After we sadly left the beach house on Sunday the 30th, we packed up to head inland to Auntie Cookie and Uncle Owen’s home in the middle of the sugar cane farms. We stopped at Joe Cool’s on the beach for a quick bolster of food and civilization before heading out to the unknown.
We drive up and away from Durban towards Camperdown, and then head back into the rolling farmlands that mainly raise sugar cane. As far as the eye can follow, one can see the sugar cane fields. Rather mind-bogglingly, they are all still cut by hand. Back and back into the farmland, through the few trees where the monkeys scrambled off the road as we drove by, and finally up to the “town” of Mid Illovo which consists of a small grocery, a post office, police station and a liquor store. Some 5 kms away we arrived on the farmstead where Auntie and Uncle reside and help to caretake the main house and immediate grounds.
The farmhouse is nearly 200 years old with walls about 15-18 inches thick! The wood floors have been trod countless times, and they creak a tired welcome as we enter. Just a few yards away is the cottage in which Auntie and Uncle stay. The first thing that is apparent around it, other than the gardens of flowers and plants, are the pecking and muttering of the silky chickens wandering around the garden.
Nearby, the guava trees are heavy with fruit and the ground below them is littered with dropped and frot guavas.
Behind the main house is a huge tree full of dozens of weaver bird nests hanging from the branches as if the tree bore baby birds rather than fruit.
Some of the flowers around the grounds were amazing and still in beautiful bloom.
And the view from the cottage looking down into the undulating valley and over the sugar cane.
We drive up and away from Durban towards Camperdown, and then head back into the rolling farmlands that mainly raise sugar cane. As far as the eye can follow, one can see the sugar cane fields. Rather mind-bogglingly, they are all still cut by hand. Back and back into the farmland, through the few trees where the monkeys scrambled off the road as we drove by, and finally up to the “town” of Mid Illovo which consists of a small grocery, a post office, police station and a liquor store. Some 5 kms away we arrived on the farmstead where Auntie and Uncle reside and help to caretake the main house and immediate grounds.
The farmhouse is nearly 200 years old with walls about 15-18 inches thick! The wood floors have been trod countless times, and they creak a tired welcome as we enter. Just a few yards away is the cottage in which Auntie and Uncle stay. The first thing that is apparent around it, other than the gardens of flowers and plants, are the pecking and muttering of the silky chickens wandering around the garden.
Nearby, the guava trees are heavy with fruit and the ground below them is littered with dropped and frot guavas.
Behind the main house is a huge tree full of dozens of weaver bird nests hanging from the branches as if the tree bore baby birds rather than fruit.
Some of the flowers around the grounds were amazing and still in beautiful bloom.
And the view from the cottage looking down into the undulating valley and over the sugar cane.
--Doni
1 comment:
Aww, that chicken is so cute! ^_^ And beautiful flowers, too! The scent must be amazing.
a huge tree full of dozens of weaver bird nests hanging from the branches as if the tree bore baby birds rather than fruit.
That's a lovely mental image :D
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