A short flight from Dublin early in the morning and I was in Scotland. No paperwork done or documents checked in either country. I went to Edinburgh mainly to visit Scottish relatives from my father’s side. My grandmother has 6 Scottish cousins and both families in Chile and Scotland are well connected. The common surname is Walbaum. Here's a Walbaum family tree that an American Walbaum descendant has been working on for some time. I stayed with Charlie & Anne Laing (I had also stayed with them the last time I was there in 2006 for X-Mas during a 6 week trip to Europe). They have a dog called “Mosca” ("Fly" in Spanish) that apparently remembered me. Charlie's the youngest of my grandmother's cousins. Right after having arrived in the airport I took a bus to ... read more

Cape Town lived up to the expectations. Everyone kept telling me that I had to go there, that staying there for one week isn't enough and that I would love it. All true. Cape Town's a beautiful, modern and efficient city. And full of things to do. By a recommendation from a tour guide I met in Cape Agulhas, I went to stay in a hostel that's in an area in Cape Town called Green Point. The hostel is the "B.I.G.". It's a boutique hostel and you definitely get your money's worth if you stay there. So far, out of all the backpacker places I've stayed in, in the world, this has got to be my favorite. I heard similar comments from other people staying there and the fact that they have a 98% approval on ... read more

I could see why everyone kept saying "you have to do the Garden Route". It's simply stunning. After my bungy jump experience in Bloukrans Bridge I kept driving west. It was a short drive to my next stop and the first one of the Garden Route: Nature's Valley. The place I stayed in was one of the best I've stayed in so far in SA; "Wild Spirit". It's a big property with a very rustic feel to it. There are a free walks that can be done within the property, they have good food and the owners are excellent hosts; Jenny & Earl, who've had the place since the 70's. At the time there was also a Spanish couple, Alex and María who were very friendly people. As a side note: the owner of the "Wild ... read more

From Shelly Beach I drove to Port Saint Johns, entering "The Wild Coast". I had heard mixed comments about the Wild Coast. Ones saying that it was an amazing place and others that it wasn't really worth going to and that I had to drive through the Transkei, with bad roads full of potholes and loose cattle roaming free everywhere and that I'd get stuck in traffic jams driving through the townships. And that it wasn't very safe. I decided to check it out for myself. And I agree with the first comment I wrote. The Wild Coast is definitely worth going to and staying there for at least a few days. That is if you're into beautiful rugged landscapes, walking through Xhosa villages, surfing, fishing, laying on the beach, disconnecting f... read more

After the three days in Durban I was very excited to go diving in Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks. I had been expecting this for some time now. Both places are among the best dive spots in SA and have a worldwide reputation as well. This area is home to a number of different shark species. The most common ones are the Oceanic Blacktip sharks and the Sand Tiger sharks(raggies), which can be encountered year round. Depending on the time of year, Hammerhead sharks and Tiger sharks can be seen as well. And for the “lucky” divers, they’ll spot a Great White or Zambezi sharks (Bull sharks) from time to time. This ... read more