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Published: September 12th 2010
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Thats how to clean a Bokkom
Thats how to clean a Bokkom One of highlights about travelling is the interesting people you meet along the way. Graatjie and Gerhard, alarmed by the increasing crime rate at Hartebeesport, sold up to travel like us, but 2 weeks later, fell in love with the coast between Pappendorp and Strandfontein so they just stayed. They invited us to park our truck next to their seaside wooden house which they were revamping and kuier with them for a bit. We couldn’t resist their friendly hospitality or the remote setting of their warm dwelling overlooking a disused marine diamond mine so we plakked with them for a week. We have made friends for life.
Their neighbours, two brothers deep in their 70’s are salt of the earth people and I was fascinated by their stories as they bggeyed about days gone by. They walked the beach every other day in search of uncut diamonds which Oom Willem was sure he would find, especially since they had already found one about 10 years back but there’s a long story about a woman and how it disappeared. They grew up in Gansbaai when life was simple and fish was plentiful. They told us about times when they would catch
Around the Braai
Around the Braai Harders by the thousands with their homemade fishing nets and sell galjoen for a tickie per fish and that they often ate whale steaks. A shortcut to visit the neighbour girl was to lasso a cow, tie your clothes to the horns and hang on to its tail while you negotiated it across the river. Those were also the days when you sprinkled salt on the opsit kers to make it burn longer. They’ve been trying to outdo each other since forever and Oom Willem enjoyed telling us that his brother and a donkey were never friends. He remembered the days that their father would tell them to inspan the donkey cart and he being the clever one of the two, would jump onto the donkeys back and cling on safely. The donkey would glare at his brother, who apparently fell on his head as a baby according to Oom Willem, and thereby disturbed the worm in his brain, would usually get kicked and end up with balloon size knackers. He said the worm in your brain, (not to be confused with the tiny worm in you tooth which causes toothache since how can a hole cause pain), gets tired
Back in the days
Back in the days of working as people get old and that’s why old people forget things.
They gave me some sound advice of what to do with a dead seal as if it’s something one comes across regularly. The fat is excellent for eczema on dogs and a seal’s skin is of the toughest quality therefore the best thing to put next to your bed since it’s guaranteed to outlive you. (and your worm I assume)
I listened in awe as I sucked on a piece of delicious honeycomb harvested from their hive and promised to remember their tip of how to attract bees to start my own hive one day when I have a garden again. All I need to do is put a dead mouse in my cupboard and short before long, bees will arrive to make their nest. This Oom Willem had tested, proving to his unbelieving brother that he had heard it from the groot mense. He liked proving his brother wrong like the time he fed his dog a scorpion in its food which made the dog vicious and bit someone soon after, once again proving to his brother that the groot mens stories were true.
They gave
Black Diamond Bearing Sand
Black Diamond Bearing Sand me directions about how to make the best weathervane. You hang a dead see uiltjie (species unknown to me?!) from the stoep balke by a toutjie through its bum and the direction which its beak turned, indicated which direction the wind blew from. Simple and effective they said.
I’m not sure if I should believe everything they said since Oom Jan also told me that he remembers the one time they went fishing and he felt something really big on the end of his line. After pulling and pulling he eventually hauled out a motorbike from the sea. It was a Harley which he gave one good kickstart and it fired up and he rode it home.
Yesterday we went for a drive with Gerhard and Graaitjie to explore a historical cave out towards Graafwater, which apparently was visited by Simon Van der Stel in the days of the settlers. We passed a hartebees huisie on the way there and had to stop to investigate. We hauled out our coffee and gas bottle and spent some time chatting to the old toothless couple who have lived there in their house on the same farm for 88 years. What a privilege
Everyday Sunset
Everyday Sunset to have met them.
Today a guy from Klawer made a turn here. He owes the mining rights to work the coast here and said in the old days they used a 2mm grade spec when sifting for diamonds. He suggested that the gravel all around us is probably filled with tiny diamonds which would have passed through as well as ruby’s and proved this by picking up a handful of gravel and he found a miniature ruby right there on the spot. He reckoned that 7 tiny diamonds would equal 1 carrot and that I imagine is how prospectors got hooked.
The oomies here might be lucky and eventually find their miracle. Me, I’m happy to enjoy the view and the company.
Kuier - visit (usually with a drink or 2)
Plakked - squatter
Bggeyed - accent of Namakwalander people - lots of gggggrrr’s used
opsit kers - a burning candle used to measure how long a gentleman was allowed to visit a girl. When the candle burnt out he was expected to leave.
Inspan - harness
groot mense - adults
stoep balke - veranda beams
toutjie - piece of string
hartebees huisie - mud and straw house
Oom Davids Grass House
Oom Davids Grass House oomies - uncle but a term used for any man older than yourself
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Natalie Kelly
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I'm Jealous!
Now this is what I'm talking about.... I'm officially jealous!!! You should have hit the west coast from the start..