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As an interior designer, bathroom planning has often been a very important part of my design projects. This is because many of my customers attach great importance to a stylish, comfortable, modern bathroom fitted with high-quality materials. And in our own home, the main and guest bathrooms were also perfectly designed in terms of function and design.
We open the design award-winning tap over an organically shaped ceramic from Italy and the rain shower in the floor-level shower area, which can be adjusted to different water jet levels - and enjoy. It goes without saying that we get unlimited water at our desired temperature for our personal hygiene with a flick of the wrist. The same applies in the kitchen for cooking, washing up and cleaning.
Water for all
But do we even realise where the water comes from, what process it goes through before reaching our taps and whether it is actually available to us in unlimited quantities? Since we have been travelling in Africa again, we have a completely different appreciation of water. Because we realise that water is priority 1 for everyone here and cannot be taken for granted: finding, transporting, storing and consuming it. Especially in the countryside, whether as farmers or villagers. Out there, everyone is responsible for their own water. And it is a question of cost. This can lead to conflicts, but also to cooperation, neighbourly help and charity.
In many regions of southern Africa, the natural source of water from rain is unpredictable. There are times when sudden torrential rainfall causes rivers to burst their banks and the dry soil is unable to absorb the valuable water. In the same way, there are many years of drought, which make water management difficult and result in many sacrifices and losses.
Having a borehole with good water is existential and at the same time a gift. I am fascinated by the fact that there are huge reservoirs of water beneath our feet that we can tap into. And that we can get crystal-clear, pure, healthy water from there - usually even unfiltered. Did you realise that?
In Botswana, during our time on Sue and Pete's farm, we experienced first-hand how the water supply is a daily focus: After an initial, cost-intensive supply of fresh water, the couple had decided to search for a borehole on the farm and have it drilled. This water is now pumped into various tanks and then channelled into the house, for watering the vegetable garden and into the goats' drinking troughs. The neighbouring farm does not have the resources for a borehole. And how do you solve something like that in Africa? You look at what one person has, what the other needs and create a win-win solution:
The farm neighbour now comes every few days with his donkey cart, on which there are umpteen different plastic containers and barrels (approx. 250 litres in total) and gradually fills them with water from the tap through a garden hose in about 1.5 hours. The cute little donkeys stand still during this time and the farmer is happy when we talk to him in the meantime. In return for the water, he brings Sue & Pete precious manure for the vegetable patches, firewood or feed for the goats.
It is also part of our job to always have our 150 litre water tank in the Keiler Trailer filled with drinking water. If we can't find completely pure water to fill it with, we can use 3 different filters: *Pre-filter for sediments and *Filter for pollutants and germs. We brought these mobile Active drinking water filters from our old homeland, the Swabian Alb - from the renowned company Alb Filter® and we are extremely happy with them: small, handy and internationally usable thanks to the compatible plug-in system. If we used all 3 filters, we could even tap river water. And we have also prepared the option of using a pre-filter in the trailer. Our aim as travellers is to buy as little or no bottled water as possible.
The happiness of a hot shower
In addition to drinking water, water for washing and, above all, showering is also given a very special attention and pleasure. Right at the beginning of our adventure, we learnt to appreciate how wonderful it is to be able to enjoy a hot shower from time to time, even in the most remote bush or the endless desert. For example, we used a donkey boiler to produce hot water for the first time on Gerida and Pieter's Stillte farm. In other words, Stefan lit the fire in the stove first thing in the morning and after half an hour we were ready to enjoy a wonderful hot morning shower!
Otherwise, we mostly encounter solar and gas geysers for generating hot water. To date, our outdoor bathing experience on the cattle farm near David on the south coast of South Africa is unique: in this construction, the water is heated in a double-walled tube with the help of a paraffin burner.
And because we know how precious water is, we automatically use it very sparingly and consciously.
And back to the topic of interior design from the beginning of the blog article: I not only enjoy the hot water, but equally the imaginative, loving and tasteful design and special features of the numerous "bathrooms" that we find at our overnight campsites - many of them in the open air. It's simply wonderful to be able to freshen up in the midst of nature and with a view of the countryside and sometimes even of passing animals. What used to be a matter of course in bathrooms warmed by underfloor heating with seamless walls and XXL floor tiles with LED lighting is now a wonderful sight, a heart-filling happiness and makes us deeply grateful in this marvellous simplicity and naturalness from the materials that the surroundings have to offer.
Possible questions for your personal journey of discovery:
Can you appreciate the luxury we have around us?
Do you feel gratitude?
Do you still realise in everyday life how valuable water is and how much you cannot take for granted?
What if you had to worry about whether the water supply to your home was guaranteed? Would you use water more sparingly and consciously?
Possible questions for your personal journey of discovery:
Can you appreciate the luxury we have around us?
Do you feel gratitude?
Do you still realise in everyday life how valuable water is and how much you cannot take for granted?
What if you had to worry about whether the water supply to your home was guaranteed? Would you use water more sparingly and consciously?
