HOPEFUL LANDSCAPE
Silence and space make Karoo special
Michael Eustace experiences a dramatic transition of the remote and hauntingly beautiful semi-desert Karoo
JM Coetzee, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003, once said: "I do believe that people can only be in love with one landscape during their lifetime. One can appreciate and enjoy many but there is only one that one feels in one’s bones." For Coetzee that landscape was the Karoo. Some years ago my son asked his future wife to marry him at The Karoo Pandok in Bethulie and he suggested that I stay there on my way to Bedford recently, in the Farmer’s Cottage which is remote and peaceful. The cottage has a large verandah and a tin roof. The one concession to modernity is an air-conditioner, but the springbok skin on the floor and a cream enamel jug and bowl are more in keeping with its character — as is the Lifebuoy soap. I wondered whether the local "algemene handelaar" only stocked one soap and pictured a small stack of Lifebuoy next to the Vaseline and Grand-Pa headache powder stored on a shelf behind the counter.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.