http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , South Africa , Western Cape , Oudtshoorn en-us Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:02:50 BST Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:02:50 BST Good grief We have had the hardest time ever leaving Cape Town. After returning from our road trip we were planning to leave on the following Tuesday or Wednesday because our time in South Africa is quickly running out. There is still so much to see in South Africa and we are feeling short of time we even visited the Home Affairs office to see if we could extend our visas. Apparently ju http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-321675.html Getting posted in Cango CavesWell it has to be said that when it comes to Lake Pleasant Living size isnrsquot everything. It may have provided us with the largest room but it probably was the worst food and only near the bottom of the top five best views. We left after breakfast and headed yet again along the N2. We passed through a place called Wilderness so named because the wife of some fe http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-316385.html We heard reports of poor weather for the coast so we decided to head inland away from the Garden Route and take the alternative Route 62 from Oudtshoorn to Robertson. Oudtshoorn is the Ostrich capital of the world and is also the gateway to the Cango Caves. The caves were cool and the Ostrich was delicious. In Robertson we treated ourselves to a winetasting tour where we visited four wineries http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-301420.html July 16 17 2008CAPE TOWN OUDTSHOORN S.A.Wednesday morning we began our exploring of the Cape area of South Africa. We met our guide Carles and drove today north and east to Oudtshoorn. This is a very nice drive through some beautiful mountains to an area of farms and past many small vineyards and fruit growing areas.The landscape changes to semidesert very similar to Arizona and a http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-301083.html West of Capetown from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay lies The Garden Route. You could make months of holidaying out of just seeing this bit of coastline which boasts the world's highest bungee whale watching shark diving famous surf beaches and heaps more stuff that I can't be bothered listing. However I only had a few days to spend in this bit of the world and needed to choose one place. Aft http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-286941.html Von Kapstadt geht es mit dem Bus weiter nach Swellendam. Ich haette es fast bereut hier einen Stopover zu machen. Im Dunkeln musste ich das Hostel finden welches irgendwo am A... lag. Stunde... passt. Aber dafuer habe ich zwei suuuuper nette Israelis getroffen die mich prompt hungrig wie ich war zum Essen einluden. Sie sind juedisch und zu Hause veranstaltet die Familie jeden Freitag ein Fe http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-281848.html Today was the day Jill had been waiting for nearly a year the Meerkat SafariThe Safari was to take place where the Discovery Channel film Meerkat Manor and because of this we couldnrsquot do the evening tour we had to meet the guide at 640am for the morning tour. Not too bad I hear you say but when the meeting place is 80miles away over a mountain pass then you wonrsquot be surprised to http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-276988.html The drive to Oudtshoorn pronounced oatshorn was absolutely beautiful. Itrsquos located in the Swartberg mountains and the views as we drove through them were incredible. We ran into a little bit of accommodation trouble because there was a huge Afrikaans festival going on and everywhere was booked so we ended up staying in a different hostel each night we were there. The first night was http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-262769.html EASTER ALOE AND SELMA'S KIDSRETURN TO MATJIESVLEIThe Groot Swartberg mountains rise all around us. Easter morning is stunningly bright already hot and we hide in the shade of the front stoep porch. Across the valley a baboon barks. The mountains are covered with a forest of aloe. These are not the living room variety of aloe soft little potted plants that one finds at the florist. These ar http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-260303.html Spent most of the day travelling from Hermanus by Baz Bus to a town called George where a shuttle picked me to take me up inland for an hour to place which is practically impossible to pronounce correctly...Oudtshoorn. I had heard this place was all about Ostrich farms and therefore for some reason had in my head some kind of small hick town with dusty ranches with ostrich running around instead o http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-234503.html Had a fun day at Oudsthoorn ... which was full of excitement ..1. Checked out of hotel we only had one night here2. Drove round residential areas of the town ... very pretty streets that just suddenly end seems a nice residential area to live3. Visited an Ostrich Show Farm just before turning off to the Cango Caves. The guide was excellent told us the history of Ostriches explained the http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-220190.html Abbie we have some fantastic pictures of baby Ostriches we saw some hatching from their large eggs and stroked one which was only a week old. Cute and soft. Our friend then rode one very funny great fun haven't laughed so much for ages I was in absolute tears. The one Julie rode was fully grown though. And Uncle Adam ate one for dinner in the evening he said this was quite tasty too http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-213416.html We left Tsitikama and headed off to Karoo. The drive wasn't so bad as we stopped at The Heads two cliffs that come together to form a small bay. Supposedly these cliffs look like two heads facing each other I tired my best to see these heads but only came up with two cliffs. I took some pictures hoping that they would look like heads when I saw them again but still I only see two cliffs.... Oh http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-213192.html Outshoorn ostrich country ostrich farms everywhere. Have a long drive though mountains and desert to the brilliant Backpackers Paradise. Top tip these guys are all over it they have thought of everything that is annoying for backpackers and offer a solution. The guy also checks us in to a dorm on our own which is nice Ostrich egg breakfast for everybody one litre of egg in each one http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-203989.html Clinton's first taste of South Africa was on a wine tour through Stellenbosche which also included cheese and a chocolate