Didima

After sampling the Nagles dam in the Valley of a thousand hills, our next stop was Newcastle farther north of Durban. We spent the night at Didima camp near Cathedral's peak on the Drakensberg mountain. Night fell as we drove to the camp and it was pitch black. The road was windy as we went down into the valley. The sky was illuminated by stars. The Milky way was splendid, shimmering above us. It was beautiful. In the morning I drew my curtains and the mountains were right there infrom of the chalet. The chalets have thatched roofs that slope almost touching the ground. The decor on the inside is of a rock art theme. The lamps have rock art images etched on them. The images seem to dance on the wall when the lamps are alight. The area is pristine and tranquil and the community lives in huts on the hills that surround the area. Orange flowers that blend with the landscape seem to be everywhere.We sampled the Tugale river on the way to Newcastle in the morning.
Newcastle is an area with coal deposits and there are various industries along on the road. We sampled the Buffalo river. The site was under a bridge where the water flowed slowly and was fairly clean. However, we made the grim find of a few dead goats wrapped in plastic bags lying in the water. It was a long drive back to Durban and when we got back to the house all everyone wanted was a warm bath and a hot meal.