We discovered that there is a rather legendary tree just up the road from where we attend church.So, on a lazy Sunday afternoon we road-tripped up to Mojadji to see if we could glimpse this infamous Baobab tree. It took us a while to navigate the twisty, unmarked roads, but eventually we found our way.
It wasn't too far from the main road that we spotted this single tree lording over the rest of the landscape. Majestic as anything we've ever seen. The closer we got, the more exclamatory gasps escaped our lips accompanied by never-before-uttered sets of words like: "Whoa!" "That's amazing!" "Now, that's a big tree!" "I can't believe how big this tree is!" "What a huge tree!" OK, so we weren't very original that afternoon. But I dare anyone to see this tree and not blurt out those exact phrases. That's right...I dare you.
I mean, look at this thing:
Look how it dwarfs the people lounging underneath its gigantic branches. What a tree.
We were delighted to learn that this particular tree is estimated to be over 6,000 years old, more than 20 metres tall, and about 50 metres in diameter. Aside from its age and size, it's just plain unusual looking...heavy, gnarled branches covered with bumps and bulges. And it even still bears fruit.
But, to our surprise, these facts are not what make this particular tree famous. Turns out someone came along and gutted it to put a pub inside. (Huh? Who looks at such an impressive feat of nature and thinks: "Gee, Sam, that tree sure would make a swell pub."?). When it was fully functional (e.g., beers on tap and all that), it held up to 20 people. It's now defunct. You can still purchase drinks at the visitor's center nearby and drink it under the tree, but it's just not the same.
The tidbit we found most interesting was the article published in the local newspaper (a copy of which was nicely laminated and proudly posted inside the tree-pub) about two teenagers who carved their initials into the tree after refusing to pay the viewing fees (R10 or about $1). The author, who dutifully relayed the voice of other townspeople, was aghast that these disrespectful teenagers would deface such a beloved monument. We wondered what he thought of the people who gutted it for the sake of a pub.
I was stern about not tapping the local brew, but it appears Neil disagreed.
3 comments:
Hey Steph,
Your hair looks great. I liked it before the cut, after the cut...and now I like it with a little more length. All good! Diggin' the blog! Nice to hear what trouble you two are up to. It's also nice to see what Neil looks like. I had remembered him having red hair, so I'm glad the pictures set that straight. I guess one meeting isn't enough for my memory.
That is an awesome tree! Too bad about the pub though. Tell Neil to lay off the hard stuff! You guys look great!
Boy Neil, you need to get some sleep.
So, if you didn't ride on any giraffes did you at least climb the tree?
This is a great blog! You're such hip cats!
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