Guest Interview #2: uKhahlamba—Barrier of Spears
Where the mountains meet the sky, and Eleanor is most at home
On reading a first draft of Chapter 14—Sanctuary, one my beta readers commented “I had to look up a photo of this place. It's incredible.”
And it is.
“uKhahlamba” they are called in in Zulu (translation: barrier of spears). Or Dragon’s Peaks by the colonial settlers. The Drakensberg is a World Heritage Site rich with both natural and human history.
The Drakensberg mountains are serene, majestic…and can also be deadly. Rising above 10,000 feet they are “big mountains”. And sitting on the border between South Africa and Lesotho they are also border territory—with all the risks and challenges that brings.
In the second of our guest interviews we’ll be joined by a long-time resident of Underberg, (and a former classmate of mine who came to the farm), who also has a very special relationship with South Africa’s biggest mountain range, to share more of the stories, and photographs, of what makes this place so magical.
Founding Subscribers: You’re invited to attend live to interact and ask your questions directly (see your email for the link).
Paid Subscribers: Catch the (edited) recording after.
Everyone: Post the questions you have for Sue and Sonya. We’ll answer as many as we can.
The details:
Tuesday November 19. 12pm ET, 7pm South Africa time
Guest: Sonya Reid
Sonya has a love of life, variety and adventure that has taken her on many a winding path. Many of these have been in the mountains of the Southern Drakensberg, which she loves dearly and returns to regularly.
She is a St Mary’s D.S.G classmate and fellow PE class “underperformer” (who now runs marathons, just sayin’), but most importantly, as both a hiker and paramedic, she’s experienced the Drakensberg in all it’s moods.
Her career and interests are eclectic: from an early education in music and literature, she jumped track and became a paramedic, and then a health care risk manager. Once again at a crossroads, she is exploring ways where she hopes her enthusiasm, knowledge and experience can unite with others who strive to bring about positive change in this beautiful world in which we live.