April 20 Photos
Garden Route-Day Three
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View from Hunter's Country House--top left, a satisfied customer after an outstanding dinner at their top-notch French restaurant; Tennyson and Grace, a couple of the restaurant's serving staff. Our thatched roof cottage is shown in the second row--it looks primitive but inside it was anything but. On the extensive grounds, deep in the woods, there is a beautiful chapel that is the site of many weddings, including one planned for later that day. Outside the chapel, Vicky noted a quotation carved on a stone but did not record it. Later, as we were checking out, she asked the desk clerk if she knew the saying. She said she did not but promptly dispatched a runner to run through the woods with pencil and paper, record the quotation and then run back. After he returned, the clerk typed the quotation on the computer, printed it out and put it in an envelope. She then handed it to me with the words "Here you are, sir." That's service.
After leaving Hunter's, we traveled to the Tsitsikamma National Park, a 42 mile long region of forest, rugged mountain scenery and many hiking trails.
The Bloukrans Bridge which has the world's highest bungee jump (about 709 feet and still a long way from the bottom). It takes seven seconds for the fall but the dangling after the jump seems worse. We watched a few young kids jump and the mother of one was petrified. One of the employees told us he had made the jump 52 times. He said 8,000 persons had signed up over the years (about $85 cost with no refunds). Only 14 persons have turned back.
We went on a short hike through the forest and crossed the hanging bridge across Storms River Mouth--our guide, Bo, shown above, led the way.
After crossing the bridge, we got into a small boat and sailed up the river. The sides of the river were like the fjords of Scandinavia.
Port Elizabeth shots--the Donkin Memorial (pyramid) named after Elizabeth Donkin, wife of a former governor of the Cape. She died at an early age and the governor eventually named the town after her. A statue of Queen Victoria stands in front of the public library (top, far right). City Hall is pictured to its left. A replica of the 1488 Dias cross is located in the square.