Pretty Knysna

There are few South Africans worth their salt who don't know that Knysna is a beautiful place. It inspired the works of Dalene Matthee, thus giving us Kringe in 'n Bos. It is the gem of the Garden Route; whose forests have given the world fabulous tables and desks. Oh, any poet can wax lyrical about the rolling mountains, the lush forests, the subtle greens, the stunning beaches or the majesty of the lagoon and the waterfront. Photographers have tried and failed to completely capture the grandeur of its beauty. So, who cares?

This is all known; so you may be asking yourself what the hell is this guy's purpose to rant about it? Ah; well I am glad I asked for you: it's the people. Yes, you read correctly. Did they read Frank Miller's 300 and take things a bit too far? Because I have yet to see a person under 30 in town that was not in some way appealing. Even the car-guards aren't that bad. Even what goes for an ugly person in Knysna is well-dressed; and in the right light, after a beer or two, is anyone's game. I am accustomed to the odd minger here and there, but I am just not seeing them; and it is rather unsettling -- in a good way. 

I can only suppose that there is a group of people that hunt down new arrivals to this town; and if they don't meet up to the 'pretty' standard, then they get kindly asked to leave. Perhaps with cattle-prods. Seeing as people have been friendly and forthcoming to me I can only assume I am good-looking enough to reside in this town. Whether or not that's true, I shall choose believe it; if only to feed my ego.

There is another puzzling element to this town that I had not known: people here are friendly, very much so in fact. I go out, easily strike up a conversation, and have a good night. Now I may be an easy-going guy; and I may be easy to get along with, but that only gets a person so far. Within almost no time at all I felt at home in this town with mutantly attractive people... that may not have come out the way I intended.

So I ask you unfortunate-looking people out there (whom I am sure have stunning personalities), have you found you stay in Knysna to be a pleasant one; or did mean-looking people with pitchforks and torches kindly ask you to leave?