ITH THE TRAVEL SHEETS clenched in my hands, I rang up my father to giv - PDF document

ITH THE TRAVEL SHEETS clenched in my hands, I rang up my father to give him the news. Im going to South Africa,Ž I announced with great excitement. Great!Ž, he exclaimed. Which car?Ž Mahindra. Their XUV 500. Remember I told you about their new SUV,Ž I replied, unaware that Id sent him Story: Gasha Aeri-AlawaniPhotography: Rob Till www.carindia.in MAHINDRA XUV500 IN S AFRICATRAVELOGUE supercharged howlers, the black, though in not as fancy cars, still had the reggae echoing their puny hatches. But, boy, are they friendly! We werent given any strange looks, none of our bags/mobile phones/chains were snatched and we didnt feel as if we were in a third-world country. The roads felt as if the maker had put his oQJHULQDERZOIXOORIFHUDPLFDQGFDUYHGhis way through those sprawling vineyards, DURXQGWKHKLOOVDQGFXWDoQHLQWHUVHFWLRQIRUan occasional encounter with fellow drivers. Africa, they say, is the place where the first seed of human species was sown and little was I aware that this land houses some of the finest pieces of automobiles too. After a first-hand encounter with the Franschhoek Motormuseum, I had very little to say and stood ogling at some of the finest poetry on wheels ever written. Standing in the middle of a vineyard, the Motormuseum was the last thing one would expect in a picture-perfect location, with mountains outlining the greens and lazy horses grazing about in the pastures. But, none the less, cars gave us a better high than any wine would.Peeping through the view-finder, I found out that if a mere look at those cars set our adrenaline rushing, then the sparkle in their paint had some tears hidden too. Rob pointed to one of the cars and told me that it belonged to his father and was also the reason why he wasnt with them any longer. Respect power and use it well. Rightly said. So after a feast for the eyes and for our gurgling tummies, off we went to see the better of South African land. The first day was spent around Mount Paarl, with sprawling vineyards touching the horizon and plantations raised in the most perfect straight lines I have ever seen. The road and our XUVs then took us to Du Toitskloof Pass, where we saw the glittering lamps of Franschhoek from the top of the mountain, with the setting sun. Sun retired for the day and left cold winds to keep us awake. The mercury dipped to eight and we tip-toed through Franschhoek, hoping not to disturb those little by-lanes, trendy art galleries, small street side restaurants and big and small bed and breakfast signboards. The town, though with major student population, doesnt have an active night life to boast of. 93 www.carindia.in The next morning we realised the bundle of beauty we were living in since last night. The sky, I havent seen a blue like that. The trees, green never had a shade so fresh. The flowers, they blossomed like a young girls imagination. The sun shone bright as we left for the days quest and were more than surprised to see the strong affinity people have for cycling in the hilly sections. There were many good things to keep me busy, looking and clicking out of the window: rapidly changing landscapes, herds of caravans and excited families out for a weekend trip, interesting signboards, and then came Dassiefontein. It wasnt really a motel or a theme-based restaurant, not even a café. But a place full of concentric circles, in which every realm was distinct. Basically a farm stall, the entrance takes you through a small room with a variety of gardening tools, seeds, planters, bird-houses and garden decorations, etc. One step into the adjoining room and you find yourself in the middle of kitchen utensils, storage jars, kettles, trays, all painted in bright hues and making you feel like Tom Thumb in a giant kitchen cabinet. The central area had a tiny counter for food and snacks on one side and was mainly occupied by baskets (of all sizes you can imagine), toys, bowls, cups and saucers … sets and loose, big and small, flashy and sober, everything for everyone. The little alley going out of there had probably the best set of most random pieces of antiques put together under a roof. Spoons and forks, mirrors, wall hooks, chandeliers, letter-boxes, masks, tables and shelves, candle stands … so much of beauty spread all around that my camera felt dizzy. There were two sets of rooms for shoes and clothes and other leather accessories too. That place, in short, was how I see the world. Beauty in everything, a story, some dust of time, some cracks of age.The day continued to unfold and we found ourselves in Hermanus for some whale watching. That was nice too. I can now boast of being there, done that, so far as the most famous tourist attractions there are concerned. Sun bid adieu and we retired for the night to the scenic Cape Town. The city, though in hibernation by the time we arrived, did show us some glimpses of what it had it MAHINDRA XUV500 IN S AFRICA TRAVELOGUE www.carindia.in VWRUH$oQHHYHQLQJDWWKH:DWHUIURQWZLWKWLUHG\DFKWVDQFKRUHGRQWKHVKRUHGLPOLWWDEOHVKLVVLQJZLWKZKLVSHUVDQGJLJJOHVDVWLOOJLDQWZKHHOLQYLWLQJWRFRPHRQERDUGDQGDVKRUWGUL]]OHVXFKQLFHWKLQJVWRUHPHPEHUWKHSODFHE\7KHQH[WGD\IUR]HXVWRWKHEDUHERQHZKHQZHFOLPEHGXSWRWKH0RXQWDLQ7RSWRVHHWKH&DSH7RZQDV*RGPDGHLWZLWKVRPHDOWHUDWLRQVE\PDQNLQGRIFRXUVH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www.carindia.in