Coffee in Napier et al (with photos!)

Friday:

After transcribing our millions of photos to CD, we took another look at the heads at Knyssa then took off to the Cango Wildlife Ranch for more creature encounters ie jaguar, oodles of crocs and annoying tourists 'In Bengal we have bigger tigers than THIS'

We went to an Ostrich Farm where I saw one of the funniest thing I have ever witnessed: Francoise riding an Ostrich screeching in terror (both her and the Ostrich).
I was er too muscly to ride the Ostrich I had to be content with a photo on its back as it sweated with the effort. We stayed at a french themed bed and breakfast (Ooo la la) after a nice dinner of ostrich for me and watery pasta for Francoise.

Francoise asking the guide somberly if the cemetary we saw on the Ostrich farm was an Ostrich Graveyard is the second funniest thing to happen that day.

Saturday:
We toured the huge caverns of the Cango Caves. Like Fraggle Rock, us being tiny invaders in this creepy spotlit water formed weird shapes and columns. The local people believe their ancestors live down there, I can believe it. I chose not to cave dive through 25cm wide sections in the adventure cave tour.

Afternoon and evening was spent at the beaches and cliffs of Mossel Bay. A bit like Mt Maunganui. We to a interesting museum on Portugese explorers in the area and trade routes. I have many spices to trade here.

Our hotel was right on the waters edge, monstrous ocean waves thundering at its feet, great. We saved some 'dassies' ie rock rabbits from some stray dogs um and sped away from a cliff top shanty area we stumbled into.

We rang our respective mothers for Mothers Day then relaxed to the ocean roaring outside.

Sunday:
Our tour guide is from a town out of Cape Town called Napier (!) I know like me. Named for the father of the guy my Napier is named for. Once he found out where I was from he was ecstatic. Apparently there had been some past correspondence between the two Napiers. We went to his Napier, a rural little town like Waipukerau. He took Francoise and I home to meet his parents for coffee and muffins, nice change of pace.



We did a pop by to Hermanus a great land based whale watching town though we are in the wrong time of the year dammit. Not even a minnow.

Through rubbish weather we then drove to Cape Town. Couldnt see much in the poor weather, not even Table Mountain. The street we are staying on is like Cuba Street's older sister, its wierd. We are in a boutique ie eccentric backpackers. Each room is themed-ours is Kareoke with working machine and mikes...its fate.

ps there is also a 'Wellington' in SA, also near Cape Town. Cape Town beckons for the rest of the week!

Manfred