Dante & Katryn's cousin Lizzy - okay, distant cousin

Lizzy is now a full blown woman, and wasn't too taken with the dusty conditions. Cute as a button

CHRIS DU PREEZ, The Man of the Moment

Chris is a phenominal man, with a vast knowledge of history, is involved in the Voortrekker organization, and is also taking care of the Japie Fourie Terrein, where we stayed for 2 nights.

WAARHEID EN REKONSILIASIE

Daar is vir my geen land of nasie soos my eie Suid Afrika nie. Ek is trots Afrikaans, gek na my taal, geskiedenis, en my toekoms, maar wanneer daar verkeerdelik gepeuter word met dit wat kan wees, en dit wat moontlik is, dan wil ek altemit weet hoekom? Hoekom moet ek alles toesluit en wegsteek? Hoekom moet ek bang wees as ek alleen by die huis is, of op 'n fiets deur die land wil trap, of los hotnot die strate wil invaar? Hoekom is daar mense wat moet treur oor die afsterwe van geliefdes weens geweld en haat? Ons is tog almal mooi, wel, dit was die intensie, dat ons na mooi moet strewe. Hoekom moet die onskuldige menigte die prys betaal vir ander wat manupileer en moor in 'n dolle gejaag na mag, en dit net vir 'n oomblik se misplaasde glorie? Ek wil net weet, wie maak besluite namens my en derduisende soos ek?

Op die lang pad, het ons daagliks met mense van verskillende kulture, agtergrond, opvoeding en stand te doen, en steeds bly ek vas staan daarby, dat ons almal mooi is. Dit maak tog nie saak hoe 'n ander geleer het om te lewe, of te glo en te strewe nie, solank die strewe uiteindelik is, om mooi en goed te wees, dan is die saak mos reg? Ek wil my dood huil as ek hoor van dinge soos Uhuru, of beter bekend as "The night of the long knives". Dit is blykbaar 'n allervreeslikste komplot wat die huidige regering bedink het, vir 'n tereur aanval op wit Suid Afrikaners, en gaan blykbaar plaasvind die dag wat Oud President Nelson Mandela doodgaan, of minstens 7 dae daarna. Hulle plan is om ons geweldadig dood te maak, of die land uit te verjaag, en is reeds stelselmatig besig met die uitvoering van hierdie plan. Alles wat daar van vertel word, is waar, dit is dinge wat aan die gebeur is, maar weereens wil ek weet Hoekom? Ek dog dan apartheid is iets van die verlede, en dat ons besig is om ons verskille uit te sort. Duidelik nie, want steeds, na soveel jaar is swart bemagtiging in werking, dissipline en orde neuk by die deur uit, en maak plek vir geweld en misdaad. Is ons dan tog nie nou al gelyk nie? Ek sweer, ek het niks met apartheid uit te waai gehad nie, en ek glo nog altyd, dat elke ou moet kry wat hom toekom. Ek is nie 'n rasis nie, en daarom moet ek nie onder dieselfde kam geskeer word as diegene wat wreed teenoor ander is, net omdat hulle nie van hul kleur hou nie. Baklei is nog nooit die antwoord nie, maar as ons weereens strewe na die goeie, kan ander tog net daaruit leer. Leer 'n mens nie uiteindelik maar beter uit voorbeeld nie?

Hoekom maak almal dan asof alles so fantasties is, maar agter 'n mens se rug, word daar gekonkel? Ek dink nie ek hou baie daarvan nie. As jy tog iemand so haat en van kant wil maak, waarom hom nie trompop loop en vertel van jou gevoelens nie? Dis tog meer menslik, en ons is maar almal mens, dan nie? Was dit nie juis agterbaksheid, wat destyds tydens die vrede verdrag, gesorg het dat derduisende zoeloes hul lewens moes inboet by die slag van bloedrivier. Dit wys jou maar net, dat 'n mens nie kan bo bly as jy met duistere agendas die minderheid probeer indoktroneer nie.

FAMILY, HISTORY & BEING PROUD

Woke up early, as usual, but today it's not us that's drained and tired, it's Katryn. My girl just refused to get out of bed. Dante tried his best to lure his sister out of the tent, but she didn't want to budge. I must say, I didn't feel like getting up either, so we decided we'd put in a day's rest, called my sister Natasha, invited her to spend the day with us at Jopie Fourie Kampterrein. We also let the caretakers of this camp site know that we'd be staying another day, and this is how we met Chris du Preez. He came around to unlock all facilities, and was kind enough to bring camp chairs, gas for hot water, and anything we might need.

