Mahai

Last week was our mid-semester break and after a short but wonderful visit with Curt's family in Durban we spent 3 nights in the Drakensberg, camping at Mahai.

It was too beautiful!

The only time I had been in the Berg before was on a Primary School camp… not the best time to appreciate one's environment. I cant believe I waited this long to see it again!
We had one day of mist and non-stop light rain but still had the best time meeting furry friends right by the tent and drinking freshly pressed coffee.

Our friends joined us for the rest of our days there and we spent our time hiking in the sunshine, and lazing about the campsite (along with a very interesting and pretty old German couple who had a mobile home to be proud of!) which sits right in between the mountains.

We are already talking about our next trip there!

A Photo a Day... for a month

I've always really liked the idea and admired those people who do a-photo-a-day-for-a-year projects but I just know I could never keep going for that long...

So instead I've set myself the challenge of doing a-photo-a-day-for-a-month while I am on holiday -thats officially from Monday the 18th June until Sunday the 15th of July.

I know its Wednesday already so there will a be a one day only smash bang load of posts to quickly catch up and then all will settle and be right with the world - haha!

I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoy taking them!

Dreaming of Weekends Past

Two weekends ago, Curtis and I very spontaneously decided to join some friends in the Pilanesberg... It had been so long since I was in a game reserve and man was I amped to be going!

There is nothing quite like a weekend in the bush, camping with friends that know you back to front, explaining to foreign friends that its called a warthog and not a Pumba ;), dancing giraffes (thanks to gifs) and having the best elephant sighting experience ever - think mud bath to a frolick in the dam to a little sexy time (ya that was interesting) to coming to eat literally one metre from your face... all while sitting in a hide keeping deathly silent and ready to run in case of a change in attitude from the big guy on the other side of the wooden wall.

Orange Water & Butter Syrup Pancakes

Yip - for lunch, not breakfast - YUM!

and fill up the rest of the day with reading Alice in Wonderland, painting ceramics and drinking tea...
I don't want the holidays to end just yet!

Kaaaaap Stad

This was the first time I noticed just how beautiful Cape Town is... wish I could deny it, but hot damn!
To live in a city and still be in amongst such natural wonder would make me happy!

We went wondering Long Street, lunching at Royale, coffee-ing in Kalk Bay, wondering in awe at how Muizenberg pretty much is a town full of my dream house, hilarious afternoons of lifting big mamas (packets of potatoes and all) out of stuck trains and walking along the tracks to safety, long hikes in Silvermine and swimming in Rooibos coloured reservoirs, climbing down Lions Head way after sunset with only a quarter moon, mixed relaxed potluck dinners and some Pneumatic Orchestra jiving... all in all a wonderful week spent with some of our best friends!

Karoo Peruse

Last weekend was spent exploring a part of South Africa that has never entered too far into my radar - the Karoo.

A drive down to Cape Town became a lazy road trip, with a stay over at the beautiful New Holme Guest Farm in between Hanover and Colesberg... a quiet and loved farm, with a gentle owner and a playful family of 3 daughters, 3 hippos and more than half a dozen new foals, in amongst sheep and two sweet jack russells (not usually a dog a find myself drawn too) and baby sparrows galore.

After half a day of swimming and exploring, a divine dinner and a peaceful night - all I left knowing was that the Karoo with its vast flat expanses, quiet nature and plethora of wildlife is somewhere I could definitely spend some more time! 

Although it must be said that without a pool, or at least a reservoir nearby, the heat would not go unnoticed...

Off to the Horn of Africa

After lots of planning and the odd hiccup, in a few hours Curtis and I will be off to the mystical and intriguing land of Ethiopia...

Three and a half weeks of local buses, plenty of walking and I'm sure some 'once in a lifetime' experiences are ahead of us!

That also means that there will be no posts for a while, but there will be an abundance upon my return :)

Holiday Pastimes

One of those glorious things that I doubt I will ever get tired of is the three month holiday at the end of every year - a definite perk in the life of a student!

I've been spending my time excitedly planning for our trip to Ethiopia (which includes an unforgiving amount of vaccinations). We leave on Monday - are going north of Addis Ababa and then south, in just under a month, and thats about the extent of the itinerary as it stands :)

Besides stocking up on Rehydrate, 'just in case' antibiotics and some new walking shoes, I have been making some new jewelry - more on that soon, drawing for the Portrait Project  that Lucky Pony is running, enjoying early Christmas celebrations with Curt's family, who will be all over the country closer to the time, going to the my favourite Saturday morning spot - the Boeremark, and spending lazy mornings in bed.

Oh, and if it was not evident I haven't been spending a lot of time with the camera... oops!

Tsitsikamma National Park

Ok, ok... I know Im going on and on about this Plett business but firstly, I feel no shame in trying to remember a good holiday, especially when I am heading into the dreaded test season at varsity (which started this morning); a girl has got to stay sane somehow! Secondly I really enjoyed playing with the camera that holiday so there are a few creative happy moments in amongst these 'Plett Post' photos and thirdly, this is in fact my blog so I think I can talk about whatever I want to, until the cows come home :)

So, back to the topic at hand; The Tsitsikamma National Forest: home to the start of the Otter Trail and filled with endless trails (hiking and strolling) of astoundingly beautiful scenery and wildlife.

We did two short trails in the day, one of which had to be cut short as the tide was against us and caused a near trapping experience on the wrong side of a whole lot of precariously balanced boulders!

More of Plett

As I mentioned in the last Plett post we did some beautiful hikes in and around the Plettenberg Bay area - one of those was the Knysna Forests, the Diepwalle Forest to be precise. We did one of the three Elephant Trails:

Surrounded by over 40m high trees, sparkling light winking through interesting bushes, mossy logs and family to laugh with it was, i think we can safely say, a pretty darn good day!