allison white

Surf and Turf - a special riding adventure in Uruguay

admin — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Jennifer Gordon Smith flies via three different countries to discover Uruguay on horseback, but proclaims it the ride of her life.

“Where’s the nearest pub?” piped up one member of the group, as we approached the first sign of civilization for miles- a remote estancia and our base for the following two nights.

Of course there wasn’t one, but you don’t need pubs on this riding holiday. The sparsely populated, lush green interior is what makes Uruguay a rider’s paradise. It has enormous pastures to canter over, miles of sandy beaches without a sunlounger or overstuffed bikini in sight, and not a whiff of petrol fumes. After that, who has energy for a pub anyway?

It was in mid-March that I, and seven other riders, converged in South America to experience this equine utopia.

I knew little about Uruguay beforehand, other than the random trivia that it was the first country to win football’s World Cup- and I had to study an atlas before my eights day adventure (it’s on the east coast, wedged between Brazil and Argentina, for those equally in the dark).

Among our group of eight were a hurley maker (the wooden stick used in the Irish game of hurling) from Tipperary and an othopaedic surgeon from Limerick who had been riding only a year but had already spent the season hunting with his legendary local pack.

From the USA we had a 69-year-old bionic lady who ran her first marathon at the age of 65, and a Connecticut businessman, plus three high-flyers from London.

The ride began on the Brazilian border, in the beautiful province of Rocha, a four-hour drive from Montevideo, along one of only 10 paved roads in the country. Sally and two gauchos led the way-Martine, who played the “mean and moody” part, and the cheeky-faced Cesar. Both rode what seems to be the regulation gaucho accessory- a fiery chestnut.

Each day we rode for up to eight hours, covering nearly 30 miles. Having ridden sedately for an hour at a time around a London park in preparation, it was a shock to the system, but by day three, and after some medicinal gin and tonics. I had adjusted- with the help of huge sheepskins covering the saddles.

The sturdy native breed of South America is the Crillo. All our horses had fantastic temperaments, sure-footed yet forward-going and responsive enough to turn on a peso. In Uruguay, the horse is still considered primarily a mode of transport, but Sally is introducing British bits and vet treatment and our horses were well cared for. She had done her homework and we were perfectly matched with our respective steeds. Apparently the first canter, with Sally nervously looking on, is the litmus test. Her sense of relief when nobody fell off or revealed they hadn’t learnt to canter yet (which has happened) was visible.

I fell in love with Laura, my little roan mare. She was a pleasure to ride and didn’t mind my enormous hugs and pats too much (South Americans don’t do petting).

The tack is minimalist- some bridles consisted of little more than a string headpiece, cheekpieces and bit. Oh, and the girths have no buckles and are tied implausibly far back. But it all seems to work.

I’d never ridden Western before, but as soon as you get the hang of neck-reigning you’re away. To master the lope- the most common pace at which the Uruguayans ride- you slouch your back and sit with your shoulders behind your hips. Unfortunatley, this goes against everything my dressage instructors have drilled into me over the years and after a couple of days bouncing around with my poker-striaght back, I reverted to rising trot.

We quickly settled into a daily routine: three- or four- hours riding: picnic or BBQ lunch: siesta: another couple of hours in the saddle in the cool of the late afternoon, and finally a swim, drinks and dinner before bed. We felt very spoilt by having our horses tacked up and waiting for us every morning, getting banquet-proportions of food delivered to picturesque picnic spots and riding to the door of the next night’s accommodation.

As we traveled south along the Uruguayan coast, every day brought different scenery and unexpected sights, all beneath blazing skies. The riding is fast paced, with exhilarating gallops along miles of empty beaches- one of the highlights of the holiday. We passed through huge estancias and weird and wonderful villages, where we received a warm “hola!” from the locals.

We spotted a wealth of wildlife, including birds such as the rhea- a smaller version of the ostrich- storks and owls, Vultures unnerved us slightly as the circled overhead, and we also saw armadillos, one of which may have ended up as road-kill as we galloped (unintentionally) over it.

My favourite day’s ride was heading inland over wetlands, then up through the Don Bosco hills and the 300-year-old palm groves where Aberdeen Angus cattle grazed. We were then treated to lunch next to Laguna Negra (“the black lagoon”) by landowner Fernando. We started with a few tumblers of hooch, a potent alcoholic liquid fermented from palm fruit. The gauchos enjoyed the tradition of passing around a cup of mate (rhymes with latte), which they carry around everywhere in a thermos flask. It is a bitter, green, tea-like liquid drunk through a straw, apparently full of antioxidants as well as a mystery stimulant.

