Dear Coco

I hope that you and Laddie are well and haven't driven Leticia round the bend.

This is our second last day - and we will soon be home so hang in there! We left Ithala and the rolling green hills of KZN, and were soon in the grasslands of the Free State - complete with cowboys on Basutho ponies.

Our destination: a night in the Golden Gate Highland National Park in a restcamp called Basotho Cultural Village. As we arrived in the National Park we saw this sign and wondered if it was the right place. Looked quite an unusual signpost for a SANParks restcamp ...

But it turned out to be correct, and although it took quite a time to find anyone to show us to our hut, a key was eventually produced and we were shown to our rondavel.

The inside of the hut was just so nice. All neat and functional and stylish - and it smelled so gorgeous - all grassy and clean. We felt we could have lived here for ever (but only if they had allowed us to fetch you and Laddie too).

We had to drive to the main SANParks reception at Glen Reenen to officially book in, and on the way we saw lots of Blesbuck just in front of our huts.

This was the main reception in front of these magnificent golden and red sandstone cliffs where, I understand, Lammergeiers and Bald Ibis breed.

Seems like a holiday where we go from one exciting pass to another.

Back at the hut after a gently meandering game drive in the mountains,

and a braai on our verahda - each hut equipped with a Weber braai. Very civilized.

Next morning we left our perfect little Basutho hut very reluctantly, and drove into the pretty town of Clarens where we saw this very elegant lurcher.

We also saw lots of Bald Ibises - apparently quite rare - which was exciting.

We then drove a great many miles, stopping at this little padstal to buy honey and biltong (some for you) and dried fruit to keep us going

until we arrived at our guestfarm - Lemoenfontein - outside Beaufort West.

This is our supremely comfy and warm room,

with our supremely comfy and warm bed.

It is a beautiful old farmhouse built against the side of a hill, with a huge wooden veranda overlooking the plains of the Karoo.

We had a sumptuous dinner of lamb shank and veg,

in the elegant dining room, then went to bed.

Next morning we said cheerio to the dogs and the parrot

and the cats, and hit the road.

The Karoo is very green at the moment with lots of water - and on this pan in Beaufort West were lots of flamingoes - not very easy to see in the photo, but really stunningly beautiful.

Then very soon we were back in a very cloudy Cape Town - we couldn't even see Table Mountain - and

home again in time to relieve Leticia of her ordeal of looking after you two skebangas and take her home before dark. I hope you enjoyed your biltong!

Well Coco, this is the last letter - and I am sorry it took so long to post - but now you have the gist of what we got up to for two weeks without you.

love from the Food Lady x x