BEHIND THE SCENES
While attending a press junket for the opening of a new exhibition at De Hoop Nature Reserve (p 129), freelance writer Biénne Huisman jumped onto a lead and ended up having a chat with Glenda Kemp…
Growing up around Cape Town, did De Hoop feature in your childhood?
Yes, I have fond memories of holidays there before its facelift by the De Hoop Collection in 2007. It was basic and rugged; I remember collecting ostrich feathers, patting horses and savouring the freedoms of nature.
I suspect you were the only journalist attending the exhibition opening who ended up calling Glenda Kemp – the infamous snake dancer from the 1970s – to do some fact-checking?
Yes, I think so. I was amused by this incidental angle to the exhibition. Given Glenda’s legendary status in this country, getting hold of her was surprisingly easy. A Google search called up a profile interview from 2019: At the age of 70, she invited women to contact her for dance lessons. She was so friendly over the phone.
After years of working the news beats at the Sunday Times and
City Press, I still enjoy connecting the dots. My happy place is feeling for a situation’s pulse and finding words to tell of it.
Do you prefer adventure-based holidays or chill-type holidays?
Recently, at Samara Karoo Reserve near Graaff-Reinet, faced by an oncoming bull elephant on a jeep track, one travel companion whimpered: “I prefer pretty nature, not threatening nature!” Thankfully, our guide managed to reverse back down the mountain.
I love pretty nature with a sprinkling of thrills. Earlier this year, the city bustle of Palermo, in Italy, was offset by hiking lonely pathways at the nearby Zingaro Nature Reserve. (BTW, Sicily is a great tip for South Africans travelling on tight rands – it’s cheap compared to much of Europe.)
As a journalist, can you ever properly switch off when travelling?
No, I’m always scanning for interesting and extraordinary encounters, and ways to relay these observations. The
French writer Anaïs Nin said it well: “We write to taste life twice.”
If you could magically take along a household comfort when travelling, what would it be?
My old wooden wardrobe. Before travelling, I often read the weather wrong, optimistically anticipating more heat than what transpires and usually ending up cold. (All things considered, how tedious to lug around clothes?) A pocketsized wardrobe would be the perfect solution.
What are your travel plans for the rest of 2024?
The Cederberg is on my radar, the Amathole Mountains, plus exploring KZN’s north coast up to Mozambique. I’m also curious about Lisbon (Angolan carrier TAAG offers great deals) or will maybe just settle for an espetada at Dias Tavern in District Six.