VERY Relaxing Wednesday

Wednesday has been birthday recovery day. No, No hangover, just a lot of driving, so today was spent just relaxing in our suite which is the deluxe suite here in Tulbagh. We have a bath tub surrounded with glass, elegant bedding, champagne every afternoon delivered to our room and a private little garden area with chairs, a small table and a chaise lounge.

I’ve spent the day with my script, le soleil and my friend Cleopatra. Tonight we will got to eat on Church street which contains all the architectural marvels of the original Huguenot settlement—most others here were destroyed by an earthquake. It has been nice to do nothing for a day.

It was windy today. Warm dry wind howled through our room and kept us cool on what would otherwise be a scorching day. We have doors on three sides of our suite.

Unfinished business… We went to Dijon Restaurant the other night. I mentioned its name in the post of the day, but what I didn’t tell you was this: we had three glass of champagne, we shared a salad and had a delicious main and shared a delicious Pavlova dessert—all for $40 or $20 each. Life here is not expensive at all compared to home.

Tomorrow, to another winery for Steve and then back to Cape Town but to a different hotel.

Above and below: More photos from unforgettable yesterday. 

One of Bwana's favourite places in Tulbagh. 

Bwana works on his script that begins rehearsals in April. 

Even the insects here are gorgeous!

BIRTHDAY DAY

Birthday day began well with a glorious sunrise. We had breakfast, packed up, checked out and drove to Cheetah Outreach.  If you know me, you will know we arrived at the opening hour and did exactly as I hoped to do. We bought an “adult cheetah encounter” and a “cheetah cub encounter.”

It is like being with God’s primary lieutenant. The purpose of the “cheetah ambassadors” is to wean native people off “bush meat” (wild animals). Cheetah Outreach takes cheetah babies that are rejected by their mothers from all over South Africa and raises them, as well as sick cheetahs, as ambassadors. The money we paid for our two encounters ($35 for the two) goes to further their charity.

The best part of patting the cheetahs was inducing one adult and one cub to purr. They purr with a deep loud purr and I could feel it in their body. (Only cheetahs, pumas and snow leopards purr in the big cat family.)

Then we briefly visited the small town of Stellenbosch en route to our lunch at a winery. On the way, Steve visited Rust en Vrede winery and bought some wine. I read more about my new best friend, Cleopatra.

Then we drove, got lost, drove some more, got lost again, and wound up in Shisa Guest Farm in the teeny weeny city of Tulbagh. It is a neat/odd little place in the middle of absolutely nowhere and I quite like it — although the getting lost part sucked. Do you wonder if we argued with all the tension, we ex partners, Steve and I?

We drove into Tulbagh for dinner—there were no cars at all around; we are in the middle of nowhere—and drove home under the most crowded sky imaginable. Steve was struck because Orion is upside down.

 This is one of the three cubs we joined in their compound.

Pedro. A four-year old adult. 

Above and below: Stellenbosch. 

Bwana loved his tomato ginger soup starter. 

Bwana's calamari. 

Bwana's fish cakes. 

Steve's salmon. 

Our Birthday dessert assortment. 

 Bwana talks to his friend, Bruce, via Skype on Bwana's 65th birthday.

 Cub.

Finally, a dream come true.

Adorable meercats. 

These magnificent Adatolian shepherd dogs guard the flocks from all predators no matter how big or challenging. 

At our place at Tulbagh.

Monday, 11:10 pm.

55 minutes until I turn 65! 

These are some of Steve's shots from today, Monday Dec. 3rd. We are ten hours ahead of readers in the Pacific Time Zone.

(Left to right) Bwana, Steve, Pierre et Robert.

Above and below, Bwana takes shots for his blog. 

These quail-like birds abound.

