Mountain View Drumming

This, for me, was absolutely one of the highlights of the trip. After a relaxing day on a mini-safari and at the elephant part, we walk to the top of a small mountain, where few of us had any idea what was in store -- a full bar, a popular drum group (Drum Cafe) was awaiting, and a breathtaking view all around!! Before getting down to the drumming (..and dancing, as you will see!!), we took in a few drinks and absorbed the incredible view from the mountain-top.

Andrew and David were clearly enjoying the scenery

A few of us strolled up to the top of rock plateau to get a better view of the landscape. Sue was all miles :)


..and then assumed a more 'model-esque' pose ..with a glass of wine in hand.


I decided to take part as well. Absorbing the sun, drink in hand, and in the midst of a great group of people, it was a memorbable experience.

Chris and Tiago, I'm sure, were feeling the same.

Despite the view, Phil, who was preparing himself for an extraordinary dance display (see video below), was consumed with the tastiness of the the South African beer (Windhoek, I believe)

...

After a chance to down a few drinks, we all headed down to a nearby patio set up on the mountain-top. ..and we were in for a treat! Drum Cafe (http://www.drumcafe.org/), who we later learned are quite famous for team-building activities in the Johannesburg area, met us on the patio, with ~20 individual drums in hand, one for each one of us.

The girls, including Deanne (middle) and Zareen (right), were clearly enjoying themselves with a glass of wine.

With no instruction at all, we started banging away to the rhythms set by our 3 drum leaders. They kept it simple enough, so we were able to keep up ...for the most part.

Our Sports Marketing gurus were all over it ...

...and the rest of the team were clearly enjoying themselves as well.

I think a few of us were trying to get a little fancy here, or maybe Phil just needed a little assistance.

Bob was intently absorbing the instruction from Drum Cafe, while Sue (in the background) was setting her own rhythm!

Tony's smile captures the enjoyment from the entire experience. Great sounds, quality team-building, and simply, a fantastic way to spend an afternoon in South Africa ..in preparation for a long week of meetings.

The drumming went on for ~30-45 minutes

...

..and then the dancing begun. The instructors pulled out a few instruments, and encouraged the members of the group to strut their stuff. Sue and Carmen needed little encouragement

..and soon enough, everybody was in the mix.

Phil, who was strutting his stuff in the clubs the night before, was warmed up and ready to take the lead. To the amusement of the rest of us, our Creative Director is not at all shy about taking stage on the dance floor.

The dance grooves continued for about 2o minutes

Still-life photos don't do Phil's rhythm justice; you must see the video below