…The Naked Barista… February 2019
On the first of February 2019, we had a full day of driving away from Stoffberg starting at five in the morning.
B had to visit a couple of sites around Giyani and Thohoyandou. I love driving this early as we were greeted around six with the most beautiful sun striving to fill the sky with its brilliant light. What a stunning show nature provided!
We went through Lydendburg, Orighstad, around Tzaneen and over The ABel Erasmus pass which forms part of the birding route.
This route is well covered with plantations and orchards. It seems that everything just wants to grow here… cabbages, bananas, oranges, mielies. It was a lovely sight to behold such a healthy mix of fresh grown food. It excites us even more now that our son, Juan and his wife Katja, also grows food for their hometown, Sedgefield.
We made the 2Ten hotel our home again. This is the oldest hotel in Thohoyandou and we are received and cared for very well.
On the 4th of February, we left on the R524 at the foot of the Soutpansberg through the Levubu valley (aptly named the fruit basket of Limpopo), on our way to Louis Trichardt.
This is such a stunning piece of earth with Macadamia trees as far as the eye can see. Avos, Mango and Banana orchards in abundance. So many mielies too.
Amazing purple and pink trees make for unbelievable gorgeous eye candy.
We visited the Royal shop en route especially again for another 5l of macadamia oil for under R300 as we depleted our last stock over New Year’s with all our guests.
Back on the road again, all our senses were superblessed with majestic mountains covered in an abundance of natures own stunning bounty combined with farmer’s best planting efforts.
Around the 7th of February, we were in Thabazimbi once again. We arrived in the evening and had a lovely dinner with Wynand and Jannelie, where we slept over as well. Always a pleasure to add in such a lovely evening spend with our amazing friends at their beautiful home.
The site proved to be a bit of a challenge as it were an hour and forty minutes drive from Thabazimbi out on the Dwaalboom road. We slept in town at El Shadai Guest House in a stunning garden only for one night. I must admit that I found it to be just a little bit expensive for what we got.
We found a Game Farm about a km from site and also a little grocer store a little bit further for the bare essential foodstuff.
Schoongezight game farm were busy with renovations as it is not hunting season yet.
This lovely family, George and Genie Potgieter gave us accommodation and we were spoiled for four days with lovely views of various exotic wildlife. So much gratitude for this lovely couple. For all the hunters, we recommend this stunning farm with its lovely accommodations. We were blessed with birdsong during the day and I had some of my best yoga sessions of this trip upstairs in their loft area as well as a simple stretch outside when we just arrived with some four legged spectators in the background.
Swartruggens were our next stop for work. I loved our accommodations with Jenny de Kock at Villa Finesse. I was superblessed as Jenny and her son Gerrit has a printing business right in their back yard. I could get flowing again with my photo project and this is exactly what I did. I had so much printing done in the few days we were there. As my website were busted again, the photo project were flowing as it should. Jenny had her family come and help me with my website and within an afternoon, Danie (0766357146) fixed it for me.
It was around Valentines while we were there and we had a lovely sexy time on the thirteenth when B finished the site early afternoon and brought a bottle of champagne for us to celebrate. We would be on the road on the 14th which were Valentines Day. So, best to start early!
We arrived in Pretoria on Valentines Day, but Andre (0834577895) at Coral Tree Guest house were fully booked for accommodation. This is our usual spot, but Montana seemed to be full everywhere. Eventually we found a space at Morgenzon . They had a Valentines picnic and we were invited, but after much driving, being tired, opted to eat in our room. I already bought some takeaway and we kept to ourselves. We can definitely recommend these accommodations and we got a good nights rest.
The next day, a Friday, B dropped me off at the Mall as he had to service our vehicle.
I found time to at last cash my Dis-chem birthday voucher for last July. I had my nails done and made a new friend (my therapist), Precious Sakhile Khoza.
Later, B came to fetch me and I were so surprised when we hit the road to Sabie where we were going to join our friends for Skillie’s birthday. We were invited, but did not know if work would allow us such an extravagance. We stayed in a chalet at The Krantz. Our friends were in the main house and we had so much fun at the annual Round Table Sabie Tube race.
