Ramfest. Did someone say Ramfest? Oh sorry,
that was last weekend, is how quickly it came and went. My brother and I made a
packed that even living in Bloemfontein won’t keep us away from the raging
Ramfest. We packed whatever was needed, the essentails, and mom will bring the
rest. Most importantly food, there was no budget beyond petrol, smokes, and
tequila.
The road was long, filled with caffeine
stops, some things only the night could see, with the sun welcoming us to the
mountains of Worcester. Ramfest – music – smokes – drink – muffins – river – Ramfest
happened. The only things we were left
with was the episodes that lived on our backs, the broken umbrellas, animal
livers, beetroot cheeks en speeding fines.
The 10 things I remember:
1)
The river and I became good
friends. Too good. I mostly floated with my ass wedge into a green tube,
umbrella ducked-taped to the edge and a drinking bottle drifting on a rope in
the vicinity of my arm. Even with the pool on the stoep of my tent, we made our
way down to the river. We were served with good laughs, new friends, the
occasional joint and a bumper ride or two.
2)
The little muffins at the Snow
Café. God knows what the secret ingredients were, but my mind was wearing gold
flippers, a feather headdress and riding on the back of a horse with no name.
Their slushies, even though I don’t really enjoy pink drinks, were a fan
favourite on the Sunday.
3)
The bands. I wasn’t as
impressed as last year. There were a few standouts who gave me eargasms. They
were, Desmond and the Tutu’s. Not My Dog, Niskerone, Mr.Cat and the Jackal, 7th
Son, The Dead Will Tell. Yes, that’s it. The disappointments were Gazelle and
Funafuji. The chunder of the event was Astray Electric. They buthered my ears.
4)
The electric scene never really
did it for me, but man, the Electric Pyramid kept my legs captivated until
morning attacked me in the face like Jesus. The dust clouds was a sure sign of
all the electric effect.
5)
There was a guy on stilts.
Don’t understand how you can drink and maintain your balance on those sticks.
6)
The Hydration Station kept us
alive.
7)
My brother’s first journey
around the world.
8)
The green grass and mountains,
seeing as Bloemfontein has none.
9)
The sad ladies plastering their
faces each morning – puzzling.
10)
Our umbrellas, which was the
best idea we had in the heat of Worcester.
We conquered Ramfest 2011. I was in one
costume from beginning to end, ate nothing but Snow Café muffins and
hotcross-buns stuffed with Doritos, laughed with my cocktail of gin, floated,
danced, puffed and passed out.
We dropped the gear at my mother’s place,
were treated with a heart meal and once again we set off to the platteland. The
final goodbye left us with a pile of fines. Now I’m broke.
