We were honoured to be granted the keys by two close family friends to a most surprising treasure of a holiday home.
I sit here at the table, red vino in hand as Leonard Cohen sings sweet poetry to me. The wind howls eerily as the waves become more discontent.
Despite not having any paper or pen, the urge to write overcame me so strongly that I went on a desperate search of both. Eventually I spied two empty pieces of paper and a lonely little pencil devoid of any sharpness hiding in a retro drawer. I had to beg Adrian to sharpen the pencil with a kitchen knife. Adrian kindly relented and now my keyboard addicted fingers are exercising unused muscles as I write to you.
So, back to the holiday home treasure where we now abode for the next two days. It is aptly named 'Hoogwaterhuis' (that is High Water House to you pommies). It was lovingly created rock by rock over a period of 4 years in the 1970's by a noted engineer, Ruben Stander and his artist wife Cornelia (Neli) Stander.
The house is literally infused with and part of the natural rocky beach landscape. Each rock was carefully chosen and placed accordingly in suitable natural symmetry.
The upstairs living area shouts 70's retro vintage design with original furniture, old record/tape player and hundreds of decaying books sighing from previous occupants relaxed page fingering. One can almost see a paint-flecked Neli Stander, paintbrush in hand lovingly creating her beautiful wall painting that now silently dominates the living room.
The bedrooms below are intertwined with the rocks and plants. Bookcases and shelves have been crafted around the crevices. One feels as if you are in a seaside cave, which really you are. Can you smell the dank, musty earthy scent of ages long since departed? Can you hear the clicking sounds of the native 'Strand lopers' (Khoi Khoi tribe) who once dwelt in this area and inhabited this very house when it was a natural shelter?
One almost feels slightly eery and a sense of being watched. There are three distinct layers in the house. The first being a kind of dominant mystical earth force that saturates the house with a presence. I liken it to living over an ancient burial site.
The second layer consists of Ruben and Neli Stander. Now passed on, one feels like an intruder in their home. This house was a literal blood, sweat and tears project for them both and you cannot deny the passion that resonates from every room.
As Hoogwaterhuis virgins, the shock of being surrounded by such intense natural beauty lays claim to the third energy layer which consists of all the hundreds of content holiday makers such as myself who were fortunate enough to rent this home.
Nose-ing through the drawers I discovered a laminated leaflet about the dangers of baboons and how to deal with them. Apparently the wildlife is a part of and way of life here. As I write armies of little ants are marching around the grooves in the rock walls. During dinner we experienced squeals of delight from my girls as we spied a wild Civet Cat perching on the kitchen window sill cheekily peeking inside to see if he could score some food. He looked to me a cross between a Meerkat and a miniature Leopard. It was for our own selfish benefit that we gave him some biltong, ham and grapes, however a phone call later from a knowledgeable friend put us in our place. Right, time for bed - more tomorrow.
The time now is 15:35 and I am sitting at the outside table writing, drinking a bottle of cold Miller genuine draft and experiencing a sensory massage of salty sea air, seaweed lapping waves, sun soaked stillness and ageless majestic mountains. Today the children have been exploring the rock pools, playing endlessly in the sand and shrieking at the sand-hoppers that infest the beach. Such curious little creatures. One could scoop up some sand, hold it closed and then open your hands and a multitude of sand-hoppers explode forth. Soo much fun for adults and children alike.
I have had the ultimate luxury of being completely naked and free the whole day. Despite slapping on factor 15 on two occasions, Adrian is informing me now that my skin is a shade of lobster. Oh! dear - I guess I was too eager to become a local again.
Nature has for the moment allowed us clumsy humans access to her sacred world. Not too long in the future our lease with nature will expire. The house is losing a battle with the sea and her elements. The iron rods that hold the concrete together are slowly being eroded by the salty air. There are signs of disrepair and ageing quirkiness everywhere. They say nothing lasts forever, at least not in full 'working' order. So I guess I will bow my head in gratitude and steal a piece of this perfect paradise to store forever in my memory.
If you wish to experience the above, book a few days at Hoogwaterhuis. Its an experience not to be missed. http://www.hoogwaterhuis.com/
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