Extreme Dinner 2010

Off-bike adventures with the slightly-crazy Mummy

Entrance fee on the Mnweni side is R25, and then it's R35 per day. Times 2 people, made the total amount R260. Agrippa couldn't use credit cards, and by the time we counted all our change, we had exactly 20c to spare. So we packed the chocolates and glasses and wine and bottled peppers and cheese and chocolates and off we went. Weather turned nasty, and we opted to stay in a cave that we found at the bottom of Rockeries, in stead of going up the pass.

There were lots of lovely green plants growing all around the cave. Wondered if i would be able to make one grow in a pot at home - such a healthy green colour.





Here's the Mummy ironing his clothes before the dinner party. These dinners are quite formal affairs, can't be seen with wrinkled clothes.




... and here he is in the jacuzzi, getting ready for the party. Can't be dirty either.



The best view that any jacuzzi possibly can have



Here he is baking pancakes .... pancakes just won't be the same if they're not baked in the Jamie Oliver pan.





.. and some after-dinner chess and wine - and some chocolates - the perfect end to a perfect evening.




Someone told the Mummy that milk is good for that morning-after-ness.


A lovely weekend :)

Extreme Dinner - new years 2009

We were 3000 metres above sea level. It was cold and wet and misty and miserable and none of us were in the mood for celebrating anything, let alone getting into formal gowns and partying the night away. It was four hours after we left the car park on what was supposed to be a 2-hour hike. It was pitch dark long before we reached the chain ladders, and even though we knew we were only 300 metres from the hut, we couldn’t find it due to low visibility.

We pitched the tents and Gerard started making butternut soup. We were hungry and cold and wet. The walk up here was slippery and dangerous at places, the packs heavy with all kinds of nonnecessities. We huddled around a tuna-salad and washed it down with big gulps of Roberto’s sherry. The soup took forever, but finally it was kind of ready – we declared it 2009 and went to bed. It was cold and wet and miserable, but at least we weren’t that hungry any more. We would have the dinner in the morning.

1 January 2009 broke clear and crispy with the majesty of a drakensberg morning. We were 3000 metres above sea level and right next to the mighty tugela, a few metres from where it tumbles 900 metres to the valley far below. One by one people crawled out of their tents … and then 2009’s cork popped exuberantly and joyfully like a drakensburg-morning:

Jacques ironed his shirt.

The girls got dressed

Then we took some pictures

Had a bite to eat – a few bites, actually – the menu included, but was not limited to, a fish-dish, salad, lasagna, grilled chicken, couscous with balsamic vinegar and grilled veggies, tiramisu, cheese & biscuits, and chocolates and coffee … washed down with liberal amounts of sherry, bubbly and red wine.

And finally the dancing bagan (it's the speakers here in the foreground, living next door to alice)

The vitalstatistix for the midweek-weekend:

Carrying non-necessities up the mountain: 5000 kiloCalories

Shivering from cold and wet while pitching tents: 2000 Calories

Ironing shirt for early-morning dinner-party: 1000 Calories

5-course dinner for breakfast: -7000 gigaCalories

Extra portion of Tiramisu: -1000 gigaCalories

Memories: calorie-less :)