Our next stop was at this lovely place - Eight Bells Mountain Inn. (Photo is from Eight Bells website - their photo is better than the one I have.) We stayed here for 2 nights. This place is PERFECT for families. The nightly dinner menu had kid-friendly meals or a kid-sized portion of one of the specials (the soups were an excellent starter after a chilly day). Eight Bells was equipped with a Recreation Center (table tennis and junior pool table) as well as a trampoline and playground equipment. Perfect for keeping the girls busy. (It was MUCH too cold for the pool.)If you look to the left of this photo - beyond the stone arch, you should see a log cabin. We didn't stay in one of these - but they looked so charming! We stayed in a family suite which was equipped with 2 bedrooms.
Daddy and daughter taking a stroll
These birds were amazing to watch - and listen to! They stayed so busy building their nests. You can see one of the birds partially inside its nest. This type of bird is called a 'weaver'. Appropriate name since all they did while we watched was weave. Very interesting how the entrance is on the underside of the nest.
I encourage you to read the history of Eight Bells Mountain Inn - why the inn chose Eight Bells for its name. (Go to the Eight Bells website, and click on the history link towards the bottom of the page.) This framed history info was located in the lobby of the inn.
Though the rooms were not equipped with heaters - and it got quite chilly at night! - we did have underfloor heating! I am so spoiled.
If you look closely at this photo - you can detect the riding trails which we went on. The ride was about 1.5 hours long. Loved it! Our horse-loving daughter really liked having her family ride with her.
The horses we rode - this was taken after the ride.
After a leisurely morning of horse back riding, we ventured to the Cango Caves and did some climbing and exploring! I believe this was my most favorite part of our entire trip. The caves were amazing. (I keep using that word...need to get out my thesaurus for another word!) We opted for the Adventure Tour (which carried us deep into the cave and lasted about 1.5 hours)...so glad we did! Loved every minute of it.The first chamber we entered: Van Zyl's Hall - named for the man that discovered the caves in 1780. Here, the chamber is only slightly illuminated with man-made light (DUH! We were in a cave! What other type of light would there be?? I type the silliest things). Then you are 'wowed' when all the lights are on. (2 more photos down)
The story of the discovery of these caves is that the farmer had only a small oil lamp to light his way when he entered the cave. The farmer estimated the chamber being much, much smaller that its actual size. Guess I would too, if all I had was a tiny flame! During our tour, the guide turned off all the lights, so the chamber would only be illuminated with a small amount of light, comparable to what the farmer would have used.
The magnificent Organ Pipes.
Cleopatra's Needle
Climbing, crawling, crouching....all part of the tour. Good exercise!
This section was called "Lumbago Alley" - part of the Adventure Tour. Oh! My aching back. The girls didn't need to bend over much at all, of course. The advantages of being a kid.
This gives you an idea of the size of the "Tunnel of Love".
Note WHY this section is called the "Tunnel of Love"! Squeeze!
This section was called the "Ice Chamber". Info from the website: "This ledge indicates the level of a cave pool from a bygone age. The pool's level ultimately subsided, leaving only a shallow pool in the cavern today." (The coloring in the pics indicates a previous water level.)
Now for the REALLY exciting part of the caves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is our eldest daughter, climbing up the "Devil's Chimney".
To say this was a 'tight fit' is an understatement. We were given very specific instructions by our guide as to 'how' to climb up this thing. She coached each member of our group up through the tight fit.
To say this was a 'tight fit' is an understatement. We were given very specific instructions by our guide as to 'how' to climb up this thing. She coached each member of our group up through the tight fit.
The tour guide took this photo. Though this isn't focused, you get an idea of what it's like to climb/maneuver up this narrow 'chimney'.
Diagram of the actual size of the chimney opening.
The most difficult of all the openings - thankfully we only went through this once!
The Letterbox! You could go through this head first, feet first - or my choice - sideways (towards the end of the opening)!
A climber being given a boost.
Once they're in - all you see are the soles of their shoes!No one in our group got stuck!
Another of the chambers
We had SO.MUCH.FUN as a family on this particular adventure. We laughed so hard at one another as we were wiggling through some of the tight spots. Awesome memories.
Next on the list of 'places we stopped' will be Hermanus and watching the Southern Right whales. Stay tuned for more!
