Go Drive & Camp May 2019

136 |May2019go! Drive&Camp

GUSTAV’S STORY

ILLUSTRATION

FRED MOUTON

TheKruger is the perfect placetorechargeyour batteries.But watch

out foranimals intent on stealingyour cookies,saysGustavPutter.

W

e’re readyfor our annual

visit to the Kruger

NationalPark. Our spot

at Sataraisbooked and

werecheckthe packing list to makesure

everything’sloaded up.Aside from the

meat,wood and those sort of things,we

makedoublysure thesweets are packed.

Ihaveabit of asweet tooth...mywife

calls meachocoholic.

We’vebeen trying our hand on baking

deliciouschocolate biscuits foracouple

of years now, and they’vebecome an

institutionwhen wego to the park.We

buy thechocolate theweekend beforewe

leave,bakethe biscuits, then carefully

count and divide them up so thatthere’s

twobiscuits eachwitheverynight’s

coffee.Whatcould be lovelier than

throwing another log on the fire and

then enjoyingacoffee–withasplash

of condensed milk and perhapsalittle

Amarula–and twobiscuits around the

crackling fire?Youcan feelthe stress of

the city disappear asyousit back and

stareat the flames of the fire dancing in

front ofyou.

When wearrive at the park,wedrive

through the Orpen gate and then carry on

slowlysothatwearrive just in time for

the 2pmcheckin. Werelax in our camp

chairs and have asmall afternoon nap.

This is relaxation indeed.

Awhile later,wegrabafewsnacks and

refreshments and go forasunset drive.

Beforewedepart,Istack thewood for

tonight’sbraai.We’ll return just as the

gate closes, thenIcan light it. Heaven.

Westopat awaterhole and marvel

at howmanypeople just stop and then

drive off straightaway,supposedly

because there is nothing to see. Luckily,

we’velearned thatpatience(along with

afewother things suchasagood book,

something to drink andagreatpiece of

fatty biltong) is the answer.

Weenjoyaquiet afternoon and drive

into Satara’sgates twominutes before

closing time.Iimmediatelylight the

fire,whilemywife starts making the

braaibroodjies and cook some potatoes.

Here in the park, banting is for the birds...

Everything goeswell, and before long,

everything is readyfor the braai. Before

wesit down to eat,Iadd afewmore

logs to kick-start the fireagain for those

biscuits and coffee just now. After ahearty

meal,Iboil somewater,pour the coffee

and get the tin of biscuits. Nowit’stime to

satisfymy sweettooth.

Just howmanybiscuits didweplan to

have eachnight?

Tw o, mywifetells me andIwonder

whywedidn’tthinkto bring some more.

Wetakeour first ones out the tin and

place it on thewall behind ourchairs,

barely twostepsawayfrom us.

And howdelicious thatfirst biscuit with

the coffee tastes!Iget up and add some

more condensed milk tomycoffee... this

is, after all, our first night andalittle bit

of extrasweetness is certainlyallowed.

Ichecktosee if mywife is

watching me in caseIcan

quicklybag an extrabiscuit

behind her back, but she’s

watching me likeahawk.

She knows me toowell and

Irealise tonight I’ll have to

makedowithonlytwo.

I’M JUST ABOUTreadyfor mysecond

biscuitwhen suddenlythere isanoise

behind us.Ijump up,lookaround,and

see our biscuit tin has disappeared! I

get the big light that’salso on thewall

behindus and scan around inadaze.

Then Isee the culprit:ahoneybadger that

disappears under our bakkie with the tin

of biscuits in his mouth.

Nowthe dazechanges to indignation,

becauseeverybodyknowsyoudon’tmess

withmysugar rush.Tonight, it’smeand

the honeybadger and the biscuits. And

I’m on thewarpath.

Ihandthe light tomywife,grabmy

trekking pole and tell her to light under

the bakkie because I’m going to getmy

biscuits back. I’m onmyknees and see

Mr HoneyBadger (maybe it’sMrs, but now

is not the time to be politicallycorrect).

Ipush thewalkingstickunder the bakkie

and try to push the badgerawayfrom

the biscuits.Idon’tquite dare crawl

underneath the bakkie, becauseIknow

if I’ mtrapped in this tinyspace with the

animal, I’m probablygoingto sufferafew

nasty bites.

Thebattle

for Satara’s

biscuits