Going to the wedding

Day 1

We were up at the normal work day time, as we had to get the boys done and off to school. So as they left I packed the VW, and the Princess gave the domestic her instructions for the day. Yup, you guessed right, we have to retrain her every third day when she comes in to clean and iron.

At about 5 to 8 we drove out. Stopped off at the offices of the Princess's employers auditors, and then on to the post office to send off a parcel to my brother who had procured another thing on bid or buy, and had it delivered to me.

Then across town to collect the wedding cake. Different to the norm, its a carrot cake, with icing, and decorated with some nice burnt orange roses made of that stuff that they put on cakes that isn't edible. It looks lovely!

Then we set off for a new shopping center on Beyers naude Drive (LIU) that seems to specialise in clothing stores. 35 Stores later and we didn't find one top that the Princess liked. Wait, i tell a lie, she did find one or two, but not in her size. On to Fourways (LIU) another big shopping center. There I could tell she was losing interest. We went through a couple of stores, I bought her a top that fitted and is very nice, but not what she wanted for the wedding, and then we left.

She's packed in quite a few options, and will just wear one of those she has.

So, by 11 am we were on our way. Princess drove for the fist bit, till about Middelburg, (LIU). There we stopped at a Shell Ultra City, refuelled the van, and got some quick take aways from the Steers fast food, and some drinks, (non alcoholic). I drove from there, through Belfast, Dullstroom, Lydenburg and on towards Origstad. Took the Pilgrims Rest turnoff, down / up Robbers Pass and finally the turn off to Mount Sheba. 10 km's of really poor access road.

Obviously the local provincial dept. is not aware of this piece of road, or they just couldn't care.
The last 3 km's is maintained by the lodge, and it's great.

The drive through the forest

The last two km's winds down into the valley, through what must be the last bit of natural forest in the area for hundreds of kilometers! Its absolutely beautiful.
The lodge reception

Finally, at the bottom of the valley you arrive at a most beautiful location. Just over four hours from the Fourways mall where we shopped for the Princess's top. Lovely views, a trout dam, swimming pool, great walking trails through the forest, and very, very good prices. Looks like the location had panned out, and from what we can see, the preparations and arrangements are up to scratch.

Methinks this wedding is going to be first class. we are getting a private dining area just for the reception, and another private function room for the wedding ceremony. The Princess has out done herself. But them, I knew she would!

Sign at the forest entrance at the lodge. Seems they have to cover all options!

We booked in, chilled in the room for a while, had a refreshing shower (me), and bath (her), and then went for a walk around the property. Popped in to the pub for a quiet early evening drink, Millers (me) and Cinzano and lemonade (her). Nice pub, big fire burning and quiet. Then on to reception to ask for someone to come and light up the fire, and bring more wood and coal!
View from our balcony - before the smoke (see later)

That done, the room warms up nice and quick. Even though it gets to about 25 / 26 / 27 deg. C in the day, it still drops to between 3 and 6 deg.C at night! And here down in the bottom of the valley, first the sun sets earlier, and it seems to get colder.

Right now I'm in the room chilling again. A little later we're going for dinner. Some nice red wine, and good food, and then back to our room. A room service person (what the hell do you call them?) has just come in, places two hot water bottles in the beds, and delivered some bed time chocolates! This is great. I could get used to this pampering and luxury and chilling. Man, these guys with the bucks sure know how to live. And to think I'm doing it on someone else's expense. It's great!!!

Later:-Back from dinner. It was great! The service here is excellent, and the food divine.Back in the room we are pleased to find a guy waiting for us with a refill for the firewood box, the coffee / tea has been replenished, and the bath towels, and floor towel have been replaced. It's really very very good service.
Managed to get signal and spoke to the boys, and now I found a corner where the 3G card can connect, so I'm finishing this to post it.

Day 2

Soon after we retired (he he) the wind started to blow. And damn, did it blow! It was vicious, and blew all night. I got up and added some logs to the fire, and curled up behind the Princess, with an extra blanket covering us. By 4 am we were not comfortable anymore. It was really cold, it was really blowing, and it was really dark. I got up and saw that there were still some embers glowing in the fire place. So I added two more logs, started the blower to see if I could resuscitate the fire, but to no avail. So, back to bed, even closer to the wife, and went back to sleep. Or at least tried to. Didn't sleep too well, and by 6 am was really getting frustrated.

