Stellebosch, Nov 15th and 16th

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Stellenbosch is Wine country, student town and party place, all put together.

Took BazBus (backpackers use this bus frequently), booked myself right upto Port Elizabeth, its a hop-on, hop-off service, so all transport issues on Garden Route solved.

On the bus itself, met an Australian guy who has been travelling for 5 months through Uganda/Kenya/Tanzania/Malawi/Zimbawe. That's the classic overland route favoured by many travellers I have met. Also met a Dutch girl who is working in the townships in Cape Town, helping children and traveling in her free time.

Stellenbosch is one of the oldest wine producing parts of South Africa, took a tour to four wine estates, must have tasted 25+ wines (and lots of cheese). Saw the wine making process, hadn't realized it is such an involved process. No wonder the final product tastes so good 😊 Tried Pinotage, which is the red wine unique to South Africa, liked it (even though am not a red wine person)

I am staying in a dorm at the Stumble Inn, one of the best backpackers joints in Stellenbosch. Its a really cool place, the folks who run it (George, Sharon, Tina, Josh) are really helpful and fun to hang out with. Not to forget Gabriel who drove us around on the wine tour (he is a saxophonist in his free time 😊

Stumble Inn was a complete party for the two nights I stayed there, we used to start partying at 5pm and continued till 11ish. I got invited to be honorary bartender as well and I think I did an ok job (thanks to IIML experience 😊

Backpackers generally is a melting pot of travellers from different countries, different walks/stages of life. So there was the dutch girl traveling for 8 months and not sure where she was going next, a really cool German dude who hated anything French 😊, a spanish couple taking a really short vacation, a German couple expecting their first child in 4 months, a British woman who is a partner at a London lawfirm negotiating a deal on a conference call and her doctor friend waiting patiently for her to finish 😊... Its endless, as many people, as many stories... Listened, absorbed, learnt... And advised (bad habits die hard 😞

And partied (man the tequila was really good, no hangover 😊 woke up to watching babes in the pool (sorry folks, no pics of that 😊

Stumble Inn folks - it was really fun hanging out with you guys 😊 Now off to Hermanus

PS: There should be a backpacking system in India as well. Worth thinking about it

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