tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65383001005052741462024-02-21T00:50:12.056+02:00South Africa meets the Nagli!Our adventures as newlyweds in South AfricaWill and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-78941953819497061232011-03-22T21:04:00.015+02:002011-03-22T22:38:21.431+02:00Cape Town: the last trip for awhile...So for our last long weekend in SA, we decided to celebrate Will's birthday in our favorite place: Cape Town. Believe it or not, this was our first trip to Cape Town by ourselves. Every other time we've been, we've been with friends, family, or coworkers. Needless to say, it was great to get there and skip the touristy stuff. We knew we wanted to enjoy wine and relaxing times before moving back home at the end of the month. And that we did....<br /><br /><br /><div align="center">We'll begin with a few of my fave shots from Kalk Bay, our fave place to stay. </div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.capestay.co.za/emperor/">Our apartment</a> is right on the water and fabulous.</div><div align="center">Kalk Bay is a super cute fishing town - </div><div align="center">I love the colorful boats and the awesome mountain backdrop.</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5ahbVVN0fnbRoMbByHX2wUVOzqPAIltvzieQYKFYKzUNOrakAF6YCR7hHSDzuNUbEGGdeAe1bwI6VNpe1wzJfH306dxVYaPLzKEfaMnamKeS2HyYsKSS-BrjFjWyFPlYo0u4kNwVymZg/s1600/kalk+bay.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586989205151847154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5ahbVVN0fnbRoMbByHX2wUVOzqPAIltvzieQYKFYKzUNOrakAF6YCR7hHSDzuNUbEGGdeAe1bwI6VNpe1wzJfH306dxVYaPLzKEfaMnamKeS2HyYsKSS-BrjFjWyFPlYo0u4kNwVymZg/s320/kalk+bay.bmp" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgR3zwMQWSbSTxWeJ5tAj4DZtfYsWJ8_vi_ETx0WPThVRuFD7WR5gYx0DZPZOL0QIZM2CIgP4-ESDgo9GwI0gZWwPBjBd8Jc1EdBbDjnkFG_MUutjgQbSnPGPnEHWPxbiyfZps4XhtKQT/s1600/kalk+bay+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586989200111010738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgR3zwMQWSbSTxWeJ5tAj4DZtfYsWJ8_vi_ETx0WPThVRuFD7WR5gYx0DZPZOL0QIZM2CIgP4-ESDgo9GwI0gZWwPBjBd8Jc1EdBbDjnkFG_MUutjgQbSnPGPnEHWPxbiyfZps4XhtKQT/s320/kalk+bay+2.bmp" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QnUyE0cxMrLiFqxiAkUKUTarTRAAQUhTHeJWV05_rr7WLrgqocY282ao9Z641YnlAcvaoQyyFsn7Gtw37T_unEXviuwoaPVSRIvEnBMcXXoVGjFbvXVE1SuxQsTTbEzjYvkFqoT2KaGO/s1600/kalk+bay+3.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586989200045746722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QnUyE0cxMrLiFqxiAkUKUTarTRAAQUhTHeJWV05_rr7WLrgqocY282ao9Z641YnlAcvaoQyyFsn7Gtw37T_unEXviuwoaPVSRIvEnBMcXXoVGjFbvXVE1SuxQsTTbEzjYvkFqoT2KaGO/s320/kalk+bay+3.bmp" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78O8L9nR8FaFPyAKJQCIEzZFX1w4pHKK4RMOK7Spe8KTUG8OdIKUhiP7yOAkfRDMJa6fzne1UdyyGrbVjySo651aXShP_55Dr7oAP8AjlZkhNkqsXknSHOxUn-SW5gBHGrEOODvbPBbFT/s1600/kalk+bay+4.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988971591891346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78O8L9nR8FaFPyAKJQCIEzZFX1w4pHKK4RMOK7Spe8KTUG8OdIKUhiP7yOAkfRDMJa6fzne1UdyyGrbVjySo651aXShP_55Dr7oAP8AjlZkhNkqsXknSHOxUn-SW5gBHGrEOODvbPBbFT/s320/kalk+bay+4.bmp" /></a> View from our balcony of the fishing harbor<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVGaEjAsV_9odbSbOmnMxzNJEILdTdqrtVbG74bl_MwMr8qxTOTQisq7YUOqrypDv9jyuFYCVrfIHBlxhZ_hvXBsyeZHILRFjlO4Q5uITaIeHR_tLsBoZ-duWlctUeBmRRwG3S2xkGxI2/s1600/kalk+bay+5.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988972990318082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVGaEjAsV_9odbSbOmnMxzNJEILdTdqrtVbG74bl_MwMr8qxTOTQisq7YUOqrypDv9jyuFYCVrfIHBlxhZ_hvXBsyeZHILRFjlO4Q5uITaIeHR_tLsBoZ-duWlctUeBmRRwG3S2xkGxI2/s320/kalk+bay+5.bmp" /></a>Opposite view from the balcony<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdrfOk9M17FkoG5RqQrpd_TsLp_9zP6_2YtqUJnIRbDpudelH1DK87k3eA1qNbK5gKEfH0_F9q7epfSliqxVY5woqugSPWlWKZMMKMJqEX_453U2kAVanI5yGK4qxBmggSG1msrhRNc3n/s1600/kalk+bay+6.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988963886942562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdrfOk9M17FkoG5RqQrpd_TsLp_9zP6_2YtqUJnIRbDpudelH1DK87k3eA1qNbK5gKEfH0_F9q7epfSliqxVY5woqugSPWlWKZMMKMJqEX_453U2kAVanI5yGK4qxBmggSG1msrhRNc3n/s320/kalk+bay+6.bmp" /></a> Massive seal in the harbor...<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyza9vvuuwG4sBoUtU7HMb46GINCN96s98aU9kDgHUBLMsWc8ECZ_Rozs2_-N4wVPvwpbZKUae5Cm9qSR7M85JB9Cm4EHFlOhJwCG0_UbLK-Wo7N9bnyVjShYxjbt999PyUd54h3w5pBGr/s1600/kalk+bay+7.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988957561176178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyza9vvuuwG4sBoUtU7HMb46GINCN96s98aU9kDgHUBLMsWc8ECZ_Rozs2_-N4wVPvwpbZKUae5Cm9qSR7M85JB9Cm4EHFlOhJwCG0_UbLK-Wo7N9bnyVjShYxjbt999PyUd54h3w5pBGr/s320/kalk+bay+7.bmp" /></a> Obligatory self-photo from the patio...<br /></div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Fc1fu0OBRmOI6K9Grk3qV1iGrW7PycIa-ukl-aZKEhNpJ3aib3A-Av77aqN4f-ivU2sbkl2XhHOz7s2uycHB5QuLLhRdbNnUwIiCsTwJwSODkFw8j15MryIovEvf8J-XZCs12sRJn_x4/s1600/kalk+bay+8.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988954902433378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Fc1fu0OBRmOI6K9Grk3qV1iGrW7PycIa-ukl-aZKEhNpJ3aib3A-Av77aqN4f-ivU2sbkl2XhHOz7s2uycHB5QuLLhRdbNnUwIiCsTwJwSODkFw8j15MryIovEvf8J-XZCs12sRJn_x4/s320/kalk+bay+8.bmp" /></a>Love <a href="http://www.kleinezalze.co.za/">Kleine Zalze</a>. We ate at <a href="http://www.kleinezalze.co.za/terroir.html">Terroir</a> with Will's parents in September 2009 and really enjoyed the food and the wine tasting. We came back to drop in and buy some vino.</div><br /><div>We didn't buy this bad boy, but it sure did make a good photo op! </div><br /><div>We lucked out at Kleine Zalze and purchased a few bottles that will be cellared rather than enjoyed in the next few years. Looking forward to enjoying a glass down the road!<br /><br /></div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcQg3AA0XzFqSuFVgYbfbL1kygapC8fiDn8fnqohIpW6QZnnsAABRTXUruxoABHJj2KrR2JKeQCj7pnZq6uaHHOyBW8i3MkyN8lE76dw5eX0_7UxRC40G0nILqoRpdwHsYMXipbLdQokh/s1600/rust+en.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988665700351554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcQg3AA0XzFqSuFVgYbfbL1kygapC8fiDn8fnqohIpW6QZnnsAABRTXUruxoABHJj2KrR2JKeQCj7pnZq6uaHHOyBW8i3MkyN8lE76dw5eX0_7UxRC40G0nILqoRpdwHsYMXipbLdQokh/s320/rust+en.bmp" /></a> <a href="http://www.rustenvrede.com/">Rust en Vrede.<br /></a>Hands down: <a href="http://www.rustenvrede.com/restaurant/about-restaurant">best restaurant in South Africa</a>.</div><br /><div>Fantastic grounds, beautiful food, and an amazing sommelier.</div><br /><div>This was a perfect birthday meal for Will!</div><div>Blogger hates me so pardon me while we pause here and continue on to Cafe Olympia...</div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlFu6wIo7Q_IR1utvLYx3oMwRp5Js3lOhXN3QilIsk7sW40yr9891oNMyvVCiWrymnfBkJ2rTnpgOqGFfXPtkdY3fD-5olA-E0PaslbF7Thp2f-RRWWo3EHlxin2v_mbmnkE_Lh91avfD/s1600/olympia.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988660615219554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlFu6wIo7Q_IR1utvLYx3oMwRp5Js3lOhXN3QilIsk7sW40yr9891oNMyvVCiWrymnfBkJ2rTnpgOqGFfXPtkdY3fD-5olA-E0PaslbF7Thp2f-RRWWo3EHlxin2v_mbmnkE_Lh91avfD/s320/olympia.bmp" /></a> Cafe Olympia.</div><div>One of my all time faves.</div><div>Casual, homemade, always fresh, friendly staff.</div><div>Divine. Best bread ever.</div><div>Just look at that chalkboard menu - it changes every day!</div><div><br /> </div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Lwy2LfPo_veiK9bIkn_TUZW5KugVFCAYttflCgM_79Hbdo6MXgMQfE_LGOWomzpRFTYxgBEPjwpXspFqJY7B3dc-HWUVehSBCWcvqalSjBwlbDaGQmw0Z57aXefMPvnxEm3Fq-r09pVb/s1600/olympia+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988655400566450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Lwy2LfPo_veiK9bIkn_TUZW5KugVFCAYttflCgM_79Hbdo6MXgMQfE_LGOWomzpRFTYxgBEPjwpXspFqJY7B3dc-HWUVehSBCWcvqalSjBwlbDaGQmw0Z57aXefMPvnxEm3Fq-r09pVb/s320/olympia+2.bmp" /></a><br />Penne with tomato, olives, and goat cheese.</div><div>Fantastic fish.<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11VaiwbJ3nM38lVrYI933GE1pEfBIeosH187zjgi0uD73pBPWwDeYxYSwWGuFRYSVe8ZUKctQiOj6_SbH1lmJ1esQA53SEqZeqdCJKzCHQsCzKWFqwfeLGmdoDoGIU45oJO_lkygYFAbF/s1600/olympia+4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988265642231522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11VaiwbJ3nM38lVrYI933GE1pEfBIeosH187zjgi0uD73pBPWwDeYxYSwWGuFRYSVe8ZUKctQiOj6_SbH1lmJ1esQA53SEqZeqdCJKzCHQsCzKWFqwfeLGmdoDoGIU45oJO_lkygYFAbF/s320/olympia+4.jpg" /></a>Uber-fantastic vino, made just for Cafe Olympia.</div><div>You can't find this edition of Zandvliet ANYWHERE.</div><div>We tried. So we just drink it here.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkEl-i_n6m4GHKCbhIuezHi33HElU7bBCf21yXCHtj40aYFm9mbDR-41R4hq7c-UD_Ecsg-x3L1Nx0mwO6FIvWwaXlSRVoashL2KveQXwoBemZ7I_WVKyyD6w2geWE1dCFXRFpSrVoW5s/s1600/olympia+5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988255280873298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZkEl-i_n6m4GHKCbhIuezHi33HElU7bBCf21yXCHtj40aYFm9mbDR-41R4hq7c-UD_Ecsg-x3L1Nx0mwO6FIvWwaXlSRVoashL2KveQXwoBemZ7I_WVKyyD6w2geWE1dCFXRFpSrVoW5s/s320/olympia+5.jpg" /></a> Did I mention breakfast is awesome?</div><div>This is the place that got me to fall in love with coffee.</div><div>Love that berry parfait.</div><div>I'm not an omelette girl, but that looks pretty perfect to me!<br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmazHDH5jlywFu9wiiFqMqKcr9zGCH04_-p3zPbvjrZwQhg1SK3hyphenhyphen1pEnTgRneD-hD6G7s1iCdZ_jDnJpX0_k-aH944LCEx5VxyL1NPccW2WP3PMcmfn_7AnHZxin3DQuyOlVCms12nH8/s1600/olympia+7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988250748453842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmazHDH5jlywFu9wiiFqMqKcr9zGCH04_-p3zPbvjrZwQhg1SK3hyphenhyphen1pEnTgRneD-hD6G7s1iCdZ_jDnJpX0_k-aH944LCEx5VxyL1NPccW2WP3PMcmfn_7AnHZxin3DQuyOlVCms12nH8/s320/olympia+7.jpg" /></a><br />This is my perfect breakfast: scrambled eggs on toast with a grilled mushroom and tomato plus bacon, all topped with fresh argula.</div><div>Arugula + eggs = best flavor combo EVER.</div><div> </div><div>Other Cafe Olympia faves:</div><div>-- Potato and Bacon soup</div><div>-- Pea and Bacon Soup</div><div>-- Salad with salami, strawberries, and goat cheese</div><div>-- Linguine del Mar (DIVINE)<br /></div><div> </div><div>Back to Rust en Vrede....<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mjS-F_Y_WsB78oLilkj0qJFQMFUyxgW0KEkjMZlxLtALJFH1F5KGjgmySBGXGjWHbpGlHX0PbQRNPP9YQeMi5YEeh67_uSPSDFWIv5OtVXy5zjQ0SshQNi0XTNmYolYy-wkqIDIlyhKr/s1600/rust+en+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988250263494850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mjS-F_Y_WsB78oLilkj0qJFQMFUyxgW0KEkjMZlxLtALJFH1F5KGjgmySBGXGjWHbpGlHX0PbQRNPP9YQeMi5YEeh67_uSPSDFWIv5OtVXy5zjQ0SshQNi0XTNmYolYy-wkqIDIlyhKr/s320/rust+en+2.bmp" /></a><br />View from the restaurant<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmiRWuysFaM2wjDy_exqBZh6vS7QNlsHRkK21RhM_WS6TqAOqA2DKA4z2ZYwv0oKv5aDNjLED_uVscojjY4FDBhBgkdQ5uVnXZO-a7RzuirKjg9KByqt5cV1imxDdI7Z6jARfV437qtpE/s1600/rust+en+3.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988070728198610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmiRWuysFaM2wjDy_exqBZh6vS7QNlsHRkK21RhM_WS6TqAOqA2DKA4z2ZYwv0oKv5aDNjLED_uVscojjY4FDBhBgkdQ5uVnXZO-a7RzuirKjg9KByqt5cV1imxDdI7Z6jARfV437qtpE/s320/rust+en+3.bmp" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjed0FkKhXVFRcwMNOhyIcd9gIiqjRpkpd-BkS8tZpMP-kIfFxxcRfhmdeMFG5K9QE_zeDbSgr6a5YPx5sXPke9UnflUnrooCcO7td32Nch-bFv-XWgpcQsquSkHlaGf1l3uwyhs9n5nRBX/s1600/rust+en+4.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988063084588690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjed0FkKhXVFRcwMNOhyIcd9gIiqjRpkpd-BkS8tZpMP-kIfFxxcRfhmdeMFG5K9QE_zeDbSgr6a5YPx5sXPke9UnflUnrooCcO7td32Nch-bFv-XWgpcQsquSkHlaGf1l3uwyhs9n5nRBX/s320/rust+en+4.bmp" /></a>Some of the best champagne I've ever had.</div><div>So good, I took a pic of the menu!<br /><br />We did a 6 course meal with wine pairings. We started with this to-die-for foie gras soup that had sorbet and vanilla salt. Sounds grody, but it was terrific.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYYYdIHug1lqrHomZZa1OXgAqbDRSo1KaX0Ovjvhw9of4BX96weQQ_4c8xL-gU2YrqOfACQOgDYKne9NjqwllSwXC_MABmvmLbr6NQhouHP4RXlZCPgnsX60k-9mtUefG90o_Q3u3-u6Z/s1600/rust+en+5.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988055709571042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYYYdIHug1lqrHomZZa1OXgAqbDRSo1KaX0Ovjvhw9of4BX96weQQ_4c8xL-gU2YrqOfACQOgDYKne9NjqwllSwXC_MABmvmLbr6NQhouHP4RXlZCPgnsX60k-9mtUefG90o_Q3u3-u6Z/s320/rust+en+5.bmp" /></a> This is my main course: springbok loin with foie gras, beets, and yummy potatoes.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77BIBve1KDOAKS-BsOy0Z4W3OCgst7EnbiVZAhbsnxrKnqz2NN-yn-1PqMKdKTHgHT0wgXOqkoC_HXVgJdqaWCd_tg1Fo3KlE7D1IHkSVWXDNpGO8BmJzY6sK4usmv7S5ay14FFjYA_3o/s1600/rust+en+6.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988055260997842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77BIBve1KDOAKS-BsOy0Z4W3OCgst7EnbiVZAhbsnxrKnqz2NN-yn-1PqMKdKTHgHT0wgXOqkoC_HXVgJdqaWCd_tg1Fo3KlE7D1IHkSVWXDNpGO8BmJzY6sK4usmv7S5ay14FFjYA_3o/s320/rust+en+6.bmp" /></a> Divine fluffy heavenly cheese. This is Tete de Moine with truffles and walnut cream </div><div>(and yes, pretzels).<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6iJzGFSeRl-8-bGBB7vwS93QQ8DdoMje_EFqKFtCjini6m2kUzev7mqqXmdC23T9-bcljdiQC2VcEDdfaW7RBqk5hLvPMfGznbnjPo9BAXhA-7J1bf-AOzKvVZqp-hWRhljt4MiHh7c3/s1600/rust+en+7.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586988053000827842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6iJzGFSeRl-8-bGBB7vwS93QQ8DdoMje_EFqKFtCjini6m2kUzev7mqqXmdC23T9-bcljdiQC2VcEDdfaW7RBqk5hLvPMfGznbnjPo9BAXhA-7J1bf-AOzKvVZqp-hWRhljt4MiHh7c3/s320/rust+en+7.bmp" /></a> Deconstructed Tiramisu. Divine.</div><div> </div><div>We got introduced to Creation Wine here, as well as Black Pearl. <br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvcYrokR73t9QZVc0uwrG7no5zRwUnpWKouZyzvUsFUS69DY779EdUsL12d65BzsQdRO5FBvCCDgK8U8HsLf2KHYNkbTa8w0noxl38sHLB0KkciiyHRc2mf2v7RLWxqH190lTfeplLIY9/s1600/cape+town+hout.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586987856897245042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvcYrokR73t9QZVc0uwrG7no5zRwUnpWKouZyzvUsFUS69DY779EdUsL12d65BzsQdRO5FBvCCDgK8U8HsLf2KHYNkbTa8w0noxl38sHLB0KkciiyHRc2mf2v7RLWxqH190lTfeplLIY9/s320/cape+town+hout.bmp" /></a> We traveled to Hout Bay, to check out whales and wineries. We stopped here at this super cute open market. Sunshine, live music, fresh food, wine... it was perfect.</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLli7Xq1g3viK2zkJGok_7hq_uVm5QDF7tpuWUvsTP0XLCKOCPE1tw2QgLfHYj6kCroL-QUc4Hbl5vKdoKBCDXiLkKqxVyzR9PYLdnpBkIWgtjtOuo1pvKx-P9e3AXTAvJFA-U8WXVbKo/s1600/cape+town+hout+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586987851628899874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLli7Xq1g3viK2zkJGok_7hq_uVm5QDF7tpuWUvsTP0XLCKOCPE1tw2QgLfHYj6kCroL-QUc4Hbl5vKdoKBCDXiLkKqxVyzR9PYLdnpBkIWgtjtOuo1pvKx-P9e3AXTAvJFA-U8WXVbKo/s320/cape+town+hout+2.bmp" /></a> View of Hout Bay from the restaurant, <a href="http://www.bientangscave.com/">Bientang's Cave<br /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlgygftxMoNJl17kJcktww5M-GDdD7Y8lusN7BAOcEpO0QKFH7zz_Rd_HajWonoP3nvOALeMnjeh39DRhT78JFNPKVPC3YsFTJA_ns_q-Y_xnj39XcfkAOvy6JURIdNj-d_ZNTiLQrZWY/s1600/cape+town+hout+3.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586987852771655682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlgygftxMoNJl17kJcktww5M-GDdD7Y8lusN7BAOcEpO0QKFH7zz_Rd_HajWonoP3nvOALeMnjeh39DRhT78JFNPKVPC3YsFTJA_ns_q-Y_xnj39XcfkAOvy6JURIdNj-d_ZNTiLQrZWY/s320/cape+town+hout+3.bmp" /></a><br />Whales!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtkTna1SIstT4050Nlg7HgYmGcfOhlz4y24QN1-JTZ9N4qUg8J3MdMj0HbprEQzBWzn1pjP6GSC1QwZGF6t34D9Y9H-CB8jddHFZNzlrPLOzyY4gNH5m4vRAQsqeI_lc5GNDJ8mKB_4QI/s1600/cape+town+hout+4.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586987846101342370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtkTna1SIstT4050Nlg7HgYmGcfOhlz4y24QN1-JTZ9N4qUg8J3MdMj0HbprEQzBWzn1pjP6GSC1QwZGF6t34D9Y9H-CB8jddHFZNzlrPLOzyY4gNH5m4vRAQsqeI_lc5GNDJ8mKB_4QI/s320/cape+town+hout+4.bmp" /></a> yay whales!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVvfUpaHlbjCsCB2rt8tzOLpCXFCsftYS-flVoVoINqpUXaVJre42-tWKrbqg-ohZeaMnHsfFd6kqL0AIbsMqzShremQTVMNsMfCTRIfXOdlmPANr7fV-fEIqEq2x7Es_2u4yCasUBiDM/s1600/cape+town+hout+5.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586987843744929490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVvfUpaHlbjCsCB2rt8tzOLpCXFCsftYS-flVoVoINqpUXaVJre42-tWKrbqg-ohZeaMnHsfFd6kqL0AIbsMqzShremQTVMNsMfCTRIfXOdlmPANr7fV-fEIqEq2x7Es_2u4yCasUBiDM/s320/cape+town+hout+5.bmp" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8nHwVV9vNRqSQo8DPJRo_U46mu6BIl2aRXTQ55iA1gX85jbXVK-4R-WxkwZrxhQYyljhZuPcfrBw2sV_BkggQQierYH5higFBzcsrTIA2kyvxozxAJBuwc6YyjHP3A33Z0t239sx7fzK/s1600/cape+town+guinea+fowl.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586986954990172194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8nHwVV9vNRqSQo8DPJRo_U46mu6BIl2aRXTQ55iA1gX85jbXVK-4R-WxkwZrxhQYyljhZuPcfrBw2sV_BkggQQierYH5higFBzcsrTIA2kyvxozxAJBuwc6YyjHP3A33Z0t239sx7fzK/s320/cape+town+guinea+fowl.bmp" /></a> Love guinea fowl<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VWB60iwBaZslTHpM_f5tCIh7bOuu0bZJ0zoHsNK-91Gd3rggeGMs9shP9x6ks6uEtw6mt1sIMOlUiUMf152QgtkfSFlISZ9JyYojDlop4-QLVlb0ZRuH3fSYlBNf-i5nhdA5uiGLILL7/s1600/cape+town+graham+beck.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586986947189463010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VWB60iwBaZslTHpM_f5tCIh7bOuu0bZJ0zoHsNK-91Gd3rggeGMs9shP9x6ks6uEtw6mt1sIMOlUiUMf152QgtkfSFlISZ9JyYojDlop4-QLVlb0ZRuH3fSYlBNf-i5nhdA5uiGLILL7/s320/cape+town+graham+beck.bmp" /></a>Graham Beck, one of my favorite wineries and home to the best sparkling wine in SA!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4lsYP2xxc5Y7saz41kF4HMaFYnsdVznZsvtw5rRSXf-9O-eXQI-K6rFvc3YdJyaJ688QsG5NuXN-Dri0Qvfsn2MZisUzaY7hsnAgKGZu_KBpN_W7I1Lj3lZptXeOhlIDouhLjgw82JAS/s1600/cape+town+graham+beck+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586986938989427298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4lsYP2xxc5Y7saz41kF4HMaFYnsdVznZsvtw5rRSXf-9O-eXQI-K6rFvc3YdJyaJ688QsG5NuXN-Dri0Qvfsn2MZisUzaY7hsnAgKGZu_KBpN_W7I1Lj3lZptXeOhlIDouhLjgw82JAS/s320/cape+town+graham+beck+2.bmp" /></a><br />As a member, I get complimentary deluxe tastings. Yay.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7H0n_R8YLkuFFxwpK85n5sNK9GuNIQmSwmb53IHcZ7p0i7U8WyUb-2flbgkG1VtZOHNfw4hXNkVtrMC68ZlIaDM1L94WpYV5oY4yuU7dNC96NkZljuDWY6zbyMomD74zoJ8KqyLXYlJj/s1600/cape+town+graham+beck+3.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586986941143095778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7H0n_R8YLkuFFxwpK85n5sNK9GuNIQmSwmb53IHcZ7p0i7U8WyUb-2flbgkG1VtZOHNfw4hXNkVtrMC68ZlIaDM1L94WpYV5oY4yuU7dNC96NkZljuDWY6zbyMomD74zoJ8KqyLXYlJj/s320/cape+town+graham+beck+3.bmp" /></a>On this trip, we scored two magnums from Mandela's inauguration in 1994. </div><div>What a great souvenir! </div><div><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrB7Mx9XPehDezHq6FSBQLHG1Tq6MoxMbdLY3j6ry_hFku6CmGAzrZVyaQp_9wMWdGUDgTjHt-pXGrpXJ8l1N4oAyG0JiCKoRgcoAbn3bwc7uYMHDnYlWVXHaqds4cnLOTe_92hjd-MSF/s1600/cape+town+lindhorst+cottage.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586986558517204162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrB7Mx9XPehDezHq6FSBQLHG1Tq6MoxMbdLY3j6ry_hFku6CmGAzrZVyaQp_9wMWdGUDgTjHt-pXGrpXJ8l1N4oAyG0JiCKoRgcoAbn3bwc7uYMHDnYlWVXHaqds4cnLOTe_92hjd-MSF/s320/cape+town+lindhorst+cottage.bmp" /></a></div><div>To change things up, we stayed in the winelands for a night. </div><div>We stayed at this <a href="http://www.lindhorstwines.com/index.php/cottages">fabulous cottage</a> at Lindhorst Winery.</div><div>Loved it.</div><div>Completely remote and set in the winery and equipped for entertaining and cooking.</div><div>I could have stayed here for weeks.</div><div>Fantastic-o wine here too! Love their reds!</div><div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF6Oxo2WZlVKgxVSH8YLPaE6c82FNHOXg0H7Hc3JTceITQVHHzHzY-vvAf4bNGNX0LZFBW4hoobxUffc6a4sh0vbM-MyFT9eWdMLJ9cPqrZWOu92FSBDBdnlS0JFQGEw-Zsw6TTIsQ9_Y/s1600/cape+town+lindhorst.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586986549437380210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF6Oxo2WZlVKgxVSH8YLPaE6c82FNHOXg0H7Hc3JTceITQVHHzHzY-vvAf4bNGNX0LZFBW4hoobxUffc6a4sh0vbM-MyFT9eWdMLJ9cPqrZWOu92FSBDBdnlS0JFQGEw-Zsw6TTIsQ9_Y/s320/cape+town+lindhorst.bmp" /></a> <div>Beautiful view from the Lindhorst vineyards of Franschhoek</div><div> </div><div><a href="http://www.alleebleue.com/en/home.html"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586986543122995186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6uRf1sBMbGuDKOAHpvr-ZthghYmDFK9NP-UvIFsjmc9kg_clQttZI2_8YUyYb7z4JCK-j3390LVJrXPDtb0zT3FUKVBZftA3lslWsC2vYnNaxFSHrOJYhsmN31oUrJYxvPePWqH21D7e/s320/cape+town+allee.bmp" />Allee Bleue</a>! Fantastic winery with some of my fave white wines!</div><div><br /><div><a href="http://www.boekenhoutskloof.co.za/"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586986542976512434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9HvW-fyyCu9YPvQ1IJEMPmRUPEJ0nSLmFtXtKNqUsl0-8Q6qeDy6IIe0M0_joqyc1nAy4ndmUjoN1hKIcJq4DywLDEePMFac11H1tJS1fe69ZgcPiuydjEd4cBzKjPqqgEfff7jdkshn/s320/cape+town+chocolate+block.bmp" />Boekhenhoutskloof</a>, home of the famous "Chocolate Block"<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCV3G0qA0alGoNPRH13g_Vl-GSb6Zr-JqcbAPGck_WAy79g026Gnt9xRCX5uau_quja5tLJQg008k80h0pSRG8boqj104Zq7bfP3UzrtXdrEhne-pLTU2_s45VouErpBZg8S4V_A-d6r2P/s1600/cape+town+boeken.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586986535409880226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCV3G0qA0alGoNPRH13g_Vl-GSb6Zr-JqcbAPGck_WAy79g026Gnt9xRCX5uau_quja5tLJQg008k80h0pSRG8boqj104Zq7bfP3UzrtXdrEhne-pLTU2_s45VouErpBZg8S4V_A-d6r2P/s320/cape+town+boeken.bmp" /></a>One of the most beautiful wineries I've ever been to! It was surrounded on both sides by mountains. Baboons ran through the winery - crazy! </div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcX0HmjePD2L9sZhmBSrigUhw0uFSsNnYw_OWVMnAUJyHS-CCQCJt-B7NcEU8UnK4eCJJun-vM01icQJBl-8v8kStCGVrcMuy-mv9SV9awA37i-f50IYPDjKC09fOTFmyvSp3MLf75APg/s1600/cape+town+choc+block.