Since the conditions were too poor to go cage diving with great white sharks, we opted to do the next best thing: wine tasting.

We boarded the bus and drove to Stellenbosch, a quaint college town in the middle of the wine region with Dutch architectural influence. Stellenbosch University used to be Afrikaan, but most schools are open now. Chris, Aaron and I enjoyed a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop while others shopped. We all agreed; the coffee in South Africa is second to none.

We also stopped at outside the Drakenstein Correctional Centre where Nelson Mandela spent the last part of his imprisonment for campaigning against apartheid. On the day of his release, reporters from all over the world surrounded the prison, aiming to get a photo of Mandela walking to freedom. His statue now stands outside the prison gates.

We then stopped by the tasting room of Vredenheim winery. For those who were not wine fans, Vredenheim also features a big cat park. Stellenbosch is known for its cabernet and for Pinotage, a wine specific to that region. There are 1500 wine farms in the area. Some are boutique and make only one wine, other export.

Des also covered the following on the bus tour:
- South Africa is the largest producer of macadamia nuts.
- Strawberry farms are popular in the area.
- The region is under drought conditions. The lowest reading at the local dam was 12%. Now up around 30%.
- Rugby was used to unite the nation via the 1995 World cup.
- The new South African national anthem is made up of 5 languages.
- Afrikaans is the youngest language in the world.
- Cows are typically part of dowries and equates to wealth. 1 cow is equal to about $11,000 USD.
- Men can have more than 1 wife. The current President has 6.
- Diana Ross's husband was a mountaineer. He successfully climbed Everest, but fell to his death on a small mountain in Stellenbosch.