I hope you enjoyed the start of our long overdue visit to South Africa; I had forgotten how much there is to see in the beautiful Cape & need at least a fortnight to appreciate the many sights & visit them properly.
We reluctantly left the beautiful Cape to travel inland towards the vast, dry landscape of the Karoo which is so different to the lush green valleys of The Cape. Morning tea en route at the lovely Big Red Chair in Robertson. They have a really nice wine shop too which we bought a good selection from.
It has been decades since my last visit to
The Cango caves - a vast cave system with enormous caverns & structures. On my previous visit, I had gone as part of a caving group & we accessed the further sections of the cave that were behind a locked security gate. I remember it as being challenging, lit only by the miners lamps we wore on our hard hats. It was exciting to be part of a small group who had access to this exclusive area. This time, we confined ourselves to just the tourist part ...
We spent the night in the Oudshoorn environs, at a stunning
Chandelier ostrich & game farm. What a fabulous place - we opted for the wooden huts, daughter for the
tented accommodation. We had buck browsing outside while I wrote my travel journal & sipped morning coffee with a rusk. The hosts were so welcoming. An early morning game drive was also included & we wrapped up warmly just after sunrise to take to the generous estate to view the animals in the morning light.
We booked a night drive & bush supper & what a splendid choice it was - as soon as the sun dipped low in the sky, the temperatures dropped & a magnificent sunset glistened across the African sky. A night drive is always special - the sights & sounds of the bush, rustling nocturnal animals, eyes shining back, the sounds of things settling for the night. On arrival at our space with magnificent views across the veldt, we found a beautiful table set with food being cooked over fires close by. It was magical. Soon all the guests were seated and we had a fabulous 'gesellige' (convivial) evening. Unfortunately, the clouds prevented us seeing all the stars, but it was perfect with night sounds around us. We reluctantly took leave of it late evening to return to our camp.
We headed towards the familiar little Karoo &
some of the nearby towns towards the ancestral town of
Graaff Reinet. My Dad's family had been early settlers to the town in the early 1800 so I regard it with great affection because it is a connection to my roots.
We once again popped in to
Obesa cactus nursery one of the worlds biggest collections of cacti. I have visited several times & it is a rather rambling place with so many unique species. It is a passion of the owner & his eclectic mark is very evident.
We stayed at a lovely local guest house with friends & had some favourite meals, including oxtail & samp - what a treat ....
Reinet House in it commanding position in town is a charming Cape Dutch structure. The whole town is quaint with white gabled homes, many with traditional green shutters. The town is well laid out, mostly original & very elegant. Cape Dutch architecture is my favourite style - it is just elegant.
The ancestors of my Dad & mine, hitched their spans of sturdy oxen to their wagons &
trekked northwards as part of the Great Trek from this lovely town nearly 200 years ago. They were pioneers, salt of the earth people who set out for the as yet undocumented interior with all the challenges that presented. Our ancestor was the teacher on one of the treks, a man who obviously contributed to the learning of the young children who needed education as they moved inland, lessons given whenever there was time ...
I like to think that I have that spirit of adventure, of fortitude & of fairness. It is very special to walk in the footsteps of your ancestors, our history echoing the history of South Africa from the early settlers to those who moved northwards. I feel a deep connection to some places.
The storms across the plains of Africa can be sudden & intense. The heat brings on these dramatic convectional storms & this one was no different. The sky turned inky blue, winds whipped up & animals turned their heads from the prevailing rain. Thunder rumbled loudly & lighting flashed across the dark skies dramatically as we made our way towards Kimberley.
We opted to revisit the Big Hole in the mining town of Kimberley. It is known world-wide for its connection to the De Beers diamond empire. Again it was chosen for its connection to my Dad's family. His grandmother (my great grandmother) was a cousin of the family on whose farm the original diamonds were found so I enjoyed these connections.
Johannes Nicolaas de Beer - my Dad had a connection to this family through his grandmother & another line & it was a story he knew first hand from them & so it was to honour his connection.
On our route towards Johannesburg, we passed through many small Free State towns, some looking rather neglected. A lunchtime stop at this restaurant reminded me of similar one we visit in the Cape at Willowmore. The town is very traditional, the language is predominantly Afrikaans (a language I speak fluently so not a problem.)
However, that is as far as this episode will take you today, stop by again for the next stage,
Dee ~💕~
