A
few weeks ago we were invited by Hermanus FynArts festival and tourism
partners, as part of “HERMANUS MORE THAN JUST WHALES”. The Travelling Media
group (@Winelands @evan1985 @choosytraveller @MariusSoU @DeirdreGower
@MarindaSou @D7events) was hosted by the Old Madam, @WindsorHotel1.
She dates
back to the 19th-century, built in 1896 with an ocean view and lives up to its
value to host the ordinary man discovering the wonders of Hermanus. She is the
oldest and largest hotel there and looks forward to welcoming you to
be part of her history, listening to her stories and just to enjoy her.
Its
very easy to get around in Hermanus and our first stop was a performance by SELAELO
Selota. He takes you on a journey through his music and I was privileged to be
in his presence. He is a natural storyteller and songs just seem to flow from
within. As you listen to him you realize that his life and its influences resonate
with him and that bears witness to the rhythms that captured my attention.
So
who is he? Born and raised in a rural village in the northern region of South
Africa near Pietersburg, he was enthused by the traditional music that
surrounded him. This guy knows hardship and struggling from a very young age
but determination pays off. After matriculating there were no financial
resources available to explore his God given talent, music. Since he and his
family needed income, he supported by finding employment in the gold mines. This environment further exposed him to traditional songs and dances from the migrant
workers. This too would form part of his rainbow story.
In 1994 he enrolled at the
University of Cape Town towards studying for a Jazz Degree. Selaelo formed his
band “Taola" in 1996 as a vehicle for his imaginative and original
compositions of Limpopo, sePedi music, coupled with modern elements and the
traditional African musical experiences of his youth. This was not an easy time
for him while in Cape Town, what made it easier was the people who came to his
aid. One such couple was the Gluckman’s and Friends of the college at UCT. It
is then that I realize that people need people. This is how we will echo the message of Tata Madiba.
This takes me to Creations
Wines, situated high on the Hemel and Aarde Ridge; it truly is a piece of Gods
best to Hermanus. They are innovation trendsetters with their food and wine
parings, but what stands out are the team and Carolyn Martin, they create an
environment that draws you in. When you visit, you
will agree with me that it does not want to let you go and you hold on for
dear life.
You will soon discover that it
takes much research for the secrets of flavour and texture to create taste
responsiveness. It’s that combination of the two which is the deciding factor
for the wine you drink.
Canapés are specially selected
with a Creation Wine to bring forth an adventure in your mouth. “EDUCATION IS
KEY’. A must taste is their cauliflower
garcon soup, recipe found on the website.
Creation spends a huge amount
of time and resources into sustainable community building and it here that Carolyn introduced the
team to Anthea van der Pluym. She has a remarkable story to tell of abuse and a
victim of pain but amidst the rain have seen the rainbow. She has been
innovative with an idea of building houses made out of plastic bottles in Hermanus.
Yes you heard right, plastic bottles. How cool is that. These houses will be fire and bulletproof and a safe option for the Zwelihle Informal settlement. The
process is that it takes 2 litre plastic cooldrink bottles filled with sand, in place of
bricks to build the 3m x 3m houses. It’s the sand that supplies the muscle to
be bulletproof. The community, family members etc. get their hands dirty and build
these new pioneering inventive.
Here is a list of what is
needed – shoestring budget: 1 Door ; 2 Windows ; About 10 000 plastic 2 litre
cooldrink bottles filled with sand and their tops in place ; 15 cement bags and
2 m³ building/plaster sand ; tin sheeting for the roof and wooden trusses ;
Volunteers to build.
If you want to view those that
have donated, please visit her facebook page or to make a donation contact her.
Anthea van der Pluym and Kathy
Mulock-Bentley can be contacted on 082 696 4608 and 083 581 7219, or email:anthea@antheavanderpluym.com
or www. antheavanderpluym.com
So while it seems that Creations
are a great farm, with such warm hearts and great pairings, they believe in
BUILDING society.
My 67 minutes was to pay tribute to those in our country that
make a difference in enriching the lives of our people in South Africa, I found a few in Hermanus, more than just a place with whales.
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