Limpopo-Mapungubwe

I have used green in honour of the  Limpopo River that sparked off this trip. As a child, Dad had read me the Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling and I was was fascinated with the "great grey-green greasy Limpopo". When we realised living at Nelspruit we were with in striking distance of the river we knew we just had to go. Not only did we find the river but also the wonderful Mapungubwe.

Last weekend was a long one here so it was perfect to make the trip. We took two days to travel up stopping off at interesting places, including what is thought to be the biggest baobab tree in the country. Some say it is 6000 years old, which would make it the oldest living organism in the world. Others dispute that.

We stayed at a private game farm just outside of the park and they organised the two tours for us.
Mapungubwe is the site of an ancient African Kingdom. It was discovered in the 1920's. The people there had a very advanced society and were trading with countries as far away as China. They had beautiful pottery and worked with glass and metals. The first archeologists discovered so much gold it is thought that this site might have given rise to the stories of King Solomon's mines. Many of the artifacts were on display at the newly opened interpretive center nearby, these included some of the beautiful solid gold necklaces and a wonderful miniature golden rhino.

In the afternoon we made the trip through the park to see the Limpopo which, along with the Shashe River, makes the boarders with Zimbabwe and Botswana. The Limpopo had only a trickle of water in it because much is taken off for human, industrial and agriculture use. Also this year has been a particularly dry one, the area has had little rain since December. However it was still wonderful to be there and see it for myself.

Andrew giving the huge baobab a cuddle. When the trees get so old some of the branches droop to the ground and  look as if they are a separate tree but they are not.

Andrew standing in front of our rondavel.

Cedric our guide to Mapungubwe. The pile of stones was there to throw on to intruders coming up the steps to the top of the hill

Golden sceptre and necklace

Some of the thousands of solid gold beads

This is the famous gold rhino. It's made of thin gold sheet, beaten onto a wooden rhino and nailed with gold nails.

Elephants from the top of Mapungubwe. Note how dry the surrounding country is.

A mancala board carved out of the rock. Fascinating to think that a game we play now was played so long ago.

The guard waiting below the hill just in case a lion came to eat us. Not sure if the gun was loaded or not!

The ladder was the only way up to the site of Mapungubwe.

Well yes that trickle of water center right is what is left of the Limpopo! The land behind is Zimbabwe. Botswana is behind my back. The empty river bed behind my head is that of the Shashe River.

Yeap it is grey-green and maybe greasy, I didn't get to dip my toe in!

Seems a good idea to end the photos with another magnificent baobab. These trees really typify the area.