Big Announcement

OK, for everyone who is not on Facebook, Hermann is very pleased to announce the newest (and the last) member of the Kistner clan is due to make an appearance on the 13th October. Its going to be a planned ceaser as my pelvis has said a big NO NO NO to natural birth. I continue to be highly allergic to all stages of pregnancy and hope to pick up my sense of humour sometime in 2010.

Sodwana

Whoever put the 'Sod' in Sodwana has obviously been camping with a toddler - and even worse - 3 toddlers - when Gitty & Sean joined us for the last few days!

It was a very eventful break. All started smoothly enough. Hermann and Craig went up before us with the boat. Lynne, Anya and I followed after lunch. Setting up the camp took a bit of time, but it was worth the effort. We had a central kitchen area floodlit by 40 metres of fairy lights and our campsite was the coolest on the block!

The beach was a lot further away than we had anticipated so while Hermann & Lynne went diving, Anya and I were pretty much stuck in camp with a troop of maurading monkeys. We hired a camp helper Yvonne who soon taught Anya how to chase the monkeys with a big stick while shouting HAMBA at the top of her voice. We drew the line when she tried to teach Anya how to use a catapult. Lynne and Hermann took a dive package over the first couple of days and saw lots of rays and turtles. Lynne did some deeper dives and even got to go swimming with a pod of passing dolphins. I pretty much spent my time either chasing Anya or chasing monkeys. It didn't help that the campsite was all sand so by the end of the day Anya looked like she had been up a chimney.

It was on day 3 of our break that Craig lost his finger! When he didn't return to camp after a day's fishing, we assumed that he was off to the pub. Then we got a message to say that he was on his way to the Richard's Bay hospital (2 hours away) after getting his finger chopped off. He was helping a friend bring his boat in, when the boat lurched forward and his finger was cut off between the boat and trailer. Ouch. Unperturbed, and doped up to the eyeballs with Miprodol, we picked him up the next day and he kept on camping. They breed them hardy over here. I'd have been off home like a shot.

Anya, Sasa and Luca loved the beach. They paddled in the rock pools and played in the waves. Anya just wants to spend all her time in the water - she's still not fussed about playing in the sand. We'd go to the beach early, then back to camp for a whopping fry up breakfast, chill out and then head back late afternoon. There was always the spectacle of some Gauteng loonies sinking their 4wd in the river channel to keep us amused.

Sean and Gitty's new tent proved irresistable to the kiddies who rampaged through it at every opportunity leaving a trail of dirt and sand everywhere. Even zips wouldn't keep Anya out which resulted in regular trips to the naughty chair. Luca also fought Anya for every toy that we had brought in a fairly continuous series of tantrums. So, between the kids and the monkeys, it wasn't the quietest or most relaxing campsite! No wonder copious amounts of gin were being drunk - also keeps the malaria at bay....er right.....

On our last afternoon, we took Craig's 4wd to Lake Sibaya. Gitty, Hermann, Sasa, Anya and I were loaded on the back. It was around an hours drive down sandy tracks, following the sand dunes up the coast. We got lost. Luckily there were loads of local people around to give us directions. Several small concussions from low flying branches and 1 (very small) river crossing later, we made it to the lake and then onto the beach. Those of us in the back of the bakkie had pretty much lost all feeling in our legs and bottoms by then and had to be heaved off. Luckily a restorative gin and tonic had been packed for sundowners. Luca and Anya played in the waves until they went blue, then we packed up and headed home.

Next day was the big pack up for going home - fighting off the monkeys all the way. Can't say we were too sad to see the back of them. And after a quick brekkie at Ilala Weavers, the long drive home. Phew!

Cape Town

Anya packs the essentials:

Apologies for everyone who has been waiting in anticipation for the next blog update (Mum, Dad - that pretty much narrows it down to you!) but Lynne and I have been extremely busy eating cake and drinking lots of hot chocolate now that it is getting rather chilly in Durbs (only 35 degrees here yesterday). We've also been doing a lot of washing! I've just about recovered from 10 days (and very long nights) in a tent with Anya, and now feel strong enough to record details of all our adventures?!

First things first. Cape Town was pretty cool. We had a fab little orange town house in Bo Kaap which was nice and central for pottering around town. Lynne's popped the photos on Facebook already. And we pretty much did all the touristy things that you are supposed to do. Here is a summary of Anya's thoughts on all our activities.

Robben Island - whaaaaaaaaaaaah whaaaaaaaaaaaah whahhhhhhhhhh (we don't know why we took her either)
Table Mountain - whaaaaaaaaaaah (too windy)
Cape Point - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (too exhausting)
Kalky's Bay fish n chips - more garlic mayonnaise please!
Simon's Town & Penguins - PINGOOO PINGOO PINGOOO (shouted continuously in hyper excitement - although Anya did earn some extra brownie points by deciding to pose in random people's photographs)

We also made it to Groot Constantia for lunch (life's such a chore) and even managed to catch up with Dieter & Melanie.