Africa, Part 2

From Cape Town, Rick and I went with a few other friends about 4 hours into the country to go on an overnight safari.

The game lodge was such a nice place with private chalets and amazing food.  We all wished we had time to stay there more than one night.

We went on an evening game drive and a morning game drive.

Rick's lifetime highlight happened recently when one person saw a friend's facebook photo of us in the safari vehicle and asked if our guide in the back was really allowed to drink a beer.  Rick was honored to be confused for the guide.

Because the game lodge was on a private reserve, there weren't as many animals as we might have seen at a national park.  However, it was very interesting to hear our guide talk about the different ecosystems and personalities among the animals.

Our guide using the GPS tracker to try to find the cheetah hiding in the bush.

Rick's dream come true...to drive an open-aired Land Rover.  Unfortunately, South Africans drive on the opposite side of the road, so Rick is only a passenger...

 The cowboy.

After our safari, we drove back towards Cape Town and spent the last part of the vacation in the gorgeous wine country.

At each place during the week, we said, "It's too bad we are coming here now because the next place can't top this."

However, each place was gorgeous and different from the last.  We enjoyed the beautiful wine country and town of Franschhoek.

Our humble little cottage at the amazing La Petite Dauphine, the site of Adrienne's wedding:

The groom, Matt, organized a wonderful wine tour on the day before the wedding:

And finally, the wedding.  The entire event was stunning.  The outdoor ceremony was beautifully set under a very old tree right outside our cottage.

The evening was a nice blend of South African and Southern United States wedding traditions.

One cultural difference: The South Africans throw "confetti" to the couple right after the ceremony and before the reception.  It's probably more fitting than our American tradition of throwing rice (or whatever) after the reception when people have had a few drinks and are tired...

 My groom.

The reception was supposed to be set up outside, but strangely, South Africa experienced a bit of a cold snap.  Nevertheless, the indoor setup was stunning and perfect.  Another cultural difference: the groomsmen give very long and entertaining speeches throughout the evening and the "second groomsman" is the MC for the night, which provides extra fun for the party.

The amazing bride:

And I will leave you as I think all blog posts should end...with a rooster at the bar.  

This poor rooster tried to sleep on the piano late in the night when the dancing and festivities were in high gear.  The owner of the place said the rooster was only pretending to try to be asleep and actually loves it when there is a late night party.

Adrienne and Matt, thanks for hosting one heck of a wedding and the scene for one heck of a vacation.  Congrats to the happy couple.

-Bethany