The weather is beautiful in the Western Cape Province of South Africa year-round. Winter is just beginning for countries in the Southern Hemisphere, but it never snows here in the winter. Most winter days are chilly in the morning and nice and warm by mid-day.
This week, I saw vervet monkeys and baboons while hiking in the Knysna Forest, a big forest on the south coast of South Africa. Vervet monkeys are mostly harmless, but they are notorious thieves and will steal food and shiny jewelry right off your body! Baboons are much bigger and can be dangerous if they feel threatened, but are fun to watch from a safe distance.
I saw the famous "Big Tree," an Outeniqua Yellowwood tree that is over 800 years old! Its trunk was one of the biggest I have ever seen.