Across an ocean, to another winery

We stayed at a hippie hostel out in the forest in Nature's Valley. We went for a walk to a waterfall, then to a beach for a siesta. The host cooked a good meal of rice with dahl, vegetables and salad. She talked a lot about recycling, saving water, organics, etc. There were bats in our room, but they didn't bother me too much. The next day we went for a good hike over hills, through valleys, to the beach for a siesta again, along rivers, and into town. Lorena counted 11 spiders in their webs 5-7 feet high. When we were leaving the hostel, we found out they charged us for laundry and breakfast, which they did not say before. They never told us the price of the room either. When did hippies get dishonest and greedy. I thought money was evil...We cursed hippies for the rest of the day. The next hostel was much different. It was called Hard Rock, run by a guy who enjoyed my kind of music. There were guitars and posters on the wall, a Jimi Hendrix quote, and a bar with a pool table out back. I met several people from Brazil and Chile who were studying English nearby. I knew I would like the owner when I say his shirt. It said, "No, dude. Seriously. F**k you." We got to Addo Elephant Park in good time and as soon as we drove through the gate, we saw an elephant. It was easy to see lots of animals. We spotted: elephants, red hartebeests, warthogs, a buffalo, zebras, kudu, ostriches, flightless dung beetles, leopard tortoises, a hawk, a snake, a rhinoceros, and a lot of birds. On a game drive, we saw a herd of elephants rolling in the mud and they passed less than 10 feet from the jeep. It was a good last day in Africa. We ended up at a party hostel in Port Elizabeth with a terrible host, but we had a good dinner out. The spicy chicken burger hit the spot and they had live music with a Spanish guitar player. On the way to the airport, a guy was handing out Twix bars that were about to expire, so I had a snack before the flight. The plane to Cape Town was 30 minutes late, but it was no problem. I said goodbye to Lorena and made it to Kuala Lumpur in relative comfort because of my aisle seat in the emergency exit row and no one sitting next to me. The guy in the next seat over was a driller who had worked in Texas, Angola, and Europe. I watched "Hereafter," "Unstoppable," and "The King's Speech." The food was pretty good and I was happy with Malaysia airlines. The flight to Auckland was about 2/3 full, but I still sat next to the creepy, smelly guy. I watched a good movie called "The Way Back" about a group of guys who escaped a gulag in 1941 and walked to India. I managed to sleep a bit thanks to Nyquil. I slept some more on some chairs at Auckland airport and I met a guy from South Africa who wanted to exchange currencies, so we both saved money by not using the currency desk. The plane to Wellington was comfortable with enough leg room and leather seats. The next to me was friendly and we talked for the whole flight. He had been to the San Francisco several times and he was heading to Wellington to help his friend fix up a race car for the next weekend. The Richard Simmons security video was a bit much though. I enjoy Air New Zealand, but sometimes their marketing bothers me. The bus to the railway station also had leather seats, and I enjoyed seeing the city again. I recognized a few places that I had been in 2009. It was a pretty train ride to Carterton where Gerhard picked me up. At the winery he showed me the espresso machine and introduced me to everyone. I felt comfortable immediately as everyone seemed very relaxed and friendly. He was very happy to see the South African brandy I brought him. My loft above the barrel room is pretty basic, but there is plenty of space and a warm, comfortable bed. The shower and kitchen are in the cellar though, so it's a bit of a walk. There were wasps all over the grapes, in my room and in my office, but I guess the people here are used to them. Christine, the owner, let me borrow her car to go into town to buy food and warm clothes. We ate curry and stew that the cook made for us and had a beer after Gerhard and Olivier finished work. Olivier is the other cellar hand. He lives in a small caravan/trailer outside the cellar with his girlfriend. They are from Provence in France and travelled around New Zealand before they started working. His girlfriend, Clara, works at a winery nearby.