Golden Gate National Park

Nothing to do with San Fransisco's most famous bridge...But 2 weekends ago, amidst the hectic time at work, I offered myself a most invaluable gift: 3 days in pure nature, where the individual seems to merge with the eternal...The Golden Gate National Park is only 3 hours south of Johannesburg, close to the border with Lesotho. It's one of the oldest rock formations in Africa, and thanks its name to the colour of the rocks when the rising or the setting sun shines of it. Pure gold it seems...

The hotel at the base camp has recently been renovated, and there is a camping ground and traditional hut village, but I opted for the new adn more secluded Highlands Mountain Retreat up in the mountains. Six small and 3 large wooden cabins, all built ecologically, the flat roofs topped with natural grass, to ensure an unspoilt view for every cabin. A world class service also, with the daily delivery of 2 bags of wood for the open fire, daily cleaning, and a Weber braai on the private balcony.

Wind was the most present element the first night, and I could oversee how certain parts of the park far away were set voluntarily on fire to ensure the fertility of the ground. I kind of missed the sunrise the first morning when I woke up to do my yoga exercises, but still, the sky was just spectacular. Five hours of walking on the different trails ensured a healty appetite the second night, and now the sky was totally open and the milky way highly visible. An even more spectular sunrise the next morning, and time to pack and start the return trip, batteries loaded, and spectacular images in my mind...I tried to capture some of the beauty of the park, click on the slideshow to the right to go straight to my picasa web album. Enjoy!