Animals We've Seen and One Tim Has Declared Delicious

Everybody comes to (South) Africa to 'see the animals' and we're no exception.  However, the four of us still haven't settled on 'The Big Five'.  What do you think?  How about lion, elephant, water buffalo, hippo and maybe the leopard or the rhino.  Personally I think the giraffe deserves a place and maybe even the zebra (did you know there is a plains zebra and a mountain zebra that almost became extinct?).  I saw a tee shirt today printed with the Ugly Big Five and could identify a jackal and some sort of javelina-looking animal among them.

We're nowhere close to any of the major game parks but we have seen a remarkable number of animals right by the side of the road.  My last post ended with a close up of a glorious male ostrich.  Here's the rest of his crew (I have no idea what a family group of ostriches are called - herd, band, pride, pack?)

Raising ostriches for their feathers used to be really big business in an area of the Eastern Cape and, of course, there's always ostrich steak (no, that isn't the one Tim declared delicious).

The wildebeest doesn't make the top five but we saw a lot of them too.

Some came with birds . . . 

And the one animal we saw in abundance, the springbok, a graceful, elegant creature with a gorgeous coat.

Every time we returned to our accommodation, (Mein Heim 'my home' in German), we were greeted by one of the five resident peacocks (think he was the alpha male).  This display was frequently accompanied by high-pitched squawking and a lot of strutting.

We were both absolutely delighted to find that Mein Heim is also an equestrian center so we had the joy of wandering around the stables and pastures, getting to know the 25 or so horses stabled there.

Notice the barbed wire adorning the uprights!

We wandered freely around the stables, getting to know the horses.

This is dressage land and all these horses are warm bloods or thoroughbreds, not an Appaloosa, Mustang or quarter horse in sight.  And these guys are big!!  Everybody we see getting ready to ride uses a mounting box.

This has been a lovely stay and a great time doing some sightseeing and a couple of days not doing much of anything except eating, reading, and hanging out.

The weather has been almost perfect, a bit warm but we're used to that.  After eight days, we've sort of become accustomed to the electrified fencing, dire warnings about personal safety and appreciated the warmth and hospitality of everyone we've met.  

Still curious about the animal Tim declared 'delicious'??  He was sorely tempted to try something local and exotic on one of our grocery runs when he saw this enormous case of meat.  One of them was labeled the 'cave man special'.

And this just had us laughing out loud - 4KG (almost 10 lbs) of chic feet.  Chicken feet??? 

Before I tell you what it was, I have to assure you I have his consent.  In fact he suggested it when I started to write this post ('animals we've seen and one Tim has eaten' was another title he liked).

Drum roll please:  it was springbok.  That elegant, graceful, beautiful, gazelle-like creature is raised for meat, and, yes, it is absolutely delicious.

And since we're on a food roll right now, I have to include this sign on a coffee shop right outside the parking garage where we were grocery shopping:

As Yogi would say, 'Wherever you go, there you are.'

We're off to Graaf-Reinert, the 'Jewel of the Karoo' and the fourth oldest town in SA. 

(Oh I did check it out.  The Big Five are:  elephant, lion, cape buffalo, rhino, leopard.  And a family group of ostriches is called a pride - who knew??)

The Highland Brigades at Magersfontein or Check Your Assumptions Before Going Into Battle

I confess, I'm not much for military history or battlefield tours, but Paul and Deb are keen on a visit to the Magersfontein Battlefield ('fontein' means spring or fountain in Afrikaans) so we decide to give it a tickle as they say in the UK.  We may get lucky and see some animals along the way!  It's an easy drive from Kimberley and we appear to be the only visitors.

Do you remember my mentioning the Siege of Kimberley in the last post (hint- the Macgregor Museum display)?  It was during the Boer War ('boer' means itinerant farmer in Dutch) and the Brits who occupied Kimberley were under serious siege. The stalwart Highland Brigades (12,500 strong) were on their way to liberate Kimberley, but they had to get past the Boers (8,200 strong) who were holding the high ground at Magersfontein.  Or so they thought.

