July 11
Today we're packing up and heading back to Jo-burg…but we'll go on a four-hour hike first and get some dinner on the road before we get there.
Here's one last look at our rental house:
That house served us well!
First stop this beautiful crisp morning is at the Sabie Valley Coffee Company. Mark and I really want coffee!
We got to watch the roasting process
We bought several bags of coffee to take back home with us.
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Time to set out on the Matumi Hiking Trail…off we go!:
We're heading on a self-guided walk through Induna Adventures on the Matumi Hiking Trail. The trail head is right across the street from the Sabie Valley Coffee Company.
You know what I find so amazing? The area is a STARK contrast to the landscapes we saw in Kruger the previous day. The immense biodiversity in this area is incredible. Yesterday we were in Kruger and saw tall grasses (and some trees) with interesting animals everywhere. And here we are today hiking in an ecosystem that resembles parts of the Midwest or Austria.
Ava found a tiny lizard:
One thing is for sure: a nice, long hike makes for some sleepy kids:
Driving back to Johannesburg- a view from the car:
A lady carrying her belongings on her head:
We're stopping for dinner at this quaint little restaurant in Dullstroom.
The Old Transvaal Inn
Debbie is helping us decide what tasty dish to order. There are waaaaay too many delicious sounding dishes to try! How to decide?
I had fun reading the blurbs on the menu:
Check out my gorgeous stuff trout:
I can't remember what these delicious treats were called but it's a very South African dish:
Dinner was excellent! Time to jump in the car and drive back to Debbie and Croydon's house (which is close to Johannesburg). Tomorrow morning we're all getting on planes: Mark is sadly flying back to Beijing and the rest of us are heading to Cape Town. I'll be so sad to see Mark leave us!