This was taken not too long ago while doing the Extreme ride 4 hunger cycle tour. It is the middle of the Karoo in the Northern Cape, South Africa. this unique landscape is stunningly beautiful, with its vast open spaces and shades of brown fields.
It was the area I grew up and I always get a sense of peace and calmness whenever I go there, the silence and the fact that the land stretches out for miles and miles sometimes without a human being in sight, gives one a sense of calmness that I have only ever really felt there. It is Die Platteland (The flatland - roughly translated).
Love that part of our country. We are indeed lucky, as each of our 9 provinces have almost completely different topographies, which makes it so exciting and makes you feel as though you are in different countries the minute you cross province lines.
I think if this pandemic and lockdown has taught me and made me realise is that we do have one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and I need to and will be travelling more locally once we get though all this. It is cheaper and less hassle begging other countries to give you a visa to visit, why go through all that when we have all of this right here in our back yard.
I think sometimes we mostly lose site of what surrounds us, as we are constantly looking outward and beyond our own horison for things that are for the most part right in front of us :-)
So maybe that is something to ponder, travel locally, buy locally, support those around you, that way you grow yourself and those closest to you. That would help revitilise local economies, we going to need it.
Have a great week everyone, remember to find the beauty around you.
