Spring Break

Gearing up for safari in Addo elephant park.

It's spring now, and a recent spring break for the boys was a welcome, if slightly awkward surprise. Awkward in the sense that up until then, we had spent what I thought was a fair amount of time getting settled, and the regular rhythm of life was feeling good. We made the best of it and set out for Addo elephant park, home to the highest density of elephants in the world.

'Brenton on the sea' was the name of this beach.

The park is some ways away, and while I love the Tazz, it's not much of a highway cruiser. Big cars, like the van we had in the US, diffuse sibling conflict. Small cars concentrate it. Add the lack of cruise control, and the constant shifting of gears to get up hills, and I was only up for about 5 hours of driving a day. So, we stopped and camped at a place called Lake Pleasant. It was plenty pleasant, and our first camping experience here. Easy car camping, but lacking the familiar picnic table, we had a hard time managing our cooking. Lake Pleasant is near the beach, which is always nice to visit.

Poolside at the Avaco farm stay.

The next day we drove on to Addo, where we stayed on a citrus farm. I suppose I should come to the point: It was wonderful. First, the weather was enjoyable; hot days, and cold nights, the area is arid and low latitude. This could be uncomfortable, but when managed with appropriate technology, it's very fine indeed. A pool and a pond to while away the warm afternoons. A light sweater and a roaring fire for the cool evenings.

High risk, high reward behavior. Exhibit one: no life jackets!

I appreciated several things about the citrus farm.  First, there were kayaks and canoes to navigate the river with.

Exhibit two: the trampoline.

Second, there were two trampolines for the boys to jump on. Hours upon hours were spent jumping.

Exhibit three: the zip line.

 Third, there was a zip line for the kids to whiz down.

At some point it occurred to me that the whole affair was unsafe, and would never be
acceptable in the United States. This made it all the sweeter, as fun seems to have been a casualty of the American campaign for safety. A campaign that recognizes that broken arms can be monetized, but 'fun' can not.

I'm going speculate that South Africans have a different attitude about safety because they are more familiar with genuine risk; like life threatening crime.

A long evening of braai nearing completion.

Finally, I love braai. This is the South African way of barbecuing. An open flame is required, and a braai area consists of a wide circle of concrete on which to burn wood, with seats arranged around the fire. Wonderful ambiance, and a hearty roasted meat conclusion. Add bright Southern constellations, a glass of wine, and cool air, and you've really got something. "All units at the Avaco farm stay have Braai facilities." This is typical SA marketing language.

Our cottage.

Moreover, there were birds to look at, and trails to walk. The breakfasts were delicious, the locals were friendly, and the surroundings were foreign enough to be interesting.  Spring time is when citrus are blooming, and rich sweet smells permeated the cool morning air that clings to the ground. The cabins were clean with a well thought out floor plan. A small orchard was reserved for guests and lemonade or fresh squeezed orange juice was served constantly.  I sometimes feel like a travel failure, when I find a nice place and settle in for a week. Looking at the travel guide,  there are a half dozen 'must do' things in the area and I'm quietly missing them all. Oh well, I thought being a slacker was the point of holidays, honestly, seeing everything in the travel guide is just too much trouble.

Cape Buffalo.

Incidental to the time we had staying at the citrus farm, we went out on safari in the elephant park. Not surprisingly, we saw elephants. We also saw a buffalo, ostrich, wart hogs,  foxes, and a dung beetle. Not a bad couple days viewing. It is nice to do, but its relevance decreased as the days went by, and we enjoyed our stay on the farm more and more.

Abe holding a baby lion.

Finally, there was a cat breeding farm that we visited. I think the picture tells you what you need to know. It was as fun as it looks, maybe more. You wouldn't believe the sounds baby lions make.

A final note: I managed to find a good book to read while there. Have a look at Freedom, by Johnathan Franzen. There's plenty to think about in that book.