Kirstenbosch and Cecil Rhodes

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens are located behind Table Mountain and the land was bought by Cecil Rhodes to prevent urban development on these sheltered slopes. Upon his death in 1902, they were bequeathed to the people as part of his vast estates. Only then was a garden borne here.

We visited Kirstenbosch on Saturday, Sandra and Mum's last full day here. Again, the weather was mild and sunny; just right for wandering round these magnificent gardens looking at all the unusual South African plants.

This is the baobab tree, commonly known as the upside-down tree, as the branches look more like the roots when there are no leaves on it. Unfortunately, the one in the conservatory was in full leaf, so I took a photo of the information plaque, so you can see what it normally looks like in the wild. They don't grow in the Cape; it is too cold. There is much folklore connected with this tree and it has many uses for Africans living in the bush.

Another wierd-looking plant is the Half Man Half Plant, again found in hotter regions of Africa.

The Aloes are a range of plants which have numerous medicinal and cosmetic uses. Some are trees and other bushes. The one we are standing in front of in Aloe Vera.

We broke off one of the stems which was out of sight and squeezed the sap onto our hands; it really was just like clear hand cream.

This strange group of plants were in the section called 'Stone and Window Plants'. the photos don't really capture them as we saw them, but you may get the idea. The window plants have transparent parts which allow the light to penetrate the heart of the plant. The stone plants look just like stones with stems and leaves sprouting from them.

The proteas formed a section in the garden, high up on the slopes. There are many different proteas; individual plants, bushes and trees, but all of them exquisite to look at. These are called 'Brenda'. However, none of them compared with the huge one we discovered on Table Mountain. (see blog 'Trekking on Table Mountain')

My guide book describes Cecil Rhodes as the 'archetypal colonialist' and much that we learnt about him, growing up in England, did not make us proud to be a "Rhodes". Nevertheless there is no disputing his lasting influence upon South Africa and Rhodesia (now Zambia and Zimbabwe). Old Rhodes Drive, in Kirstenbosch, an avenue of Camphor trees planted by Cecil Rhodes, was previously the road to Hout Bay. We felt that saving this land from urban development had been one of his better legacies.

Now a new road, also called Rhodes Drive winds its way from the city and behind Table Mountain. The memorial to Cecil Rhodes, which describes him as a man who loved South Africa, occupies a prominent position on the lower slopes and is a popular place for walking, viewing and surprisingly, wedding photos, as we discovered when we stopped off there on our return journey.

As the sole surviving 'Rhodes' in our family, Mum had to pose beneath this pensive statue.

In the city there is also a full length staue of him pointing, presumably towards the north with his (unrealised) vision of building a road from Cape Town to Cairo.