Weekend at Drakensberg Mnts

This weekend we took our first "holiday" from Tugela Ferry to the Drakensberg Mountains. We were invited by Dr. Francois Eksteen to join him and some others for a few nights in the mountains. Dr. Eksteen is a pediatrician extraordinaire at Church of Scottland hospital. Kun observed him doing his amazing & tireless work in the ARV clinic last week. Susan, Kun & I began the adventure on Friday. It began with a drive along a rocky, unpaved road that wove through the beautiful Msinga Hills. As the terrain changed from the dusty hills sprinkled with the prehistoric-looking aloe plants characteristic of the region, the rondavals (traditional round Zulu homes) decreased in number and we entered for a brief time, the Weenen Game Reserve. No stopping, no hunting, no feeding the animals... Driving with our eyes peeled for an animal, perhaps one of the "big 5," we squealed (literally) with delight when we spotted our first giraffe. As we stopped to take pictures we noticed an entire giraffe family grazing the tree-tops. They were beautiful, so regal. We left the game reserve soon after and came upon the bustling, city of Estcourt, where we were to stop for food for the braai (South African BBQ) that we would partake in on Saturday evening. Kun & I practically skipped through the aisles of the grocery store, literally like 2 kids in a candy store, as we chatted with excitement over the fresh bread, candy aisle (cadbury chocolate!!), and warm samosas sold for snacks. It was as if we had been completely without food for the past week in Tugela Ferry. After the grocery, (we love the Estcourt Spar), we were on the now darkened road to our accommodations: Greystone, an outdoor education camp for school children, now deserted because of the recent strikes. The view from outside our room was breathtaking (see below).

Saturday we were off to the Drakensberg Mountains to hike with 4 Zulu young men (that live with Dr. Eksteen), Dr. Eksteen, his nephew, and 2 of Dr. Tony Moll's children. We began at Monk's Cowl and hiked to 2 different waterfalls over the course of the day. The mountains were amazing, rich in texture and colored by various shades of pinks & brown. There was such depth to the scenery: rows of mountains, layered one in front of the other.

After our hike we visited Dr. Tony Moll's home that he is building for holiday in the Drakensberg Mountains. How great to finally meet the famous (in my mind) Dr. Moll. He & his family invited us over for braai: grilled meat, and lots of it. They inquired for the culprit, having heard there was a vegetarian in the group. "It is me," I responded shyly. The lone pescatarian of South Africa, "I eat fish...," I explained. "Poor American," they must have thought. The view from the house was truly impressive (see photo). The house is still in the works, but functioning-with a great firplace. The Molls had such a feast for us, it was like a holiday. Deborah Moll welcomed us and Jessica, their youngest daughter, took several of us on a walk around the property-all of which was spectacular. We ate and talked well into the night and had such a great time.

Today we began our drive home to Tugela Ferry, with one or 2 stops for souvenirs, and a quick stop one last time at our new favorite grocery store to stock up for the week. No giraffes this time, but one of the best parts of driving through the countryside is seeing the people. We are undoubtedly always impressed by the strength of the women, literally. The things a woman here can carry on top of her head is unbelievable at times. Last week we saw a woman carrying a shovel, balanced perfectly, up the street of Tugela Ferry. As we drive we witness the lives of the people that live in the hills, as they carry out their day. Children playing, women gathering water, groups of young adults walking & talking, flat bed trucks packed with people traveling up & down the road, and a person or two resting, faces toward the sun.