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586985622550000562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcX0HmjePD2L9sZhmBSrigUhw0uFSsNnYw_OWVMnAUJyHS-CCQCJt-B7NcEU8UnK4eCJJun-vM01icQJBl-8v8kStCGVrcMuy-mv9SV9awA37i-f50IYPDjKC09fOTFmyvSp3MLf75APg/s320/cape+town+choc+block.bmp" /></a>There it is. </div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSR8SSp0rqYpuCv5661r5TusSdVMszuGevSN3I0uoJggMK7GvtdK82MxXxxsovfmcCuLEtgaIxEIo1buve3wqTiD2TZvIyORzvRU8kYv0ilvd1ynJ4B63p6cu_LH8QI95GvzJ_orh-6US/s1600/cape+town+choc+block+2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586985619697469186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSR8SSp0rqYpuCv5661r5TusSdVMszuGevSN3I0uoJggMK7GvtdK82MxXxxsovfmcCuLEtgaIxEIo1buve3wqTiD2TZvIyORzvRU8kYv0ilvd1ynJ4B63p6cu_LH8QI95GvzJ_orh-6US/s320/cape+town+choc+block+2.jpg" /></a> The only thing that stinks is you can't sample previous years of Chocolate Block. </div><div>They only had 2008 there, which is what's in the stores now.</div><div>If you ever see a bottle of a previous vintage, buy it! </div><div>Definitely buy a 2008 and age it. Do not drink it now - let it age.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqWpI-v1LhmFFFWz80l6CZo9nz8Fbqn3jJ9WE5E70Sw3lU5uoJKeIUfKU87W5FHHQCsfsYMEz-3ed0ZOHg2_K62JpGaLfyrQKhdI52PYx6u0vbCWgdjJMsE1O6EwCkpmYPjpPZOzfGw36/s1600/cape+town+choc+block+3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586985609853219346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqWpI-v1LhmFFFWz80l6CZo9nz8Fbqn3jJ9WE5E70Sw3lU5uoJKeIUfKU87W5FHHQCsfsYMEz-3ed0ZOHg2_K62JpGaLfyrQKhdI52PYx6u0vbCWgdjJMsE1O6EwCkpmYPjpPZOzfGw36/s320/cape+town+choc+block+3.jpg" /></a>Well, with a view like this, should I really complain?<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVofRwpd1W0voa35cILCd7PdxHSuqC2ytAbvaqD6pB6biIgsge92g81Oo28QgnE-dUFngvcZKW1kSZGWL6d4udRLDWVvUtf3krZ7UUh-_8aa5oUotC8vZQaryTK5cRU1KFS-PwfE16_ZAA/s1600/cape+town+choc+block+4.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586985605358637730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVofRwpd1W0voa35cILCd7PdxHSuqC2ytAbvaqD6pB6biIgsge92g81Oo28QgnE-dUFngvcZKW1kSZGWL6d4udRLDWVvUtf3krZ7UUh-_8aa5oUotC8vZQaryTK5cRU1KFS-PwfE16_ZAA/s320/cape+town+choc+block+4.bmp" /></a> Gorgeous winery!</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpJRySFa5Ng2CxovmzkMC3uwYuwuQ1l61E87ypp-a1icnn34kCCaS_R9PViSjS0OQ9k45R65xNYA4uGV_qz_XuC2_qZon-pmcu-CTkNEA558l_ChWw9NjnfOvhu4NG5L63MHAFhH-2jHr/s1600/cape+town+choc+block+5.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586985600965639410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpJRySFa5Ng2CxovmzkMC3uwYuwuQ1l61E87ypp-a1icnn34kCCaS_R9PViSjS0OQ9k45R65xNYA4uGV_qz_XuC2_qZon-pmcu-CTkNEA558l_ChWw9NjnfOvhu4NG5L63MHAFhH-2jHr/s320/cape+town+choc+block+5.bmp" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-34619612846457265172011-03-22T20:56:00.004+02:002011-03-22T21:04:37.663+02:00Durban!A friend of Will's offered up his place to stay in Durban for the weekend so we jumped on it. We found flights for cheap and flew down for the weekend. The condo was great in the fact that it had E!, which I happily watched as a marathon. It was far from the beach, but comfortable.<br /><br />The guys went deep sea fishing and caught all types of tuna. We ate it every which-a-way - sushi (I'm terrible at making rice), fried fish, grilled fish, you name it! There's nothing as good as fresh tuna.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7KOkShK-Kf2ii_Z1P3Slf9ynJmq1w5VqBbVIbA8bRUX4DB4PC7xlQl02DPo76nfO_KhYowvJ2Ad1B6U1Xz9VublVk0L7MwCLBBztxGXKC4UYpEMx5HAjCi8k_XpTA0hfiZ7aKY06ynP_/s1600/durban.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586981112026495346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7KOkShK-Kf2ii_Z1P3Slf9ynJmq1w5VqBbVIbA8bRUX4DB4PC7xlQl02DPo76nfO_KhYowvJ2Ad1B6U1Xz9VublVk0L7MwCLBBztxGXKC4UYpEMx5HAjCi8k_XpTA0hfiZ7aKY06ynP_/s320/durban.bmp" /></a> Incredible (rough) surf<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ8IXjUf-9jiXSZhp__uGhLNtLKifXUyCwPQUf7FvQXIGYe-skERitTrP_QAT013QMStR-A34RDU5_IWOOVbzrxpoVgpEGEBgfMCu22hcTN1BH3XK9ngIvaN_RLYSHl54xjAiNOfp3R55/s1600/durban+waves+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586981100216816690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ8IXjUf-9jiXSZhp__uGhLNtLKifXUyCwPQUf7FvQXIGYe-skERitTrP_QAT013QMStR-A34RDU5_IWOOVbzrxpoVgpEGEBgfMCu22hcTN1BH3XK9ngIvaN_RLYSHl54xjAiNOfp3R55/s320/durban+waves+2.bmp" /></a>Beautiful!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErDjCDIXjeho-Q00XYORLOekh4NZFH6ejmDIhEdl-zIYU0g2jybYPFOk4cadLej47-i2hr-d5z-WxNZnshyphenhyphenPjosC1iNQEuaoAKnH9p1y_NX-_90eb5wv4wRBamSOz5FaNukIAR2748qNr/s1600/durban+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586981100249592914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErDjCDIXjeho-Q00XYORLOekh4NZFH6ejmDIhEdl-zIYU0g2jybYPFOk4cadLej47-i2hr-d5z-WxNZnshyphenhyphenPjosC1iNQEuaoAKnH9p1y_NX-_90eb5wv4wRBamSOz5FaNukIAR2748qNr/s320/durban+2.bmp" /></a><br />Awesome succulent flowers<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEb8Z4216SLLQv2C5dFPKja4EsgKdh9TvdkIwF7z0Ho9wKm16hUfs-Cg-7mHFn2Ub6PoZfwJTBPF-eHy80bf5i44W9xPXkL_bxBbivOhY7PMcTkYbq7QjkRXXe6VbIL1WVsKiXa2o3MeGX/s1600/durban+3.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586981094227679762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEb8Z4216SLLQv2C5dFPKja4EsgKdh9TvdkIwF7z0Ho9wKm16hUfs-Cg-7mHFn2Ub6PoZfwJTBPF-eHy80bf5i44W9xPXkL_bxBbivOhY7PMcTkYbq7QjkRXXe6VbIL1WVsKiXa2o3MeGX/s320/durban+3.bmp" /></a></div><div>Sardine bait<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3P8GjtwJTvky38MTLH09xQb7F_RzavyeoFSpqNSp9PJ6VeE6oNdDaLyx-_rK-7duceAjxTYeAjYDy6oaslhcfdV73TMxWaHlEvidEF7Dq-tkW2bGPtk1SuNEHDdw9-CmatnuqW8PnBm3/s1600/durban+4.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586980838014023346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3P8GjtwJTvky38MTLH09xQb7F_RzavyeoFSpqNSp9PJ6VeE6oNdDaLyx-_rK-7duceAjxTYeAjYDy6oaslhcfdV73TMxWaHlEvidEF7Dq-tkW2bGPtk1SuNEHDdw9-CmatnuqW8PnBm3/s320/durban+4.bmp" /></a><br />Love that Will touches bait (which means I don't)...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysi0_cm1Ie0JuYUInakmeuQCGYmFVQFRvV-EvVG6ie0PAo1J1u-0ySuMwqKg3YC6mJ7Kkh_luo8AioJrUZbipaepyM4uNpQNc3k4fT1Le2d5OpTYbY7LViWaTwpUyqHnETbeHx-P1Z0TA/s1600/durban+5.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586980834977469826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysi0_cm1Ie0JuYUInakmeuQCGYmFVQFRvV-EvVG6ie0PAo1J1u-0ySuMwqKg3YC6mJ7Kkh_luo8AioJrUZbipaepyM4uNpQNc3k4fT1Le2d5OpTYbY7LViWaTwpUyqHnETbeHx-P1Z0TA/s320/durban+5.bmp" /></a> Yay!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbyQ0hriUx_InwqGEK4LPbZAP7XEtC01Fmr-oHkON9dGpinQWmfZR8SGSjZvFx_DSLlMQHqykQ9gXtAgHGIs7nbhOIrz52BQ1fZFWS_KCxV88Ctwn8W6Sh8r3GhYFont5Qs7RzWeq8TIZ/s1600/durban+6.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586980828776798930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbyQ0hriUx_InwqGEK4LPbZAP7XEtC01Fmr-oHkON9dGpinQWmfZR8SGSjZvFx_DSLlMQHqykQ9gXtAgHGIs7nbhOIrz52BQ1fZFWS_KCxV88Ctwn8W6Sh8r3GhYFont5Qs7RzWeq8TIZ/s320/durban+6.bmp" /></a> The guys attempting to fish in the massive surf...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEtPN4hBghjr1a4QtVBF_18CdMjuXeq2Mt-vGxLjc7rav5v8NYTw04PYOCq_2MDRW70AlNcCNyEWqpSMQZvfBlaCVBtFV-s-193qo89X3TRm2xjNDpxivtE4OzARvObIEJ3FQAGvGko-n/s1600/durban+7.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586980820576778594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEtPN4hBghjr1a4QtVBF_18CdMjuXeq2Mt-vGxLjc7rav5v8NYTw04PYOCq_2MDRW70AlNcCNyEWqpSMQZvfBlaCVBtFV-s-193qo89X3TRm2xjNDpxivtE4OzARvObIEJ3FQAGvGko-n/s320/durban+7.bmp" /></a> Once they gave up on fishing (incredibly windy and rough surf!), </div><div>they decided to try body surfing.</div><div>Notice how tall those waves are...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3P8AoyNcb5gs5_a9PsCBOZZsws2h4n-SSLONnU8hJ88_CWt4pfXvZzE1ef9H8_Wly3pH263PLI68tl8cE0LtZwjJ_kYerso34wU5du_wjvEKxIXXc99c5wIgwmmhyEpF0gQ5ANj8NM45/s1600/durban+8.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586980485811698434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3P8AoyNcb5gs5_a9PsCBOZZsws2h4n-SSLONnU8hJ88_CWt4pfXvZzE1ef9H8_Wly3pH263PLI68tl8cE0LtZwjJ_kYerso34wU5du_wjvEKxIXXc99c5wIgwmmhyEpF0gQ5ANj8NM45/s320/durban+8.bmp" /></a><br />This adventure ended shortly after this pic.</div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9ekpCbadjN3tSzrjDbTuDb0Um_NBMZ-oZbtG1Z3kqdGa5rrPtJxVfABm1FV-baDu_QYaVqAyREzi60EGy8z69jwtBR7CwoJR8uHmXJtfcFEPAdGiDI2beE1-CzPkhCTyG_bANMaAr4do/s1600/durban+9.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586980481537470834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9ekpCbadjN3tSzrjDbTuDb0Um_NBMZ-oZbtG1Z3kqdGa5rrPtJxVfABm1FV-baDu_QYaVqAyREzi60EGy8z69jwtBR7CwoJR8uHmXJtfcFEPAdGiDI2beE1-CzPkhCTyG_bANMaAr4do/s320/durban+9.bmp" /></a><br />Amazing beach houses! Holy smokes!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDJoiJM_TO4p6zJPFaJb0Rvg6a6AjcS4hKHmkaWHnFC0sXe0Guf7DqiFJcMDKzmxsecX5mLn8mLNdtZ8vgplSMgNm9iuqLF6XNXO2Y28qAjXTwJmfuKUWAsNT3p2uq_fu6LnEsosfBiF3/s1600/durban+10.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586980481513396162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDJoiJM_TO4p6zJPFaJb0Rvg6a6AjcS4hKHmkaWHnFC0sXe0Guf7DqiFJcMDKzmxsecX5mLn8mLNdtZ8vgplSMgNm9iuqLF6XNXO2Y28qAjXTwJmfuKUWAsNT3p2uq_fu6LnEsosfBiF3/s320/durban+10.bmp" /></a><br />Will fishing - how beauitful and remote!</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEacCUjeZ9SU8L5K48mA6W14qQZgsthQqnMfZKsBkashoOHrtECTxKyITiM1gurMYIzAb40q_PttKDJ_0MUx6FFrgXZVDUVYWWVhJWP6_Oksx7w99rsMW9TPMGCaKzwcg3F7ZX7xNhE6Iv/s1600/durban+11.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586980468709289506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEacCUjeZ9SU8L5K48mA6W14qQZgsthQqnMfZKsBkashoOHrtECTxKyITiM1gurMYIzAb40q_PttKDJ_0MUx6FFrgXZVDUVYWWVhJWP6_Oksx7w99rsMW9TPMGCaKzwcg3F7ZX7xNhE6Iv/s320/durban+11.bmp" /></a> A little tide pool I found on the other side of the rocky hill in the pic above...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZEqa-h3Xg1Jx0-GegEEbbZcOprCcKkeTyWDj9ryululViPluAZ7XKOBLtN98n6AnCLyQl9Hb5d6geuU7-JB7Vj_pQMvB19c96g7Fr06goiM9PBoBHk9mW14d888mdYZWxBFRrr7ydMXq/s1600/durban+12.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586980464035560018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZEqa-h3Xg1Jx0-GegEEbbZcOprCcKkeTyWDj9ryululViPluAZ7XKOBLtN98n6AnCLyQl9Hb5d6geuU7-JB7Vj_pQMvB19c96g7Fr06goiM9PBoBHk9mW14d888mdYZWxBFRrr7ydMXq/s320/durban+12.bmp" /></a>My foot steps leading up the hill...</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-64049932949531248532011-03-22T17:46:00.005+02:002011-03-22T17:54:50.372+02:00Shayamoya Fishing LodgeFor Labor Day weekend, we decided to head southeast and go tiger fishing in Pongola. We had never been in this area of SA (which is almost in Swaziland!) and were super excited to try our hand at fishing. We've always enjoyed fishing together and while I had plenty to complain about in regards to our stay at the lodge and about our "fishing guides" (you can see my scathing review of Shayamoya Lodge on TripAdvisor), it was fantastic to be in the great outdoors with hubby. I wish we would have camped here and just rented a boat rather than going through the lodge. Oh well - it was my only negative travel experience in South Africa - I think that says a lot!<br /><br />Enjoy some pics!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7uakr9JVFqFV9aS82occ-JyB75EscbVpgXR8BaLQyR-kHR7QWMQcOHxLTObh1XNEHruA7X01Pz-zFmujKxiNd9SQq55DChriiVmL-qlLZ1E_o9oCD5-Et7QjQKP959SlNm2R2oAjL7aR8/s1600/tiger+boat+sunset.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586932244169552386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7uakr9JVFqFV9aS82occ-JyB75EscbVpgXR8BaLQyR-kHR7QWMQcOHxLTObh1XNEHruA7X01Pz-zFmujKxiNd9SQq55DChriiVmL-qlLZ1E_o9oCD5-Et7QjQKP959SlNm2R2oAjL7aR8/s320/tiger+boat+sunset.bmp" /></a> The mountains along the lake were incredibly beautiful. What a great sunset!</div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3OROZJeQIiCTCtMFp_t9LQzQK4NpSpJWRU-C-kTtP6xw4JAkhGBZ5YQzqrfbs3-uiXEmvOCXNDNyGmnoWLjIH-WuqGcAqfAz6aFRgyNMRTlqUD9utWi5o4LSEOUJLoo1LbOgFbT3HHNcc/s1600/tiger+boat+sunrise.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586932240642215202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3OROZJeQIiCTCtMFp_t9LQzQK4NpSpJWRU-C-kTtP6xw4JAkhGBZ5YQzqrfbs3-uiXEmvOCXNDNyGmnoWLjIH-WuqGcAqfAz6aFRgyNMRTlqUD9utWi5o4LSEOUJLoo1LbOgFbT3HHNcc/s320/tiger+boat+sunrise.bmp" /></a>Sunrise<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMkwmA6csMG5DvhqceU24RitG9-1sEIxRuUBtf0chFiQa5KHiPdkl7GwydInX21S5eb7i6GTDedTYtaBRPTqDYfdC5uA68l4ytvtBoIBIHCec_h_kH6OnEieCDZhRgfF5n_LUEpXPC8rH/s1600/tiger+boat+sunrise+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586932231739680898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMkwmA6csMG5DvhqceU24RitG9-1sEIxRuUBtf0chFiQa5KHiPdkl7GwydInX21S5eb7i6GTDedTYtaBRPTqDYfdC5uA68l4ytvtBoIBIHCec_h_kH6OnEieCDZhRgfF5n_LUEpXPC8rH/s320/tiger+boat+sunrise+2.bmp" /></a>More sunrise and smoke on the water...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vHUCCrhVk1MCpPMr5BhaeQBR0BkgY5fQEyKwjey9LnUigjARnzkZgmTWXcCZya4HNbZRdnOgUDAEx0gQO7sF521LaV9sPQZbv2YgI6s-0_XOaxZI5qdQR4ExyLbscQUMslAQjniwtTEP/s1600/tiger+boat.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586931957638496322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vHUCCrhVk1MCpPMr5BhaeQBR0BkgY5fQEyKwjey9LnUigjARnzkZgmTWXcCZya4HNbZRdnOgUDAEx0gQO7sF521LaV9sPQZbv2YgI6s-0_XOaxZI5qdQR4ExyLbscQUMslAQjniwtTEP/s320/tiger+boat.bmp" /></a><br />Our fishing vessel on day one<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_p6OtTqdzpHC5bw1p0yOQtxrOt44wNOxphL925cO-Z_w7VkdQZBuT9E5BMzpVd7waFzn3LR9gWv6jKjjpbOW06CdZOIt8ICldGah6iqr2lNpIrPJt-pAF5xgwC-5P9sSJz32ne2klL-a/s1600/tiger+boat+fish.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586931946209204482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_p6OtTqdzpHC5bw1p0yOQtxrOt44wNOxphL925cO-Z_w7VkdQZBuT9E5BMzpVd7waFzn3LR9gWv6jKjjpbOW06CdZOIt8ICldGah6iqr2lNpIrPJt-pAF5xgwC-5P9sSJz32ne2klL-a/s320/tiger+boat+fish.bmp" /></a> </div><div>Will's tiger fish! <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddSoMXg900gIggti6htWdHsBJfVhZwQJ5aw1fb2DEDgnFAXh9WHi_2ZeVKyp4YZB37OK5ixFZbL4A2tgDtAmNvHu3EJPWJ9TX7lVFCFTNrbU6hcuBs35fUDdUZP_vO2IvgZu-1yHMzLP6/s1600/tiger+boat+fish+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 270px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586931942217003042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddSoMXg900gIggti6htWdHsBJfVhZwQJ5aw1fb2DEDgnFAXh9WHi_2ZeVKyp4YZB37OK5ixFZbL4A2tgDtAmNvHu3EJPWJ9TX7lVFCFTNrbU6hcuBs35fUDdUZP_vO2IvgZu-1yHMzLP6/s320/tiger+boat+fish+2.bmp" /></a><br />My only catch - a super ugly catfish. <br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQ8TwY88wwf_lT5WIAWilnxaLsux3wCPPNYJw1FdgivIGBF5JRuXkNLhdmKcGjv2RsayUE4mpPD80ZCA5QtO77P1iK0VhA7-0MshTlpT-X7CKKJG-HV9WnGsRPeB79Q3-V00Qfz8NCpdY/s1600/tiger+boat+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586931945516189522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQ8TwY88wwf_lT5WIAWilnxaLsux3wCPPNYJw1FdgivIGBF5JRuXkNLhdmKcGjv2RsayUE4mpPD80ZCA5QtO77P1iK0VhA7-0MshTlpT-X7CKKJG-HV9WnGsRPeB79Q3-V00Qfz8NCpdY/s320/tiger+boat+2.bmp" /></a><br />A little offshore excursion...<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB8rPkWk6VE6TxdEA29hgNEXzt70SVMmbcqBVBwQ4ZTkUNvnfRPjCH3TbeqEY1q6lCsX0ceCnX0m4y-r8EgceRjkPi6c_a3Ej10ZXj6DRpBMjWSXfu9ldY5jsIrn2gMOXUi8mEYbgu2e6/s1600/tiger+boast+fist.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586931937469668402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB8rPkWk6VE6TxdEA29hgNEXzt70SVMmbcqBVBwQ4ZTkUNvnfRPjCH3TbeqEY1q6lCsX0ceCnX0m4y-r8EgceRjkPi6c_a3Ej10ZXj6DRpBMjWSXfu9ldY5jsIrn2gMOXUi8mEYbgu2e6/s320/tiger+boast+fist.jpg" /></a> More tiger fish - yay Will!</div><div align="center"><br /><br /><div align="center">At the end of the day, how can you really complain when fishing on a beautiful river while watching a safari unfold on the shores of the river (rhino, kudu, warthog, you name it!).</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-41814772375185289892011-03-22T17:18:00.010+02:002011-03-22T17:44:03.188+02:00Mosethla Bush Camp - MadikweApologies for not posting for 7 months (can't believe that). My make-up gift will be lots and lots and LOTS of pics instead! So let's start at the very beginning: our trip to <a href="http://www.thebushcamp.com/">Mosethla Bush Camp </a>in Madikwe. Madikwe is only 4 hours from Pretoria (compared to the usual 6+ hour drive to Kruger). The Bush Camp was offering a winter special and we jumped on it for one of our last long weekends.<br /><br />Here's what you need to know first and foremost: The Bush Camp has no electricity or running water. However, I didn't really notice that at all. Our room was comfortable and cute - a little tree house with a big comfy bed and flaps for windows. We had a little dresser, a carafe of water, towels, and a flashlight. What else do you need? There was an actual toilet - you just don't flush it. To shower, you heat up your water in a donkey boiler and then put it in a bucket overhead that has a shower attachment. Honestly, not bad at all. Meals were served over campfire and was some of the best food I've ever had in South Africa. Nights were spent around the bonfire, reading Herman Charles Bosman under that amazing sky full of stars. Bonus: we met fab new friends, Kerry and Ruth, here and had great times with them. I would totally recommend staying here as we really felt like we were "roughing it" in the African bush, but still had plenty of amenities to make us feel right at home.<br /><br />But most importantly: the game. Madikwe is a private reserve. You can't just drive in. You have to be an overnight guest to come into the park. This is VERY different from Kruger, and a huge plus in my book. The rangers all work together on sightings, taking turns. This means that you are ensured to see something because everyone is helping each other out. Loved it. Below are just a few pics of some of our favorite sightings while we were there!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69Mor4OyE-YNZE0aSHwQZWrJHuXvBVTtBxvYon2UuteWg0fbeml6D-iZNgWec3RYs4zxDY9UjQCir8MDseOzXmFWccqmfWkEzWCb4luTIyMWkX7S6DofaHvJcga2uybA8VWgARhBDiSQf/s1600/madikwe+wild+dogs+2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586928007044192290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69Mor4OyE-YNZE0aSHwQZWrJHuXvBVTtBxvYon2UuteWg0fbeml6D-iZNgWec3RYs4zxDY9UjQCir8MDseOzXmFWccqmfWkEzWCb4luTIyMWkX7S6DofaHvJcga2uybA8VWgARhBDiSQf/s320/madikwe+wild+dogs+2.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center">I love love LOVE the wild dogs. Aren't their ears so cute?<br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfpSwMAZf5AFZcFNsMYsrgL6EWLWwY2gVoWrk1sjxgC8hS31EusGzcNhZSCwoD3uQZPTaAPx941coS_jnhpAGGkHfyW2C-li-cDMMh4U06fhxeqZ6O-Iv42534y689U4FRYejziBjGzsY/s1600/madikwe+wild+dogs.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586928000000169954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfpSwMAZf5AFZcFNsMYsrgL6EWLWwY2gVoWrk1sjxgC8hS31EusGzcNhZSCwoD3uQZPTaAPx941coS_jnhpAGGkHfyW2C-li-cDMMh4U06fhxeqZ6O-Iv42534y689U4FRYejziBjGzsY/s320/madikwe+wild+dogs.bmp" /></a> Muddy lays like this. How cute.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2Q7pme0mHBYP_2-xBJ4iU2oJrAR8zKFt79apj-nWCC_EwrIMzreu7PPPRique3_KKLNTfQ5KMq9dIEBvGmrBXXClFRH36m4cDDkNC2cyEGJs2mlQ0LRp8Ocj79049fFSrte0-vkbFyED/s1600/madikwe+trees.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586928001708127490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2Q7pme0mHBYP_2-xBJ4iU2oJrAR8zKFt79apj-nWCC_EwrIMzreu7PPPRique3_KKLNTfQ5KMq9dIEBvGmrBXXClFRH36m4cDDkNC2cyEGJs2mlQ0LRp8Ocj79049fFSrte0-vkbFyED/s320/madikwe+trees.bmp" /></a><br />This is me being artsy.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEXU7rg5ADbIqkYc2RcHXfU4flcg93B8x7qFcQkDZbqxGE1rKjSUElFDRjd-QAePj2WbWVrWH29vCAiuzBofMl2C0yiULI20e8fPtDM78RvYL1eNB_3o_xNWHKogH8z6CnnSbvkVRD4qH/s1600/madikwe+sunset.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927989832355858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEXU7rg5ADbIqkYc2RcHXfU4flcg93B8x7qFcQkDZbqxGE1rKjSUElFDRjd-QAePj2WbWVrWH29vCAiuzBofMl2C0yiULI20e8fPtDM78RvYL1eNB_3o_xNWHKogH8z6CnnSbvkVRD4qH/s320/madikwe+sunset.bmp" /></a><br />Love an African sunset!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_T0ob9umJhiaMurVpGQi9cGEBy_A8mtsMMMiUrbC8J57GcYw_717Wu1r6fGYfQD_PGDZnj3v0k9qJY9_XeI4l_wjYGW7zGJw1X5c1RmaGCnJkNc5a7laWjF649_WM9ToXyiuxgqnyTiX/s1600/madikwe+sunset+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927989582086146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_T0ob9umJhiaMurVpGQi9cGEBy_A8mtsMMMiUrbC8J57GcYw_717Wu1r6fGYfQD_PGDZnj3v0k9qJY9_XeI4l_wjYGW7zGJw1X5c1RmaGCnJkNc5a7laWjF649_WM9ToXyiuxgqnyTiX/s320/madikwe+sunset+2.bmp" /></a> Gorgeous!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_VezXJi6ptjZ4rL8xcC52Yd9BdHxMV_xidq8cOTks5kVQhVdOOYiHy1RnjCj8IwFmKAyNlbVptPhAUklOyNDRGHpYhijduATbTlfaVIuiWBcvfOAdwiA6l2B5Ed4xMBUFh0BrvaLL1AG/s1600/madikwe+elephant.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927476965010994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_VezXJi6ptjZ4rL8xcC52Yd9BdHxMV_xidq8cOTks5kVQhVdOOYiHy1RnjCj8IwFmKAyNlbVptPhAUklOyNDRGHpYhijduATbTlfaVIuiWBcvfOAdwiA6l2B5Ed4xMBUFh0BrvaLL1AG/s320/madikwe+elephant.bmp" /></a><br />This baby elephant was checking us out and sniffing. What a cutie.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRj7eLQdVfpmL9NHCuRaS3ktI-xBThj8yqXA_DtnEk_ST7JFsTUMXwL4DcHbQTNDpsixzB1P47t5dgT3NBNWqER1TEjS2ztRqABoEB577fhabLUqUNKMGU9XyPWBDnOoKOebRh3FcfIwNq/s1600/madikwe+elephants.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927466784351346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRj7eLQdVfpmL9NHCuRaS3ktI-xBThj8yqXA_DtnEk_ST7JFsTUMXwL4DcHbQTNDpsixzB1P47t5dgT3NBNWqER1TEjS2ztRqABoEB577fhabLUqUNKMGU9XyPWBDnOoKOebRh3FcfIwNq/s320/madikwe+elephants.bmp" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2ErHx1__VBcjd5tTgXN5ZKK546h1QP6IDxjCuJI2sOYKqlvXT9Th8Q9pYQrKbCqeT3oADG8So0ybnviAXQoyu8kAMIbIo7bui-jouskA5x6b-W5bPk3P165pSB36CrgSSw49aBCx-0ga/s1600/madikwe+momma.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927462848450834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2ErHx1__VBcjd5tTgXN5ZKK546h1QP6IDxjCuJI2sOYKqlvXT9Th8Q9pYQrKbCqeT3oADG8So0ybnviAXQoyu8kAMIbIo7bui-jouskA5x6b-W5bPk3P165pSB36CrgSSw49aBCx-0ga/s320/madikwe+momma.bmp" /></a><br />Mom with babies...