Munnikspas

Arriving in Graaff-Reiner was like driving into the middle of the desert. The sky was bright blue and cloudless, and the landscape was barren and very arid. We enjoyed the pool at our hotel, and baked in the dry heat, with humidity levels under 10%, it was unlike any weather I'd experienced before.
Friday night we found ourselves surrounded by friends at Mark & Dorette's wedding rehearsal dinner. We enjoyed some Karoo lamb and shared our plans to manage the expected heatwave Saturday.
Saturday morning we were up at 6am, which was still an hour after sunrise, and headed up to the Valley of Desolation to enjoy the amazing views before it got too hot. The landscape was breathtaking, and at ~1,500 meters above sea level, you could look down to see the birds flying below our lookout point. I enjoyed all the views except the one of Christiaan perched on the edge of the rocks. I told him next time I'm taking out life insurance on him before a photo op like that again!
After relaxing by the pool in the early afternoon heat, and a relaxed lunch at a local restaurant, Polka, it was time for the wedding! My first Afrikaans wedding, and the pastor was nice enough to give us an English summary every few minutes. Mark & Dorette both looked so happy and in love, they didn't stop smiling the whole night! From the church we headed to the reception for dinner, dancing, and lots of (Afrikaans) speeches. The after-party kept us out until 4:30am, so we finally turned in just as the sun was coming up. A wonderful day celebrating two of our favorite people!

-LauraRead more