Transkei

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Sorry we haven't updated in a while, but we've had a few technical difficulties (i.e. laziness, inexpensive beer and wine, and a healthy appreciation for not having to sit in front of a computer). Moving forward, the updates will be more frequent, as we slowly but surely figure out what the hell we're doing. So, here's what we've been up to...

After a good week in Durbs, we decided it was time to leave the comfort and safety of the family dwelling, don our backpacks, and get a first, real taste of the unknown. Armed with a trusted VW Golf and GPS (we haven't quite graduated to buses filled with goats and chickens yet), we headed south through the Transkei, meandering down the coast to the comfort and safety of the next family dwelling in Capetown.

Driving through the Transkei is a bit like going back in time. It's windy, mountainous roads take you through places where young kids still herd goats, people do their laundry in the river, and it's unspoiled beaches would be any developer's dream. The road was a bit of an adventure in it's own right...lots of livestock and very few fences make for an interesting drive. I think Lee would have prefered a more casual introduction to African travel being a bit of a back seat driver at the best of times. Thankfully, my "white-knuckled navigator" as she became known, was in good form, "eagerly" (ie..in a rabid panic) shouting out 2 miles in advance that there was "a cow in the MIDDLE of the road up ahead" ( about 50 yards off the road, behind three fences and a barn), At one point, I think she even yelled out "watch out for the sun!" But seriously, we did have to hit first gear for no less than cattle, sheep goats, monkeys, baboons, dogs, a donkey, some poor farmer's lost flock of chickens, and what seemed like half the population of small towns along the way. The scenery was rustic, serene, quite beautiful and so very far away from the hustle and bustle of new york.

A little bit of a highlight was driving through the small village of Qunu, the place where Nelson Mandela spent his childhood herding goats and playing in the river as so may Xhosa boys still do. There is a small museum to commenrate their favourite son but outside of that it hasn't changed a bit and life goes on as it has there for hundreds of years. Standing here in the silence and solitude of the rural transkei, it is quite amazing to realize the great the distance of his journey, from goat herder to President of the first free South Africa, from an unknown boy to one of humanities finest examples. It is a true testament to what anyone can acheive when armed with nothing more than a true heart and an unyielding belief in his principles. To be honest, as a South African who was "born on the right side of the tracks," provided with a good education and a comfortable bed in which to sleep with a full belly everynight, it is a very humbling experience to realize how much more can be done yet in life. Perhaps the first of many lessons to be learnt on this trip. Madiba, as he is affectionately known in South Africa once again lives in these rolling hills of his childhood and you can see his house without too much fuss. In Qunu the boys still heard goats and play the same games in the same river, but because of him they know that their hopes and aspirations, along with those of all South Africans, can be attained.

From the organized chaos of Umtata, the capital, to small towns where the national highway slows to a crawl to avoid the hundreds of people doing business along the road, to the serene farmland of small hillside villages, the drive through the Transkei proved to be a good, first taste of people living both on the edge of tomorrow and yesterday.

After dodging people, potholes, and half the farm, and still managing to stay engaged (apparently, it's not fun to play chicken with the animals), we pulled into our first stop--Gonubie, a town on the Gonubie River and the Indian Ocean, near east London. But we hit it again on the way back for 5 days, so we'll save that for later.

Cheers for now

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Photos

our chariot
this is what happens when you borrow a car from a cousin who brands vehicles for a living

Yankees rule!
another result of Phil's job--thank God he's not a Red Sox fan (no offense, Crystal...but even down here at the tip of Africa, people have a nose for quality :))!

Transkei countryside
quick snap from the car window

Transkei countryside
...and another (boredom=photography)

Traffic
a common sight on the road

Rush Hour
hmmmm, lamb chops...

locals...
doing business in the middle of the highway

need a haircut?
Lee actually wanted me to stop and check it out. she has no appreciation for my flowing locks

Comments

[kevin]

your cousin needs to figure out how to paint a Jets logo on the car or i may protest this blog. KL

[Patricia]

Thanks
From a South African living in the UK I really enjoyed reading about your travels for the first time today. I was born in the Transkei but was raised in DBN and never managed to get around to travelling in the Transkei, other than a quick trip via Tanskei to East London in 19980's, (which I might add was a story in itself, and difficult to obtain the necessary papers en route - frightening). Perhaps being raised on the right side of the tracks most of us took the good life for granted. I had always hoped to investigate that part of the world, and the wonderful beaches, however due to the safety issues it has not been possible to find anyone who is willing to accompany on a trip such as this - however I still live in hope. All the best, and travel safely.