Their first Sunday

Heck, I've already given their names on Flickr so I may as well mention them here too. We've know Geoff and Sanna for over 5 years now having met them just before our wedding in London in 2001. Geoff worked with Alec at the store with nine lives in Earl's Court Road and so I also met Sanna at one of Trekmate's functions. I remember our first year we went to a greek restaurant for the Christmas party and they had some very talented belly-dancers who could physically move their breasts up and down individually - it is a sight to behold. In later years the Christmas party invariably started off at the O' Neil's near Piccadilly and then on to WonKei's where we'd get a huge round table on about the third floor. Alec and I still talk about the Chilly Pork Chop! But, anyway, back to the original topic. We were thrilled when Sanna e-mailed in May to say that they were about to book flights to SA and would September be alright with us for a visit. Well now - the rest is history...

That first Sunday for them in Africa we were very lazy and had a late lunch after which we walked up the Koringberg mountain behind our village. It was the first time we ventured all the way almost to the top and we actually saw about 3 paragliders launch and drift around the afternoon sky above our heads. It was quite fantastic and the dogs loved it! We didn't see all the way to Table Mountain though so I still don't know if I believe that. I'm busy designing a hiking trail permit for Koringberg which will be available at accommodation establishments in the dorp. They're only R5 each and all moneys will go towards maintaining the trail. As some of it goes through private farm land (wheat fields) we hope that people will respect the route and that there'll be no reason to stop the use of it. It's also the path for the annual Swartland Mountain Bike race in early September which is a great event. Hope to do it some year when we finally get our acts together and buy some bikes.

We sat around the pool for a bitter after our walk and then all had showers and just relaxed while picking pesky, disgusting ticks off the dogs. Geoff and Sanna proved to have quite a knack for it. We had never seen so many on the dogs before and even found a couple on ourselves as well although thankfully not attached. We haven't walked that trail since and have rather kept to the village streets - at least until harvest time is over. The trucks have been driving back and forth with all the produce. Wonder how this weekend's rain affected the crop? But, about the tick situation - it's usually not that bad and we've since gotten drops we've used which should last for 3 months which so far seems to be working a treat.

So, I guess that was a bit of a boring report about what our friends did on their second day in Africa, but that's what you do when you're in the country - you chill!!!

Will write more soon when I get my memory together about the rest of their first week.