We’ve got some pretty spectacular drives in this country. But I have to admit that of those I’ve been privileged enough to see, a favourite still stands out for me.
Today we boarded the Getaway Landy and headed north up the N7. After the turn off onto the R27, a great escarpment rose up from the earth with every passing kilometre. The surrounding landscape was flat, aside from the wall blocking our entry to the Great Karoo. Only one access road paved the way to the top. As the road snaked up the towering face, the land below dissolved into a dry autumn leaf, veined by green life-lines.
We were heading towards Calvinia, the official start of our food safari into the heart of the Karoo. If you’re wondering who the counterpart of ‘we’ is, Rijk – my logistics manager, lighting coordinator, extendable tripod and photographic crane, co-driver, general pack mule and fellow food taster (read guzzler) is along for the ride. Oh, did I forget to mention he’s my boyfriend too? You may be asking what on earth I do if he’s so busy. Well I get to make all the decisions and point a lot.
Being Easter Monday, it was rather like ghost-town in Calvinia today. All the better for ambling down the middle of the street and parking the bus. We were instructed to eat at the Hantam Huis – makers of traditional Karoo cuisine – by the oh-so-friendly traffic cops checking licenses outside the town. (Please can someone get this Landy’s disk sorted out, very tense moment but thank heavens there’s a grace period. 12 days to go! Whew!)
There was a debate over curried afval – which some of you will know is my absolute favourite dish (read sarcasm) – but I opted for the waterblommetjie bredie and Rijk had the springbok pie. After taking some shots and Rijk being nearly blown off the wall holding the massive reflector boards in the direct line of the sunlight (and wind), it was a delicious meal fit for four of us, nevermind two. Lesson one: there’s no such thing as a small portion of food in the Karoo!
Now what’s for dinner?!
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