On our way to Graaff-Reinet (historic town where we saw the Bentleys), we took a wrong turn and ended up in Stutterheim. We saw a sign that said "Engine Museum," and Dan's eyes lit up. Decided to check it out.
Only one person was there, an older gentleman who was thrilled to greet us. He proceeded to show us each engine, describing its purpose and where it came from. He even started the engines up to show us how they worked.
In one case, the start-up mechanism was a wheel with a handle that one had to turn vigorously. When the engine caught and started, it would jerk suddenly. The museum guy let me start it up, and the sudden jerk took me by surprise and made me jump back(see the picture below).
The next day, after leaving Graaff-Reinet, we visited the nearby Valley of Desolation. You can sort of see where it got its name, although it's a beautiful sort of desolation.
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