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Published: September 21st 2006
the pre-game
thought i was done with dreadlocksMy spring break started off with a little pre-gaming at the ole' flat on Friday night. Nothing brings people together like some home-baked chocolate chip cookies and spiked milk. The climax of the evening was when a few of us girls were working on Liz’s new dreadlocks while she strummed an auxiliary tune to a heated discussion on gay rights. I know you probably won’t believe me when I say that I didn’t get involved, but honestly, I was too entertained a sideline spectator. The real flares were between my roommate from Maryland, Mbali, a Xhosa gal from here in South Africa, a chill guy from Lesotho, and a Zimbabwean who loves Mogabi because “He’s a pimp.” Talk about conflicting worldviews. I did my part to keep the spirit up, declaring how proud I was to witness such an unfolding of democracy within my own living room. Quality.
The next day I awoke in a daze with Adriana banging on my door. I jumped up, finished packing, and rushed out the door.
I must say that if only I had known what I was getting into when I agreed to travel the Garden Route with seven Germans and a
couple crazy Chileans, I would have planned a trip like this much sooner. But I didn’t really know what to expect going into the whole thing. I had only met most of these guys once, and Germans don’t exactly have an air of southern hospitality about them.
We pulled up on the curb at the German house, loaded up the two rental cars, and were just about to hit the road when someone wanted a group picture. Precious. So Jörn did the logical thing and stopped the next car passing by and asked the driver to get out and take a picture. The brilliant thing is that the woman actually did it. I knew the week would be a fun ride.
Our first stop was Hermanus, famous for whale watching. We hopped out of the cars and immediately began debating whether that thing out there in the water was a whale or a rock. That should give you an idea about how exciting these huge creatures are. But as it was my first time to see a whale, I was pretty pumped. And even when the whales were taking it easy, I was happy to jump along the
rocks and enjoy the beautiful view.
After lunch we headed over to Cape Augulhas, the southern-most tip of Africa where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic. Here I must dispel any misguided belief that one can actually see the change in the current or the water color where these two oceans meet. Sorry to disappoint you. And aside from this geographic tidbit, there’s little else to see in Augulhas. So we hung out for a bit imagining ourselves on the map and then we went for coffee.
From there we headed to Swellendam. May I offer a piece of advice? If you’re ever in South Africa, unless you’re really interested in porcelain fairies, don’t go to Swellendam--there's nothing there. When we arrived at the backpacker it was cold and rainy. We ventured out to find some food at about nine o’clock and it was a ghost town. Strangely enough, our host insisted that we couldn’t possibly leave Swellendam without seeing the Fairy Sanctuary, so we gave it a whirl. Basically, a family of believers converted their home into a safe haven for fairies, dragons, and gnomes of all shapes and sizes. The father explained that the fairies just
Mossel Bay
all aboard kept showing up, and asked us if we had experienced their magical presence in the garden. Hmm…interesting.
The drizzle followed us to Mossel Bay. The day had been reserved for relaxing on the beach, but the grey sky and chilling wind would have none of that. We decided to scout out the town looking for something to do. Once again there was little action, although Basti, Stephen and I made the best of it with our pathetic attempt at playing Frisbee. Seriously, I can throw a Frisbee; it was just the wind. We did visit a museum that praised the colonial history of the Portuguese, don’t you know I was thrilled with that.
Our backpacker in Mossel Bay had some character. It was an old train converted into a hostel, parked right on the beach. The tight quarters kept us out until we absolutely had to go to bed. A few of us ventured to a nearby bar where we played some pool and chatted. When I finally crawled into bed, I was lulled to sleep by the sound of waves.
Over breakfast I had a nice chat with the kitchen staff about the price of
Knysna
that's me! bread in the United States. I think they found my poor attempt at Xhosa thoroughly entertaining. But we couldn’t hang out all day, so we hit the road again.
We ran into Kaaiman’s Pass and the traffic was at a standstill due to construction on the collapsing bridge. This was a perfect time for a smoke break for my dear German friends (except for Stephen) who are faithful supporters of this fading pastime. Once we were out of the cars, Adriana turned up the music and the party got started. One thing led to another and before long Diego was juggling oranges while the others played hacky sack. We were a regular circus act.
The rain eased up long enough for us to stop for some hang-gliding on the beach in Knysna. Christina, Adriana and I all three got off the ground. It was quite an adventure, as the cold air rushed in and around me, lifting me over the sandy coast and around the mountains. It was amazing to fly with the birds and see the beauty of the landscape from their perspective.
With our feet back on the ground, we made our way to Plettenberg
Bay. The backpacker was on the up-scale with a decent kitchen and showers with hot water. Yeesss hot water! The next morning we woke up bright and early and headed for the Monkey Sanctuary. I don’t know, but every time I see a monkey, I get the feeling that we’re related—there’s just too much going on in those heads of theirs. They look at you and you just know that they know that they’re just as good as you, except they’re having a hell of a time hanging out and playing all day. I mean, they clearly have the better deal on the evolutionary spectrum. If we hadn’t gone and lost our tails then maybe we would be a little more light-hearted. I blame it on math. (Just kidding Len!)
