TRANQUIL ZYNDRANDT
4X4 WEEKEND – FEBRUARY 2009
If you can’t even drive with your Pajero or
Fortuner on a game reserve’s roads – then you know it’s BAD!
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A few weeks ago, I requested a special Sunday
breakfast – chocolate croissants and the Afrikaans Sunday newspaper,
Rapport. With chocolate crumbs all over
the duvet, both cats stretched out lazily, I paged through the mostly gossip-and-terror
news, until I grabbed the Travel section.
An article on a tented camp in the Waterberge, Limpopo – Zyndrandt, caught my attention. Saving the contact and website details on my
computer, we decided to try it out with friends, Johannes and Ina May. The weekend of 27 February to 1 March suited
everyone.
Zyndrandt is part of
the Shakila Nature Reserve (www.shakila.co.za/bushcamp.html
- 014 717 1783 - Lilly). In-between
Bela-Bela (Warmbaths) and Modimolle (Nylstroom).
There are different
accommodation options –The Lerato, Kiepersol & Aloa Luxury Safari Tents feature
three bedrooms each, equipped with either double beds and/or single beds. Each
tent sleeps 6-8 guests comfortably. All have full bathroom and shower amenities
(although some are outside on the deck),
large equipped kitchen, braai lapa and Jacuzzi's. Lerato tent boasts the
possibility to erect an additional "chopper" tent which will allow
for a total of 12 guests to be accommodated.
The Panorama & Rotsvy Luxury Safari Tents feature
one room with double bed and one room with four single beds. Each unit has full
bathroom and shower amenities (some
outside on the deck), large equipped kitchen, braai lapas, Jacuzzi's. The
two tents respectively sleep 6-8 guests comfortably. At Panorama one
additional "chopper" tent can be erected, if required, which will
allow for a total of 8 guests to be accommodated.
And then our choice, the 4x4 Luxury Tents –
only 3 of them, sleeping 2 in each tent. The price – R330 per night per couple.
Hein and I decided to start our weekend a day
earlier, on the Thursday, 26th February.
While Hein was attending a meeting, I packed our
queen-size duvet cover, Hein’s 10-year guaranteed pillow, food, books, small
lamps, medicines, drinks and clothes. Also the comfy camp chairs, beach umbrella,
plastic square table and black potjie (cast iron pot) for potjiekos (outside
casserole).
Everything packed and ready, we left after
12. Biltong slices and Chilli biltong
sticks our lunch.
Traffic was a breeze and we stopped in
Bela-Bela to refuel. A very jovial black
man with deep dimples asked if he could wash our windscreen. It wasn’t that dirty, so we said no. The guy looked through Hein’s open window
through the windscreen and his words were:
“I’m dubious about that statement.”
Well, who can resist such an offer?
After thoroughly cleaning the windscreen, he looked again through Hein’s
window to the windscreen and said: “It has now been rejuvenated!” We just laughed and gave him a tip.
Arriving at Zyndrandt’s gates, Lilly was
waiting for us. Friendly and chatty, she
looked at our Pajero in complete approval and led us to the camp on her quad
bike. The roads were in a bad state –
apparently they had quite a few cloudbursts and the sand has been swept
away. She advised us strongly against
trying any of the 4x4 trails.
Tent no 1 was ours for the weekend. Tent no 2 & 3 seems less private,
although they are quite a few metres apart.
A neat gravel path leads to the tent through rocks and succulents. The sleeping tent is big enough for the 2 ¾
beds, 2 bedside tables with 1 lamp, a metal clothes frame to hang our clothes
and a metal shelf for your bags.
The en-suite bathroom is adjacent to the
sleeping tent, the walls built with sandbags covered with concrete. Shower, toilet, basin, mirror and bath mats
made it more than sufficient.
A lovely biggish sundeck overlooks the
valley. Well-stocked but tiny kitchen
with canvas walls and roof completed the picture.
With no space in the Pajero for braai wood,
Hein drove back to the main gate for some.
By the time he got back, I have unpacked everything and was busy
stacking the Castles in the fridge and my frozen drinks in the freezer. At our liquor store they sell pouches of
‘frozen drinks’. In 3 flavours –
Margarita, Pina Colada and Strawberry Daiquiri.
You shake each pouch and freeze it for 8 hours.
Always keen to test a mattress, we napped until
we were waken at 6.30pm by the security guard, Mishka. Driving around on a quad bike, he turned up
every night at every tent, checking to see if everything and everyone is A-OK.
Cellphone reception is very erratic – you would
have a signal and without moving at all, the next moment it’s gone.
Lemon-and-herb marinated chicken pieces were
our dinner – the fire was lit, I made a ‘salad’ of canned green peas, canned
kernel corn, canned, washed kidney beans, tomato and cheese cubes. The fireplace is quite unique – built
alongside the deck and the canvas wall of the kitchen, it proved quite handy –
although we always kept a jug of water nearby.
Being a day early, we were the only ones in
that area. Such a tranquil feeling.
After dinner, the dishes were quickly washed
and then I opened my book. At a braai
the previous weekend, I mentioned a book about the Namibia desert. Utah,
a friend of Johannes & Ina told me then about a very interesting book,
called Mutant Message Down Under. When I mentioned it to Amanda, a Tai Chi
friend, she borrowed me the book for the weekend.
Written by Marlo Morgan, Mutant Message Down Under is
how she as a 50-something woman working as an acupuncturist in the United States, were invited to Australia for a
project. While there, she started a
small project with Aborigine youngsters, teaching them some skills, helping
them to sell and opened up trust funds for them. When she received a call, praising her and
inviting her to an ‘award ceremony’ for her good work with the Aborigine
youths, she was fetched in a 4x4, driven to a spot where they burned her
diamond watch, drivers’ license, rings and money – and took her on a
‘walkabout’ for 3 months. A spiritual
journey teaching her how the Aborigines survive in the desert. Absolutely spell-bounding.
