Dale and I went to Underberg for a weekend away. 3 Whole nights away from home and work... man oh man I was so excited I could poop! I'll give you the skinny on the car trip because ... lets just say it wasn't really the highlight :) It went something like... car, car, truck, brown grass, brown mountain, sheep, car, car.... Dale: 'Eye spy with my little eye something beginning with a....'
Tash: ' It's a cow'
Dale: (with somewhat of a grumpy face) 'Eye spy with myyyyyyy........'
Tash: 'It's a cow'
Dale: (Grumpierrrrr) 'Eye...'
Tash: 'cow'
So we finally arrived in 'the berg'... Ive always wanted to say that... 'Im going on a vaca-a-a-y to the Berg' anyhoo I digress... we finally got there just before my bum took on the permanent shape of a corsa seat! We stayed in a Lodge called The Amazian which we found on the internet and I was absolutely thrilled to see that it was everything they said it would be.. down to the photos of what everything would look like (I say that because I learnt the hard way and real meaning of roach motel the last time I booked a place on the internet when I went to India just cause the photos looked nice on the net! Should of known I wouldnt really get a 4 star for only R50 ;) the sneaky Hobbitses!) Gorgeous views of the river and the rooms were exactly what I was hoping they would be... luxurious :) and the best part of the room *dun dun dunnnnnnnnn* the SPA bath! I had visuals of doing a long run-up and doing a big bomb right into the middle of a swirling, frothing pool of... bubbles! .... ok but in my visual I wouldn't end up with the broken bum :)
So after dinner that night, an awesome dinner I might add and a bottle of red wine, Dale and I decided to get into the spa bath and unwind a little. In goes the hot water, in goes Dale and Tash, on goes the spa bath, off goes the power *poof* pitched into absolute darkness and fits of giggles thinking that our spa bath just pitched the entire lodge into absolute darkness... hahaha there we are snickering all smugly when all of a sudden *POOF* on go the lights all of sudden... to say we got the fright of our lives is an understatement... we sat blinking big eyes at eachother for a few seconds before Dale quickly shot his finger out and turned the spa bath on again :) *bubble bubble toil and trouble* ah see now this is the life... we're both leaning back when I spot to the left of me a bowl that looks like it contains bubblebath... and at the time it seemed like a good idea... dont they always? So I sprinkle a little to my side and bit more to Dales, for good measure! And within seconds some chemical reaction in this volatile liquid kicks in and... ok ok too dramatic, it was the frikkin bubble bath and the jets ok... well anyway, we found ourself LITERALLY eyeball deep in bubbles and Sinking!!!! This stuff should come with a frikkin warning!!! Anyhoo... we survived... and came out sparkly clean from top to bottom and not at all traumatised from our experience *cough*
We woke up on Saturday morning and after a cooked breakfast (God I loved the food at this place - I think I consumed a whole family of piglets in all the bacon I ate during this weekend) we headed off into Underberg to meet Dales dad (The local Doc of Underberg) he'd booked us a 'Sani Pass Tour' it's where they take you up the Sani pass up to Lesotho all the way up to the Highest pub in Africa. See, when I first heard about the Sani pass I said to Dale, oh thats cool, why pay a tour company when we can just do it in our own car, I mean... how hard can it be, you just drive up into Lesotho right on up this Sani pass thing and Bobs your uncle *sweet smile* HA HA HA... lets just say thank God other people knew better than me.. I mean Dales dad, he said 'No no, you can only get up there with a 4X4' and still Tash doesn't understand! Until we start going UP the Sani Pass with aforementioned 4X4 and it's at this stage when I realise that the Sani Pass is not meant for mere humans, not even meant for Billy Goats... it's not for human consumption at all I tell you, and they really should warn you to bring a clean pair of pants to change into when you go up there! It was HAIRY to say the least... you're going to take us up there...? up THAT hill? Around THAT bend... are you mad!! *grabs Dales leg and holds on*
I thought we were all going to pop our clogs down the cliff... but alas, we arrived safe and sound at the top o the Sani Pass and it's no wonder they have a bar up there because we really appreciated the tipple to calm our frazzled little nerves. And to think we were laughing our heads off at the 2 poor german backpackers who tried to WALK up and halfway realised they coudnt make it so tried to hitch a lift with us... the driver just carried on driving.. the evil man, bad karma for us all I tell you! They just happened to somehow get to the top before us anyway... I know, a mystery.
So anyhoo, that was Saturday, back to the Lodge and Dales parents joined us for dinner that night, Pork Poytjie *rubs belly* did I mention the food at this lodge was great! :) Much sherry, wine and amarula later we ended up telling ghost stories with Trudy and Brent (the owners) who by FAR outwitted me by telling me the creepiest story yet which shut me up lickety split and sent me scuttling to our room completely freaked out... those chainsaw weilding cows and mountains can be scary at night...!
Sunday, a marvelous breakfast (Yes my jeans were starting to feel tight) and we toodled off back to Underberg to meet Dales parents who took us to the Underberg Cheesery! Some stockbroker got tired of um stocks... oneday and kicked his dayjob into check, moved to Underberg and started making cheese for a living.. marvelous eh? now why didnt me and my lactose intolerance-ness think of that! :P To say we bought alot of cheese is an understatement, but when In Rome you know... went for a nice drive in the mountains and then to relax from all our relaxing we went for hot chocolate... *sigh* I know, Im tiring myself out just writing this!
Back to the Lodge, onto a pool lounger to read our books, watch the sun go down and have a drink... was grand.
I think one of the coolest things about this Lodge is that at night when you're away at dinner, the night elves (ok so its the ladies that clean your rooms, not ACTUAL elves *rolls eyes*) come into your room, turn down your bed, switch on your electric blanket, put chocolates on your pillow and put a water bottle by your feet for you! How cool! Where can I get me one... an elf, not a water bottle. I have a water bottle!
*sigh* last day and we were off after a HUGE breakfast.. did I mention... food... good? just checking, we headed home again.... Dale: 'Eye spy with my little eye something beginning with a....'
Tash: ' It's a cow'
Dale: (with somewhat of a grumpy face) 'Eye spy with myyyyyyy........'
Tash: 'It's a cow'
Dale: (Grumpierrrrr) 'Eye...'
Tash: 'cow