Thursday 5th September

Fiona drove us out of Johannesburg into    the country today, heading northwest to    Cradle Valley.

She told us she often cycles along this       route The roads are quiet and they have a wide sidewalk. There are few footpaths anywhere, you often see black people walking along  the  side of the road and on the      central      reservation. 

The drive took us past shanty townships   with their boxlike homes with corrugated    roofs. Washing hanging out to dry on the  metal fences. Black people sitting around,  rubbish everywhere.

The contrast between these shantytowns   and the large houses in the gated              communities is vast.

As we drive out of the city we pass small    farmsteads, a chicken farm, equine centres and smaller black communities. Fiona         pointed out an old wreck of a car which    was home to an elderly black woman. 

We stopped to look at a flock of Helmeted Guineafowl pecking for food in the dry      grass. We spotted 2 Impalas (a small         antelope) scavenging for food on the side of the road, oblivious to the passing traffic.

The straight road began to climb up hill and the views became more spectacular with   open countryside and mountains on the     horizon. This is the first day we’ve had        cloudy skies and they gave a haze over the hills. We drove on for about 30 mins then  arrived at Maropeng, a UNESCO World      Heritage site.

It is an underground museum, ‘The Cradle of Humankind’; telling the story of how we have evolved! The African’s believe that the  first man was discovered in Africa about.   100 years ago. The museum held many fossil and bone artefacts. It was very interesting and well done but they couldn’t explain who created the 4 elements: Earth, Wind, Air and Water.   www.thecradleofhumankind.net/pages/maropeng

There is also, an amazing Bronze life size   sculpture; statues of men and women who have taken Africa’s ‘The Long Walk to Freedom’ with Mandela at the front. It spans     about 250 years, there are about 100        statues, all in a walking pose facing the      same way, looking forward. It is very          poignant and in a beautiful setting with      open country as a back drop. 

100 years ago. The museum held many      fossil and bone artefacts. It was very interesting and well done but they couldn’t         explain   who created the 4 elements: Earth, Wind, Air and Water.   www.thecradleofhumankind.net/pages/maropeng