Escape from the Cape: Riversdale, South Africa

The best experience I had in Africa, I would say, is in South Africa – here in Riversdale. Also the worst experience – Rustenburg. (But I am not planning on writing about that town).

The title of this article is more for the sake of rhyme than reason. Our stay in Cape Town was pleasant enough. But after a while we were wondering what the rest of the country was like. We were looking for some places that were not as touristic and, hopefully, still affordable to visit. That last factor proved more difficult the more we researched. Hotels and guesthouses were rather pricey. Luckily we found a suitable and affordable one in Riversdale, Rusticana Guest House.

The town of Riversdale as seen from the Aloeridge Local Nature Reserve with the Langeberg Mountain Range in the background.

A few photos of the trip away from Cape town. Top Left: A view from Sir Lowry’s Pass, showing False bay and Cape Town in the hazy distance. Bottom Left: I forget where this is but this country is where I learned just what “biltong” was – dried and cured meat, often of game. Pretty tasty. Right: Downtown Caledon.

Views of Riversdale. This town reminds me somehow of Blackwell, Oklahoma, in the US, seemingly laid-back, pleasant to explore.

The sign says “Parking for customers only.”

More views of the town. Left: Butcher shop in the foreground. “Butchery”, actually, is their word for that type of store! Center: Railroad tracks point toward the distant Sleeping Beauty Mountain. Right: One of the main tourist attractions for this town, going by how often I see it on web pages, is this old jail.

The Dutch Reformed Church and Jacaranda Trees, Church Street.

Walking through downtown I noticed that the majority are black (75%), the whites being a distinct minority (15%), only slightly more numerous than the coloreds (12%). This information comes from their municipal site. Those “colored” (Afrikaans “Kleurlinge” or “Bruinmense“) are those of mixed races, between European, Asian, or African.

Hopefully someone here can answer my question. What sport is this? The people are throwing these rods sort of like in horseshoes. I tried the internet but can’t get any answers. Anyone?

It helps to know Afrikaans in this art of the country. In fact, many people who look like they would speak English don’t understand it at all. More than once I was only able to find what I wanted in the stores by my knowledge of German and passable Dutch – and even then it was sometimes difficult.

Above, clockwise from upper left: 1. Farmers Market, and other activities, held every Saturday on those dates at the town park. With “Versnaperings“! (Snacks) 2. “Russians”, as far as we could tell, were just hot dogs. Maybe thicker, like the German Bockwurst. “Hoender” = “Chicken”. “Koeksisters” are braided traditional pastries, fried dough glazed with honey. 3. “We thank God for a long life.” I would say so. Francois A.B. lived to be 101. 4. Our hotel, helpfully, had a dual-language New Testament with Psalms. Whenever I try to learn a new language I often read familiar books in the Bible in that language, being already familiar with the passages in English.

Two more examples of Afrikaans. Left: “Keep our town clean“. Right: A monument in the town park commemorating those who undertook the Great Trek. “With thankful memory of all those who took part in the Great Trek of 150 years ago. Installed by the Riversdale Association“.

Looking northward from the Aloeridge Local Nature Reserve. Left: A pretty weed that is actually invasive here, a Vervain. I think it is the Purpletop Vervain, Verbena bonariensis. Native to South America, it has now spread to major parts of six continents. I remember seeing them on the university campus where I taught in Northeast China. Right: Springbok, Antidorcas marsupialis. I’d like to pretend that this was shot in the wild but these antelopes were actually in a campground in town. They may still be wild. Later, in George we saw dozens of them mingling with golfers on a well-manicured course.

The Bokmakierie, Telophorus zeylonus, songs as beautifully as he looks. As they look, I should say I heard the male and female singing a striking duet.

Normally I wouldn’t post so many bird photos in any one article but Riversdale had a wonderful variety of interesting and beautiful species that I had to indulge myself here. And there are even more I could have added.

Left: One of the star attractions of the Fynbos hill overlooking the town was this Sombre Greenbul, Andropadus importunus. Upper Right: Cape Sparrow, Passer melanurus. Lower Right: Cape White-Eye, Zosterops virens.

Left: This Red-knobbed Coot, Fulica cristata, was in nearby Riviersonderend. Center: Cape Robin-Chat, Cossypha caffra. Right: The intrepid Fork-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus adsimilis, reminded me of the American Kingbirds as he took on a hawk two or three times his size.

It is always a challenge getting a well-focused capture of the Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnyris afer, as it darts in and out of the leafy trees throughout town.

Two of the three dove species that are commonly seen here: Left: Red-eyed Dove, Streptopelia semitorquata. Right: Laughing Dove, Streptopelia senegalensis

African Hoopoe, Upupa africana. This fellow was busily poking in the ground for ants and termites. This species is darker than the more well-known Eurasian Hoopoe.

I would really like to return to Riversdale. The place and the people intrigue me. But I don’t think we will. It is rather expensive to fly to South Africa and, once you are there, bus travel (train being almost totally non-existent now) is very problematic. For instance, we wanted to go up from George to see Oudsshoorn, famous for the Ostrich farms and canyonlands, a few hours to the north. But the only bus available for us at that time left around midnight. And the bus station in George is in a very unsafe part of town. Added to this, the buses were often late.

Next: Speaking of George, that will be the next article.