Ah, family dynamics. Through my sms correspondence with Tammy, I got the impression that everyone was somewhat highly strung on their trip down. By everyone, I mean parents and grandparents specifically. But Wolwedans was starting to soak into them by the time we arrived because it was smiles, hugs, and kisses all around as our delicious pasta salad was served. This place has a beauty and charm that's hard to resist, with its vast expanses of grass the colour of champagne, soft red dunes, and warm, clear sky. Perhaps, though, the unlimited alcohol also played a role in improving their moods...
It turns out that I'm not the only one with a story to tell. My sisters, Tammy and Nicole, kept me in stitches with their 10minute long recollection of the family's trip down, which included my grandad's repeated confusion between a bottle of water and hairspray, Nicole's car sickness, and my dad forbidding Tammy to share a room with my new brother-in-law, Craig (which she apparently figured out was a bad idea on her own). Kevin criticized me for recording it because battery life is precious around here. We can't use our regular battery chargers because they rely on solar power for the heat and lighting, and Kevin forgot the car charger up at main camp, which is a 2 hour drive away. So, we're going to have to make do with the 5 hours of battery life we've got left tomorrow.
For that reason, little footage has been taken this evening. Kev took a lovely group photo at Hard Rock Cafe, where we went for sundown drinks. We're staying at a camp called Boulders, aptly named because the mountains around here appear to have been passed through a crusher. In one place, two rocks leaning against each other form a sheltered cave, where they've built a deck. This is their Hard Rock Cafe.
Once the sun had set, we relaxed around the bonfire, watching the stars as they came out. Kev was nowhere to be seen. I found out later that my busy husband had been taking night shots of our luxurious camp. Raised off the ground on wooden decks, the entire place is a series of canvas East African Safari tents. Sounds rustic, I know, but it's anything but. Their use of stunning wooden tables and counters coupled with leather chairs and ostrich egg displays gives it a natural charm. As Janice, my sister-in-law, put it, your ears actually hurt because it's so quiet.
I'm so thrilled that everyone loves it as much as I do. I was here a year ago to see if it really was as beautiful as it looked on the internet, only to find that it's even better. Photos simply don't do it justice (although Kev promises to try) and you simply cannot explain it. You need to experience it. Even though I'd shown my family hundreds of photos as I made my sales pitch to have my wedding here, they still were completely in awe of how beautiful it is.
Everything is perfect down to the smallest detail, and the food is deliciously presented. We enjoyed a four course meal together, with frequent refills of their house red. Our pre-starter, as they call it, was a fancy dish named the 'wind pomp' because it looks like a windmill from above: two popadom triangles set at right angles between shells of avocado mousse (which I know was NOT made from squeezey paste - i saw the fresh ones get packed on the game drive vehicle when we left). This was followed by a warming butternut soup centered with a veggie-filled crepe tied shut with a spring onion. Main course included kudu for everyone else. For me, a red pepper stuffed with baby marrows cooked in a tomato sauce served with rice. Not something I'd have ordered in a restaurant or made myself, but I enjoyed it thoroughly nonetheless. It's like eating artwork.
We've just climbed into our four-poster beds with full bellies, watching for shooting stars through the open canvas flap, excited about the wedding tomorrow. Does it get more perfect than this? I seriously doubt it.
