South Africa 2023

Sunday22October

The switch is made. We left the asphalt and the big buildings behind us. Nature will now be omnipresent until Cape Town where we will end the trip. So here we are at the Blyde River Canyon campsite.

There aren't many people. Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) who also enjoy the premises seem more numerous than tourists...  

And at number 5, they really feel at home...  

To start the day, we leave on foot from the campsite to do an 8 km hike to reach the edges of the third largest canyon in the world.  

We follow the Kasidi river which will flow into the Blyde river.

The hike passes by the Tufa waterfall.

A thorny dalbergia armata...

The lower view point

In the distance, the Blyde river.

We can see the three Rondavels, the emblematic rock formations of the Blyde River Canyon.

Right photo, the three Rondavels.

A nice little water point, but too bad, we didn't bring swimsuits.  

A mountain aloe (Aloe marlothii).

We cross the paths "Leopard trail" and "Guinea-Fowl". But no sign of leopard nor turkeys either...  

We arrive at the viewpoint overlooking the canyon. The panorama is magnificent! The Blyde River means the "joyful river" in Afrikaans.

From the top of this canyon, millions of years contemplate us.  

There is one who would also like to have access to the beautiful view... It is a Koppie foam grasshopper (Phymateus leprosus). But what he doesn't know is that he also makes a beautiful view.  

End of the loop and return to the campsite via the "Upper Lookout" parking lot.

We take the car and reach the "Three Rondavels View Point".

Another site overlooking the canyon.

Return to the campsite to start our first barbecue of our South African stay! The first and not the last!  

The "campsites" are very well equipped, and each site always has its barbecue. Tonight, it will be beans and sausage, without forgetting the aperitif with the local alcohol, Amarula, a liqueur made from the fruit of the marula tree (Sclerocarya birrea). This fruit is known as the elephant tree, because elephants love its fruits. And for dessert, it will be caramelized marshmallow near the embers...  

Monday23October

Second morning at Blyde River Canyon. We have breakfast at the campsite restaurant before hitting the road again. First stop, the "Echo caves".

After 30 minutes of driving, here we are at the Echo caves. It was discovered in 1923 by the owner of the Klipfonteinhoek farm while looking for water.

We have the guide to ourselves for the beginning of the visit. The circuit exits 900 meters further.

The little local curiosity, at the very top of this room called "Madonna Room", the stalactites formed a silhouette reminiscent of a statue of the virgin.

The walk goes through more or less narrow places.

The huge column flared at its upper part gave the name of this room, that of the elephants.

On the right, Samson's room. The natural columns recall those of the temple destroyed by Samson in the Bible.

The ostrich! In one room you can see its head coming out of the ceiling, in another you can see its body with the neck disappearing into the ground!  

The exit after our 900 meters of wandering.

Just after the exit, a row of Pachypodium. A sign for us that it is time to hit the road again to join the real pachyderms, those of the Gruger park!   Let's go for 1h40 of driving!