We've had no difficulty filling our four days in Oudsthoorn. In fact, Debbie and Paul were up and out at 4:30 a.m. on our first day here to have a meerkat encounter at the local sanctuary and were absolutely chuffed for days.
Our 'bucket list' activity was far less sleep-depriving but did involve desert animals - camels, riding them to be precise. Try as I might, I could not find any racing options over mountain passes to the strains of the sound track from Lawrence of Arabia. Darn! And I'm not sure if what we're about to do actually qualifies as a 'ride' since this is one of the offerings at the local kiddie park but what the heck. They're here, we're here, and who knows the next time we'll have the opportunity to go camel riding.
There were a total of eight camels lazing about in the shade, and our camel wrangler chose two he thought appropriate for these greenhorns (only the males are ridden). Plus there is a riderless, lead camel - no idea why. The camel seems kind of like the ostrich, an ungainly, awkward, somewhat anachronistic creature who survives in the most demanding environment and is good for everything from transport to milk, hair, hides, and ultimately, steak!
First step, get on. Easy, right? Little step stool and just swing a leg over ala horseback riding. Except horses don't have to get up off the ground after you get on. Our wrangler tells me to hold on with one hand on the front iron grip and the other in the back. Then he utters some incomprehensible command, flicks a switch on my camel's back legs, and I suddenly pitch forward. Not off, just forward - as my camel unbends its rear legs, gets purchase on the sand, and gets its posterior in the air. Just as I manage to adjust to that position, the front legs come up, and I pitch backward. OK - I'm still in the saddle, the camel is upright. Tim and his camel are upright - let's ride!!
It is a very strange feeling to be riding an animal, sitting in a saddle, and not having any reins to steer with. Note, Tim, Mr. Cool, while yours truly appears to be clutching the iron grip like the steering wheel of a Formula 1 racing car. No chance of hitting high speeds on this ride; this is strictly the ultra slow walk ride and I have to admit, not all that comfortable. The saddle has two big pads, one under each upper hip area, no stirrups, and pretty much no padding over the camel's hump.
These camels were imported from Namibia and can go up to 20 days without eating. Contrary to popular myth, the hump does not store water - it stores fat. They're actually quite remarkable creatures. I read somewhere that if the load that's put on their saddle bags or their saddle or their camel carrier is too heavy, they just refuse to stand up. 'Not getting' up - no way - this is too flippin' heavy!' And they spit and bite when cross. Reminds me of some mules I've known . . .
Once we finish our circuit - all 8.5 minutes of it - and we're back at the oasis, our wrangler tells us it's fine to give them a hug. And yes, they accept hugs quite graciously.
Next time I want to do this in Morocco or India!!
-------------------------
Our other adventure for the day is a trip to the Cango Caves, a well known local attraction and considered by many to be the best caves in all of South Africa. These caves were actually 'discovered' by the local San or Bushmen people long before any white men set foot on this continent. The large, outer opening became a safe haven from the climate and animals, but they never ventured farther inside. They believed their ancestors lived deep in the mountain, and it would be really bad juju to disturb them. Then sometime in the late 1800's, some intrepid and non-ancestor worshipping whites started poking around and, lo and behold, they found passageways, big 'rooms' and a whole lot of really unusual stuff they'd never seen. Early on, they just broke off stalactites and mites as souvenirs and even left their graffiti on the cave walls. But soon they realized what a treasure they had and began efforts to protect and preserve it. Since then, exploration has continued and new branches and passageways continue to be discovered. The caves are now administered by the municipality of Oudsthoorn.
You can take the 'regular' tour which lasts an hour or the 'adventure' tour which lasts an hour and a half and is not for the chubby or claustrophobic. The last part of that tour involves wriggling through a passageway that is 15cm high - you would be able to hear my screams in Tucson!
Regular tour it is, and well worth it. The tour guide is enthusiastic and very well-informed. Photo of one of the majestic formations in the very first room we enter. The green is actually algae which grows on the stalactites as the result of organic material being inadvertently introduced into the caves and interacting with the ambient moisture. Interestingly, here the biggest contaminant is biltong which is a jerky-like snack that's sold everywhere and consumed by the ton. Everybody seems to have a piece or three in their pocket or mouth or handbag.
These are truly not 'living' caves like Kartchner in Arizona, and the guide was fascinated when we told her of the strict entry procedures for getting into Kartchner. There were no 'Do Not Touch' signs, no prohibitions against flash photography - which really surprised us. There are probably bats here in Cango, but we didn't see any guano or any upside down daytime sleepers.
What we did see were these otherworldly sculptures of limestone, accreted over millions and millions of years . . .
And this was just so grotesque or beautiful. These stalactites have taken millions or years to develop and as we stood there, we could hear the drip, drip, drip of water, slowly adding to this beauty.
One more travel note . . . I can't leave Oudsthoorn without a bit about our museum visit. It was a remarkable building - formerly a boys school - and chock-a-block full of neat stuff about local history. And most remarkably, it includes a synagogue which is still in use! Oudsthoorn had and still has a significant Jewish population and at one time was dubbed 'Little Jerusalem'.
The museum is right in the center of town and occupies a place of honor; the local ladies have set up shop right next door with a brilliant array of ostrich feather treasures and decorated eggs on offer.
Museum admission includes a visit to one of the 'feather baron' houses - the Le Roux family home -which was used for 65 years, one night a week. They came to town on Saturday afternoon, had dinner, went to church on Sunday, and returned to the farm after their midday meal. The last surviving relative lived here until 1969 and on her death willed it to the town as a museum. Modest as baronial digs go, but it was their one night a week house!