Our next stop was the world’s highest bungee jump—216 meters. Jörn, Daniel, Adriana, and Diego all got psyched up for it watching others jump from a cliff-side café. We had to wait a while and I could feel their anxiety and excitement as the time came to register. They signed the liability forms with nerves of steel and got geared up. We wished them luck as they headed down
the bridge
that's what 216 meters looks like the path toward the bridge. One by one they all took the leap with style, and I was thoroughly impressed. Actually, I was more than impressed—I was inspired. After hearing their accounts of the experience, I’m convinced. I’ve got to do it before I go…
That night we parked it at a Backpacker just outside of Tsitsikamma National Park. There was a big soccer game that Basti, Stephen and Christina just had to see, and they were pretty depressed when their team lost. I hung out by the fire talking with travelers and listening to guitar. I even strummed a bit myself. Jörn and I ended the night with a wild game of checkers. I hate to admit that he fell asleep in the middle of the game and still managed to beat me. Where’s my strategy?
The visit at Tsitsikamma was exhilarating. The venture back into nature pumped life into the sleepy crevices of my brain, and the hike up the mountainside was a highlight of the week for me. The park is a lively nature reserve along the rocky coast of the Eastern Cape. The crashing waves and towering mountains remind me of the constant movement
and strength of nature. As I hiked the steep trail, the habitat accepted me graciously and inspired reflection upon my place within this grander scheme. Panting and sweating, Stephen and I were the first to get a glimpse of the ocean from the heights of the mountain. I stood on the lookout feeling more alive and more at home than I had in so long. There’s something powerful about retuning to the earth, away from tourist attractions, combustion engines and caffeine—although the nicotine did make it to the top.
We drove from one paradise to the next, as we landed at Jefferys Bay by late afternoon. The town isn’t much, just a couple outlet stores and restaurants, but the beach is the main attraction. J-Bay bestowed on us the first warm weather and sun, which filled the entire group with playful energy. We quickly headed down to the sand to enjoy the setting sun. For a while we sat gazing and joking, which soon escalated into complete nonsense—my personal favorite. Daniel and Stephen let their creativity flow with their sand-art of Homer Simpson and his bottle of beer. Then I somehow managed to get caught up in a Judo
match between Sonja and Daniel, which Basti broke up quickly enough. As the light faded and our stomachs began to growl, we shook the sand from our hair and headed to the kitchen to prepare a family meal.
J-Bay was the turning point of the trip. Each of us had renewed energy and excitement and we were finally beginning to throw off our security blankets. The games, food and drink brought with it a sense of community and we spoke and laughed freely about ourselves and one another. Some conversations were personal, others light. But with everyone in the group I had the sense of acceptance. The night ended late as we sat under the stars hypnotized by the moon’s glassy reflection on the water, each of us free to retreat within, to relive the day or to just be still.
You know, it’s not easy living like a rock star. The next morning I woke up late and without even lifting a finger I peered out the glass doors onto rolling waves speckled with surf boards. When I finally slipped out of the covers to brush my teeth someone pointed out a family of dolphins traveling by.
Then I walked to the kitchen to find eggs and toast calling my name. Yeah, it’s a tough life.
While the others shopped I walked the beach for a few hours, letting my thoughts carry me along and the sand slow me down…
After some hard-core grocery shopping we headed northeast of Port Elizabeth to The Aardvark Backpacker just outside of Ado Elephant National Park. More of the same with some variations—this time stir fry, more quality conversation, another late night.
The following morning we awoke bright and early to get a glimpse of some animals before their afternoon naptime. We arrived at the national park just on time for our guided safari, although it was more like a park tour. As soon as we drove through the gates we were greeted by a solitary male elephant. These prehistoric giants are calm and collected, bothered by little and content to walk the fields without much fuss. Throughout the morning we encountered zebras, kudu, warthogs, tortoises, and monkeys among others. Of course the monkeys had my heart, but I was thoroughly amused by the little yellow mongoose who scurried across the road behind us and off into the
bush—maybe he was late for an appointment, or had to rush back home, having forgotten his briefcase.
After wandering around the park until early afternoon we headed back to the Aardvark to lounge around a little more. Staying at the Aardvark was like being at home, only better because it was a holiday getaway. The house itself was a quite a change from the usual rough backpacker feeling; it was spacious, well-decorated, and we even got fresh towels! Out the back is a patio and a braai (barbeque) pit, a perfect setup for merrymaking. This haven is situated in the rural Eastern Cape, which is true country compared to the Western Cape’s bustling tourist towns and attractions. The roads are dirt, the grass grows tall, and the crickets offer their beautiful melody to the bright stars. I felt like I was back home in Kingston Springs Tennessee.
As we were the only guests in the house, we decided to end our spring break with a braai and some family quality time. So we ventured to the local market to buy the necessary ingredients. While the others finished their shopping I wandered outside to take in the scene. A
towering utility truck jolted to a halt and dozens of men poured out at the stop that ends the laborious hours of their workday. I peered down the dirt road that cut through two fields. What a beautiful place. What beautiful people. I saw a different side of South Africa standing outside that market, and it sparked a love for this place that I hadn’t before felt…
We couldn’t even fit all our groceries in the fridge. Needless to say, we had a proper feast and some merrymaking indeed. The dark night absorbed our stories, our laughter, our confessed struggles. In the early morning hours we silent star-gazers finally crawled into bed.
During the journey home, I spilled my thoughts to the passing mountains, plains, and beaches. It was week of sights and meals and rest. Mostly I loved the people.
Time to get back to work, or something like that.
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Gihani
non-member comment
Your monkey looks grumpy
Great journal Sarah!