Before dawn the Highlanders started their march from about 7km away (almost the far horizon).  It was in the middle of summer and beastly hot.  They aimed their big guns at the top of the mountain, sure they were going to dislodge the Boers.  But no - when they neared the foot of the mountain, the Boers rose up out of trenches they had dug there (and reinforced by stone walls) and began firing. It was a disaster.  The Highlanders quickly alerted the big gun handlers to adjust their firing range, but that was tricky as their own troops were in the same place.  When night fell, fighting ceased, and the remaining British troops went out into the field to gather the dead and wounded.  Legend has it that on a moonlit night, you can see the swinging lanterns of the soldiers retrieving their fallen comrades. 

It is a somber place and the museum is a stirring tribute to the casualties.  The battle set the Brits back two months in their march to Kimberley.  

This is a dry, harsh environment - reminds both of us of the desert Southwest - but just like at home, cacti and lizards flourish here.

He seemed to know we wanted a photo and cooperatively stopped for this beautiful shot.  His head, throat, and front legs were the most exotic shade of blue.

And he is the first of many animals we see on the drive home.  I still can't get over the fact that we'll be driving down the highway and WHOAAA there's an ostrich . . . 

He's one of a huge herd and I think he's farmed.  Such strange and wonderful creatures they are.

Stay tuned.  The next post is all about the animals!

Kimberley's Other Gems

There are three other gems in Kimberley: the Macgregor Museum, the Duggan-Cronin Photography Museum, and the Humphreys Gallery.   There's also a 'heritage walk' in the upscale part of town (starts at the Macgregor and takes about 45"-60") and leads you past some of the original mansions, home of the diamond magnates.  We opt to do this by car when we read the warning that the Museum is not responsible for the safety of those on foot and seniors are advised to travel in groups of three (three??).  Not much to see either on foot or by car but it is a lovely, tree-lined neighborhood, each house surrounded by the ever-present razor wire and armed response security warnings.

Back to the Macgregor.  It is a lovely old building with a gorgeous verandah and the whole place just reeks of Victorian gentility.

We are the only visitors and the admission fee is ridiculously modest - about $1 each.  Lest you think South Africa is not sensitive to those who are mobility-challenged, please note the wheelchair available to visitors.

As soon as we walk inside, we stop and exclaim 'It's the Gadsden Hotel!'  The Gadsden Hotel is an art deco architectural gem in Douglas AZ, within hailing distance of the Mexico border, and before coming away, we took a day trip there.   

Created as a tribute to a former mayor of Kimberley, the Macgregor is a memorial to costumes and uniforms of the mining era. the area's prehistory, and an in-depth display of the Siege of Kimberley which occurred during the Boer War and lasted 124 days from late 1899 to early1900.  Afterwards, the Macgregor became, in succession, a sanitorium, a hotel, and, in the 1930's, a convent.  

Next stop, the Duggan-Cronin Gallery where we are the only visitors.  In fact, we have to nose around to find someone to open the front door!  But the display of photos is absolutely stunning.  AM Duggan-Cronin started life in SA as a manager for the DeBeers company and started taking photographs as a hobby.  He soon gave up his 'day job' and spent 20 years wandering all over Africa (280K worth of wandering) with a local assistant and took over 80,000 photos of indigenous peoples.  He foresaw the day when they would no longer live as they did then nor dress as they had for centuries, and he wanted a record of pre-colonial life in Africa.  What's on display here is just a tiny sample, but they are breathtaking.  

And last was the Humphreys Gallery, an absolutely delightful and unexpected surprise.  Started in 1952 by William Humphreys, a Member of Parliament for Kimberley for 25 years, who donated his collection of paintings to the city, the original collection has been enhanced over the years to include an impressive collection of South African artists.  (Photographs inside were prohibited - alas!)

The sidewalk in front is adorned with a number of these mosaic boulders (mmmm . . . another project once we're home??)

And they have a lovely tea room (the Palete) in a serene garden - perfect for a rest stop before heading home.  

Oh, almost forgot, they also have a weekly movie night and this week's offering is The Dressmaker with Kate Winslet.  We're on schedule for that - and it's free!

Tomorrow we're off in search of the Magersfontein Battlefield and perhaps some animals!