked up in Stellenbosch, and raised a glass to our last night in South Africa.

 

Driving the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive back to Cape Town

View of Cape Town from Chapman’s Peak

 

Despite a bit of traffic coming into town, we make it back to the guesthouse in time for the sunset

Raising a toast of fine South African bubbly to a great day, and freshly laundered clothes!

Day 107: Cape Town

The forecast showed beautiful sunny weather, so we decided to explore the two famous mountains of Cape Town: Lion’s Head and Table Mountain, both of which were a short 15min drive from our hotel. We planned to hike Lion’s Head in the morning while we had the most energy, then ride the cableway to the top of Table Mountain to take some pictures of the vista.

The hike up Lion’s Head was a cake walk for us. Considering it was a sunny Saturday, the trail wasn’t obscenely crowded on the way up. Near the summit, the path diverges: the steeper way requires the use of ladders and staples (after the Pinnacles trail, this section was a joke), while the path takes an extra 10min. After a few victorious pics at the top, we headed back down as the trail started to get busier. When we came across a detour, Igor took us off the main path for a more secluded hike down.

Early hike up Lion’s Head

 

Climbing the summit of Lion’s Head is like a jungle-gym for adults!

 

Some tourists get scared of heights and create a bit of a bottleneck at the ladders and staples – we found it less crowded when we were going up then coming down

 

A really steep ascent for the last section of Lion’s Head

  

Views from the top of Lion’s Head – downtown Cape Town on the left, and Camps Bay in the middle and right

 

Taking the path back down the mountain

 

Igor takes us off trail on the way down to avoid the crowds, and we eventually end up on a designated loop

When we reached Table Mountain, we were dismayed to discover that the cableway wasn’t running due to high winds at the top of the mountain! It was barely noon, and one of the park managers told Igor that we could hike up – the Platteklip Gorge Trail was the fastest way up the mountain, and she assured Igor it would only take us an hour and a half.

It took us about 3hrs, and it was the most painful hike of the trip. If we hadn’t just hiked Lion’s Head, it probably wouldn’t have been that bad, but Lindsay was practically in tears by the time we reached the top due to the strenuous climb and the drastic temperature change from the base to the summit. At the top, Lindsay didn’t have any energy left to anything but sit in the sun and drink water, so Igor walked around a bit on his own to take panorama pictures and read the information plaques and maps posted at the viewpoints.

At one of the viewpoints, he suddenly found himself alone with a fellow hiker. The guy said hello to Igor, but kept staring at his camera when he was talking. Igor asked if the guy was from Cape Town, he said he from Angola…never taking his eyes off Igor’s camera. When another group of tourists came within earshot, the Angolan suddenly said he had to go, and ran off. Super sketchy.

 

Since the cableway wasn’t running, we had to hike up Table Mountain, too!

 

The path up the Platteklip Gorge is the most direct route up the mountain, but it is steep and monotonous

 

The temperature changed dramatically as we climbed up the mountain – Lindsay was having a really rough time getting up the mountain

 

Igor explored the top of Table Mountain by himself while Lindsay rested and warmed up in the sun, and risked getting mugged by a creepy guy from Angola

 

A map at the top showed additional hiking trails running around the top of the plateau – as it was already late afternoon, we only had time to admire the view of Lion’s Head from above before heading back down

View from the top of Table Mountain

Lion’s Head and Cape Town CBD from the top of Table Mountain

Near the bottom of the trail, Igor found a someone’s car key – some poor hiker must have dropped it! It was getting close to sunset, and we were still a good 30min from the trailhead – whoever lost it probably would not realize it until they tried to open their car; retracing their steps all the way back up the mountain would be a bitch! We carried the key down, and did a quick look to see if anyone was freaking out near a Ford – unfortunately, most cars were parked along the road winding up the mountain, not concentrated in a parking lot. We saw a police truck parked near the trail head, so we figured giving the key to the officer was the best bet. Either that, or we just gave that cop a new car.

Enjoying happy hour the hotel, with a view of Lion’s Head

Day 107: Stellenbosch

We were hoping to fit in a morning hike at the Walker’s Bay Reserve, but we woke up to rain! Boo! Since the alarm had already gotten us up early, we drove over to Walker’s Bay anyways, just in case there was a break in the weather. We got a few moments to enjoy the scenery – better than nothing! We then turned away from the coast and into the mountains to visit the South African wine country, via the pseudo-French village of Franschhoek.