<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfXVcfGs06tZaA4yBDP3NikzHHwhRQpX6SZOP2YLApr7ZaJWsdiCbQvuzqmMdFQEEXVTiNeE-Lz2NwUbJ7Xt6SL4_b_ZTHs-XdcoNImTkJuBuFlzL4NjCm1bGI1yWHc8VzzwDl5Y_i3Vj/s1600/madikwe+momma+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927462188491426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfXVcfGs06tZaA4yBDP3NikzHHwhRQpX6SZOP2YLApr7ZaJWsdiCbQvuzqmMdFQEEXVTiNeE-Lz2NwUbJ7Xt6SL4_b_ZTHs-XdcoNImTkJuBuFlzL4NjCm1bGI1yWHc8VzzwDl5Y_i3Vj/s320/madikwe+momma+2.bmp" /></a><br />This is mom stampeding us away from her babies (yes, I kept shooting...)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoWV7uKofUY5sf8S_zmEO2SgCB4ctUJ4monIee_Oov9-1Yq0k21FVgF6rx2MYMjAh4ANHnaUpqEQE6k43lddiObfm3hVrxO_CRJSe_mjgjn1xhvkNNt9GQ3HvllSlXmovitnymIh1mTbH/s1600/madikwe+momma+3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927458364106434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoWV7uKofUY5sf8S_zmEO2SgCB4ctUJ4monIee_Oov9-1Yq0k21FVgF6rx2MYMjAh4ANHnaUpqEQE6k43lddiObfm3hVrxO_CRJSe_mjgjn1xhvkNNt9GQ3HvllSlXmovitnymIh1mTbH/s320/madikwe+momma+3.jpg" /></a><br />Angry mom made a dust storm.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-mF8rbvXQWPPUFHJyDS7i1F1_rqCsInHjcsUMkX5sCKdLQJa8jRGGMb7UBwGOPwu0ryGbv8-4BZNuF-pv5KoIi1y_bEqOhgpOdhuyrrGXKuqOeKw462AcSnPODfon_dxzYhoWIAbXibW/s1600/baby+hyenas.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927142763995938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-mF8rbvXQWPPUFHJyDS7i1F1_rqCsInHjcsUMkX5sCKdLQJa8jRGGMb7UBwGOPwu0ryGbv8-4BZNuF-pv5KoIi1y_bEqOhgpOdhuyrrGXKuqOeKw462AcSnPODfon_dxzYhoWIAbXibW/s320/baby+hyenas.bmp" /></a> Hyena babies! Up until this point, hyenas creeped me out. </div><div>The baby hyenas changed my mind!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCeDwGlwHBW95_LcQUoEXO73m4xZuZesUo7mygKegwt645gbE47_F3EEqRc8qRI17xaqVJ7a0zxgyoemVO8HEOwPMERIp-UYkOi7P1Ii5dB6cipHkf9PyrSopqKmYvHBVLDG8HsEFDv5o/s1600/baby+hyenas+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927138408541954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCeDwGlwHBW95_LcQUoEXO73m4xZuZesUo7mygKegwt645gbE47_F3EEqRc8qRI17xaqVJ7a0zxgyoemVO8HEOwPMERIp-UYkOi7P1Ii5dB6cipHkf9PyrSopqKmYvHBVLDG8HsEFDv5o/s320/baby+hyenas+2.bmp" /></a><br />Look at that long neck!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5qZghqNFO06x3tcoaAh7tSJo7TxmLaJw5HhaGcfwYrgxRG_3pkot-4eXoEPux0_lECAbyOhAw4JfdDgrSvH11SUZ7GHGt4-xbOjWIMaIfGI_F4Rke8imABM-Z4Bpp2W4BOOT_qc_w0P-/s1600/baby+hyenas+3.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927134613696946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5qZghqNFO06x3tcoaAh7tSJo7TxmLaJw5HhaGcfwYrgxRG_3pkot-4eXoEPux0_lECAbyOhAw4JfdDgrSvH11SUZ7GHGt4-xbOjWIMaIfGI_F4Rke8imABM-Z4Bpp2W4BOOT_qc_w0P-/s320/baby+hyenas+3.bmp" /></a><br />Such a sweet little face<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubzMd5tsgYrrrDmLj67WR8440v-6JcMEw5jP-_MH_qOUjoPYsJINzvRyOdB5kL7-iS_SXpj_IORgZzxv6SBlZIasqG0vmPpC4Uwer1dvANLP2bAjd9YyVbvBkODSdUIWrDeh8fsZL5z2Y/s1600/baby+hyenas+4.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927123294419202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubzMd5tsgYrrrDmLj67WR8440v-6JcMEw5jP-_MH_qOUjoPYsJINzvRyOdB5kL7-iS_SXpj_IORgZzxv6SBlZIasqG0vmPpC4Uwer1dvANLP2bAjd9YyVbvBkODSdUIWrDeh8fsZL5z2Y/s320/baby+hyenas+4.bmp" /></a><br />How cute are they playing? The older hyena is only a teenager. This isn't their mom.</div><div>The ranger said that the teenager is like the "babysitter" for these little cubs. </div><div>We never saw their parents.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEtnKY0DJZd0bjH0muj4jJBPUx4iewsz5hCDeOO_HYtvAj71ijaaq2DBu-w9XPoQgIix9Gfs6QFYUpPdtgVKDuXEuwAMfGjyVRSG07YDzSsyXA2AXMF5NnzvhKXdcOwmwjNoO69gfNQeU/s1600/baby+hyenas+5.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586927121063069698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEtnKY0DJZd0bjH0muj4jJBPUx4iewsz5hCDeOO_HYtvAj71ijaaq2DBu-w9XPoQgIix9Gfs6QFYUpPdtgVKDuXEuwAMfGjyVRSG07YDzSsyXA2AXMF5NnzvhKXdcOwmwjNoO69gfNQeU/s320/baby+hyenas+5.bmp" /></a><br />Serious teeth.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFXoQ82HHLO1ULOf1GKGOl4rRajTmyd_b5TunHVCTUHUFS8kHjCk4h-Q882XxDGnffuXfzDVIyzYFU7Q8hTMLkKc7KSzEix4xqNuDtHUFZt7wGIPVFjeF0w2VylvnAfzPXsogfamXTREg/s1600/madikwe+male+lions+4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586926423974698194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFXoQ82HHLO1ULOf1GKGOl4rRajTmyd_b5TunHVCTUHUFS8kHjCk4h-Q882XxDGnffuXfzDVIyzYFU7Q8hTMLkKc7KSzEix4xqNuDtHUFZt7wGIPVFjeF0w2VylvnAfzPXsogfamXTREg/s320/madikwe+male+lions+4.jpg" /></a><br />Muddy does this too. Hi lion!</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXq-OA-3eXJEuzW8vhaf_W-lWeRDmIJJ-XC-Kj9jR-3NNtCZhyphenhyphen46q34f70eTt_MLAFjERTYO9rJ_jbGLb7xpIN2ppiki_u8j7A_gWPzLuxJyMttqbyefKh3FXN-huJfybvvGdaeH__qDYc/s1600/madikwe+lions+male.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586926425410898130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXq-OA-3eXJEuzW8vhaf_W-lWeRDmIJJ-XC-Kj9jR-3NNtCZhyphenhyphen46q34f70eTt_MLAFjERTYO9rJ_jbGLb7xpIN2ppiki_u8j7A_gWPzLuxJyMttqbyefKh3FXN-huJfybvvGdaeH__qDYc/s320/madikwe+lions+male.bmp" /></a><br />How sweet are these two male brothers?<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPsqQoEGdc-SrAjZUX0RgDAqOPCzEj5Sc1fYtNQvaMt8qwgwJScMGJ4dJYXfKcShaRumQ5mxzSasqN-aMmmbcM9vNe-7fP2ApX5vPyyY_xnR2MNYPT1MAJE8BxvERbxp3Os3u6mxihC5r/s1600/madikwe+lions+male+2.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586926418849777250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPsqQoEGdc-SrAjZUX0RgDAqOPCzEj5Sc1fYtNQvaMt8qwgwJScMGJ4dJYXfKcShaRumQ5mxzSasqN-aMmmbcM9vNe-7fP2ApX5vPyyY_xnR2MNYPT1MAJE8BxvERbxp3Os3u6mxihC5r/s320/madikwe+lions+male+2.bmp" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ig9_JeYrtWPiZxAYYV_eVY1rs9W3rsTSWYQHxEreNDgBvok4RFlFhXRqq0JHYmyshtdPp_AxwDRZlb4ptXoY2u2-e00oAksDeJyC4kO8wn5UUta-5p75fpWenkX8t2e_A9pdM5x_fnN9/s1600/madikwe+lions+male+3.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586926416170963090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ig9_JeYrtWPiZxAYYV_eVY1rs9W3rsTSWYQHxEreNDgBvok4RFlFhXRqq0JHYmyshtdPp_AxwDRZlb4ptXoY2u2-e00oAksDeJyC4kO8wn5UUta-5p75fpWenkX8t2e_A9pdM5x_fnN9/s320/madikwe+lions+male+3.bmp" /></a><br />Caught him licking!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlFHLiDUg8YPhjo1m0u4r_Uuyt-fF5YHBbm84yN-3Ti4f58HYKU8lLakakStPg5lnmidVsg84r7F_uG1up0ToZ_Lbu4MNUDrFud4emxaURfwGxshSpGkNZIOFeTam1if7tWxUTdWUAg-u-/s1600/madikwe+lions+male+4.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586926413019223938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlFHLiDUg8YPhjo1m0u4r_Uuyt-fF5YHBbm84yN-3Ti4f58HYKU8lLakakStPg5lnmidVsg84r7F_uG1up0ToZ_Lbu4MNUDrFud4emxaURfwGxshSpGkNZIOFeTam1if7tWxUTdWUAg-u-/s320/madikwe+lions+male+4.bmp" /></a><br />Say cheese!!!<br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-54962457119375648342010-08-15T12:08:00.006+02:002010-08-15T12:37:51.713+02:00Dinner at Zambi'sWill and I are in Maputo - woo woo!<br /><br />I wanted to blog about our dinner last night as it was simply amazing and full of things I've never had before and would like to re-create!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">After a delayed flight, we made it to Maputo around noon. We went to an ATM, enjoyed a light lunch (a small order of garlic prawns and Laurentina black beer), and just enjoyed the warm, beach weather after a super cold week (read: BELOW FREEZING) in South Africa.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVC0-MgSIu3V4RigJINeSKGSmPQh8aD7GlD8uFx6UzKGSwih2pvB0kE4bJ4Yryz-aEumXlbxKi40vYYIer6OW-q5R0Gp6ULwkQzLMr5_sQRYxXy86ERydfFM_n5CFofJ_xPkHqQAmaQUsZ/s1600/Mozambique+August+2010+007.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVC0-MgSIu3V4RigJINeSKGSmPQh8aD7GlD8uFx6UzKGSwih2pvB0kE4bJ4Yryz-aEumXlbxKi40vYYIer6OW-q5R0Gp6ULwkQzLMr5_sQRYxXy86ERydfFM_n5CFofJ_xPkHqQAmaQUsZ/s320/Mozambique+August+2010+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505578993890190210" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Enjoying a Laurentina at lunch on the beach<br /></div><br />Based on numerous great recommendations, we decided to go to dinner at <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293819-d1735423-Reviews-Zambi-Maputo.html">Zambi's</a>, a trendy seafood spot in Maputo. We took a cab (200 MT, about $5) and got to dinner at an odd hour of 5:30. We wanted to sit outside, but after the sun set, the wind blew in and it became quite cold.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xdHmB9a-FQklSu-4PtlkJXdmE_LQpGTBgyihVLoywyIxkAJ19V8Vhe1iaI8VBeoLTTV8Rq7RP_Z9RiFojwd0AFTk2oeJd23DzubOBR8M6eNiU5QF5jzMU-6wvjcFM_9gnC2kCVNTXMtw/s1600/Mozambique+August+2010+026.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xdHmB9a-FQklSu-4PtlkJXdmE_LQpGTBgyihVLoywyIxkAJ19V8Vhe1iaI8VBeoLTTV8Rq7RP_Z9RiFojwd0AFTk2oeJd23DzubOBR8M6eNiU5QF5jzMU-6wvjcFM_9gnC2kCVNTXMtw/s320/Mozambique+August+2010+026.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505578989365319842" border="0" /></a><br />Picture of us on the patio at Zambi's - very windy and chilly!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPm0swbyhhLKE-hKAppxQ9U7mVVL4nvyOBA7gwH2Vfn14Cm5gjSDLRk3D0NSNEiOS9AZa_VMtS5_VV4viswEB0GDlitQrMcnEc16dt5QBZ5kVXw3Qi7P9r9mc44t_qfAdK7cEfSL-qqEKU/s1600/Mozambique+August+2010+031.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPm0swbyhhLKE-hKAppxQ9U7mVVL4nvyOBA7gwH2Vfn14Cm5gjSDLRk3D0NSNEiOS9AZa_VMtS5_VV4viswEB0GDlitQrMcnEc16dt5QBZ5kVXw3Qi7P9r9mc44t_qfAdK7cEfSL-qqEKU/s320/Mozambique+August+2010+031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505579009313773938" border="0" /></a><br />View of the street in front of Zambi's - the streets of Maputo are lined with tall palms<br /></div><br />I tried Zambi's cocktail, which was a blend of mango juice and who knows what else. Sweet, but refreshing after a warm day. We looked at the menu and were simply overwhelmed by the amount of seafood. Every dish on the menu was seafood or meat - there were only 3 vegetarian options! Once we realized this, we knew we were in a fantastic place to eat as our friend Heidi, a strict vegetarian, had just raved and raved about Zambi's - and if she only had 3 things to pick from, its gotta be good.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdJPBgUncvYyZSriSt-NNR_FdwWoMPH3QlQga57Xu04gb_H7r6LnnfoRDRd3SWNzjE_eHiyVLZujkp3-lm3A5m3M5OJuP9_Hx8c8q-IrRZmY46AcC3cxMpzNuePq_78tsArqAkBqSEYO_/s1600/Mozambique+August+2010+032.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdJPBgUncvYyZSriSt-NNR_FdwWoMPH3QlQga57Xu04gb_H7r6LnnfoRDRd3SWNzjE_eHiyVLZujkp3-lm3A5m3M5OJuP9_Hx8c8q-IrRZmY46AcC3cxMpzNuePq_78tsArqAkBqSEYO_/s320/Mozambique+August+2010+032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505579003150121122" border="0" /></a><br />Inside of Zambi's - crazy art and really neat booths!<br /><br /></div>I absolutely adore seafood. In the US, Will and I regularly grilled up fish and shrimp for dinner. Here, its rare to get fresh seafood in Pretoria so we don't eat it often at all. It also makes finding good sushi practically impossible (I've learned to enjoy salmon rolls as the salmon always seems to be fresher than the tuna, which is usually a dark purple color - gross!). When I get seafood, I usually get it at Ritrovo, which serves up <a href="http://www.ritrovo.co.za/index.php/food/current-special-dishes">killer Prawns Diablo (the picture is the first one after scrolling down)</a>. It is absolutely impossible to find crab or scallops in South Africa and I miss them terribly. I can't wait to come home and have seared scallops, she-crab soup, and more.<br /><br />All of this is to say - once we started looking at the menu, we were absolutely overwhelmed by the seafood choices and wanted to order everything! The fish of the day was Red Snapper, an absolute fave of mine, but at the end of the day, Mozambique is known for its prawns and we knew we had to have them!<br /><br />We settled on the seafood ravioli and garlic bread appetizers (combined total: about $5). The seafood ravioli were absolute HEAVEN. I adore crab and its impossible to find in South Africa. In fact, I haven't had crab since our holiday in Ireland when I had amazing crab claws with Erin in Dingle (so good, we ordered a second helping). Needless to say, I was so shocked when I took a bite of ravioli and was presented with the rich taste of fresh crab. The raviolis were very delicate and I really couldn't say that there was more filling in the ravioli than straight-up crab (maybe garlic?). The sauce was a bechamel sauce that was a golden color - it tasted like it had sherry and nutmeg in it. Very light, very tasty, and resulted in me feeling like I was in absolute heaven.<br /><br />The garlic bread turned up to be fresh Portuguese bread that was baked on the top and bottom. Our waiter cut it for us at the table, revealing that the inside had been cooked with butter, garlic, and fresh parsley. Honestly - what's better than homemade bread?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXMsdszT-_uXYlsT0bca39cHOVE60wUA3R6D8NzGxV-sYe8a9aY_0OzgRRjyQUVlCVVV_3bYPMN4iLdxMd5C1k8t43YMEOOqGzVt919DUrI5C_6BX0J3Y-P2OeTnjUBS7bIoHJ_Y7nFu6/s1600/Mozambique+August+2010+033.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXMsdszT-_uXYlsT0bca39cHOVE60wUA3R6D8NzGxV-sYe8a9aY_0OzgRRjyQUVlCVVV_3bYPMN4iLdxMd5C1k8t43YMEOOqGzVt919DUrI5C_6BX0J3Y-P2OeTnjUBS7bIoHJ_Y7nFu6/s320/Mozambique+August+2010+033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505578997404671090" border="0" /></a><br />Fresh garlic bread - yum!<br /></div><br />After the apps, Will and I ordered a bottle of Vinho Verde, one of our favorite wines. Its made in Portugal and translates to "Green Wine" except that its actually a white wine with a slight sparkle to it. Its absolutely perfect with seafood.<br /><br />We ordered the grilled seafood platter to share and were so pleased with the results. I wish I had taken a picture and if we go back there before we leave, I will take a pic.<br /><br />The platter was huge - grilled calamari rings, massive prawns, langoustines, and spiny lobster. The seafood was grilled and seasoned with lemon, garlic, butter, and green chiles. I've never had seafood grilled with green chiles before and it lended such a fantastic flavor to the food that I will definitely try it again. Surprisingly, it wasn't spicy at all - just flavorful!<br /><br />I wish I had taken more pics of the food, but as people started filling the restaurant, I felt a little awkward as the flash was so bright and I couldn't turn it off (we're borrowing Adam & Beth's camera while mine is being repaired).<br /><br />After a wonderful al fresco breakfast, we're now headed to the Maputo Fish Market, where we can pick out our fresh seafood as it comes off the boat and have it prepared to our liking. Kind of a crazy opportunity and I can't wait!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6sUjRMh-pCUILahw2RPAqqUxTVfR39E_VHfGKFUsQ0g-nGV9PSwmpib-cPCJl7Z4BD91UIlyx4O6mKBXm4tvAlvNjcKzzqRjXtUNWPNrai9jGEexByxlaeBMOmLmlokCdvha5ALEcJjFb/s1600/Mozambique+August+2010+040.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6sUjRMh-pCUILahw2RPAqqUxTVfR39E_VHfGKFUsQ0g-nGV9PSwmpib-cPCJl7Z4BD91UIlyx4O6mKBXm4tvAlvNjcKzzqRjXtUNWPNrai9jGEexByxlaeBMOmLmlokCdvha5ALEcJjFb/s320/Mozambique+August+2010+040.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505582949494034146" border="0" /></a>View from our table at breakfast - infinity pool, the ocean, and palm trees!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-6gEsLXjePqPo5RsShE0ndGilijyeB4wZUSEnF2kF-EywEPBuFcLm0l7nIGawM1HETlEez3pneS9Du5IiwGlVt_2aiA0YLs6lN60jrfIpgogOIkGhVXI3lF_IfmKKSYqx8041L4Z9VSo/s1600/Mozambique+August+2010+041.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-6gEsLXjePqPo5RsShE0ndGilijyeB4wZUSEnF2kF-EywEPBuFcLm0l7nIGawM1HETlEez3pneS9Du5IiwGlVt_2aiA0YLs6lN60jrfIpgogOIkGhVXI3lF_IfmKKSYqx8041L4Z9VSo/s320/Mozambique+August+2010+041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505582943997356658" border="0" /></a><br />Will enjoying a cup of cafe at breakfast - yum!<br /></div>Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-24655043312986175112010-08-05T14:01:00.005+02:002010-08-15T12:49:58.449+02:00Two more months and change...We have two+ months left in lovely South Africa! I can't believe I've officially been here for over two years and haven't been back in my homeland since Obama became President.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcjSeMrEJ7NiBEzNnw4nIoD9IKUnzsAorqg37cJhhxvKeot0_T448unCP0Zl1p2_Sz8l96UySCn0laA0di-yq0IAHwF-gTdhtuWiEwfgLeMRDDuaucSzMuZG6kRhQWlGDPmYVSeSPQNJ8/s1600/World+Cup+Algeria+USA+561.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcjSeMrEJ7NiBEzNnw4nIoD9IKUnzsAorqg37cJhhxvKeot0_T448unCP0Zl1p2_Sz8l96UySCn0laA0di-yq0IAHwF-gTdhtuWiEwfgLeMRDDuaucSzMuZG6kRhQWlGDPmYVSeSPQNJ8/s320/World+Cup+Algeria+USA+561.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505586282329316162" border="0" /></a><br />Our friend Alex with his Obama fan pre-USA vs. Algeria!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">World Cup was an amazing adventure and I apologize for my complete lack of blogging about how much fun we had. It was fantastic to see South Africa become this vibrant, friendly city with everyone cheering everyone else on. I soon found myself loving the sound of the vuvuzela and even learned to play it myself. Will and I were lucky enough to cheer on USA at multiple games, and essentially had a front row seat to Donovan's game winning goal against Algeria. We were truly plagued with World Cup fever!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sUGD-OIpdNmWCwLnBgMkem5wD-82jZMUEoV6T2MK-bCWRVxlWiTaSrVuhsrIZH2TyV40_hmeyehP-81p0kH5jnrDteMGhRDsR6Uu3XjhITrM2m1qJyTUu6jlfNMQdQAgS0N4cG5KLqSm/s1600/Zach's+South+Africa+trip+046.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sUGD-OIpdNmWCwLnBgMkem5wD-82jZMUEoV6T2MK-bCWRVxlWiTaSrVuhsrIZH2TyV40_hmeyehP-81p0kH5jnrDteMGhRDsR6Uu3XjhITrM2m1qJyTUu6jlfNMQdQAgS0N4cG5KLqSm/s320/Zach's+South+Africa+trip+046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505586275536612610" border="0" /></a><br />Meeting up with some New Yorkers prior to the USA vs. England game - fun!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZkT1CCo-acfoAHyVu4XQ54oRlnID1Ri-VjK-jnEwhHkpwtcBDNlSQAqTs0bmTyfdAj8rrK7fV28krlWrFvUNZzjSH25RgWhhYKvikZ9Tyt6y65xEuY91XkQsPvt7f0PmgC_c63-LTmSA/s1600/World+Cup+Algeria+USA+655.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZkT1CCo-acfoAHyVu4XQ54oRlnID1Ri-VjK-jnEwhHkpwtcBDNlSQAqTs0bmTyfdAj8rrK7fV28krlWrFvUNZzjSH25RgWhhYKvikZ9Tyt6y65xEuY91XkQsPvt7f0PmgC_c63-LTmSA/s320/World+Cup+Algeria+USA+655.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505586266473323906" border="0" /></a><br />Right after the winning goal at the USA vs. Algeria game! YAY!!!<br /></div><br />July was spent saying goodbye to a bunch of our friends. I've been told to say, "So long for now..." but believe me - its <span style="font-style: italic;">hard</span>. I really miss all the great friends we made here. There's something to be said for having folks to commiserate about the life we've happened to share in SA. The only bonus in saying goodbye is that now I have friends posted all over the world that I can go visit! Ha!<br /><br />Will and I have mega travel plans over the next two weeks. I want to take advantage of our remaining time here as much as possible, which for me means one word: SAFARI. We're headed to a <a href="http://www.thebushcamp.com/">rustic bush camp</a> this weekend (no electricity! no running water!) and to be honest, I'm really looking forward to the experience. Fingers crossed for lots of game sightings!<br /><br />The following week I'm headed back to Mozambique for work and Will is coming with me. Its actually the most under-planned trip I've ever had. We have no idea what we'll be doing or where we'll go while we're there, but its exciting - here's hoping for beach time!!! Not to lay out or swim, but just to relax and watch the sunset. Nice. Will says we may snorkel, which I've never done!<br /><br />After these two trips, we still blessedly have 3 trips left, with a 4th pending:<br />-- <a href="http://www.shayamoya.co.za/website_home/">Tiger fishing in KZN<br /></a>-- A final (romantic!) Kruger adventure to two camps: <a href="http://www.kapama.co.za/kapama-buffalo-camp/">Kapama Buffalo Cam</a><a href="http://www.kapama.co.za/kapama-buffalo-camp/">p</a> and <a href="http://www.sabisabi.com/lodges/littlebushcamp">Sabi Sabi Little Bush camp</a> - high hopes for leopard sightings!<br />-- One last trip to Cape Town - <a href="http://www.lindhorstwines.com/index.php/en/cottages">winery stays</a>, <a href="http://www.capestay.co.za/emperor/">Kalk Bay</a> (fourth time = the charm!), and lots and lots of dining out at the top restaurants in South Africa such as <a href="http://www.rustenvrede.com/restaurant/about-restaurant">Rust en Vrede</a> and <a href="http://www.grandeprovence.co.za/">Grande Provence</a> (maybe even <a href="http://capetown.oneandonlyresorts.com/dining/restaurants/nobu.aspx">Nobu</a> again!)<br /><br />I will try to be better at posting between now and our return home in October. Stay tuned!Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-77133465975736491692010-06-07T20:05:00.002+02:002010-06-07T20:15:09.843+02:00Things I'll miss, things I won't, and things I can't wait to do!I often think about things that I'll miss once we leave South Africa - and sometimes also the things I won't miss... and definitely the things I can't wait to do. I have a feeling this blog will turn into this theme as we start to count down to October!<br /><br />I miss running. I really miss running with a group. I miss my Team in Training buddies. I miss running for a good cause. I miss having friends to go on a run with. I miss running at a regular elevation instead of a mile high in the sky. I miss having a mostly flat road to run on (although the hills here are pretty incredible).<br /><br />I'm starting to think a couple things...<br />(1) Could I really wake up before work and go for a run? Could I? Is it possible to get up at 6:30, go for a quick 20+ minute run, shower, and get ready for work? If I did this just three times a week, how good would this be? I'll be honest: I'm not running now. It seems to me that I am just not getting to the gym as often as I can and after work, we just have to much going on. It would be great to fit in a quick run if I could and it looks like the start of the day may be my best bet.<br /><br />That being said, I'm going to wake up tomorrow and run at 6:30 and then get ready for work. There. I'll see what its like!