A full rack of wild boar ribs, stuffed beef fresh from the estancia, sausages, wine, salad and vegetables were all consumed as though it was our last supper. We ate extremely well on this holiday.

Our afternoon ride set off slightly later than planned, as our horses made a bid for freedom and sent gauchos running, Benny Hill-style, after them. Safely back on board, we scrambled to the highest point in the area for fabulous views and the regulation photo opportunity.

Beach riding in Uruguay is amazing. One rider described arriving on the huge sandy expanse of Barra Chuy as an “awakening”. As we neared the beach, the sound of crashing Atlantic waves and the scent of salt mixed with pine and aniseed had my senses working overtime. Visitors rarely reach this stretch of sand, so for six mile we walked, cantered, galloped and splashed our way in spending isolation.

Towards the end, we stayed on private estancias. The 12,000- acre Estancia El Sauce was our first sample of traditional living and the brothers who owned it welcomed us heartily. Together with their gauchos, they work the cattle, keep 120 horses and produce a substantial rice crop. Even riding round the estancia for four hours, we didn’t manage to see the whole property. But it provided plenty of opportunities to ‘Vamos!” (“Let’s go!”)- Sally’ cue for us all to up the tempo across the flat grasslands. My new mount was called Gato (“cat”, so called, as he is the traditional Crillo colour of chestnut with a dorsal stripe and tiger-striped legs).

We were led by Carlos, the estancia’s gaucho, and his two sons, both of whom had been allowed the day off school provided they learnt six words of English from us. I don’t think they learnt one, but they certainly taught us a lesson in race-riding, as they left us for dust galloping across the estancia.

Our second ranch stay, Estancia El Charabon, was the ultimate in luxury. It is set in a beautiful location and owned by Jorge and Graciela who, with their exceptional team of staff, went out of their way to spoil us with their hospitality and platefuls of exquisite local food, including slow-roasted pig. Evenings were spent sitting on the terrace watching the sun set, the reverie spoilt only by the incessant scratching of mosquito bites- a real hazard on this holiday. They paled into insignificance, however, when, one night one of the horses was feasted on by a substantially larger bloodsucker- a vampire bat.

On our final day we all donned our cowboy hats and tried our hands at gauchoing. We herded a field of Herefords into a corner and, after being shown how it should be done by the pros, had to peel them off and count them. It soon brought home how skilled these gauchos are. The bulls tended to do their own thing and we didn’t argue.

We were a morose bunch as we rode back to the estancia for the final time and said farewell to our hosts, horses and guides. Some 180 miles and a few bow legs after we’d all set out, broad grins and not forgetting a few thousand photos, it was time to go home. The thrill of galloping across grasslands, beaches and experiencing the Uruguayan rustic lifestyle had us all vowing to join Sally again soon to find out what other equine adventures South America has to offer.

Article first published by Horse and Hound July 2007

What to wear: December to March is summer and days can get hot. Be prepared for the odd downpour, though.

Preparations: some basic Spanish would be useful- we were all frustrated by our inability to converse with the locals.

Group Size: 4-10

Riding Ability: Intermediate to advanced standard is recommended, as you will spend up to 8 hr a day in the saddle with plenty of fast-paced riding.

Contact:
Ryan Schmidt at Hidden Trails.
Hidden Trails offers a variety of riding tours all over the world and came across this ride three years ago.

For more info on this trip, check out the Hidden Trails website at

http://hiddentrails.com/america-south/uruguay/laguna-negra.htm

The trip is called: Laguna Negra Estancias Ride

Call Toll Free: 1-888-987-2457 (604-323-1141)

Waterberg Safari Lodge - South Africa

admin — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:13:00 GMT

Here is a recent article about our Waterberg Safari Lodge - Ants Hill from "Horse and Rider" in the UK
Check out this fabulous deluxe Horseback Riding Safari on the Hidden Trails website at:
http://hiddentrails.com/africa/africa-south/waterberg-lodge.htm

For more information on this riding safari in South Africa, check out the Hidden Trails website at:

http://hiddentrails.com/africa/africa-south/waterberg-lodge.htm

Drag Hunting in the Western Cape of South Africa

admin — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 01:04:00 GMT

After an overnight flight, direct from Heathrow to Cape Town, despite the early breakfast, it is a welcome relief not to have any jet lag. And as there is only 1 hour time difference during the SA winter or Cape green season, we can start our holiday programme straight away. We are met at arrivals by our genial host and guide Carl, who is our Guardian Angel for the full duration of the next 8 days of our tour.