This was the most entertaining, interesting man I have met in a long time. We spoke for hours about the Voortrekkers, our culture, where we all came from, and great people who have defended and died for their country, and their people. We spoke about tradition, and how one should embrace one's tradition, because that is ultimately where you come from, and who you are.

Sometimes we encounter people who are not particularly proud of their heritage or their culture, and who try to reinvent themselves, by aquiring a new name, or language, and who even trade in their religion. I believe that we were all born to a certain culture, for a reason. Whatever the reason, is for everyone to discover by themselves. Sure, there are things to be ashamed of, but those are not the things that define a person or their culture, those are mostly deeds implemented by higher authoroties. In my opinion, we are all here to learn from each other, not to deny who we are. Right?

We were just getting warmed up when Natash arrived. Glorious!!! She brought everything that a person who have been on a provita and tuna diet might crave. Steak, crisps, sweets, and Hunters, my favourite! What started out as a lazy day, turned out to be tremendous fun, and one hell of a lesson in history. Well, for me at least.

Even the dogs were energized and happy, because Natasha brought her two dogs, Lady and Lizzy, Dante & Katryn's cousins of course. Only thing, Lizzy is becoming a woman now, so Dante kept to himself, as he wasn't aloud to do unspeakable things. He's such a gentleman, and sat all by himself, trying his best to contain himself.

We tried to get the bargeque going, but apparantly we didn't have the right firewood for this, so had to dash out and get some, after many futile attempts to get enough coals. Maybe it's the Hunters, but we had a fabulous dinner in the end. I must say, I didn't quite know how well sleeping arrangements would go, for this camp site is a bit secluded, well, not at all, but we were the only people there, and my sister is scared shitless of anything that makes a sound after it gets dark. It didn't help much that there's a shibeen closeby, and there were many drunken people hanging out in the street below. It all turned out fine though, because it's all good, isn't it?

Aches & Pains

Man, oh man, what aches and pains I have this fine morning! I had very little sleep, as the ground wasn't level and I kept rolling to the one side. Standing up for the first time, a complete and utter bitch! We packed up, had breakfast, which consisted of a Jungle Oats bar, and chilli bites. Oh how I miss my coffee, but never mind.

Today wasn't as easy as the others. There were trails leading somewhere, which we followed, but they all seemed to come from the one side of the mountain to the other. We had to plot our way through rocks, tall grass and dense bush, which meant we didn't go as fast as we wanted. To be quite honest, my body just didn't want to accept the fact that it was moving again.

Doesn't matter though how hard the terrain, or damaged the body, this is such a privilege, to be up here, where we hardly ever see anybody, except the occasional person who has made a home (shack) on the mountain. This is soul food, and from up here, all the troubles in the world seem to disappear.

As we got near the point where the road cut across the mountain, at Horn's neck, we simply couldn't move an inch further. We couldn't even encourage each other to just cross the road, our feet were aching too much, and even Dante & Katryn was moving slowly, and seemed tired and hot. Well, it was extremely hot. I got scorched and was seeking shade myself, so I could imagine what they were feeling.

We picked the nearest spot, under a tree that didn't offer too much shade, but it was good enough for the moment. We put our sleeping mats down, got lunch ready, which consisted of smoked oysters, provitas, and cheese. I was actually too tired to eat, but felt I needed the energy. I left some oysters for Katryn & Dante, but she didn't like the look or the smell of those funny creatures, so she buried the entire lot, until she couldn't see the tin anymore. It was so funny, but we get the message, no more creepy stuff! She didn't even give Dante the chance to have a go, but got rid of the creatures before he could lay eyes on them.

After some time and a great deal of effort, we got back up, and started walking along the road. It was getting late and the way up seemed almost impossible. Suddenly, as if sent by God himself, a sweet as ever guy named Shaun, stopped and offered to take us to a campsite close by. We didn't even discuss the matter, but jumped on the back of his bakkie, and away we went. I don't know who was the most relieved, us or the dogs.

The poor guy only meant well, but turns out this lovely campsite, is quite some distance away from our mountain. We didn't say anything at the time, as we figured it's punishment for cheating, and we would be rude. So tomorrow, there's at least a 5km hike to get back on track, but well worth it today.

Also turns out that the campsite is deserted, but at least there's water here. We both had an icy shower, rinsed our clothes, and I'm heading off to bed. So this is it for now. I'm tired, and am heading off to bed.