<br /><br />(2) I want to start training for a race for when I return... Whether its a fun 5K in Knoxville one weekend with KTL (Buddy's Race Against Cancer 5k November 14, Jingle Bells Run for Arthritis 5K December 11) or a half marathon later on (Disney Half?)... ideas?Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-5673482517551884222010-06-05T09:07:00.005+02:002010-06-05T10:04:28.936+02:00My favorite things: Kitchen edition!So maybe it took a few months, but here is the entry I promised on my favorite things in the kitchen! These are pieces I use on a regular basis (i.e. at least once a week, if not every time I cook!) and when using them, I always think - I should tell people about how great these things are! So here we go...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.lecreuset.co.uk/en-us/">Le Creuset cookware</a>: Whether its my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Enameled-Cast-Iron-2-Quart-French/dp/B00004SBH4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1275723170&sr=1-1">dutch oven</a>, my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Enameled-Cast-Iron-2-Quart-Casserole/dp/B00004SBIA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1275723258&sr=1-1">heart shaped pot</a>, or my<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Stoneware-2-Inch-Rectangular-Baking/dp/B00004SBK0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1275723468&sr=8-1"> bakeware</a> (perfect for enchiladas!), I swear by Le Creuset. I love it for the even cooking it provides, but adore it even more for its easy clean up - its ridiculous how easy food comes off these pieces! Bonus: it looks great on the stove! Amazon often has deals on Le Creuset, but you can also check out outlets. At the GA Premium outlets, there is a Le Creuset outlet as well as a Williams-Sonoma outlet that also carries very inexpensive Le Creuset. Its worth every single penny and will last forever!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Clad-Copper-Core-7-Piece-Cookware/dp/B00005AL0L">All-Clad copper core</a>: This set was an incredible wedding gift from my parents. We use these pieces on a regular basis, but are specifically in love with the covered saute pan (which I use to make <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chicken-parmigiana/">PW's chicken parm</a> and <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/stroganoff-three-ways/">my family's fantastic beef/kudu/impala stroganoff</a>).<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Logic-12-Inch-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet/dp/B00006JSUB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1275723793&sr=1-1"><br />Lodge cast iron skillet</a>: If you don't own one of these (we have 4 - no jokes), buy one. It may be the best $19 you've ever spent. I love my cast iron skillet - for making caramelized onions (and <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/grilled-ribeye-steak-with-onion-blue-cheese-sauce/">blue cheese onion sauce</a>), frying up bacon and cooking eggs in the grease, and more. Here's a tip: I love fried eggs, but I've always had trouble flipping them and keeping them in tact. I cheat my breaking them in the pan and then covering them with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00080QJV6/ref=oss_product">this lid</a> - the lid will cook them from the top with no need to flip the egg. Easy!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Microplane-34006-4-Sided-Box-Grater/dp/B000W8AMOO">Microplane 4 sided box grater</a>: I use this guy ALL the time. Its a bit difficult to find grated cheese here in SA so its fabulous to be able to grate my own cheese. This grater makes it super easy. I also love my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Microplane-35002-Fine-Grater/dp/B00004S7VK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1275721801&sr=1-3">hand held zester</a> for parmesan.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-Good-Grips-Salad-Spinner/dp/B00004OCKR">Oxo Salad Spinner</a>: Another item used practically on a daily basis. I am one of those people that even though it says the salad in the bag is washed, I still give it another rinse before using. In addition, its useful for spinning off excess salad dressing if you've overdressed a salad. I also adore this <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=325&f=13721">Crate and Barrel salad bow</a>l - super easy to clean and nice, high sides for tossing. We also use this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peugeot-USelect-12-Inch-Chocolate-Pepper/dp/B000RADVKE/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1275724700&sr=1-18">pepper mill</a> to season our salads - we love how it creates a great fine dusting of crushed peppercorns. We also love this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Misto-Gourmet-Brushed-Aluminum-Sprayer/dp/B00004SPZV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1275724883&sr=1-1">olive oil spritzer</a>.<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C4EFV4/ref=oss_product"><br />Rice Cooker</a>: I'm not a big rice eater, but I do love <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knorr-Lipton-Spanish-5-6-Ounce-Packages/dp/B0014CO3GA/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I9K17POXEHD0X&colid=3O5IZ0FXUAUYY">spanish rice</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rice-Roni-Parmesan-Romano-5-Ounce/dp/B000YPMLBW/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1W1R3HLU0IA6A&colid=3O5IZ0FXUAUYY">cheesy rice</a>, and wild rice from time to time. I have a tough time making rice on the stove. This microwave rice cooker makes cooking rice a snap! Rice is ready in 12 minutes or less rather than the 24 minutes it takes on the stove top. Its also great for boiling potatoes and green beans as well as steaming broccoli in the microwave.<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewart-Collection-Citrus-Press/dp/B000VEBP5O"><br />Martha Stewart citrus press</a>: Looks like this guy is unavailable, but I love mine. The blue color is fantastic and its so handy to have one of these for squeezing lemons and limes.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027U9JKI/ref=oss_product">Chalk board cheese plate</a>: Love it. Love it so much, I bought a 2nd one. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KDVTJI/ref=oss_product">Electric cordless kettle</a>: I can't live without this. I never used one before moving to SA, but these are in every home here. Its great for making tea and coffee as well as pre-boiling water for dishes. It just makes everything that much faster!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SAOF5S/ref=oss_product">Food processor</a>: One day I'll have a nicer one. One day. But for now, this one is really great. From shredding cheese to making PW's <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/01/restaurant-style-salsa/">restaurant style salsa</a> and <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/pams-simple-scrumptious-caesar-salad/">caesar dressing</a> to just having something to cut up veggies, it works great and the price is right.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/AirBake-WearEver-Nonstick-4-Inch-Perforated/dp/B000063SKU/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1275724476&sr=1-23">Pizza pan</a>: Will and I disagree on this one (he hates the holes), but I love this pizza pan. Its perfect for <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/diet-pizza-or-tortilla-pizza/">tortilla pizzas</a> - in fact, I think its fairly necessary.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Inch-Square-Cake/dp/B0007D9PS8/ref=pd_sim_k_4">Covered brownie pan</a>: Love it! I use it for more than brownies, whether that's right or wrong - I just love the size! Its also great for <a href="http://www.grouprecipes.com/44167/jiffy-corn-pudding.html">corn souffle</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Metrokane-Houdini-Decanter-Sediment-Strainer/dp/B002Q4TSPQ/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1275724967&sr=1-13">Wine decanter</a>: A must for any wine lover. In SA, wines can be a bit corky - the decanter helps the wine breath and also help catch cork bits that would otherwise wind up in your glass.Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-58450439661455047682010-06-02T21:29:00.002+02:002010-06-02T21:57:38.384+02:00Long time, no postA lot has happened since my last post in March...<br /><br />We went to Swaziland with mom and dad and had an amazing time. We had our own <a href="http://www.e-gnu.com/reilly%27s_rock_lodge_south_africa.html">two-bedroom cabin</a> (complete with working fireplace and wrap-around porch) in the Mlilwane reserve, home to several rehabilitated species that I hadn't seen on other safaris in Africa. We had an incredible safari in the <a href="http://www.biggameparks.org/3parks_mkhaya.html">Mkhaya reserve</a> for endangered species. While we didn't see black rhino, we sure did get up close and personal with about 12 elephants and got trumpeted at. Awesome. We bought incredible glass souvenirs, hand-woven baskets, and handmade jewelry. Perfect, incredible trip.<br /><br />In April, we set the date to move back to the USA: October 20, 2010. There was just something special about 10/20/2010 that it seemed right. We'll set foot on USA soil on 10/21/2010 and probably take a couple weeks off work to figure out where to live, what to do about a car, ahhhhhhhhh. Very scary, but very, very exciting. I will have been gone from the USA for over 27 months. As the song says, "Still in peaceful dreams I see the road leads back to you..."<br /><br />I traveled to Namibia for work twice - once in April, once in May. I'm wishing we had time to go back, but I'm thinking it just won't happen while we're here unless we take some serious time off work before we head back and I'm not sure that I can. We really wanted to go out to the desert at Sossusvlei, but oh well - it may just not be meant to be for now.<br /><br />Our buddy Zach is here and we're so happy to have company again! We just got back from a 3 night stay in Cape Town - quite possibly the best trip to Cape Town yet! We stayed at an <a href="http://www.capestay.co.za/emperor/">awesome apartment</a> in Kalk Bay with ocean views, heated floors, and cable TV. Its one of the first times when the pictures on the website look EXACTLY like the place! We ate at <a href="http://kalkbay.org/component/option,com_sobi2/sobi2Task,sobi2Details/catid,8/sobi2Id,22/Itemid,28/">Cafe Olympia</a> no less than 4 times - potato & bacon soup, tomato & lentil soup, linguine del mar, scrambled egg breakfast with arugula (why is that so very good???), french toast croissants (sinful), and massive fresh berry parfaits. Yum, yum, yumyumyum.<br /><br />We did the <a href="http://kalkbay.org/component/option,com_sobi2/sobi2Task,sobi2Details/catid,8/sobi2Id,22/Itemid,28/">great white shark trip</a> I've been dreaming of forever and yes, not only did I see lots of great white sharks, I did see one jump out of the water for a seal! And the seal got away - awesome (or not? Ask yourself!)! It was amazing to be a part of the circle of life. Will and Zach got in the cage and took some amazing close-up pics of the sharks. Its surprising how gentle they actually are - its not at all like you see on TV with them munching on the side of a boat. Who knows. The only bad thing was I got terribly sea sick and yammied not once, but twice over the side of the boat. I was too sick to get in the cage, let alone shimmy into a wet suit. The waves were super choppy that day and I don't feel bad as half the people on the boat joined me in hanging over the side of the boat. It was so bad, I stayed sea sick the rest of the day, even after we got off the boat!<br /><br />We had a full day Monday, which was also Zach's birthday. After breakfast at Cafe Olympia, we visited our new buddy <a href="http://www.draganajevtovic.com/">Dragana Jevtovic</a> and bought an insane amount of her beautiful guinea fowl pottery. I now own a <a href="http://www.draganajevtovic.com/guinea.html">soup tureen</a>. So exciting. While there, we got didgeridoo lessons - who knew?<br /><br />Afterwards, we headed to <a href="http://www.lindhorstwines.com/">Lindhorst Winery</a>, for a private lunch and cellar tour with the owner, Mark Lindhorst. They made these awesome steak sandwiches with little soft rolls and a horseradish/mustard sauce, as well as a yumtastic mushroom sauce. The cellar tour was incredible - we tasted straight from the barrel! Very interesting to taste the flavors that start off his amazing wines. We had such a good time, the sun set on us.<br /><br />We then went to dinner at the 12th restaurant in the world, <a href="http://www.constantia-uitsig.com/pages/restaurants/la-colombe.php">La Colombe.</a> WOW. It was like southern food meets France. No jokes - we had "pork crackling" served with honey - yes, fancy pork rinds! I had springbok tartare and veal medallions with morel mushrooms (MY FAVORITE) and a yummy zinfandel. The food was incredible! They topped it off with bringing us desserts that said "Happy Birthday" for Zach and "Happy Anniversary" for me and Will. Very special and very fun.<br /><br />On our last day, we had breakfast at Cafe Olympia and took the drive up <a href="http://www.chapmanspeakdrive.co.za/">Chapman's Peak</a>, which is so stunningly beautiful. We then decided to lunch on the beach at Camp's Bay, finally settling at<a href="http://www.paranga.co.za/"> Paranga</a> for incredible sushi with ocean views. So relaxing, so fantastic, so perfect. I will think on that moment and the subsequent walk on the beach for years to come. Just a perfect, perfect day.<br /><br />We're back in Pretoria and work is starting to pick up for the end of the FY. Next weekend is USA vs. England (YAY) plus Pilanesberg safari time. I can't wait!Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-32906967449923387992010-03-29T09:03:00.003+02:002010-03-29T09:48:39.770+02:00Favorite Things: BeautyI can't believe its been a month since my last post! Sorry guys! I actually have tons of updates that I'd like to do. First and foremost is the trip to Maria's church where we donated money given by my family's church in Calhoun, TN - video, pictures, tons of fun! Second, my parents have been here since March 9 and we've had the best time. We've been to Kruger and Cape Town and they are headed back to us from Zambia after a 2nd honeymoon to Victoria Falls. They arrive tomorrow in Pretoria and then we're headed to Swaziland! Woohoo!<br /><br />In the mean time, I'm stealing an idea from <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeandgarden/category/my-favorite-things/beauty-bath-products/">Pioneer Woman</a> (I also <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">love</span> <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeandgarden/2008/04/my-favorite-things-co-bigelow-mentha-lip-tint/">C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint</a>!) and posting some of my favorite things. I'm inspired by some recent beauty finds...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aveda.com/product/CATEGORY11543/PROD5834/Styling/Curls_Waves/index.tmpl">Aveda Be Curly Curl Enhancer: </a> My hair is curly, yet I almost always wear it straight as its not curly enough to really go curly. However, this product makes my curls amazing. No, it doesn't need to be paired with the shampoo and conditioner to get great results. If you have unmanageable curls, try this. You can buy a little $7 bottle to see if you like it. I promise - its worth every penny.<br /><br />Curly hair tips: I comb my hair either before or during my shower so its not tangly. That way, once I towel my hair off, it should fall to my part. I then lightly scrunch my hair with the curl enhancer and dry with a diffuser. The thing with curly hair - don't touch it too much or else it will be frizzy frizzy.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aveda.com/product/CATEGORY10531/PROD12574/Hair_Care/Extra_Treatment/index.tmpl">Aveda Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother</a>: Repeat: my hair is curly, yet I almost always wear it straight. This is an amazing product that I smooth on my hair before drying. It really makes it easier to dry my hair straight and it makes it look so much better. Again, you don't necessarily need to pair this with the shampoo and conditioner to get great results.<br /><br />Straight hair tips: I have really long, thick, fine, colored hair. In order to keep it healthy and not dry it out, I don't wash my hair every day. Its true. Don't think I'm gross! To dry my hair, I let it dry most of the way and then dry in sections with a regular brush. Once dry, I use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Conair-CHV14J-Instant-Jumbo-Sized-Rollers/dp/B00005A441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=beauty&qid=1269848362&sr=8-1">big hot rollers</a> so that my has some volume and the ends are curled under. I then use my flat-iron to iron out any crazy pieces. On the 2nd day, I simply brush my hair with baby powder and use the flat-iron to iron out any crazy pieces. Easy peasy and no one ever knows its actually dirty. <br /><br />Note: For shampoo and conditioner, I'm a <a href="http://www.suave.com/#/professionals/shampoo-conditioner">suave professionals</a> girl. I really love their products and think they make my hair great!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.philosophy.com/web/store/prod_time-on-your-hands____26551_23504_25627">Philosophy Time on Your Hands</a>: I am ashamed to admit that in order to keep my feet smooth, I use a pedegg. No, its not the real pedegg, but one my mom got off QVC or something. It works - <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span>. As stupid as the infomercial is, the product really works. The pedegg combined with Time on Your Hands on my feet = incredibly smooth feet. I love it. <br /><br />To finish off the pedicure, I swear by <a href="http://www.seche.com/">Seche Vite dry fast top coat</a>. It will make any nail polish errors go away and makes the pedi last and last. It really makes you look like you just had a professional pedi. It also dries super fast. Incredible product I've sworn by for over 10 years.<br />http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6538300100505274146<br /><a href="http://www.lancome-usa.com/makeup/mascara/lextreme.htm">Lancome l'Extreme mascara</a>: Amazing. Fake lashes in a tube. Woohoo!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tend-Skin-Men-Women-oz/dp/B000X4GG5G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1269848777&sr=8-1">Tend Skin</a>: Ingrown hairs be gone! This stuff works like a charm.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=11764&catid=10704">Certain Dri</a>: I once had a problem with hyperhydrosis. This means that I used to sweat for no good reason under my arms <span style="font-style: italic;">at all times</span>. It could be freezing cold and I could be sitting absolutely still and I would be sweating like I just ran a 10K. Not cool for a high schooler. Not cool at all. If you suffer from inexplicable sweating at all times (note: this does not apply to working out - you should sweat then! its good for you!), try this. It will change your life!<br /><br />As for my skin care regimen, with very sensitive, dry skin, I use the same beauty regime I've used since I was 18: Noxzema to wash my face, Clinique super defense moisturizer with SPF 30, and every now, a scrub with St. Ive's apricot scrub. Sooner or later, I should probably invest in a night cream and/or use any of the several tubes of eye cream that I have at my disposal. In the mean time, this is my standard. I also use Dove Sensitive Skin body wash plus Curel for extra dry skin. Works for me.<br /><br />That's it for now! Will do a cooking favorite things soon!Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-89689818797149577112010-02-28T20:49:00.005+02:002010-02-28T21:20:59.177+02:00Krystal burgersIts no secret: I typically spend my lunch hour scouring the Internet for food blogs and new recipes. My time is mostly filled up by <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">Pioneer Woman</a> because I just flat-out love everything she posts, whether it be about cooking, her house, fun things to buy, or photography. Besides, every recipe that I have ever tried of hers has been nothing short of absolutely fantastic (and might I add, the steps to get to this fantastic-ness have always been relatively simple and easy to follow), which makes me a devout reader of PW. <br /><br />Thanks to PW, I also browse both the <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen-blog/">Tasty Kitchen blog</a> and the <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/">Tasty Kitchen website</a>, where I contribute recipes and make cooking "friends" under the name mrsnaglich. One day, somewhere in all this searching around, I stumbled upon this: B<a href="http://www.bigredkitchen.com/">ig Red Kitchen</a><br /><br />It sounded fun, primarily because I also want a big red kitchen someday. As I read along, I realized this blogger also loves comfort foods with a healthy twist, but she also provides great commentary on the how to's of life, such as how to behave at the church pot luck. I fell in love with the idea of the <a href="http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2008/04/1-recipe-2-meals-pasta-bolognese-and.html">2-for-1 recipe</a> of spaghetti bolognese and "sloppy giuseppes." You know I definitely bookmarked <a href="http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2009/04/jack-and-jill-baby-shower-appetizers.html">this page</a> and <a href="http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2009/04/jack-and-jill-baby-shower-dinner.html">this page</a> for the most perfect idea for a themed dinner, baby shower or not! Antipasto salad, do-it-yourself meatball subs, homemade pizzas, and pepperoni dip??? Yes please. Sounds like my kind of party.<br /><br />But it was <a href="http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2009/06/white-castle-like-sliders-how-to.html">this</a> that got my heart pumping.<br /><br />Yes, really.<br /><br />A recipe for do-it-yourself Krystal burgers.