We got up by 7.30 am, showered and the rest, and went out to breakfast. it was nice out, warm already, even thought the wind was still blowing, but not as strong as the previous night. Breakfast was a nice, quiet affair, and I went out to take some photos. After we'd finished we took a drive to Pilgrims Rest, just to stretch the legs, and at least do a little of the tourist thing.

Found a nice leather pouch there for my new Nokia N95! and at the same price I would have paid for one in JHB!

By midday we were back at the lodge, and taking a rest (and writing this piece). We're basically waiting for a late lunch, the GM and the events organiser to get back from their trip to Lydenburg so we can start with the preparation of the chapel layout, and then reception area layout. Seems like they have everything well planned though, so it's just a matter supervising and checking that we are happy with their ideas.

Lunch was nice, we didn't have anything big, and then we found the Gm & co. The flowers look good. News is that there is a runaway fire a few km's down the road, south west of us on the way to Lydenburg, and it could jump the tar road. They had sent for support and water tankers from the surrounding lodges / farms / forestry guys. One house had already been gutted, and they were trying to ensure the second on that land didn't follow suit.

The bridal couple were the first to arrive, followed by the Princess's ex boss and his wife. The other guests followed in drips and drabs. NickM, the groom is very happy with the location, and is happy with the preparations.

Dinner was a long affair, enjoyed by all. We moved over to the bar area, which we proceeded to take over, and stayed there till almost midnight. The GM arrived and informed us that the fire had jumped the road, and had progressed all the way down the valley about 10 km south of us.

The fire was now quite visible in the night sky, but was about 29 km due east from our place of residence. Still a daunting prospect though. With these winds blowing as they are, we could find ourselves surrounded by fire later on! And what with the thatch roof on the buildings...

Some of the cottages are further down from our hotel suites, and surrounded by the bush, unlike our rooms which have vast, short cut lawns around them.We just hope the fires move away from us, and that the wind will die down, giving the firefighters a chance to douse it. Time will tell.

Day 3 - the wedding day

Managed to keep the fire burning most of the night, and it also didn't get as cold a the night before. Slept ok, but thoughts of the fire plays on your mind, so woke up from time to time.
This morning the whole valley east of here is a massive cloud of smoke. Funny that the wind isn't blowing it all away? In fact the wind is forcing the smoke into a massive cloud which we can see from here.

After breakfast most of the guests have gone their own way. Some for walks, some drives to Pilgrims Rest and some to Bourks potholes. The Princess and I have just hung around, checking on the planning and decorations and stuff. It's really coming together very well.

The "Chapel"

The guest who was going to fly in in his chopper let us know that he couldn't, he was warned of the very strong winds. So he's going to fly in in his fixed wing Cesna. However, based on the info we are getting from the surrounding towns, I don't think that's an option either. there are now 3 or 4 runaway fires, and there is smoke everywhere. At about midday the wind died down, and I watched as the smoke cloud collapsed into itself, and the smoke rolled out to all corners. As I sit here there is smoke all around us. I have taken some photos to show the effect.

View from our balcony - with the smoke!

The ladies are all in with the bride to be, doing a ladies tea coupled with a gifts handover, based on the traditional "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" thingy. Another of the Princesses bright ideas. She has really, thus far outdone all expectations.

I've made sure that the guys who tend to drink too much and treat such affairs lightly have gone to lie down and have a snooze before proceedings get underway. I mean, they had beers for breakfast! Can you imagine their condition by 4 pm?

Also, the Princess issued strict instruction, any of the invited guests who are not seated in the "chapel" by the time the bride enters, will not be granted access, and will go and wait for the rest of us in the pub. She's not taking any nonsense!

The only downside to all this so far is that there is no cell phone signal, so I have not been able to post any of this stuff, and will have to do so when I get back home. It will, therefore, be an epic of the events, a la story telling epics normally posted by the likes of http://dmdad.blogspot.com/ and

http://cnut.blogspot.com/.

The ceremony was delayed for about 15 minutes as the preacher had got a flat wheel on his car.

