Spring in South Africa – Part One

PART ONE: DRIVING TO THE DRAKENSBERG

Jon: As they say here in South Africa, Howzit? It’s been a while since our last post – mostly because Amy and I have been on the move by car and foot traveling from Johannesburg to Cape Town. To dispel any concerns, we were not eaten by jackals or Anatolian sheep dogs, not trampled by elephants or giraffes, and did not get arrested for driving down the incorrect side of the highway.

South Africa is a beautiful country with landscapes that rival the prettiest I’ve seen in the Western US from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast. The people here have been absolutely amazing as well. If that’s not enough, the exchange rate has been favorable and allowed us time to slow down and take more in. A lot has happened since the last post, so let’s get started.

Our first two nights were spent at a backpacker (aka hostel) in Johannesburg before picking up a rental car and embracing the challenge of driving on the left with the steering wheel on the right. With the city in the rearview and Amy as my navigator, we made our way to a hotel with individual small pyramid rooms in the middle of nowhere. It provided a good introduction to driving without much hassle. We enjoyed watching some antelope-like animals we’d later learn were blesbok and then a beautiful sunset before making an ad-hoc dinner in the room.

The next day, we continued toward the Drakensberg Mountains, a spot Amy’s friend Summer recommended for hiking, making a stop at the beautiful Howick Waterfall along the way. We headed to a town called Underberg in the Southern Drakensbergs for a less populated and commercialized stay. Driving down a long and bumpy road, we saw pastures filled with sheep to reach the Khotso backpacker and “adventure farm” nestled in the foothills. This was our base for four nights.

After a whirlwind tour by our soon-to-be friend, Jordi, we were invited to join in a braai, a barbeque traditionally on open flame, later in the evening and happily accepted. After settling in, the owner – Steve invited us to hike with his wife – Lulu, and their friends to Blue’s Pool. It was an enjoyable jaunt up gentle slopes to a small waterfall and its plunge pool. Steve jumped in from a small cliff immediately. That seemed like fun, so I followed his lead after a little encouragement and brief instruction. If the jump wasn’t exhilarating, the cold spring water in the pool certainly was. We enjoyed our time at the pool, hiked around a bit on our own afterward and enjoyed seeing lizards on the rocks, beautiful orange flowers on the hills, and  watching a new foal with its mother back at the farm.

Some cold beers capped off the late afternoon and brought us into the evening braai. It was fun to make friends during the night and throughout our stay at Khotso. Aside from Jordi, Steve, and Lulu, we spoke a lot with Jenna, another employee, and enjoyed fellow guests Paul and Lee who were instrumental in giving tips on what to see and where to stay as we headed south toward Cape Town.

Being mountain lovers, hiking in the Drakensbergs was a forgone conclusion. We hiked Eland Peak on the Khotso farm the first full day and ended at Blue’s Pool for another swim. Wanting some longer hikes, we headed into Garden Castle Nature Reserve and hiked to “Three Pools” one day and “Sleeping Beauty Cave” the next. Each hike had its merits. The Three Pools hike provided wide open views and pools for jumping in and swimming. There was also a short side trail leading to Champagne Pool with a lovely waterfall. After concluding our hike, we found our friends Paul and Lee just down the road at a picnic spot with a nice natural pool. We spoke with them for quite some time and gladly accepted a beer during our chat. Baboons frolicked across the way while the ladies bathed amongst water smoothed boulders.

 

The Sleeping Beauty Cave hike provided up-close views of the multicolored mountains ranging from bright green lower slopes to red tops like those found in Moab, Utah or Sedona, Arizona. Simply stated, the landscape was spectacular.

 

Our nights at Khotso were filled with fun banter and a night with the locals at a nearby pub to watch the Rugby World Cup. By the time our stay was up, I felt quite attached to the area and the people we’d met there. It was sad to leave, but there was excitement for what was down the road. Mother Nature provided a final treat on the drive away – snow on the mountain tops.

Amy: The thought of driving across South Africa was a little intimidating at first, but our motto has been “try some things.” Some things will be a mistake and others will be amazing. I’d say a road trip across South Africa is one of those decisions will we never regret. The first part of our trip was pretty laid back (well, after driving out of Johannesburg) and filled with the things we love. Mountains, wild flowers, natural swimming pools, hiking, animals, and fun conversation.

I relished our farm stay at Khotso. In addition to a beautiful foal, new lambs were being born every night and I was excited to get up the next morning to spot the tiny babies. I will never forget getting to walk into the sheep pasture at dusk to go feed a few of the newborns who were sadly rejected by their moms. One reason was that the lambs were cute, sweet, and tiny. They were longing for some food and love. The other reason is that the pasture that we used to get to the lambs was protected by Smeagol, the large Anatolian Sheep Dog who guards over 500 sheep. As we walked out to feed the lambs, Jenna from Khotso said: “Sh*t, Smeagol is out.” This seemed like an issue, as we were walking in the area where many of the sheep were hanging out. Suddenly, I’m a little afraid. If she works here and knows Smeagol and is nervous, what will the dog think of me as a stranger? My heart stopped a little as we saw the dog approaching us in the dim evening light. This dog kills jackals to protect the sheep. Then…the large dog happily wagged her tail. Whew. She must have known we were there to help and not hurt her flock.

The Southern Drakensberg were a great choice for us, as they provided the stunning mountains without crowds. The mountains are sort of like the Grand Canyon and a golf course had a baby. The velvety green on the jagged and sculpted peaks were some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.

We will end up spending almost a month in South Africa. This was just the first week. So much more was on the horizon. We were excited to see more of the country, learn more about its beauty and troubling history, and learn more about ourselves in the process. Stay tuned for Part Two.

(Dates: October 27-November 3)