Double date

We had a double date with Noekie and Johan last night; went to Gannet in Mossel Bay for dinner — one of our favorite restaurants there. During the day, you look out at the ocean, at night into the lovely dining rooms. Good food was had by all. For appetizers, Johan and I had snoek, pepperdaw and something springrolls that were quite delicious. Noekie had a mushroom in phyllo something that looked really good and Laird had very beautiful tuna sashimi. I had Inverroche amber gin — a double — with very little tonic water. They served it with strawberries and pink peppercorns, but peppercorns in a drink are just ANNOYING. They are not drink, so the urge is to spit them out. So I did, but discreetly, y’all, discreetly. Noekie joined me in the gin for dinner, but we both said, no peppercorns, please! She had hake, Johan had another fish that I can’t remember, Laird had Thai seafood curry and I had (surprise!) cauliflower and chickpea coconut curry after agonizing over more exotic dishes like kingklip en croute. Everyone loved their dishes and we had such fun talking and laughing the evening away. Yet another lovely bathroom, folks!  Drove by the ocean on the way home — high tide and gorgeous.  I reminded them on when Marita and I went to the beach in blackest night looking for whales and had to wait about an hour and half for the sun to come up.  Noekie learned an expression from Marita’s late husband, Koos:  “you get zero for brain cells or something like that.  That’s what I got for hunting whales!

We are off to Plettenburg Bay for about a week of adventure, courtesy of Noekie, where we are sure to see whales.  Alas, Marita is bedbound on orders of her doctor until at least Monday, so when she is well, we’ll come back and get her for what remains of the holiday.  In Plett, as well as whale watching, there is walking with Elephants, Monkeyland, Birdland (with the most beautiful Knysna louries and other fantastic birds frying sort of free in an enormous enclosure that is 150 feet high and about 4 acres of forest.  3,500 birds of 280 species.  Monkeyland is 450 primates, also enclosed in a huge forested area (brochure doesn’t say, but we’ll report back).  We’ve been to both; Birdland is my favorite.  There is also a wolf preserve!  Who knew there were wolves in Africa?!?  Though, all that area used to be deep, deep forest, so it’s not as unusual a though upon reflection.  But, still, it is a little disconcerting.  Anyway, we’re going there, too.  So time to pack — in a tiny backpack????  How will I do that?!?