Steampunk Coffee – Heaven in a Cup
“The powers of a man’s mind are directly proportional to the quantity of coffee he drank.”
– Sir James MacKintosh –
My knuckles turn white, as I tighten my grip on the steering wheel. A quick glance in the rear-view mirror confirms that the truck I spotted two seconds ago, was now almost filling it. The road feels too narrow, and my eyes keep darting to the left for an escape route, before returning to the reflection of the truck barreling down on me.
The last time I visited the Midlands in KZN, South Africa, I fell in love with the green rolling hills and quirky shops on the different routes of the Meander. The roads were quiet then, and allowed for enjoyment of the views. But now, travelling on the R103, no one seems to meander anymore. Trucks too big for the road, and 4x4s in a desperate hurry to get somewhere else, dominate the road that is narrow and winding. My nerves, instead of calming down in the presence of a beautiful landscape, are shot.
I duck left at the first opportunity, and wait until I can pry my hands off the steering wheel, before slowly pulling back onto the road. My decision to stop at places that look interesting, instead of pre-planning my stops, seems to have backfired on me. With cars breathing down my neck, it is hard to look around, and make impulsive decisions. It is too late to change my approach, so I simply keep driving in the hope that I will spot the turn-off to any place that even looks half-interesting in good time to flick on my indicator, and not have someone drive into the back of me.
At Lion’s River I happen to glance to the right, where a sad-looking petrol station squats in the dust. Just as I’m about to turn my eyes back on the road, a black and white mural shifts into view. I instinctively slam on my brakes, before, almost as an afterthought, I remember to look in my rear-view mirror. For a change I seem to be all alone on the road, and I quickly point the nose of the car in the direction of what appears to be a coffee shop in the most unlikely of places. Hugged by the railway line, and a dusty petrol station, it is as if I’ve stumbled upon a mirage. I gape at a beautiful lanky woman leaving the shop, just as the car rolls to a stop. Her cappuccino skin is flawless, and the colourful African outfit she wears, makes her look like a queen, who has just stepped off the set of an Indiana Jones movie.
I feel like a parched dessert wanderer, who happened upon a mythical oasis, and so, on cue, I stumble from the car, and into the dim interior of Steampunk Coffee. The smell of coffee snaps me back into reality, but once I’m seated outside at one of a handful of tables, taking a big sip from my cappuccino, I convince myself, once more that I must have stumbled into a dream. Velvety and smooth, it tastes like heaven, and in that moment, I decide it is the best coffee I’ve ever tasted.
More people stop to grab a take-away cup. The number plates on the cars reveal they are locals. A farmer in a dusty bakkie (pick-up truck) nods at me, before disappearing inside. He doesn’t look like he belongs in a place like this, yet, from the lengthy conversation that ensues inside in Zulu, I gather he is a regular. Just then, a tall, skinny guy with glasses and a hat ducks out of a door next to the shop, and makes his way to a gate next to where I’m sitting.
“Are you the owner?” I impulsively blurt.
“Yes.” He smiles.
“This is the best coffee I’ve ever tasted.” I sigh.
He smiles knowingly. “I am busy roasting at the moment. You are welcome to pop in.”
I thank him, and return my attention to my cup. There is no way I am willing to sacrifice this moment of pure pleasure.
Once the last sip has warmed my stomach, I slowly rise and follow the aroma of roasting beans. I find Mike next to a fire-engine red hopper; his eyes focused intently on his computer screen to ensure the beans are roasted to perfection.
“Wow.” I whisper.
My eyes dart over bags with green coffee beans, and plastic containers full of roasted ones. It looks like a laboratory and factory rolled into one, yet smells like a perfumery.
“I really don’t want to bother you. I can see you are busy.”
“You’re not.” He soothes, and formally introduces himself.
And so we talk. About coffee and life and people and philosophy and life and coffee.
Roasting his own unique blends, was not part of his original plan. Just a place where he could brew a really good cup of coffee. But life often takes us to unexpected places, and forces us to adapt and change our minds and our hearts. We grow and expand. And drink coffee. Not the instant stuff masquerading as coffee, but the real deal. Better still when it is grown organically, traded fairly, roasted and blended creatively, and brewed with a delicate mixture of love and science.
Notes:
# All coffee drinkers have their own idea of what the perfect cup consists of, so don’t take my word for it, go see for yourself.
# Find Steampunk Coffee at Thokan’s Garage, Lions River on the R103, on your right, just before the Mandela Capture Site, if driving in the direction of Howick.
# They have been operating from these premises for three years, which is proof that people will go wherever it takes to find a good cup of coffee.