Cloudy Monday in the Garden

Kierstenbosch Bottanical Garden is heaven. It is on the eastern slope of Table Mountain and so we climbed to the top and worked our way down, had a delicious snack at the tea pavilion and then strolled through more gardens before heading back to St. James and Kalk Bay where we only passed through coming home from the penguins. The day ended with us driving through town at rush hour on the day that Lady GaGa is playing in the stadium (seats 60,000).

 There is one part of the garden that is full of plants that the dinosaurs ate. This huge fern is not in it but it makes me think of times past it is so huge.

 I had never before seen a yellow Bird of Paradise.

There are proteas everywhere. I have a zillion pictures of flowers but Bwana has been very very selective here today so as not to bore you, dear reader.

Is this not ridiculously gorgeous!

I forgot the name of this plant. I will try to find it and add it later. There is only one of these plants in the world and it is here. It has produced 500 offspring, all male. They allow them to reproduce and take over an increasing part of the garden, hoping for a transgendering spontaneous mutation so the can breed them in the future.

Lunch!

The changing cabins at St. James.

One of three seals—this one huge—whom I was a meter from in Kalk Bay.

A Perfect Sunday

Today was one of those perfect days ...

We awoke to thick clouds and cool temperatures. The weather is very present here. But I welcomed the  lack of heat and the intensity of the sun and we headed off to see the penguins at Boulders Beach (BB). BB is on the Indian Ocean side of the Cape and so the water was as warm as the Atlantic is cold. It was a delight to be in such warm water but not knowing what was in store, we did not have our suits.

The road after Llundudno (15 minutes east of our hotel on the main road) was new to me. and it was spectacular. And me, with my familiarity with the Whistler Highway and the cliffs there, the incredible and frightening road up the coastal cliff in Yugoslavia and up in the mountains of the Olympic peninsula, I was scared at times. It is sheer and primitive. We drove through carved out caves on the side of a cliff.

Protea on the side of the road. This is just a close up of part of a huge bush.

En route, the sun came out and our first stop was Hout, a small sea port with water that looked like polished abalone. It was a stunning little bay.

Nd not just the bay was stunning. I also saw something I have long wanted and so for my upcoming 65th birthday, I bought myself a ring.

Then we went to see the penguins and wade in the water. They are unbelievably cute and they are not at all afraid of you so you can get quite close to them.

 Warm, exquisite Boulders Beach has shade and penguins.

And then we had a snack in a little café and then came home a different route through St. James and Kalk Bay.

In these small coastal towns, the architecture is so unbelievably quaint. I have no idea of how to describe them so I am glad I snapped a shot of Simon's Town.

Countdown

Steve's shot of Bwana photo-documenting his favourite (African) experience.

COUNTDOWN: There are only two more days until my 65th birthday and on that day we check out of here to go to Cheetah Outreach where I will, I hope, have my first encounter with a cheetah.

I've met many people who love animals, but few as passionately and as diversely as me. I melt for kitty cats and to see and touch the queen of beasts will be a lifetime high. But I love them all and will never ever forget my experience with baboons and a solitary chameleon last year in Tanzania.

Saturday: Some Encores

Steve, Pierre and Robert and I went shopping to a store Steve heard about where they sell unique clothes designed by South African designers—all for people two generations younger than me. Then home to prepare for the beach. We went to the local cheapie store and bought a collapsable chair and a beach umbrella and THANK GOD because it was very hot today without the wind. A high overcast cloud moved in and I loved that and so I enjoyed listening to my favourite music on my iPod and walking in the freezing cold water. I loved the hot, slow lazy hazy summer afternoon.

On the way back, I saw a wild King Protea growing on the side of the road. Back to the hotel for a rest and then out to Aubergine restaurant, one of the best in Cape Town. It was lovely.

Steve, VERY happy, at Sandy Bay beach.

Barbershop!

The inside — very Victorian and very tempting.

Ostrich for my main. A first for me. I won't even begin to try to describe the flavour. Besides, it was served with a kind of Béarnaise sauce.

My abalone appetizer.

Dessert: Four chocolate creations. Delish!