We are not huge botanical garden people. At least we never were before we got here. This past weekend we visited the Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden. I guess when you are exploring a new area, one that may have safety issues, if you like outside activities you have to stick to established parks, at least while you're figuring everything out.
This garden is located about 25 minutes from our new house. It's different and even nicer than the Johannesburg garden. This park had hiking trails and a very pretty waterfall.
History lesson time. Walter Sisulu was a leader in the African National Congress (Mandela's crew) during the apartheid era. He was an anti-apartheid activist and leader and was imprisoned for 25 years. He served as Deputy President of South Africa from 1991-1994.
I don't know if Walter ever got to see these beautiful gardens in all their splendor as he died in 2003. I think he would be very honored to have such a stunning place named for him.
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| This garden also has a restaurant. We brought our own food this time. |
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| They have sculptures of large bugs so you'll recognize the real ones when you see them! |
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| We hiked all the way to the top. I love the skies around here! |
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| A train that takes kids around the park |
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| The deep man walks alone |
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| The jewel of the park is the waterfall |
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| Getting creative with the photography while Mr. Deep scopes out a black eagle |
The park was established in 1982. Like many places in SA, it was renamed after minority rule came to an end. It is safe to assume he visited it. Whether or not he was alive when they renamed it I can't say. I tend to frown on the ANC's penchant for renaming things but this instance seems perfectly reasonable.
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