 

Cloudy morning in Walker’s Bay

Wish we had more time and better weather to do more hiking!

 

Secluded cave and beach at Walker’s Bay

 

On the road to Franschhoek, as the rain clouds start to break up

It’s a great day for a road trip in South Africa

View of the Francophile town of Franschhoek in the heart of South Africa’s wine country. It’s a shame we didn’t have more time to explore – we hear they have a “wine train” that you can ride to visit (and taste!) many of the wineries! Now we totally have a reason to come back!

 

Various types of training grapes vines in Franschhoek

 

A cozy fireplace and flight of wine make for a great lunch stop in Stellenbosch

 

Pizza and wine pairing for lunch – yum!

Lindsay’s former co-worker, Joanne, used to work for Distell Wine group – the largest wine company in South Africa, so we looked to her for recommendations for our day in Stellenbosch. Knowing our love (obsession?) of sparkling wine, she set us up with a tasting at JC le Roux – the *only* winery in South Africa solely dedicated to sparkling wine. We owe her one – the tasting was awesome!

 

A winery that *only* produces sparkling wine – our type of place!

 

An old-school ridding rack and a modern gyroplatte – use whatever is necessary to produce those tasty bubbles

 

Tasting through the JC le Roux line-up, paired with nougats

 

Bottoms up! Fantastic bubbles down the whole line-up

We also owe a debt of gratitude to another former Banfi co-worker, Mary, who shared a recommendation for Vergenoegd Winery which has a twice daily duck parade, with over 800 ducks! The ducks are actually part of an eco-friendly pest-control program, where the ducks patrol the vineyards twice a day to eat all the bugs, reducing the need for pesticides. Igor doesn’t care why the ducks were there, just as long as he could cuddle them!

 

Vergenoegd Winery has a real old-world feel to it, complete with a cozy farmhouse fireplace in the tasting room

 

3:30PM – Time for the Duck Parade! Twice every day, 800+ ducks march from the lake through the winery

 

Since the vines are dormant and there are no bugs to eat, the ducks get a generous helping of feed instead

 

A handful of geese have joined the ducks for the free meal – while geese are normally on the aggressive side, this one goose was incredibly affectionate and climbed into his lap!

 

We take a short tour of the incubator room where there are a dozen baby ducks

 

Lindsay holding a baby duck!

 

Igor holding a baby duck!

 

Future ducklings – each egg has the week it was laid, giving the farmers an good idea of when to expect the hatching

 

Returning to the tasting room for a flight of Vergenoegd reds

 

A great visit to Vergenoegd Winery – totally one kind!

We had to call the wine tasting quits after Vergenoegd, so Igor (our designated driver) could get us to Cape Town safely (where he could enjoy a well-deserved glass of wine in the comfort of our hotel). We checked into the Azamare Guest House which is our favorite hotel in Africa to date: it’s a chic, modern boutique hotel with stunning views of the ocean. Service, location, scenery, amenities – all top notch. But best of all are the complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres – truth be told, we totally took advantage of this our first night and stuffed ourselves with appetizers instead of going to dinner. WE BE CLASSY.

 

Checking in to our posh accommodations in Cape Town’s Camps Bay neighborhood

 

Pulling into our hotel just in time for sunset. Look at the dust on the Benz! We really aren’t the luxury-car types.

Day 106: Hermanus – Great White Cage Diving

When Igor originally planned our week in South Africa, we planned for us to go cage diving to see Great White Sharks in Cape Town, as South Africa is one of the few countries in the world that does not prohibit chumming the waters (i.e. dumping fish guts in the water to attract the sharks). However, when Igor asked Russell from Green Bushpig Safaris for his recommendation, he told us that the best operators are near Hermanus – a good 2hrs from Cape Town. Since we were on the road already, we didn’t have time to research and reserve anything, so we asked our hotel if there was anything they could book us last minute. Luckily, Great White Shark Tours had room on their afternoon tour, so we had time for a walk on the beach and a leisurely breakfast before heading out to Gansbaai.

 

Early morning walk on the beach in Hermanus

The Great White Shark tour was AWESOME! We were lucky enough to see a shark hunting a seal as we were setting anchor for the dive (thankfully, the seal got away – we didn’t want to see the poor thing die), and we had at least two sharks actively swimmingly around our cage and interacting with the decoy and bait.

