To Lesotho with Khotso

I have had the most incredible two days riding into Lesotho with the guys and guests from Khotso Horse Trails. Steve who runs Khotso led the ride and we were joined by one of the volunteers and two Swiss girls. I was recommended to come here by a friend and I am so glad that I listened, left the Baz Bus route and spend a night in terrible accommodation in PMB to be here.

The ride to Lesotho was absolutely amazing through the indescribably beautiful Drakensberg mountains. We drove to the order with the horses in a trailer and proceeded to ride through a no-mans land to the Lesotho border which is an unmanned fence. The stamps at the first border signify departure and then entry back into South Africa rather than entry into Lesotho. 

We rode for about 7 hours, covering over 50km and climbing from 1,500m to 2,800m, most of which was on horseback. The horses are amazingly sturdy and had no problem with the rocky terrain and we only had to lead them up and down the steepest sections. It was so special to gallop across a mountain plateau with other mountains around you and nothing but wildlife. 

I absolutely adored the horse I was on, called Tofiklus (or something like that, I called him Toffee) as he was extremely steady and sure footed which was extremely comforting when you are on a steep mountain slope. 

We stayed the night in a comfy mountain lodge in an extremely small and remote village before riding back the next day. Unfortunately on the way back it rained for the whole ride meaning we couldn't ride the horses that fast as the ground was sodden and marshy in many sections. Climbing down the steep mountain side with rivulets of water making the stones excessively slippery did not make us feel overly safe but it was exciting and good fun. Luckily I am very used to riding in the rain being from England! 

After a fantastic two days in the saddle all of us were extremely sore and very bruised. We were sodden when we were collected at the border. I've never been so wet, cold and in need of a hot shower in my life, although when we got back it turned out the pipe for the hot water had burst! I had an evening infront of the fireplace instead trying to dry out myself and my shoes.  

In love with this horse. 

I left Khotso the next morning and had to wait around in PMB to get the bus to Durban but thankfully I didn't have to stay there for the night. 

Until next time.

A x

Going Solo

Yesterday I set off with the Baz Bus from Pretoria, changing buses at Johannesburg and carrying on all the way to Pietermaritzburg (PMB). I was dropped off at the hostel in Pretoria at 6:30 and didn't arrive in PMB until 5 so it was a pretty long day.

There was a bit of a cock up with the hostel. The one that is affiliated with Baz Bus recently moved up the street to a new location. However, their landline number which is advertised is still tied to the old building which is now used by a hostel called PMB backpackers. So I'd accidentally booked with the wrong one. Not exactly exciting to find out after a long journey and for my first day on my own. PMB backpackers was ok... Just. The people running it were friendly enough but the place was absolutely dire. I'm glad I bought an old duvet cover because I slept in that. 

The other problem was that it was empty. I think there were two other people staying there but they had chosen to use smaller rooms rather than staying in the dorm. There is something horribly lonely about staying in a 10 bedroom dorm by yourself, the first real time I have missed home. Or to put it more accurately, the first time I desperately wanted a travelling companion, just to laugh at the crazy situation with. The good thing was that I paid less and had privacy. Thankfully this was just a one night stop over so I didn't have to worry too much. I just read and got an early night.

The empty and unmade dorm room.

I didn't see much of PMB at all. I arrived too late to have a look round really. I managed to get to a mall and buy dinner before everything closed. This morning I didn't have much of a chance either. I had to repack my awkward and rushed packing from Sunday so that my rucksack was more manageable and then walk for 1.2km to the McDonalds where my next lift would pick me up as they couldn't find the hostel. The McDonalds was more central and from a distance I saw some of the old Victorian buildings but by that point I'd had enough of carrying my bag (although it was fairly comfy for the majority of the walk) so I didn't visit them properly. 

Between 11 and 12 was when I was meant to be collected but because this is Africa it was actually 12:45. I'm grateful it wasn't any layer in fairness. What followed was a 2 hour drive through the mountains with a driver who had a total disregard for speed limits. Approaching bends marked 60km/ph at 120km/ph was not a brilliant experience. Apart from that it was actually another lovely and scenic drive through the South Drakensberg, a world heritage site. 

The Drakensberg.

