Natalie de la Porte

Peru Celebrates 100 Years of Machu Picchu

On 7 July, Peru celebrates the centenary of the American historian and explorer Hiram Bingham’s discovery of Machu Picchu with the help of local farmers. The Quechua citadel had been largely untouched since the demise of the Inca Empire at the turn of the 15^th Century.

On 24 July 1911, Bingham announced the discovery of Machu Picchu, which means “old peak” in Quechua, the pan-Andean native language. Other explorers claimed to have seen the city as early as 1860, although Bingham is recognized as the person who made Machu Picchu famous.

UNESCO designated it a world heritage site in 1983, describing it as “an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization” and voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Machu Picchu stretches across 32,500 hectares (80,300 acres), but the built-up section is concentrated on a zone 530 metres (1,740 feet) long by 200 metres (660 feet) wide, complete with agricultural terraces and 172 dwellings.

Machu Picchu

The former head of the National Institute of Culture said, “For Peru, Machu Picchu is like the pyramids of Egypt.” In a bid to highlight the importance of conservation efforts on this beautiful landmark, only 700 people will be allowed on the grounds on the opening day of festivities.

The South African Braai – A BBQ South African Style!

As a native living through the currently chilly British summer, I wanted to share some of my favourite South African summer meals. You will always be able to have a braai in almost any picnic spot, back garden and on many beaches. South Africans even celebrate Braai Day on 24 September (South Africa’s Heritage Day), so we take our braai very seriously! Here is the lowdown on what to expect at a barbeque Southern African style.

What is a ‘braai’?

A braai is a barbeque - the name is taken from the Afrikaans word braaivleis which means barbequed meat.

'Blue bull' steak - a huge cut of beef steak

What type of food can I expect?

Beef steak, Karoo lamb chops and chicken or lamb sosaties (skewers) or a half chicken flattie are usually on the menu, but you will often also find boerewors (farmers sausage) and game specialities like ostrich steak, kudu and impala.

Boerewors is a thick beef sausage, flavoured with herbs and spices and grilled in a coil shape on the open fire as seen below.

Boerewors

A fish braai is also popular in the coastal areas of South Africa – you’ll taste snoek, sardines, kreef (crayfish), prawns and almost any fish you can find from the fishmonger or direct from the fishermen at the harbour in the morning.

A good selection of salad will also be available, usually potato salad, three bean, carrot and pineapple, and green salad aplenty. Potatoes and mielies (corn on the cob) or are sometimes wrapped in foil and placed on the glowing coal.

You might also get a more traditional starch side-dish with your steak or boerewors. Maize is the staple meal in Africa, and pap is a slow-cooked, thick and dry maize porridge that is served with a tomato and onion based relish. Try the Johannesburg township version chakalaka – it has a spicy flavour and is sometimes served with amazi (thick sour milk).

You could also try pofadder or skilpadjies (little tortoises). The names might sound as if they are describing something terrible, but it is actually lambs liver and herbs wrapped in fatty caul to make parcels or a sausage (for a pofadder) that go on the open fire. Delicious with pap or garlic bread.

For desert, stick a marshmallow at the end of a long stick and toast it over the open fire until golden brown.

Crayfish at Die Strandloper Restaurant

Are there any vegetarian options?

Yes. Your host will be happy to put some vegetarian sausages or vegetable sosaties on the grill for you, but you might have to bring your own! Also try haloumi cheese on the grill. There will be an excellent selection of salad to choose from.

Wood fire, charcoal or gas?

If you can get hold of it, hardwood makes the best fires for a braai. The wood is normally collected from already dead branches in the bushveld. Elephants usually make sure there is enough in supply! This wood burns for much longer periods of time than normal chopped pine and has a delicious aroma. Alternatively, you can buy charcoal almost anywhere. Gas is mainly used in restaurants.

Should I bring something to a braai?

Your host will tell you in advance. If you are invited to a ‘bring-and-braai’ you should take some meat, a salad to share and some drinks. Beer, wine and spirits with mixers are welcome.

Are there any restaurants that offer a braai?

Die Strandloper in Langebaan, about an hour north of Cape Town, offers a fantastic fresh seafood braai alongside traditional Cape meals like waterblommetjie bredie (a kind of waterlily stew), snoek (a local fish), roosterkoek (grilled bread buns) and a large selection of seafood.

Snoek on the braai at Die Strandloper Restaurant

1800° Grill Room at Cape Royale Hotel in Cape Town offers steaks cooked from both sides and served with flavoured salts from around the world and excellent wine to accompany your meal.

The Vineyard Hotel’s restaurant, The Square, also offers excellent steak and can expertly match your meal to some of the best wines the region has to offer.

Chain steakhouses like Spur offer steaks and surf and turf (meat and fish combinations), but nothing beats the real thing at home with friends.

Is there any other etiquette I should be aware of?

