Jeremy - our driver - was here early to drive us the hour to Durbanville - the home of the Cape Town Ostrich Ranch.
The ostrich is the world's largest living species of bird, cannot fly, can run upto 45 mph, can kill a human very easily with its feet, has a Latin name of Struthio Camelus, has meat with 1% fat, lays a single egg that contains the yolks & albumen of - on average - 24 chicken eggs, are around a million strong in South Africa, can live to 60 years old and at one time, its feathers were worth more than gold ... phew.
The Ranch breeds ostriches ... for meat, skin, eggs ... and sheer entertainment ... i.e. you can sit on one, have an ostrich burger or omlette or just stand on an egg! The egg weighs up to 1.5 kgs and is made of calcium ... you can stand on one and it won't break!
I met up with owner Gavin Kanigowski - one of the funniest guys alive - also one of the most knowledeable ostrich farmers in the world. It was an entertaining morning!
Back at La Residence and the lovely Liza Schoeman was at hand to give me a massage by the lake ... the swans and the ducks were highly amused!
Then a cooking masterclass with Exec Chef - Wayne Spencer. He's looked after us SO well - pizza, fries, bacon sandwiches (all at our request) and healthy meals (his usual creations!). Today I learnt how to produce a wonderful trout carpaccio ... washed down with a wonderful local rose wine ... yum. Tonight we are getting prawn and chicken curry.
We leave La Residence tomorrow early --- off to Camps Bay. It has been an exceptional stay.
Song of the Day: Loose Fit - Happy Mondays
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQCrgu8Am2U
Weather: Dull
good morning ostrich
yeeee ....
haaaa ....
feeble attempt to break an egg
i AM losing weight!
masseuse liza
chef wayne
