Things looking up in Boven...

My town's got a few rough and tough years behind it, but all around there's positive energy with people and organisations making plans, and please excuse the cliché (commonly known as the short arm to an empty brain) - but this one's particularly fitting for Waterval-Boven - suddenly there's light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Among other things, we've been without a restaurant (it's a long and sad story apparently) for quite a while now. But that's just changed. Tonight I was the very first person to have dinner at the Mississippi Restaurant and Pub, which is in the old Whistle & Trout venue, just across from the railway station. The old stone-dressed house is magnificent and makes a perfect setting.

 

Sydney Ndlovu - who's been involved in the tourism industry for the last 8 years as he tells me - and his team of six have spent the last three weeks sprucing up the place and opened their restaurant today. It's so new that there's not even menus printed and the staff haven't yet (but who's to blame them?) got into the well synchronised dance that epitomises a successful restaurant.

 

Sydney, wearing a Castle peaked cap, says that "first and foremost" his restaurant is for the local Waterval Boven and Emgwenya community. "But I also want it to be known throughout the world for it's great offering and exceptional service." Yes, he desperately wants tourists eating here. So does the town.

 

And if the hearsay about the steam train (the people I'm talking to reckon it could well be running soon between Machadodorp, Waterval-Boven, Waterval-Onder and the Numbi gate of Kruger - just what this region needs!) turns out to be true and it's put into operation again within the next few months, this Mississippi steamer is perfectly situated.

 

I had a great lamb potjiekos with the choice of rice or veg ( I took rice) for R50 and a Hansa for R10. I chose to sit in the restaurant because I swallow better in peace and quiet, while the pub had far more of a Friday night atmosphere with some great tunes... next time.

 

Sydney (072 668 7743) and his business partner Dumisani Ndlovu (073 551 5807) are the guys to talk to, and it'll be fantastic to see the likes of them joining up with the Emakhazeni Tourism Association (Trina Matheson: 082 892 1364) and the town's resuscitated, re-energised business chamber (Terry Jansen: 082 900 1362) and the about to be founded (next Saturday afternoon - 07 June - in fact) Waterval-Boven Community Development Forum (Gustav Janse van Rensburg: 082 753 3695).

 

And there even was a car guard...!