Yes, your host is normally in charge of the braai and the preparations and is the head chef, so don’t interfere with his or her technique! The fire is normally only lit as the guests arrive, as the fire making process is part of the ritual. It would be quite rude to arrive just as the food comes off the grill! Snacks like chips (crisps), biltong (dried meat) and nuts are usually available. Feel free to eat with your fingers, just relax and enjoy!

Marinated lamb sosaties

Do you like the sound of a braai in South Africa? Which of these dishes would you like to taste?

Africa’s Seven Secret Wild Animals

With the rock star status of Aleksandr the Meerkat, I fondly remember the less known animals of the bushveld that I grew up with in South Africa.

I have been living in London for almost 12 years, but I grew up with mountain views. These were not the views of Table Mountain, but the Magaliesberg – firmly behind the “boerewors curtain” on the northern side of South Africa’s capital Pretoria. In the early 80’s, these suburbs were still growing, with some wild creatures straying into our garden from the bushveld over the fence.

They are certainly not as famous as the meerkats, elephants and the big cats, but they are special in their own (secretive) ways.

Painted Reed Frog
Hyperolius Viridiflavus

My little slimy frog friends form the official soundtrack to an African evening. The tiny males compete for female attention in choirs of bell like calls, their aim is to make as many calls as loud as they can, and they are really loud! They have many colours and decorations in variations of bright stripes and dots. The bright colours are mainly for warding off predators because their skin is poisonous. If you are on a holiday in South Africa, you can find frogs sitting on reeds and in grass around freshwater pools, occasionally in my dad’s tiny fish pond. The mucus on their skin dries to form a waterproof barrier to protect them from the summer sun.

Painted Reed Frog - Hyperolius Viridiflavus

Caracal
Caracal Caracal

Not as big or famous as lions, leopards and cheetahs, but a close contender for the feline beauty awards. Caracals are about the size of a large cat, but sadly got a bad reputation for stealing poultry and are often hunted. They prefer semi desert areas and their hairy paws are especially adapted to walk on sand. Their reddish fur and black tuffeled ears blend well into the reddish sand and rocks and make them surprisingly hard to see in the wild.

Caracal

Blue Headed Tree Agama
Acanthocerus Atricollis

At first I was really scared of these pre-historic creatures. They are pretty big at about 40cm and look fierce. They climb trees and buildings, preferring high areas in the sun. In the breeding season, the males’ large heads turn bright blue. But they never hurt me; they just watched from the wall, nodding their big blue heads up and down, as if in agreement to eat the insects while I spent the afternoon in the pool.

Blue Headed Tree Agama - Acanthocerus Atricollis

African Fish Eagle
Haliaeetus Vocifer

The majestic fish eagle has one of the most distinctive calls of the birds that live around freshwater areas in Sub-Sahara Africa. I can only describe it as possibly yelping, similar to a turkey, at a higher pitch, and a seagull, uttered while throwing their heads back like a seagull. But somehow this is more of a welcome call to the African sunset before the painted reed frogs take over the airwaves for the night.  A female’s wingspan can reach 2.4m, and pairs can often been seen at the top of the highest trees close to their twig nests. Seeing one of these swoop down to pluck a fish out of the water is quite amazing!

African Fish Eagle - Haliaeetus Vocifer

Bush Baby
Otolemur Crassicaudatus

Galagos earned their name “bush baby” from the loud cries that sound disturbingly similar to that of a human baby. These ‘primitive primates’ are closer related to Madagascar’s lemurs than monkeys, and their favourite snacks are the creepy crawlies of the bush. It’s a bit hard to spot them in the wild, as they jump fast and far between trees when not hiding from daylight in hollow tree branches, but if you shine a bright light towards the distant trees, their large eyes reflect in countless little pairs. I first encountered a bush baby in a campsite – a precious moment before he jumped away and the huge giraffe around the next tree made me jump almost as high as the bush baby.

Bush Baby - Otolemur Crassicaudatus

Bat-eared Fox
Otocyon Megalotis

The bat-eared fox are nothing like European foxes. They are about cat sized, and their large ears can detect their prey in the ground. They then dig furiously and devour the unlucky insect in seconds. A bat-eared fox will mainly eat termites, grasshoppers, little lizards, eggs, small mammals and even fruit, from the grassy plains and savannahs close to it’s earthy den home. Unfortunately their cousins, the jackal, has landed them in trouble with their taste for farmyard treats and they are often poisoned by farmers. You can sometimes see them in playing in pairs in the moonlight.

Bat-eared Fox - Otocyon Megalotis

Aardvark
Orycteropus Afer

The name ‘aardvark’ translates as ‘earth pig’, but it isn’t related to pigs at all – more to the hyrax, a rabbit sized furry mammal. An aardvark eats mainly termites and ants, the only fruit it will try is the aardvark cucumber. You might see only see the leftovers of this solitary nocturnal animal’s meals in the giant termite mounds of the bush. I have to admit, I have not seen this elusive animal in the wild, but I always wished to see one of these strange ‘living fossils’. London Zoo has a very lovely pair you can see up close when they are sleeping.

Aardvark - Orycteropus Afer

Have you seen any of these whilst on your South African holiday?