We awoke early this day to catch the sunrise from our deck. The views were superb, as we spotted impala and wildabeest from our perch. Terri was delighted that a canine joined us for this sunrise. Adolf's Jack-Russel, properly named "Hitler," playfully fetched sticks while we enjoyed the crisp morning.
Estelle again had a traditional Afrikaan breakfast for us. Scrambles eggs, porridge (with tomato sauces cheese mixed in), antelope sausage, bacon, and fruit made it's way to our bellies.
We then commenced on a 3 hour drive to Plettenburg Bay, commonly known as "The Plett." Plettenburg Bay is well known for its aventure and outdoors activities. Seven of us hit up the zipline tours, as we went from tree-to tree along a line with a harness. At times we were 300 feet from the forest floor, standing on platforms attached to the trees with nothing but cables. Zipping between 10 different lines, this was great fun. Look for the pictures to see how cool I look in a zip line harness....
The rest of the day was spent walking the beaches in Tsitsikamma National Park. This park is a lush rainforest area that opens up right onto rocky beaches on the Indian Ocean. With views most comparable to the California coast near Carmel and Monterey, the waves coming in were impressive. We're told a storm is definitely coming in, as some were swelling greater than 20 feet.
Today we finally received word that our request for dinner was confirmed. Having been on a waiting list for a month, we got the green light for dinner at TreeTop Lodge in Knysna. This is a 5-Star Lodge and Restaurant that came highly recommended by some friends. So we cleaned up (Terri does this better than I), and arranged transport to the lodge. This place is 5-star all the way. With candles along a trail to the restaurant, it is literally perched on a cliff and built amongst the treetops. A GIGANTIC wooden door opens the restaurant. You'll have to see the photos, but this place would be 5 stars in the U.S. or anywhere else. It was gorgeous, well decorated, and quite jarring to see such a fantastic spot in Africa. It was quite unexpected. Dinner was a set menu, and we were a little worried due to the lack of prices on anything. Here are the courses:
Compliments of Chef: Quail Egg and Salmon on Biscuit
Pastry with Sun-Dried Tomato
Cream of Chickpea and Carrot Soup
Crispy Broccoli Salad
Pineapple and Coriander Sorbet (I've never had sorbet BEFORE the main course)
Brian - Marinated Ostritch Filet wrapped in Parma Ham with Veggies
Terri-Local Fish (Roman) with Olive and Pine Nut Crust, Potatoes and Avacado cooked in Truffle Oil
Respective deserts (I had brownie and ice cream. I'm not even sure what Terri's was).
1 Bottle of Laarts South African Wine
Again, we saw no prices on anything. We enjoyed every bite, and we feared the bill to land somewhere between $200-$300 for the quality food and outsanding service we had. To our surprise, it was $130 (hefty tip included). Tonight's gluttony stands as one of the top meals of our lives, without a doubt. I can think of only a handfull of special dinners that even came close. How fortunate we are to get to experience this type of lifestyle if even once in a while...
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