Sweet dreams…

DAY 3: FAITH

Our third day of hiking, we came upon this man, who was praying on top of the mountain. He was oblivious of our presence. It was an amazing experience. He was praying so beautifully, tears ran down my face.

Please Vodacom, Solve my Blogging nightmare!

We got up early this morning, after a late night. A frustrating one I might add. I wrote all my blog entries, with pictures and everything, but there was no way that I could post them. Blogger wasn't corresponding, or maybe it was Vodacom. Stayed up until 12pm, watched the moon, which shone beautifully upon us, and slept like a baby.

When I woke up, I was aching from head to toe, and my pack was still as heavy, unless you count a tuna sachet, and some provitas, but otherwise, still the same. We started on a brisk walk, but soon after, we had many ups and downs. The Magalies sure knows how to get a good workout out of us. We walked for quite some time before we rested for a snack and something to drink. I think we were moving pretty fast, but we seriously had to walk down one ridge, just to climb out the next, seemed never ending. Smog completely covers the city of Pretoria, until late morning. It's a sad state of affairs when one realizes, or experiences first hand the effects of global warming. I wonder sometimes, when will anybody listen, or take note of what surrounds them? When it's too late? Pity.

Came 1pm, I was knackered! I just wanted to get rid of the pack on my back, and sleep. No such luck though, we had a considerable way to go before we could set up camp. Eventually we came upon a house, built right on top of the mountain, which came just in the nick of time, because we were rapidly running out of water. We walked around, calling out for anyone, but the entire estate was deserted. We could see that somebody was definitely living there, but no answer. We filled up our water bottles, and waited around for somebody to come home. It seemed strange that there was nobody there, but we waited anyway, because it was time to set up camp, and we thought to ask if we could pitch our tent at the back near the tennis court. My late night has taken it's toll, and I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, not to mention my aching body! I lay down on the lawn while we waited, had a little nap, but woke up quite unpleasantly, when the shadows had engulfed me, and left me shivering to the bone.

Finally, a man by the name of Nixon arrived. He told us that the owners don't live there permanently, and that he was looking after the place. We got the okay, set up camp, had enough water, and felt quite safe, sleeping under Nixon's watchful eye.

It was a beautiful night out, the city lights below us and the moon above.

Sweet dreams…

Our first night on top, Beautiful Bliss

Dante & Katryn, happy to be out and about, and now it's playtime!

First Night On Top, With The Moon As Our Guardian

Slept like a baby last night, and woke up bright and early. Nothing like a nice cup a coffee first thing, and not to mention eggs on toast – thanks Elsalie, you're a honey. We didn't get away as early as we wanted though, because we were carrying on like we had all the time in the world, which of course, is one thing we have a lot of now. Anyway, so pushed off at around 10am, straight up the mountain behind Aunty Tina's house, and headed in the general direction of Rustenburg.

I managed to balance my pack a little better, but it's still not a pleasant weight I carry around. There wasn't a path for a while which was a touch and go, because the grass is tall, and loads of thorn trees, rocks, and goggo's. Once we found the path, we moved a lot faster too. A bit out of shape, got blisters in no time and we had to climb a considerable lot, so the muscles are stiff.

We hiked until we reached Voortrekker Avenue, but had to walk around the Wonderboom nature reserve, and it was a long way before we could climb to the top again. Dante & Katryn is having a great time, but didn't enjoy walking beside a busy road, and rushed to get back to the bush, where they could run free, and be rid of the leads. They were going so fast, they were pulling us along, and nearly chocked themselves a couple of times.

We could only go back up at Van Riebeeck Street again. This is Pretoria North. It was hectic, the bushes were dense, and so many thorn trees! We could see there wasn't enough rainfall this year, because it's extremely dry and dusty. Once we reached the top, we were all four of us, exhausted. It was a nice hot day, got sun burnt a little, but nice, considering that winter is on our doorstep.

A very nice young lad, named Sarel, drove past us as we were walking up the last very steep uphill, before we set up camp, and offered to give us a lift, which we gladly accepted (there's a service road on the other side of the mountain, heading towards the Transtel towers). Aching muscles, blistered feet, and a broken back, who would refuse? We set up camp where these guys are busy with construction of another tower. They were kind enough to give us plenty of water (iced), and access to their amenities.

