Delicious wines....

This morning the winds continued to howl so we set off on a very unusual adventure to Naukluft National Park which was a rough 2 hour drive through gorgeous southwest type of scenery.  


We arrived at the park and entered into a hidden canyon where a natural spring flowed down the cliffs creating waterfalls and emerald pools surrounded by tall trees and reeds.  We hiked about 1.5 hours up the winding canyon and followed the river as we wound our way higher and higher.  
Each bench revealed another clear pool and the atmosphere was so calming and peaceful.  Just incredible to find an oasis like this in the middle of such dry "Big Country"...  

Next we stopped by a winery that had been set up at another natural spring along our route back.  They think their wine as the driest in the world and I can see why.  We were hosted by a lovely family who were raising two children in the wilderness and making Shiraz and a red blend.  We had a tasty lasagne and toured the five pools on the property that were surrounded by towering palm trees, orange trees, and lots of flowering plants.  Another oasis in the desert which absolutely blew us away.
The Shiraz was delicious and all the profit goes towards nature conservancy so we felt good supporting them...my kind of charity!  

When we returned the manager of the lodge Yvonne had set up a private tasting of some of South Africa's finest wines.  We loved the Ernie Els red and the Jordan unoaked Chardonnay among others...tomorrow we fly to Swakopmund which is a German town on the coast north of us.