After checking in at our luxurious, Victorian guest house and enjoying a light lunch we are introduced to our hunters at the nearby Cape Hunt’s country base where the hounds are kennelled. The huntsman and his wife, who is the stable manager, along with Carl, accompany us on our first ride around the Hunters Valley estate where there are ample opportunities for cantering and jumping. The ground is mainly soft sand with numerous natural jumps made from brush, stones, logs and hay bales as well as a tyre wall, bank drop and coffin, all of which are between 18 ins to 3 ft high. We ride through wooded areas, bush, and savannah-like prairies and along the edges of rolling hills of wheat fields for the next two hours before stopping to let our horses cool their legs in a dam. After an exhilarating ride we return back to our guest house for a sumptuous dinner of a traditional Cape Malay dish of ‘Bobotie’ – curried mince with a baked egg and milk topping, followed by a welcome early night.

The next morning we return to Hunters Valley where a special drag hunt has been organised for us and we are pleased to meet some of the Cape hunt members who also join us. We all thoroughly enjoy our hunt, with most of us taking all the jumps enroute, although there is also the option of going round them for those not wishing to jump. The hunt breakfast, which follows, is cooked on a traditional South African open fire. We enjoy one of the huntsman’s special lamb ‘potjie’s’ (casserole) whilst sitting under the trees, on the lawn outside the Cape Dutch club house of the stables. In the late afternoon we drive via the beautiful Franschhoek pass with its stunning sandstone rock formations of cliffs and gorges and the Dutoits River flowing far below enroute to the historic Houw Hoek Inn, where we stay for the next four nights.

After a short drive down the Houw Hoek Pass the next morning, we meet our horses which we will ride for the next three days, as well as the characterful, Afrikaans stable owner, Manfred, who entertains us with his tales over lunch during the following days’ rides. We set off along a totally empty, pristine beach where we enjoy some of the longest canters any of us have ever experienced with most of the horses happy to splash through the edge of the water as the Atlantic Ocean waves lap up the beach. Later, as we walk the horses along the shoreline we are thrilled to be able to watch from the saddle, numerous whales gathered together in a giant pod that seems to stretch for up to half a mile, just 20 meters or so from us. We ride on to explore the Kleinmond Lagoon Nature reserve and are lucky enough to see some of the wild horses living there as well as flamingos and pelicans. After a picnic lunch we thoroughly enjoy ourselves following Carl as he leads us at a canter up and down and round the sand dunes ‘bundu bashing’ before we reappear on the shore line again for the canter home, back along the deserted beach. Next, to refresh ourselves, Carl drives us to the Beaumonts’ Wine Farm where we all enjoy tasting their various different white and red wines, before we return to the Inn for dinner.

The next day we ride out directly from the stables following a former ox wagon trail up the Houw Hoek Pass, and at times along the side of an old railway line, which still has the occasional train running along it. The horses are used to the train, so when it does appear, we stop and let them face it, and the train passes without incident. We ride to the top of the mountain through the beautiful indigenous shrub land known as ‘fynbos’, where we stop to take in the spectacular view, before descending down to the Houw Hoek Inn for a late lunch, leaving the horses tied up in a paddock in the grounds. In the afternoon we complete our days ride by returning back to the stables.

The next morning we set out directly from the Botriver Stables again and spend the day riding along the edges of fields of wheat and vines of grapes and through fields of cows and sheep before reaching a wine farm where we stop for lunch. We complete a circular route back to the stables and say goodbye to our horses, and Manfred. In the evening we spruce ourselves up for a dinner dance held at the Houw Hoek Inn and despite the fact that we must get up early the next morning, we all make the most of dancing and partying with the locals until the end of the evening, although none of us can match the ‘two-step’ (a variation of the foxtrot), which the Afrikaner couples of all ages do so elegantly and effortlessly to the music from the 60’s onwards.