Khotso, where I am staying, is an adventure farm which focuses on horse trails mainly. I was recommended to stay here by a friend of a friend and having only been here for half a day I can completely see why. It is basic but lovely and homely. After settling in I spent my afternoon hiking to Blue's Pool with the dog for company. It was a 1.5km walk upstream from the hostel site to a waterfall with a plunge pool, perfect for swimming in and cooling down after a swelteringly hot day. I did throw myself off the wooden platform next to the waterfall once (don't worry parentals, I checked for rocks and the depth first) but psyched myself out the second time. Mainly because you have to jump out rather than it just being a straight drop down. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on which way you look at it, there is no photographic evidence of this! 

Khotso backpackers building.

The jump off the wooden platform next to the waterfall. Think it's about 4m. 

View over the river from the jumping platform.

My evening has been spent chilling in the hostel living room getting to know the two volunteers here (from Mexico and Belgium) and two Swiss guests. Lovely to relax in a nice environment. Now I am going to follow the advice of a quotation painted on the wall and stop rambling for I should "never miss a good chance to shut up" and now is as good as ever. I'm going to enjoy what the Southern Drakensberg has to offer.

Until next time.

A x

The Scenic Route

On Friday morning we began our journey back to Pretoria taking the scenic route and visiting many places on the way. We were not due back until Saturday evening which meant we could take a leisurely journey, soaking in the sights and staying in the mountains for the night.

The first stop on Friday morning was a tour of the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. It was set up to focus on the conservation of rare, vulnerable or dangerous animals. At the heart of the centre however is its ongoing project to help protect cheetahs, a threatened species. Breeding, conservation, rehabilitation and the release of animals back into the wild are all areas of importance, as well as education of tourists and local people. 

 The cheetahs in the photos above and below are both around the seven to ten month age. They looked extremely healthy, well kept and content which was lovely to see.

We were extremely lucky to be the only 3 people on our tour meaning we could take our time, ask as many questions as we liked and not be squashed up on the safari bus. The cheetah cubs enclosure was the first stop and they were absolutely lovely. As the centre tries to keep all their animals wild and not hand reared we could not interact with them. However, this is ultimately better as it gives them the chance to be successfully rehabilitated as adults.

These cubs were special as they were part of a litter of five which is fairly big as the normal size is around three or four.

The cheetahs are separated from their mother at three months old and this is because if they stay with the mother in captivity they do not get all the nutrients that they need. They are switched over to meat at this age. The centre feeds all its cheetahs on beef, removing the fat and adding extra nutrients so that it is similar to the game hunted and eaten in the wild. The left over cuts of beef are sent to the 'Vulture Restaurant' where the birds gather and scavenge on the leftovers. The bones that are left over are sent away to be grounded down and then the centre receives them back as a source of calcium added to the meat given to the cheetahs and other animals. 

The Vulture Restaurant which smelt pretty horrific. It is closed for about 2 months once a year to clean it out completely removing the risk of anthrax poisoning and making sure the birds do not become dependent on it as a source of food.  

When the cheetahs at the centre reach adulthood they are separated into different living areas or they are rehabilitated into the wild; some cheetahs have been released on air force bases to control the local wide life population with great success. Females prefer to live in solitude and so they each have an enclosure to themselves. Males however form bonds and will live in groups of two or three. Often these are brothers from the same litter but not necessarily.

A rather large group of male cheetahs. It is expected that as they get older they will split into two groups.

These adult cheetahs are kept in enclosures along a stretch of a dirt track known as lovers lane. This is because when breeding they release the male cheetahs in the road between the female pens, closing it off at both ends, allowing them to parade around to attract the ladies. They are left there for around about a week and it is up to the females to choose a mate. If they want to they will roll onto their backs, showing the white fur of their stomach. The keepers then put the two cheetahs together and will separate them when the male indicates they want to be let out. Apparently this is extremely obvious and they are almost crawling up the enclosure fences as females want to raise cubs by themselves.

A solitary female enjoying her meal.

A King Cheetah. These cheetahs are smaller than normal cheetahs and are defined by larger black spots and a prominent fluffy stretch of black hair down their neck. They are created by a recessive gene in both parents and although occurring in the wild, often do not make it to adulthood due to their inability to catch game due to size deformities. They are named King Cheetahs because they were favoured by the Egyptian Pharaohs.

The other animals we saw on the tour included two of the most beautiful and healthy black mane lions which are fairly rare. The pair at Hoedspruit are too used to humans and so will not be released back to the wild but instead used to breed and hopefully their cubs will eventually be released.

 The first brother Mufasa, looking appropriately regal.

 Mufasa having a yawn. 

I couldn't resist including this photo!

His brother Scar. 

