Kaapsehoop!

Kaapsehoop is a little town quite close to Nelspruit. It's a fairytale town, with quaint houses and places to stay. It offers protection to between nine and twelve pairs of the globally threatened Blue Swallow and is also home to about 200 feral horses which roam the town and surrounding areas. The day we went up there it was misty, mystical and magic!

This little house is the first you will see as you drive into the village, which is on a buttress of the Mpumalanga escarpment. It is such an unusual and pretty little one. Reminded my of a Gingerbread House!

One of the main attractions in Kaapsehoop are the wild horses. The herds range from bachelor herds of around 3, to large herds of between 15 and 20 horses. Their breed is known to be the "Boerperd" (farmers horse) and are the relatives of horses brought to the area by farmers and gold diggers during the days of the gold rush. We saw so many of them on the day we were there. One old mare even put her head right into the window of our car hoping for a cuddle!

Stephen Haw of South Africa's Sunday Times newspaper has recorded some stories, focusing on paranormal phenomena! I have to be honest and say that I would NOT have been surprised to come face to face with the old mining commissioner who livied in the little cottage pictured below. It was built in 1884 and was probably more ghostly because of the heavy mist that refused to lift! Rumour has it that there are many phantom gold prspectors said to haunt the hills! LOL! There is even a triangular road sign as you approach the village, warning driver to beware of "Free Range kids, cats, dogs, frogs and fairies"!!

I was NOT impressed to see how people have destroyed the inside of the cottage with graffiti! See how this mist was INSIDE the house too - made me think that the old mine commissioner didn't like the graffiti either!

Those of you who don't live in SA should do yourselves a favour and read Sir Percy Fitzpatrick's book "Jock of the Bushveld" - the story of his travels with his beloved dog Jock during the 1880's when he worked as a prospector amongst other things. It's a fabulous story and will give you a good feel of the country side and how people lived!

We spent a special morning there, one day in November! The mist never lifted and once we had driven out of the "belt" the sun shone brightly. It was hard to believe where we had come from!

... my! Even Jemima and her friends found it wet! Perfect weather for ducks but no so good for hatching eggs!