| The
main one is the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg
Park, which runs for hundreds of miles
down the eastern border of Lesotho (a small mountainous
Kingdom in the heart of South Africa). The appealing
names given to spectacular mountains and rock
formations are very enticing; Cathedral Peak,
Champagne Castle, Giant's Castle and Drakensberg
Garden.
These
secretive rocks and caves were once the home of
the San Bushmen - original inhabitants of Southern
Africa. Their simple hunter-gatherer lifestyle
was at odds with the colonisers and dominant African
tribes, and the bushman race was all but wiped
out. However, they left their mark with art forms
painted on rock, from which we now try to decipher
meanings.
The
Drakensberg Mountains are visited by nature loves,
bird watchers, families and in particular hikers
and climbers. There is something for just about
everyone who wants to soak up the magnitude of
the surroundings and the crystal quality of the
air which is cleansed by summer storms. Thunder
and lightening echo through the infinite expanse
of the Drakensberg in a theatrical spectacle and
only during this furore, can you imagine the savage
battles that were once fought here during confrontations
between Brits, Boers and Zulus. |
