Page 26 - The Villager March 2021

The

mighTy

apies

By JAMES CLARkE

computer shop recently seen it, to be a mighty river – perhaps mice. and they are big.)
tried to interest me in an not as mighty as the nile, but mighty all “then cross the Mighty apies where
A encyclopaedia on a DvD. to the same. Churchill crossed after escaping the
test its usefulness I asked the assistant I am not saying that Pretoria does boers!” (no need to mention one might
to ‘pull up’ (as we aficionados say in not straddle the apies. It definitely need to remove one’s shoes and socks
our special computer language) the does. and the apies is indeed a river. It is or use the bridge). “From here the
subject of ‘Pretoria’. even deep enough for fish in one or two expedition strikes north towards the
very quickly he had a map of South places. It rises near the café in Fountains centre of South africa's famed capital!”
africa on the screen with the flag flying valley and then goes past the city hall in (no need to mention it is only a few
in the breeze and I dutifully snapped to a concrete culvert. It does not really go hundred metres further on).
attention as it played some bars of our anywhere before ending in the Pienaars “Like Budapest, London, Paris and
national anthem. then it imparted a river, still within Pretoria. Penzihnskya buba, Pretoria straddles
couple of hundred words about Pretoria. I believe Pretoria should trade on a busy waterway!” (It is indeed busy
Strictly speaking, between you and the reputation that has been bestowed – there are always whirligig beetles
me, this is about all Pretoria is worth but upon its apies river. I have suggested buzzing round its surface and you
you don't have to listen to me because to the city's tourist office on the Left should just hear the frogs at night!)
I am from greater Johannesburg – bank that the apies is worthy of being “the more adventurous can press
a 10 000 word metropolis – and very featured as a great tourist attraction. this on with their trackers, beyond the city
biased. little river has the distinction of being a centre. Watch out for lion and elephant!
What grabbed my attention was this: tributary of the mighty Limpopo and its From here you can see the big Five!”
“Pretoria is built on both banks of name refers to the little vervet monkey, (this is because the river, now flowing
the Apies River in the foothills of the a species whose males are something through a storm water culvert, passes
Magaliesberg”. of a tourist attraction in themselves on through Pretoria Zoo.)
oh wow! It sounds like a mixture of account of their bright blue parts. “... so, as we say farewell to the tall
rome and Karen blixen's farm in africa. We can use the river’s reputation giraffe and wildebeest, our safari goes
but, in truth, the Magaliesberg is still to offer the world a REAL AFRICAN on to meet the Mighty Pienaar’s river.
saving up for foothills and, as for the aDventUre! We can invite tourists to the more adventurous can cut across to
apies, it is a small stream which one can “Come to Pretoria and journey along the mysterious Lost City of the late Sun
step across in several places. one of africa's most famous rivers, the King, Sol.”
ever since Winston Churchill, as Mighty apies! begin at its source in the TARIFF: excluding reasonably-priced
an escaped prisoner during the boer mysterious Fountains valley where the beads and salt for trading, and buns for
War, had to ‘negotiate’ the apies (as a big cats hunt by moonlight.” (the cats, the elephants, the safari costs a mere
historian put it), this stream has been 'rufus' and 'tibby-tats', are owned by US$5099. half price for students.
considered by those who have never the lady in the tea-room and they hunt DRESS: Smart casual.

24 • Issue 3 2021 • The Villager