A pack of male wild dogs also live at the centre. Unfortunately, the female died during pregnancy along with her eleven pups changing the social aspect of the pack. Interestingly wild dogs are some of the only wild animals that follow a strict social structure, for example, they allow pups to eat first or if there are no pups, the alpha of the pack will have their fill before others begin eating.

 The dogs looking at something which has caught their attention, possibly the cheetahs in the next enclosure.

Grooming each other is part of their social routine.

Additionally, during the tour we encountered ostriches, vultures, marabou storks, a tortoise and an orphaned zebra which was being raised by a sheep.

Our next stop was the Khamai Reptile Park which housed many kinds of snakes, lizards, a couple of crocodiles, an ostrich and some extremely entertaining parrots. It was extremely interesting wondering around and having a look at all the different types of snakes, many extremely poisonous.

A green mamba which is highly venomous and will stand its ground to attack. 

An extremely cheeky parrot who at one point was trying to nibble the lens of Dries' camera. 

The world's best looking ostrich peaking out from behind a wall. 

Blyde River Canyon in the mountains was our next destination and we drove through stunning mountain scenery to get there. The first stop in this area was The Three Rondawels which was beautiful and gave me the chance to put my climbing skills to the test for amazing photo opportunities (thank you Dries).

The Three Rondawels, named after the rounded huts, like the one I stayed in at the Kruger Park.

A great view from my perch over the Dam at Blyde River Canyon.

Thinking about it...

Halfway and pretty happy about it.

Success! Such a beautiful view over the river and canyon.

Climbing back up.

Following this, still in the Blyde River Canyon area we stopped off at Bourke's Luck Potholes, named after gold digger Tom Bourke. These are amazing whirlpool rock formations as the tributary Treur River plunges into the Blyde River.

The Treur joins the Blyde just at this point, cascading down a waterfall behind the bridge in this picture.

The aforementioned waterfall of the River Treur.

The amazingly smooth stone structures left from whirlpools. 

The last stop of Friday was to Lisbon Falls which is an area of three waterfalls which are 94m high. As you can see they are rather spectacular.

 Looking from the viewpoint downstream.

Looking upstream towards the viewpoint.

After a busy day it was lovely to arrive at our chalet in Graskop for the evening to find that they had the most incredible pool overlooking the gorge. It was lovely to have a cooling dip after an adventurous day. After a lovely dinner at Canimambo, a Portuguese and Mozambican inspired restaurant, it was time for bed!

My idea of heaven - I love that the rocks have been left in the pool.

The view from our balcony for the evening.

Saturday was my last day with Dries and Linette and we carried on our journey back to Pretoria, again stopping at some amazing natural sights along the way. The Berlin waterfalls and Mac Mac waterfalls were both on our to do list, along with Gods Window (unfortunately completely obscured by clouds) and Pilgrims Rest.

Berlin Falls.

Mac Mac Falls with a rainbow.

Pilgrims Rest was built during the gold rush around the 1870s. Nowadays the town is a provincial heritage site and tourist destination and the original architecture remains largely unchanged.

A florist.

Inside the restaurant where we had breakfast.

The petrol station. 

A view of the road bypassing the main street of Pilgrims Rest.

The Long Tom Pass was our last stop off before starting on the motorway back into Pretoria. It is a wonderful, winding mountain pass named after the Long Tom cannons used in the Boer War.

This is the last position of a Long Tom cannon in action. 

Arriving back in Pretoria brought with it the end of an indescribably fantastic week. I am extremely thankful to Dries and Linette for being the perfect hosts and making sure there was never a dull moment. It has been an absolute pleasure to stay with them.

Today has been the last day with my family in Pretoria too and it has been absolutely lovely to stay with them too. Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end but I am looking forward to the next part of my journey, on the Baz Bus which begins early tomorrow morning. I plan to stay in Pietermaritzburg for one night before heading to Underberg in the Southern Drakensberg. We will see where it takes me.

Until next time, whenever and wherever that may be!

A x

Olifants River Safari and a very active Thursday

On Wednesday we went on the Olifants River Safari to see what animals we could spot from the water. We spent two and a half hours on the boat, firstly going down the river to the weir before turning around and heading back up the river. It was really relaxing to travel on the river and try and spot some animals in the Kruger Park which was on the far bank of the river.

The site where we set off from.

Dries and I enjoying the top deck of the boat.

A view of the Olifants River taken through the weir which has a lot less water in it.

