October 31, No Halloween Celebration Here!

No mention of Halloween anywhere around here today!  We walked around and above the olive groves this morning before breakfast.  There was a little pond along the main road to the guest farm before we started up the trail above the olive grove.  We stopped and birded there a few minutes until I got stung on my forearm by a honey bee for no apparent reason.  More bees began to land on me and in my hair, so I made a run for it back to the guest house reception area, where I removed the stinger and the receptionist put a special salve on it.  After 3 hours there was no pain or throbbing or swelling!  It was a 5 hour drive to our next destination in Stellenbosch, where we're staying at a very small winery.  Scenery along the way just before we got to Stellenbosch was spectacular - small valleys of vineyards with huge rocky mountains surrounding the entire area.  Our drive included a 4 km long tunnel through one of these mountains!!  Mari (my sister), you would have freaked out!!

Photos are scarce today with all of the driving!  First one is a Three-banded Plover at the pond where I got stung, the olive grove with accommodations beyond from the escarpment, looking the other way from the olive grove towards Karoo NP mountains.