A trip up the Sani Pass

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Historically, what is now a sensational road, was a bridle path, and was used to convey goods between South Africa and Lesotho, by donkey, mule and oxen.

Deelfontein: Home of the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital

Mrs Google Maps when getting the directions to Deelfontein must have been playing broken telephone, because we took a seriously long scenic route. But hey, I don’t do lost, so we enjoyed the Karoo scenery. Flat land. The odd koppie (small flat topped mountain). Sand. Springbokke. Knee high scrub bush. Repeat. Repeat again.

Pondoland, Transkei and the tragedy of the SS Mendi.

‘You are going to die, but that is what you came to do… let us die like warriors. We are the sons of Africa. Raise your war cries, my brothers, for though they made us leave our assegais [spears] back in the kraals [villages], our voices are left with our bodies.’

What’s in a name? Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa.

Kwa Zulu-Christmas.
That doesn’t sound quite right, does it?
What if the history books wrote about Port Christmas?
Or the Colony of Christmas?

The Umzimvubu River and Port St Johns

…..as usual, the European powers that were, had no respect for local knowledge, so the Umzimvubu River is called the St Johns River on all maps, and in all books written up until the early 1900s.

The Trekbokke of the Karoo

An extermination party shows off their success.

The springbok treks in the late 1800s were akin to swarms of locusts moving over the land, and as devastating to sheep farmers, who often gave up farming after their grazing land had been destroyed by the springbokke.

The Beervlei Dam

It does not supply any towns with water. Considering that this the dry, almost desert like Little Karoo, you will think that strange, or a waste of precious water.

The Shongweni Falls and Railway Tunnels

As waterfalls go, it isn’t very spectacular, but if you venture down to the bottom of the gorge you will be awestruck by the railway tunnels there.

The Flowers of Hogsback, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

……the eclectic collection of residents is well known to the fairies that inhabit the beautiful surrounding forests and gardens. The waterfalls are extremely beautiful, the mountains are breath taking, and so on and so forth…..

Barberton – home to daisies and brave dogs

Not that well known of Barberton,, is the story of Cockney Liz, the high class call girl who travelled from England to South Africa to find her fiancé. Not finding him, she started off as a barmaid, and eventually earned fame and fortune; the fortune having started when a night with her was auctioned off – sometimes payment was made by the highest bidder in gold mining shares.

Pécs, Hungary

Hungarian Train Stations are wonderful; trains are greeted and given a send-off with the most delightful jingle, the MÁV Szignál, and the staff are in uniforms, and a cap, that reminded me of illustrations in a children’s story book.

India: Mumbai, Kerala and Rajasthan

The Mosque is beautiful, shimmering white against a bright blue sky. A word of advice: always, in your bag, carry a ‘modesty’ scarf or shawl, or preferably two. Many cultures and religions disapprove of us western females going bare headed, having bare shoulders, and wearing pants or shorts. Modesty shawls and scarves can quickly be wrapped around you as a skirt, and thrown over your head and shoulders, making you instantly welcome at a site. Respecting the peoples’ cultures will ensure you enjoy the country more and that you will see much more.

Bornholm, the island in the ‘Eastern Sea’.

Many of the megaliths found on Bornholm are inscribed with runes, the ancient Nordic script, with Christian messages on them. These megaliths are commonly found in churchyards, in  churches, or have often been used as lintels when repairing or adding to  churches over the centuries.

Uganda – of Gonoleks, Piapiacs and Plantain Eaters

Murchison Game Reserve is awe inspiring. It’s huge. It has a rain forest with chimpanzees. It has the Nile River. It has Murchison Falls. It has hundreds of animals. Thousands actually. Buffalo. Elephant. Hippo. The biggest wickedest Nile Crocodiles you’ll ever see. It has the Uganda Kob, which is Uganda’s special version of an impala gazelle. It is bigger and heavier than the common impala. It has Rothchild’s giraffe, lots of them, and until very recently, only on one side of the Nile.

From elephant bush to stately homes – Durban’s Berea

Durban’s Berea: We were walking the concrete pavements, that not that long ago, not much more than 150 years ago, had been sub-tropical jungle, with huge trees and exotic plants growing in profusion right where we were walking.

The Coronation of King Ndamase || of Western Pondoland,South Africa

Rain at a coronation is auspicious…

Munich: A great city for a long layover

…the Frauenkirche, home of the legend of the Devil’s footprint and the tomb of Ludwig lV. History is everywhere, but the possibility of the Devil’s Footprint being a tourist trap…

The Golden Wildebeest

Have you heard of the rare Golden Wildebeest? Have you seen this animal, which was once thought mythical?

Namibia in a week

Ok, small pool may be a better description. The driver eventually decided to take the plunge, and drove through the centre of it at speed, creating quite a wave. Should I? Shouldn’t I? Ours was no 4 x 4, it was a sweet little VW

Kilwa Sea Rescue

…..the other boat skipper started shouting ‘mafuta mafuta’, which is petrol in Swahili.

A Crazy Idea: Sir Conan Doyle and an attempted salvage of the Grosvenor treasure.

A crazy idea: the attempted salvage of the Grosvenor treasure What does the Wild Coast of South Africa and Sherlock Holmes have in common? What does an Anglo Boer War doctor and Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis, Moriarty have in common? The answer is Conan Doyle, as in Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle KStJ, DL (1859 –… Continue reading A Crazy Idea: Sir Conan Doyle and an attempted salvage of the Grosvenor treasure.