Oudsthoorn has been a delight and an education - great fun! On to Barrydale, a funky little art community on our way to the wine route.
Our 'bucket list' activity was far less sleep-depriving but did involve desert animals - camels, riding them to be precise. Try as I might, I could not find any racing options over mountain passes to the strains of the sound track from Lawrence of Arabia. Darn! And I'm not sure if what we're about to do actually qualifies as a 'ride' since this is one of the offerings at the local kiddie park but what the heck. They're here, we're here, and who knows the next time we'll have the opportunity to go camel riding.
There were a total of eight camels lazing about in the shade, and our camel wrangler chose two he thought appropriate for these greenhorns (only the males are ridden). Plus there is a riderless, lead camel - no idea why. The camel seems kind of like the ostrich, an ungainly, awkward, somewhat anachronistic creature who survives in the most demanding environment and is good for everything from transport to milk, hair, hides, and ultimately, steak!
First step, get on. Easy, right? Little step stool and just swing a leg over ala horseback riding. Except horses don't have to get up off the ground after you get on. Our wrangler tells me to hold on with one hand on the front iron grip and the other in the back. Then he utters some incomprehensible command, flicks a switch on my camel's back legs, and I suddenly pitch forward. Not off, just forward - as my camel unbends its rear legs, gets purchase on the sand, and gets its posterior in the air. Just as I manage to adjust to that position, the front legs come up, and I pitch backward. OK - I'm still in the saddle, the camel is upright. Tim and his camel are upright - let's ride!!
It is a very strange feeling to be riding an animal, sitting in a saddle, and not having any reins to steer with. Note, Tim, Mr. Cool, while yours truly appears to be clutching the iron grip like the steering wheel of a Formula 1 racing car. No chance of hitting high speeds on this ride; this is strictly the ultra slow walk ride and I have to admit, not all that comfortable. The saddle has two big pads, one under each upper hip area, no stirrups, and pretty much no padding over the camel's hump.
These camels were imported from Namibia and can go up to 20 days without eating. Contrary to popular myth, the hump does not store water - it stores fat. They're actually quite remarkable creatures. I read somewhere that if the load that's put on their saddle bags or their saddle or their camel carrier is too heavy, they just refuse to stand up. 'Not getting' up - no way - this is too flippin' heavy!' And they spit and bite when cross. Reminds me of some mules I've known . . .
Once we finish our circuit - all 8.5 minutes of it - and we're back at the oasis, our wrangler tells us it's fine to give them a hug. And yes, they accept hugs quite graciously.
Next time I want to do this in Morocco or India!!
-------------------------
Our other adventure for the day is a trip to the Cango Caves, a well known local attraction and considered by many to be the best caves in all of South Africa. These caves were actually 'discovered' by the local San or Bushmen people long before any white men set foot on this continent. The large, outer opening became a safe haven from the climate and animals, but they never ventured farther inside. They believed their ancestors lived deep in the mountain, and it would be really bad juju to disturb them. Then sometime in the late 1800's, some intrepid and non-ancestor worshipping whites started poking around and, lo and behold, they found passageways, big 'rooms' and a whole lot of really unusual stuff they'd never seen. Early on, they just broke off stalactites and mites as souvenirs and even left their graffiti on the cave walls. But soon they realized what a treasure they had and began efforts to protect and preserve it. Since then, exploration has continued and new branches and passageways continue to be discovered. The caves are now administered by the municipality of Oudsthoorn.
You can take the 'regular' tour which lasts an hour or the 'adventure' tour which lasts an hour and a half and is not for the chubby or claustrophobic. The last part of that tour involves wriggling through a passageway that is 15cm high - you would be able to hear my screams in Tucson!
Regular tour it is, and well worth it. The tour guide is enthusiastic and very well-informed. Photo of one of the majestic formations in the very first room we enter. The green is actually algae which grows on the stalactites as the result of organic material being inadvertently introduced into the caves and interacting with the ambient moisture. Interestingly, here the biggest contaminant is biltong which is a jerky-like snack that's sold everywhere and consumed by the ton. Everybody seems to have a piece or three in their pocket or mouth or handbag.
These are truly not 'living' caves like Kartchner in Arizona, and the guide was fascinated when we told her of the strict entry procedures for getting into Kartchner. There were no 'Do Not Touch' signs, no prohibitions against flash photography - which really surprised us. There are probably bats here in Cango, but we didn't see any guano or any upside down daytime sleepers.
What we did see were these otherworldly sculptures of limestone, accreted over millions and millions of years . . .
This room was dubbed the honeymoon suite for its array of columns that appeared to surround a bed.
And this was just so grotesque or beautiful. These stalactites have taken millions or years to develop and as we stood there, we could hear the drip, drip, drip of water, slowly adding to this beauty.
One more travel note . . . I can't leave Oudsthoorn without a bit about our museum visit. It was a remarkable building - formerly a boys school - and chock-a-block full of neat stuff about local history. And most remarkably, it includes a synagogue which is still in use! Oudsthoorn had and still has a significant Jewish population and at one time was dubbed 'Little Jerusalem'.
The museum is right in the center of town and occupies a place of honor; the local ladies have set up shop right next door with a brilliant array of ostrich feather treasures and decorated eggs on offer.
Museum admission includes a visit to one of the 'feather baron' houses - the Le Roux family home -which was used for 65 years, one night a week. They came to town on Saturday afternoon, had dinner, went to church on Sunday, and returned to the farm after their midday meal. The last surviving relative lived here until 1969 and on her death willed it to the town as a museum. Modest as baronial digs go, but it was their one night a week house!
Oudsthoorn has been a delight and an education - great fun! On to Barrydale, a funky little art community on our way to the wine route.
