The Escarpment

Several Fridays ago (is that really a workday for most people?) we thought we’d hop in the car and check out the local surroundings.

So what kind of scenery does the South African low veld have to offer? Well, just in what the touring books refer to as the "panoramic escarpment route" there are several main attractions: God’s Window, Berlin Falls, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, The Three Rondawels, Blyde River Canyon, and more.

God's Window
That’s right you heard me, God’s Window. I don’t care what it is, if it’s named God’s Window it has to be good. Naturally, we were excited. Not wanting to mess around, we headed straight there.
That wasn't God's Window. Just a road. But I wanted you to feel like you were coming with us and we have to start somewhere.

Almost there…just thought we’d stop and take in the view. Not bad. Oh, you want to know what I am looking at? Well, here you go. Okay, we arrived at the trailhead. Are you ready for God’s Window? It’s up these stairs… Down this path… Are you coming? Come on! No more messing around! On second thought, we should stop to rest. Trust me. You’ll thank me later. Almost there…didn’t I say that already? Just through this little pathway and we are there. Just a little further… Finally...God’s Window! Hey, how did he get there? He’s ruining the picture. Hey buddy, this is my photo op! That’s better. Off in the distance you can see Blyde River. Okay, let’s go off the beaten path just a little bit and see what else God’s Window has to offer. Are you ready? I'm ready! Once you get beyond the heavily forested area it opens up a little. Just beyond the open field we spot some vegetation. Steph races ahead and because she’s faster and in better shape she quickly disappears. When I finally catch up, I see she is entranced by this big rock. What is she doing? Nevermind…I can get ahead of her while she’s distracted by the overwhelming beauty of our surroundings. Just beyond the rock it opens up just a little for another fabulous view.

OK, it’s time to turn back and head to our next destination, but because I know you can’t get enough of this…here are some more pictures we took on the way back to the car. Okay, let’s get out here and go see the Berlin Falls. But before we do let’s see what these street vendors are selling. Most stuff is selling for R20-R100 (about $2 - $10). On the way to Berlin Falls we spotted this little village that is set on a hill and each house has this incredible view of essentially what we just saw. You will just have to trust me on this one since you can’t see it in the picture.
Berlin Falls
From a tidy little placard at the beginning of the very short 30m trail, you learn that “the Eastern Transvaal Escarpment is characterized by a number of spectacular waterfalls. These waterfalls, situated in the waterfall spruit and named after the farm on which they are situated, are 45 meters high and originated as a result of the differential weathering resistance of the local rocks.” Oh, very interesting. Here's a nice glimpse of what Steph is admiring: Very nice, but no rest for the weary. Onto the next stop...


Bourke’s Luck Potholes.
Funny story: I pull up to the gate and the man there asks us for 55 bucks. I am about ready to lose it because I see on their board “1 car = 5 RAND”. So I give him a piece of my mind and once I finish letting him have it, he calmly points to the board and explains that it’s 25 Rand per person plus 5 Rand per car. Set straight, I reply as sheepishly possible, “Oh, that makes sense. Right. So, where do we park?”

As we pull into our parking place we see this little guy sitting on the fence directly in front of us. It wasn't the least bit skittish (probably thought we would feed it). We got so close we could even see the wrinkles in its hands. Then came the baby monkeys…up to some mischief, I suspect. Please let them not be heading to our car. Whew! Someone else’s car. These monkeys are having so much fun…it’s hard to discipline them when they are so cute. You might have noticed in the background of the picture with the monkey sitting on the fence there is this pile of dirt. Believe it or not that is one of the smaller termite hills we’ve seen. Okay, onto the actual potholes. Now, it gets a little dangerous here (as you can tell from this sign). So, you must stay on the footpath. And not get too close to the bridges’ railing. Careful! It's dangerous here, remember? But it's difficult not to break these rules since what you can see from the bridge is incredible…

I guess this what they mean by potholes:
More pictures of the potholes.
Three Rondawels
Boy, I'm tired. Long day. Luckily this view of a vast canyong easily lifts our spirits. Can you see why this is called the Three Rondawels? I just don't have the energy to explain...


Last stop: Blyde River Canyon / Blyde River Dam

We made it to the top of the dam just as the sun was going down. Good thing this is only 30 minutes from home!
What a day! Thanks, South African low veld, you never fail to impress.