Getting out of the City

 The Belnap family took us on an adventure. They had to be back early to get Rebecca from the airport as she could not return earlier from Utah with her family as she had a positive COVID test (even though she had the actual COVID in November), but then the next test was negative...go figure.

Luckily for us, the Belnaps knew where to go for a quick bit of fun and recreation! Shai Hills Resource Reserve. We left in the morning and arrived before noon. After paying for the reserve and for a guide, the guide jumped in the car and directed us to the zebra and ostrich pens - I am not sure why as zebras are not native to this part of the country. 

On the way down the highway, we saw baboons on the side of the road - they are native to this reserve. The guide told us there was another type of monkey that lived here too - I think. I couldn't hear well with his mask on and question everything I heard.

I love watching the babies, this one is a like a child, another one held in his momma's arms was adorable

The guide then led us to another dirt road so we could drive right up to the hill or "rock" we were going to tour. I was curious about the people who used to live here. Here is what I found online.

We spotted lots of antelope sitting under trees on the drive in.

The climb was not difficult or long - just interesting. Ropes were bolted into the rock and knotted to make going up the rock easy. Of course the only good picture of the climb up the rope just happens to be my backside - ughh.

If you look closely Brent Belnap is holding on the rope walking up

The view from the top was incredible! Even with the dust haze over the sky you can see for miles. The view filled my soul because I just needed to see some nature without concrete building and people, people and more people. 

It is easy to imagine animals and tribes from yesteryear and wonder what it was like hundreds of years ago. I was told some of the rock (mountain) formations were 10's of thousands years old. Some of the land is just the same as it was after the continents divided. There is not a lot of seismic activity or earthquakes. 

Robert, our guide, told us about the Shai young girls who would come up to this rock during puberty. They would learn things about marriage and use these indentions to grind 'pepe' seeds. He said they made a paste and cut their arm and put it in. The girls would learn how to be mothers and be strong to carry the babies on their back.

Mogo Hill - ground depressions are found on different sides of the Rock. Robert told us the history of how the British tossed the Shai tribes out.

In California we have similar markings that the women would use to grind the acorns into flour, then soak the tannic acid out before they made acorn bread. 

I'm a pretty trusting person but I like to get verification of the "facts" I hear. So far, Robert's version of this story ritual is the only one I can find. No tourists tours, histories or blogs have the same story. There is a Wikipedia source that tells about the Shai and another tribes pre-marriage rituals, that leave me with more questions than I felt I found answers. How can you be ready for marriage in a week of lessons? Is the goat and washing a religious ceremony? How does sitting on a sacred rock determine virginity? There was no mention of pepe seeds (which I did find come from a flower), so I wonder if I've been had.....no matter, it was a fun climb.

On the far side, one boulder sits precariously over the other and provides a shade that Robert said the girls would rest under. He tried it, so, Lorinda and Nathan tried it out too.

Robert showed us you can get in

Nathan and his mom

The real photographer - Brent Belnap

Anchored rope for getting on and off the Rock

Jeffrey was nice enough to carry all the cameras and water so I could balance and walk up the Rock

Photographing grinding places

We could see antelope from the rock, but not anything else but trees, birds flying, and short and long grass. The view was all around the rock for miles - even back to roads and people in the distance.

Then we climbed down to go to the bat caves.

One rock on top of another