Padkos

Enjoying the view over the Paarl Valley

I don't know if there is a proper English word for "padkos", but when translated it means food for the road. I am sure that every South African, Afrikaans or English will get a warm feeling of nostalgia when they hear the word "padkos". As kids we couldn't wait for that first stop early in the morning on our journey to wherever we were going for the food that was prepared for us the previous evening. Packing padkos was part of the planning for your vacation.  We stopped next to the road while other holiday makers flew past probably looking for a spot where they could also stop for their early morning meal, waving with one hand and standing with a jam sandwich or a hard boiled egg in the other.

Unfortunately with the erection of Shell Ultra Cities and the dangers of stopping next to a deserted road, the "padkos" traditions slowly died. Now and then you would still see people next to a highway having their padkos, but the Wimpy's and Steers's definitely took over in providing food to travellers chasing their destination completely oblivious to the fun they can have in between.

Today we had padkos like we used to in the early days. Maybe the menu has slightly changed, but in essence we had the same hard boiled eggs and sandwiches like we had in those early days. I just wish we could sit longer and appreciate what we have in this country of ours, enjoying the journey and not always rushing to get there fast and to eat fast.