Somewhat subdued, we have an early breakfast dressed in our full English hunting attire, which we have all tried to keep as pristine as possible in our suitcases up until now. We have an hour to cat-nap or admire the scenery as Carl drives us to Spiers Wine Farm, the venue for our drag hunt. Our horses which we rode when we first arrived have all been plaited and tacked up and transported to the hunt so that when we arrive all we need to do in jump on ready for the stirrup cup of whisky or sherry (or hair of the dog…). We are lucky to be attending one of the most popular hunts in the calendar of the Cape Hunt Club and we find out that we are part of the 65 hunters that are riding that day. We have a great hunt around the wine farm over the next two hours and are able to enjoy spectacular mountain views when we stop at the checks enroute, as well as trying out different ‘nips’ from the hipflasks of various members of the hunt club as well as one or two glass of Champagne when the support team meet us at the halfway point. We say goodbye to our horses and join many of the club hunters for lunch in the restaurant at Spiers, before saying goodbye to them too. Carl then drives us to Cape Town and to our splendid Victorian guest house, nestled beneath Table Mountain. Changing our hunting attire for our glad rags once more, Carl takes us to the picturesque Victoria and Alfred waterfront. He leads us past stylish restaurants and a parade of shops full of African curios and souvenirs to the upmarket, Quay 4 restaurant. The speciality here is fish, which we enjoy whilst taking in the impressive view of the harbour.

The next day, Carl becomes our tourist guide and we explore the Cape Peninsula. We start at the magnificent Groot Constantia wine estate, which is a superb example of Cape Dutch style buildings, and we wander around admiring the traditional furnishings and paintings. On to the very British ex naval base at Simon’s Town in False Bay and then the really cute Jackass Penguins which gather of their own accord at Boulders and are only a few feet away from the admiring public. We drive through the Cape Point Nature Reserve to the most southerly tip of the peninsula and then walk up the steep path and steps to the lighthouse standing on Cape Point before descending for a well deserved lunch. Our last ride is in Noordhoek and is again another wonderful beach ride, but this time we ride ex racehorses - some of which still go down on their haunches before going into canter! We enjoy a good steady canter up the beach and explore the sand dunes at the end before we have our last, long canter home, through the lapping ocean waves. Carl drives us back into Cape Town via the dramatic cliff-edge road around Chapman’s Peak, enhanced by the spectacular view of the deep, orange-red sun, setting into the ocean horizon. We round off our day when we are joined for our farewell dinner by the Master of the Cape Hunt and his wife at the very lively and friendly Africa Café. We eat an eclectic set meal, which allows us to sample 30 different, traditional, Black African dishes.

On our last morning we take the revolving cable car to the top of Table Mountain where we enjoy wonderful views of Cape Town and its harbour spread out below us as well as the cute Dassies or ‘rock rabbits’ that have somehow made it to the top on their own and are only a few feet from us. We enjoy a 2 hour walk around the flat perimeter of the mountain to McClears Beacon and back before taking the cable car back down. Lunch is a real treat as Carl takes us to Cape Town’s top hotel – the very prestigious Mount Nelson where we are greeted by the white gloved doorman wearing top hat and tails. After lunch we take a stroll through the historic Company Gardens past the old Parliament buildings to the old centre of Cape Town, where we look around until it’s time for Carl to take us to the airport for our overnight flight back to Heathrow. It’s sad saying our farewells to Carl who has done such a wonderful job of not only looking after us but educating and entertaining us too with his vast knowledge of South Africa including its history and society. He has taken us on such a varied journey where we have experienced so many different landscapes, animals, birds, vegetation and people and of course, two great hunts. It was much more of an amazing and incredible experience than just another holiday and one which will remain very fondly in all of our memories.

by Janet Stevens

For more information on this trip and others in Southern Africa, check out the Hidden Trails website at:

http://hiddentrails.com/africa/africa-south/cape-drag-hunts.htm

Riding at Mt Kilimanjaro - Tanzania

admin — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 23:04:00 GMT

Private riding safari in Tanzania

Day 1: After an uneventful flight we arrive at the Arusha Klimanjaro airport. We paid for our visas, grabbed our luggage, and Laszlo arrives shortly to take us on a half hour drive to Makoa Farm. Laszlo and his wife Elisabeth own and operate this working coffee farm located at the southern foot of Mt Kilimanjaro. They’re both veterinarians, originally from Germany, and moved to Tanzania 10 years ago. They’ve been at this current location for 6 years and have quite a menagerie of farm animals, some which they intended to own, some that are patients, and others they somehow just acquired along the way. They have 25 horses which are used for the riding safaris (though they normally take no more than 6 guests at a time).
The horseback safaris are their primary business and either Elisabeth or Laszlo or both accompany each safari. Riders can stay at the farm, at a base camp, move from camp to camp, or a combination of locations.
Ndarakwai is essentially a 10,000 acre private ranch in West Kilimanjaro. Riders can opt for fly camping or stay at the tented camp on the ranch.
Accommodations on the farm consist of two guest cottages with stunning views of Kilimanjaro, a room in the farmhouse, and a separate guesthouse. Elisabeth and Laszlo are gracious hosts and the farm fresh food is delicious. Their cook, Miriam, bakes the best bread in East Africa! This afternoon after getting settled in, we went on a short ride through the coffee fields to get acquainted with our horses and tack (good thing as I couldn’t get comfortable on the Australian stock saddle I tried and had to switch to an English one). I’m on Marvin and Mark is riding Chinrose. On the farm ride, we saw guinea fowl, francolins, go away birds, silvery cheeked hornbill, baboons, sykes and vervet monkeys. Tomorrow we move to Ndarakwai for the start of our safari rides.

Day 2: We awake this morning to a glorious view of Kili. As we have our morning coffee and tea on our verandah, we’re joined by Josie and Sukari, two of the farm cats, who’ve come for their morning milk (ask for a cat bowl). Our horses and gear are being loaded and transported this morning and after breakfast, we drive part way where we meet the horses and ride the remainder of the way to our fly camp arriving in time for lunch. As there had been some recent rain here, the landscape is very green.
The camp setup is similar to what we experienced in Kenya, only here we have slightly larger tents with mattresses on the floor rather than on cots. There are shower and toilet tents and a tented dining area. At an elevation of only approx. 3000 feet, temperatures are surprisingly comfortable during the day and not as hot as we expected.
In the late afternoon, we start another ride from camp. We saw banded mongoose, impala, eland, Burchell’s zebra, Masai giraffe, common waterbuck, vervet monkeys, and baboons. We found that taking photos of wildlife can be tricky while on horseback, and trying to take photos of wildlife with your riding companion in the foreground while on horseback is especially tricky! Like walking, riding provides a very different perspective from which to view game. As we’re heading back to camp, I spotted our first elephant on the ranch. I could just see some ears flapping in the trees but as we rode a little nearer, but not too close, to the thicket of trees, we got a better view. The landscape is beautiful with the surrounding hills and the sun setting behind Mt Meru.
This evening after dinner, Laszlo takes us on a drive for our first look at spring hares. They’re adorable, like mini kangaroos, but dart around much too quick to photograph.

Day 3: We were up early after a very restful night’s sleep. I slept better camping on this trip than I did anywhere else. When asked if we heard the elephants near camp during the evening, we had to respond “Didn’t hear anything!” After a light breakfast, we head out on a morning ride. Generally what we did was go out on a longer morning ride, have lunch at the camp, followed by a shorter afternoon ride but on a private safari such as ours the length of the rides can be tailored to guests’ interests. At night and in between rides, the horses stay at a paddock nearby. During the rides, we would occasionally find a place to dismount in order to rest, have some water and snacks, and enjoy the views. Their horses are very well trained and responsive. A gentle squeeze is all that’s needed to put them into a trot. We were told never to kick as they’ve taught their horses that kicking means “an elephant is charging, run!” Aside from the previous day’s animals, this morning we saw spotted hyaena, warthogs, Von der Decken’s hornbill, lilac breasted roller, white headed and red billed buffalo weavers. We also came across a herd of skittish elephant.
A strong windstorm and some rain kicked up in the afternoon which made our second ride of the day look not so promising, but it eventually passes and we were able to head out around 4:30pm. The afternoon turns out to be beautiful and at the end of our ride, Elisabeth and Laszlo surprised us by bringing us to the waterhole viewing platform where they left us to have our own private sundowner before returning by car to camp.
This evening after dinner, we visited some friends of Elisabeth and Laszlo who live nearby. News that Mark plays guitar had traveled, and we spent the evening on their rooftop under the stars, listening to guitar music, while bush babies were screeching and fruit bats were flying overhead. It was a surreal and memorable experience that I’ll never forget!