<br /><br />To give you some background, my grandmother was comfortable situated extremely close to a Krystal restaurant. Growing up, almost every visit to my grandmother's house included a trip to Krystal. It was the 80s. <span style="font-style: italic;">Supersize Me</span> wouldn't come out for another 15 years. Sometimes it was a small indulgence of 2 burgers and other times I made a complete and utter gluttonistic disgrace of myself in front of my family as I devoured more than 8 Krystals in one sitting just because I said I could do it. While I have proven that I can eat more than 8 Krystals in one sitting, I'll hold on to that glory of yesteryear and stick to a healthy 2-3 from now on.<br /><br />What is so special about the Krystal, really? Nothing about it smacks of gourmet eats. Its not even something fancy enough for any other chain to replicate. It is comprised of a mysteriously thin meat (beef?) patty, strange small onions, a solitary pickle, a gentle slather of American yellow mustard, and finally topped by what is almost always a very soggy bun (that I love to slurp on... seriously. its okay to gag here). I loved them so much, I used to beg my parents to buy the frozen ones from the grocery store. Seriously.<br /><br />At Krystal, I don't care about the fries, the chili cheese pups, the mini corn dogs (although wow... I'd definitely eat a mini corn pup right about now), or even the spicy Krystal chick. I don't even want a Krystal with cheese. I just want a nice, yummy, soggy regular Krystal burger.<br /><br />Side note: Two nights before my wedding day I have a picture of my now-husband smiling as he held a giant sackful of Krystal. If I wasn't willing to marry him before, this sealed the deal. Love by Krystal burger. Mmmm mmmm good.<br /><br />So anyway. Back to this recipe.<br /><br />I obviously live in Africa. As much as I think South Africans would enjoy Krystal burgers, the only American food chains in SA are KFC, McDonalds, and Subway (which is so terrible here I almost didn't list it... g-rody). Therefore, it is impossible for me to get a Krystal burger.<br /><br />To add more background to this, I must also admit to being bitten by the mini-burger/slider phenomenon that swept through the US right as we were leaving. Our last meal in the ATL airport was at TGI Friday's - Will and I split an order of mini burgers before boarding the plane to Africa. While we were in London, we regularly consumed the mini burgers from Burger King (3 were jalapeno with spicy ketchup, the other 3 were BBQ with little onion rings - YUM).<br /><br />Naturally, we figured we could make mini burgers ourselves. We got the meat, found little buns, made mini patties and set them on the grill, only to find they were impossible to flip and control. We wound up with a bunch of little hockey pucks. At a party. Lots of little buns went without little patties. It was a sad state of affairs and we wrote off mini burgers from there on.<br /><br />So then I find <a href="http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2009/06/white-castle-like-sliders-how-to.html">this recipe</a>. Krystal burger meets mini burger. Heck yes.<br /><br />First of all, I was a huge skeptic of <span style="font-style: italic;">baking</span> ground beef. Its just... weird to me. Bake meat? When I told Will what I was going to do, he just raised his eyebrows and blessedly said nothing and happily let me go on my way to try and make these mini yum-yums for the party last night.<br /><br />Second of all, I had to find dehydrated onion and ground beef that had the right amount of fat yet didn't taste like Christmas (note: South Africans strangely add clove and coriander to almost all of their ground beef). This meant going to the butcher and asking for them to grind up sirloin steak, but add beef fat to it. Again, gag if you must.<br /><br />So! I found the little buns again (mini garlic buns - yum!), find teeny tiny pickles and teeny tiny tomatoes and set in to make the burgers. Really, its easy. Generously coat the bottom of a pyrex dish with dehydrated onion and then press the meat on top and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Blot grease, add cheese, and bake until melty. Let cool, cut with a pizza cutter, and slide those puppies into the buns.<br /><br />I set the pickles and tomatoes out to the side, along with ketchup and mustard, so people could make their own sammies. I also grilled up onions and mushrooms in Dale's steak seasoning - its my favorite burger topping.<br /><br />I made Krystal burgers! It tasted EXACTLY like a Krystal (minus the garlic on the bun). This was one of the easiest appetizers I have ever made. Moreover, with the mini tomatoes and pickles, the presentation was super cute. They were gobbled up incredibly fast - everyone raved and raved over how great they were.<br /><br />So! If you've got an event coming up and don't know what to take - try these! So simple, easy cleanup, voila!Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-48693390270423250402010-02-23T18:51:00.002+02:002010-02-23T18:59:10.825+02:00Zimbabwe, the third time around!So far its a year of thirds - my third trip to Zambia, my third trip to Zimbabwe... well darn. I don't have another third! ha.<br /><br />I'm currently in Harare for work. I adore Harare. Love it. Adore it. Its the best city! The people are super friendly, clean streets abound, amazing skyscrapers loom in the skyline, and trees, trees, trees - palm trees, jacarandas, and flowers galore! Its beautiful and happy. Even the work is good. All in all, its shaped up to be a great trip to Zim, which even includes my first attempt at Irish soda bread baking away in the oven. Results = to be announced...<br /><br />As you know, I travel frequently for work. I deserve some credit - I've finally figured out how to pack for a 3 night trip in a carry-on bag. I've realized I only need two pairs of shoes for just about any trip. I have a dedicated bag of toiletries ready to go at a moments notice.<br /><br />But no matter what I do... I always forget something.<br /><br />Once I forgot my flat iron (we promptly turned around and retrieved it). Another time I forgot body lotion. Another time face lotion (a bigger "ooops!" than body lotion because I have such sensitive skin). Another time my allergy meds (and spent the whole time sneezing). Another time my allergy eye drops. I've even forgotten underwear (hotel soap and a hair dryer can solve just about any laundry crisis). <br /><br />One time I even forgot my phone, only to drive back to the house and get it. I then got out at the airport only to realize, <span style="font-style: italic;">I forgot my phone in the car. </span> Really. As I panicked and convinced a poor Avis car rental place for me to commandeer my phone, the sweet driver was running around the departures terminal looking for me. We eventually met up and all was well, but its not the way I'd recommend starting any trip.<br /><br />This time I got in the car confident I had everything. Passport? Check. Cash? Check. Allergy meds? Check. Face lotion, phone, underwear? Check. Phew.<br /><br />So I arrive in Zimbabwe, congratulation my expert packing skills to find...<br /><br />I forgot my power converter.<br /><br />No matter what I do, it seems I'll always forget something. Lists don't help. Its just bound to happen. And I just laugh and move on!Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-48219203549594152482010-02-15T11:32:00.003+02:002010-02-15T12:49:47.921+02:00Valentine's Day 2010First and foremost, the countdown to the arrival of Mary & Gary is officially at 23 days. I CAN'T WAIT! We're headed to Kruger, Cape Town, and Swaziland and they are taking a 2nd honeymoon up to Victoria Falls - going by train and staying 3 nights at my favorite place: Sussi & Chuma Lodge. Fun times are headed our way!<br /><br />Will and I had a fantastic Valentine's Day this year. We had originally talked about going to the beach for the holiday, but my recent travel schedule coupled with the upcoming trips with mom and dad made an additional trip a bit excessive. When it got down to it, I realized what I really wanted was a romantic date with hubby. And that's when it hit me - we should try one of the top 10 restaurants in South Africa that's located right outside Pretoria - a place called <a href="http://www.restaurantmosaic.com/mosaic/main.aspx?Process=TheRestaurant">The Restaurant Mosaic</a> at the <a href="http://www.the-orient.net/orient/mainnew.aspx#">Hotel Orient</a>.<br /><br />Will and I made reservations for two for dinner in private in their minaret tower. We chose Friday night as Saturday and Sunday were already booked. We drove over at sunset and on the way there, our headlights went out. The only way they would work was if Will would hold the lever forward with his hand - not conducive in a stick shift car. When we walked in, we told them we were having car trouble and they promptly sent their resident mechanic (who works on the Rolls Royces) out to look at our Land Rover.<br /><br />Meanwhile, let's stop and talk about this place - its located in the <a href="http://www.the-orient.net/orient/mainnew.aspx?Process=FrancolinConservancy">Francolin Conservancy</a> west of Pretoria in the mountains. As we pulled into the conservancy, we immediately saw zebra staring at us. Incredible! And then we pull up to the hotel - take a peek at the top of<a href="http://www.the-orient.net/orient/mainnew.aspx#"> this webpage</a>. Incredible. It was like stepping into another country. We're led through massive Indian doors (the kind you see in Zanzibar) into this incredible entry parlor, complete with indoor pools, winding staircases, and beautiful Persian rugs and other art. We're led upstairs to this beautiful dining room, then outside by an amazing pool filled with flowers and rose petals, and into the cozy minaret tower, which is lit only by candles and filled with all sorts of flowers.<br /><br />Romantic? You betcha.<br /><br />We're seated and immediately starts the parade of servers - what do we want to drink, hot towels for our hands and faces, a basket of all sorts of hot bread (SOURDOUGH - oh my goodness!), and an explanation of the menu by the executive chef. Even a cute black persian kitty came in to say hi to us.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the tower was a bit warm (it had been over 35 degrees celsius and the minaret tower baked in the sun all day) and so we decided to stick it out for the first few courses and then go inside to the A/C and fantastic music (I'm a sucker for Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and french music playlists - think<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Somethings-Gotta-Give-Various-Artists/dp/B0000YTP1G"> <span style="font-style: italic;">Something's Gotta Give</span> soundtrack</a>).<br /><br />Will and I had decided on the 6 course menu with wine pairings for our meal. Here are the courses (I took a copy of the menu and in case I lose it, here it is for permanent online safe keeping)(please also forgive the French misspellings - I can't figure out how to do accent marks in blogger):<br /><br />Amuse Bouche: Chilled Melon Soup with Iberian Ham and Aged Balsamic, paired with <a href="http://www.moreson.co.za/">Moreson Cuvee Cape NV</a><br />Review: Absolutely delicious! The soup was in a shot glass and incredibly flavorful and herby. The iberian ham was served two ways - it was wrapped around the end of a little crusty breadstick and the other was made into a samosa-style little treat. YUM.<br /><br /><br />First Course: Melange of Tomato, paired with <a href="http://www.snooth.com/wine/lamberti-pinot-grigio/">Lamberti Pinot Grigio Santepietre 2008</a><br />Review: I love tomatoes. This medley included so many tomatoes, but just a bite of each. It was paired with - get this - a tomato TEA. It was so good - for someone who loves tomato soup, to have tomato tea was heavenly.<br />And to finally have Pinot Grigio after 1.5 years... yum.<br /><br />Second Course: Medley of the Sea in Star Anise Scented Lobster Bisque, paired with <a href="http://www.cederbergwine.com/">Cederberg Private Cellar Bukettraube 2008</a><br />Review: Perfect. Again, a super small portion, but delicious. I haven't had scallops since I moved to South Africa and it was heavenly to have one massive scallop to enjoy. There was also lobster and homemade noodles in this incredible lobster bisque. Yummity.<br /><br />Palate Cleanser: Lemon Verbena sorbet<br />Review: Again, perfect. I love lemon!!!<br /><br />Third Course (the main - we had three options to pick from): Will got the Slow Roasted Duck Leg Confit with Sweet Port Wine Reduction with <a href="http://www.veenwouden.co.za/">Veenwouden Syrah 2006</a>.<br />I had the Beef Fillet Medallions with Wild Mushrooms and Thyme Infused Beef Jus served with <a href="http://www.stonybrook.co.za/">Stony Brook Ghost Gum Cabernet Sauvignon 2005</a><br /><br />Review: Incredible! My beef fillets were cooked perfectly, although it was a huge portion. There were so many different types of mushrooms on my plate - it would have only been better had a tasty morel been sitting there. Even the mashed potatoes were perfect!<br /><br />Will's duck confit was the best I've ever had in my life. It was so tender and flavorful and was even paired with a cute little duck pie.<br /><br />The third option was Pan Seared Scottish Salmon with Delicate Saffron Foam.<br /><br />Cheese course: A parade of Cheese with Accompaniments and homemade Pear and Macadamia Nut Bread<br /><br />Review: 10 cheeses - all incredible. I have MISSED manchego cheese - yum yum yummy. Goat cheese, munster, you name it - it was there and perfect.<br /><br />Dessert (two options): I had the White Chocolate and Summer Berry Decadence and Will had the Passion Fruit Creme Brulee with delicate Poached Peach Jelly and Passion fruit Sorbet. Both desserts were served with <a href="http://www.snooth.com/wine/bottega-petalo-muscato-spumante/">Bottega Moscata Petalo Il Vino dell Amore NV</a>.<br /><br />First off, this was an impressive dessert. Mine had homemade raspberry sorbet, homemade strawberry ice cream, and a delicious panna cotta with fresh fruits. Will's creme brulle was absolutely delicious and his had homemade vanilla ice cream. YUM. The sparkling dessert wine was perfect - I want to find it here!!!<br /><br />During the main course, we found out our car couldn't be fixed. A taxi ride home (and back) would cost upwards of R1,000 since we were so far out from Pretoria. Therefore, with the encouragement of a special rate from the hotel, we decided to stay overnight at the Hotel Orient.<br /><br />This was, by far, the fanciest place I've stayed in South Africa, and definitely one of the nicest places I've ever stayed in my life. We stayed in the <a href="http://www.the-orient.net/orient/mainnew.aspx?Process=RoomDetail&Room=Marrakesh">Marrakesh Suite</a>, which was a stunner. The bed was incredible, the bathtub was huge, and it even had a recessed stereo and sound system. It even had a private patio where we enjoyed the night breeze and irish coffees. They gave us good toothbrushes and toothpaste and we happily slept over.<br /><br />In the morning, we were treated to breakfast on the patio next to the pool, which again had course upon course. Homemade granola with fresh fruit and yogurt and homemade vanilla milk, which was fantastic in my tea. Freshly baked croissants and pain au chocolate were to die for. The two breakfast mains were salmon scrambled eggs and eggs benedict. I actually don't like either dish so I tried the salmon eggs. I can see how they were good, but they weren't for me. The same for Will's eggs benedict - good, but just not for me. But caviar was included with my breakfast so I just had that on toast. Yum. Breakfast ended with these jam pastries that were so tasty.<br /><br />Overall, this was the best date of my life (and the longest too). It was so great to eat amazing food and drink amazing wine, and to also have some of my favorite foods that I haven't been able to have since I moved here. It was also great to try some new wines from South Africa, which we'll go visit the next time we're in the Cape. It was definitely romantic and all the stresses of life simply fell away for the wonderful hours we spent there.<br /><br />Final verdict: We're going back as soon as possible.<br /><br />The rest of this long weekend has been leisurely and fantastic. I've tried to take advantage of being in the pool as much as possible. Its been a relatively cool and rainy summer, reducing our opportunities to get in the pool all summer long. This week has been super hot and dry and since being in the pool is one of my favorite things, that's what we've done.<br /><br />Saturday night we had some friends over for dinner and enjoyed the South African delicacies of bacon wrapped candied cherries and chili cherry cheese sausages. Will's wildebeest burgers were fantastic-o. It was a nice leisurely time and for once, our BBQ didn't get rained out by an evening thunderstorm.<br /><br />Valentine's Day we woke up super early so Will could go golfing and I could have morning coffee with Heidi and Beth. I got in the pool with my book and played with the dogs in the afternoon. Last night we made homemade cheese ravioli and spaghetti sauce with meatballs. We also started watching the "10 Best Episodes of Lost." Its been a romantic, relaxing weekend - just what we needed.<br /><br />I am so thankful for Will and so incredibly thankful that we've been so blessed to start our marriage overseas.Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-34766377402204572010-01-25T22:44:00.005+02:002010-02-15T12:50:07.210+02:00Victoria Falls!I got attacked by a crocodile. No really.<br /><br />But let's start at the beginning...<br /><br />We took a two night trip to <a href="http://www.victoria-falls-safari-lodge.com/index.php">Victoria Falls Safari Lodge,</a> a stay we won in an auction in September that benefited the <a href="http://www.placeofsafety.org.za/">Tswhane Place of Safety</a>. Vacation + charitable giving? Heck yes.<br /><br />Prior to the trip, I asked if we could be upgraded and was informed that yes, our standard room would be upgraded to a deluxe room. Score.<br /><br />We get to the airport with plenty of time, only to find that Will's carry-on suitcase is overweight. We were carrying on as there was no need to pack a suitcase for a two night trip plus things get lost in African airports. Its just fact. I travel frequently (I'm in Zambia right now!) and I have never been turned away because my suitcase was too heavy. Hassled? Yes. Questioned? Yes. But told to check my bag because it was 5kg too heavy? NEVER.<br /><br />We were not happy to get this news.<br /><br />Nevertheless, we did a quick rearrange of luggage (tip: always pack some of your clothes in your companions suitcase in case your stuff gets lost!), checked, and received our 1st row seats. We breezed through security and on into the international terminal where we decided to use our diplomatic status to purchase champagne to bring with us to Zim. Good idea, Nagli.<br /><br />Let me stop here and just say how ecstatic I was to finally be traveling with someone, but most of all, to be traveling with hubby. It seems I am so often alone when I travel and its nice to have someone to talk to, someone to help, someone to laugh with... oh gosh, I can't even begin to relate how excited I was to be on holiday with Will! Yay!<br /><br />The flight went off without a hitch, complete with the nicest flight attendant ever. We had tons of leg room and an entire row to ourselves. Heck yes for comfort! We get off the plane, breeze through customs, get our luggage, get transported to the hotel, and check in.<br /><br />Then we get to our room.<br /><br />Forgive me: the <span style="font-style: italic;">Kudu Suite</span>.<br /><br />We open the door. Our deluxe room turned out to be a 2 story suite, complete with private balcony overlooking the waterhole, 1.5 bathrooms, massive jacuzzi tub, and king bed. Wow. I must have been a good girl this year! We were completely and utterly stunned by the awesome room - it even came with sunscreen and bug repellent!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_0e8aohZ_STnlcvko4Ec-UtK_W8xsqP7ob2u4gnI18N-J8OASFqanM9imJoaTNir1aOs36RWFbeBgSa8DP-vXFjaOpnXbzoFslp644HRbU1LjbPoIdbaKyeRv-s6cunGNjU2fOsNCXOG/s1600-h/Victorial+Falls+2010+027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_0e8aohZ_STnlcvko4Ec-UtK_W8xsqP7ob2u4gnI18N-J8OASFqanM9imJoaTNir1aOs36RWFbeBgSa8DP-vXFjaOpnXbzoFslp644HRbU1LjbPoIdbaKyeRv-s6cunGNjU2fOsNCXOG/s320/Victorial+Falls+2010+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438401919845139042" border="0" /></a>Artistic shot of our bedroom upstairs in the Kudu Suite<br /><br /></div>We took lunch at the bar overlooking the waterhole and then next thing we were off!<br /><br />Activity 1: The Helicopter<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5vUVdSJAnxg4KHdKr1MoxuVEJN4qlhTXsIX10Hb6WuL_L4bWs4rVHJP6H110YyrRlB4E_TFQjiNIdn5juZP5r0Qb1dlty1KSLKrP8FluESjcZxjrDc0KJwOH-gk4vRDIrI3axkNHtA_S/s1600-h/new+crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5vUVdSJAnxg4KHdKr1MoxuVEJN4qlhTXsIX10Hb6WuL_L4bWs4rVHJP6H110YyrRlB4E_TFQjiNIdn5juZP5r0Qb1dlty1KSLKrP8FluESjcZxjrDc0KJwOH-gk4vRDIrI3axkNHtA_S/s320/new+crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438401911247480274" border="0" /></a><br />Wow. May I say, wow? I didn't even have time to be scared. Seriously. We ran to the copter, got buckled in, and no sooner could you say "Victoria Falls!" we were off! Straight up into the air - how fun! I can't even begin to tell you how fun it was and how amazing the views were. I would definitely do it again! Only pictures can tell the true story...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kj6PmHNJ-nb8wG7uyS6FvuCjzhJ7g8cU6tyrjHUvz5FvZGNdT8ABWc3phmDlCC1Rme03iwpl10DbbZgFWGV4syVm6hRNPT80QKNlTfqkT_6blwEiUhqeqmdYQW47IZS0HHv7ULK7Q2FK/s1600-h/Victorial+Falls+2010+062.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kj6PmHNJ-nb8wG7uyS6FvuCjzhJ7g8cU6tyrjHUvz5FvZGNdT8ABWc3phmDlCC1Rme03iwpl10DbbZgFWGV4syVm6hRNPT80QKNlTfqkT_6blwEiUhqeqmdYQW47IZS0HHv7ULK7Q2FK/s320/Victorial+Falls+2010+062.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438401926295616274" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwi8QBd7tsN5zQ0s9N7CxAyc4zYTwsucV2dAWVGcmVgBH9dG0ix39BPC1xcXsxLVkRLat5iwtCCi9dKd2EwH7jsuWasj3Pmim7FayyfcXGyC0z4uh07i7TM79M_ES0xd8ejRdEfHCbtOa/s1600-h/Victorial+Falls+2010+092.