http://youtu.be/5wAmq8RC5kQ MADOSINI opened her heart and her home to us. We arrived totally unannounced at her door with her neighbour Nhoza, our guide in the Townships. There, sitting on her bed with her tired legs resting on a plastic crate, hand washing clothes in a basin as she sat, was one of the world's top musicians for the traditional instrument known as the Mouth Bow ( that's in english but I think it's correct name is sistolotolo). With a totally unselfconscious warmth and unhesitating hospitality MADOSINI welcomed us all, crowding in to her tiny space, then she called for her instruments.... The Uhadi, a hollow reed with a single metal string, and the Umhrulshe or gourd. Before she could play for us she must first remove her top because the fabric would interfere with it's sound ... read more

We ate constantly! South Africa has so much variety it's a foodie heaven, and Alison and her crew are deep into the Banting diet so add that element to the table. Not only is the food plentiful and uniquely theirs, it is also cheap. You can eat out for dinner with a glass of wine and spend less than TT $100.00 which is almost 200Rand. The list of genuinely South African food available is long. That warmed my heart, to find people there eating their own food and not going down the road of KFC and McDonalds. They do have those of course, Subway, Wendy's etc but they are few and far between, at least in the Cape as far as I saw. So what is so South African? First off there is Biltong .... All ... read more

Last week's visit to the poort, the pass and Prince Albert included a visit into the belly of the earth, to the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn (the ostrich farm region) That was quite a visit. First because I had to rush to catch the start of the guided tour.... it's not a DIY kind of place. That meant I had 2 minutes flat upon arrival at the reception area, to buy a ticket then run up three levels of long sloping inclines to the start point at the entrance to the caves. I was out of breath and barely breathing but I got there just as the young woman, our guide, started her introduction. It was a well thought out tour..... It begins with all lights being switched off leaving you in a pitch black hole ... read more

Ok, this is not Addo or Kruger or any of the wild natural spaces where animals roam. Plettenberg Bay game reserve provides a definitely controlled element to the spaces where the lions, cheetahs and wild dogs roam. This is because the reserve is small, just 2,200 Ha and there are dairy farms close by. Bad idea to mix lions and cows. For the cows that is. Also there are imported species with some of the animals being indigenous and some are importations from other African countries. Having said that, if you want to be sure that you WILL see a huge variety of wild life living in open plains, within 2.5 hours on a guided drive.... This place is for you. Even with free roaming Addo under my belt, this place worked magic. Even without elephants ... read more

1). The first link is to video footage of the drive atop the SWARTBERG mountains .... THE PASS that rises 1,585 meters into the skies. (Sorry about my finger and the tip of the iPad cover showing in one corner. A hazard of using the iPad is that exactly such little slip ups will happen. ) The first part of the video is at the base of the pass, driving on the dirt road through the rough rocks beside the river bed. The second part was taken near the top of the pass, with the wind howling around as you can hear! The third part is on the descent when we encountered the troop of baboons in the road. (http://youtu.be/W_x2G9PjY94) 2). The OLIVE TASTING experience, that is ...... before I tasted the olive :) (http://youtu.be/9LLHbDzFH84) 3). ... read more