South
Africa Cape
Town |
|
Much more to
come The
Cape's Two Oceans offer some great beaches for
swimming and places to enjoy your favorite water
sport, including sailing, salt water fishing and
scuba diving. The photo below courtesy of Cape
Tourism shows the colorful 1920s style bath houses
at a local beach. More to come. Cango
Caves: Underground Adventures In another section, we talk
about the Amboni
Caves in Northern
Tanzania at Tanga near the Coast and Pemba Island.
Now we've news about the famous caves of South
Africa, including the Cango Caves in the
Karoo area. The total length of this underground
attraction is 5km. It is said that the word "Kango"
is derived from the San or Khoi language (relatives
of the Bushmen), and means " Water between the
Hills." Karoo is a Hotentot word meaning "extremely
dry or bitter." This wonder of the world is located
near Oudtshoorn,
400 km east Cape Town. The caves are said to have
been inhabited for thousands of years. Underground Music?
Just inside the cave's broad entrance is a huge
underground theatre area, where musical concerts
can be staged for up to 2,000 visitors, a special
attraction during local holidays and festivals. As
you might imagine, the acoustics are almost
perfect. A National Treasure.
Dedicated as a National Monument in the early part
of the last century, the incredible Cango Caves
have a variety of unique halls and chambers with
limestone formations such as the Pipe Organ,
Cleopatra's Needle, Fairy Palace, Throne Room,
Bridal Chamber, Roman Candle and Crystal Forest -
names that conjure up all sorts of impressions for
the imaginative visitor. Information:
http://www.gardenroute.co.za/oudts/cango/
Guided cave tours take
up to an hour and a half and cost $8.00 US. Watch
for more on this exciting attraction, or if you
have enjoyed an experience at Cango Caves, E-Mail
the editor: africa@dowco.com,
fax (604) 681-6595 |