What a wonderful day!!! Can't even begin to describe the scenery. We are at 4,500 ft. It is warm and sunny with a cooling breeze.
We drove to the site of the infamous Isandlwana battle. We were entertained by the great great grandson of the Zulu chieftain at the time of the battle. To sit in the exact spot of the battle, surrounded by cairns marking the remains of those who died and the monuments erected to them , as Dalton described the events and pointed out the points in the landscape where the Zulus appeared over the rise, where the 'horns' of the Zulu attack met, where the British Commander was having breakfast and ignored the attack , the point where the last five men died etc etc. made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.
We were enormously moved to have met the night before, Mike, whose ancestor had received the Victoria Cross at Rorkes Drift in the renewed battle the day after. We were able to introduce these two descendants of the protagonists to each other on the Battlefield and photograph them as they embraced. How special was that?? They each knew so much about each others ancestor and as they said, if both hadn't survived the carnage and thousands of deaths over 2days , 133 years later , their progeny wouldn't be standing there today.
Rorkes Drift was the next stop and an atmospheric recounting from Dalton of the Zulu defeat there. Another extremely moving moment.
Bought a beautiful hand made tile baked from the clay of the battlefield.
Next stop was for lunch was at the Mining museum. Great home cooked
Roast Sunday dinner with just a few local tweeks like sweet potato dumplings. The information at the Museum was excellent and comprehensive not just about mining but life in the area in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Bought local beadwork presents. Back to the lovely lodge for drinks in the garden overlooking the veldt.
Long journey back to Johannesburg and internal flight to George.