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November 03, 2004

A dark pool

High in the Outeniqua Mountains above the town of George, I found this little pool in a mountain stream behind the chalet in which I spent a night with my brother en route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. The water is a dark brown in colour, the result of passing through rich peat and some other mineral beds. It made me think immediately of the Gaelic words which have given the city of Dublin its name, quite possibly for the same reason. This, then, is my Dubh Linn. The Dark Pool.

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An oasis of tranquility, this deep pool in the mountain stream provides shelter from the wind and the blazing heat of the day.

These ancient mountains are relatively young by Southern African standards and form a barrier between the verdant and wet coastal escarpment and the much drier valley beyond them, which becomes, after the second range of mountains have been crossed, the Little Karoo, a vast semi-desert plateau. On the seaward side of the mountains lies the famous Garden Route where the ancient Yellow Wood trees grow - one is over 2,000 years of age - and the Tzitzikama Forest is also home to the elusive Knysna elephants, the smallest of the African elephant species.

Between George and Knysna lies the Lake District, a picturesque series of lakes and villages. A railway line runs from George to Knysna along the coast, crossing some spectacular gorges. It is pulled by a steam locomotive which makes it a huge draw for any steam buffs, and it is also a big draw for those who take scenic photography seriously. The lakes are the same dark brown as the pool in my photo - except for one which mysteriously is green!

An area with something for everyone to see - even the geologists love it!

Posted by The Gray Monk at November 3, 2004 08:49 AM