# Note that, although it has some seating outside, it is essentially a Take Away Espresso Bar, and not a Coffee Shop.
# Bring your own cup, and pay less.
# Bring your own container to buy coffee beans and pay R50/kg less.
# Learn a new word: procaffeinate (verb) – to delay or postpone action; put off doing something until you’ve had coffee
# My favourite perfume, Yves St Laurent’s Black Opium, has dominant notes of coffee, before softening into vanilla, which, I guess, says a lot about my love for a really good cup of coffee.
Visited: December 2017
Oh wow, I wish I was within striking distance of this place. Sounds divine. Love the trading hours sign.
It is always worthwhile to travel for a good cup of coffee, Peggy, but I guess Australia is just a tad too far. 🙂
Your descriptive narrative took me right along, Jolandi. I could feel the pressure on the road, and the relaxation at the coffee shop, could smell the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee.
Thank you, Tanja. Ah, the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee is hard to resist, isn’t it?
🙂
It sounds appetising! I’d love to give it a try but it’s a bit out of the way from London…
I’d say! 😉 Hope you have a great coffee spot near to you, as life can be rather dull without a good cup.
Yeah there is one but it’s overrun by soccer mums and their monumental buggies! I checked out the area around yours on Google maps, it looks just gorgeous! Never been to SA, but I suppose I’d love the countryside round there.
Well, this could just be the incentive you need to plan a trip . . . 🙂 The people who frequent a coffee shop also plays a huge role in one’s enjoyment of it. Another factor, apart from good coffee that comes into play, when I choose a spot to linger.
What a fascinating story, and so well told. I loved the peek at Mike on the link, and what a fabulous trading hours sign.
Thanks, Gwen. I loved stumbling upon the link, as it is always exciting to see someone like him at work. And the photographs are just superb.
Hah!! Nothing can beat a goood cup of coffee!!! I guess you’ll be back 😉
Good coffee is definitely worth taking detours . . . .
Wonderful road trip story. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather drive than on something called The Meander! Too bad the roads there are getting busier; I sometimes really fear for my life when those giant 18-wheelers careen by. The coffee stop was just the antidote to the stress and a great turn in the story!
Thank you, Lex. I love road trips. Not so much speeding big trucks, but I’m always up for a road trip anywhere really, as one never knows which little gems one will discover in the process.
That road sounds terrifying! I hate being tail-gated, especially by large trucks. The coffee was good though and soothed the spirit!
Nothing like a good cup of coffee to soothe spirit!
Perhaps the clarity of a man’s mind is proportional to how much coffee he drinks. You live in an interesting place, but I guess every place is interesting to someone who does not live there and has never been there. Funny how people who live in a place never visit the sights tourists from around come to visit. Too convenient I guess. Happy New Year is a safe wish I reckon for today!
I meant to say “sights tourists from around the world come to visit.” Better refill my cup!!!
Yip, better refill that cup of yours! 😉 You are so right, Greg. Being a tourist vs being a resident mostly stand in sharp contrast with one another. We seem to wear a different set of eyes when we travel. And blog posts and photos often make places look much more exciting than they sometimes are.
Very true and we photograph only the pretty parts!
And a very Happy New Year to you too, Greg.
What a great post! As I was traveling along with you I remembered a few of my very favorite cups of mocha I’ve had. They were in Iceland, Quebec City in Canada and in a tiny town on the northern Oregon Coast named Gearhart. ☕️
I am so glad I could jolt your memory, Sabine. And isn’t it interesting how one finds good coffee in the most unexpected of places? A town called Gearhart sounds rather interesting.
I should probably go back to Gearhart some time for another long walk on the beach and another cup of coffee.
Sounds like a good bucket list item for 2018.
Indeed!
now all cups
will need to
live up
to the divine 🙂
Indeed! 😉
Such a cool story for getting something as simple as a cup of coffee. Cheers!
🙂 Thank you. Our lives really are filled with stories, don’t you think?
Most definitely. Cheers!
Nice…
I am not a coffee drinker but your description makes me want to find this place and try a cup.
Glad I could entice you, Irene. 😉
I don’t drink coffee, it’s tea for me, but I would love to sit, smell the coffee and take in the sights and sounds. Such a cool name for a coffee joint. Bet it was hard to get back on the road.
I often think coffee actually smells better than it tastes, Terri, hence my constant quest for an exceptional cup. And you are right, it was difficult to get back on the road.
Happy New Year Jolandi!!!
Thank you, Paulo. May 2018 be a year filled with adventure for you.
This sounds amazing!!