Ivor Markman

Ivor Markman
 
“There’s no electricity today, no electricity, no electricity!” 
The mocking words of Mike Naidoo’s song during the Eskom power crisis a few years ago might send a shiver down some folk’s spines, but in another context those words might mean peace, quiet and tranquility, qualities some of us desire. 
Nestled in a valley in the Voor Sneeuberg mountains, north-east of Graaff-Reinet, lies the farm, Letskraal. 
Originally the early 1800’s residence of Voortrekker leader, Andries Pretorius, the house is now run as an exclusive guest farm. 
A stay at this lovely old building provides a peek into the lifestyle of Karoo farmers at the turn of the 19th century. 
The present owner, Graaff-Reinet optometrist Johan Minnaar, painstaking spent 11 years restoring the building to its original early 1800’s appearance. 
Many years ago the house had been severely altered and in order to restore the building to its original design, Minnaar, a stickler for accuracy, removed interior brick walls, replaced sash windows with casement windows, installed shutters, laid new floors and replaced the front door. 
Sounds easy, but working with mud brick walls is no joke and to prevent the walls simply crumbling, work had to proceed with utmost caution. 
Restoration to that period obviously meant no electricity. 
Consequently there’s no television, no electric geysers and no electric lights. 
There are also no telephones, no celphone signal and no catering as Letskraal is a self-catering facility. 
Once the hosts have seen you settled in you’re on your own. 
Much of the original house is still there. 
The mud and reed ceiling, still on the original yellowwood beams, are in remarkable condition. 
When the Victorian matchboard ceilings were removed, the "brandsolder" ceiling, a reed and mud combination designed to prevent the spread of fire, was revealed. 
“It's very unlikely that anyone would have tampered with the reeds between when the house was built round about 1800 and the late 1800's when the matchboard ceilings came to fashion,” said Minnaar. 
“It keeps the house beautifully warm in winter and cool in summer. Very little dust filters through. I suspected we would clean in the morning and find a film of dust on everything by the afternoon but it doesn't happen,” he said. 
But the Minnaars compromised when it came to certain modern conveniences. 
Although there’s a gas stove and fridge in the kitchen, and the outside bathroom has a toilet, bath and shower, there are other older aspects of daily living you’ve got to get used to. 
For example, if you want hot water you have to light the “donkey,” a nickname for a wood-fired hot water cylinder, or, as an anonymous source recently called it, “the hot water tank thingy”. 
“You need to come here to experience the heat and the cold, a bit of thirst and hunger if you go mountain climbing,” said Minnaar. 
“It's all about getting back to basics. 
“Our western lives have just become too easy. If you're cold, just turn on the under-floor heating and if you're hot you turn on the aircon,” he said. 
Don’t forget, when you’re on the farm, to ask yourself if the fire has been made for the water and ‘have you filled the lamps’. Candles are fine, but lamps give a brighter light. 
“Have you filled the lamps with oil before it gets dark? Filling a lamp with paraffin after dark isn't much fun as you spill paraffin over everything,” said Minnaar. 
As you walked through the authentic stable door from the “bright” paraffin lamp-lit interior, into the thick blackness outside you can’t help but glance upwards. 
On a clear evening you’ll see zillions upon zillions of stars and planets and if you’re lucky, you’ll also see a satellite or two passing overhead as well. 
What an exciting adventure for city kids - they’ll blow their minds when they look up and see the Milky Way for the first time. 
Minnaar has painstakingly furnished the cottage mainly with authentic period furniture and many of the items are part of his family’s heritage. 
Don’t for one moment think it’s uncomfortable because it’s old. The furniture is practical and very comfortable. 
The beds date from the early 1800s to the early 1900s but have new mattresses and linen, so don’t worry. 
“Most of the furniture in this house belonged to my great grandparents. Their name was Jansen and they lived on a farm in the Nieu Bethesda area called Wilgerbosch. 
“My father's cousin, a spinster in the Pretoria area, inherited the furniture. When she passed on she left it to me. 
“I'm absolutely delighted to have it. It's gone full circle because we are 40km from Wilgerbosch. 
Having left the Karoo and spent many years in Pretoria, it’s back in the Karoo (for me),” he said. 
If you decide to have a braai at night make sure you start the fire and collect all the utensils before it gets dark - otherwise you’ll really battle to find everything. 
Remember there are no streetlights and there is very little light spilling out the windows to help you see what you are doing. 
It’s an unique experience having a braai by paraffin lamplight. 
It’s all right though, if you want to cheat a little and bring gas lights or flashlights with you. 
For the really adventurous, there’s an old, canvas-covered, wagon of the type used by the early settlers, in which you can spend the night. 
Its quite narrow inside and a bit of a squash for a couple of adults, but kids will love it - if they don’t mind being out in the dark on their own.

 
Booking is essential through http://www.letskraal.co.za/.

 

 

All Text & Photos: Copyright 2013, Ivor Markman