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Cape Aghulas Backpackers
An awesome spot. Erin and Malan will take good care of you. Would have loved to spend some more time here. After a stunning week in Cape Town, it was time to start winding back up the coast towards Durbs, and ultimately up the North Coast towards Mozambique. Our time in the Cape was shorter than planned so we missed some friends we wanted to see but have high hopes of returning shortly to make amends.
After a tense session of heads or tails (best of 3, best of 5, best of 7 type thing), it was determined that we would head south to the Overberg and the southern tip of Africa, to the little town of Aghulas.
Traveling through the Overberg was a pleasure. The roads were empty and the scenery was, if nothing else, relaxing. It is a region unto it's own and you got a real sense that Father Time doesn't visit the old farmsteads and fishing villages all that often. The land is fertile and the livestock fat, and the only hazard we encountered in the road was a little tortoise, smack in the middle of the road, on his epic journey to the other side. Lee made us stop stop to give it a hand a across the road to the safety of the other
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good place to hang out side. Feeling like a pair of good Samaritans, we continued down the road only to realize that we couldn't be sure if we helped it across or put him back where he started. We probably cost the little guy a half day's walk. Either way, he was out of danger and hopefully, is still merrily plodding along somewhere in the Overberg as you read.
We found a cool place to stay in the little fishing village of Struisbaai (Struis Bay). The town basically consists of a little beach, a quaint litttle harbor, and a bay of aqua blue water, home to hoards of dolphin, a healthy fish population, and a bunch of laid back people who find contentment with the aforementioned.
Cape Aghulas Backpackers, run by a very cool couple, Erin and Malan, was awesome. I'd say our best find yet. We had our own room with a kitchen, bathroom, and large balcony for a great price and the facilities downstairs include an awesome bar area and swimming pool where Stefan, the bartender, was ever-willing to ensure you never went thirsty.
Anyways, we settled in, took a nice walk on another empty, endless beach and went down
to the harbour to watch the fishing boats chug back home for the day. All in all, a pretty peaceful place in the world.
The next day Malan had promised us a boat ride in the bay so off we went, along with the other brave souls staying at the backpacker's. In hindsight, I would imagine on a calm day when the bay is flat and the sun shining, it would be quite an experience...on a calm day maybe!
The first thing I noticed once aboard our little vessel, just big enough to squeeze 8 of us, was that between the harbour we were in and the bay we were headed towards was a set of 4 or 5 breakers, as they call 'em. Basically, we were headed into five consecutive rounds of waves on the verge of breaking. "How do we get through those," I asked. "By holding on tight," was the reply. And thus it began. Don't know if you've ever been airbourne in a boat before, but it's quite a rush to say the least. Racing to get to the next set of waves before they get to you had it's moments too...I couldn't help
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if nothing else, the one thing backpackers seem to have in common, is the enjoyment of making new friends and exchanging travel stories over a few drinks in the evenings but wish for the moment I was back to the relative safety of avoiding potholes and goats on the roads of the Transkei.
...and then finally, we were out into the bay, which in and of itself was no picnic. The sea was rough and while one eye was looking for dolphin, whales, and sharks, the other needed to be looking for swells big enough to heed attention. Regardless, we forged onward, neophyte seafarers with a renewed passion for land. All's well that ends well I suppose, and to be fair it was a really good time, and Malan really knew what he was doing out there, so our safety was never an issue. If you're ever in the area, I would definitely recommend giving it a whirl. We did find some dolphin but it was a little too choppy to see much else, and in a boat that size on a sea that rough I was greatful not to encounter any of those ever-present sharks that they're always telling stories about.
Once back on land, we headed down the road to the southern tip of Africa, and the meeting place of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. We
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doing Springbok Shots befriended two awesome dogs, took the customary pictures, checked off "tip of Africa" from the list, and headed down the coast to the little town of Arniston for a bite to eat and something to calm the remaining after effects of a morning on a rough sea.
Although nothing more than another tiny fishing village, on another stretch of unspoilt coast, it has a real sense of peace to it. Surrounded by the blue ocean and infused with the methodic tranquility of waves crashing on rocks, it begs you to slow down and take notice of your space in time and to just "be" for a little while. If I ever write a book, it will be from here.
cheers for now
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