The Karoo was one of my favorite areas. It reminded me strongly of our own southwestern states. It was a dry, arid place where rain often fell, but evaporated before it reached the ground. There was a lot of dust in the air, producing a haze that turned ranges of mountains into continually lighter hues of blue as they receded away. There were national parks such as Cambeboo, Mountain Zebra, and the Great Karoo which had great wildlife viewing, and atmospheric places where one could perch and listen to the primordial silence. At night the universe came out in all its glory. This was "Afrikans" country, the Dutch settlers that came to settle this new country and make it their own. Their beautiful small towns, such as Oudtshoorn, that dot this arid country showed strong influences of the past and their connection to the Dutch Reformed Church.