So, here we are, our first night on top of the mountain, and it is breathtakingly beautiful! I can see Hartebeespoortdam, in the distance, towards Rustenburg, Pretoria North to my right, and Capital Park to my left. Behind my in the distance, is the Voortrekker Monument.

You cannot believe how lucky we are! There is a full moon rising, and I have to go and appreciate it for a long while. It's also cooling down rapidly, so best I get a move on!

WONDERBOOM

WONDERBOOM

The Wonderboom complex, originated from a single tree. Over many years, the huge branches drooped, and where touching the ground, rooted and there, new trees have grown. The tree is sometimes referred to as a family-tree, consisting of a mother with seven daughter/second generation trees. Three of the daughter trees have subsequently rooted, and established three daughter/third generation trees themselves. This vegetative reproduction of the Wonderboom specimen is not typical of this species.

The origin tree stump has been dated by means of radiocarbon-dating and it is estimated that the tree dates back a 1000 years.

THE BIG MOMENT

And So Our Journey Begins!

Finally! We're on top of the Magaliesberg. Thought we'd never get here. We planned to set off early today, but as usual, things just never work out exactly how you plan it, and with good reason of coarse. We left home at about 10am, but I just couldn't get everything into my backpack, to tell the truth, I still can't, so I guess I'm going to have to leave some things behind as I go along. Anyway, my sister was going to drop us of en-route to her son's rugby match, and we ended up going with her. I'm the godmother, so only natural that I attend! We had a good day, and very well done to the 1^st team of Rustenburg Primary, they played a fantastic game! Hard to believe they're only 13, they played like pros!

Okay boys, hope you appreciate the support, 'cause Tashy dropped us off at the foot of the mountain, just after 4pm. and we still had to make headway, find a camping spot, for there wasn't enough day light remaining to make it far. We were lucky once again, because not far from where she dropped us off, lived Maria's aunt, Tina, who wasn't at home, but once we said we were heading in the general direction, made her way back, so that we could sleep warmly, instead of camping. Bless aunty Tina, you're fantastic!

Our first steps along the Magalies, was fabulous, because just the fact that we finally made it, was huge, but having the city of Pretoria at your feet, is a sight to behold. It's rocky terrain, which makes it a little difficult, unless of course you keep on the track. I saw a snake! Nearly stepped on it, mind you! It wasn't too big, black, and quick to get out of my way.

The packs are extremely heavy, and I swear it, I don't know how. We haven't packed nearly as much as for the Drakensberg, and yet, it feels like a ton or two on my back. I have hand luggage too, the necessities like camera, chargers, cell phones, and quite a bit more. Somebody please! To all you backpacking gurus out there, can you offer any advice on how to make life a little more bearable? I know that we're supposed to learn from experience, but keep in mind, we carry dog food, and we plan to walk for a considerable time.

Check out Maria's site for more at http://www.mariag4g.blogspot.com

FINAL COUNTDOWN

We are leaving, but this time, with an even bigger mission at hand. Before I elaborate on even a thing, I want to express my thanks, to everyone who believes in good, who jumped in and made things happen for us, and who are busy, as we speak, generating more funk, spunk and great energy, to help us all to Go 4 Good.

A very special thank you, and I have mentioned you so many times, and probably will every time I have the urge to thank people, to my mother, who is always there, always, always. You are brilliantly beautiful, and my every inspiration. Thank you for your generosity, and continuous support. Mwah!! My sister, Natasha, you are our savior and stability, and you are all good. My father and brothers, you rock boys!

Lelanie, you are phenomenal and you’ve appeared just when we ran out of ideas and resources. This is the lady that has taken it upon herself, to shake things up in Rustenburg, and if you want to Go 4 Good, she’s the girl to talk to. All arrangements for the Go 4 Good launch on the 26th of May, which are held at the Rustenburg Kloof, will be done by Lelanie. Should you have any enquiries about this event, give Lelanie a shout go4gud@gmail.com. Check out our site at http://www.rtbgo4good.blogspot.com/, let’s get interactive people!

Julie, thanks for being a stunning and supportive friend, you mean the world to me.

Everyone who believes in us, and supports us, a huge Big Thank You!!!

Last but not least, to Maria, Dante and Katryn, here we go again guys. It’s about time, and I hope all goes well, may everyone find what they seek to gain, may we all be safe, and warm. God bless, and have a good one!

Thank You, Tuscany Spar Rustenburg

GERRIT & HIS LOVELY TEAM & TUSCANY.

Tuscany Spar Rustenburg

ONE OF OUR MAIN SPONSORS