Weekend on the Garden Route

June 12, 2013

This past weekend we spent three days along the Garden Route and really got to take in and enjoy the beauty of South Africa.  The Garden Route is located along the coastline of the Indian Ocean and is surrounded by mountains and forests.  The scenery is absolutely beautiful and really like nothing I have ever seen before!!

We woke up at around 4 am on Friday and made the long drive from Cape Town to Mossel Bay.  Our trip began at the Cango Caves with the Adventure Tour.  The tour began with a brief history about the caves, how they were discovered, and how the different structural aspects of the caves formed, and then we began the adventure segment of the tour.  I figured it was kind of a joke and that it would really just be a leisurely walk through the caves, but I was wrong.  We climbed over 1100 stairs and maneuvered our bodies through the tiniest of openings.  One of the obstacles that we had to maneuver through was called the “postbox” and it was about 3 feet wide but only about 27 cm high.  It definitely took some skill to complete some of the obstacles and we got a pretty good workout in the process.  

Cango Caves

After the caves we visited the Oudtshoorn Ostrich Farm and got the ability to ride the ostriches.  I never really believed that the ostriches are the nicest of animals, but I didn’t realize how ornery they really are or how fast they can run.  In order to ride one of the ostriches, the jockeys have to chase one down, lasso it, and then cover its face with a mask which causes it to calm down a bit.  The jockeys then bring the ostrich up to a small enclosure where you can jump on its back, cross your feet underneath, and then grab onto its wings.  Once you are in place, the jockey removes the mask and the ostrich flips out and takes off running!!  My ostrich’s name was Michael Jackson and he was exceptionally pissed off that I jumped on his back for a ride.  The jockeys had a hard time pulling off his mask so he just decided to sit down and smash my ankle in the process, and then after trying to buck me off a few times he finally got up and started running.  It was a crazy experience riding the ostrich and I’m just glad I made it off that thing in one piece!    

 

 

Ostrich Farm

Saturday was really cold and rainy but we were able to make the best of it.  In the morning, we zip lined through the canopy of a gorgeous forest.  There were 10 zip lines and they were all positioned pretty high off the ground, which allowed us to start mentally preparing for what came next…

Our next stop was the Bloukrans Bridge, the world’s highest bungy bridge at 216 meters.  The bridge and its surroundings are absolutely stunning.  The bridge is situated in the mountains and there is a stream that runs underneath and out into the ocean.  Walking up to the bridge definitely took my breath away and made me regret eating lunch prior.  Before this trip, I always thought that I had no interest in bungee jumping.  I mean why would I want to fling myself off a bridge and rely on only a giant rubberband attached to my ankles to keep me from plummeting to my death??  I always thought it sounded crazy, but I just couldn’t resist and I am so glad that I did it.  It was the most unbelievable experience of my life.  The feeling of free falling and being completely weightless is unlike any other.  The walk onto the bridge was absolutely nauseating.  As I walked I could see the stream below which seemed like miles away and it was terrifying, but once we got up to the platform area my mood completely changed.  The atmosphere was amazing.  They had the music blaring, everyone was dancing, and every person that worked there was so much fun and so upbeat that all the fear and anxiety disappeared.  By the time it was my turn to walk up to the edge of the platform, I willingly flung myself off the bridge and would do it again in a heartbeat!!!

Post Bungee!!

We finished off the day relaxing at the Knysna Elephant Park.  We first got the chance to feed the elephants, and then we were able to walk up and take pictures with them.  The elephants were so friendly and so domesticated.  They were in no way fearful of us and they wanted so much attention.  They would walk right up to a group of us and we got to take pictures while actually touching the elephants!

On Sunday, we ended our weekend at the Botlierskop Game Reserve.  The reverse is breathtaking and situated in the mountains.  We took a three hour game drive and got to see rhinos, giraffes, zebras, lions, elephants, wildebeests, antelopes, and more.  There really is no way to put into words the beauty of the drive so the pictures below can help to sum up our day!!  

Game Drive