Day 4: This morning we rode to the other side of the hills where the landscape is very different with open plains, not as much vegetation, and much drier. We saw the wild eland that decided to join the cattle herd years ago. Her offspring have all joined eland herds, but she apparently likes to stay with the cattle. We saw wildebeest herds crossing the plains and today I’m finally successful in my attempts to get photo of wildlife and rider together. It’s sprinkling for much of the ride which feels great. During the ride, Elisabeth spots some wild mushrooms that have sprouted on the side of a termite mound and we stop to harvest them. These will be lunch tomorrow. We drop the horses off at the paddock instead of riding back to camp, and there we got a chance to meet Nkarsis the 6 year old orphan elephant that was raised on the ranch. We greet her by blowing into her trunk to which she responds by blowing hot elephant breath back at us
We took a short walk back to camp for lunch before packing up and heading back to the farm where the first thing I do is have a long hot shower! For dinner this evening, we’re treated to a delightful concoction called ‘Makoa curry’. It starts with a base of rice and chicken or vegetable curry to which you can add a selection of a dozen little side dishes of chopped nuts, eggs, cheese, veggies, and fruits to mix in to your liking. On the walk back to our cottage, I got my first bite from a safari ant. Boy do they hurt!

Day 5: This morning we were asked how active we wanted our last day in Tanzania to be to which we replied “not very” and that we were quite happy to just relax around the farm before our evening flight home. Laszlo gave us a tour of their veterinary clinic on site as well as most of the animals on the farm. Among their patients were rabbits, dogs, cats, a pair of Verreaux’s eagle owls, and 2 bush pigs. Other animals living on the farm aside from the horses include a few cows, pigs, Frisky the baby donkey who likes to chase the dogs around and nip me in the back of the knees to get me to play, 2 peacocks, ducks, geese, 7 dogs, many cats, rabbits, and countless guinea pigs. All are friendly except for one vicious goose

We took a short guided walk from the farm to a waterfall cave to see the fruit bats and look for monitor lizards. No lizards today, but we did see lots of bats. The mushrooms we harvested yesterday were chopped and sautéed with garlic and served with a vegetable quiche for lunch. This afternoon there’s a strong downpour lasting a few hours, the most rain we’ve experienced in a single day all trip. After an early dinner, we sit around and chat some more with Elisabeth and Laszlo. I look at my watch to see that it’s already 7:30pm (our flight is at 9:45pm) though no one else seems to be the least bit concerned. Another 15 minutes later, it’s suggested that we should head to the airport and we say our goodbyes to our hosts, take one last pic, and are off on the half hour drive to the airport.

Patti and Mark (published on Fodor’s website)

If you want to see more about this riding safari or make reservations, please go to:
http://hiddentrails.com/africa/tanzania/kilimanjaro-trail.htm

Riding at the Cape in South Africa

admin — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:36:00 GMT

Unforgettable is not the breathtaking landscape, nor the almost unbelievable history of this

unique country and its wonderful peoples, not the exotic animal world and not because of the adventurers in the African bush, but because of a man who got nicknamed ‘Bushman’ by his guests and who has the unique gift to combine for us all these impressions to one comprehensible Composition.

Yes, without exaggeration, the right description of this trail is to call it, a piece of all embracing art, which we were privileged to experience. I see South Africa now with different eyes! On my trail I did not only observe the wonderful landscapes and superb horses but also met some very interesting hosts with fascinating tales, who we spent evenings with in witty, intellectual conversation with lots of laughter.

Of course unforgettable remain the long rides along the dreamlike beaches of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean from where, out of the saddle, we observed nearby whales. But likewise unforgettable were the two days we lodged in the old farmhouse Goedvertrouw (Trust in God) of Elrida. She told us about the old days…. she knew that things needed time to grow to perfection, whether it’s the bread or butter, which she makes herself, or the wine, which she also cultivates by her own after her husband passed away some years ago. One evening on her stoop, one of my dreams came true: once in a lifetime to feel like Tanja Blixen in OUT OF AFRICA, with classical music in the background, laughter in the heart and the eyes resting on the endless African landscape.

With professional foresight Carl manages to instil into the guests an open view for this

country (and when on occasion this failed, his unique humour and the cool diplomacy of a man originating from Hamburg quickly got the situation under control!). And isn’t this what a traveller wants? To enlarge one’s horizon? And if this takes place on the back of a horse, what more could a rider possibly want?

Birgit de Fries

For more information, check out the Hidden Trails website at:

http://hiddentrails.com/africa/africa-south/cape-safari.htm