In our younger, more energetic days we did the Otter Trail. It’s stunning but this tale is about a few days we added onto the end of the trip, at the Addo Elephant Park. Having driven all the way from Johannesburg, it seemed silly to not take advantage of being so near to this impressive national park. Where to stay The plan was made late, so no camping sites were available for the dates we needed. Staying with the theme of camping, we booked into the Spekboom Tented Rest Camp. It’s located at the Spekboom hide, within the main game viewing area. Staying at the rest camp grants visitors the privilege of being able to access the hide at night, or a sundowner that extends way past the gate time as you are already in the camp. Our first night, we decided to take it easy. This in no way was because of aching muscles, or sore feet. Just pacing ourselves. But I digress. Settling in Each campsite is set in a small clearing of tall Spekboom, which gives a great deal of privacy and feels very much on the bush. It is equipped with a canvas tent set on a plinth. Two directors’ chairs grace the entrance area and a small braai is set to the side. We sat quietly watching the birds fly overhead, and listening to the sounds of the bush around us. An unexpected visitor A rustling on the grass at the edge of the clearing caught our attention. Careful investigation showed us the source was a small field mouse, with the distinctive racing stripes down its back. It continued happily foraging in the grass, and boldly coming quite close to us. We sat, sipping a cool beverage and snacking on a bowl of crisps and quietly watched it go about its business. The husband, in a moment of inattention, or perhaps generosity, placed the bowl of crisps on the ground in front of us. In a flash, our little friend had sniffed it out and come to investigate. Tiny nose twitching, little hands grasped the edge of the bowl as it looked at the unexpected bounty before it. The shiny dark eyes, flicked between us and the crisps. Taking the gap A long-drawn moment was broken as it leapt across the bowl, grasping the biggest crisp standing proud in the bowl, and ran for cover. So quick and stealthy was it, that we couldn’t see the mouse as it scurried back to wherever it came from. So large was the booty it had looted from us, that its progress was marked by the upright, wavering crisp held aloft. As it disappeared into the undergrowth, the crisp swallowed up by branches and leaves we sat, mouths agape before bursting into laughter. The moral of the story: when presented with an unexpected feast, be sure to take the biggest piece!
Mr Trevor’s Lamb Chops
The best things in life are off the beaten path. Heading home from a holiday in the Eastern Cape, we decided to break the trip and booked a nights’ accommodation in Middleburg. The Karoo one, not the one near Emalahleni. We had enjoyed a wonderful road trip through part of Baviaans, across to Patensie and wrapped up with a few days camping in the Koega region. We had been plagued with some car trouble earlier in the trip, but our trusty old Mitsubishi Colt Rodeo had seen us through. At least, it did until we started climbing through the passes from the coast heading inland on the N10/ 9?. At that point, our 20-year old steed decided to express some dissatisfaction with life and began overheating. Summer in the Karoo It was already late afternoon as we crept up what seemed like an endless uphill with the heat gauge hovering in the red. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, put the heater on as this will pull some heat off the engine and bring the engine temperature down enough to keep going for a while. It’s very effective as a short-term fix. On this occasion, it was early January and the summer heat of the Karoo coupled with the blasting furnace of the heater made for a most unpleasant drive. As we crested that long uphill, the needle on the temperature gauge dropped back down a bit but not enough that we thought it wise to turn off the heater, so on we went sweating and praying for the signpost for our nights’ accommodation. Finding MIddleburg As we pulled to a stop in the shade of some towering Eucalyptus trees in front a pair of quaint cottages, we were absolutely desperate for something cold to drink, and looking forward to the Karoo lamb dinner we had pre-ordered. Our host met us, gave us the keys and advised what time to come through to the dining room, leaving us to a welcome shower and a cold beverage. We strolled from the cottage, past the main house and in through a gap in the fence to a low building which housed a dining room, looking out onto a typical Karoo landscape of sheep grazing on patches of grassland which stretched away to the horizon. A windmill and the setting sun completed the scene. Manna from Trevor Our host, now introduced as Trevor, greeted us and offered us freshly baked bread still hot from the oven, with lashings of butter and spoonsful of roasted garlic as a starter. Such a simple thing but absolutely delicious! We nibbled and chatted for a while before he disappeared behind a curtain to prepare our lamb chops. The sun shining in through the windows offset the slight chill in the air as the evening breeze picked up, cooling the day right down. All very pretty but soon ignored and forgotten when our meal arrived. Full disclosure, I am not the biggest fan of lamb and only eat it when I take pity on my husband and buy some for him, or when we are in the Karoo. When in Rome and all that, or in this case, when in the home of the Karoo lamb, you order Karoo lamb for dinner. Trevor had prepared us the thickest, juiciest and most beautifully pan-fried lamb chops I have ever beheld. Served with some seared butternut, the plate was a thing of beauty, never mind the smell. It was simply heavenly, and the perfect conclusion to a hot and tiring day as well as the last evening meal of our holiday. Chop-full Tummies full, and our host commended on his lamb we headed back to the cottage for some much-needed sleep. We had also pre-booked breakfast from the talented Trevor, as this just makes for a pleasant start to the day, removes the need to make and wash dishes and gets you on the road for a good few hours before needing to stop again. This morning was an exception to that tried and tested procedure. Having a close to empty camp freezer in the back of the vehicle, we asked if we could buy some of the excellent chops we had enjoyed the night before. To our surprise, we were directed not to a local butcher shop tucked away somewhere in town, but rather we were given directions to the local supermarket. Off we went, with the instruction to find someone from the back at the butchery counter and ask for Mr Trevor chops. We did as we were told and after doing a quick calculation of how many to order, were presented with those beautiful thick-cut meaty lamb chops. A taste of Karoo at home I can’t say that I did them the same justice as the inimitable Trevor, but they were still delicious. When we cleared the plates after eating the last of our stock, I was very sorry that I had not ordered more of Mr Trevor’s lamb chops. A note to the wise, never travel home with an empty freezer, always look for the local speciality and most importantly, if you are ever in Middleburg, Eastern Cape…. buy the lamb! (And take pictures…. not a single photo! Ai tog…)