Friday morning 27 February 2008
We woke around 6am. Had an aromatic cup of coffee (yip, our
trusted Uno coffee machine traveled with) and then the fire was lit again for
breakfast. Whenever some of my Tai Chi
friends read this (especially Irene), they commented on us always eating … While Hein opened a Castle, I tried a Pina
Colada. Straight out of the freezer, we
had to ‘soften’ it and even then, I had to ‘drink-eat’ it with a teaspoon. Yum!
Tomato relish for the hotdog buns and boerewors
were ravished while we inhaled the fresh air, bush sounds and said thank you for being alive.
A quick shower, zipped up the tent and we
decided to explore the riverside. A young
buck with huge ears was the only game I saw.
Driving through car-scratching bushes, we stopped when we saw huge pools
of water in the road. With no-one in
sight, I ‘chickened out’ and suggested we don’t attempt it. Reversing back through the car-scratching
bushes again, we drove off to Modimolle/Nylstroom - for a very good
reason…
Halfway there, Hein stopped at a ‘padstal’
(road shop) for a Coke – there were only 2 in the fridge, but at least they
were cold.
Saturday morning 28 February at 08.35am an important Sharks
rugby game was played. The guys were
keen to watch, so a suitable pub has to be located. Modimolle is not too small – all your normal
shops, plus a few tea gardens. The Buiteklub was suggested for the rugby
game – although it advertised the games next to their front door, Hein asked
the bar lady to make sure. She would
‘sms’ us.
Back at the tent, we lounged around and had a
short nap. Our friends were soon to
arrive.
Helping them carry their bags and cooler boxes
to tent no 2, I noticed that their kitchen area is almost twice our size, their
sundeck was a bit smaller and 2 trees obscure most of their view, although it
does provide more shade during the day.
The guys cracked some cold ones and learning
from experience, I’ve taken out another Pina Colada and a Margarita for Ina and
myself. Out of the freezer into the
fridge for an hour, it turns into liquid sludge – drinkable with a straw. The Margarita was ok, but not great.
Johannes & Ina were on dinner duty. A very quaint concept – tiny, individual stir
fries. Almost like a fondue set, but
each couple have a set of 2 burners and 2 tiny pans. (They saw it in Holland,
bought it and lugged it along the rest of their Europe
holiday.) Each person fry their own
dinner, according to his/her taste. Shrimps, ‘bockwurst’, steak, chicken and
veggies sliced up with cooked rice and noodles – we ate for Modimolle and
beyond!
Watches were set for the next morning – and we
retired to bed.
Saturday morning 28 February 2008
We were up early, had a nice
cup of coffee. Hein and Johannes were
armed with Sharks t-shirts, a Sharks cap and a few ‘cold ones’ for the road –
they left 7.30 am. Ina and I opted to
stay and read.
Although the bar lady of Buiteklub didn’t send a ‘sms’, Hein drove their first. And found it closed. They drove around, stopped at 5 other pubs –
all closed. By that time they were a bit
frantic – the game started at 08.35 am.
Finally they found a lodge and were seated just in time. The crowd grew steadily and each and every
‘newcomer’ walked around and shook everyone’s hand. The game (so they said) was nail-biting, but
the Sharks came out tops.
Armed with chocolate milk and Yogi sips for us
women, the men arrived around 11. Zebras
were spotted at the main gate, but no other game at all. A fire was promptly lit for lunch. More boerewors with rolls and a yummy tomato
relish I prepared. It was threatening
to rain but our lunch was secure.
With rain as background music, we read in bed –
had a nap and awoke at 4pm, with only a misty rain remaining. Our turn for dinner – potjiekos (outside
casserole in a cast iron pot).
With the black pot ‘sheltering’ the charcoal
between its legs, the misty rain was fresh and cooling. Starting with onions, tomatoes were added –
lamb knuckles, 2 marrow bones - then baby potatoes and cubed sweet-potato (in
their skins). Carrots, fresh broad
beans, mushrooms and topped off with halved baby cabbages. Although I forgot to soak the samp the Friday
night, only soaking it since 10am the Saturday morning, it was cooked to
perfection. A wonderful ‘soaker-upper’
for the potjiekos.
Again and again we searched the pot – another
piece of meat, a mushroom, some more sauce…
An early night was called – Johannes & Ina
both wanted to read – and I quickly washed the dishes and the potjie. We sat in the dark, watching the stars and I
sipped my last frozen drink, a Margarita.
Halfway through the night, Hein awoke with a
muffled cry – something bit him on his arm.
We searched all over, didn’t see anything and after some Zambuk ointment
and plaster, we snuggled back under the duvets.
It was pouring outside – luckily the tents were waterproof.
Although Hein’s arm showed a small red dot and
was swollen a bit, it didn’t look too serious.
The rain had stopped, although the evidence
stayed for a while.
Sunday 29 February 2008
Most of the stuff was packed and then we lit
the fire for the last time – for breakfast.
Yip, you guessed it – boerewors. With lovely braai sandwiches – Johannes, Ina
and Hein had tomato, onion and cheese on theirs. Mine was pulped banana, homemade apricot jam
and cheese. Double yum!
Packing up, checking underneath the beds – and
we were on our way – back home.
Although exploring the reserve, watching game
and walking is not an option – Zyndrandt is purely to refuel your inner self. A peaceful remedy for our busy lives.
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