South Africa/NC: Kimberley

Kimberley is famous for its role in the diamond rush of the late 19th century and is home to the Big Hole, one of the world’s largest hand-dug excavation sites (more in the next post). But while there were days of past glory, today the city looks and feels rather depressed (kind of like downtown Buffalo in the US). Mining has come to en end, many residents left, infrastructure decaying, and crime is high.