Drakensberg Affair

On my first weekend with Paui here in South Africa, we went with a group of Thai friends into the mountain village of Drakensberg. I admit my expectations were quite basic : see snow! Hehehe. The temperature was freezing cold, even here in Midrand, so there was basis for my hopes for frolicking in the sheets of soft ice in the mountains in Drakensberg.

With two cars in convoy, it was a 7 hour drive before we reached the cottage we were renting. It was only 630 pm when we arrived but it was already dark. And as usual, no lampposts on the sides of the road so pitch blackness everywhere. We managed to find our 'hut' though. It was in the middle of nowhere, a lonely stone cottage straight smack in the middle of a huge farmland. In the distance, rose the daunting black forms of the Drakensberg mountain ranges.

Our goal was to have a relaxing weekend, so instead of sporty activities like horseback riding , we opted for the laid back activities of sampling the local dishes in semi-famous local pubs and restaurants. We also went to the top of Sani Pass,but couldn’t go further than the border into Lesotho as our companions forgot their passports. It was tough luck as Paui and I brought ours and we really wanted to go into this other African country. It was a once in a lifetime chance. Sayang tlaga…

On the drive home, we stopped by this reserve called Giant's Cup or Giant's Peak or something like that. We took a hike up to see old cave drawings made by cavemen dwellers before. It was fascinating to say the least, to actually be able to see cave drawings and see how they lived and the stuff they use --- information we have only read in textbooks before.

All in all, it was a fun weekend. I didn’t see snow but I did see sheets of ice early in the morning.hehe. And we even had a South african-Thai Braai the night before with our Thai colleagues and new thai friends. And I did get to spend this vacation time with Paui... :)