The Cango Caves
One holiday on route to visit Cape Town
we first visited the High Gate and Safari
ostrich farms in Oudtshoorn,
where we saw jockeys racing ostriches,
to the sounds of a cheering crowd,
birds pecking everywhere
in huge camps
and round stones, coins
and shiny metal things
coming from their stomachs
displayed in can fruit bottles.
There were ostrich leather shoes,
handbags, wallets and purses
and ostrich stakes
and biltong for sale
and different kinds of curios,
but my brother and I were happy
with some ice cream
and a cool drink or two.
We had to cross
the Swartberg mountain range
to get to the Cango Caves
and at the entrance
I felt like a adventurer,
like Jacobus van Zyl
the local farmer
who according to myth
first explored these caves.
On entering a faint musty odour
and increased humidity caught me
and immediately I was aware
that some bats
were still living here
and heard that Khoisan bushmen
lived in the cave opening
at a time in centuries past
and I saw some disintegrating
blue-black rock paintings.
Ancient formations of stalactites
in the form of tobacco leaves
hang blue-grey in a chain
decorating the limestone roof
while I got the first glimpse
of Van Zyl’s hall.
Two columns rose to the ceiling
[...] Read more
poem by Gert Strydom
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