A Jetsetter’s Photoless Photo Album – Kwa Thidi Malo

Today I must confess: I’ve had a truly yucky day which started that way before I even left the door. So I have no inspiration whatsoever. But, since I’m getting ready to jetset again, an idea popped into my head, which turned out to be a pretty good one in my opinion.

It’s a fact: I’m a jetsetter – in other words, I love to travel. I’ve just come back from my parents, and this weekend I’m off to visit my besty in Burgersfort. So, I’ve decided to make a photoless album of some of my favourite jetsetting experiences; today is my first instalment.

It’s said a picture paints a thousand words; I’m going to paint with my thousand words. 🙂 The place I have in mind is a farm called Kwa Thidi Malo, somewhere near Rustenburg. It’s a game farm, with rustic wooden furniture made by deaf people in the area.

I went with a colleague, and our bungalow was separate from the rest. I remember the nice chats, and the cups of cappuccino we shared. Not to mention the fun and the laughter.

I must first tell you before I go any further: on the Sunday before the trip, I took a tumble and cut my head open on a wooden bannister. I was rushed to the doctor, and had 16 staples in my head, making me look like I had half an alice band on. Needless to say, this resulted in a lot of jokes during the next week.

The purpose of the Kwa Thidi Malo visit was to introduce the teachers of the newly-Founded Christiana School for the Blind to the world of the fused-globe brigade. Part of the programme took place at Kwa Thidi Malo and the rest happened at the school. It was the first night …

Our hosts organized a braai (barbecue) for us on the first night. The liquor flowed freely, and most of us got pretty tipsy (some more than others). 😀 The highlight of the evening was when the principal took custard and poured it over his baked potato. His reasoning: He thought it was white sauce or gravy he said. “But never you mind, the flavour is delicious.) I never let him live that one down.

The place as very much in the bush, and because there were not much facilities, we used to eat our meals at Melinisa (a restaurant in Rustenburg). They make the best omelettes (I love omelettes). Anyway, the next snapshot was taken when coming back to Kwa Thidi Malo after supper one night.

Anyone who’s been on a large bus with a bunch of crazy people should know it’s a lot of fun. So on our way back, we’re having a blast, playing dumb blonde tour guide with raw Afrikaans accent, among other things, when suddenly there was a collective intake of breath and the bus went quiet. My colleague went deadly, butdeceptively, calm.

Driving on the way to the farm, you drive through the bush on a narrow path. Lying outstretched, its body right across the path, was a huge snake. Apparently, it looked like the head of the snake was right there by the bus’s window. Blindness definitely has its benifits.

I guess I didn’t do the scenery much justice, and I don’t think I can. Imagine a place where silence is what you hear all around, the buck are grazing, the bugs are bugging; Africa – wild and untamed. Admittedly, it’s not a unique description, but it’s what I remember.

There. This post has definitely lifted my spirits. Now tomorrow, I think I’ll dig in my photoless album again. 🙂