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Get rocked in the Cradle

Hit the heritage route in South Africa and retrace the steps of humankind to millions of moons ago, suggests T. KRITHIKA REDDY

PHOTO: T. KRITHIKA REDDY

DISCOVER THE WORLD, DISCOVER YOURSELF The Tumulus where the story of humanity unfolds

What happened to the universe post-Big Bang? When did planet earth come into existence? When did humankind first walk upright? Do we all have a common ancestry? How did the environment influence human evolution? And how is man affecting the environment today?

Forget the sapphire shores, thrilling safaris and countless ethnic cuisines. For a change, take a trip through time and rediscover the prestige of the past in one of South Africa's famed heritage routes that's less than an hour's drive from the bustling City of Gold (Johannesburg).

Hit the nondescript roads, pass through the cluttered shacks and scattered shrubs and enter the red-sand Gauteng province. In minutes, you are in the awesome Cradle of Humankind, a 47,000-hectare World Heritage Site, where more than 40 per cent of all hominid fossil finds have been made. With its maze of ancient caves and state-of-the-art visitor's centre — aptly called Maropeng ("return to the place of origin" in Setswana, the local language of the place), the Cradle tells the story of our origin and our continuing journey into the future.

Language of evolution

While time stands still in the eerie depths of the world-renowned Sterkfontein and other cave sites, the less-than-a-year-old Maropeng offers a lively contrast. Just like its logo (that depicts two feet stepping out of Africa into the world and beyond), there's a sense of progression about the place. The bones, stones and molecules here speak the language of evolution and the diversity of the human species.

And what can symbolise the journey of mankind better than the architecture of Maropeng? The Tumulus, the main structure, is shaped like an ancient soil-and-grass burial mound. A wide walkway leads to the entrance and a "Diversity Ramp" which suggests we are all one diverse species spread across the globe with our roots in Africa. At the end of the ramp, an intriguing underground boat ride in which you experience the four life-giving elements that combined to form the earth and shape the world as we know it today awaits you. Sounds of the elemental forces explode in the hazy tunnels, instantly trapping you in a four-billion-year time warp. You pass through waterfalls, hit icebergs, see volcanoes erupting and get caught in storms!

Finally, you discover the beginning of the world. From here, the journey continues through the history of the world and mankind. You can go back in geological time to the big tectonic shifts, cave formations, evolution and extinction of some species and the relentless progress of the human race. Ancient species spring to life through the use of audio-visual techniques. The centre uses evocative sound effects, theme-park techniques and theatrical displays to depict the early struggle and humankind's resolve to survive even in hostile environments. The fossil cloud (original fossils suspended in mid air), a display of the tools used millions of moons ago, scary, hairy reconstructions of early Homo sapiens and interactive displays such as "dial a rhino" are a big attraction here.

The sustainability wall throws up serious quotes ("Corporate greed is destroying our species", "There are no passengers on spaceship Earth. We are all crew") and questions ("Do you know that poverty is often a by-product of wealth?") about our actions today and the dangers of war, voracity and hospital waste. The "Journey Ahead" panel graphically depicts the way environment affected our evolution as a species, how we are now affecting the environment and the need to preserve our human heritage.

Evocative architecture

While exiting the Tumulus, the evocative architecture reflects the huge leap mankind has made — the ancient burial mound transforms into a modern marvel of concrete, steel and glass. What's more? The structure looks up to the sky, futuristically. Little wonder, Maropeng has already won three awards, including the British Guild of Travel Writers Award "for the best new tourism project worldwide."

After a heady trip through history, you can lounge in the open-air café that overlooks the magnificent mountains or head for the sprawling Tumulus Restaurant that's famous for its spectacular views and special cuisines. Children can set up their own dig at the Kiddies Cave, that's built with stones, the jagged wall representing bits of broken bones. An excavated marketplace contains stalls and a curio store to complete a tourist's experience.

Maropeng not only helps you connect with the chain of life, it also throws up clues to humankind's common ancestry — something that existed somewhere amid the heat, dust and beauty of the Dark Continent. It sets you thinking.

Fact file

Location: 50 minutes drive from Johannesburg

Visit spans: About half a day

If you want to stay: There's the 24-room Maropeng Boutique Hotel that overlooks the Magaliesberg mountains

For students: A Learner's Accommodation that sleeps 120 children

Other attractions: The Sterkfontein Caves and other satellite sites of the Cradle of Humankind is in the vicinity

Official website: www.discover-yourself.co.za

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