This past Valentine’s Day, I went on an unforgettable blind date in the village of Addo (as opposed to a nearby national park) in the Eastern Cape. It wasn’t meant to be a blind date – and not in the traditional sense – but Eskom intervened and we could barely meet each other… let alone our food. My friends and I arrived at Molo Lolo Restaurant and Cooking School just as the sun was setting.
He commented on the romantic atmosphere as we sat outside with a full complement of diners: there were discreet candles on the table and only a few lights inside, most of which illuminated the hot kitchen.
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Western European chefs teach local people
It takes a few minutes to register the generator. Molo Lolo (“Hello, Lolo” in isiXhosa, Lolo is the French-born owner and principal of the school) is a skills development and enhancement project serving the predominantly poor Addo community. Volunteer chefs come from Western Europe to teach local residents in apprenticeships the basics of top-class restaurant dining and service.
This is one of the best learning curves. The full house of foreign tourists during the removal of the load is not the “best time”. I’m not sure if it was wine, but my partner and I were in fits of giggles as the night wore on; imagine using a cellphone torch or camping headlamp to see what you’re eating.
There was a cheer as the power came back on and a strand of black Stygian fox flickering lights turned into a fairy garden scene. Not many people complain: the food is excellent – especially the starters and desserts – and the experience gives everyone a story to cheer up their friends in Scandinavia, the Low Countries, England and Germany (judging by the accents they can heard). Booking is essential as Molo Lolo is a real gem and great value for money.
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Likewise, Chrislin African Lodge. I have been going to Chrislin for more than a decade and love the place dearly. This is a child-friendly three-star establishment that embodies all that is good about Eastern Cape tourism and hospitality. The property has a spacious, well-maintained lawn with fruit trees and flower beds.
As you can imagine, the bird is pretty cool. Cottages and rondavels – some semi-detached, others free standing – all straw and mud but rusticity ends at the front door: all en-suite with shower, serviced every day, fridge and tea/coffee station, plus percale linen on the beds. All rooms have ceiling fans, but the newer Sunset Hut also has air conditioning and a small lounge area…
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Accommodation
Accommodation is offered on a bed-and-breakfast basis, although guests can arrange a reasonably priced three-course dinner at the in-house Sneezewoods restaurant. Rose-marie and I did a fair bit of eating out during our nine day Eastern Cape road trip and by far the standout meal was the butter chicken curry prepared by Sneeze forest chef Jéan Boucher in the informal dining lapa.
One of Chrislin’s attractions is the owner management of Linda Pickels and her son Chris, who was connected to the business when her brother David and his family moved to the Antipodes a few years ago. Chris is a hunting, fishing Eastern Cape boytjie who together (with his wife Terri) operates Crisscross Adventures with verve and good cheer.
The range of activities include guided game drives to Addo Elephant National Park, quad-biking, sandboarding and sledding, and canoe safaris as well as sundowner cruises on the Minggu River. The river gives its name to the Sundays River Valley, a green district best known for citrus farming and eco-tourism. The river rises south of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape Karoo and flows into the Indian Ocean at Colchester. It only flows through the northernmost part of the park for a short stretch to Darlington Dam.
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History of Darlington Dam
The history of Darlington Dam – and the consequences of the Sundays River Valley – revolves largely around the personal interests of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, author of Jock of the Bushveld. Fitzpatrick arrived in the valley in 1913. He liked what he saw and bought several farms, as the area was suitable for citrus cultivation. However, year-round water was a problem, and Fitzpatrick knew a dam had to be built. For this to happen, the citrus farming industry must be bigger than it is now and the adventurers launch a cunning plan. After World War 1, Fitzpatrick compiled a series of brochures and advertisements in the British press aimed at enticing ex-servicemen to South Africa.
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They are compared to the orange groves of America because there is nothing in the Sundays River Valley but bushes. Fitzpatrick was not popular with the new wave of settlers, most of whom had no farming experience but his ruse was successful* and the SA government was “disposed” to build Lake Mentz (as the dammed area was originally called).
The building was completed in 1922 but, due to the drought, only six years after filling it … in the process of submerging the hamlet of Darlington. I have been to Darlington when the water level was so low that the tops of the old houses were above the surface, but this year the rains in the catchment were so good that the dam overflowed. Not only were the concrete irrigation canals to the gardens downstream overflowing – Rose-marie and I were amazed to see children swimming in this steep river – but the river was still pushing hard as it passed Addo to Colchester and headed for the sea.
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Sunset cruise
Chris has invited the two of us and a couple of German tourists to join him on a sunset cruise from Colchester to the mouth of the river and the largest coastal dune sea in the southern hemisphere. Yes, you read that right: the Colchester dunes cover a larger area than the area around Swakopmund and Walvis Bay in Namibia. With the Eastern Cape’s well-known breeze blowing, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re walking in the desert as you struggle to the summit with a sandbar tucked under your arm.
Going down is easier (and more fun) than going up. Fitzpatrick is apparently forgiven because his grave (he died in 1931) is located outside Sundale which, along with Kirkdale and Addo, are three settlements in the heart of the Sundays River Valley. He was there with the rest of his family, most of whom had died before. The site, known as The Lookout, was then donated to the community and announced.
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