The Valley of a thousand hills

On Wednesday we had the pleasure of sampling the Umgeni river. It flows through the Valley of a thousand hills, which lies between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. It was in this region where mercury from an industrial plant tainted the rivers approximately 10 years ago. Travelling to the site was a feast for the eyes. The road winds up and down and the landscape is dotted with huts and green vegetation. Some were made of earth and others of concrete blocks. A few were painted with colourful geometric designs. All around there are rolling hills and on this particular day a haze hung above them. It was also very warm and dry. We also saw zebra on the road side and lots of cattle. We collected samples at the Nagles dam and at a smaller stream.