We headed up to the "wi-fi palace" around 10 a.m. so we could check email, and I could upload my blog and photos. It's very pleasant, as the hosts have planted a butterfly garden and another garden near the palace. We'll probably spend more time there tomorrow as well as walking down to view the waterfall on Whiskey Creek. Albert told us that Moon Shine (the place we're staying) overlaps the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape so it gets rain in the winter from the Western Cape and rain in the summer from the Eastern Cape - which means there is no water shortage here at the present time, and the waterfall is working well. We have a faucet in the cabin that is filtered rainwater for drinking, the other is unfiltered rainwater for washing dishes.
We debated on whether to 1) go to one of the "wildlife sanctuaries" and 2) if we were to visit one, which one to visit. There is a large cat sanctuary, a snake sanctuary and an elephant sanctuary. We tossed a coin (the snake sanctuary was not an option), and we decided to go to the elephant sanctuary in The Crags that Albert suggested. It is a non-profit organization that rescues elephants then returns them to the wild after having rehabilitated them. And the literature indicated that you could have an "authentic interaction with an elephant."
Our reasoning: we wanted to know more about elephants since we're going to see them in the wild on safari.
Our guide's name was Brutus (I'm sure that's not really his name - he most likely has a name from his culture - but it sounds good to people that speak English). We joined about six other folks on the elephant adventure - there was a guy there from Texas with his friend from Puerto Rico. Anywho, Brutus took us out to view the elephants - currently, they have four females and one male, two of which were rescued from Krueger National Park and will be returned there soon.
There were three elephants who were kind enough to be part of the tour. Each had her own guide. The first thing we got to do was walk trunk-in-hand with an elephant. We had to cup our right hand and position it facing backwards and to our side so the elephant would rest her trunk in it. I didn't quite do it right, and the guide kept telling me to walk faster. Beth did it correctly.
We got to a space in the forest where they invited us individually to feel the elephant - we got to feel its skin, its ears, its eyelashes, its rough spots on the "ankle," it's tail (which felt like plastic strings) and its butt. We got to see the elephant's tongue and see its teeth. The guide tossed some molasses pellets, "chocolate for elephants," into its mouth.
We got to feed them pumpkin - which you place just on the top of the trunk as it curled up before the elephant sucked it up.
And, of course, we got plenty of opportunities to take photos with the elephants. Beth bought the video one that the guys took during our "adventure."
Some interesting things about elephants: they live to be 60 to 70 years old; the males start wanting to breed at 20 years or so, and they can't keep them in captivity because they're aggressive; the males are loners but the females stick together in a herd (they're matriarchal); the female carries a baby for 22 months, and the baby stays with the mother forever if it's a female but males will get kicked out at age 20 years or so. They eat 18 to 20 hours a day but digest only about 40% of what they eat. Brutus said the baboons come down from the mountains in the afternoon to pick the seeds from the elephant dung. They each eat about five bales of hay a day and pumpkin. They recycle the pumpkin i.e. they poop the seeds and the seeds make new pumpkins so they kind of feed themselves
We chose not to "ride" an elephant but others did so we watched them "ride" them around the area and back.
The name "The Crags," where the sanctuary is located, is believed to have been given to the area by early English settlers and refers to the craggy nature of the surrounding landscape.
We were starving after the elephant adventure so we drove down to Plettenberg Bay to see if we could find somewhere to eat, and we did, Moby's on the beach. Pretty much standard fare for a restaurant in a touristy coastal area. We did see some beach sand artists, who did some wonderful stuff (as you can see in my photographs). I gave the artist a "tip" to take his photograph and photograph some of his work.
We then headed to Robberg Nature Reserve, which is on the peninsula that partially encloses Plettenberg Bay. We were hoping to see and photography a seal colony but I begged out because it was very rocky and very steep and, well, I don't trust my knees or balance anymore at 63! Robberg is a national monument as well as a World Heritage Site. Rocks from the region date back 120 million years to the break-up of Gondwanaland and evidence of middle and later Stone Age inhabitation has been found in a few of the caves along the peninsula. The view was spectacular so we sat a while, saw one whale breaching in the bay and enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine. I was hoping to spot a Great White Shark but no go.
We headed back to our little forest cabin to bird watch, eat and cozy in.
While we were sitting on the deck, two beautiful Knysna Louries visited us. I got a photo but the photo doesn't do justice to it because when it flies, each of its wings has a beautiful broad red patch on them. The bird, also known as Knysna Turaco, as you can see, is a large green bird with a short-hooked bill and brilliant red wings (that you can't see). It is found only in South Africa. As you can see, it has a tall, elegant, rounded crest that is tipped white.
Seeing the birds capped another nice day in South Africa.
This is what greeted us this morning from our deck where we enjoyed coffee.
This is an adult male African elephant at the sanctuary. I was told that the elephants we'll see on safari are double the size of this one!
Beth leading the elephant, trunk in hand, with the trainer not far behind.
Beth and her new BFF.
The three female elephants to whom we were introduced at the sanctuary.
Cindy and her new BFF.
The trainer prompts the elephant to rise after having put blankets on its back for those in the party to ride the elephant.
These two elephants were rescued from Krueger National Park. You can see a vineyard in the background - there are several in the area.
We went to the beach in Plettenberg Bay to eat. This woman was collecting firewood from the beach. We've seen a lot of folks hauling firewood in carts back to the townships. The "homes" in the townships are devoid of heat or cooling.
This was one of two artists who were doing sand art in front of the restaurant where we ate on the beach.
This is a leopard eating a person. :)
The water in the Indian Ocean here is not that warm but there were a couple of brave souls surfing. They were wearing wetsuits.
A yellow song bird of some kind.
Some interesting leaves on a tree.
A lizard I spotted at Robberg nature Reserve.
Another beautiful flower on a tree.
Don't know what these are but some had what looked like a cattail.
The view of a Plettenberg Bay from the viewing platform in Robberg Nature Reserve.
This is the ocean side view from the platform.
This is the Knysna Laurie. This angle provides you with a view of its blue body and tail.
Here you can see the beautiful white crest and red eye.
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