The worst part of the diving wasn’t the fear of the sharks – it was the water temperature. Lucky for us it was a warm sunny day, but the water was still 59 degrees – and we had loose-fitting wetsuits, not dry suits, so we were COLD. But the views of the sharks were totally worth it – they look so *powerful* up close – and you can tell they are totally looking at you through the cage and sizing you up! Since the sharks were so active during our dives, only half of the group opted for a second dive (including Igor, of course), so we had time to drive through “Shark Alley” – a narrow passage between two rock islands that are home to a colony of about 60K seals, which is prime hunting territory. In fact, a film crew from the Discovery Channel was on hand shooting footage for “Shark Week” specials.

 

Second breakfast and a video safety briefing before cage diving

 

The “Apex Predator” – our cage diving boat

 

Local seabirds have learned they can get a free sandwich from the boat

A near predation! A juvenile Great White Shark goes after a seal, but the seal escapes (barely)

 

In addition to chum, the tour operators used a seal-shaped cut-out and a chunk of tuna to lure the sharks to the cage

 

Predictably, Igor is the first person to jump into the cage!

 

A huge female shark is very interested in the cage and makes repeated passes

 

Igor is cold but super happy after his first cage dive – he goes back in for a second turn!

 

Lindsay finally gets into the frigid waters and sees the Great White Sharks up close

 

The Great White Shark is going for the bait

 

As she swims by, there is no doubt she is sizing us up and looking for a chance to take a nibble!

 

A crew from the Discovery Channel is filming the seal colony at “Shark Alley”

We got back to the shore around 3PM, which gave us just enough time to drive across the bay to Betty’s Bay, which is home to a large colony of South African “Jackass” Penguins (apparently the name is thanks to their very loud squawking). After our experiences in New Zealand and Australia, waiting quietly in a hide or walking trails with a red-filter flashlight for some very shy penguins, we were anxious the get to the beach early, so we could have a chance to spot the birds. Well, there’s no need to worry about missing the Jackass Penguins because they are not shy at all! When we arrived, huge groups were waddling up the boat ramp and walking right by all the amateur photographers camped out on the beach. Apparently there is actually a problem with tourists getting *too close* to the penguins and getting bitten! (No, Igor didn’t get bitten.)

 

Jackass Penguins walking up the boat ramp at Betty’s Bay

 

Easy wildlife photography

Photographing Jackass Penguins in Betty’s Bay, South Africa

 

Penguins weren’t the only critters around – these fat Rock Dassies were also pretty cute

 

Dozens of Jackass Penguins coming in to shore at sunset

 

The endangered South African Penguin

 

As we were leaving the beach, we see one lone penguin trying to cross the street

So far, South Africa had been an absolute blast – every day brings a new and thrilling animal encounter! With the day ending on a great note, we headed back to our hotel. Since the Hermanus Beachfront Lodge isn’t within walking distance of any restaurants, we decided to take advantage of our kitchenette and have a home cooked meal so we could both enjoy a bottle of bubbly and save a little money as a bonus.

 

Spaghetti & salad (with LOTS of grated cheese!), and some brownies for dessert in our little apartment – cozy!

Day 105: The Garden Route – Part 2

Our farmstay at the De Zeekoe Guest Farm had a very unique twist – the owners had discovered they have a large population of meerkats on their property. Over the years, they learned how to get families of meerkats accustomed to their presence and started running sunrise tours. Unlike other operators in South Africa, De Zeekoe does not feed the meerkats at all – they just use a lot of patience, slowly getting closer to them each day. Every night, the guides follow the meerkats to their hole so they know where to find them in the morning. Every morning (regardless of whether they have a tour running) the guides sit outside the same hole before sunrise so the meerkats just get used to the idea that these loud, talking rocks will be outside their hole every day.

We met our guide down the road from the farmhouse at 7AM and followed him through a little trail in the fields for about 30min until he found the latest meerkat hole. We set down our chairs, and just shot the breeze with him for about another 30min until the meerkats decided to wake up. There was no need to be quiet – we could talk or shout as loud as we wanted! Sudden movements though – that was a big no-no. Once the sun came up, the whole family of meerkats started coming out of their hole, each standing straight and facing their bellies to the sun – apparently their digestive system can’t work if they are cold, so every morning they have to heat up their stomach as quickly as possible, so they can start hunting and feeding for the day.