We didn't see too many animals, probably because we went on the boat in the afternoon, the hottest part of the day. There were some Buffalo at the edge of the river and a Waterbokke with her fawn which was sweet but unfortunately I did not manage to get a photo. Lastly, we saw a group of six hippos chilling in the river. 

 The hippos.

Buffalo by the water's edge.

Thursday was a lot more hectic when compared to the tranquillity of the river safari. We started the day with an hour drive to Tzaneen where Dries had some work to do for the day. Linette and I spent a very enjoyable morning together doing different activities. Firstly, I went on a canopy tour over the Groot Letaba River gorge which you cannot view from the road or easily by foot. The tour is comprised of 11 zip wires back and forth across the river, passing over 3 waterfalls which are all at least 20m. The biggest drop on the zipwire is 32m so you have to not mind heights or throwing yourself off platforms trusting just a harness. It is very safe and I had an incredible time. 

Me with the guides. I was the only person doing it at 8:30am so I had the course all to myself. 

One of the zip lines over one of the waterfalls.

After finishing the canopy tour, which was too soon for my liking, Linette and I drove to an organic cheese farm where we learnt how they make the cheeses. It involves a lot of curdling milk in a giant copper pot by a fire. Once finished it is scooped out with a cheesecloth and put in a circular frame with planks over the top and bottom so the liquid can drain as it compresses. It has to be turned every half hour or so too. They are then left to stand in a cheese cupboard to mature. At the end of the tour you could try the cheese but I wasn't so keen! 

The cheese farm. The building to the left is where they bring the cows to be milked and to the right is where they produce the cheese. 

The cheese room which stank. I am impressed I managed to make it in there especially as some were growing mould. Just disgusting. 

Our next destination for the morning was the Crocodile Park and commercial farm just outside Tzaneen. We only saw a couple of crocodiles in the Kruger Park and none in particular up close so we decided to go and see some and learn more about these reptiles. 

Holding a year old crocodile who was pretty feisty.

As the centre is a commercial farm they often slaughter the animals around the 4-5 year mark for their meat and skin. Unfortunately, the conditions they were kept in where nowhere nice as a zoo or as they would be living in the wild. Not all the animals are killed at this age and they had a larger enclosure where they keep the adult crocodiles used for breeding. 

 The pool containing many crocodiles. The bridge on the left is the one the guide feeds them from.

 A female crocodile sunbathing. You can tell it is female as they have pointed snouts whereas the male snout is more rounded. As you can see from the crocodile behind her, often only the nose and eyes are visible. It is surprising how quickly and easily a crocodile can sink into the water and out of sight - you cannot see her body under the water at all. 

Crocodiles sleep with their mouths open to regulate their body temperatures, as seen above.  

A crocodile can grow over 6 sets of teeth in their lifetime, forming underneath the ones already there. With a force of over a tonne when biting this is one reptile you want to steer clear of. 

After our time with the crocodiles we collected Dries and I quickly dashed into the shops to collect some conditioner for my poor hair which has lately been resembling a birds nest. I am never going two weeks without it again. We headed back to Phalaborwa and on the way visited an ancient Baobab tree situated near Leydsdorp. 

 This incredible tree is around 2000 years old and on average grows about 1cm per year. 

 The circumference of the tree is just over 22m which is huge!

 The inside is hollowed out and it is estimated around a dozen people could stand comfortably inside it. During the gold rush days, it used to serve as the fridge for the bush bar in the area. 

 This photo gives a better scale of the tree. You can climb up the ladder to a small standing area where the main branches separate. It is pretty high once you get up there!

Dries and I in the tree. 

I am in the crevice of the tree here but you can barely see me as the tree is so big which is why we had to zoom in to get the photo above. 

I absolutely loved exploring this amazing tree and pretty much had to be coaxed out of it when it was time to leave. That might have something to do with me getting worried about falling out of it though. We got back to Phalaborwa after an action packed day just to quickly get changed and head out to the stables for my last ride. It was lovely although the 35C temperatures and humidity were not delightful conditions to ride in. After washing the horses down and letting them roll around in the sand, an activity which ended up with me covered in sand, we headed home for a well deserved dip in the pool, followed by an evening of stargazing. 

Bella (left) and Horatio (right) - Linette's lovely horses.

That was my week up until Thursday. On Friday and Saturday we drove the scenic route back to Pretoria with one nights stop over. However, as that is another long post I will leave that one until tomorrow. 

Once again thank you to Dries and Linette for some of the brilliant photos. 

Until tomorrow.

A x