Monkeyshines

  Knysna, South Africa
Thursday, December 1, 2005

Well wouldn't you know it, Lamb and I are relaxing in our rather secluded tree suite on the Phantom Forest eco-reserve when a full troop of Vervet monkeys decided to ravage our outside deck. Lamb quickly started snapping photos with the digital camera but due to some user error, the only photo which turned out was the following:



Not quite sure what I should make of this particular shot but hey whatever floats Lambryne's boat I guess...(You can view it better in the photo album)

Our eco-lodge is a small private reserve located in Knysna (pronounced NYE-Z-NA), centered in what is known as the Garden Route which runs along the southern coast of the country. Phantom Forest offers nice accommodations with a minimalist impact and a unique relaxing experience nestled in the trees on a ridgeside overlooking the Kynsna Lagoon. There are 14 total suites, each remotely set apart from the others. The entire development is built on and connected by boardwalks. The restaurant interestingly is one of the top in the country and tables are reserved for guests before opening tables to outsiders for dinner. It's a bit strange having a gourmet meal in small, but nice dimly-lit thatched hut. Everyone must park at the bottom of the ridge and a 4x4 from the reserve comes to get you down a rough double track road. This place is really unique and it feels a bit like camping, but with a semi-luxury tree suite. As with many of the lodges, the entire back wall of the place is glass, so you have views not only from the deck, but bedroom and bathroom as well.

We've encountered our first full day of rainy weather so we decided to take a nice long drive through a number of scenic mountain passes. As a general comment, I am really amazed by the wide variety of terrain in just a small area of South Africa. The diversity of plant and animal life is stunning. Just today, we've gone from rugged Indian Ocean coastline through montane deciduous forest to high chaparral with aloe and cactus (like Arizona) to pine-covered mountains with baboons, to scrub, dry desert with ostrich farms everywhere and no trees. We passed over one of the most famous mountain passes in the world, the Swartzberg pass (put this on your SA visit itinerary) which empties into a canyon rivaling the Grand Canyon in beauty (but not close in size). This country really is amazing and although not terribly small (equal to the size of Texas) is amazingly varied. I never expected to see some of the things that are here.

We've heard that the temperature in Chicago has dipped below freezing meanwhile we enjoy the high 80s. So sorry to hear this our fellow Chicagoans, but I admit to a bit of schadenfreude.