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Published: April 9th 2008
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Welcome
beautiful welcome sign that Viv's granddaughters made for us, and greeted us with at the airport gates as we walked off the plane. ...or in our case, a 20-hour flight. With a little bit of planning, and much anticipation, the trek is finally underway. After a month-long string of farewell drinks and meals, we've moved right into the week-long string of welcome drinks and meals. But as they say, "that which does not kill you, only makes you stronger" (and certainly a little heavier).
Durban, our first port of call, has been amazing. We're staying with my cousin David and his wife Liesel, and Viv, who works for them. Phil, another one of my cousins, who also lives in "Durbs," has made his share of appearances for a few Castle lagers as well. In June, when we leave Southern Africa, David and Liesel will be joining us on our travels through South and Central America. There's much to plan and do before then, but all in all it's safe to say we're a pretty happy bunch right now.
Durban, as a city, is a vibrant mosaic of people nestled up along the Indian Ocean. It looks a little bit like Miami, but feels more like Jamaica, maybe it's the lush tropical greens. It has a really laid back vibe, where flip-flops and
smiles all around are the norm. The city itself has become South Africa's second biggest in terms of business and you can see and feel the opportunity just about everywhere. There is an endless stream of tankers going in and out of the harbor, 2010 construction abounds (for the soccer world cup), and the sidewalks at night are filled with people of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities, eating and drinking away the evenings at any one of the many restaurants and bars that line the city streets and beaches. To be honest, I came to Durbs with a few apprehensions after reading some adviseries on travel websites, but those have quickly melted away. I'm sure crime exists, just like most anywhere else, but you don't feel it walking down the street or going for a run. The only time I've felt any anxiety was when i went for a quick jog and was rudely interrupted buy a cheeky troop of local monkeys. Luckily I can move quite quickly whilst afraid!!!
So, what does one do in Durbs you might ask. Most activities asides from grilling meat and sipping cold beers seem to revolve around the ocean, not surprisingly. Just
about everyone we've met is hooked on some form of ocean activity. The water is warm and the waves are terrific, so aside from surfing you'll also find an abundance of fisherman, scuba divers, spearfishing, surf skiiers, and kite boarders. At the moment, "North Beach" is gearing up for the Quicksilver Pro Surfing contest. Apparently April brings one the worlds best Beachbreak barrels to shores of Durbs and the world's surfing community comes down to take advantage of it. I was planning to begin my surfing career in Durbs but after checking out some of the waves I think I'll begin my boogie boarding career instead. Those who want nothing more from the ocean than a good swim are protected by 28 Km of shark nets, which offer slight peace of mind after reading signs posted on the beach that remind you *only* three of the local species can kill you (great white, tiger, and bull sharks)...someone needs to chat with the local marketing department. On the bright side, the water is crystal clear so at least you'd get few feet head start on the buggers. To be fair, since they put the nets up they've never had an attack
Swimmers beware!
just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...
and you're far more likely to share the waves with one of the local dolphin communities, which seem quite plentiful around here.
We've spent time at a few of the local beaches just North of Durbs (suburbs by our standards). Whether checking out the abundance of sea life in the rock pools at Umhlanga (oom-schlong-ga) beach, looking for dolphins and whales from the deck of the Salt Rock hotel, or just hanging out on the vast streches of virtually empty beaches in between the little towns, it's clear that there is something to suit everyone's pallate.
Last Thursday we had an awesome night out at a restaurant called Burger Bar and met a bunch of David and Liesel's friends -- quite a bunch of characters I must say. One of their mates is an avid spearfisherman, and told us about some local spottings of a great white and a tiger shark. When this was mentioned, I quickly ended my anticipated spearfishing hobby....Lisa got more excited! That tells you all you need to know about the two of us. Tell you what, I wouldn't want to be either one of those two sharks if they get her after a
bad commute.
This past Sunday, we packed up a cooler and went down to the Durban Botanical Gardens to see a band called Prime Circle. The place was packed and we had a great day. It seems to be a bit like the summer series in central park. The setting was great, the beers were cold and the music was....well it was a very nice day.
Asides all this I've spent my time recovering from jet lag by rising early to watch the South African Cricket team punish India where they are touring at the moment. It's been a great way to spend some good time with Viv, and has been a great source of relaxation. If nothing else, it's a wonderful way to pass the time before the weekend rugby fixtures kickoff on friday afternoon, which is a great way to pass the time till Durbs declares it happy hour...yes i know, life in Durbs can be a real drag indeed. I think i'm in heaven!
Anyways, my cousin Phil has been nice enough to let us use his extra car for the next two months. We'll get it on Thursday, and head to Capetown to
visit my family there. It's quite a drive so I think we'll take a few days and see what we find along the way.
This is where I sign off and my editor/fiance signs on to correct my awful spelling and worse grammar. As this is more than I've typed in the last decade, I'd imagine the next few updates will be from Lee whilst my two index fingers recover from pecking, so till then, cheers
Andy
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Clinton
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Durban! Durban!
I think this is where I am destined to live! Fuck Miami! Fuck Charlotte! Fuck New York! Fuck the United States! C*