Driving through South Africa can sometimes prove challenging and scary at others. From massive "potholes" or broken roads, to people who do not know how to drive driving. If you have ever driven a car in South Africa, you know what I am talking about. But driving in these "dangerous" areas yields some of the most beautiful scenery you will ever experience.
I had the opportunity to sit in the back, that is, not driving, on a recent trip to the province or area called KwaZulu-Natal where it borders with the Free State, yet another province or area. This area is home to both the foot of the Drakensberg mountain, but also fertile ground which they use to grow many crops. This area is also home to a lot of indigenous groups relying on cattle and many other livestock. This adds to the danger as these livestock are not always behind gates. (See below the photograph in which I managed to capture one such event where the cattle walked on the road.)
But because this area is also home to wild animals, like the black wildebeest, there are ample opportunities to see stunning scenery without even looking for it. The mountains add to the magic of this area.
Through my window, while driving, I managed to get some unique photographs of the landscape and other things which I want to share with you today. Not a lot of people will experience this side of South Africa, especially due to the poor conditions of the roads requiring one to have a proper 4x4 vehicle. If I had more time, and more guts, I would have taken more photographs, maybe even gotten out of the car! But for now, I only managed to take some "sneak photographs" of this beautiful part of our country.
Without further ado, please enjoy these photographs!
South Africa Through My Window
they walked in the middle of the road with their saviour, their leader, as if he would provide them guidance as to where they should walk, but they merely followed the front row
they continued on the path, meant for other beasts, beasts of the road, but this did not phase them at all, as their leader, their saviour, was in their midst
staring into the distance, the hills became a minor object of inconvenience it had to pass to get to the other side, where the grass might be greener
it ran with glee, and youthful vigour, only to realise that the one rolling will give way to another, and the grass never became greener as it was already at its most green
standing tall over the majestic hills, its shadow became a monster that no one dared to challenge, the shadows of the hills could not even face the shadow of the black wildebeest
a strange friendship that not even they could understand
emerging from the ground, reminders of civilization, built on the decimation of life
rolling hills cover every inch of ground, green tapestry with random blobs of brown trees, a picture-perfect sky and a chance of rain, the landscape becomes something of infinite possibilities
growing from the ground, looking toward the sky, a pimple of the earth, a blackhead sticking, protruding, unproblematic; reaching toward the clouds which never lowers themselves to it
a bed of rock, a giant's table, where sacrifices of yonder happened, soaking the earth with gallons of blood, feeding the soil with rotten flesh, providing mother nature with sustenance
wounds where the rock tore through the fabric of the earth, now covered in dried blood, moss, grass, and soil fertilised by the sacrifices of giants
reminders of pain, wounds, hardened flesh, the past sticking from the lusciously overgrown ground, reminders of what happened that cannot be repaired
the wind builds up strength below over the rolling hills, building strength with every curve, only to scrape the walls of the wounds clean of pain
a diode that leads to the centre of the earth, positively charging life
Postscriptum, or From Here to Heaven
I wish I could drive endlessly through the rolling hills, soothing my soul, drenching my mind with green, letting my mind free to wander and wonder. I could get lost in the many nooks and crannies of the earth, finding nourishment only in the beauty of this place. My image of heaven, isolation, only the wind rolling over the hills, a strange magic hanging over the place, more of a question, "What battles might have happened here?"; only for a deafening silence to answer back.
The landscapes of South Africa can change in less than a couple of kilometres, from luscious green to dried-out mountain ranges. The beauty is unmatched, even though the roads are somewhat undrivable.
We have a strange beauty that hugs us every single day. And I love it.
I hope that you liked the photographs.
Happy photographing, and stay safe.
All of the photographs are my own, taken with my Nikon D300 and either my Nikkor 50mm lens or Tamron 300mm zoom lens. The musings and writings are also my own, albeit inspired by the beauty of the countryside/mountains