Still on a High!!

We are back home from our holiday but are still on a high. Actually, we were back 2 weeks ago (but I have lacked the words to describe it till now!). Wow!! We are now officially spoiled for the ordinary.

The holiday started with a train journey from Cape Town to Johannesburg on the Shoshaloza Meyl Premier Classe train. What a wonderful experience, especially for the children. We stopped for about 2 hours in Beaufort West where we had a chance to walk around on the platform and witness the most beautiful sunset before the heavens opened and treated us to the spectacle of a full on thunderstorm. A feast for the senses!! We indulged in a 4 course lunch, 5 course dinner, full breakfast and high tea (s-t-r-e-t-c-h those pants!!) and massages while aboard the train. From Johannesburg, we hired a Toyota Quantum and drove to Toulon House in the Sabi Sands conservancy (which would be our base for the rest of our stay). Wayne (Adrian's brother) and Heather and their 2 precious children, Cole and Emma, live here where Wayne is the Director of Operations for 4 luxury lodges in the area.

We were blown away by the generosity of complete strangers (Wayne’s boss & family) who gave us the use of their unbelievably beautiful holiday home in the Sabi Sands conservancy for the week. The house overlooks a rimflow pool and then the Sand River and floodplain beyond, so you can literally lie in your bed and game watch! We also had the use of their private chef - who cooked us the most amazing dinners. It goes without saying that we all gained at least 2 kg!!

We were driven around by Wayne (Adrian's brother) on an open-topped game vehicle and got to witness the best-ever sightings of Leopard (one in a tree, one with his Impala kill and another young female stalking a Water buck), a pride of Lion with their Wildebeest kill & vultures circling overhead, a Wild Dog den, Rhino, Buffalo, Hyaena and pups, Elephant, Giraffe etc. etc. etc. all at very close range. Thanks to Wayne's tireless endeavours, my dad managed to get two "lifers" (a lifer is a bird you have never before seen in your life) and that is quite an accomplishment for him! He was ecstatic! We did some very exciting night drives too and spotted Genets and Bushbabys and Night birds. Just driving through that habitat at night, listening to the sounds of the wild is an experience of a lifetime! Pete and I celebrated our 12^th Wedding Anniversary while we were there, with yet another feast at one of the lodges Wayne oversees – just amazing!

Nikki was so well throughout the trip and joined us on most of the game drives – we did an early one on most of the mornings there. In the afternoons, we generally swam in the pool, lazed on the daybeds overlooking the river and ate, ate, ate! A late afternoon game drive / sundowners / night drive would usually follow, with dinner somewhere slotted into the program.

Since being home, Nix has been to see her rheumatologist who is amazed (once again!) at her condition and how well she is. He said that she should continue to do what she has been doing (which is basically self-medicating as she is led and as the need arises) - so she asked him if she could be paid his salary for doing this (instead of paying him to tell her that she is her best doctor!) ...

I have just fetched her from her weekly horse riding session and now she is off to Chemo at Vincent Palotti hospital - so never a dull moment for her. Nikki celebrates her 36^th birthday on Monday (16 May), I can NOT believe it’s a year since we celebrated her special day with the ladies at Shelley Point.

I have tried to upload some of our holiday pics to this post but am battling a bit. Hope to get on to do it soon – when I have some time on my hands (!!!) Till then…