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Published: August 1st 2015
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The Pinnacle
Tom said it wouldn't be much use being a hermit here as you'd have people taking photos of your home every day! Today was spectacular. We covered a lot of miles driving through the part of Mpumalanga designated as "Panorama', and nearly all the way today we were surrounded by amazing landscape views. It is the sort of countryside which would attract thousands of tourists in the UK, and the roads would be full of them. Think Lake District in summer, but with bigger views and higher mountains--twice as high--and then take out 95% of the traffic and people, and you have the Panorama. Mile after mile of forested hills on the grand scale, roads going up and down like the Alps, and yet you have the road to yourself!
Today we went first to a towering slab of rock called the Pinnacle, rising several hundred feet out of a gorge, with a little waterfall at the bottom. Then we moved on the to well-known scenic viewpoint called 'God's Window', over 6,000 feet above sea level. We climbed up the paths to the top, took our photos and marvelled at the breath-taking view which, even with a slight haze as it had today, stretches for many miles and takes in millions of trees. From there we drove up to the The Three
God's Window
having climbed through the Rain Forest. Rondevals, rounded rock structures cut out of the side of the Blyde River canyon. The canyon there is the third deepest in the world, and the deepest green one. None of our photos can begin to do justice to the view from the opposite side, looking towards them. But once finished there, our children had great fun of a different kind, haggling in the car park market to get the best prices for craft souvenirs and gifts for family and friends. Some of them proved hard-nosed negotiators--particularly Georgia and Tom--but all felt they had got bargains, and the bus was buzzing with their talk of prize acquisitions at very reasonable prices.
We then turned back the way we had come. Mrs Davis was concerned at the low level of petrol in the bus she had been driving, knowing that from here it was quite a long way to the next petrol station in Graskop. We pressed on to Bourke's Luck Potholes where we had the picnic we had prepared at high speed before breakfast (Olivia must hold the roll-buttering record, as she could keep pace with the slicing of Nathan and Annabella put together). After this we walked down
Blyde River Valley
Viewed from about 700 metres above to the fourth and final geological spectacle of the day. At the confluence of two rivers, water action has cut away not only a deep ravine but also a series of 'potholes' which are really shaped like the holes left in ice cream by a scoop. At the top of one side, one of the rivers drops down to the other by a series of waterfalls, with rocks spanning toe width and tempting people to venture across, rock-hopping, which of course the Team, up for anything, had to do. In the dry season--very dry this year--the water is shallow, but it must look very different in the summer.
We proceeded from there to Graskop and our pancakes, but we could not find the baseball cap the previous team had donated to the collection on the walls of one of the more famous pancake restaurants, so we did not donate another. Then we had to get the petrol, as one bus was getting dangerously low, but--the petrol station was closed! There was a problem with the pump, apparently, so no petrol had been coming out of the nozzles. Instead, an opportunistic entrepreneur had gone to Sabie and bought some, and
Bourke's Luck Potholes
Just a couple of them... was selling it by the bottle--the pineapple soda bottle, to be precise--and he put 6 litres of a green liquid into our petrol tank. It might have been any coloured squash, but it did smell like petrol and it got the bus to Sabie, where we could get both of them filled up.
From there it was just a question of finding the right road to home. South African signage, at least around here, is notoriously poor and you find your way around by a combination of map-reading, asking (if there is anyone around, which there usually isn't) and guesswork. We were back just before our 6 p.m. curfew, when it is getting dark.
Tomorrow we shall stay closer to base and have a relaxed day. The children are promising (threatening?) a talent show in the evening and the adults have to be judges. I have been designated as Simon Cowell, which I find unflattering! Somehow I don't think I shall have many acts to criticise...
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Michael & Claire
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Gastronomic Galavantings of South Africa
Very pleased to read about the continued exploration of the various eating establishments of South Africa. The views in Mpumalanga look stunning - we are suitably jealous and your day with the elephants looked most amusing. Bit concerned about the photo of you being kissed by the elephant Charlie, but relieved to note you still had a face in the photos on the following day. The daily updates have been well received - we have been away for a few days, and have had the mobile sat on the restaurant table waiting on the latest update, with arguments as to who gets to read them first. I suspect your 'Pineapple' fuel came from a SASOL garage - they include dyes in the fuel to denote the grade of petrol. Missing you lots, and looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday. Enjoy your last few days. Love Mum & Dad.