factory. Now if I had have known it was going to involve a chocolate factory I may have gone alas I hate wine and went to a movie with Shae instead. No regrets really Clinton bought two big chunks of chocolate back and a bottle of wine which he insisted I was going to like http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-200485.html Namibia was mostly an adrenalin filled trip. Firstly though we spent a few nights at Etosha National Park. Still nothing can compare to the Masai Mara however we did get to go on a night game drive here which was a first. The highlight of this drive was seeing lions. The tour guide got out a bright flash light and asks If anyone asks if I used white light what will you say We all chirped in http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-199848.html Cango CavesRegretfully said goodbye to Abalone Beach House to drive inland to Oudtshoorn driving through spectacular mountain passes. First stop was Cango Caves. Recalling the recent news story of a woman becoming wedged on the Adventure Tour and stuck in the caves for 11 hours we decided to opt for the Standard Tour especially as the Adventure Tour is recommended for lean people only We c http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-191807.html by Mrs PlodToday we woke up at Onse Rus the home where Granny lived as a child. It is her birthday today Dad surprised us with a call right before breakfast. He was a little worried that he hadn't heard from us in a while and wanted to let us know that Aunty Frieda was worried that she hadn't heard from us either. It was nice to hear his voice We had another delicious breakfast got your meusl http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-182032.html Checked out at the Marina after breakfast and another nice walk. Then I decided that I would drive to Oudsthoornhow brave of me It is really somthing else to drive on the other side of the road AND the other side of the car. The phrase of the morning from Ross was Di would you please think about driving a little more to the right He was pretty calm given the circumstances The phrase of http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-181816.html Sun 22nd Left early to head to Ostrich mad Oudtshoorn. We visited one of the farms there that gave a tour of their farm including a look at their feather palace a semigrand house compared to UK castles that were built when money was pleantiful from the sale of white feathers plucked from under the wings of male ostriches. The money stopped rolling in when feathers went out of favour becau http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-154285.html Today we have decided is going to be a chill out day. Yesterday was a long drive and we were both a bit grumpy. We have been racing around for the last 10 days and there really insnrsquot much to do in Oudshoorn other than the Ostriches and the Cango caves. Oudshoorn is the Ostrich capital of South Africa and they are bred mainly for their meat and skins. Kirsten is a little disappointed with http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-147130.html Today we are traveling to Oudshoorn about 400km east from the Stellenbosch along the R62 SA equivalent of route 66 in the US. After saying an early farewell to Marli we packed and got ready to go. Before we left however we had arranged a cellar tour and tasting of the wines from the Marianne Estate. Itrsquos weird but in the last 2 days we have driven about 200km and visited 8 wine farms but http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-147129.html After spending a lovely 4 nights in Stellenbosch we headed back to the coast to Mossel Bay. At Mossel Bay we checked out the beach where all the local surfers hang out and the cliffs and caves along the coastline. There's not much else to do at Mossel Bay and the weather wasn't good so the next day we got on our little bus and headed to the highly recommended Oudtshoorn a little further inlan http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-138811.html The Baz Bus was late at 830 on the first morning of my trip but that gave me just enough time to get a cup of coffee. After a lousy nightrsquos sleep I really needed it. My ticket was from Cape Town to Durbin and I planned to take my time stopping at points of interest along the way. This first section of the ride is what they call the Garden Route and I didnrsquot know where I would be g http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-98571.html Well the past two days have been very exciting and exhausting. We finally left Plettenburg Bay and headed inland to this little town called Outsdhoorn. Don't ask me how to pronounce it I have had many locals laugh at me when asking how to get there. This town is not very exciting but the backpackers hostel is amazing. It is called Paradise Backpackers and the name really says it all. I love http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-88567.html I know I know...... so many animal pictures but I cannot help it. These guys are so amazing and don't worry I am almost past the animal portion of my tripThe little baby lions were incredible. They were so friendly and soft. They are white lions which are still on the endangered species list. It was quite an experience being with the cheetah. It seemed like no problem before I went in bu http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-87619.html There are many impoverished townships scattered around South Africa. During the apartheid era many blacks and coloreds were forcefully removed to some of the lands that were a lot less fertile. I've past many townships during my trip through South Africa. People live in tiny shacks that are constructed out of corrugated metal sheets and each township has a population of tens of thousands of pe http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-74718.html Friday was really rainy. It's the only day it's rained since I got to South Africa except for the first morning which is pretty good considering this is South Africa's rainy month. My morning was spent working with the reptiles and amphibians. Johannes is the curator for the reptiles and amphibians but we work more closely the people that work under him like Christo Apul and Garrett. First http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-74714.html I've had two full days of work so far not counting orientation day so I'll give a quick run down of some of the tasks that I help out with. We've been split into 3 groups and each group is paired up with a curator. Wednesday Amy and I were paired up with Francois the animal trainer. We mainly worked with the cheetahs and the tigers. Our morning consisted of cleaning all of the cheetah's cage http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Oudtshoorn/blog-74148.html