Oudtshoorn is the ostrich capital of the world. The town built on feathers lies in the Little Karoo region of South Africa, 250 miles from Cape Town. Around the turn of the last century, when white ostrich plumes were as precious as gold, the feather barons of Oudtshoorn built great palaces. The feather crash of 1914 ended all that.
But Oudtshoorn (pronounced "oats horn") is back on the map. Thanks in large part to Brazilian Carnival, there is a resurgent market for feathers, though the bigger markets today are for ostrich leather and meat (which is red and tastes nothing like chicken).
Visitors can stop at one of several show farms to learn about Struthio camelus ("sparrow camel"), or even take a wild ride on one of the surly birds. Don't be fooled by those big soft eyes and long lashes: ostriches may be domesticated but they're not tame.
Show farm tours predictably end at the gift shop in a riot of cheap jewelry, carved wooden things and painted eggs. But grab an ostrich feather duster ($5): the feathers are electrostatic, so they attract and hold dust.
For more upscale ostrich shopping, try Ostrich Leather World, a surprisingly smart boutique on the edge of town. Ostrich leather, with its distinctive quill socket pimpling, is not only one of the softest commercial leathers, it is the strongest. The store says it has the world's biggest collection of ostrich leather products under one roof: there are the obligatory handbags ($300 to $1,100), wallets ($70 to $110), men's shoes ($300) and belts ($100), but also ladies' sandals ($70 to $100), pens ($22), even baseball caps with leather bills ($33). Furniture includes stools ($400), desk chairs ($480) and, for that unique piece, a chaise longue ($4,400). All of it comes in a variety of colors, from the subdued (agate, chestnut, black) to the garish (emerald, lavender, yellow).
The store has a difficult-to-navigate Web site, www.olw.co.za, with limited offerings and prices that are double, in some cases triple, the in-store price (includes shipping). Just another reason to go to Oudtshoorn, for an up-close ostrich encounter.
Ostrich Leather World, Baron van Reede Street 101/103, Oudtshoorn, 6625 South Africa; (27-44) 272 7282, fax (27-44) 272 7285; e-mail info@olw.co.za.