The “M” of South Africa

For Jenny’s Alphabe Thursday,

 

I am going to write my thoughts, the bits and bobs that I remember of how it was for me, during my almost fifty years spent in South Africa.
These are my ‘M’ memories, opinions and views on a time during a much loved childhood and beyond!

 

Marulas, Monkey, Mamba, Magaliesberg, Maluti, Mosquito, Margate, Melon, Mynah Birds, 

This week we’re going back in time to three areas in the old S.A., first, the South Coast of Natal; Margate, where I remember doing a night market, selling a range of mens clothing from a stall at the side of the road.  It was summer holidays, a time when the inland visitors flocked to the seaside.   And who could blame them…

 Secondly, an area up in the Transvaal, north and west of Margate.  A range of mountains, the Magaliesberg, beautiful in their majesty as they rise up out of the earth; this range has been around some 300 million years, geologists say.

The Magaliesberg range runs from near Pretoria (and Hartebeespoort Dam) all the way to the Pilanesberg area where South Africa borders Botswana.  The famous resort and casino, Sun City is located there.

While we are in the Pilanesberg area, I’d like to mention the fuit, Marulas.  

Many people in the past have reported seeing drunken elephants in this nature reserve around these marula trees.  But this has been proved to be a mith. 

  However this hasn’t stopped the human element from using the strange tasting fruit to make a memorable liqueur to add to cocktails, drink on its own or pour over your icecream desert.

 

 

 

And from elephants to monkeys. 

 So thirdly, we are leaving the bushveld, going back to the coast, where on a sunny morning you would have an early warning that a troop of naughty monkeys were on the way, by way of all the dogs in the town barking.

 They would leap from tree to tree and run on the rooftops, scavaging for anything they could find to eat, stealing bananas and other fruits from your trees. 

Up and down the South Coast of Natal these little chaps came calling.  They have been known to go right into your kitchen and steal bread or whatever is left out and available.  I have located a video clip someone has taken in Natal.(click to view)

In Natal you bask in wonderful sunshine with blue water crashing on the shores and running up the yellow sand, living with nature.  However, apart from mosquito’s and naughty monkeys there are some noisy inmates you have to share your space with.  The Mynah bird.  They were introduced to South Africa in 1900’s when Indian people emigrated to Natal, their intention was to work on sugar plantations.  The Mynah’s were brought in as caged birds.

These brownish-black, very cheeky birds with yellow beaks live in large communities and squawk loudly during the day as the fly about, ruin the fruit on trees and scavenge like seagulls; at night they roost together in large trees or on a roof, in a ventilation duct where ever they can make themselves comfortable.

The noise that they make until the sun sets is deafening.  Then all goes quiet.  Bliss, until the first bright shaft of light from the sun streaks the sky above the ocean next morning; and it all starts again. 

Well, those are all the “M” I have time for this week.  Oh no, there is no time left for the Mamba and the Melons!

If you would like to read more on other letters, A to L, click this link: https://writingmuscle.wordpress.com/a-z-of-south-africa/