Our guide was a zulu called Lutendo - generally known by most of the group as Nintendo. Our driver was called Javoo or it could have been Jabu. In Lutendo's introduction to us he proposed that he and Jabu take our stresses so that we would be free to thoroughly enjoy our tour of South Africa. Both were really nice and we developed a good relationship with them as the trip went on.
En route Lutendo gave us lots of information about the places we were passing through. Johannesburg is the biggest city in South Africa and capital of Gauteng Province. It began as a 19th century gold-mining settlement. Cars from Gauteng Province have GP in their registration. Some people interpret that as Gangster Paradise based on the extent of crime and murder in the province. Others interpret it as Good Province or Good People based on the fact that it contributes more than a third of the national economy. According to Lutendo we are on the N12 to Witbank from where we take the N4 and then on to the N3, the Panorama Route. South Africa has a good network of roads thanks to the World Cup in 2010. Rural roads, however, have lots of potholes but a signpost in advance gives good warning of them.
South Africa is bordered by 4 neighbouring countries - from east to west Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia. It is also bordered by the Kingdom of Swaziland and it surrounds the Kingdom of Lesotho. Lutendo seems to have a great affection for the Limpopo river which acts as a border between South Africa and Zimbabwe and between South Africa and Botswana. It is the second largest river in South Africa. There are 11 official languages in South Africa - English and Afrikaans and 9 black languages. Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu are the black languages. Most South Africans speak more than one language.
As we passed our first township/shanty town or informal settlement as Lutendo called them we could see the poor conditions in which many many South Africans live. People live in shacks cobbled together with whatever materials their occupants have managed to collect. They appear to be one room habitations with little space between them. Any tiny spare piece of land is acquired and a makeshift shed or leanto is constructed. There is no running water, no sewage and if one were to catch fire, a frequent occurrence it seems, they'd all burn. Most have no electricity but almost all have satellite TV. Tracy (our guide during the second half of our tour) explained that they "relocate" electricity. It is illegal of course but there seems to be little inclination from the powers that be to resolve the situation.
The people living in these conditions are the people who staffed all the premises we stayed in or ate in during our trip. I marvelled at how clean, neat and tidy they were coming from such awful circumstances. We later learned that the minimum wage is around 1 euro an hour. They are totally dependent on the tips tourists give to feed their families. And in all places they were friendly, good humored and more than helpful. Contrary to our assumptions, there are many white people living in these conditions.
Having passed through Belfast,
our first "comfort stop" was at a big complex where we saw emus, ostriches, buffalos, rhinos and elands.
In addition there were a number of lifeless lifelike wildlife giving us a desire for the real thing!
We were now in Mpumalanga Province at the beginning of the Panorama Route. The name Mpumalanga means the place where the sun rises. It is a spectacularly beautiful Province. The plan was to stop at 3 viewpoints for photos - Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes and The Three Rondavels.
The Blyde River
The Three Rondavels
The Three Rondavels are named after the traditional beehive-shaped hut built and used for centuries by indigenous people as their homes. They are round and fat rising to a peaked top. These three geological formations were also once known as the Chief and his three wives.The flat-topped peak was named Mapjaneng (the Chief) after a legendary Bapedi Chief called Maripi Mashile who defeated invading Swazis in a great battle near here. The three peaks are named after his three wives - (from left to right Magabolie, Mogaladikwe, Maseroto.
A selection of the stalls to be found at all viewpoints.
Our stop at Bourke's Luck potholes was a mixed experience for me. The scenery was awesome but the terrain not really suitable for a being with so little balance as me. I negotiated it as far as I could but then had to seek assistance as my legs were threatening to give way!
Bourke's Luck Potholes are named after a prospector called Tom Bourke who hoped to find gold in this area but was unsuccessful. However other prospectors had more luck. The Potholes are a dramatic and intricate series of geological formations that have the appearance of natural art.They occur where the Treur Rive joins the Blyde River at the start of the Blyde River Canyon. The shapes and the formations are spectacular and the sandstone is layered and coloured in shades of amber, taupe, ochre and brown.
During our journey Lutendo continued to give us information about South Africa, its peoples and traditions. I found the laws around the ownership of land very interesting. When you buy land in South Africa all you own is what is above the land and one metre down. Below that is the property of the Government. So owning land does not entitle you to setting up a goldmine in your garden! If gold or diamonds are found on your land your property is valued by Government and bought and you are resettled.
South Africa is a multi-cultural society within which there are many religions and many different traditions. Though there are different Black death traditions, in general there is the belief that the dead are joining their ancestors who have gone before them. A lot of money is spent on burying the dead as there must be proper ceremony and respect.
It was a beautiful day and Lutendo was optimistic that we would get a good view at God's Window. God's Window is one of the Blyde River Canyon's most spectacular viewpoints with wonderful views over South Africa's Lowveld (so called because it is much lower than the escarpment along which the Panorama Route runs). On a clear day you can see over Kruger National Park towards the Lebombo Mountains that separate South Africa from Mozambique. The green plant life is said to resemble the Garden of Eden - thus God's Window. On a clear day it is said that God's Window is open. However it is often misty and then it is said that God's Window is closed. As we drew closer we saw the mist coming in so on this day we could say that it was ajar!
I was doing my best!
On our way around the viewing point we met up with Martin (the male of the couple last collected to make our family complete) who asked us if we were from Donegal (based on our accents). It turns out that his wife is originally from Ballybofey. More information is required!
In the car park we saw our first baboon and our first monkeys of the trip. They are very cheeky and quite aggressive and Jim ventured a bit too near and was forced to defend himself by kicking out!
Our destination according to our itinerary on this first long day's drive was Perry's Bridge Hollow and everyone was glad to pull in in front of the hotel. Lutendo gave us our instructions - get our room number and stickers and stick the room number on our luggage and a porter would deliver it to our rooms. We all filed in and immediately it was clear there was something up. Lutendo was not pleased! After his long day as guide where he was talking to us practically all of the time we were not booked in. The company had neglected to let him know! We filed back into the coach and, without explanation, were conducted a further 45 minutes to Casterbridge Hollow where we were booked in. There were a number in the group who felt aggrieved blaming Lutendo but I could see that he was more of a victim than we were. We were warmly welcomed in Casterbridge Hollow with complimentary glasses of wine. Our room was reached by passing alongside the pool. Dinner was at the Magnolia Cafe upstairs where we ate en groupe and started to get to know our travelling companions.
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