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SOUTH AFRICA
133
Aug-Sep15
B
ushmans Kloof is a place that
first knocks the breath out of
you, with its panoramic vistas
and fascinating history, and then
leaves you breathing deeply, reinvigorated
by your getaway in the foothills of the
Cederberg mountains, a three-hour drive
from Cape Town.
For me, our stay at Koro Lodge felt like
returning to a family homestead; and, indeed,
Bushmans Kloof is part of the family-run Red
Carnation Hotel Collection, which has been
operating globally for 31 years.
Rock art
While the focus is very much on restoration
and relaxation, the retreat offers much
more. During our walks and open-vehicle
excursions, our guide imparted interesting
facts on how the San people, or Bushmen,
lived in this harsh terrain tens of thousands
of years ago. This information is derived
mostly from archaeological finds in the
vicinity, specifically rock art; Bushmans
Kloof has 130 documented sites.
Interestingly, what you see is not the
paint itself but the stain from the ochre
portion of the picture that has effectively
penetrated the porous rock; the colours of
black, yellow and white have vanished. So
the most commonly illustrated antelope, the
eland, typically shows as only a torso, for
the other paler colouration has faded away
over the centuries.
As there is no ochre rock found in this
region of the Cederberg, it’s understood that
Bushmen travelled here from other parts
of South Africa, bringing small stones with
them. Theywouldgrind these, adding various
organic substances (egg, bird droppings and
plant sap, for example) to bind the paint, and
to create a range of colours.
A SOUTH AFRICAN ESCAPE
LARA SAGE discovers ancient rock art and
other wonders in the expansive
Bushmans
Kloof Wilderness Reserve
in South Africa.
Photography by Lara Sage and
RCH Collection