Friday Already! Beautiful Kirstenbosch Gardens

So, it's Friday already, and we're still busy researching and preparing for the rest of the trip - lots to do apparently!  In the meantime, we went to the beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens on the east side of Table Mountain.  Kirstenbosch is the largest gardens in South Africa and is used also as a teaching and research facility.  Lucky for us, we also were there for the BioDiversity Expo and the kids had a good look at some of the research and conservation which is occurring throughout Africa.  David was brave enough to allow a scorpion walk on the back of his arm - while the others shivered at the sight.  Closely investigating what "species" of spiders and insects are native to this area can cause a few sleepless nights!  The University research display booths empahsized the wealth of research diversity this country offers and got us thinking "what a great place for schooling", along with the beautiful University of Cape Town campus, it seems like an ideal post-secondary experience (hint, hint, ben, david, anna or sam!).  Kirstenbosch gardens offers an incredible variety and collection, with a history back to the first Dutch settler in the late 17th century. In 1913, John Rhodes donated the 528 hectares of land to be used as a botanic garden for the public. We had an incredible guide (Patrick) who managed to go beyond the latin names of each plant he pointed to and find something of great interest to the kids to say about it - e.g. "can be boiled and applied as an analgesic"; "those thorns are some of the most painful, as they break off below the skin and cause intense irritation" ... you get the drift - great stuff to keep the kids (and adults) interested for the duration.  We also were able to see our first traditional building construction (mud walls, thatched roof and 'dung' floor).  Our guide had to repeat the 'dung' floor a few times, since with the south african accent some words at times can be difficult.  Finally he explained that this was from the cow, and was smelly at the beginning, but when dried made an excellent floor covering.  Of course the kids were very amused with the concept of a "poop" floor.....


... and oh, yes, there was a golf cart involved, with Sam invited to sit shotgun with the guide - always a crowd pleaser.