Oh! - how I love the coast! Wilderness is a bohemian town set above a long, beautiful beach along the Garden Route of South Africa. We settled into our lodge high above the beach then went for a deliciously long walk on the never-ending beach with waves 7-deep cresting in the bay. Searching for something interesting for dinner, we stumbled upon a Friday night market in the town centre with a pathway of booths selling food, some live folk music playing and a hopping outdoor bar that boasted the best ribs anywhere. Ah, but I had those in Kratie, Combodia…how could they have them here in Wilderness, South Africa?

Given the bar was so busy, we asked a man and his young son if we could join them at their table. They graciously invited us to sit down and we had an informative conversation with Dennis and JC (while eating ribs that were great but did not beat the Cambodian ones). We are very curious about South African politics and history, particularly now the country is 20 years post-apartheid. By chatting with the locals and observing we are beginning to get a sense of things. Frankly, we are surprised at how separate the country remains and understand that change takes time.

Our Saturday felt like one we might have at home – a slow start, we headed to the next town's farm market where they sold, among other things, French gourmet quiches, quilted placemats, heavy German bread and just about anything you might find in a farm market in Nova Scotia. We sat in the sun, munching on local delights and watched the families enjoy themselves. The remainder of the day was spent hiking to a waterfall.

Returning inland, our next stop was a gorgeous spot on a citrus farm alongside a river with gardens that were meticulously kept. We had our own cabin with a little kitchen and a deck overlooking the river. The reason we came to this part of the country was to explore Addo Elephant Park but decided to first go to Schotia private game reserve. What a great choice as we had eye-to-eye encounters with mating male and female lions
, two white rhinos and a group of six 21-month old lions and their mom/aunt (as the other mom was busy). It was an exciting day!

The following day we did a a self-drive game drive in Addo. Those moments when that huge male elephant pressed his ears forward then while approaching our tiny car was shaking his head, which means he is angry and is about to charge, scared the pants off me! I had read the book 'The Elephant Whisperer' and learned all kinds of things about elephants in the wild. So I was saying to Jim 'back the car up, more, more! He's mad at us!!' Jim was not impressed with my new-found knowledge.

We are enjoying how much time we are spending outdoors and in nature. How can we get more of this when we return home? It's so easy to be 'lion around' especially in the winter in Canada. One of our goals for our return will be to spend more time outdoors and in nature!