Traveling the golden province of South Africa

There is a place in South Africa called the “Free State” or “Vrystaat” in my home language.

My Steemian friends, I invite you to travel through the Free State with me.

The Free State is everything but a “place.” It is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. If you had to find it on a map of South Africa, all you need to do is point to the middle. It is a province that is rich in history and plays a vital role in South Africa’s tourist attractions.

Did you know that South Africa is the only country in the world with three capitals? The city of Bloemfontein, which is found in the Free State, is the judicial capital.

Another interesting fact is that the world's largest visible crater from space, made by a meteor more than 2,000 million years ago, can be found in the Free State.

South Africa is well known for its beautiful coastline, endless beaches, fisherman's villages, and wine farms. However, this cannot be found in this province. The Free State is known for its majestic mountain ranges, vast plains, wandering sheep, and farmers with BIG hearts. As the saying goes, it is the province where few trees grow.

It was our former president, Nelson Mandela, who said that it is in the Free State where he can leave his thoughts free.

I call the Free State the “golden province.”

South Africa mines more gold than any other country in the world. Some of the gold comes from mines found in this province, known as Gold Fields. This is not where the mining of gold ends.

The Free State is also rich in gold above the ground. Fields of wheat, sunflower, sorghum, and corn grow as far as the eye can see. That is why the Free State is also called South Africa's “kosmandjie” (food basket).

The Golden Gate National Park is not made of gold, but when the sun shines on that sandstone, it glows gold. The same sandstone was used in ancient times to build buildings.

I am convinced that the saying “Die oggendstond het goud in die mond” (it is the early mornings that hold the gold in their mouth) originates from the Free State. The rise of the sun over the never-ending plains is breathtaking.

A trip through the Free State is a must!
We’ve been doing just this for more than twenty years.

Every corner of this province has a story worth telling. It is a journey of discovery, compassion, and celebration of the human spirit. A journey that looks different with each trip.

Of all the towns in the Free State, the town of Bethulie is my favorite.

Bethulie is one of the oldest towns in the Free State and, therefore, has a rich history. The name means “God's chosen one.” It is such a tiny town that if you don’t know you are driving through it, you will miss it. For us, it was always halfway to our final destination, our holiday home.

Although this part of South Africa frequently experiences periods of drought and temperatures vary from -8°C in winter to 40°C in summer, it hosts the largest dam in South Africa, the Gariep Dam. This dam borders the Free State and the province of the Eastern Cape. The primary purpose of the dam is for irrigation, domestic and industrial use, as well as power generation.

When you travel through the Free State, you know the beauty it holds is not something you will simply forget. It leaves you with images that will charm any artist's heart. It is where you realize that every moment of your life is precious, not just your destination.

^{All the images are my own}

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