Kamdebooberge Aberdeen

Click on the image for a larger view.

Click HERE for the Camdeboo National Park in South Africa.
The Camdeboo Mountains in the Cape Province of South Africa. Beautiful, isn’t it?! How I love thee….Original Photo HERE also in Google Earth.

Camdeboo-family – image: Sanparks

Camdeboo flowers

Poetry again…at the bottom of this entry you can find the English version of Ingrid Jonker’s poem: Korreltjie Sand (Little grain of Sand)

‘n Gedig deur dr Flip Strydom van die Stigting vir Bemagtiging Afrikaans (SBA) opgeteken in ‘n boek getiteld Versies uit die veld.

Soos ‘n koelteboom in Februarie se karoo (Uit Murraysburg)
Meneer, u vra oor geletterdheid in my lewe?
Wel, ek is ’n Karookind
En geletterdheid is vir my soos ’n koelteboom
In Februarie se Karoo.
Of ’n jaloers buitjie reën wat die stof laat ruik
In die strate van Murraysburg.
Of die doringboomgeur van die Kamdeboo-streek
Daar naby Graaff-Reinet.
Of die treurgesang op ’n Sondagaand
Uit die kerkie op die bult.
Karoomense kyk anders na dinge, Meneer.
(Bron: Die Burger, 16 Augustus 2003) sien ook: cnx.org

Karoo-dorp: Someraand

Die laat-middag het room geword
en treine wat ver fluit
en ’n wit-bont klaas-skáwagter
wat wag-hou op ’n kluit

en rook uit die lokasie rook
en by die dorpsdam sing
en mense in tennisbroekies loop
die koper skemer in

dóér op die nasionale pad
loop motortjies onhoorbaar, hoog;
Oum-Appie-Slagkraal se ou fiets
kom staan, vanself, moeg, voor die oog.

Tant’-Tolie-met-die-kanker kom
sit op die bordienghuis se stoep:
vanaand gaan hoor ons nog hoe sy
Die Here en die uile roep.
~~NP van Wyk Louw
Tristia
Chris Chameleon sings one of Ingrid Jonker’s poems..Korreltjie Sand – Grain of Sand – do enjoy!

Korreltjie Sand – lyrics
korreltjie korreltjie sand
klippie gerol in my hand
klippie gesteek in my sak
word korreltjie klein en plat
sonnetjie groot in die blou
ek maak net ‘n ogie van jou
blink in my korreltjie klippie
dit is genoeg vir die rukkie
pyltjie geveer en verskiet
liefde verklein in die niet
timmerman bou aan ‘n kis
ek maak my gereed vir die niks
korreltjie klein is my woord
korreltjie niks is my dood
korreltjie klein
korreltjie sand
kindjie wat skreeu uit die skoot
niks in die wêreld is groot
stilletjies lag nou en praat
stilte in doodloopstraat
wêreldjie rond en aardblou
korreltjie maak ek van jou
huisie met deur en twee skrefies
tuintjie met blou madeliefies
pyltjie geveer en verskiet
liefde verklein in die niet
timmerman bou aan ‘n kis
ek maak my gereed vir die niks
korreltjie klein is my woord
korreltjie niks is my dood
korreltjie klein
korreltjie sand (5x)

The Original poem
Korreltjie niks is my dood
Ingrid Jonker (1933-1965)

Korreltjie korreltjie sand
klippie gerol in my hand
klippie gesteek in my sak
word korreltjie klein en plat

Sonnetjie groot in die blou
korreltjie maak ek van jou
blink in my korreltjie klippie
dit is genoeg vir die rukkie

Kindjie wat skreeu uit die skoot
niks in die wêreld is groot
stilletjies lag nou en praat
stilte in doodloopstraat

Wêreldjie rond en aardblou
ek maak net ‘n ogie van jou
huisie met deur en twee skrefies
tuintjie met blou madeliefies

Pyltjie geveer in verskiet
liefde verklein in die niet
Timmerman bou aan ‘n kis
Ek maak my gereed vir die niks

Korreltjie klein is my woord
Korreltjie niks is my dood

Read here about Ingrid Jonker where you can also listen to Bitterbessie Dagbreek as sung by Chris Chameleon.

Little Grain of Sand
Grain little grain of sand
pebble rolled in my hand
pebble thrust in my pocket
a keepsake for a locket

Little sun big in the blue
a granule I make out of you
shine in my pebble little grain
for the moment that’s all I can gain

Baby that screams from the womb
nothing is big in this tomb
quietly laugh now and speak
silence in dead-end street

Little world round and earth-blue
make a mere eye out of you
house with a door and two slits
a garden where everything fits

Small arrow feathered into space
love fades away from its place
Carpenter seals a coffin that’s bought
I ready myself for the nought

Small grain of sand is my word, my breath
small grain of nought is my death 

© Translation: 2007, Antjie Krog & André Brink
From: Black Butterflies
Publisher: Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 2007
ISBN: 9780798148924

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Klein Karoo – Little Karoo

http://www.derust.org.za/gallery.htm

The Karoo is one of the beautiful places in South Africa. If you travel from Pretoria to Cape Town, you have no choice of travelling through the Karoo too! There are some spectacular places, like this small town called De Rust! We stayed a night at a B&B and I always say I would like to go back to De Rust one day! I have two Afrikaans songs about the Karoo, do yourself a favour and listen/watch it for the beautiful music firstly and secondly for the beautiful scenery.  The second song is about the Trans Karoo Train that takes you to Cape Town. I haven’t travelled by this train, but by looking at the video, I think it can be fun! Oudtshoorn is famous for the ostrich farms and you can go and have a ride on an ostrich! I’ve done it…it’s great fun! All images in this post are from the different websites in this post. If you click on the “movie”-page of my blog, you will find 3 links to movie-entries on my blog  about places in SA.

