In the context of the Western Cape, and in particular that of Cape Town and environs, Tietiesbaai looms large on the cultural, musical and gastronomic stage. It is part of the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve. The hamlet to which it is physically closest is Paternoster , home of Wolfgat, an award-winning restaurant. However, it is also home to such a lot more!!! You need to visit. And the names mentioned here are key to a number of historical and cultural riffs in the passing kaleidoscope that is our southern African history.
Some of the embedded links above would explain a lot, but not my personal experience:-) Let’s be clear here, Paternoster itself is an idyllic Greek or Italian look-alike village on the beautiful, yet tempestuous at times, western coastline of South Africa. Kreef (or krief or crayfish or (rock) lobster) is the seafood of choice in this area and is also the subject of a large yet illegal harvesting and trade of such, both internationally and locally. Added to that is the titillating (apologies for the play on words) name of Tietiesbaai, literally meaning “Breast Bay”. This is based on geographical features of the surroundings and not due to any lascivious connotations (think the island of Lesbos in Greece). I have the picture of a nipple for those not believing me.
And related to all of this, Jazz On The Rocks (JOR) as a music festival has become an institution for all the aforementioned reasons and was also one of my bucket list items. Now ticked!!!! JOR itself has also deeply embedded itself in the community by ensuring that, as the festival developed over the years, entrepreneurial and other initiatives were established. This directly benefits the locals involved. And my first visit recently bore witness to all of this.
There is a long history around this under the name of the Camissa, a group of people from the Khoena who inhabited the Cape Town area before, during and after the arrival of the Dutch. It is a fascinating alternative history of the area, especially for those of us who learnt about this using a deeply misrepresented history favoring the apartheid government of the day. And as kids, we memorized this guff as gospel truths, unless our parents guided us differently. Not all of us had this guidance or parents with hindsight and foresight.
My further interest in the historical, social and cultural cross-threads related to the festival is also my recent (and to a degree still ongoing) involvement with the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Documentation Center based at Cape Peninsula University of Technology under the Agrifood Technology Station. My (minimal) interaction with the Khoe (as I approached retirement) is still a bright star in my mind. I will not go into much detail here except to say that I know I am part of the Khoe and that my playing a role in the project made me own it so much more.
Now, to undo the long side-tracking, to the bay and the festival itself! The main cove of Tietiesbaai, when the wind is gone, is beautiful with crystal clear water. It is a wonderful spot to swim for beginners and those more experienced. However, caveat emptor, the water is typically Benguela cold, colloquially known as spanner water. I did note a few serious blokes … eerrrm …. gentlemen stroking their stuff! No, strutting their strokes ‘s what I meant!! It looked like the aquatic version of the mating cry of the not so young male. I did not venture in sadly.
The setting is thus idyllic, especially when the sun sets. However, the site of a big sound stage on the rocks is somewhat jarring at first site but, as time goes on and you acquaint yourself with the context, it makes sense. What is especially exciting is how the first music of the day from that stage attract spectators to take up position on the beach for up to 9 – 15 hours of mostly live music. That in itself is a bit too much for me though.
The camp sites, depending on which part of the bay you have booked, ranged from cramped to very cramped. And even with a peaceful, laid-back atmosphere, you need to be a bullet-proof camper to take it all in your stride and enjoy it. Obviously, with an event of this size and nature, logistical blapsies do happen (see bullet-proof reference earlier). Any reasonable person would take it in their stride in favor of all the other elements of the program that works.
The food on sale via local vendors was good value for money. The pub was reasonably priced. I understand, but did not experience, that the pub was open until 03:00 a.m. I am a gentle soul in need of my good nights rest.
Finally, on a scale of 1 – 10, it would be difficult to choose a number since it would depend on your degree of bullet-proofing. For me as a camper and outdoor person, I would give it a 7!
Go and tick it off your bucket list and, if you do take my advice, invite me please!!!!
Ramblings of a Rambler 