I know we have sounded enthusiastic about other countries before, but we have absolutely loved South Africa. What a magnificent country! We finish our tour of South Africa with a ride up the eastern coast, along the region called the Garden Route, then turning north to see the tallest mountains in the country before heading to the airport in Johannesburg.
Our first stop along the way was here. Where in the world are Ethan and Siena?
Well, this town has the wild distinction of being the ostrich capitol of the world. Did you even know the world needed an ostrich capitol? Siena had asked if she could ride an ostrich for her birthday, and, as we were within driving distance of this town, how could we resist? This is Oudtshoorn, and don’t expect me to be able to pronounce it. We took turns standing on the huge eggs—each one the equivalent of 20 chicken eggs, before Siena, Ethan and I climbed aboard for a wild ride. Siena summed it up best: “I rode a bird.” 
There was no controlling the beasts once on their backs, but it was exhilarating, for sure! We had met a friendly couple in Santorini who invited us to come visit them in
South Africa. The Ruperts entertained us in high style, taking us to various beaches, riding tubes, hiking around the coast and sampling many of the wonderful wines of the Western Cape. Our children loved playing with Sabrina and Erin. Traveling is great, but being in a home is the best. During our trip to South Africa, we visited about 10 national parks. The parks here are fabulous, with beautiful scenery, amazing wildlife and traditional architecture in their lodges. In the northern game parks, they talk about the “Big Five”, lion, leopard, buffalo, cheetah and elephant. In the south, they have the “Big Seven”, all of the above as well as whale and the great white shark. We were thrilled to see a whale, a finback whale surfaced hardly a half kilometer from where we stood watching. We were equally thrilled NOT to see any shark, especially whilst
swimming. In addition, we saw lots of dolphin and a huge group of seals. Seals are great to watch and listen to, but less great to smell. Try to stay upwind of their colonies. Our last national park before leaving South Africa is in the Drakensburg mountains. Royal Natal National Park is home to the second highest waterfall in the world. We had no idea! We hiked 7 kilometers to the base of the falls, crossing on boulders back and forth over the river as the location of the cliff face dictated. This is one of the most beautiful places we have seen. They call the semi circle of
mountains The Amphitheater, and we had this as our view from the backyard of the rental cottage. This country has it all! The natural beauty, delicious foods and wines all combine to make this a worthy travel destination. We had the added pleasure of meeting friends in Cape Town and on the Garden Route, and meeting friendly, helpful people everywhere we turned. Our two months in Africa have flown by. Tonight, we depart for Bangkok.
Cheers
The Beatties
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