After a wonderfully uplifting Prepare to Preach wrap-up meeting in Durban at the Westville ecclesial hall late last week, we were fortunate to be able to spend a weekend in the heart of the Drakensberg Mountains. This is one of the postcard image settings in South Africa, located in Kwazulu-Natal, renowned for its majestic peaks. Drakensberg is pronounced “Drah-ken” and the early Afrikaans settlers thought the mountains resembled a sleeping dragon, so they named it Drakensberg: “home of the dragon.”
We enjoyed a four-hour hike to the Sphinx on Saturday. The Sphinx is a rock formation high on top of Cathkin Peak. The air was cool and crisp with overcast skies and the hike was exhilarating.
Megan treated the ten guests staying at the ‘Berg house to a Mexican dinner Friday night. Mexican food is popular in the U.S., but relatively unknown here, so everybody enjoyed a plate full of soft and hard shell tacos plus chips and salsa, yummy!
About twelve years ago, two Christadelphian businessmen in Durban wanted to purchase some vacation property in the Drakensberg Mountains as an investment, so they built this home right in the heart of the mountains. They let Christadelphians stay there for a small, nominal fee, so ten of us from Joburg were able to enjoy the home for the weekend.
Panoramic view of Megan sitting and enjoying the beautiful scenery during a hike to the Sphinx (click to enlarge).
Panoramic view of the Drakensberg Mountains of Kwazulu-Natal (click to enlarge).
A beautiful red flower along the hiking trail up the Drakensberg Mountains.
Bro. Lucas Scheepers and Megan stop for a quick rest along the mountainous trail.
An interesting tree at the edge of the mountains.
On the right is the back edge of the Sphinx, as it’s known. From the front, it resembles the head of a Sphinx.
Our crew taking a rest break near the Sphinx.
Lots of lush vegetation and flowering plants along the hiking path.
A gushing waterfall along the mountainous trail. Since the waterfall came directly from the source, a mountain spring, we could fill up our water bottles from it.
Bro. Larry Goodridge, a microbiologist visiting South Africa for work from the U.S., standing in front of a waterfall.
Pristine white flowers along the hiking trail.
A portion of the rocky, mountainous path up the Drakensberg Mountains.
Natural mountain streams we crossed while hiking.
Cascading springs emerged from the sides of the Drakensberg Mountains along the steep trail.
Megan and I stopping for a rest in front of a waterfall.
After we passed the steep path leading up to the Sphinx, the terrain leveled off for a little bit and formed a high plateau.
A plateau full of African tall grass.
The guys in our hiking party. From left: Lucas Scheepers, Hendri Viljoen, Jonathan Sabo, and Larry Goodridge.
Right in the heart of the Drakensberg Mountains.
Lucas and Leona Scheepers, our missionary directors in Kempton Park.
Megan and I stopping for a rest during the hike in front of a scenic waterfall.
Megan having a snack to replenish energy during the hike.
Leona found a chameleon along the hiking path that is resting on Lucas’s arm. Notice, it is beginning to turn blue to match the stripe in his shirt.
This is the same chameleon five minutes later that is now changing colors to match his new surroundings of a brown and yellow leaf. Amazing!
Megan holding the little chameleon we found along the hiking path. We let it go soon thereafter to return to the wild.
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