February 17

February 16 - 17

Yesterday we visited Knysna Elephant Park. They have nine tame elephants there that you can interact with, pat and feed, etc.  I found one that particularly liked to be scratched behind the ears, not a small task on an African Elephant.  They are huge things and very dirty (but they don't smell at all)!   Amazing animals!  Julie and I then went for a trail ride, elephant style!  Our guides were very informative and answered all of our questions and we were able to learn a lot about elephants and their behaviour while we ambled along on their backs.  The story of the wild Knysna elephants in the Knysna Forest is both fascinating and tragic at the same time.  What used to be a herd of 400 - 500 elephants at the beginning of the nineteenth century, in 2003 the herd had dwindled to about 11.  Now, although the numbers are not known for sure, it is believed there are three to five remaining wild elusive elephants living deep in the forest.  Knysna Elephant Park's elephants are tame and imported from Botswana and Zimbabwe and are not a part of the Knysna Forest elephants.

After our interaction with the small herd Julie and I went for a trail ride, elephant style!  It's a bit like riding a horse only wider and a lot further to fall.  Also I'm not sure what would happen if you wanted them to stray off the beaten track. . . . .

From there we drove back into Knysna and stopped at a local artisan market on the way that was set up in a field on the side of the road.  There were some little rustic lean-tos in which the artisans presented their wares, like any vendors you would expect to see in Mexico or the Dominican Republic.  Much of the art work were carved from wood or stone and were beautiful.  We met a very nice stone carver named Steven and his family.  There were very intriguing and we spent a lot of time just chatting.  of course, we ended up buying things that will definitely weigh down our luggage!

Today Julie and I ventured out on our own for the first time and drove ourselves into Knysna to try and sort out our phone (to replace the one that was stolen) and see if we would be able to replace our laptop.  It wasn't as hard driving on the left side of the road as I thought it would be, mind you Julie was good to remind me "wrong lane" on any right hand turns.  However, it did cause my brain to kick into gear having to drive with my right hand and shift gears with the left . . . . Good thing all the pedals are still in the same order!