Mapungubwe was put on the map by the discovery of the “Golden Rhino” on the 31st December 1932 by a Mr. Van Graan. This was while he was out on a hunt. No idea where Mrs. Van Graan was on this New Year’s eve. Best bet is probably looking after Mr. Van Graan’s children. Anyway this all proved to be of major importance and dated the cultural finds of Mapungubwe to about 1000 years ago. Interestingly the finds indicate that the Magumgubwians had trading links with India, China and Arabia. Nothing new, I‘d say. Now everybody mumbles about “Made in China”, but look where it goes back to. I am sure there is a whole lot of interesting facts on a website somewhere, so rather go there for more info, I am a bit vague with history.
We went to visit the site this morning with a guide, Johannes. He was very good and has ancestral links to give him authority when he talks about the whole Mapungubwe history. We drove to close to the site and then walked for the rest of the way and climbed the stairs that lead up to the hill where some graves were found as well as proof of people living there, with water storage wells and grain storage places, etc. The whole place is close to the Limpopo river and it is quite clear that there has been farmlands and other agricultural activities there in earlier years. The 2 hour tour took 3 hours in the end as we were a group of 11 and obviously there were lots of questions and comments and photo stops, etc.
After the tour we went off to the picnic spot at the confluence of the Shashe and the Limpopo rivers. The Shashe is not a permanent river, so currently just a river of sand. Beautifully laid out with lovely facilities. There are 4 viewing decks and the views are well worth the trip. It is the border where Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana meet. We also went to the Tree top boardwalk. What a magnificent concept. There is a 350 metre boardwalk built on stilts above the forest leading to a bird hide overlooking the Limpopo river. The trees are huge and there are plenty birds. It was late afternoon and the light was soft and it was stunning. It is worth the visit to the park just to experience that walk.
The other members our “Heritage walk” today were all campers here in our small and intimate campsite. Again you have to admit that variety is the spice of life. Next to us were a couple in a 40 years old VW Combi, those look like a standard Government loaf of bread. They have toured wide and wonderfully in Southern Africa and love their Combi. It is not “done up” or “tuned”, however it is on its 3rd engine and still going strong. Next to them is a couple with a “state of the art” truck. It looks like an Overlander truck, but it is their holiday vehicle. It was custom fitted and has everything that opens and shuts and it is huge. The Combi guy said that the truck is impressive, but he would much rather have his old Combi. Any bets that the truck guy would not want the Combi, not even for scrap!!
Our second day in the park we travelled on all the other roads in the other half of the park and ended the afternoon with a visit to the hide on our side of the park. I think every elephant in the park came for a drink while we were sitting there. Elephants are much disciplined with their drinking. It is always only one herd at a time and the others wait in the wings until it is their turn and then proceed in an orderly fashion to drink and when the matriarch sends out the “rumble” that it is time to leave, they all move off without argument.
When we arrived in the hide there were 4 other people there already. This was our new neighbors from the camp. They had just videoed the whole elephant drinking sequence and then played it back at full volume in the hide. Eish, man, that is not “hide etiquette”. I suppose the “Be silent” signs do not apply to videos. Well, they also left their “pap pot” full of pap under their caravan the morning, which made a very good breakfast for the monkeys that were in there like a shot when they went off on an early morning drive. In the same way the “Do not feed the animals” signs obviously did not apply.
We have enjoyed Mapungubwe thoroughly and the camp site is great and well worth having on a travel itinerary. From here we are off to the Waterberg area to spend 3 nights in the Malekele National Park.
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