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Published: February 7th 2007
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Splash
A stunning sunny afternoon in the lagoon. Due to popular demand, reminisces from various family members and friends (“remember the days when your blogs used to save us from utter boredom, Kim” - and all that jazz) and just plain nagging, my blog is back. Thanks for stroking my ego, guys.
I would love to say I have been having some life-endangering, blood-curdling adventures in mid-south-western-Scandinavia, but that would be a lie. Hmmmm…Well, I have been gading about my own country for a bit. I went to see all the animals at Hluhluwe/Imfolozi game reserve with my parents and younger sister in July. Saw 13 lions, a heap of impala and zebra, a few rhino and lots of elephants. The latter of whom we were actually way too close for comfort. After placidly watching a herd of Ellies moving through a ravine next to the road for a while we were a little surprised to see them come up onto the road. We continued watching, marvelling at their size and our luck when we chanced a look through the back window of the Camry… THERE WAS THIS HUGE ELEPHANT BULL right behind us and he was heading for us! My Dad had switched off the car to
All the pretty Horses
This is an agricultural area.. plenty of farmers and plenty of horses on the beach. I just loved the light and the Lord of the Rings-esque dune backdrop! avoid “disturbing” the Ellies and just at that moment of panic the leather key ring got between the immobiliser button and my dad’s finger preventing him from starting the car! Eventually he got it started but by then some more Elllies were crossing the road in front of us!!! Sandwiched between a whole lot of elephants is not exactly my idea of fun… We did make it out alive; thank goodness… hee hee… just another day in Africa you might say… Not really… It was a good trip with luxury accommodation (thanks Daddy - no dodgy futon in a cheap youth hostel this time!) which we all thoroughly enjoyed.
After sweating away at varsity for a few months (briefly interrupted by a visit to the Drakensberg for some Art History field work research on San Rock Art) and then working hard for most of December in Durban, I headed for the Eastern Cape Province for a much needed rest. Left my Beeg Seester alone in our flat in Pietermaritzburg, ag shame! The usual 9 hour drive took 12 hours and the small towns along the way were full of people as well as the usual chickens and goats and
Horse Shoe
An Oxbow lake in the Bathurst area. things waiting for the Christmas table… I spent 2 glorious weeks (I think … dates and holidays don’t mix well in my head) in the bush in the middle of nowhere (just about) with my extended family, lil sis, parents, some spiders and rose beetles and Anke (the German exchange student staying with my family in Durban).
The weather wasn’t perfect but we enjoyed the unspoilt beaches all the same with their beautiful seashells, towering dunes and assorted peculiar sea creatures. I’ve been going there my whole life at Christmas time and it is still rural, gorgeous and lots of fun. The dunes are great for sandboarding (not quite as fun as snowboarding in Japan was, though) and there is a river that forms a lagoon on the beach that is perfect for swimming and is not as cold as the sea is. The area was particularly green because of the good rain this year and the cows seemed to be thriving in this dairy farming area. I just love the Eastern Cape landscape and foliage. It is so different to KZN (where I live) but is as beautiful in its own way.
We had our usual Christmas
I Can Speak Whale.. Can you?
A HUGE front flipper bone (we guess) of a whale beached up a few months back in the vicinity of Canon Rocks. My curiouus cousin CHloe looking on. lunch under the trees outside our shack with its usual yummy spread, mostly cold Christmas meats… No snow and definitely no roaring fire in the hearth like all you Americans and Europeans must have had! I enjoyed many long beach walks in the late afternoon and one night (searching for night time sea creatures, but got the tides wrong) as well as time spent lazing about in the hammock or on the beach. The surf was decidedly disappointing this year so I only had a handful of short sessions in Port Alfred and one at Kasouga.
We did our usual pilgrimage to Bathurst, which is a little hamlet of a town nearby with curious things to see and buy. The heat was a little too much for our German friend that particular day! But the shopping was fun so it made it all worthwhile!
I loved seeing my two youngest cousins Chloe and Jonah and playing with them but I certainly don’t envy the position their mothers hold! I’d be dead tired for sure!!!! Spending time with the family definitely has its rewards: that is… an endless supply of enthusiastic baby sitters… Myself being one of them…
Seaside Chow
Anke and I made these mobiles with seashells... good excuse to use my new tools... got a set of PINK tools from the parents.. hee hee.. don't think I can phone my dad to come hang pictures in my flat anymore... Anywho… don’t be afraid to send a shout from your corner of the planet.
Kim
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Anke
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Hey Kim Pim, nice reading those lines and ja, I have to admit I really enjoyed the holiday with you all. By the way the mobile got home safe and is hanging in my room now, reminding me of the wonderful days we had! Missing you lots!