After swimming with sharks, we wanted to try something a bit tamer. We decided to test our skills by riding mountain bikes with super-fat tires down sand dunes.

We met up with our guide Dave, who was pure energy. A construction crew had dumped a giant pile of asphalt in front of the driveway to the sand dunes. Dave’s reaction was to laugh and say “It’s Africa!”

Soon, we were underway. About 30 seconds in, a mischevious bush jumped out at me. Luckily, it was my only fall of the day. Considering it was the third time I’ve ridden a bike in the last 10 years, I’ll call it a win.

We rode down steep dunes, always making sure to keep our tires pointed straight ahead. Otherwise, we’d be almost certain to have sand for breakfast.

Our two-hour session was quite the workout, so in the afternoon we relaxed by taking a river cruise in De Kelders, just fifteen minutes from Grootbos.

The weather was perfect. We just sat back, relaxed, and felt the warm breeze as it rustled through the trees.

At night, we had dinner in the Grootbos wine cellar, where a sword sat innocently on the back wall. Much to our surprise, our guide allowed us to take it for a spin!

Kevin did the honors by opening a bottle of champagne, which I captured with a very tasteful slow-motion video. We’re all very mature.