The San people were truly indigenous to southern Africa. These mobile hunter-gatherers roamed the mountains, fields and coasts of South Africa in pre-colonial times, more than 22,000 years ago. They followed the rhythms of nature in their environment, moving with their herds or following other food sources, until they eventually got nearly exterminated through clashes with settlers or tribes that came to South Africa later on.
The San left behind the legacy of their culture in the form of their rock art. They were prolific painters, and the Drakensberg area in the south eastern KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa alone is the location of 20,000 individual paintings at 500 different cave and overhang sites.
The animal painted most often was the eland - a sacred animal to the San, who regarded it as the animal of the greatest spiritual power. For them the eland embodied health, peace, healing and plenty. The eland is the largest antelope in southern Africa, but it also has a lot of fat, which to the San was a symbol of supernatural potency.
These paintings, not only aesthetically pleasing in their fine detail and beautiful colours, also give us glimpses into their hunting and other activities. More than that, studies have revealed a deeply spiritual dimension to their art. Shamanistic rituals involving the Bushman shaman going into a trance are closely connected with much of their painting; it is clear today that they also tell stories of journeys into the spirit world. For the San their painted figures captured spiritual powers and became gateways to a world beyond this one.
The Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park is a World Heritage Site, well known for its outstanding natural beauty. This 230,000 hectare protected area contains 500 known sites of San rock art, which makes it culturally special too.
DIDIMA CAMP in Cathedral Peak in the central Drakensberg is the perfect place from which to explore some of this historically significant art, while also enjoying the extraordinary scenic splendour of mountains, rivers, clear streams, waterfalls, caves and grasslands.
The camp opened just over 3 years ago and has more than 60 luxurious chalets, as well as a state-of-the-art conference facility seating 140 delegates, which can also double as a wedding venue with full height glass walls framing the surrounding mountains.
.Didima was designed with a cave theme in mind, and the chalets indeed reflect the shape of caves, as does the main lodge which features a 140-seat restaurant, bar, fireside lounge and curio/grocery shop. The chalets are not at all cave-like inside though: they are fully equipped and offer satellite TV and fireplaces. Other amenities include a swimming pool and tennis courts.
A highlight of a stay at Didima is a visit to the Didima San Art Centre. Here one can learn about the fascinating culture and lifestyle of the San through displays, fireside stories in a room resembling a cave, as well as audiovisual presentations in an auditorium. The theme of the importance of the eland and other aspects of San art are examined, so that one leaves with a much greater insight into this ancient art form. A look in the Ndumeni craft centre that sells locally produced indigenous crafts made from grass, beadwork and clay, followed by refreshments in the thatched coffee shop complete the visit to the Art Centre.
In order to fully appreciate the beauty of the area, visitors should go on one of the many hiking trails on offer. Routes vary from a few hours on mountain paths to days of hiking and camping. Even a short walk up yields amazing views of the grandeur of the mountains as one looks across the main escarpment and surrounding lowlands. A huge variety of plants, animals and birds can be observed, for example eland, baboon, reedbuck, grey duiker, otter, spotted genet, bearded vulture, black eagle and Cape vulture.
Mountains soar around Didima up to 3,000 metres high, and the view even from the chalets fills one with a great and deep respect for nature. Like the San people who lived in these mountains millenniums ago, one feels completely in touch with nature here, absorbing the ancient calm of the mountains. A worthy eco-tourism destination indeed
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