Karoo magic

I love synchronicity. Otherwise known as magic. Lol. I have had yet another magical unpredictable day starting with my own personal tour guide of Colesburg. Mbubelo took me round the streets and cemeteries after I had whizzed through the Kemper museum. The museum had a list of Jewish residents and later was shown the Jewish cemetery at the end of the town. I also saw some of the Boer War graves from both sides and gave a thought to the senseless deaths then and now. Mbubelo said 'men who decide the war, don't go to the war' and I totally agree with that.

Before leaving Colesburg I found a lovely coffee shop with cake to shake off the gloom of war. I was thinking about the Dutch writing on the Boer memorial and wondered what happened to it and why the Dutch East India company failed and thought need to do some more googling.

My drive took me back over the Orange River into the Free State where the roads immediately deteriorated. I had to stop on the 'border bridge' for a photo because the water levels are really high at the moment.

Philoppolis was my next overnight stop and I was too early to check in my hotel. I drove slowly round the streets and spotted my lunch venue, the Karoo Artist's Cafe. Owner Juliette was an instant connection and we clicked immediately. As we chatted, a local farmer walked in to say hello. He was one of the original Jewish family's descendants and I peppered him with questions. One of the things I remember is his medicine for his ailing sheep- 2 spoons of brandy in coffee! I laughed out loud but as he says 'a Boer has to make a plan'.

The next synchronicitic event that happened in Juliette's magic Cafe was Michael the Dutchman who loves South Africa and is a travel writer for several Dutch publications. We chatted and chatted and the next I knew I was walking in the veld with a marvelous professor, Doreen, at sunset looking for the original road that the Voortrekkers used into the town. Doreen is a fascinating woman who knows all the history so it was a late night full of interesting things that I hope to not forget.

Absolutely loving the inter connections of things, she's familiar with ladies from the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation and I am sad that I only booked one night in this dorp.