We have never heard of this event, but it was definitely one for the books. This day were even more adventurous as it was raining the whole day. We were quite a number of friends which made this day super special. After the race, we joined in the fun as Jacaranda had some bands and there were even a second stage with Techno music.
We had such a blast that Sunday check-out time were much later than supposed to be, but our host were very decent with us and we were the last to leave. We decided that we wanted to drive to Dullstroom and overnight there as we could only receive the tools we needed for the next job on Tuesday.
We were superblessed to spend some more time with our new friends of friends made at our New Years party.
Martin and Cari Mari is a married couple who decided to join us on our road trip. So we set off towards Dullstroom, but not too far down the road, we turned in for a craft beer tasting at the highest brewery in the world, Hops Hollow Country House…
After the beer tasting, we had some lunch…the best lamb curry we have had in a long time. Then some folks came in also for some lunch. We were amazed that they were the same people whose fire we used to warm ourselves at the tube race event. What a small world. We had a good chat and then we went to the cigar lounge where we shared some cigars. Hops Hollow is such a nice place, but beware as it is a trap, once there, you would want to stay. We stayed over in the beautiful accommodations and sat chatting at the huge fireplace with some good red wine until our eyes wanted to close. It was just perfect and the following morning we were blessed by a gourmet breakfast
Our next stop were Dullstroom where we had a beer at Anvil Ale House and Brewery. We then went to the info and booked a chalet at Woollybugger farm in Tonteldoos. Yes, we were going to show our friends our latest marvel… Tonteldoos.
First we did a whisky tasting at Wild about Whiskey in Dullstroom. This is an awesome place and we highly recommend it. The lady who facilitated the tasting for us, were very impressive too. She knew exactly what she was talking about and we had so much fun.
Afterwards, we just had to eat and had a lovely meal across the road at Duck and Trout (where we were surprised to see one of our friends from Pretoria, Zenobia) before heading out to Tonteldoos. It is a 40 minute drive at least.
We arrived just after the sun had set and started a fire immediately as it gets really cold when the sun disappears.
The stunning stone chalet had two double beds with lovely white bedding, one of these beds, were upstairs in a lofted area.
The next day only could we see the beautiful surrounds, but then we were in a bit of a hurry to get back to Montana for work and could not do the hiking trails. We shall leave this for a next time…
The 20th of February we booked in at The Khoroni Casino Hotel (a junior suite as it were the only one available) in Thohoyandou.
The 2Ten Hotel were fully booked.
B had to take down an old site just about 10 minutes from town. The next evening we went back to 2Ten Hotel as we definitely prefer it.
B worked hard the next couple of days trying to finish on site and I could get some writing done and other admin.
We were really pressed for time as our son, Juan and his fiance, Katja, were tying the knot on the 2nd of March and we had quite a stressful time not knowing if we would be able to finish in time.
B were facilitating their forest wedding on our farm in Wilderness and we were very far from home.
Praying for a miracle, which with gratitude manifested, we could get on the road back home.
On our long way home I did all the different sites, filing as to be free from admin when we arrived. Then I helped B ‘study’ for the wedding ceremony. We were definitely in the flow as we made it back home in time and ready for all the guests to arrive, most of them were setting up camp all over the farm. There were lots of preparation going on, but there were also a real good flow as our children are superblessed to be well loved and there were lots of helpers.
I am still in awe and still get goosebumps at how lovely this forest wedding were orchestrated. Katja’s brother and his girlfriend flew in from Germany and many other friends too. One of our best friends, Barry Bierman from Canada were informed too late to have arrangements made, but true to Barry (as always in keeping with his accustomed celebrity status), he made an awesome plan. A cut out poster of him fully suited for the occasion arrived with our friend, Pieter Smit, from Cape Town and were placed among all of us. This 6 foot poster kept everyone well entertained. We ourselves were just so very happy and blessed to have made it in time.
Gratitude to Katja, beautiful woman, for entering our lives and especially being an amazing partner for Juan, our awesome son. May love and honor for each other be constant companions on your life journey.
…Superblessed and loving life…