Last week/weekend, we took a quick trip down to Pretoria for our second trimester ultrasound and took advantage of the opportunity to spend a few days catching up with an old friend. Those few days there were exciting (finding out the sex of our little tater on the way), refreshing, and delicious. We had a great time getting out and seeing Pretoria and Johannesburg, compared to our previous trips down for medical appointments and surgeries that preoccupied our time and confined us to the hotel or hospital.
First off, in case you are curious…we are excited to announce we are having a boy!
Now onto a recap of our quick trip to South Africa…I can’t help but start it off talking about FOOD!
Boerewors Tacos
Our friend treated us to some boerewors (sausage made with ground beef and pork mixed with herbs and spices) grilled on his built-in braai. Paired with homemade salsa and guacamole and grilled veggies, these boerewors tacos were addictive! We all kept going back for more.
Rietvlei Nature Reserve
Just outside the city, Rietvlei Nature Reserve was a great last minute afternoon game drive. The powerlines running through the park was an odd juxtaposition from the oasis of the park. Inside, we saw wildebeests, zebras, hartebeests, ostriches, waterbuck, impalas, and a number of birds.
We even had a photoshoot with a zebra, who let us get up close and personal for quite a while…not even bothered by our presence. Our fingers are crossed for more experiences like this as we head to Tanzania this week to witness the Great Migration.
Hazelwood Market
A recommendation to hit up the Hazelwood Market on Saturday, left us happy and our mouths watering at the endless options of grilled meat, varied cuisines, biltong, filled cupcakes and muffins, and fresh juices. Truly a food lovers dream! If we lived in Pretoria, I think this would be our regular weekend spot.
We wandered around the food tents taking in the possibilities to enjoy for our lunch. We enjoyed the most amazing pork buns with Sriracha sauce as an appetizer and saved red velvet muffins with cream cheese filling for a dessert later in the evening. We ended up settling on a chicken, rocket, tomato, and cheese flatbread with balsamic drizzle for me and a sausage, fried egg, and sundried tomato pesto for the boys.
Springboks Rugby Match
We capped off our trip to South Africa with an impromptu Springboks rugby game. The energy was infectious as the Springboks turned the game around in the last quarter to beat the Irish national team. Not knowing much at all about rugby, we were anxious to learn and be a part of this past-time.
Our night was even better when I realized that we were watching my cousin play in-person for the Irish national team. I couldn’t get over the fact that almost a decade after meeting him, we finally saw him playing on a trip to South Africa.
What a great trip away…looking forward to the next one already on the books for later this week and for the chance to make another trip down to South Africa one day soon.
A Hint of Ginger 