Ancient paintings on a rockface

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

(Recommended song choice for this blog entry: "Done All Wrong" - The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)

I had spent my Monday reading my book at the foothills of the majestic Southern Drakensberg Mountains, stretched out on a couch on the outside porch of Sani Lodge.

I think I was still in shock over how much my surrounding terrain had changed the further I moved away from the Wild Coast.

The Drakensberg Mountains form barriers for weather, culture, crop growth, estates, and countries (Lesotho -South African border). This specific part of the Drakensberg makes for a bewitching territory which remains remote and uncommercialised.

Today I went on a guided hike to the hidden rock art of the now extinct San people, accompanied by an elderly couple and our guide. The hike extends over 7 kilometres each way (14 kilometres in total), with an altitude gain of 250 metres.

We left Sani Lodge and drove to the Sani Lodge Hotel, a kilometre down the road. This is where we started walking from.

Enjoy the pictures - and my apologies, as they really stand no chance of doing this world's rarity any justice!

With jubilancy,
Ali.

Welcome to Sani Lodge!

The tales and trails of the unknown traveller: Sani Lodge Hotel has an attached golf course just off it's swimming pool area. You walk across the grassy fields until you make it to this wooden-swing bridge. This is me in the front, and in the foreground are the elderly couple and our guide. 

This area of dramatic beauty extending 3,000m above sea level I personally find is best enjoyed through a hike.

The unique geology of the Southern territory of the Drakensberg results in the findings of rare bird species, flora and fauna. We found ourselves to be one of the only two groups on the hiking trail on this particular day, as it is closed to casual visitors. We all needed permits to walk the route, as this ensures the protection of the rock paintings against vandals and damage. 

South Africa's national flower: The Protea.

As a part of the package, we receive a packed lunch at the start of this day hike. I parked off under the overhang of a colossal boulder, lay down on the cool rock, and nibbled on my power lunch. 

Dagga on the Trail. Smugglers coming from 60km within Lesotho will smuggle up to 30kgs of pot at a time on their backs into SA, walking it through the mountain trails. Some seeds fall out of their potato sack bags couriering the weed, dropping to the floor, flowering little marijuana plants along the Drakensberg escarpments.

Before the Zulus, the Basothos, and the cows - The San people and the eland roamed these powerful planes of the Drakensberg.

There are many different stories being told on this single rock face, and they are believed to have been painted at different times. Towards the centre bottom of this photograph you can see a rather large depiction of what is believe to be a Basotho man. You can notice the slight differences by his thick thighs and larger upper body. This was believed to have been painted over some of the original San rock art.

 

This is believed to be a depiction of a man with a porcupine quill shoved through his willy, symbolic of a a specific period of time in a San man's life where he abstains from sex.
The eland is a symbol of power, and the Khoi San used to mix the animal's blood with other herbal remedies as a form of ritual when engaging with the spirits of their ancestors.
The eland is (was) a sacred animal to the San people. It is believed that once hunted and killed, the hunters involved in its death must abstain from sex for the period of approximately a week, hence the porcupine quill.

The San mixed their paints from natural materials such as bird droppings, clays, and ash. These were then added to various fats and oils which had been collected from both plant and animal life.
The iron oxide from this home-made paint absorbs into the rock face quite fiercely, resulting in its extended preservation through storms (even chipping sometimes!).

There are high concentrations of rock art in the abundant escarpments of the Drakensberg.
There are over 35,000 paintings which have been found in over 600 caves and shelters in the Ikhahlmaba Drakensberg Park, which is now recognised as a world heritage site.

Our guide mentioned to us how the Zulu people, especially their witchdoctors saw the magic in the San people. When the Zulu's settled in the immediate area, it was a harsh terrain to adapt to, both for them and their herds of cattle. And yet, the remarkable thing was - the San people survived off the land, hunting and gathering, without the help of domestic produce and animals.

In recognition of this, it is a sad reality that many of the rock paintings were damaged and vandalised by witchdoctors believing that if they chip off some of the art from the rock faces and grind it down into their potions, some of the San's magic will reawaken in their rituals.

The sweet English couple I spent the day hiking with. Together over 50 years, and still going at it! 

Just to humour myself: This is a swallow's nest (www.thesweepingswallow.blogspot.com)!!! :)

Sani Lodge offers internet and wi-fi services in their coffee shop; laundry services; and daily room services. There is a cosy lounge which is rather agreeable after dinner, what with the icy cold that the night brings, embrace the fireplace within.

Accomodation is in the form of dormitories with 4 beds per/dorm (where I stayed); doubles; en-suite heated rondavels; cottages; and a camp site.

Another thing about Sani Lodge, is that there is no television, and in the owner Russell's own words:
"It is time to rediscover the lost art of conversation".

This is where I spent the better part of my Monday, reading my book, stretched out on that brown couch in the middle.

Meet Tania: the house cat. I made great friends with her over the time of my stay. I snuck her into my dormitory at night (at the time I was the only occupant in the dormitory), and she kept my feet warm, as the temperature drops dramatically after the sun goes down.

I got bat from the cat.

Less cat, more Drakensberg!