The "flying " guest arrived! he had flown over the lodge, in the chopper after all, but could not land due to the smoke. So he crossed over the mountain to the north, found a farm with landing space, and promptly sat her down! He walked over to the farm house, and arranged for the farmer to give him a lift to the lodge, and keep an eye on his 'bird" for the night! So he arrived, I rushed him to his room so he could get cleaned up and changed, and we were all in the chapel before the bride!

The ceremony was short and sweet, and before we knew it we were all back in the pub area, with the preacher and his wife, drinking a toast to the couple! Snacks were laid on as dinner would only be served at 6.30 pm.

The preacher was telling us that there were no less then 4 runaway fires. I don't recall how many hundreds of thousands of hectares of veld / forest had burnt down, and he confirmed there were a couple of volunteer fire fighters missing overnight, with another having suffered severe burns to his face and eyes, and two guests at a lodge had also been burnt!

Later we moved in to the private dining area, and this proved to be the most successful part of the occasion yet! It was magnificent, and everyone was complimentary about it. Candles everywhere! Beautiful yet plain / simple flower decorations, and cream / burnt orange / gold table cloths, curtains, decorations!

The private dining area

The management team had really outdone themselves and delivered the goods here! Dinner was a very successful affair, with each course being served to the guests by the waiters and waitresses (what the hell is a waitron?). Wine selection was good, and the chat around the table very comfortable, easy. The Princess and I had decided who was sitting where, and name tags had been placed at each seat. Seems like we had got it right. Well, except for the grumpy guy who was sitting next to the Princess (no, not me, on her other side!). I think he had had words with his slag, as he didn't seem to be too happy.

The wedding cake

After dinner, everyone moved back to the pub, where, accompanied by a cheese and wine platter, the festivities would continue till late in the night! The Princess and I helped sort out the things in the dining room, like the special candles, etc. and then joined everyone in the pub. There was congratulations from everyone through out the evening for the princess on a task very well delivered. In fact, I was chatting to her about doing this as a second job, and ultimately as a business! But, I'm not sure she's too keen.

Slowly as the night went on, the couples faded to their nice warm fired rooms. The smoke outside was still overwhelming, and it was obvious that the fires were still burning fiercely.

At one point, the GM's assistant approached me to say that the couple who were leaving early the next morning had said they had no outstanding bills as they had not signed any slips! However, they had, on Friday night had a bottle of very expensive wine with dinner, and also had a couple or three Remi Martins!! in the pub later.

As the computers were down, till slips were not printed for signing immediately, but each had

been informed personally that their bills would be presented for signature the next day. This couple declined to sign "later"!

Anyway, I told her not to worry, I would get it sorted. Goes to show you. No matter how wealthy some people are, they still just garbage, with attitude, tight wallets, and shit attitude. Who do they think was going to pick up the cost? The lodge? Idiots, or as we say here in SA "Fokkin Doos!".

Day 4

By midnight there were just 3 couples left in the pub, and with about 4 tequila shooters behind her, the Princess and I bid the barman good night.Slept well, and in the morning we were almost the last of the guests to rise and get to breakfast. Everyone seemed in good spirits. I sorted the issue of the o/s bill with the groom, who didn't sweat it (ZAR 300), and then each couple went back to pack, and check out, and leave.

We waited for last, to ensure there were no problems. The bride and groom were also waiting to settle their bill last. When he got his, he was informed that his guest, the one who flew in, had settled a big chunk of it, and I mean a big chunk, as a wedding present. Well, now that's what I call generous, seeing as the groom was liable for the accommodation, and meals, and the drinks bill for the wedding dinner / after dinner party!!

So, we left, and as we were winding up the mountain, I spotted the chopped overhead. He flew all the way down to the lodge, touched down on the helipad which had been invisible the day before, and then took off again, and flew up the gorge / valley and away. he'd come to land there initially, and land there he would!

Up to the top of the mountain, and down 10km of dirt road, and as we approach the provincial tarred road the extent of the devastation of the fires which had been burning around us is evident. For miles around its smoke and blackened earth. As we drive away along the road towards Lydenburg I am blown away by the visible devastation. One consolation, for me anyway, is that most of the little natural forest which can be found around here has been spared. Nature trying to tell us something maybe?

The devastation!

Salagatle!