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwi8QBd7tsN5zQ0s9N7CxAyc4zYTwsucV2dAWVGcmVgBH9dG0ix39BPC1xcXsxLVkRLat5iwtCCi9dKd2EwH7jsuWasj3Pmim7FayyfcXGyC0z4uh07i7TM79M_ES0xd8ejRdEfHCbtOa/s320/Victorial+Falls+2010+092.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438401929423722674" border="0" /></a><br />Activity 2: The Sunset Cruise<br />You really can't find much to complain about when it comes to a sunset cruise on the Zambezi, complete with hippo sightings. Unless you like to complain about Zimbabwean vodka. Or the lack of any other beverage option beside Fanta Orange and coke. Or the Zimbabwean singers performing a horrificly offkey version of a traditional song. But it was fun, we took great pictures, and it was nice to be on the water.<br /><br />Activity 3: Morning Safari<br />If I had never been on another safari in my life, I would have been horribly disappointed by this. Luckily, its not my only shot to see game! We woke up at 5:00am (TOO EARLY) and realized it was raining for our safari. BOO. We were only 4 people on the safari, but seriously, we didn't see much - impala, warthog, buffalo, elephant, eland, giraffe, zebra, birds. Breakfast was included, which was good, but all in all, I'll stick to safaris in South Africa or on the Zambian side of the falls.<br /><br />*insert 4 hour nap here*<br /><br />Activity 4: Wine route canoe ride on the Zambezi<br />I don't know why they call this the wine route canoe ride, but they do. I'm guessing its because you can drink while someone else paddles you down the Zambezi. Regardless, words again can't express how special this experience was to me and Will.<br /><br />Going down the Zambezi by canoe is incredibly quiet and relaxing. Sooner or later, I'll post a video here to share the sounds we heard that day. We saw baby crocs, hippos, even vervet monkeys. At one point, our guides gave us a break on this beautifully white sandy beach. We took pictures, watched an elephant on an island (yes, he swam to get there!!!), and then played peek-a-boo with the hippos that were clearly irritated that we were visiting their hood. All of this while the sun was going down.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZV7Rl8OOKzutqlRvCuDPCLcTAHNxe1lJ1oZFGFYqkpAEzTNfKGxfZFdsQdMtb0XA9katjJ-iQb7B0xzX8DJnKtV3HxRMBp6fZCCiWs_or-r9bQQsS10AgGBu61ePyumHE4z49wE-D8Cdq/s1600-h/Victorial+Falls+2010+383.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZV7Rl8OOKzutqlRvCuDPCLcTAHNxe1lJ1oZFGFYqkpAEzTNfKGxfZFdsQdMtb0XA9katjJ-iQb7B0xzX8DJnKtV3HxRMBp6fZCCiWs_or-r9bQQsS10AgGBu61ePyumHE4z49wE-D8Cdq/s320/Victorial+Falls+2010+383.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438404126625944866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRziyKEtCdybB_jK6s3EiUdJwg6dfU6vVSmkHjcI3DJ4iw9tqSxkL-FGp70n8EwlsS1WQC6Mf5Eu4AqtvPzb9VWeRSOwkoPy5hIIRdEcvT65-G_Jvhyw5lVkb4lB6lftsF2kQov25vttS/s1600-h/Victorial+Falls+2010+378.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRziyKEtCdybB_jK6s3EiUdJwg6dfU6vVSmkHjcI3DJ4iw9tqSxkL-FGp70n8EwlsS1WQC6Mf5Eu4AqtvPzb9VWeRSOwkoPy5hIIRdEcvT65-G_Jvhyw5lVkb4lB6lftsF2kQov25vttS/s320/Victorial+Falls+2010+378.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438404105752377762" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Qtuvap0B9QsIDo5riGi4ygj50R01Y8OXDwiOndUPA-daIfKnxcfrlC4aio9ziZdK9vfuFjEQQI1WxJcX1-Sx5xLZim-NLj6WVGSQ8m9dG3LuP97fuO8sflL1cKTkoAFATz6rXAt_67nW/s1600-h/Victorial+Falls+2010+360.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Qtuvap0B9QsIDo5riGi4ygj50R01Y8OXDwiOndUPA-daIfKnxcfrlC4aio9ziZdK9vfuFjEQQI1WxJcX1-Sx5xLZim-NLj6WVGSQ8m9dG3LuP97fuO8sflL1cKTkoAFATz6rXAt_67nW/s320/Victorial+Falls+2010+360.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438404120487536354" border="0" /></a><br />Special? Absolutely.<br /><br />As we neared the edge of the falls with the great smoke in the distance, Will's boat bumped my boat, as it had done several times that afternoon when he wanted to get a new beverage. Or so I thought...<br /><br />I then heard the guide start shouting behind me. As I turned around, there it was:<br /><br />A CROCODILE.<br /><br />I turned around just in time to see him right next to the boat and then SMACK! The guide dropped his paddle as hard as he could right between the croc's eyes. As he paddled away, the croc just looked stunned at the turn of events and he left us alone.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqdl-5el1_MGdvijSP1frFdwvZN4TZtrdrH4f6HxGv0sgFVHEgtuvTDiMZ6o4wNOIXCnH5k7Vs7LLE7FnvfmWD7O8LjbfiWUR47rjBQrJj7SGleO7p5ISaiCDWMN8zEwsHX6McL_SvgyM/s1600-h/Croc+close+up.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqdl-5el1_MGdvijSP1frFdwvZN4TZtrdrH4f6HxGv0sgFVHEgtuvTDiMZ6o4wNOIXCnH5k7Vs7LLE7FnvfmWD7O8LjbfiWUR47rjBQrJj7SGleO7p5ISaiCDWMN8zEwsHX6McL_SvgyM/s320/Croc+close+up.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438401905540415202" border="0" /></a><br />Somehow I was calm through all of this. I said, "I bet this happens all the time!" The guide says, "This has NEVER happened before!!!"<br /><br />I guess we're lucky. A story for the grandkids.<br /><br />That night, we dined in the hotel restaurant. I had crocodile curry in honor of my croc.<br /><br />Activity 5: Victoria Falls National Park<br />$40 for the two of us to get into the park? And we only have one hour to see it? Moly. But we did it and get some awesome shots in the process.<br /><br />I've heard the Zim side of the falls is much better than the Zambia side. I wouldn't say it was better - but I would say its different. You see a completely different section of the falls, including the Devil's Cataract, which can't be seen from Zambia. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJx18vXwrkJEX-obNNU5mJrmNn7-Qg4-2eXYtYOJBQ3QMCsQmQfAjm0WjfcEnHpDiz8NBMlwWME5Swb10GnYqzXhxrYYxeckrxI6Tv1iSUwGnf12GOYXizn93h9nyR32HKl3ctYpfkEXQB/s1600-h/Victorial+Falls+2010+439.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJx18vXwrkJEX-obNNU5mJrmNn7-Qg4-2eXYtYOJBQ3QMCsQmQfAjm0WjfcEnHpDiz8NBMlwWME5Swb10GnYqzXhxrYYxeckrxI6Tv1iSUwGnf12GOYXizn93h9nyR32HKl3ctYpfkEXQB/s320/Victorial+Falls+2010+439.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438404114655844994" border="0" /></a>It was actually incredibly difficult to see because of the mist/smoke from the falls. Regardless, it was really incredible. Its a huge park so we definitely got a work out when we had to run back from the falls to our waiting hotel shuttle...<br /><br />Vic Falls will also be the place where I will forever recall Will being called out to as "Papa" by someone wanting him to buy a parka! ha!<br /><br />We get to the airport and check in, only to find out they've given our front row seats away. Don't get me started. As soon as we get on the plane, we realize we are in the absolute worst seats on the plane - seats that don't recline and have extra wide arm rests that won't move. I quickly complain to the flight attendant that I had reserved my seats but they were given away and I'm a silver SAA member. She says she doesn't think the flight will be full and we can change. As we start to settle into our reality of the seats, we're asked by the flight attendant to come to the front. We do. Turns out the lady checked in two men who don't speak any English into our seats... and since its an exit row, they can't sit there! God smiled upon us again!!! So in the end, we got the seats we reserved in the first place and again enjoyed plenty of leg room on the 2 hour flight back.<br /><br />The only bummer on the whole trip is that most of my pictures didn't turn out (but all of Will's did - yay!). We got an awesome new digital camera for Christmas (thanks mom and dad!) but I guess I had it on some strange setting. Most of the pictures are grainy. Worse, the camera wouldn't take pictures quickly so even though I thought quickly enough to take a pic of the croc, the camera didn't agree. BOO. Will is looking into it and we should fix the settings before Mom and Dad arrive in March.<br /><br />All in all, it was an incredibly fantastic romantic trip filled with the great outdoors and lots of fun on the river! I highly recommend Victoria Falls on the Zim side!Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-60479008499515880712010-01-15T12:43:00.009+02:002010-01-15T15:23:06.845+02:00Happy New Year!ouch. November 5 was the last time I was here? Sorry friends.<br /><br />A brief summary of life since November 5:<br /><ul><li>I traveled to Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, and Cape Town - all were trips for work and all were incredibly enjoyable. No pictures as I had no camera, but all great trips!<br /></li><li> I celebrated my 2nd Thanksgiving in South Africa - hooray turkey! We finally fried one up!<br /></li><li>We welcomed Maria and Butch, our first friends to visit us in SA in December - it was so good to have friendy friends in town!<br /></li><li>I saw my first lion in South Africa (I had seen them before in Zambia, but not here) - big 5 complete in SA!</li><li>I watched a scary movie, which I hadn't done in eons (AHHHHHHHH, <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.paranormalactivity-movie.com/">Paranormal Activit</a>y</span>!). I'm <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">still</span> scared. Poor Will.<br /></li><li>I sang Christmas carols at the Ambassador's house! It was so great to be accompanied by an amazing pianist and to be the lead soprano on my favorite Christmas carols. <br /></li><li>We celebrated Christmas in Eesterust, bringing Christmas to more than 50 children!<br /></li><li>We hosted a fantastic Christmas Eve dinner, using PW recipes (<a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/roasted_beef_te/">beef tenderloin</a>, <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/10/creamy-herbed-potatoes/">rosemary potatoes</a>, burgundy mushrooms) - yum!<br /></li><li>I got fantastic Christmas loot, including <a href="http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/tsavorite.html">tsavorite</a> stud earrings from Will (he handpicked these rare gems and then had them set for me - yay!), a copper double bottle wine chiller, silver platters, and heck yes - a camera!!!</li><li>I became mildly obsessed with turning "Party in the USA" into "Party in the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> R</span>SA" - because, after all, I do bob my head like "yeah..."<br /></li><li>I discovered <span style="font-style: italic;">30 Rock</span> (awesome) and <span style="font-style: italic;">John Adams</span> (awesome)</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Lost</span> Season 5 = absolutely hands down best season EVER. Jacob/John Locke... WHAT????<br /></li><li>I read the best book I've read since <span style="font-style: italic;">What is the Wha</span>t and <span style="font-style: italic;">A Thousand Splendid Suns</span>... what is it? Oh heck yes, its <span style="font-style: italic;">My Life in France</span> - the biography of Julia Child! What an amazingly great read!</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Mad Men </span>season 3 is so incredibly dark and depressing I've stopped watching it. BOO.<br /></li></ul>I took off two weeks at the end of December and enjoyed a "stay-cation" in Pretoria, aside from our brief jaunt to Pilanesberg with Maria & Butch. It was so nice to catch up reading, lay by the pool, try new recipes, and yes, rebuild my entire iTunes library. I really needed the time off to relax and I have come back to work 100% recharged.<br /><br />What's the new year's resolution? Well, I'm continuing to challenge myself to do something I'm scared of.<br /><ul><li>Last year? <a href="http://www.adrift.co.uk/">White water rafting</a> on the Nile in Uganda. That looked like this:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6ISstLfHi1rlRgTwg0kQY7KmcCWRpT94lkhwl9GZ2zp6eBytUEfFEgRpiY5ttfmpvFHIYcjMQ9tL_R3AjmSVFxhpl2cSDFNzF6rX4k2vHd8CnKY1KgRH4QDR6j3N3gqAeor4G7GEKjqq/s1600-h/rafting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 302px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6ISstLfHi1rlRgTwg0kQY7KmcCWRpT94lkhwl9GZ2zp6eBytUEfFEgRpiY5ttfmpvFHIYcjMQ9tL_R3AjmSVFxhpl2cSDFNzF6rX4k2vHd8CnKY1KgRH4QDR6j3N3gqAeor4G7GEKjqq/s320/rafting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426952226071396882" border="0" /></a></li><li>The year before? Horseback riding on my honeymoon and <a href="http://www.magaliescanopytour.co.za/">ziplining in Magaliesberg</a> (I still have a massive dent in my left shin from crashing into the side of the mountain - <span style="font-style: italic;">sigh</span>).<br /></li><li>In 2007 - a half marathon (yes, scary!) and glacier hiking, both in Alaska.<br /></li><li> In May, Will and I are celebrating our 2 year anniversary to go be with the <a href="http://www.ultimate-animals.com/Tours/shark_tours_oneday.htm">Great White Sharks in False Bay</a>, where they <a href="http://www.apexpredators.com/store/showCategoriesProducts.asp?categoryID=6">famously breach seals</a> at Seal Island (as seen on <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/planet-earth/planet-earth.html">Planet Earth</a>). Its going to look like this:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu87SOi-ZmpTdP5dBwYFhxl5A7bRrQ4b5QhOgnD6qwhkK9y7SYvuN-gOGZ3amb0i6VMqCpG5-8J6ydSanhF_khCMkbwLZx2WVrCnTu8UGoiwo5XWTrTAW1UHSCtVnfOI2sEugchu65eWwS/s1600-h/shark.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu87SOi-ZmpTdP5dBwYFhxl5A7bRrQ4b5QhOgnD6qwhkK9y7SYvuN-gOGZ3amb0i6VMqCpG5-8J6ydSanhF_khCMkbwLZx2WVrCnTu8UGoiwo5XWTrTAW1UHSCtVnfOI2sEugchu65eWwS/s320/shark.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426951202752382706" border="0" /></a></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/brockv/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg" alt="" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">HECK YES.</span></span><br /></div><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tomorrow</span> I'm getting on a <a href="http://www.safpar.com/flights.htm">helicopter flight</a> and flying over Victoria Falls. Yes, I'm scared. Not scared like paranormal activity scared, but scared like we're-gonna-fall-from-the-sky scared. Oh well - I'll do it and bring back the pics to prove it. I have a camera now, you see. For now just know it will look somewhat like this:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsx4wwDthvTg7-Xy9uYREtIGOVQnWu_G5rjfYMUD0A4xilcfqVMktTP2hha8DPCeibzgDq-gBtJTmQoK-05c-cgpKp7Jp3btfg7CUeLJbSHh42CZ6_vuEslGPpSUFtzoJAolB_evk7rm6/s1600-h/helicopter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsx4wwDthvTg7-Xy9uYREtIGOVQnWu_G5rjfYMUD0A4xilcfqVMktTP2hha8DPCeibzgDq-gBtJTmQoK-05c-cgpKp7Jp3btfg7CUeLJbSHh42CZ6_vuEslGPpSUFtzoJAolB_evk7rm6/s320/helicopter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426952234393602242" border="0" /></a><br /></li></ul>We're also going on a safari, a canoe ride, and a sunset cruise. I am so excited about our weekend vacation to Zimbabwe/Victoria Falls! It will be my 3rd time to the falls but my 1st time to the Zimbabwe side (previous visits were from the Zambia side).<br /><br />One thing we've been talking about here among friends is grocery shopping - spending too much, wasting food, not having a good plan in place, etc.. I feel like this is something I've recently done well so I thought it might be fun to share some tips for grocery shopping!<br /><br />Will and I used to go to the store list-free and just buy things willy-nilly. While it was nice to have a stocked fridge and pantry and to make decisions on what we'd eat when we got home from work, this often resulted in us chucking loads of wilted, rotten veggies and spoiled milk and yogurt. It was wasteful, both in terms of money and in food. I just couldn't take it anymore.<br /><br />For one month, I kept our receipts from our grocery trips and was absolutely SHOCKED. We were spending so much money on groceries and throwing about half of it away in the trash and stocking a good 1/4 of it in our pantry and freezer. Yikes. It was time to overhaul our behavior.<br /><br />Every Sunday I make the plan for the week.<br /><br />Step 1: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Inventory!</span> What do we have in the fridge, pantry, and freezer that we can/need to use and/or get rid of?<br /><br />Step 2: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sit down with my cookbooks. </span> I actually love to read cookbooks - I find them fascinating! I have tons of recipes I've clipped from magazines (Rachael Ray, Cooking Light, Food & Wine, Real Simple) and placed into a binder, but I also work from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Woman-Cooks-Recipes-Accidental/dp/0061658197/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263558957&sr=1-1">Pioneer Woman</a> (obviously), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-New-Complete-Cooking-Light-Cookboook/dp/0848730232/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263558908&sr=8-5">Cooking Light</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/International-Recipe-Cooks-Illustrated-Magazine/dp/1933615176/ref=pd_sim_b_5">Best International Recipes</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Light-Recipe-Editors-Illustrated-magazine/dp/0936184973/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263558937&sr=8-1">Best Light Recipes</a>. I also browse Pioneer Woman Cooks!, the Cooking Light website, and <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/">Tasty Kitchen</a> (I'm a contributor there!). I look up the ingredients I have on hand and pull 1-2 new recipes that includes those. Or I just pick something new and fun!<br /><br />P.S. I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">ITCHING</span> for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Food-Great-Fast/dp/0307354164/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263559903&sr=8-1">this</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Food-Flavor-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0307405109/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263559903&sr=8-2">this</a>...<br /><br />I also work from a set list of our favorite things to eat, which includes:<br />-- Burgers<br />-- <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/diet-pizza-or-tortilla-pizza/">Tortilla pizza</a> (I actually posted this recipe on Tasty Kitchen!)<br />-- <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/salads/rainbow-salad/">Rainbow Salad</a> with grilled chicken<br />-- PW's <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chicken-parmigiana/">chicken parm</a><br />-- Beef stroganoff<br />-- Tacos<br />-- Sloppy joes<br />-- Soup and sandwich<br /><br />Step 3: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Make the list! </span>I write out S-M-T-W-TH-F-S at the top of a shopping list and write out the dinner that corresponds to that night. I usually plan to make four dinner meals during the week, mainly because I've realized that we'll either go out to eat or eat at a friends house at least 2 nights a week (usually Friday and Saturday) and one night we'll eat leftovers or something simple, like a s. I also make recipes that feed 4 so that we have enough leftovers to eat at lunch and/or breakfast.<br /><br />I write out the ingredient list for each of those dinners and also add regular things (dog biscuits, laundry detergent, toothpaste, sandwich meat), again, checking to see what we need versus what we already have.<br /><br />I usually run the list by Will and make sure he's on board with the weekly plan. I really give him major credit for adapting to a scheduled dinner plan! He's been great about it.<br /><br />Step 4: I head to the store with Will and <span style="font-weight: bold;">STICK TO THE LIST</span>. There are no coupons in South Africa so I don't really have the benefit of shopping with clipped coupons. If its not on the list, I simply don't buy it (unless its on super duper sale or its some American product that I've never seen before and am afraid I won't see again - Cholula? Its coming home with us!).<br /><br />Step 5: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Prep!</span> On Sundays, I typically pack my lunch for the entire week and I may even go ahead and make two dinners in one night so I don't have to later on the week (example: maybe I make spaghetti or sloppy joes to eat another day but eat stroganoff that night).<br /><br />The results?<br />-- More money in the wallet<br />-- Feeling less wasteful<br />-- Use of cookbooks that were previously collecting dust...<br />-- Feeling in control of my spending and eating habits<br />-- An emptier fridge and pantry (even our friends have commented!)<br /><br />Some things we can't avoid. Occasionally we do go out more often than we meant to and wind up having to freeze something that was meant to be eaten for dinner one night. We still stockpile some items - but we really reserve that for things from the US, like Panko bread crumbs and brownie mix. I can't help it. While I don't think I'll ever be someone that prints out a calendar to put on the fridge but I like where we've come to in regards to our meal planning. Yay!<br /><br />Next steps: I'm trying to do better at turning leftovers into something new. For example, I made <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1932636">carne asada taco</a>s Sunday night (YUM) and Monday night Will and I turned them into steak fajita quesadillas simply by adding cooked onion and green bell pepper and cheese we already had on hand. I'm interested in trying <a href="http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2008/04/1-recipe-2-meals-pasta-bolognese-and.html">this</a> sometime too... I've been looking for a book and searching the internet, but so far... nothing.<br /><br />And we're off to Victoria Falls - yay! Picture post to come soon!Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-84783994092720800222009-11-05T13:15:00.003+02:002009-11-05T13:41:38.551+02:00update!From Heidi!<br /><br /><div style="font-style: italic;">Thanks to everyone who donated to this wonderful cause. We have received about 4,000 so far which is enough to start building. If you are still interested in donating, we will continue to accept donations on the paypal site. The money will go towards buying food for the orphans once the center opens. </div> <div style="font-style: italic;"> </div> <div style="font-style: italic;">We drew a random number for the quilt drawing and the lucky winner is Jimmy Wells. Congratulations! </div> <div style="font-style: italic;"> </div> <div style="font-style: italic;">We will keep everyone posted on the progress of the Karabo Asara (meaning Hope is the Answer) Orphan Center. </div><div style="font-style: italic;"> </div> Isn't this the best news? We are so thankful for everyone's continued generosity to make Karabo Asara reality! Heidi and I go this weekend to Eesterust to meet with the committee to start plans for building! YAY!