Day 12 - Oudtshoorn

A new day with sunshine and weather, weather, weather. It can't get any better in winter in South Africa. While you are sweating to death in Germany and can't sleep at night, we have a pleasant activity temperature of 21-23 degrees.

Before we head to Oudtshoorn today, known for its ostrich farms, we have another little adventure ahead of us... riding on the beach. The girls got two slow horses because Vera is an advanced beginner and Charley has never been on a horse before, and I chose something faster. Originally, we thought there would be two groups. But since there were only a total of 4 people plus a guide, we all went together. Anki from Oldenburg was also joining us. Yes, really Anki, short for Ann-Katrin. She was also an advanced beginner, but more daring than my girls. First, we rode in a line through the dunes. Then we tried to trot, but Charley's horse wasn't really interested. It was more interested in grazing. :-D Suddenly, there was a huge steep sand dune to our right, like in the desert, and we were supposed to go up there. It was really steep, and even I was a little excited. Although you know that the horses can do it, you also know how the horses move when going uphill. The guide went first, and his horse climbed up the steep slope. Then it was Charley's turn. As I mentioned, the horse was lazy and already quite old, and it just stopped in the middle of the slope. It was quite a sight! Charley was leaning forward, clinging to the mane of the horse, and said, 'I can't go any further.' It was hilarious, and I almost wet my pants from laughing. I went after him and gave his horse a slap on the butt. That made it move a few more steps, but then it got stuck in the sand up to its knees. It looked just as funny from above. After Vera and Anki made it up, our guide went back down and finally managed to get Charley's horse up as well. :-D

But from the top, the view was amazing. Suddenly, we were in the desert. Sand, sand, and more sand. Not like on the beach, but like in the Sahara. We had to take some photos before continuing to the beach. And there it was, the beach, the water, and nothing else as far as the eye could see. Totally cool. First, we rode the horses in a walk through the water. It was wonderful, but then I also wanted to go faster. The guide told me to go ahead, the others wouldn't chase me. I wasn't worried about Charley's horse. I was worried about Vera's horse. But nothing happened. You just have to stay on top until the horse stops running. I know Vera can do it. She's just a little scared. So I started to canter. We went along the beach at a relatively comfortable pace. It was so beautiful, and then suddenly, the guide came from behind. Bubbles didn't want to be overtaken, so he sped up. It was amazing. The sea, the beach, the wind, and a horse under the saddle. It was fantastic. After 500 meters, we stopped, turned the horses around, and headed back to the others. I think Vera also did a little cantering, and Anki wanted to as well, but she didn't know how. So we walked in a walk for a few more minutes, and then Anki and I cantered again while the guide stayed with the other two. It was really nice. Before we made a loop back, there was one last race with the guide, who also filmed Anki and me, and then we went back to the stable. It was definitely worth it, and the others also thought it was money well spent. However, we all knew that we would feel this ride in the form of muscle soreness in the next few days. But it was worth it.

Unfortunately, we still had a long way to go to Oudtshoorn. We were on the road for a whole four hours, uphill and downhill, and only arrived at dusk. Luckily, we have a day without driving or at least without packing and changing tomorrow.

At the reception, we were greeted by a young lady who looked exactly like the evil vampire from the Volturi. Of course, she wasn't, but there are many people here who immediately remind us of movie characters. She gave us a welcome drink, showed us our rooms, and called a shuttle to take us to the restaurant. And what should you eat when you're in Oudtshoorn? Ostrich! It tastes really delicious here. They know how to prepare it well. Unfortunately, we couldn't spend the evening on the terrace again because it's 10 degrees colder in Oudtshoorn, and in the evening, it's only 12 degrees. Instead, we had a cozy TV evening.