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Published: April 20th 2007
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Well... After finding my passport, changing my plane ticket twice and finally getting to S.A. I meet up with my mate, Kima nd Gez who I was suposed to leave with and Mone, a good friend from Edinburgh who is Africaance.
We drive way up north into a semi desertus area to Mones ex-boyfriends game reserve for a weekend of a true Africaance Bush Party.
We arrived at 9am, and the boys handed me a purle bottle of some sort or alcohol. and tell me to chug....... and it goes on and on and on for 3 days... I don't have much of a memory of the experience, it was fun... We drove around on the backs of pick-up trucks, drining black label, searching for girafs and zebrass and boers and Baboons. My "best friend" from the weekend was a 5 year old girl who taught me all the things I needed to know about South Africa..aka what to watch out for, where to stay away from and what do do if I get in trouble.... and shes 5 years old.
We left the farm after the weekend and spent a few days in J'berg.....the whole time I was
paranoid of getting hijacked or mugged. Every time we drove by a black man on the street who was trying to sell you something, I would roll up my window and lock the door.... I felt racist, which I DONT want to be, but you have to play it safe in this country.... I never want to go to J'Berg again....
Kim and Gez and I had a rent-a-car and we drome down to the coast and stoped at a few nature reserves, game farms and beaches,and enjoyed the african sun. We met some street kids who sang us songs, and met HEAPS of surfers trying to catch hte "perfect" wave. Our journey lead us to east london, where the Sustainable farm, Forest Vale, was.
Getting to the farm was exactly what I needed. I was stressed in Edinburgh, and parinoid in SA, and I found myself in a traquil paridice. There were 2 famillies, The owners had 3 kids, Zebidee, Uishka and Ouzian. I loved those Kids. It was such a great experience being with them. No one in the UK I knew have children, and my friends in Canada were the same, so it was great
to be an Uncle figure. I could play all day with Uishka. for a 3 year old, she was very keen. although, when she counted it was "1, 2, 3, 6, 7 ,11, 12, 18, 16!!" in an exteamly loud voice!
We ate beautiful food from the garden. Kim and Gez are beautiful chefs and can work with anything! some nights we would have sweet potaoe, squash, beat root and lentils, and we would still have exquizid meal!
Most of the work was hard labour. Digging holes and swells,, cutting nown non-indiginous trees and grass for thatching. It was heard work ing the 35 degree sun. So I decided to take on my own project. There was a beautiful Mango orchard that was once filled with love. There was an old stair case going down the hill that was overgrown and falling apart, adn bamboo terraces around the trees that were falling apart, So I took it on as my own project and fixed it all up.... I fell in love with it. Some days I would wake up to the sun rise, meditate, east some oats and rasins, and then head to the orchard, smoke a joint,
and just stare into the bamboo forest at hte foot of the hill and listen to the jungle sounds, for hours, with a giant smile on my face... It as great!!
I decided to move on alone when we finished our work... find my own path. So I took a bus to Jefferies Bay "the surf capital of SA" and take it as it comes. I met a beautiful lady there who I spent a few nights with and spent my days smilling with hte waves, reading my 4 books which were on the go, and people watching. I knoticed the separation on the beach between the rich white africans and hte blacks. No one told them to separate, but hey did. I played some soccer with a crew of black dudes.... but Im bollocks compared to them. One day, walking down a random road (which the little girl from my first days here told me not to do) and a old begger came up to me and asked me my name. So I shook his hand and said, Im Stephen, and he help my hand with a FIRM grip and asked my for money to buy bread.... When
I tryed to pull my head away to get him a few Rand, he wouldn't let it go, and screamed "GIVE ME MONEY" so I used my other hand and gave him 20 Rand (which is Alot of money here) and said "Sure Bro, go buy yourself some bread and some Avo or something, take care, enjoy the day, its Lakker (which means it great in Africaance)" With a big smile, I forced my hand out of his, and said Cheers and quickly walked off.... I was a little scared, but he said "Thanks you my brother" and hte rest was Xhosa or something cause I couldn't understand. I think I made his day.
Usally when I tell people Im from Canada, they are more open to me and friendly, but if they think Im Africaance, then they have a weird look in hteir eyes towards me....???
So I met an Aussie dude who drove me to Storms River... I had never heard of it, but he said its great for Hiking, So I spent a few days tenting there, went mountain biking, hiking and all that good stuff. Then I met up with a belgum couple who took
me to a place called Wilderniss, whichwas known for the same. They were stopping at every beach town for a swim, which was nice!! There were some great trails there, and waterfalls to swim in. I met a bunch of Danish people there, who love my random Danish comments and songs! I went caving with those guys too!!
I had been having alot of great conversations with travelers, Africans and Africaance people about the countries polotics and way of life. Its a fucked up country. the more you talk about it, they more you want to help. The help that is given is somewhat corrupt like the govenment, and the way their daily lives are spent is SOOO differnt from Europian and western lifestyles... Usally I like the difference, but not here. There is so much fear and uncertanty of hte near future.
Now I am staying with my beautiful friend Morne in Cape town, she showedme around and we had good quality time together. The seanery in this country is Absolutly amazing. The Africaance are a differnt kind of people that I am not used to, so I try hard to talk and learn from the Africans. But
they usally ask for money, and I cant say no, so the more I talk, they more I give, and I am broke as usual.
So now I am going to a new farm outside of Stellenbosh. I have some mates who live there, and its 30 mins away from Cape Town, so it should be good. They have a maket on Saturdays, and cows to milk, and an organic vineyard, So another adventure awaits!!!
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charlieeeeee
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Come to OZ!!!
Hey man!! Stop running to other countries!! We're on the road in a bus travelling oz at the moment (on tour with the band actually!) Come and meet us somewhere in the middle of nowhere! :) we keep blogs n things at myspace.com/doubleentendremusic peace to you bro! love Charlie