This is a donkey taxi in De Rust!

http://www.earthfoot.org

http://www.littlebrak.co.za/content/view/26/

Image: routes.co.za
All these places in the Western Cape is a must! Next stop for me when I go there, will surely be Matjiesfontein!

http://www.matjiesfontein.com/About/

Spring in the Karoo – image: http://dan-yvonne.myopus.net/travels/

A poem about frogs – Karoo frogs! An Afrikaans poem for Primary children

Karoo-Kikkers
(Uit: Goue Lint my storie begint: Tafelberguitgewers)
Kikkerland is op Kransplaas in die Karoo.
elke dag as die son skyn, sit die kikkers on ‘n
stokou karee by die diep, koel kuil op die klippe en kik.
Snags, as die maan op sy rug in die kuil dryf, sit
hulle in die biesies in ‘n kring en sing in die kikkerkoor.
Die klein kikkertjies klik-kliek-klik, klik-kliek-klik.
Pappa-Kik en Mamma-Kik kwaak. Oupa-Kik maak
sy keel dik en kra-a-a-k …. kra-a-a-k kontrabas.
Klein Hikkie-Kwik wip na Oupa-Kik se sitklip en vra:
“Oupa-Kik, hoekom staan ou Reier altyd op een been
in die vlak water van die kuil?”
“Ek wag en wag en wag en jy vra nou eers “ sê
Oupa–Kik. Hy loer alkante toe en fluister toe asof hy
bang is iemand luister: “Slim ou Reier staan op een
been in die vlak water van die kuil om klein kikkertjies
te kul. Hulle dink s lang, dun been is sommer ‘n rietjie.
En as hulle naby kom – SWIEP!”
“Swiep, Oupa-Kik?”
“Ja-a-a, Dan rek hy net sy lang sweepnek en hy
kry ‘n kikkertjie met sy snawel beet!”
“En dan, Oupa-Kik?”
“O-o-o, Dan sluk hy die klein kik in!” Oupa-Kik maak sy
keel dik en sy oë rek groot. “Julle moet mooi loop vir ou
Reier. Hier in die droë Karoo vang ou Reier
koggelmanders en kewers, krieke en kwarteltjies,
kiewietkuikens en klein kelkiewyntjies, as hy hulle kan
kry. En kikkertjies!”
Hikkie-Kik wip plieps! in die koel kuil in. Al die ander
kikkertjies moet eers hoor wat Oupa-Kik gesê het:
“Klik-kliek-klik,” klik die kikkertjies –
“KIK!
Die kikkies moet vir Reier Skrik!”
Daardie aand dryf die goue maan op sy rug in die
diep, koel kuil. Die kikkertjies sit op die koorklip.
Hulle sit in ‘n kring en sing:
“Ou Reier, ou Reier Rietjiebeen,
ou Reier met sy sweepnek,
ou Reier , ou Reier met sy Rietjiebeen
het mos mooitjies sy nek verrek!”
Die klein kikkertjies klik-kliek-klik, klik-kliek-klik.
Pappa-Kik en Mamma-Kik kwaak. Oupa-Kik maak sy
keel dik en kra-a-a-k … kra-a-a-k kontrabas.
Hulle sing tot die son opkom.

Image:themaxefiles.blogspot.co.uk/2010_05_01_archive.html

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Worth visiting

Ek was deur Skoor gevra om drie inskrywings van my blog te kies wat ek baie van hou, so, hier is hulle. Die eerste inskrywing is van ‘n plek wat ek nog nie besoek het nie: Die Noord-Wes gedeelte van ons land. ‘n Baie goeie vriendin van my het daar gebly en so ver ek weet het sy nog familie daar: Pofadder. 

English readers: scroll down for English. This entry is about other entries on my blog.

Klik Hier vir Onseepkans, Pofadder, Springbok.

Image: ww.sleeping-out.co.za

The Augrabies Falls National Park is also in that area – see the red star on the map…click HERE to visit the South African National Parks website linked to the Augrabies Falls Park and other National Parks too, of cours. The word “Augrabies” is derived from the Khoi word which means…”noisy one”… 

Augrabies Falls

About 120 km west of Upington, in a barren and desolate land of sand, scrub and rock, the broad Orange River plunges through a massive canyon in a sudden and dramatic sequence of rapids and cascades. The waters descend through the ravine to breach the main gorge. Here, the Augrabies waterfalls drop, sheer at first and then in a misty tumble of cataracts, to the turbulent, rock-enclosed pool 200 m below.

The Augrabies Falls are without doubt the most impressive waterfalls along the Orange River and are located approximately 120 km downstream of Upington. The falls occur at a point where the Orange River alters from a wide slowly flowing river traversing sandy soils to a fast flowing narrow river cutting its way through ancient granites.
Read ON THIS SITE more about the Augrabies Waterfall and see more awesome pictures too! Follow the “Wildlife” link to read about Pangolins! Coelacanths – the African Fish Eagle -the Shangaan, the Xhosas, Shaka, the King of the Zulu, Sterkfontein Caves (a World Heritage site). Nongqawuse – Prophetess of Doom.The Xhosa people were almost led to commit suicide in the 1800’s by a fourteen-year-old ‘prophetess’; who claimed she had received a message from the ancestors.

Jasper visited Azerbaijan and if you click HERE you can see more pictures on his blog. Azerbaijan is a country I would like to visit – these Eastern European countries do attract me!
Rosalind  blogged about the Jewish concentration camps and inspired me to blog about  Anne Frank and the South African concentration camps.

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