We're now back to Pheasant Hill House, the charming guest house just outside Pretoria, which is our main base for the holiday.
We turned up last Sunday driving up a green drive lined with urns on pedestals past the gate and round an Italianate fountain where we parked inside a tropical garden. Entering the Victorian style house we called out but there was no reply so we waited and enjoyed the brightly coloured birds flying around everywhere. After a a few minutes and a few more calls from us we heard a voice from the balcony above. I know it's hot here, but I'm having to get used the acres of male muscle on display! We had disturbed Mike in the middle of his shower so he was only wearing a towel tound his waist! We let him finish his shower before checking in.
The bird life in the garden of the guest house is absolutely stunning. At first I recognised nothing; everything was so brightly colored. However, by the end of breakfast on Monday morning I had identified a paradise fly catcher, a crested barbet, pintailed whydah, masked weaver birds, red bishops and crested guinea fowl although the latter may be domesticated. The bird life is so brilliant because we are on the edge of a nature reserve and the owners lead up two massive bird tables with fruit and seeds every day.
We have a very pleasant room in a block of four, ajacent to the main house with a swimming pool at least 2 metres from our bedroom door. When we returned yesterday the owner Deon, who is the keen bird watcher, showed us the weaver bird nests hanging from the trees just outside the courtyard. (I'll let you find another web site to discover the nest making process of the weaver bird.) The inspections by the female weaver birds are complete for these nests and there appear to be young inside.
Paul has been doing a stirling job as driver around the Gauteng in spite of us having hired an automatic with the poke of a Reliant Robin. It's taken him a couple of days to get used to the 4 way stop etiquette. Basically everyone stops then everyone takes their chance. Interesting road signs have inclided graphical interpretations of "Beware of monkeys", "Hippos crossing" and "No trading on the motorway hard shoulder".
Tomorrow we go to Soweto, the wedding is on Saturday then on to the Drakensburg so I won't be posting for a few days, but we're having a great time.
