Kimberley - a diamond in the wilderness!
On the border of the Northern Cape and Free State, 177km west of
Bloemfontein, lies Kimberley, the capital of the of the Northern
Cape. When you think of Kimberley and its Diamond fields, it is
easy to imagine a wonderland of romance and riches. And yet, the
reality is that Kimberley and its surrounds are mostly dry and
uninspiring; it is unlikely that the city will again experience
the glamour and importance that it had for two decades at the
end of the 19th century. For this reason, many tourist by-pass
Kimberley and it was this self-same reason that I decided to
purposefully travel to this city. In doing so, I found a
well-hidden gem beneath the dusty surface of the region, simply
waiting to be discovered by the intrepid traveller!
My arrival in Kimberley did not bode well. I arrived later than
planned, and found myself bedless-and-breakfastless too. After
several calls to hotels that were full, I found a room in a
religious establishment of sorts. The greeting at the
establishment was less than warm, to put it politely, however
the room was clean and the bed comfortable and I was too tired
to go elsewhere.
After a refreshing shower, I found myself in better spirits and
it was with a spring in my step that I once again located my
little run-around and headed into town. It was thus in a chirpy
frame of mind that I found, and thoroughly enjoyed, what I
believe to be Kimberley