1 post tagged “cradock”
One of the things I most enjoyed about my trip down to Grahamstown from Pretoria was being on the open road again. As soon as I had passed through the thicket of traffic into Johannesburg the roads cleared up considerably and by the time I was half way to Bloemfontein in the middle in the country I practically had the road to myself. The Eastern Cape was the best stretch though. Sometimes there wouldn’t be another car in sight for more than an hour on end. With just open land on either side of the road for as far as the eye could see, it was easy to imagine that I was the last man on earth.
There is something about driving on a road that stretches to the horizon both ahead and behind of you that is powerfully hypnotic. Often I was so deep in thought I felt I was dreaming. People I haven’t thought of in years came to mind. Past conversations from nowhere replayed themselves. Things that had long puzzled me became resolved. All the twists and kinks in my brain seemed to be unwinding with the road.
It felt good to be in South Africa again. How I have missed a giant sky overhead and wide open plains, even the hot dry heat. I relished feeling small again, overwhelmed by nature like a true Romanticist. More than once I had to pull over at a little rest stop to drink in the view. It would have been dangerous not to with my eyes gazing far off the road.
I loved passing signs that caution drivers of the various wildlife that might cross the road. It punctuated the fact that I am in Africa and made my trip feel exotic and adventurous. What didn’t quite fit with the idea of Africa however, was the quality of the roads. For a thousand kilometers through some of the most rural, isolated places imaginable, I didn’t go over one bump or pothole. The road surface was truly impeccable the whole way down, which certainly helped make the trip a driving pleasure.
At Cradock in the Eastern Cape I decided to stop over for the night to see what small town life was like and I must say it is quite lovely. On the whole the town is nicely maintained and many of the nineteenth century settler homes have been beautifully restored. I particularly liked the hand-painted shop signs. They are far removed from the bright neon lights that I am used to in Taiwan, but they are quaint and fitting to the town, giving it a very yesteryear feel.
The town itself was founded by Sir John Cradock, the Governor of the Cape in 1812 along the banks of the Fish River. After the fourth frontier war between the white settlers and the Xhosa he felt it necessary to develop two stronghold towns: Cradock being the one and Grahamstown the other. The two towns still bear a strong resemblance today and I wonder what he would think of the mixed population who live there now.
Cradock is known for it’s friendly people. Almost everyone I passed nodded, waved or said hello. In big cities like Taipei each person keeps to his own. To greet a stranger would be decidedly strange. It is rude just to meet someone’s gaze. I can see why people choose rather to live in a small town. At the Schreiner Tea House where I had breakfast I got talking to Francois, a guy in his early thirties who runs a B’nB there. Originally he is from Pretoria, but moved down to Cradock where he now lives a quiet life. 10 years ago I would have thought him to be mad to live so far from civilization but now I find it completely understandable. How wonderful is must be to know the people who live and work around you by name. To wake up to the sound of birds and to sleep under a pitch black starry sky.
Hopefully Nancy will find some enjoyment in being here with me. It could as easily turn out to be a sentence of boredom as a culturally rich experience. I just wish with all my might that it is the latter - for both our sake.
