J-Bay

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I didn’t make the 2:30pm bus to J-Bay 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 J-Bay soon after dark. The owner of the hostel I was going to stay at, Jeffrey’s Bay Backpackers, came to fetch me at the bus stop. The hostel is a very cute little place on the downtown end of Jeffrey’s Bay, and they have great facilities - it really feels more like staying in your own house than a hostel. There’s a comfy living room with a satellite t.v., huge kitchen, laundry, and very nice bathrooms with a bathtub! And the owners, Anders and his wife, are super nice.

I dropped off my bags and then wanted to head out to get some food. Jeffrey’s Bay is a surfer destination (this is where the original “perfect wave” is to be found) so I was hoping there would be a bit more of a nightlife here. Anders suggested Wimpy (a fast food joint) for dinner, which is right across the street, but hoping for something with a little more ambiance 😊 he told me about a place for good steaks. I was about to head out and did my regular double-check with that it was safe to do so; he suggested I not go out with my backpack or much money. That was a little sketchy (!) but I figured I was only going 100m anyway so I left my backpack and brought only the cash I’d need in my pocket. As soon as I stepped out I understood why he’d warned me—the streets were completely dark and totally deserted, which is just a big no-no no matter where you are. It was extremely uncomfortable. It was only a block to the place he suggested (which was actually closed) but I was tempted to not even go that far. I ended up getting just some fries from KFC around the corner and heading right back. I was disappointed to have to go home, but was secretly kind of looking forward to watching some BBC! So I got back and hung out in the living room for a while, but I started to get the impression that Anders was going to leave—I had assumed he lived there with his wife. I asked him and he said no, they live somewhere else. Given that I hadn’t seen anyone else in the place I asked him if there were any other guests—no. So I would be completely alone there? Yes. I wanted badly to be o.k. with it but I just wasn’t. I don’t even like being alone in my house in Houston, or Blacksburg, let alone a strange town in a foreign country. Then I remembered that upon arrival Anders said he was putting me in a dorm. room (to myself) rather than the single I had booked so I wouldn’t be on the courtyard (which I’m assuming was less safe) and I was outta there. I felt very badly about it, Anders had been so friendly and he seemed very disappointed to be losing a customer, but I think he understood my feelings.

I got a taxi to a place called Island Vibe, which had actually been highly recommended to me. It’s out at the main surf point in town, on the beach near the township but pretty isolated from everything (i.e. you need a taxi to get into town). And the room was more expensive, but there were plenty of other people there, which is what I needed to feel comfortable. My room looked out onto the ocean, and once again I went to sleep to the sound of waves. On the whole though, I think J-Bay is really a destination for surfing and not much else!

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Comments

[AuntE]

Good Instincts!
I'm glad you used common sense and got out of there! You just can't worry about hurting people's feelings when your safety's at stake.