OSSN Conference in "Full Swing!"
by Melody Fee, OSSN Vice President

Well, it's up to the top of Cable Mountain overlooking fabulous Cape Town for the entire OSSN conference group! We've enjoyed two lovely days in the Wine lands just outside of Stellenbosch in the most amazing property of Spier! We ALL wanted to spend a few more days there, too, but alas, it was time to move on for this group! Spier, with its spa, its gorgeous villas, great restaurants, and the "signature" restaurant named "MOYO" just inspired each of us so far. MOYO, an exilirating African dining EXPERIENCE, was just what the doctor ordered last night. The entire venue feels as if you are entering a lush tropical outdoor "gastronomy" with a décor that is part African, part Moroccan, and completely wonderful! You may find yourself dining in a lush tree house or under the main "tent" with ongoing entertainment all evening. Indeed, almost every member and companion in the group ended up sporting some local artwork ( as we all had our faces painted during dinner) and surely we all began to feel as if we were truly in Africa.

So as we travel on into Cape Town and host the actual OSSN conference tomorrow, where we'll the various tourism officials and tour operators, we still have many lovely experiences ahead of us. I just want to say what a pleasure it is to travel with so many special OSSN members who have joined us and also what a pleasure it is to be working with the very professional affiliates of Big Five Tours and Expeditions here in South Africa. Their very hard working affiliates here in South Africa make a program like this "run like clockwork" and make us so very comfortable as we host our great members here also. And although it sometimes seems so exhausting just before we depart the US with a large delegation for an OSSN conference, it is just so exhilarating to really be here…learning, experiencing and reveling in this fabulous country! We have already experienced bits of its wealth in the land and it the real warmth of its diverse people!

What a genuinely friendly blend of wonderful cultures that have welcomed us from the moment we stepped off the plane three days ago now.

I promise myself that I'll come back already and I surely hope to bring more OSSN members with me again whenever that may be. So here we come……Cape Town, Durban, Zululand, and Mabula Game Reserve…..we're on our way to explore all that you have to offer. I can't wait to let all of our members have more information about the exciting suppliers that are with us on this OSSN 2005 conference "adventure!" Bye for now, from the top of Table Mountain!