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One night, shortly after I arrived in South Africa, I grabbed my iPod and sat out on the lawn in Annie's Cove and looked up at the stars while listening to Paul Simon's Graceland. I know it sounds silly, but that album is part of the soundtrack of my childhood, and I had the urge to listen to it while trying to experience the stars in the southern hemisphere. Unfortunately, Port Elizabeth is just like any other large city around the world, with millions of lights (except during the daily power outages) and lots of smog. Needless to say, I couldn't see many more stars than one could see in Davis on a clear night. After a while I went back inside and didn't give it another thought, until this last Friday.
Last weekend was a four day weekend, which of course meant that a few of us rented a car and went on a road trip. We drove east along the Wild Coast to a rural area about an hour off the main highway, called Coffee Bay. I had heard people raving about the beauty of the Wild Coast, and was warned that a few days in Coffee Bay
wouldn't be enough, but where else were we going to go for just a few days? As soon as we turned off the N2 and headed towards the coast, we came across little Xhosa villages made of round mud huts with conical thatched roofs. Along the road were people selling fruits and veggies, children just hanging out, watching people pass by, cows, goats, sheep, and donkeys roaming freely, and the occasional abandoned wheelbarrow. We had been warned that the road out to the bay was really rough, but it was actually surprisingly well maintained, the only real hazards were the herds of animals crossing without notice of the cars flying at them. When we arrived in Coffee Bay, it was unlike anything I had expected. It was really just a sprinkling of small villages along the beach connected by a bumpy dirt road. We were greeted by a few children who knew just enough English to ask for money or sweets, but learned quickly that the community had set up many different ways in which travelers could contribute, other than through sugar and money.
The backpacker that we stayed in, called The Coffee Shack, was the nicest backpacker I've stayed
in so far. It shows up my previous favorite, Island Vibe in J-Bay, by far. Like Island Vibe, The Coffee Shack is right on the beach, but the atmosphere, the activities, and the occasional donkey wandering through the outdoor bar made it near perfect. The walls in the hallway were full of notices about ways in which we could support the locals by buying their jewelry and seafood, hiring them to lead us on a hike, etc, as well as ways to protect ourselves from getting scammed. Their was also a booth out in the back were there were crafts made by the local children.
On Friday we took a six mile hike, led by a local guy, to a place called Hole in the Wall, named after a large rock out in the water with a tunnel through the middle. The hike was a little strenuous (I did most of it barefoot, since all I had brought for the weekend were flip flops), but the views along the way were well worth it. We walked over the hills through pastures and past small settlements, collecting neighborhood dogs as we went. The whole way we were following the coastline, enjoying
the fresh air and keeping our eyes open for dolphins and whales. When we reached Hole in the Wall, we ate lunch, lounged on the rocky beach, and watched about fifteen people learn that a 4x4 isn't necessarily capable of navigating steep grassy inclines. I still wonder how it worked out for them, and what they were trying to do in the first place.
In the evening we were invited for a traditional dinner in the village. The house that dinner was held in was off the road, so we were met by one of the men of the village who showed us the way through a pasture to the hut. When I stepped inside the hut the light from an oil lamp flickered across the faces of about ten children staring at us. The floors, made of compressed cow dung, gave off a faint smell, but it wasn't an unpleasant smell. Mats had been placed on the floor for the women, and chairs were set up along the wall for the men. When we were all seated, the man who had brought us to the hut poured beer made of fermented maze from a bucket into four yogurt containers
and passed them around to us. He explained that the women make the beer, but once it is made, it belongs to the men. It didn't taste anything like the beer we are used to. It was milky in consistency and color, and had the faint taste of corn. Once we had all enjoyed some beer, the women started singing and dancing. A few of the young boys accompanied them on drums, while the other children joined in with the singing. It was so beautiful it nearly brought tears to my eyes. The singing was followed by dinner served out of huge three legged pots used for cooking over a fire. We were served samp and beans, a staple of the Xhosa diet, which is sugar beans, maze and spices, cooked vegetables, and a porridge also made of maze. The food was great, no cow intestines this time, and we washed it all down with more Xhosa beer. When dinner was over, the man who had arranged everything acted as the translator so that we could ask questions of them, and they of us. One of the women asked if we were married, and when finding that none of us
were, wanted to know why we were not home taking care of our parents. They told us that most women in their culture get married around 16, and that the base price for a bride is 5 cows. It was so interesting getting to talk with them, the question and answer period wasn't something I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it. When we were all done talking we all got up and sang and danced together. We took turns going into the middle and dancing, either trying to imitate their dance style, or doing our own thing. One of the women handed her baby off to me, so I danced with him until I was too hot and sweaty to dance anymore. At the end of the evening, we thanked them for welcoming us into their village, and said goodbye. When I stepped out of the hot sticky hut into the cool crisp night, I got my first experience of a starry African sky. While we were inside singing, dancing and eating, the sun had set and the most brilliant stars had come out. There were millions of them twinkling in the dark sky, and this time tears did
A Poison Tree and a Horrible Tasting Aloe
The tree in the background is so poisonous the sap can blind a person if it gets in their eyes. The Aloe in the front is used by nursing mothers to ween their children. Apparently is tastes so bitter that they smear it on their nipples before breastfeeding. come to my eyes. We all walked back through the pasture to the road in silence. It was by far the best experience I have had yet, and think it will be a hard one to beat.
P.S. If anyone feels so inclined, I'd love to get some snail mail in the form of letters or cards to hang on my wall....hint hint. My address is:
3A Annie's Cove
Ivana Drive
Summerstrand
Port Elizabeth 6001
South Africa
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Mel
non-member comment
Beats Chevys by a freakin' landslide. I am so happy for all the experiences you're having. It sounds absolutely wonderful. :)