![1.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/245vmbJ2ppY4xaqHYgZgoABNDQo3hfKW2hqcNHRW4fpWT17Z4iBFbLh3NX8JMCJpQ226v.JPG) ___ *fresh cherries and beautiful views thirst quenchers and the world from a different view* ___

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The road is littered with the most amazing mountains. Around every corner, it feels like the mountains aim at hugging the car. The sun bakes down onto the road, and the heat gets to your head, but this heightens the experience of the ever pressing presence of the mountains. I cannot even begin to try and explain the beauty of these mountains. (On a side note, one afternoon after hiking in the mountains, we stumbled upon a lady selling coffee. I told her that her "office" has the most beautiful of views, and that my "office" is basically four walls. This made her day, and she said ***Yes***, these are some of the most amazing places to call your home.) We travelled to the local Cherry Farm, a crop and fruit becoming very popular very quickly in South Africa. So, please join me on this virtual journey, as I take you with me where we traveled alongside the mountains and while we drink some of the best fresh juice I had in my life! ![3.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/245SZtL5hGXQvnvMtPiM7ScQpbEGPMYN3Q69ftrEuXTPq2oeJy51QXzSuNuayNAMJrYvE.JPG) # Mountains, and More Mountains The area is one of the most beautiful. The mountains feels like they are hugging the road. Driving down these roads feel like you are away from the rest of the world and their struggles. It feels like giants resting on their journey to different worlds, giants that can stand up at any moment. ![4.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/243yynPFQn7eVEzH1aoQsjrZmHGwPAx6niGRx3RfM8a4N4ckM5BThLC6vTq92Ebu8s5JE.JPG) ___

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___ ![7.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/241EmbuB7X5r5HqQub8nZPD7zpMaAhzty95gxZVSenjg1PBNAhqUbveEyS3sgHNjaZ37q.JPG) ___

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# The Cherry Farm As we drove into the farm, we were reminded from the start that we were in cherry valley! The farm houses and buildings were painted with cherries and in front of the buildings, there were various cherry artefacts! These artefacts are beautifully made, resembling the sweet cherries we were about to eat! As you can also see, the various mountain ranges are still in the background, being a beautiful backdrop for the photographs I took. One can stay in some of these buildings and I can only imagine how nice it must be. Imagine these views in the morning with a freshly pressed cherry juice! ___

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___ ![11.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/242Nd7BcqDnAEfAJwaauYyXNp61qTj4VaXUq5NAzwFD6Qf4ucrtmdVqddLBrguZYTaDoY.JPG) ___ ![13.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/23wzbcqzXGKkGG18guyAvkKnEr211wm7BjXprnJNg3K7Jbw6voWZAw8iGwMs4BUELVW46.JPG) ___ ![12.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/23ujbppo3dM2URZm4Yk5s5ia55qthgqe1W73Zegxj9CshV2TmCfjtkkzRdzhHE5kddfCa.JPG) ___

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# The Farm Stall and Fresh Cherries We found boxes and boxes full of fresh cherries (obviously), but we also found many other cherry related products! I have never had fresh cherry juice before, and as I took my first sip, I was blew away. It was some of the best juice I have had in my life. What is even better, the owner told us to make sure that there were no gas build up in the juice, as cherry juice almost immediately starts to ferment! It just shows how fresh the juice is, and how full of sugars and yeast the juice is. The farm stall also has many other products. From cherry liquor to various jams and chutneys, every single person will get something cherry related here. (They should think about brewing their own beer infused with cherries, as they sold Liefmans, but I am sure that if they had their own product, it would sell even better.) ___

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___

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___ ![19.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/23xVEhLXT4ZMgQt7kjNUSX8nZZ4kBRXPF9iDJ3vEjvJU9qELVUm922GAhgbApbXmfTHRS.JPG) ___

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# Cherry Storeroom Standing Out The very big storeroom with its red roof stands out from between the green grass, the blue heavens, and the mountains. You cannot miss the big roof when driving past the farm, but even from Google Maps, you cannot miss the roof! But when you drive to and from the farm, you can also see the various cherry trees planted at the foot of the mountain. I am not sure where the big market demand for cherries came from, but it has hit the South African market. My family reminisced about the past, when they struggled to get cherries as no one sold fresh cherries in the stores, only having access to sweet preserved cherries. But now, it seems like every store has fresh cherries, and everyone wanting to sell to you fresh cherries by the kilograms. Maybe the way they farm the cherries, transport the cherries, or the species of cherries they grow, has improved its longevity so that it can be sold over the country and grown in every part of the country. ![23.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/23sd5NkDYjdUWQZqdETJ4TxzZkaNx51PJZcdfQ2KoqDNhJpqNGVsbURPvuggfPTDsa3WM.JPG) ___ ![22.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/243WEdbMdZZf4f4xAwoJW9eMEZJJ5EnsXAE5JnVshTHPtjg2orVrHi7PQ8u5LVemFFQhU.JPG) ___

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But me being me, I always wonder if this is a good thing. As one can see from the photograph above, the native and indigenous plants are cut away so that we can farm these cherries. Now that we have these cherries, and the market demands more and more, I am sure more and more indigenous woodlands and forests will be cut down, especially if and when international markets will start to buy our cherries. # Postscriptum, or Cherries to them all! We had kilograms and kilograms of cherries during the peak cherry season. That is how popular these fruits have become. I can drink the juice every single day if I could! But as I noted, I am not sure if this new market demand is a good thing to local fauna and flora. Alas, let us not get discouraged or negative... For now, happy travels and keep well! Do you have fresh cherries in your country? Let me know. *All of the musings and writings are my own, albeit inspired by the cherry juice! The photographs are also my own, taken with my Nikon D300.*

[//]:# (!worldmappin -28.79136 lat 28.03067 long Ionia Cherry Farm and Mountains d3scr) [//]:# (!worldmappin -28.79136 lat 28.03067 long Ionia Cherry Farm and Mountains d3scr)

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