http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , South Africa , Eastern Cape , Jeffreys Bay en-us Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:02:43 UTC Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:02:43 UTC Today is Jeffrey's Bay. J Bay is known for surfing. I'm booked at a hostel right on the beach complete with a surf school. Last night when I arrived there was a beautiful view of the moonlit beach and ocean waves under the stars to greet me.I sleep horribly at the hostels. I just wake up constantly every hour all night. Apparently I'm a light sleeper after all those months in quiet pitc http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-347740.html So a few weeks from my last entry and i've managed to make it down to the eastern cape to Jefferey's bay some kind of surfing mecca. Down the east coast has been fun if a little tiring St. Lucia in KwaZulu Natal down to durban for a few days on to Coffee Bay surfing outcrop on the wild coast on to quite a boring port elizabeth and here to Jefferey's bay complete with surfing factory out http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-347447.html The weather turned awful today so we didnt have our surfing lessons as planned. We did make a good start in the morning by walking for about 2hours along the never ending beach line.As it was cold and the town is quite frankly awful we hid in our hostel for a while before heading to Cape St Francis. The kite surfers were out so we watched the Dude's do what they do best.We are looking forward to l http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-344107.html We rose early for our adrenalin fix of the trip well my legs were shakingAt 7.30am we embarked on a tree top safari where we zip lined from one tree to another at some stages we were 19m above the forest floor. Dont worry it was safe and eventually I began to enjoy the trip. The best bit was learning about the tree of the ancient forest and how the eco systems works all very eco tourism but v http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-344105.html After saying our tearful emotional goodbyes to the Acacia folk who were splitting up themselves and heading onto Cape Town or Jo'Burg via Botswana and Namibia on the gestapo truck we landed in Jo'Burg via the luxury of British Airways from an airport that resembled nothing more than a small council building with a bit of a road attached that planes used as a runway every so often. We were met my http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-334059.html A NOTE ABOUT MY TRAVELBLOGI know that the dates are all out of sync and I am entering most of my stuff now that we are back but I actually for the life of me can't really remember the dates and whenwhereI was on holiday..forgive mealso I find it much much easier to post my entries on my big PC instead of the tiny laptop and having to resize photos etc.So yeahhere goesJeffreys Bay means surfi http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-293598.html Ok.After spending the day in Knysna walking around the Waterfront and getting lost in the city I took off to Plettenberg Bay.Back when I was in Stellenbosch I met a couple from Plett who owns a backpackers outside of town.So I was very excited to meet up with them again and spend some time on their farm.I get there Thursday night and everyone's in the bar chilling around the fire.Vicki and Ma http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-278958.html So it has been a while since I have written an entry. My apologies I have been keeping active and kind of forgot to write my blogs. It has been about a month since I last updated everyone on my life. Irsquoll start by finishing my fall break. After we left the AIFS group I rode tripped around Africa with four of my friends Emilee Courtney Sarah and Bethany. The first day was Emileersquo http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-275346.html Our second stop was Jeffrey's Bay. This place must be where all good surfer's go when they die. A small town nestled up against the beach in pretty much the middle of nowhere with not much more to offer than an awesome beach a little town designed to service nomad surfers and if the wind blows right and the stars align the perfect wave. We pulled into town and were directed to Island Vibe http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-273399.html This weekend I went to Jeffreys Bay which I guess is one of the top surfing spots in the world. A bunch of us got a ride with the Gaol and we saw rhinos and a ton of baboons along the road on the way there. We stayed at a backpackers place called Island Vibe. It was a really cool place it looked like some surfer hangout right out of a movie. It was right on the beach which was awesome. Th http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-249663.html I've just stayed 4 days in Jeffreys Bay which is basically the surfing capital of south africa I stayed in a hostel called Island Vibe which is right on the beachfront and is the best place to stay. Unfortunately the first night I got there there was a mess up with the booking and they had booked someone else in instead of me so they put me in the adjacent language school accomodation which turne http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-248260.html Classes are now well underway I ended up getting everything that I needed although two of them are independent study so I still don't really feel like I'm in school. Last night I started a Xhosa class which I feel is going to be really challenging. Luckily most of the students from California are also in it so I have plenty of people in Annie's Cove to study with. I'm also taking an intro medi http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-247835.html I just cannot get my head around this Rainbow Nation they call South Africa. It is perhaps the strangest country I have ever