In the Land of Ostriches

After our explorations of Cape Town, we headed off for 2 nights along the eastern coast of South Africa. Our first taste of the Indian Ocean (and unfortunately our only one, but more on that later…), and our first understanding of a country of wide expenses, rolling hills, ostrich farms and intense agriculture. We drove east from CT to the town of Knysna in about 5 hours, stopping for lunch in the little hamlet of Mossel Bay where we found a surprisingly tasty pub with fresh calamari and warm ocean breezes.

We had been told that Knysna was a coastal gem, but it was unexpectedly quiet and eerily deserted at night. We wandered about the small downtown and then enjoyed plates of Mediterranean fare at a restaurant where we were the only diners. Chatting with the owner, we learned it had just opened and he was throwing a big opening bash the next night…Alas we would miss the opportunity to throw down with the locals.

In the morning, just 10 km to the north, the Cango Caves awaited. Discovered in the late 1700s the stalagmite- and stalactite-rich caves – bonus points if you know which grows up and which grows down – have since played host to greedy visitors searching for the perfect pair of entry columns to snap off and cart home, regular choral and musical ensembles that were thankfully stopped before the butts of audience members smoothed out too many surfaces, teams of archeologists and geologists, and now tours of the adventurous and more adventurous. Despite our original high hopes, the prospect of fitting ourselves through crevices called “The Letterbox” and “The Chimney” put us squarely in the regular adventurous category. Our hour-long tour nonetheless revealed fascinating clusters of formations, fully formed stalactite/stalagmite columns, cavernous chambers and new stalactites that are still growing by hundredths of millimeters a year.

We then turned inland to the town of Oudtshoorn. Skipping the town for a country B&B, our first stop turned out to be the incredible Oue de Werf. If you ever travel to this part of the globe, STAY HERE! We were greeted by the charming daughter of the 5th generation owner, who showed us 2 cottage options that were cute and even cuter. We went with even cuter. We spent the afternoon lounging by the saltwater pool and communing with King George and Emily, the resident ostriches of the place. A working farm surrounding by lush orchards, we also ate ostrich steaks in the 175-year-old original homestead building.