"South Africa"

Capetown April 22-24, 2009

On Wednesday, Chris took the day off and with Inge in tow, we set off for the day. Our first stop was World of Butterflies in which you could see thousands of butterflies in a beautiful setting while monkeys and birds played in the trees overhead. It was breathtaking.

We then ventured to a crocodile farm in which hundreds of crocodiles were kept in enclosures in various stages of growth. They were massive and very intimidating, quite a sight to see. Richard tried his hand at "crocodile taming" .....but with a much smaller version.

Chris then took us to the Taal Monument situated on Paarl Mountain. The design of the monument, which was inaugurated in 1975, was the work of the architect Jan van Wyk. It symbolizes the contributions made by Africa, the Netherlands and Britain to the development of the Afrikaans language. From the monument there are amazing panoramic views.

It was then our return home to another of Erna's signature dishes, this time, oxtail stew. Delicious!

On Thursday, we left bright and early for one of South Africa's main attractions, "Robben Island". From the 17th to the 20th centuries, Robben Island served as a place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment. Today it is a World Heritage Site and museum, a poignant reminder to the newly democratic South Africa of the price paid for freedom. People lived on Robben Island many thousands of years ago, when the sea channel between the Island and the Cape mainland was not covered with water. Since the Dutch settled at the Cape in the mid-1600s, Robben Island has been used primarily as a prison. Indigenous African leaders, Muslim leaders from the East Indies, Dutch and British soldiers and civilians, women, and anti-apartheid activists, including South Africa's first democratic President, Nelson Mandela and the founding leader of the Pan Africanist Congress, Robert Sobukwe, were all imprisoned on the Island. It was a training and defense station in World War II and a hospital for people with leprosy, and the mentally and chronically ill. In the 1840s, Robben Island was chosen for a hospital because it was regarded as both secure (isolating dangerous cases) and healthy (providing a good environment for cure). During this time, political and common-law prisoners were still kept on the Island. As there was no cure and little effective treatment available for leprosy, mental illness and other chronic illnesses in the 1800s, Robben Island was like a prison for the hospital patients too.

After the Robben Island tour Wendy was taken to Erna's favorite salon/spa where she was treated to having her hair styled and a pampering pedicure. Richard and Erna busied themselves shopping and came back to pick up Wendy in time for lunch. A special dinner had been planned in a beautiful area for our last night. The celebration began as Richard "sabred" a bottle of champagne open by striking the corked end completely off using a quick stroke of a sword. He was quite successful and we all toasted the Aucamps for giving us the most memorable holiday with them. It was then off to one of Chris' favorite restaurants, "Poplar" which was nestled in amongst trees lit for the evening. Fountains, statues and pools surrounded the dining area and the evening animals could be heard in the distance. More champagne was served as we were seated and it quickly became evident that something special was about to happen. Sure enough, Richard brought Wendy to tears as he got on one knee and proposed to her with a beautiful diamond solitaire which he placed on her finger. WOW!! This was completely unexpected but Richard explained that we were in "the land of the diamonds" and it was an appropriate time. South Africa was already a very special place to us but now it had become unforgettable.

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