Although living in South Africa offers one many beautiful places and faces, you never get a feeling of "been there, done that, got the t-shirt".
Every road a new discovery, every day offering fresh beauty. And the fun part is that you don't actually have to look for anything . . . you're surrounded with it all!
Well, that was what I initially thought when we headed towards the Matroosberg range somewhere in the Karoo.
Our initial search for snow turned into a diverse range of
searches: the right turn-off to the cottage, the keys to the cottage, the gas
cylinder and a few other essentials. Of which most importantly was firewood -
dry firewood.
Abraham, the
caretaker of the property, was eager to please. No problem, was the
reassurance. "My brother-in-law is on his way here and I'll arrange for
him to bring two bags".
What he forgot to
mention was the fact that the wood would only arrive a short 24 hours later! I
guess time in the country doesn't speed past as fast as in the city. Thank
goodness for a well-stocked shed that kept the fires burning all night long in
the meantime.
And snow, Abraham
- could you promise us some snow in the morning?
"The people
around here don't believe me, but my bad back AND my chicken tell me it will be
a sheet of white in the morning"
The confidence in
seeing snow up, close and personal the next morning escalated - especially if
the chicken also thought so.
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| My first view of what awaited at the cottage |
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| Local vegetation seemingly growing effortlessly, wherever you may put them down |
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| Heading for the tracks |
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| What is left of the original station sign |
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| On a railway-line to nowhere |
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| 144 miles from where we started our search for snow |
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| Just in time to catch the last rays of the sun as it hides behind Matroosberg |
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| A gate across the railway line? It seems perfect in a world where bad backs and chickens predict the weather. |
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| Olive leaves - happy to be in the area |
Adjusting from a true cityscape filled with noise, pollution and
cellphones, it took a while to adjust to the quiet - with only the sound a
lovely fire and the occasional spluttering coming from one of the oil lamps. And
the inevitable clattering of teeth as one moved away from the
fireplace. Yes, cold it was. But the mere promise of snow kept us going.
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| Warm glow from the fire and a good red wine completes a perfect evening |
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| Add a lovely suspense novel by the light of a spluttering oil lamp and the scene is set for a haunting experience |
When the sun nudged past the window shutters in the morning, it
was time to spot the sheet of white outside. Needless to say - the bad back and
the chicken did not make good on their feelings. Not a sign of snow apart from
a layer of frost on the vehicle's roof.
My dinner plans
immediately took form - I was considering having chicken roast for supper...
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| Morning has broken - and the only snow miles away. This is the view from the lavatory. No complaints about no water . . . |
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| Abraham arrives with his morning coffee and to check in on us - still no firewood |
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Telling a sad story about his youngest nicknamed Poppehuisie
("Little Dolly House" as she was born in a similar-named cottage) |
Next on the agenda was a visit to the bustling metropolis of Touwsrivier - some 30 k's away.
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| Side road in Touwsriver |
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| A special effect to create a flashback feeling. Nothing much has changed |
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| An explosion of wild flowers in somebody's garden |
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| A typical Cape Dutch gable against a crispy blue sky. |
Recovering from the initial shock of hearing a man shouting
something that may have sounded like abuse, it became clear that it was an old
man preaching the goodness of God and the Bible. And just for the sake of all
the bystanders - in both the local language and English. He seems to travel
from corner to corner, ever so smartly dressed with his "pressed
pants", tie and Bible, intermittently clutched, banged and waved
at all and sundry.
"You'll never
say it, but that man was nearly dead. All the doctors from here and the hospital
gave up on him. Cancer, you see" whispered one of the fruit-seller ladies,
in awe of this man and his knowledge of the Word.
He sweetly
humoured me whilst taking photos of him - positively playing it to his
new-found audience. I was delighted.
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| The Preacher man |
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| Finding Genesis |
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| Kommaweer - meaning "Come Again". And yes, I think I'll come back to Touwsrivier again |
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| Three locks seem like some overkill, especially as the door leads to nowhere either |
The town itself provided it's fair share of pleasant surprises -
like the Chinese shop so full with various goods ranging from clothing to
plastic flowers, radios sealed in cellophane and blingy toys in hard plastic.
And the spice shop "the cleanest shop in the village" where you can
find sauces, spices, cleaning agents and a lovely conversation with the owner,
all in one place.
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| The unique change room in the Chinese shop |
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| A lamp shade in any possible colour - also in the Chinese shop |
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| You're guaranteed to find a pair of sneakers your size - and ho and behold, even the style |
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| The local butcher. I had to chuckle a the 'Smoked Russians"...does it come with Vodka? |
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| The cleanest shop in the Village |
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| Proudly South African |
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| Most likely the most universal sign in the world |
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| The older boy just happy to be - the younger thought I'm spoiling his playtime |
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| Farm-fresh |
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| Traditional transport - an old man and his grandchild zoomed past at a speed that would make Lance Armstrong jealous. |
Many years ago we used to refer to this town as
the locomotive graveyard. It was the place where a large collection of
locomotives in need of fixing up or simply being taken apart, were kept. Today
the only sign of this is a beautifully restored engine in a public park.
However, a strict sign indicates Access Denied, meaning I can only guess it
actually has been beautifully restored. I felt rather sad by the loss and absence of those magnificent old
steam engines - pre-dating the electric monsters and diesel-driven engines now
hogging the railway lines.
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| The old-timer - what stories she could tell |
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| Not even time can tell the age of this sign |
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| The road leading into the property where the cottage is located |
Back at the cottage I told Abraham I wanted his lying chicken for
supper. A most wondrous smile covered his face. "Maybe the snow
will fall tomorrow" he said. Yes, maybe.
He showed me how
to work the little tractor and before long we set off to discover the wild
yonder.
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| The most beautiful array of lichens - all colours and luminous at certain angles. |
Well, it felt like it. Lots of beautiful flowers, an incredible
and diverse range of lichens on the rocks, a thundering waterfall that only
happens when enough snow has fallen, a baby gecko and a little tortoise.
Roaring wild-life if I may say so.
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| The waterfall |
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| Yep, still there. Pre-splash moment... |
Playing adventurer the invitation to charge through some water in
the road with the brave little tractor just loomed ahead - I had to do
it, kind of Indiana Jones, although we were not chased or chasing
anything. Instructions were clear: camera ready, foot down and here we go.
What happened next
was not quite movie-material. The revenge of the little tractor ruled - and we
got super-soaked from head to toe with a wave of muddy brown water. My
passenger was not impressed - but I could not sympathise enough as every time I
wanted to - I saw a drop of water dripping down from her nose which made me
guffaw with laughter. Misery ruled. End of tractor journey of discovery.
Fortunately nothing a good bit of sun couldn't fix. And supper, of course!
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| Preparing for a "potjie" - a dish with all the food in one pot |
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| The deep-set open firre - an absolute winner |
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| Yummy - hunger settles in |
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| Stewing away for the final half an hour |
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| With the sun setting slowly, a perfect outdoor venue for an early supper |
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| All hands on deck and many Rummy games later . . . |
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| The frost in the morning offered a spectacular crystal-like image on the car's roof. |
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| Yep, two years after the Soccer World Cup in Capt Town, still sporting proudly SA flag |
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| The pub |
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| All pretty in pink |
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| With a gecko taboot |
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| Many years of wear showing up an an enchanting colour display on the corrugated iron sheets |
This experience combined with cooking supper on an open fire with a view across to a snow-capped Matroosberg is just one of those perfect moments when you feel totally content with the world, blessed with who you are and where you are, appreciative of all the people you have in your life. And in the quiet of the field you send them your gratitude and your blessing, your love and your support...
