Hello again everybody! Coming to you from one of the most beautiful little towns in the world... At least from the ones that I've seen... The wine village of Franschhoek, South Africa.
To recap my 30th birthday, since we spent most of the day traveling and didn't have wi-fi when we first arrived here, here was the first part of Sunday... We got up early since we had 9am tickets to Robben Island, the famous prison where Nelson Mendela spent 18 years while being a political prisoner during the Apartheid. Had a nice little breakfast served by Bruce, the man who owned the nice little guest house we were staying at. He had two cute dogs named Teddy and Coco, and Teddy is deaf, and got really startled when Holly came walking down the stairs the first morning.
After breakfast I drove (which I've done all of the driving here in South Africa besides the drive this morning to, and only to, our first wine vineyard, and I must say that I've done a pretty swell job on the left hand side of the road) to the waterfront where we got on a boat to Robben Island. The picture that goes along with this blog post was taken on our way to the island. Yes, that is Table Mountain, the same mountain that we climbed the previous day! Our climb seemed even more impressive once we got further from the coast.
Our tour of Robben Island was very good, and very educational. We started off with. A bus tour of the entire island, and the commentator was/is a political activist, and during the Apartheid would travel the world trying to bring attention to their cause. It was very impressive all of the people he knew, has met, and has worked with. Then we took a tour of the actual prison, which closed in 1996, the last political prisoner left in 1991. It was absolutely astonishing that this type of environment existed during our lifetime. Our tour of the prison was given by a man who was a political prisoner for 5 years. I could not imagine what it could feel like to be back there and giving tours after the tough times having spent there.
After getting back to the main land and having lunch, we decided to drive down to Boulder Beach. And Holly has discussed that stop in her post :)
After an hour and a half drive, we arrived in Franschhoek. We easily found our guest house, a beautiful place within walking distance of the downtown area. Sharon, the very helpful lady who owns the guest house, recommended the French Connection for dinner, which was also recommended by my friend Amy. And boy were these two ladies right! Holly and I both had wonderful steaks! A great meal to celebrate a 30th birthday! After dinner we went to the only pub in town and had a couple beers, and of course had to buy here birthday boy a shot. It was certainly one I had not had before. It was a layered shot, first some banana liquor followed by almaretto and finished off with some rum. Don't worry everyone, I'll be serving them at the October's birthday party :)
That's all from me right now. Thank you all for the birthday wishes!!! I love you all :)
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Ryan Lee
Lee Recreation, LLC
Phone: 800-775-8937
Fax: 608-423-7655
P.O. Box 93
Cambridge, WI 53523
www.leerecreation.com
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