Mpumalanga is considered by some people to be the most scenic provine in South Africa. It is made up of two completely opposite types of land. The escarpment, a type of mountain range, which runs from north to south, and the Lowveld, a hot, flat, dry plain, which contains Kruger National Park. The land along the escarpment is very scenic with forests, streams and the beautiful Blyde River Canyon. After leaving Kruger, we visited of the more scenic parts of the escarpment including the Three Rondawells, Bourke's Luck Potholes, and God's Window. The first stop was at the Three Rondawells, a lookout over the Blyde River Canyon at the three formations that look like rondawells, or round African homes. The lookout itself was not far from the road, and there were two spots that we visited. The colors of the rocks were incredible. The second stop was at Bourke's Luck Potholes. There we had to walk a long way downhill to get to the banks of the joining of two rivers. The actual potholes, odd cylindrical holes in the rocks, were created by the curshing of pebbles into soft rock by the movement of water at the confluence of two rivers. Two bridges crossed the gorge carved by the rivers. The actual viewing of the potholes themselves was possible from one of the bridges, but a circular route alongside a waterfall took us around to the second bridge and back to the entrance which was all uphill from there. Afraid that I would slow down the group on the uphill walk, I started back earlier than the others. A South African man, who was helping his wife over some of the jagged rocks, offered me his hand, and I continued on the way back with them. They were very pleasant, and the man reminded me of my husband in that he was ready to help a woman in distress which I was with those rocks I had to climb. At the parking area there were four African women doing some sort of dance. Two others were accompanying them with music. I saw a sign that said photographs could be taken for a fee of five rands, or almost a dollar. When I put the five rand into the bucket, the beat of the music got faster, and the women's movements became much more lively. They were dressed in what looked to me like Hawaiian mu mus. The last stop was at God's Window where we gazed down at the Lowveld from a spot atop the escarpment. It was the scene in the movie THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY where a man through a Coke bottle off the end of the world. There are walking paths crisscrossing the valley and leading eventually to the lookout where we were.
Click a picture to see a larger view.
Driving Along the Escarpment
Market at the First Lookout
Sign on the Way to the Lookout
Along the Path
At the Lookout
The Three Rondawells
Dancing Ladies
Along the Highway
Bourke's Luck Potholes
South African Couple
Along the Highway
At God's Window
