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Jan. 12, 2008

Oudtshoorn was another interesting stop in our travels north and east. We drove into the region called the "Little Karoo," in which we were able to stay with Afrikaans-speaking hosts in an area largely populated with ostrich farmers. We were able to tour one of the largest ostrich farms in the area, to visit the incubators, and even to witness new hatchlings emerging from their shells. We learned that farming is quite risky business in this area as the weather and the ostriches live in a tenuous balance. We also learned quite a bit more about the Afrikaner people, their history, and their views of how life has been changed with the fall of apartheid. The morning of our departure, we attended a coloured Afrikaans-speaking church. Many of the church members were not there because they were employed by the farmers and those who hosted us at their B & Bs, which helped put the economy and culture in sharp focus for us.