Away with the Fairies....hakuna matata

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3 Nov - early start for a MAMMOTH drive. We leave at 7am and don't arrive at Hogsback until 13 hours later. However, picturesque drive along the Wild Coast through the Eastern Cape, the poorest region of South Africa. We reach 'Away with the Fairies' hostel at Hogsback, in the dark about 8.30pm. Errol and I do the tent demonstration for the new guys then head to the bar for a quick dinner. The drinking then starts in ernest...having had a Savanna on the truck I continue my African drinks of choice - Windhoek lager, a few Jagers (of course!) some springboks and lots of amarula. The bar staff (Andre, Nacho & Co) are totally crazy but great guys. Our crew stay out quite late partying but eventually its just Errol, Janet, Nav and I who are left. Lots of dancing including Janet and I dancing on the bar in a Coyote Ugly kinda way, lol!! Lots of playing of imaginary drums followed by flaming sambuccas, tequila and yet more amarula, phew. Janet, Nav and I then decide this is the best time to climb the treehouse that's in the hostel's grounds...at 3.30am. what a night!!!

4 Nov - wake at 7.30am, still drunk, excellent bloody mary for breakfast though. Everyone else is away exploring but I just have a quiet one, lounging around, chatting to the bar staff. One of the guys, Andre has designed a shower block made out of Jager bottles and tops, it needs to be seen to be believed. Great shower though 😊

Away with the Fairies is set in an amazing forest with waterfalls and mountains (Tolkien lived here in Hogsback and based the Hobbit on the scenery). Such a laid back place, mad staff and loads of cute dogs running around. It reminds me so much of Twana Lodge in Pretoria, would LOVE to work here...

Anyway, in the afternoon we head off for abseiling...45m down the Madonna & Child Waterfall in the Hogsback Ridge. I hadn't abseiled for a year or two but the technique came back to me, however it's not easy jumping off slippery rock!!! Great experience though, esp when I looked down through the spray of the waterfall and through a rainbow, magical. Watch the rest of our group coming down...some more graceful than others. Back at the hostel, there's a huge bonfire with some fire jugglers for entertainment while we have dinner. Considering the night before I manage to stay up until midnight but am the last of our crew to leave the bar.

5 Nov - farewell Hog's Back, hello Addo. We drive to Addo Elephant National Park then go on an afternoon game drive (in Priscilla). See a nice family of elephants as well as warthogs, kudu, jackal and loads of tortoises. They are apparently unusual here but we soon find out why there's so many...check out the photo 😊 The highlight however was seeing some MEERKATS. When we didn't see any in Botswana I thought I didn't expect to see any during the rest of my time in Africa. However, at a watering hole, in the distance (thanks to my binoculars) there was a family, it was just like watching Meerkat Manor, sooooooo cute. The watering hole attracted a great mix of animals with elephant, warthog, meerkats and tortoise, it was just like a scene from the Lion King - hakuna matata!

I give the evening game drive a miss and chill out drinking vino...purely for medicinal purposes...as I'd sliced my finger earlier when helping with kitchen duty, muppet. Quite a deep cut, went white as a sheet and a bnit wobbly but no lasting damage. You really don't need to go on game drives, the wildlife came to us with loads of monkeys and a civet under the prep table, quite a brave, cheeky wee thing!

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Photos

Ready to abseil...
Top of the waterfall