Every other day, we drove for about two hours on two lane roads with minimal traffic. On the way to Knysna we drove through the Tsitsikamma National Park. We stopped to see their 800 year old Yellowwood tree. Size wise, it looked a lot like our giant redwoods. This park is on the coast with rugged cliffs and gorges.Add paragraph text here.
We came back the next morning to take a kayak and rigid raft adventure in the Stormy River. The seats in this ride on top kayak had absolutely no support and my back was killing me before we even made it to the river mouth. Luckily, Christopher was able to do all the paddling and I just sat there and suffered. Halfway up the river, really not that far, we had to get out, climb over lots of boulders to get to our rafts. I didn't fare any better there, falling almost as soon as I got out of the kayak. On the plus side, it was beautiful. The gorge narrows, sometimes forming small caves, and the plants, rocks and birds were amazing to see. there is a hiking versos on a trail that I would recommend doing instead of the kayaks, or bring your own.
Our airbnb in Knysna was on Theisen Island. It was a super secure residential community with white picket fences, bike paths, with every house on the water so you were constantly going over little bridges to get around. Christopher had his fingerprints entered into their system to identify us at the guard gates. The hired help, housekeeper, gardeners and nanny's walked in every morning and again walked back off the island every evening. There was definitely a distinct line dividing the black and the white neighborhoods. The whole community had a very strange feel to it. Our bedroom and private bath was upstairs, small but nice. We could make coffee but not much else. The owner had bikes and kayaks we could use. We opted for the bikes and rode to dinner both nights at the nearby fisherman wharf.
The food here was amazing and the prices were so low. South Africa has so many good things to eat and we discovered a favorite dessert on Theisen Island. It's called Malva. It's a cake that's soaked in a custard cream and served with a little vanilla ice cream. It's easy to make and we've made it here in San Diego several times. Another favorite restaurant was Ile de Pain, a breakfast and lunch only venue that was also an incredible bakery. You want to go there!
