Ode de Pancake

Now through our this journey I have tried so say as many nice things as possible, there really has been no place that really ground my gears to the point that the teeth wore away. That was until now, and it's not just the one place but a collection of places. I went to a place at Langebaan that specializes in Pancakes, and for R60 I got one pancake, with bland curry, a few pieces of banana and what they called salsa. The only flavour was in the chutney I put over it. Now, normally I would chalk it off to a poor choice of restaurant  but I have been constantly disappointed in the pancakes I have ordered from various places on my journey.

It started at Wilderness, at a place called the Pancake Hut. The blackened and warped pans should have put me off the place completely, but I persevered. I had faith. A place that only made one thing had better make it well, right? When I ordered a caramel pancake for a whopping R20 and saw the guy reach for the microwave, I should have cut my losses and ran. But no; like a virgin at a whorehouse, I stood wide-eyed, expecting the best when all signs pointed away from a good time. The 'caramel' that was advertised turned out to be a kind of syrup that I am certain should not be consumed without friends, because it really fails as a solo project. So beneath the beautiful milk-wood canopy I wept silently.

The next insult, though not as bad as the first, came at the Hermanus Whale Festival. There was a stall that provided all the trims from a local shop that made yummy things. They were selling two pancakes for R5; to draw people in I am sure. They were doing it the proper French way, with the plate and the T-shaped stick. They even folded it. Immediately I was reminded of my favourite shop years ago; The Swell Fairy, that made pancakes so good I swear it made people undergo a religious experience. Sadly what I go was doughy disappointment, with so much cinnamon it had put the sugar in camps as a final solution.

So when this place in Langebaan disappointed me, it was like a all my lost lovers came back in a tidal wave; and the rage I felt at the poor little shop was a tad unjustified -- but still. I mean .. how does one mess up a pancake? I could make pancakes that brought a tear to your eye since I was 12 years old. I feel like this journey has taken the hopes and dreams of a young pancake-eating child, put them in a bag and threw it down a well.

I suppose pancakes are to remain in the home, enjoyed in private and kept out of the hands of people who can put a price tag on it.

Sea Shepherd

At the Environment Expo in Hermanus, as part of the Whale Festival, I attended a talk by Sea Shepherd. I thought you might like to hear some of the things they told me and many other people who gathered there that day.

Paul Watson was a founding member of Greenpeace, but left the organization because he felt they were not doing enough to actively protect the environment. Now he focuses his time and effort on protecting the creatures of the ocean. I can understand his reasoning. We know less about our oceans than we do the moon. It is the largest ecosystem on our planet. Hell, if we wipe out all living creatures on the ground, including ourselves, in a few million years life will just crawl out of the ocean and start all over again. It has happened before. Conversely, if we destroy our oceans, there goes the largest source of oxygen; and with it our lovely atmosphere. Sure Ray-Bans and sunscreen companies will make a killing but other than that, it will be disastrous for us all.

They target many different industries. The one that gets a lot of press is their anti-whaling campaign. I am sure many of you have hear of or seen the show, Whale Wars. They told us that the Japanese have spent money for the Tsunami Relief Fund to hire extra security for their whaling ships. They also told us that the Japanese say that they are not catching the whales for commercial reasons but for scientific research. I am not sure what kind of research requires that degree of whaling.

On the Galapagos islands they are active in preventing shark-finning. They also work with the government there to help catch poachers. This includes a dog unit that patrols the beaches and ports. This a great success story of environmental activism and government working together to help protect wildlife.

Then there is the ever present seal-clubbing. No I am not referring to what second- and third-year students do to first years at Varsity. From what they told us at the presentation, 400 000 seals get clubbed every year in Canada. They also told us how they are trying to prevent the covert clubbing of seal in Namibia. Even though it is illegal, apparently over 87 000 seals get clubbed every year. They told us how early in the morning, at Cape Cross, thousands of seals get clubbed, after which bulldozers turn the sand as to hide all the blood. Then the seal get packed into bakkies, covered with a tarp and driven past the long line of patiently-waiting tourists, all of which are oblivious to the atrocities that had happened only moment before. Due to Sea Shepard's attempt to expose this industry they have been deemed enemies of the state. However, they told us that despite this, they sneaked into the country, got footage of the clubbing and then sneaked out again without anybody being the wiser.

They also spoke at length about the decline of the Bluefin Tuna, and their work at the Faeroe Islands.  There Pilot Whales are driven to the beaches by small villages, were they are slaughtered en mass. They also explained how dolphins in captivity are caught, and broken; even driven mad, before they are tame enough to be trained. The fact that a dolphin is prepared to eat a dead fish is a worrying sign, and that any dolphin kept in captivity is a form of abuse. If you wish to know more about this topic I would suggest you watch the excellent and enlightening documentary The Cove, which focuses on the Japanese whaling industry as well as the use of dolphins as food and entertainment. I really don't have the heart to go into it any further.

Now these things all pose worrying questions. What is the difference really between hunting dolphins to that of tuna or sardines, or even snoek? For one thing the high mercury content in the flesh of a marine creature so far up the food chain in exceptionally dangerous for human consumption. To me the most important thing is sustainability, for as long as we do not harm that which feeds us, we can feed of it for a very long time. Honestly I have a very scant understanding of marine life, mostly because I cannot stand the smell. I cannot imagine how the insane amount of pollutants, oil spills and excessive fishing can be good for this highly interconnected and complex system. I guess that's why I don't eat fish, unless I know who caught it and where. Seriously I am not kidding.

It's Been A While

Sorry for those of you who have been following my blog and found no new pretty things. The reason is that I have been bedridden for about a week. I got bitten by a spider three times; or the arachnid version of the Three Musketeers. I am just glad that I did not end up in hospital. Yes, I did have a doctor look at it, who told me to look out for it going black, or filling with pus, or growing roots in my leg-meats. It didn't but I am still a bit fragile.

Well I am off to go and take a gander at the Hermanus Whale Festival. I have been checking out some interesting places around Hermanus the last two days and cannot wait to tell you all about it.