 

A cup of tea & coffee and a few biscuits before our sunrise meeting with the meerkats

 

Walking through the fields at dawn

 

Our guide leads us to the meerkat hole, where we sit and wait for them to appear

A family of sun-worshipping meerkats

 

Who needs TV? We have a live version of “Meerkat Manor”!

We watched the meerkats for a good hour, before they felt warm enough to stop sunbathing and run off to hunt. We got back to the farm, where a delicious breakfast was waiting for us. (Like, SERIOUSLY delicious. I need the recipes for their quiche, potato cake and farm bread. YUM.) For our next activity, we planned to visit an ostrich farm. There were plenty in the area (a big one was literally down the road from De Zeekoe). We were originally planning to visit the Cango Ostrich Farm, recommended by Russell Frankish from Green Bushpig Safaris, our Namibia/Botswana tour organizer, but it was a bit of a drive in the wrong direction. We hoped we could save a little time by finding something closer, so we asked our meerkat guide for his recommendation as he’d worked various jobs in the tourist industry in the area. He also recommended Cango, as the closer places tended to have huge tour bus groups. It was 2 for 2, so we headed to the farm.

We got there just in time for a tour, where our guide, Lizzile, gave us an introduction to ostrich farming in the area, what products come from the birds (eggs, red meat, leather and feathers), how they raise them, difference in size from emus, and then took us out to meet birds in person.

Grabbing a late breakfast at the farmhouse before hitting the road

 

Ostrich info: a framed collage of all the odds and ends found in the stomach of an ostrich (they liked shiny things, so Lindsay took off her diamond earrings), and a boa made from ostrich feathers (dyed, of course)

 

Our guide, Lizzile, shows us the steps of egg development with a real (unfertilized) sample. The size of an ostrich egg is equal to 24 chicken eggs!

 

Lizzile introduces us to Betty, the “friendly” female, and shows off her thigh (which is where ostrich steak comes from) and a small claw on the tip of her wing

 

Lindsay and Igor both takes turns feeding Betty – Igor gets a “kiss” in the process!

 

None of the tourists wanted to ride the ostriches (we were glad as the practice seems a bit cruel), so two of the farmhands wrangled one of the males for a short demo

 

Lindsay getting a “neck massage” from a group of hungry ostriches

 

Igor is falling in love with the biggest chickens he’s ever seen. Wonder how they’d do in a backyard in Long Island?

 

Apparently ostrich eggs are strong enough to stand on!

After the ostrich farm, we had several hours of driving ahead of us before we reached the beach town of Hermanus, where we would be staying for the night. At the halfway point in Mossel Bay we took a break to explore a small section of the St. Blaize hiking trail, which meanders along the coastal cliffs. The trailhead that Google Maps led us to was inside a gated golf course, called Pinnacle Point Estate. When we got to the gates and explained why we were there, we assumed they would tell us to get lost – after all, we weren’t members! Not only did they wave us in, they didn’t charge anything for access or guarded parking! (Not sure if a local would have received the same treatment trying to get in to the trail…)

The trail is known as a good spot to spot whales from the shore, and while this is the high season for whales when they are mating and breeding just off the coast, we are not patient enough to stare at the ocean for hours. But the beautiful scenery was plenty to keep us happy!

 

After hours in the car, we need a short hike on the coast to stretch our legs

South African coastline in Mossel Bay

 

Walking a short section of the St. Blaize Trail

 

Rock Dassies, hanging out on the St. Blaize Trail

 

Rough surf below the cliffside trail

View of the gated golf resort where we walked the St. Blaize Trail

We only had an hour of daylight to make it to Hermanus, and with Igor at the wheel we were actually going really slow because he kept getting distracted by the scenery and asking to take pictures! No doubt South Africa is stunning – dare we say it? – just as much “eye candy” as New Zealand. Sadly, the high rate for violent crime spoils it from being the perfect travel destination – there were so many spots where we wish we could have gotten out of the car to take pictures, but it didn’t feel safe.

 

Driving the Garden Route is beautiful – we kept taking pictures out the window of the bright green fields and seaside towns

 

The cloud cover gave us a spectacular sunset – unfortunately we were driving away from it, so this was the view in our rear-view mirror