Sunday at Rosebank

Our last full day in Pretoria was a much laid back day… It started with breakfast and kept on going…. a day of sports for the guys… some time at the Driving Range and other dude stuff and a day of shopping for the ladies. Our goal was Rosebank Mall African Craft Market in Johannesburg, where you can buy some native works, (similar to our first experience) but much more polite salespeople, that understood ‘just looking’ and ‘no thank you’. We made a round just looking and determining if there was anything we’d like to have. I was on the lookout specifically for beads and fabric. Beads are difficult to find… and fabric is bit easier, and I found some!!! They are from Kenya. I got about 5 meters total, of 3 different prints! Not a lot, but since that’s all I’ve found so far…. I had 700 Rand with me and I spent it all!!!

Then we ventured up one level and found a more artsy type stuff. Good thing I was out of cash. I might have bought more stuff. I did see some oil on canvas paintings that if the artist had stopped gossiping long enough to say hello or boo, I would have bought one of 3 pieces, for my DH, well ok, for me, but to justify the expense… for him. They were all of wildlife… and wonderful!!!!

I am not yet sure how I am going to get all of this stuff home… but if there is a way.

While walking through the market there were lots of food vendors. Elmarie asked me if I’d had and Biltong and another rope like dried meat product. Nope… I hadn’t. It is the South African answer to beef jerky and delicious, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltong . While visiting with Fanie and Elmarie, we had several other types of sausage/hotdog/tube type meat, but quite frankly my brain is fried and I can’t remember any of the names, but all of them were tasty!!! I never knew there were so many different kinds of sausage/hot dogs. And I say this because when we got back to the house, we had a snack of 3 more kinds of sausage that I had not had before! Although, one meat seller at Rosebank, offered a taste of one and I said it tasted just like kielbasa, which is not known here. While we ladies were still shopping Fanie started an Osso Bucco stew that was outstanding for supper. He also just "whipped up’ a loaf of beer batter bread that was perfect!!! And a salad rounded things out. If you ever get up from the table at their house still hungry, it’s your own fault!!!

Tomorrow we are heading back to Durban, but instead of flying we are driving. Fanie has to be there for business and this way we will be able to see about 373 miles of the countryside… We are also taking a short side trip to a local hide tannery before we hit the road to Durban.

Let me close with a picture of todays (7-9-2009) sunrise over the Indian Ocean, the best color yet

and a bonus… Tonights (7-9-2009) moon rise over the Indian Ocean.