visited. In fact it is more like many countries all overlapping and sharing the same geographical space yet interacting very little. Sometimes it feels like Australia sometimes it feels like the US sometimes it feels like Britain and sometimes it feels like well an A http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-224850.html Hi thereSo... life in JBay. Frantic heaps of fun and very very drunken I went for that trial at the Fish Restaurent 3 Fat Fish and got the job. Not bad going considering I'd been there about 4 days. For the next week I was working either a day or a night shift at the restaurent and spending more than I was earning at the Island Vibe backpackers bar. Thats the only problem hanging out with tr http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-217014.html Hello.I've now had a grand total of 2 surfing lessons Yey Sarah and I had our second lesson in Cape Town Muzinberg Bay with Sheldon. We both did lots of standing up Sarah was awesome I can't go in a straight line But thats fine cos I have the next 3 months to practice Then I said my goodbyes to Sarah Sunday night. She got a cab to the airport and I got a coach to J Bay. It was very sad http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-208256.html We arrived at Jeffrey's Bay or JBay as it's affectionately known in the late afternoon. Our accommodation at Dreamland was a beachside studio flat with a gorgeous seaview right on Supertubes. We had been lucky to get a room as we arrived in the middle of the Billabong Pro Surf Championships and our flat was situated right next to the stands and judges at Supertubes. We were only staying that e http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-190821.html Between Safaris on the go travels and city after city I found that South Africa has far exceeded my expectations in every way. The people are lovely and proud educated intensely on their country and ready to share the wealth of knowledge to us ignorant folk. Most Americans I know are unawares of the beauty of such places as this. I'm not speaking of lions and tigers and bears oh my.... I'm spea http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-182374.html I didnrsquot make the 230pm bus to JBay I was originally planning on taking I was enjoying the Knysna waterfront too much so I caught one at 4pm instead which unfortunately meant getting into JBay soon after dark. The owner of the hostel I was going to stay at Jeffreyrsquos Bay Backpackers came to fetch me at the bus stop. The hostel is a very cute little place on the downtown end of http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-160044.html Hi allHow are you Hope you are enjoying the spring is spring on its way now Well it better be because I don't know how I'll be able to handle cold weather when I get back After spending nearly 3 months in the sun.. oooh I don't want to come back yet Can I stay just a little bit longer I love traveling soooo much it's the best thing I have ever done and I will definitely do it again soooo http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-141269.html Wicked laid back place th1e surfing capital of SA JBay for all you cool kids. Billabong factory shops easy life here.Taken up surfing and seem to have taken to it quite well took my first lesson in the surf city. Managed to get up on the board on my first lesson and ride it in to the shore which im pleased withWent Sand boarding to which was cool. Loads of wipe outs and sand EVERYWHERE and I http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-134076.html After two short and painless flights I arrived in Port Elizabeth and was met by Trish Charet and Sammy. Sammy is a delightful 3 year old who ran across the airport and gave me the biggest hug. I thought this was very cool considering the last time I saw him was over two years ago and he couldn't even walk or talk. After getting all my luggage we hit the road for Jeffreys Bay. Jeffreys Bay is a su http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-123944.html The title that means Merry Christmas in the shona language which is what all the guys we work with speak because they're all from Zimbabwe or Zim as they say. We spent Christmas eve just hanging out with a couple of the guys we work with Cleytus and Sheldon and we watched Christmas with the Kranks on sateliete tv lol Sheldon made us mealie pap which is basically this bland sticky stuff.. http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-114173.html Yo dudes surf's up We arrive in Jeffery's bay in the middle of the Billabong Pro surf competition. The competition is fierce on the beach as everyone tries to outcool each other in their designer shades. As you can see I out shined them all to walk away with the coolest backpacker on the beach prize. There were things happening out on the water too Supertubes yes it really is called th http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-82397.html I thought I was going to travel a good section of the Garden Route the coast line heading east of Cape Town. I got to Jeffrey's Bay found a good beach front hostel bought a used board and never left. Well till the doctors told me otherwise...The first day out surfing a pod of dolphins swam directly under me. The next day a Southern Wright whale cruised by not far past the breakers I thought http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-71753.html After the pleasant temperatures of Oudtshoorn and the Karoo winter has set in on the Garden Route. Gardens need water and this one has had plenty in the last few days. Wilderness was effectively a long stretch of unspoiled beach flanked by multi million rand homes overlooking the ocean. The place was deserted and at one point the population of the hostel totalled 4 including ourselves and Scoot http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/South-Africa/Eastern-Cape/Jeffreys-Bay/blog-61712.html