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Published: September 21st 2007
This morning we left the Draksenburgs behind and headed back to the nearest town to drop Robert off. From here we drove all day to reach Coffee Bay. I was very excited about a Bay that seemed to scream Java to me, but alas it is named Coffee Bay not because there are coffee plantations here (which there are none) but because so many years ago a boat hauling a cargo of coffee beans wrecked near the bay and all the cargo was washed ashore. (Sad face about the coffee! I could have gone for a good cup o' joe right about now!)
We reached Coffee Bay and set up camp at Bomvu Backpackers directly next to a river inlet. The tide was out when we first arrived, but man how that ocean comes up the inlet. I thought we would loose half the campground to the tides!
We ate at the backpackers restaurant as Cassidy was ill and not up to cooking dinner which worked out perfectly as we were able to watch traditional Xhosa dancing. It was a very different sight for us as the girls were dressed in beaded Xhosa skirts and long beaded necklaces but
were topless. The dances were very cool but a little uncomfortable as it is not the norm in western culture.
After the dances we stayed up at the bar for a couple of drinks. Ramona and I started in with some shots- Ramona had vodka but I thought it was time that I tried out some Amarula (a cream liquor made from the Marula fruits of Africa).
In the morning Marnie and I walked the rocky shoreline. I made may way down to the tidal pools to checkout the anemones and crabs and tried to find a starfish... but came up empty handed. At 3 we headed for a Xhosa village tour. Silas is the activities director at the backpackers but lives in the Xhosa village so he took us to his families house and showed us his village.
His family all live on the same plot of land but Silas is in the process of building his own roundawel. We came inside is parents and sisters roundawel to see how they arrange the house. It was one room with two beds and some storage for clothing and food. All the food is cooked outside in the
Green- the colour of choice
The majority of the Roundawels on the way to coffee bay were all green- there must have been one big sale on this shade at the paint store.yard over a fire. There were even chickens under the beds. The animals were allowed to roam where they wanted. For sitting everyone sits on reed woven mats on the ground, not the most comfortable but it works.
From his house we went to the sacred pools where the Sargoma's baptise and heal the people of the community. We had to hike down huge boulders and stone waterways to reach the bottom pool where the baptisms take place. From here to get back to the backpackers we had to climb a near vertical dirt valley side. Once we made it to the top Silas took us to the local Shabeen or tavern. It was another half hour walk to get the tavern.
Once in the tavern Silas took us to the area where the local Xhosa beer is sold called iJumba. It is a beer that is made from fermenting Sorghum. It takes a total of 2 weeks to ferment and "bottle" this beer... I say "bottle" as this beer is package in 1 litre cardboard jugs (like our milk cartons). When you buy this beer you shake the heck out of it until the bottle of the
The shoreline
The rocks at the shore made for great tidal pools carton expands and pushes out. Then you open the beer and everyone drinks from the carton. I will say that the Canadian local brews are much better! The beer tasted kinds of like vinegar and something else... Don and Laurie hit the nail on the head when they said it tasted a little like buttermilk and vinegar. Plus this beer is only 2%!!! Worse than American!
After we tried the iJumba we went to the bar where you can buy proper drinks and enjoyed a cooler or two to wash down the iJumba.
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