<br /><br />Will and I have battled a mystery virus that presented very scarily like malaria. Luckily, we're both malaria free but it took a few days to beat that monster back.<br /><br />Our computer has a new hard drive, iTunes is fully recovered, and the camera is <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> missing. BOO.<br /><br />Swaziland looks just like Ireland... in Africa. What a fantastic place! I can't wait to go back with Will for a weekend. Swazi has amazing crafts, including amazing glass works from <a href="http://www.ngwenyaglass.co.sz/">Ngwenya</a>. I've been in love with the<a href="http://www.ngwenyaglass.co.sz/african-animals/4.html"> glass hippo</a> for years but at R450 (about $60), I've kept passing it by. In Swazi, the glass is CHEAP so I got dear ol' hippo for R115 (about $15)! Except, I of course picked a hippo with a flaw... now I think we need the elephant or buffalo book ends. I'm in love. Now if only Swazi had a good pub with Irish music...<br /><br />Cooking has been going awesome these days. Last night I made Pioneer Woman's <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/12/friday-night-dinner-pasta-alla-vodka/">pasta alla vodka</a> - what an amazingly yummy (and simple!) week night dish! I made a <a href="http://www.atasteofthai.com/index.php?page=recipe&id=405">thai peanut chicken</a> dish for Will that was fairly good - he liked it better than me. I also made these <a href="http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/chewdetails.php?isid=1213">southwestern egg rolls</a> - Will and I thought they were yummy, but would be better fried (we just can't kick our southern roots!).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061658197/harpercollinspub/">The Pioneer Woman cookbook</a> came in the mail and I'm a wee bit obsessed. There are so many recipes I can't wait to make! Quite specifically things that require ramekins. Except I don't own ramekins (but I really want these <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Stoneware-Heart-Ramekin-Cover/dp/B00008Y1C4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1257420556&sr=8-1">Le Creuset ones</a> - don't laugh).<br /><br />For Halloween, Will went as a very scary demon (with black hair and a black beard!) and I was a witch. We went to a fun party we helped cater. I was in charge of helping with dips and I made some really awesome ones, if I do say so myself. Here are some ideas for you the next time you take a veggie platter to a party...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spicy Black Bean Hummus</span><br />Ingredients: 1 can black beans, at least 3-4 cloves of garlic (I think I used 6!), 1/2 cup of tahini, 1/4 cup of plain yogurt, lemon juice, a generous squirt of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Huey-Fong-Sriracha-Chili-Sauce/dp/B000LO40AG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1257420708&sr=8-1">Sriracha sauce</a><br /><br />Simply mix together until smooth in a food processor. Taste as you go and add as you like. I love garlicky, spicy hummus and the sriracha just adds the right flave. Enjoy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Creamy Avocado Dip</span><br />Ingredients: 2 avocadoes, 3/4 cup of plain yogurt, 1-2 cloves of garlic, 2 tsp. of cayenne pepper, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Simply whip together until smooth in a food processor and taste as you go and adjust seasonings as you need feel is best. Again, I like spicy so I probably had a teeny bit of a heavy hand on the cayenne pepper! This is so very good with carrots. YUM. <br /><br />If you've bought a carton of yogurt to make dips, use the remaining to make a ranch dip or a fruit dip for a fruit platter. Yum!Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-83633769573811315642009-10-20T12:54:00.005+02:002009-10-20T14:20:04.616+02:00Pavlov's dog.A couple weeks ago, Bryan, Heidi, and I ordered a 12 pack of cheetos for $11 from Amazon. Really - it was a deal we couldn't resist.<br /><br />The cheeto's came yesterday. I popped the top (they are in a cannister) and was shocked to find...<br /><br />I salivated.<br /><br />Yes, my mouth actually <span style="font-style: italic;">watered</span> for cheetos.<br /><br />I really worry what will happen when I finally return home and sit down at a Mexican restaurant. I may visibly drool for cheese dip. I ask early forgiveness if you are privy to the 1st Mexican meal upon my return to the US next year.<br /><br />This weekend I went hunting with Will for his birthday. It was a last minute decision, but I'm so glad it worked out. We went with Beth and Adam. While the guys hunted during the day, Beth and I lounged around the camp, which was actually really nice. We laid in the pool, played with kittens and puppies, read our books, went for walks, watched E! tv (a true treat for those without cable TV), and made scrumptious meals. It was incredibly relaxing and very peaceful. Adam got an impala and Will shot another wildebeest so it looks like more wildebeest enchiladas and sloppy joes in the future.<br /><br />I <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> haven't found my camera - have you?<br /><br />Last night I decided to make <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chicken-parmigiana/">this</a> for dinner. I love chicken parm. Its fair to say I adore it. Yum. Its a fave. However, I've always hated making it as it takes too many steps, pans, and ingredients. Without fail, I always slop egg wash onto the floor, get flour all over the place, and make a huge icky mess of bread crumbs and chicken. Then it always tastes too bread crumb-y (or burnt) and the sauce? Forget it. Too much work, too much frustration... I'll just make spaghetti with meat sauce instead.<br /><br />But this?<br /><br /><a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chicken-parmigiana/">This recipe</a> is the answer to all my problems. It cooks in one dish - one! No gooey egg wash, no bread crumbs, just simple boneless skinless chicken breast dredged lightly in flour and cooked in a skillet. No tasteless yucky tomato sauce - instead, a flavorful, garlic-ky tomato sauce for the little chickens to rest in. And melting cheese on the chicken in the pan <span style="font-style: italic;">using the lid</span> and skipping the oven? Brilliant. Perhaps one of the best parts was that I didn't even heat up my kitchen with the oven - this was all cooked right on the stove!<br /><br />It was such an easy weeknight dinner that earned, "Oh wow, this is really <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> good" comment from the hubs. It heated up awesome for lunch today too - yay!<br /><br />If I haven't said it before, I'll say it again: I'm a fan of <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">Pioneer Woman</a>.<br /><br />I head out to Swaziland early tomorrow morning and am looking forward to adding another country to my list of places I've been in 2009 (South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Ireland, Britain)! So far, 10 countries in 2009! But I'll be adding Swaziland, Lesotho, and Mozambique before the year runs out... 13 different countries in one year (not counting layovers where I spent money - that would also count Kenya and Germany) - I don't think I'll ever top that record! The only bummer is that I won't have internet or a camera the entire time I'm there. Oh well! I have a feeling Will and I will head to Swazi one weekend just for fun.Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-916630732687975942009-10-15T10:39:00.003+02:002009-10-15T10:45:04.066+02:00omg.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6m-tYjZa1Ff-k6KM4bgAGpWr_0KfPMeKxh1HAzsmDk3RNpEPLGPDy907PYBP8ksqBrODFbIVflgcEJ9Tp5rWGsIyWcFY4nsOUtz1O9ad7uLngCSxR8E7dKdXPyv_CaOzjnbFQd7YeM7P/s1600-h/spider.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6m-tYjZa1Ff-k6KM4bgAGpWr_0KfPMeKxh1HAzsmDk3RNpEPLGPDy907PYBP8ksqBrODFbIVflgcEJ9Tp5rWGsIyWcFY4nsOUtz1O9ad7uLngCSxR8E7dKdXPyv_CaOzjnbFQd7YeM7P/s320/spider.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392743984141413250" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpactirinae">THIS</a> is what I found on my dryer this morning!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Its official. I live in Africa.<br /><br />This scary critter is what's known as a baboon spider. This was the inspiration for the spider in <span style="font-style: italic;">Lord of the Rings</span>. Seriously. Tolkien was scared too.<br /><br />I screamed so loud when I saw this spider that Will thought there was a dead body in our garage.<br /><br />Happy birthday Will! Your wife is screaming bloody murder in the garage and you now have the responsibility of ridding your casa of this hairy beast. What a gift.<br /><br />Dear Lord, please don't let me find one of these massive, hairy (and yet non-venomous) critters <span style="font-style: italic;">inside</span> my house. ..<br /></div></div>Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-27929512352150295402009-10-12T13:16:00.003+02:002009-10-13T10:20:42.309+02:00swimming.I'm swimming again. I don't know what has brought on my sudden surge of swimming, but I am.<br /><br />For those of you who don't know, I spent most of my childhood in a pool. Sometimes I was in the pool to teach swim lessons, to life guard, or to just simply have fun with friends. But a good 95% of my time in a pool has been as a competitive swimmer. I swam summers on my <a href="http://www.gulfpark.org/swimteam.asp">neighborhood team</a> with the best coach ever. I spent a couple years swimming year-round on a competitive team when it didn't conflict with basketball. And, of course, I swam for my high school swim team, lettered, and then eventually became captain of the team my senior year.<br /><br />FACT: I was CONVINCED that we kept sharks in the deep end of the pool when I was really young and starting out (5-6 years old). The lanes of our pool were half shallow and half deep end so any time I had to swim in the deep end, I sprinted for dear life as I was sure I was going to get eaten by our team's mascot that only lived in the depths of the pool. I eventually realized that sharks don't live in chlorine!<br /><br />Needless to say, swimming was my life. Unfortunately, in my senior year of high school, I sustained a serious injury to both of my shoulders. Given the choice of undergoing incredibly invasive corrective surgery that may not ever solve the problem or pain or simply stopping swimming, I stopped. The pain was unbearable - it hurt to drive, it hurt to sleep, it hurt to do any physical activity period. I knew that I had to stop in order to get better. It was, to that point, the worst thing that ever happened to me. Of course, stopping swimming meant that I could sing more (swim meets always conflicted with musicals, shows, etc.) so I threw myself into singing and pursued that into college instead.<br /><br />I didn't swim for exercise until about two years ago when I joined a gym in Atlanta that had a pool. It was weird, the pool was hot, and I didn't keep it up. Plain and simple.<br /><br />Now I live in Africa and belong to an incredibly nice gym with a pool that uses salt water (blech) instead of chlorine. They keep the pool cool and on a 90+ degree day, I can think of no better exercise than going to swim.<br /><br />The pool is large with 6 25 yd. lanes. This means I have yet to share a lane when swimming - yay! Swimmers range from every ability - a woman next to me yesterday <span style="font-style: italic;">verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry</span> slowly treaded water from one end of the pool to the other, all the while keeping her head out of the water. Most people swim at a slow pace, don't do <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtP8xgzm6do">flip turns</a>, and usually only do freestyle (i.e. the crawl). In contrast, I swim all the strokes, always do flip turns (its ingrained in me the same way that boxing out when someone shoots a basketball is), and move a lot faster, without really trying.<br /><br />While I swim, Will is usually somewhere watching me from a treadmill or the weights and he says he laughs as he sees me plow through the water just to swim faster than the guy a couple lanes down from me.<br /><br />So I'm competitive. Its never gone away.<br /><br />The thing about swimming is... I've missed it. Its comfortable to me. It really doesn't feel like exercise until I hoist myself out of the pool on arms that feel like spaghetti noodles. I can swim for 30 minutes and I just get to think about things. If I do breast stroke, I even hear the music playing in the gym, which is somewhat nice. Otherwise, its just relaxing and peaceful. Because I have a short attention span, most times I wind up swimming against the clock to give me something to do.<br /><br />When you train as a swimmer, you'll have a minute clock on both ends of the pool. The dials are huge so you can easily see the minute hand tick by - the arm is black one end and red on the other so you can keep track of the time. Most often I sprint against the clock. I'll swim 8-10 laps, stop, wait for the clock to reach 60, and then push off, swimming as fast as I can to see what time I make it in. I have yet to enjoy the time I see on the clock - its about 20 seconds faster than what I used to swim. So this is what I do for at least thirty minutes - swim 8-10 laps at a moderately fast pace, then swim a 2 lap sprint (50 yds) as fast as I can, rest, swim 8-10 laps, sprint, rest.<br /><br />I've decided that I miss having a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CSI-Cannon-Sports-REGULAR-BOARD/dp/B0000C1XPX/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1255347259&sr=8-7http://">kick board</a> and a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Speedo-Pull-Buoy-Charcoal-Pink/dp/B001M5TY36/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1255347273&sr=8-3">pull buoy</a>, two things I never thought I'd miss. I really really REALLY miss my awesome <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Speedo-Relay-Swim-Goggle/dp/B000VL9Y0A/ref=pd_sim_sg_13">purple speedo goggles</a> - the ones I have with me fog up too fast. I'm really pleased that I wear a USA swim cap when I swim - just because I love swim caps with writing on them.<br /><br />As I swim, my mind wanders... if I read a magazine article on the amount of calories you burn while swimming, would I be burning what the article says... or would the slow people moving along be burning that amount? Is there a website where I can get ideas for a swim plan so I'm doing more than swimming against the clock (my old coach has one <a href="http://www.readysetgofitness.com/newsletter/36_Swimsprint8.html">here</a>!)? What's better post-swim: steam room or sauna? etc. etc. etc.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm happy, my arms are getting toned, and Lord knows while I'm not nearly as fast as I used to be (or as small), I'm happy to be in the pool again, pain-free.Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-71531026748463990032009-10-08T14:53:00.006+02:002009-10-08T15:10:38.243+02:00Hope is the answer.I still haven't found my camera. <span style="font-style: italic;"> sigh.</span> And our computer mysteriously crashed and I have to buy a new hard drive. And rebuild iTunes. For me <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> Will. <span style="font-style: italic;">siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggh. </span><br /><br />Its just not a good time to be an electronic device and living in the Nagli casa. I'm sweet talking my 5 year old iPod as I type this because I'm sure its going to die a slow death soon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maria's Orphanage Update!</span><br />We have a name: Karabo Asara!<br /><br />This means "hope is the answer."<br /><br />And answer we have! To date, we've raised over $4,000!!! Heck yes! Unfortunately, Heidi's computer also crashed so we are waiting to get it up and working again to pull the exact number and do the quilt drawing.<br /><br />The blueprints are being drawn and we couldn't be more excited for Maria.<br /><br />Its still not too late to donate! Supplies, your time, cash... it all works and it all helps.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipes</span><br />I've been working out after work this week with Rilla. She came over after one workout and together we made an "interesting" meal of <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549983">falafel</a>, tzatziki (secret recipe - sorry!),<a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1867600"> black bean hummus</a>, greek salad, and lamp chops. A really light dinner! Next time I make falafel, I think I'll bake it (or at least fry it a bit and then bake the rest of the way). Its too complicated to fry! It took a really long time, but the end result was tasty.<br /><br />I'm diggin' <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/">Pioneer Woman</a> these days (just look at those roasted garlic potatoes!). And I'm a big fan of <a href="http://www.bigredkitchen.com/">this</a> too. The baby shower food entry is pretty fantabulous as well as baby brie cups.<br /><br />Will's birthday is next week and we're celebrating on Sunday night since Monday is a holiday. Yippeee! More recipes after the par-tay...Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-67015344076554088352009-09-29T12:38:00.004+02:002009-09-29T13:03:39.834+02:00September? Where'd you go?I can't believe October begins this week. Wow. It will officially begin the countdown of one year left in Africa.<br /><br />My fantastic in-laws departed for the US on Saturday night. Will and I were super sad to see them go, but understood that life was calling them home. To put it simply, we had the <span style="font-style: italic;">best</span> time. Will and I learned that sometimes the best day can be spent reading a book in the sunshine with no plans whatsoever. They've learned that their daughter-in-law will argue for a solid 10 minutes that "FAQ" is a word (seriously. its a verb now. I don't care if its an acronym. I'm using it as a verb. there. ha.) just so she can win at scrabble. We've all learned that the best way to start your day is with a glass of bubbly South African sparkling wine and a shower overlooking a water hole filled with elephant, buffalo, hippo, and a croc.<br /><br />Pictures to come soon, when I finally find my camera. <span style="font-style: italic;"> sigh.</span><br /><br />In the mean time, there's this!!! Pioneer Woman has <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Woman-Cooks-Recipes-Accidental/dp/0061658197/ref=reg_hu-wl_item-added">A COOKBOOK</a>! heck yes! On October 27, I will be pressing "order" on Amazon so I can get my hands on this bad boy as soon as can be (in fact, I'm really tempted to do my first pre-order on Amazon - its that bad!).<br /><br />I'm posting because it looks like she may come to a <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/the_pioneer_woman_cooks_book_trip/">city near you</a>. Yes, YOU. Not me. For some reason, I'm guessing Africa is a bit too far for a book tour. She'll be in Atlanta on December 7. Go. For me. Please? Go see her.<br /><br />She also posted this recently... <a href="http://foodzie.com/">I like</a>. And<a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/"> this</a> too (probably just because I love beef stroganoff).<br /><br />In other news, Will and I have been cooking up quite a bit. A month's worth of dining out will leave you wanting to eat at home. Will did cook up some scrumptious <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impala">impala</a> tenderloin while the parents were here. Who knew that a dinner of impala, mac & cheese, southern style green beans, and rolls could be so good? Yum.<br /><br />Will the hunter has stocked our freezer full of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warthog">warthog</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impala">impala</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildebeest">wildebeest</a> that we must eat over the next few months. I'll post recipes soon. Impala burgers are perhaps the best burgers I've ever had.<br /><br />Sunday night we had a relaxing night at home with Rilla, who has a brand new puppy (a lab/sharpei mix!). The dogs played and we enjoyed a nice dinner on the patio of grilled shrimp and salad. Rilla made a killer salad of avocado, tomato, onion, and hearts of palm. Paired with some grilled portabellos and onions, it made for a killer light meal on a hot day.<br /><br />I made round two of spaghetti and meatballs to watch <span style="font-style: italic;">The Godfather Part II</span> with (we've decided to veto watching <span style="font-style: italic;">The Godfather Part III</span>, mainly because <span style="font-style: italic;">Part II</span> wasn't as good as <span style="font-style: italic;">Part I </span>and if <span style="font-style: italic;">Part III</span> is much worse than <span style="font-style: italic;">Part II</span>, then I'll pass) (I love <span style="font-style: italic;">italics</span> today). I think I've decided that while I make a tasty meatball, they are too much work for a week night meal. Besides, my meat sauce rocks.<br /><br />I'm eating a yummy lunch right now, which I brought from home. YAY! I've decided my new favorite thing to take for lunch is fat free refried beans and spanish rice. I make it Sunday night and divide the beans and rice into several separate containers. I then take a container with some salsa, guac, and tortilla chips and voila! A perfect lunch that's cheap, tasty, balanced, vegetarian, and doesn't leave me feeling hungry at 3:00pm. I won't even abandon it for other offers of going out to lunch because its just that good. YUM. And did I mention cheap? If you figure the beans are $1/can, the rice is about $2/packet, the chips are $3, the salsa is $3, and the guac is $3, then that's $12 total. This makes at least 4 lunches (you could make 3 man-size lunches) which winds up at $3-4 per lunch. It would probably be cheaper in the states as mexican food comes at a price here - its just not that popular yet. But again, yum. Just trying to throw out a new lunch option!