Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa

Looking out onto the KwaZulu-Natal.

On a ledge near the Amphitheatre.

Jumping into a pool at the beginning of Tugela Falls.  Yeah, it's cold.

Sentinel Rock which forms one end of the Amphitheatre section and signals the beginning and end of our hike.

The Amphitheatre section of the Drakensbergs.

                The Drakensberg are a famous mountain range in Africa for their sheer cliffs and dramatic views.  Bordering Lesotho to the east, these mountains made a formidable barrier thereby allowing the country to establish a kingdom away from Shaka and their pillaging/destroying path. 

                This area reminds me of the American southwest in its color and Grand Canyon in scale.  The second tallest waterfall in the world, Tugela Falls, is located near the Amphitheatre section and measures over one kilometer long.  The Amphitheatre section is a gorgeous half circle of cliffs overlooking the Drakensberg. 

                There are several popular hikes in the area; however, most of the trails are confusing and highly recommend the use of a guide to ensure not getting lost.  There is a popular rock climbing contingent in the nearby towns and many climb some of the highest cliffs in the range.  Fear of heights is not recommended when walking in this range.

                I took a guided hike up a ravine to the top of Amphitheatre and across the range to the top of Tugela Falls where we dangled our legs over the edge.  After swimming at the top of the falls, we descended (via a crazy ladder system) vertically back to the car.  A long day but well worth it.  The Drakensberg are a great destination and gorgeous area of southern Africa.  Enjoy the photos.

Leaving Rwanda to travel the world

           

              As of March 27 I am officially unemployed.  My company’s contract has finished with the Kigali Convention Center in Kigali, and I’m awaiting a new contract to work.  Until then I’ll be traveling around the world.  I’m traveling overland through Africa, starting in South Africa and finishing in Greece.  Afterwards, I don’t know where I’ll go from there.  A lot depends on the weather.  For now, here is where I will be traveling (in order):

South Africa

Swaziland

Lesotho

Namibia

Botswana

Zimbabwe

Zambia

Malawi

Mozambique

Tanzania

Kenya

Ethiopia

Sudan

Egypt

Jordan

Syria

Lebanon

Turkey

Cyprus

Greece

            I’ll be keeping blog posts along the way of the countries I visit.  The next post will be on the Drakensburg Mountains, so stay tuned.  There’s so much more to see…

The Rwandan King's House

The king's house.  The white concrete strip was the area that people approached but did not cross.

Inside the king's house.  The area behind the boards is the king's bed.

Kat happily displays the beer maker's collection for the king inside the beer maker's house.

The king's cows inside their stable.  The horns are the signature aspect of the king's cows. 

The caretaker of the cows.  The cow's horns are hollow. 

I'm playing with the baby calfs that will soon become the next adult cows of the king. 

            Prior to the independence of Rwanda and the establishment of an elective independent government, Rwanda had a king that worked in concert with the Belgian colonial government.  The king did not live in Kigali or the university and large city of Butare, but rather in the town of Nyanza.

            The king’s house had a fence that surrounded the house, whereby all members entered but could not cross over the white threshold at the entrance of the house.  There are leaf panels inside the house that allow people inside the house to look out, but not allow people outside to look in.  There is a large bed with separate entrances for the king and his wife.  However, the best part of his life lay outside the house.

            The king had a personal beer maker that was responsible for all of the king’s supply.  Furthermore, he had a milk girl that did nothing but provide milk for the king.  These two people were virgins and could never marry, as to be in a relationship would be a conflict of interest (and potential poisoning of the king’s supply) to the king.  With such a sensitive nature as the king’s drink, upmost loyalty was required.

            Cows are always a prestige of Rwandans, and the king’s supply does not disappoint.  He had personal caretakers that sang songs to the cows, which in turn would turn the cows in to a trance.  During ceremonies these cows would be displayed to show the king’s wealth and power.

            We visited the king’s house during one of my final weeks in Rwanda with Kat.  Our personal guide showed us around amid a looming major storm.  Enjoy.