Adventures with four girls: South Africa (1/2): Beautiful Stellenbosch

Sunday, April 3, 2016

South Africa (1/2): Beautiful Stellenbosch

In between our wonderful visiting friends, our family popped down to South Africa for a week in the wine country and Cape Town. The weather was a quite a bit cooler than the 'averages' and weather forecast, so we were a bit chilly on a few of the days, but we had a great time in that beautiful, beautiful country.

We spent three nights in Stellenbosch in the South African wine country. We stayed on a farm (now a hotel) that has been a working farm since the 1600s! We spent our first day mainly on the property. We drove into town for church on Easter Sunday (happened to pick a random church off the internet that didn't celebrate Easter (so it obviously didn't feel like an Easter service!). We spent the rest of the day at the farm where they DID have a lot going on for Easter - a special Easter lunch and egg hunt for the kids.

We also did a bit of hiking during our time in the countryside and visited a few wildlife preserves (wildlife rescue and a bird pavilion). The girls really love getting to see (and pet/ hold) the animals up close.

So what happens when you get up at 4 a.m., have a long flight and a full day? You fall asleep at dinner! You can see Meredith dragging in the background. They get tired gracefully at this age (better than the 2-year old tired days!).

Everyone is tired by the time we settled the dinner bill

Anna lost TWO teeth on Day #1. In South Africa you don't put the tooth under your pillow, you put your teeth in your show by the door and the Tooth Mouse comes to visit. Voila! The Tooth Mouse made her visit to Anna.

A little lawn play on the farm where we stayed after breakfast.

Tree climber, Regan!

Climbing this tree was a favorite activity of all the girls during our stay.

On a little hike on the farm property

Fall wildflowers

Art? Stairs to nowhere?

Hiking with the mountains in the background

Easter lunch in an old wine farm building

These girls love their dad!

Easter egg hunt (South Africa style!)

Jane a bit sad as she found nothing on the hunt. Anna was the big finder of the day.

Lovely property at the farm where we stayed.

They have a little farmer's market/ festival on the property. We just made it for the tail end of the day (and missed getting a photo of the chicken-shaped bouncey house)

Monkey Anna

Deep thoughts and contemplation by Jane

Rock climbers

Baby pigs! Mere was in heaven! The farm where we stayed had a wildlife rescue center where they rescue wild birds and other animals and try to rehabilitate them and release them back to the wild if they can. Not sure how the pigs and petting zoo fit into that mission...

Anna loved these owls so much she could hardly stand it. They were soft and cute and Anna is still asking why can't we have a baby owl for a pet.

Not a baby owl!

Meredith kissing an eagle

Bird show

So-ooo, this happened! Regan was super brave and was the first one of us to let them wrap a boa constrictor around us.

Meredith was super brave, too!

Me? I was not so brave about the whole thing...

But managed to (almost) hold it together. And if you can't tell, the guys thought it was so funny that I was so scared that they put not one but TWO of those things around my neck.

And then one went up my jacket. I wouldn't look down but I could see the girls's faces looking a bit horrified. It took a bit of work to get them off me and out of my clothes.... Eek!

Then Jane volunteered and they put both around her neck, too. How are my girls so brave??

Jake was very calm about the whole thing

This photo is great - poor Regan had one right in her face. And Meredith looks like she is getting choked by one.

Back to the farm and away from those darn snakes!

I have no idea what this drink is but obviously it was interesting enough for me to take a picture. I'll update once I either remember or ask another family member!