<br /><br />Read: send me spanish rice!<br /><br />I'm trying <a href="http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipe/vegetables/deena-kastors-avocado-enchiladas/">avocado enchiladas</a> tomorrow (but am cheating and using can sauce rather than making the recipe here).<br /><br />This weekend we're headed to <a href="http://www.tasteofjoburg.com/tasteofjoburg/">Taste of Joburg</a> (hooray free tickets for diplomats!). Me = can't wait!<br /><br />And by the way, Happy birthday Little Friend!Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-5964463206479666702009-09-04T14:28:00.002+02:002009-09-04T14:52:46.205+02:00update.I'm overwhelmed. <br /><br />My mom always said that it never hurts to ask.<br /><br />I asked.<br /><br />I received an overload of emails, donations, and more from family, friends, and even complete strangers. I feel so blessed to know so many amazing people that are happy to help me in this cause. I am so grateful for your generosity. As soon as things are more finalized with the orphanage, we can really plan on how to get this place into shape!<br /><br />So - update!<br /><br />I learned Nico's name is actually spelled Nyiko. Nyiko means "gift" - awwww.<br /><br />Last Friday, I gave Maria money to go to the uniform store to purchase a uniform and shoes for Nyiko (I would have gone but alas, had no car since Will was on a hunting expedition). The cost? R500, which comes out to $62.50 (pretty good deal for pants, shirt, sweater, shoes, socks, etc.). <br /><br />Maria took the uniform to Nyiko. He wept. He said, "I didn't think anybody loved me." <br /><br />And so I cried when she told me.<br /><br />She said he loved the uniform and is so proud of it. She said all he needed was a school bag. Ironically, Will and I had just cleaned out one of our closets and found a backpack. We decided to hold on to it and give it away when needed. I filled the bag with odds and ends - bubble gum, socks, a set of dominos, etc. I also included a pen and notepad. On the first page of the note pad, I wrote:<br /><br />Nyiko,<br /><br />You are <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> loved.<br /><br />Love,<br />Will and Valerie<br /><br /><br /><br />Maria goes on Monday to finalize the land and hopefully learn the name of the orphanage. She had to submit 5 names to the board (just in case any where already taken) and they will let her know which one wins. <br /><br />More soon!Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-68485411946252965292009-08-27T12:26:00.017+02:002009-08-28T12:29:02.598+02:00Happiness, Heartbreak, and How you can Help.Its taken me awhile to sit down and write this entry. I've been feeling a range of emotions and just haven't known exactly what to say. But I'm going to try.<br /><br />On August 16, Will, Heidi, Bryan, Asara, and I loaded up the car and headed out to Eesterust. We were there to cheer on the Buffalo Boys, the soccer team that we support in Maria's township. After their game, we were doing a braii (read: cookout) for them.<br /><br />We headed to the soccer field, a patch of dirt with two posts on either end to mark the goals. The field was full of boys in AYSO jerseys (donated from someone back home). I was so happy to see these boys smiling, laughing, and playing soccer. At the same time, my heart broke that they were shoeless and without protective gear (shin guards, socks, padding for the goalie). They played in dirt rather than on grass. When their ball went out of bounds, it went into the street.<br /><br />We cheered the Buffalo Boys to victory that day. Yay! They returned to Maria's house where we grilled up a feast and popped popcorn. The little girls from Christmas were happy to see me again and we played and played. The Buffalo Boys loved taking "jumping pictures" where I would say "1, 2, 3" and then they'd jump and I'd snap the shot. Then they insisted on taking individual photos. Did I mention that they also wore their jerseys backward the entire time? <div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374709275576804866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 246px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJ29HY_-r4u6akMS6Iv0Q7G5JoPuqTYEpIaMmN-8dNWfOfXOUGbszTlwh6anrGjJrQFxTmwgdmj1FFvHNJkchA6ZqSCEJe8rRfY9UGi8L6XQMvcz0gRNcULD_3aRvNpvwvUZ0IdeGOX6v/s320/South+Africa+Winter+2009+128.JPG" border="0" /><br />It was so fun - I really had the best day hanging out with these wonderful children.<br /><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKzUjaF5C0PhMsydoc8i1AJRTGBIObzCzqB6k1PCPCUYw2ksxQpy7LwdX9u3fsDK2yW0bfT3uKEHV7Pqx2ydsoBcpc3XuRffLb6ywZR8SGFn99cImJuNtfsV40R2SuLyHjH3KrEWWN-Ms/s1600-h/101_0493.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374596032125324658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKzUjaF5C0PhMsydoc8i1AJRTGBIObzCzqB6k1PCPCUYw2ksxQpy7LwdX9u3fsDK2yW0bfT3uKEHV7Pqx2ydsoBcpc3XuRffLb6ywZR8SGFn99cImJuNtfsV40R2SuLyHjH3KrEWWN-Ms/s320/101_0493.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Asara is getting held by the cute girls and boys!<br /><br /></div><div>Towards the end of the afternoon, Maria introducted me to two boys. One boy, Thabang, had appendicitis and got his appendix removed. I asked to see his scar, which essentially looked like a Frankenstein wound - all jagged, swollen, and awful looking. Thabang said he still felt pain from his wound and I could see why. I asked him how I could help him and he said, "Madame, I am happy. I do not need anything." I look at Maria, look back at him and gently say, "No really... how can I help you?" The same answer. I look back to Maria and say, "How can I help?"<br /><br />It turns out he has no food to eat. Maria feeds him what she can but he is an orphan and has no one to depend on. Every day I bring something to work for Heidi to give to Maria so Thabang can have something to eat. I bought a big thing of peanut butter and a big thing of jelly and so I buy loaves of bread (have I ever mentioned that a loaf of brown bread costs less than $1 here???) and bring them to her throughout the week so he can have sandwiches.<br /><br />And here's where I say: if you were literally starving and someone asked you how they could help you, would you be able to smile at them and say you are fine?<br /><br />And my heart broke.<br /><br />Maria then introduced me to Nico. Nico was the soccer team star - he has amazing skills on the field. He's a shy boy and wouldn't look me in the eye. I asked him about the soccer team and then asked him if I could help him in any way. The same answer, "Madame, I am fine. Thank you for asking." I look at Maria and back at this boy, who I can tell has pain in his heart. I ask him again - "Madame, I am fine." I look back at Maria, she speaks to him in Sesotho, and then he looks at me and back down again.<br /><br />"School."<br /><br />I look at Maria and she explains that he has no uniform to go to school. He needs the uniform and he needs shoes. I tell Maria - no problem. Will and I can buy him what he needs - just tell me how. Nico lights up at the news and thanks me profusely, as much as a shy boy can do. </div><div> </div><div></div><div>And here's where I say: if you were literally growing out of your clothes and had no shoes for your feet and someone asked to help you, would you be able to smile at them and say you are fine? </div><div><br />And so my heart broke into a thousand pieces.<br /><br />I have mentioned this before, but Maria is an AMAZING woman who cares so much for her town. She has saved and saved and saved and has finally saved enough purchase land to build an orphanage for all the children in her town. That afternoon, we went to see the lot of land to take measurements and see what work is cut out for us.<br /><br />On the way back, we stopped by Nico's house.<br /><br />And my heart broke into a million pieces.<br /><br />Nico's "home" is a crumbling cement building that was never finished. Weeds grow inside the walls. Its incredibly unsafe. There is one area in which they dragged some scrap metal and they have made a roof, but his home is weeds, dirt, trash, and crumbling cement bricks. On the ground laid his gugu (grandma), who had swollen legs and was coughing up something awful. On the ground beside her were two little girls coated in flies as they played in the dirt. Nico's mother happened to be home - apparently she leaves him for months at a time so Nico is primarily cared for by his gugu, who is obviously very ill. Maria tells Nico's mother how we will help him and she weeps. In my life, I've never seen someone cry like that over someone else's offer to help. I asked her not to cry and hugged her, but I think that made it worse. She just wept and wept.<br /><br />And my heart broke into a billion pieces. </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>I left Eesterust that day with a pain in my heart that I have never felt before. It was a day that changed my life forever. I left that day knowing that I must do everything I can to help leave this beautiful community a better place than I found it. When I had met these children before, I had no idea that these were the conditions that they lived in. I noticed the children had holes in their clothes and no shoes on their feet and that the ate like they had never eaten before, but it didn't sink in until I saw their homes how badly these children hurt.<br /><br />I have to do everything I can to help this beautiful community that is so rich in love for one another but so poor in every other respect. I have to keep the soccer team going so that these boys have a bright spot in their otherwise dark lives. I have to build an orphanage to provide shelter and care for these children who have no one. I have to feed the hungry who would otherwise dig through the trash for scraps. I have to clothe the naked who can't go to school without the proper uniform. I have to use the gifts that God has given me to help in every way I can. I have to tell their story to anyone who will listen.<br /><br />Immediate plans to assist Eesterust include hosting several fundraiser dinners to raise money to purchase shoes and shin guards for the Buffalo Boys. I think we can raise the $500 needed to take care of this need among our friends here in SA.<br /><br />The orphanage? We're starting at ground zero with just the 5 of us (Maria, Heidi, Bryan, Will and I). We have to level the lot, build the space, and buy supplies. Wow. Maria wants the orphanage to have 5 rooms where the children can come for school tutoring, food, clothes, and a safe place to play and sleep. It will primarily be a day center, but for those children that have no where to sleep at night, they can stay there too. It will be 100% staffed by volunteers from the community.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyQwFaR3hzJYKTt82TZVNX2XoyDRPDNVE3c7EVxB5wp-bhbl9gTUpifVSVKsRQIlBA2iS3iZfg-2jxRY5lpKHq2KrKETqzK6hXxKbP_txqeBHWv66jpSmrxhMt0MdqAVIZjIPW0jBljwm/s1600-h/101_0488.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374596011860600786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyQwFaR3hzJYKTt82TZVNX2XoyDRPDNVE3c7EVxB5wp-bhbl9gTUpifVSVKsRQIlBA2iS3iZfg-2jxRY5lpKHq2KrKETqzK6hXxKbP_txqeBHWv66jpSmrxhMt0MdqAVIZjIPW0jBljwm/s320/101_0488.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This is a picture of part of the lot of the future orphanage.<br />Our work is cut out for us!<br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div>And so here it is: we are looking for ways to help Maria raise the money she needs to build the center. I am asking friends and family to seek donations for the construction of the building and initial start up items like beds, tables, and chairs. We estimate this to cost about $3,000. I know that purse strings are tight due to the recession so please know that any amount would be incredibly appreciated. Remember how I said $1 would buy a loaf of bread? $1 can buy at least 3 bricks for the building. $10 can buy 30 bricks. $25 can buy 75 bricks. As you can see, a little goes a long way. Even if you donate the change you have in your pocket or purse right now, you will make a change with change. Maybe you have a jar full of change you've been collecting - here's your chance to make change with change!<br /><br />Heidi's mother has donated a quilt she made and we have decided to raffle it off. Any person donating $10 or more will be given a chance to win the quilt. We will inform the lucky winner at the end of September. We have set up a paypal account so people can pay either from their bank account or with a credit card. <a href="https://www.paypal.com/" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/</a> (click on send money). The email address is <a href="mailto:bdestro@yahoo.com" target="_blank">bdestro@yahoo.com</a>. We are working on getting a website made to show how much money we raise for this incredible cause! Stay tuned...<br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5izf3PVfB44qzscjEPS-_fgfEHWACQE1qu37dy64XRP-yEKyRQIpAKOSp75l1KQetw1qZYRyJeW_MvydBO7dPmjnkyiTxsGDUwY7srz4EXeG8L3TyUdZ0x84G4DOQ4NLEiyBLtOt-AuK/s1600-h/P1000056.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374596184610874338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5izf3PVfB44qzscjEPS-_fgfEHWACQE1qu37dy64XRP-yEKyRQIpAKOSp75l1KQetw1qZYRyJeW_MvydBO7dPmjnkyiTxsGDUwY7srz4EXeG8L3TyUdZ0x84G4DOQ4NLEiyBLtOt-AuK/s320/P1000056.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">The quilt that will be raffled off! Beautiful!<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">I hope you will consider making a donation today. Even $1 will get us one step closer to getting this orphanage constructed.<br /><br />We are also accepting donations of supplies and goods if you feel more comfortable donating supplies than money. Please leave your email address in the comments field of this entry and I will get in touch with you. Maybe you want to help the soccer team and have used soccer equipment, practice jerseys, cones, etc. that you could send to South Africa. Or perhaps you know a furniture store that would agree to send mattresses and beds overseas for the orphanage. Maybe you know someone willing to come here and provide medical services, such as dental care or basic health care services. Maybe you know a clothing store that needs a charity to cast off clothes to. Maybe you have old children's books that you don't know what to do with - truly, anything can and <em>will</em> help.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbggqNtJ1xYVj9v_Er8DgE5Q-q8uVPjnw7h_wSk2V9hklkLi0dGKGVoe-gkPnIWAhMzvG2diPwqcwAFSnv0cvaLpMLPLmelw19c-01hGt3ALsu0WMNL0wZbnNG6m13m4656BmiNKQrceX/s1600-h/101_0485.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374596000182406402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbggqNtJ1xYVj9v_Er8DgE5Q-q8uVPjnw7h_wSk2V9hklkLi0dGKGVoe-gkPnIWAhMzvG2diPwqcwAFSnv0cvaLpMLPLmelw19c-01hGt3ALsu0WMNL0wZbnNG6m13m4656BmiNKQrceX/s320/101_0485.JPG" border="0" /></a>From Eesterust, we thank you for your support!<br />Picture above: Bryan, Maria, Will, and Valerie at the site of the future orphange<br />(the scrap metal building behind us will be knocked down)<br /><br />See more on life with Maria by clicking on the "Maria" label at the bottom of this post. </div>Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-35254478976395397782009-08-11T11:14:00.003+02:002009-08-11T11:34:52.227+02:00long weekends = my fave.This weekend we celebrated Women's Day, which gave us Monday off from work. The long weekend was just fantastic.<br /><br />On Friday, Will and I avoided mass chaos at the Embassy and didn't stick around for 5+ hours to see Sec. Clinton. Instead, after a busy week at work, we went home and made fantastic burgers and fries and got the complete scoop from our friends that did brave the chaos and saw Sec. Clinton and the new Ambassador to SA. An easy peasy low key night in = good times.<br /><br />Saturday we hosted a party for the entire CDC-SA office and had the best time! We cooked warthog sausages, hamburgers, and fantastic grilled chicken legs (Will marinated them for hours and then basted with a butter/Texas Pete glaze = SPICY HEAVEN!). Folks enjoyed a lovely spring day in the sunshine - kids ran around our yard, Sanford was petted more than he has been in several years, and we just enjoyed a lazy day. I'm happy to have hosted my first grown-up party where kids of all ages and adults had a fantastic time and nothing got broken! Yay! After that, we headed to Tim and Rilla's for homemade chorizo and fun times with friends. It was a perfect Saturday.<br /><br />Sunday we slept in. Bliss. I got online and realized that I somehow had ordered a $600 Gucci watch that I had been looking at on Amazon.com (it wasn't even one that I wanted!) and am thankful that the good folks at Amazon were able to recall the package before it got all the way to SA. Yay! I sat outside with the dogs for a good part of the afternoon, reading my book and looking through cookbooks to decide on the week's menu for me and Will (for the record, I'm trying <a href="http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/Beer-Enchiladas-with-Jalapeno-Slaw">beer enchiladas</a> made with this <a href="http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/dinner-recipes/Meat-Sauce">meat sauce</a>, lasagna roll-ups with meat sauce, and salad with <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/08/crispy-yogurt-chicken/">crispy yogurt chicken</a>). We went grocery shopping. We watched three movies (<span style="font-style: italic;">Gran Torino</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Yes Man</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">the International</span>). A perfect low-key lazy Sunday. And most importantly, I made <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/marlboro_mans_f/">this</a> for dinner.<br /><br />I think this meal changed my life. I love patty melts. I do. Something about crunchy buttery bread, gooey cheese, and cooked onions makes me ridiculously happy. Its not something I eat often for health reasons, but oh man, I love them. Obviously, patty melts are not common in South Africa (nor do I imagine they'd be good anyway if I bought one at a restaurant). Cube steak is super cheap here (i.e. about $1/pound) and I happened to have some in the freezer. I found some small deli-type buns, which I thought would be good for portion control and not make a huge portion as seen on the website link above. Most importantly, I decided to buy some provolone cheese to melt on these bad boys. At the end, I put the bottom piece of bread on the cast iron skillet I had buttered the bread in and then put the meat on top and then layered thinly sliced provolone on top of that. I cooked it in the oven to get all melty and voila! Excellent sandwiches.<br /><br />Yum. Absolute heavenly yum. Definitely try this recipe as its cheap and heavenly and will make the man in your life smile (and ignore the fact that this sandwich requires you to work out). Next time I may add mushrooms and bell peppers to the onions to make it similar to a philly cheesesteak (yet another menu item not found in SA).<br /><br />Yesterday was another day just spent in the warm sunshine with friends. Hooray for what looks like the end of winter!!! We played <a href="http://store.bowlbound.com/logo-tailgategolf.html">tailgate golf</a>, which is quite an interesting game that I'm terrible at. Will and I played Trivial Pursuit yet again and I am happy to report that we won. We love TP. Its true.Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6538300100505274146.post-85969761042189085412009-08-02T21:31:00.003+02:002009-08-02T21:42:07.230+02:00excellent weekend!What a fantastic weekend! What did we do? Nothing too crazy exciting, but it was just good times spent with fabulous friends.<br /><br />Friday night we headed to Beth & Adam's for take out pizza and Trivial Pursuit on the Wii. The ladies beat the gents (hooray!) but I can't say it was a victory to be too proud of. Its difficult to play on the Wii and is super easy to select the wrong answer by accident. Regardless, it was super fun and a perfect way to spend a Friday evening after a busy week.<br /><br />Saturday Will and I woke up to rain! I can't remember the last time we've had a rainy day in South Africa, but it was dark, humid, and stormy. We met Beth for lunch at a cute place called Isabella's - yummy. Its a cafe with homemade food, namely salads, casseroles, and quiche. Afterwards, I picked up take out from Geet, where they were so happy to see me, they gave me a free bottle of wine. I love South Africa!<br /><br />Saturday night we celebrated our friend Atalie's birthday with a girls night in at our friend Rilla's. We had spanish tapas and made terrific <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/login.asp?docid=4742">Thai basil spring rolls</a> with peanut sauce. I must say - they were pretty freakin' fantastic. We also made homemade naan to go with our takeout indian food. We watched E! and had loads of girl talk. The best part? Will was a fantastic hubby who drove all the girls around so no one had to drive and to ensure everyone made it home safe since their husbands were out of the country.<br /><br />Today has been fantastic. I slept in, which is always a plus. Will and I went grocery shopping for the week and found cherry coke and Dr. Pepper! YAY! We got McDonald's (I love a quarter pounder with cheese). I sat outside in the sunshine and threw the ball for Muddy in the pool while reading <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Six-Wives-Henry-VIII/dp/0802136834/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249241960&sr=8-1">The Six Wives of Henry VIII</a></em> (so good!). I matched up mismatched socks. I made homemade manicotti and beef stroganoff and my lunch for the week since I have to work late every day this week. I watched tons of episodes of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wire-Complete-Second-Season/dp/B0006IUD9Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249241995&sr=8-1"><em>The Wire</em> Season 2</a>. Its just been a deliciously lazy day, which is what I need before a hectic week!Will and Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10323667001641211422noreply@blogger.com0