Roi Salga 20150108 018 smallOn Thursday January 8, 2015 we went to explore Roi Salga; one part of this roi runs parallel to the gate of the Christoffel park and at one point crosses this gate. So this was a perfect occasion to check the condition of the gate in this area. For that reason we got assistance from the Christoffel park. We parked our cars at the entrance of the Christoffelpark and one of the rangers, Wotty,  dropped us close to the most Northern part of the gate outside the park and promised to pick us up at the end of the hike.
We had two guests during this hike; the first a friend of Carel, Tommy Wieringa, writer of a number of novels; the second Gabriel Wernet (Pipel) who accompanied us on another trip. We left without Pipel because it was not sure if he would come. After we were dropped off by Wotty we received a phone call from Pipel that he would come directly to the drop-off point. So we waited for him.

After he arrived we started our hike in the direction of Roi Salga. We entered the roi and followed it in the direction of the gate. Not an easy task because there was a lot of Palu di lechi in this area. This blocked our way at several places and we had to find another way to pass these blockages. So our progress was not very high.
We crossed the dry-stone wall that marks the border of the former plantation Zorgvliet.

After a while we reached the Northern gate of the Christoffel park; the condition of the gate was reasonable except were the roi had undermined the foundation of the gate.
We decided not to enter the park where one branch of the roi crossed the gate but instead followed another branch outside the park first to the West and later in Southern direction. This part of the roi runs outside the park parallel to the gate. We found water in this part of the roi; most of the roi is very dry even though it rained a lot in the previous weeks. Apparently there is a well in the roi that feeds this part; there is a pool and from there downwards there is water in the roi. Above the pool there is no water at all. So either water is running underground or there is a well at this point in the roi.

Just after the roi crossed the gate it splits. Actually not a split but two branches join at this point. Both parts of the roi are now inside the gate; first we followed the part that runs just inside the gate but after a while we decided that this was not the main branch. We went back and followed the other branch. But we ran out of time. We had to get back at the point where we were dropped between 12 and 1 pm. We had just decided that we would continue following the roi till 11 AM. But this decision was soon overruled by angry bees. Fred saw a large nest and yelled that we had to go back quickly. So we did. When going back Tommy pointed out a second bees nest in a hole at the bottom of a tree. It is probably that colony that decided to sting the passing hikers. Several of us got stung even though we started spraying Baygon.

We took a small detour to investigate a large mount of rubble and junk. We found some artifacts but most of it was rather recent. We found a po (Dutch for piss pot) with the text 'made in po land', so now it is clear where the name po is coming from.

Back at our starting point we decided to go with Pipel's car to the parking lot of the Christoffelpark. Fred then returned with his car to pick up the other hikers. So Wotty didn't need to make a trip.

  • Roi_Salga_20150108_001Our hike (in blue)
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_002We were dropped outside the Christoffel park
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_003Bringamosa, be careful
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_004There are still nice fungi to be found in nature
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_005A dry-stone wall, border wall
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_007A Drymaeus snail on its favorite tree, the Wayaka
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_009A piss pot (Po in Dutch) from Poland (Po land)
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_010Another mushroom
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_012And a fungus growing on a tree
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_015
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_016Nice Lantana with fruits
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_017Water in the roi, a well?
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_018This is probably the well that is producing the water that we found in the roi
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_025An impressive Brasilwood tree
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_027A trunk this thick is rare; this must be a very old tree
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_031A very smelly kind of fungus; look at the flies
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_033Also smelly and also attracting flies
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_035Time for a rest at the side of the roi
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_037Palu di lechi is blocking our path
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_039We enter the park
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_040A large Manzaliña tree
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_041More water in the roi
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_042Strange natural structure on the side of the roi
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_045
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_050Probably used to pound maishi (corn); too heavy to carry and donate to a museum
  • Roi_Salga_20150108_052Another dry-stone wall