South Africa #19

So that last one was #18, so now I am at #19. Same day as the Cango  Caves, and now we are off to an ostrich farm. I don't generally like these types of things because they’re usually super boring. The camel breeding farm in India was a prime example, all we saw were camel backsides and a bunch of bored camels in pens, although I did try unpasteurized camel ice-cream.  But the ostrich thing was included, so what do you do? However, I was greatly mistaken, it was so interesting and informative. The local guide was really funny, as well as having an answer to every question we had. 

A few tidbits for you, that you may or may not have known. The males are black and the females are grey. They both take turns sitting on the eggs. We probably all knew that already, but did you know that the males sit on them at night and the females during the day? The reason is twofold. Firstly, most predators come out at night and the males are much stronger and can defend the nest better, and secondly, being black means the males absorb more heat during the day and are warmer as they sit on the eggs at night. Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me.

One ostrich eggs is the equivalent of 24 chicken eggs and takes 6 hours to hard boil and needs to be cracked open with a hammer. Not just any half-assed hammer, but a good strong one. The meat is cholesterol free, and is so healthy for you, but the eggs are loaded with all that extra cholesterol and they are not healthy at all. If one were to have a diet of nothing but ostrich eggs, you would be dead within a month. And yes, they will steal your earrings and your glasses and anything sparkly you might have on you...brooches, bracelets etc. They had a display of items found in one ostrich’s tummy....pop/beer caps, a heel from a woman’s shoe, a lipstick, many rocks, rings and more.

“What? No earrings? Be gone then...”

“Just sittin’ in the sun, getting warm, waiting for my night shift.”

“Geez! Do you mind? Can’t a girl sit on her eggs without all you paparazzi taking photos?”

Just a man and his ostrich....



We were allowed to stand on the eggs, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. They can hold a lot of weight, and how embarrassing would it be if they broke when I was the one on them? Not to mention the smell.