Well Hello There Fellow Travelers And Hivers
Now at first I thought that my Pinmapple stories would come to an end after the end of my adventures at the seaside but it appears not, I've started a new adventure filled little story. Although I didn't really go out of town for this one but it's for sure something that I can pin to the map. 🙂
About two weeks ago me and the Betty 
We decided on going to the Vroue Monument, funnily enough we've spoken of visiting the monument a couple of time since last year already, I never actually thought that the day would come where we actually go out and visit it. Now this would also be a short series based adventure, while we already visited it we need to go back to take the tour of the actual museum it self, for the next two or three posts I will share what we saw on the monument grounds and boy oh boy they improved it ALOT since the last time I visited it on a school tour around 15 years ago. Damn perhaps even longer than that!
Curious?
It would seem that I am the first to add a Pinmapple tag to the map in Bloemfontein, South Africa. If anyone can verify this by checking their map I would appreciate it a lot. The reason I'm adding this is because I know the Betty made a pin on the map in Bloemfontein but it is not showing on my map.
Where Do We Begin? At The Very Start Perhaps?
Laughs the journey started with smiles the very moment we stopped in the parking lot, as I got out I noticed the family of geese chilling under the shade, it wasn't a particularly warm day but it was a little bakey outside, now the funny part about this was that the geese allowed me to take a snapshot of them but as soon as the Betty drew in closer to take her own photo they started getting territorial or worked up, whatever one may call it. 😄 I did decide to step back so she can get her own photo as well, they seemed to be more at ease that way.
Notice the one geese at the far back with his neck stretched out? Almost as if he wants to say "Hey what you up to coming so close broh!"
I did say that they changed ALOT around the monument and to be honest I can't really remember much of it except the actual monument. Now let me shed some light on the origin of this museum. Of-course I don't know all the facts but the museum was erected to honour everyone who died in the Boer-War. One of the most notorious wars fought in our country against The British Empire. Now as much as it represent everyone who fought and died or were dragged into the war it is more focused on the women and children who died in the Concentration Camps under the rule of the British Empire.
There's a lot to be told but let's make it short. When the British saw that they are "losing" the war because the Boer's just never gave up they started targeting the women and children to enforce submission onto the men who fought, and for a long time it didn't really work until it got too much to bear for the men and they eventually gave up in order to save those they loved dearly and after that the war drew to a close, somewhat two years later.
As I said I don't know all the facts but it is more or less accurate. It's actually a shame that I don't know this history like the back of my hand.
I can not precisely remember the name of the statue and I actually wanted to add it in this post but whatever too late now, I'll edit it when I visit again and see what the name is BUT it represents the men going to war and the women and children being left behind.
It's actually quite sad, if you think about it.
In this picture you can see the actual monument far off in the distance, I know it looks small now but it is in-fact much much bigger than one might think.
For now I won't go in too deep about it, let's see what there is on our walk towards the monument, but fear not we shall get to it later on in the post!
I mentioned earlier in the post that they changed up a lot at the museum, well they really have. They've made it so much better actually. The last time I was here there wasn't all that much to see on the outside of the museum now there is so much, come to think of it I don't think we really saw everything when we visited the other week.
What I was most fond of was these walls they put up that had the names of all the deaths during the war, this included everything from concentration camps through to people dying of sickness because of the war. Now I have to say that this is probably not all of the names of all the people who died back then, I don't know I can be wrong but who ever really knows the true number of deaths during wartime?
Given that there were a lot less people around those days so it can be easier to record all of the deaths. None the less it's the idea that counts by putting up these walls in remembrance.
This was just one of the walls put up around the museum grounds, both the back and front of it. I didn't think to take pictures of all the walls on the grounds because I didn't think that I would have wanted to add them all in the post but thinking about it now I probably should have.
Well let bygones be bygones.
I did some scouring on the walls for my family name and funnily enough I wasn't able to find a single Steynberg on all of them until I almost gave up the search and on the last wall that I went through I found two who carried the same surname!
Now I know families are really widespread nowadays but I wonder if they are even somewhat related to my family tree.
Laughs I found this more than cool to see my family name on the board as well, although it was only two. But this must mean that they could either shoot properly or they were cowards who stayed at the back of the firing line. 😂😅 It's one or the other.
Well as always I have to squeeze in one of the Betty before we can move onto the next cool things there are to see.
Of-course it's always a convincing phase to get her to pose for the photos! Those of you who read my posts would know she's lightly camera shy!
I personally think this photo came out brilliant.
This is the statue of Marthinus Theunis Steyn. There is actually a lot of stupid history around this statue, recent stupid history although it was for the better in my opinion.
This statue always stood at the university in Bloemfontein. I don't know why but I do know that some racial disputes about the statue took place and a lot of people were unhappy about it being placed there, again some racial disputes. So they decided to have it removed and place here, now the reason why I say that it was for the better is because his grave is actually right below the monument.
Isn't it wonderfull how things can be done out of spitefulness and it turning into something that was actually better at the end where the party they tried to spite actually were more than satisfied?
I think so.
The paved road to the actual monument had these granite blocks laid out across the sides of it and on each block was a town name and on each block was carved out how many women and children died in the concentration camps of each town.
This is the number of those who died in my home town Bloemfontein.
Now I know this number might be small but given how small the populations were back then in comparison it was actually a lot of people.
Another note worthy thing to mention, the concentration camp in Bloemfontein was right next to the "Dam van trane" as we call it, it means "Dam of tears" and I drive past it everyday on my way to work. Although the concentration camp no longer exists the dam still does.
In this photo you can actually see the granite slabs that are laid out.
Well well well finally we have gotten to the point where all we need to see in this part of the monument grounds is the actual monument itself.
We took a few random photos at the monument it self as well, be sure to stick around to see them! It's mostly the Betty being playful.
I sometimes wonder how many parents still bring their kids around here to teach them of their roots.
And here we are at the very foundation of the National Women's Monument.
The main statue at the monument is Emily Hobhouse, she is also the reason for the resurrection of the National Women's Monument. The most ironic part about all of this was that she was British. Although she was an anti-war activist, the amazing thing about it all is that she still stood up for the countless women and children in the concentration camps who did not have their voices heard.
She is still being honoured to this day.
The grave stone and resting place of Emily Hobhouse.
I am glad to see that they still put flowers on the graves beneath the monument. I'm even more glad to see the place being livened up so much since the last time I visited the monument.
The Betty being silly in her natural ways. 🙃 😉
I think she adored the whole adventure more than "pun intended" I can think. Since she is also a woman and the whole idea of the museum is based around woman who needed to survive and endure the worst of conditions that men put them through.
It's a shame that all of these events that happened was caused by men on both sides, even on our side because they didn't want to surrender because of the gold rush in our country and the British wanted just that.
So it might be safe to say that men caused the hardship that these women had to go through and yet they endured!
And that brings us to the end of the post! But don't worry I have a few more photos tucked away ready for a post next week or the week upon that! This would mainly be focused around one of the war rooms of the British Empire.
After that we still need to visit the actual museum on the grounds as well so this might be a four or five part story.
Dated 29/04/2023
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