Chilling in Chintsa . . .

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I am still at the hostel in Chintsa. It is beautiful here. Set on a hill, overlooking the lagoon and out to the ocean. As soon as we turned off the highway, something about the trees, the hills, the water perfectly captures “The Wild Coast”. My dorm has a porch with a perfect view. I’ve spent time there - reading, knitting (as part of a hostel project to make a blanket for AIDS orphans), chatting or just looking out to sea.

This morning I woke up early, for no apparent reason and sat out on my porch reading a bit. Kevin (a guy from the USA that I met on the bus yesterday who is also staying here) invited me for a morning swim. So off we went. The water was very cold (not painful like in Jeffrey’s Bay, but still cold). But the beach is gorgeous. And at that time, it was nearly deserted. We walked a long way down the beach, picked up shells, explored rock pools and just chatted. I really enjoy Kevin’s company.

Back at the hostel, I made myself another toast breakfast. Then it was back to the porch to read and knit. Kevin came and sat with me while he played his guitar. Some other travelers came by to chat awhile. It is so wonderfully chill and relaxing here.

Then we decided it was time for some more water. Kevin and I got some paddles and hopped in the hostel’s free canoe. It is old, missing a seat, lined with water and sand at the bottom, but we loved her anyway! We paddled across the lagoon, on an adventure to see if it went anywhere. We discovered a small island and that the lagoon appears to be the mouth of a river, because the water continues on around a couple corners. Just how far, we’re not sure. We headed back with sounds of thunder in the distance.

The canoe returned, we crossed the lagoon (there is a beach bar of sand between it and the ocean) and went into the village of Chintsa. It is very small. Some homes and holidays houses. One shop, one liquor store and one restaurant - yet more than I thought there was out here!

Almost as soon as we returned to the hostel, the skies opened on us and we’ve had a pretty steady rain all evening. There’s distant thunder rumbling like a stomach. The very occasional flash of lightning. Again, the view from my porch is lovely. I feel so at peace here, which is nice to feel again after the past week.

Last night, talking with a girl from Germany, I told her of my mugging. She said that the night before when she was staying in Port Elizabeth, 2 girls (sisters traveling together) had been mugged on the street in front of their hostel. They’ve cancelled the trip and are going home. That made me really sad. I completely understand their fear. Going home was a serious thought of comfort to me these past days. But I know that once I got home and I got comfortable, I would only think of the trip I’d missed, not the things that were stolen. I will not allow anything else to be taken from me. I came to see and experience this country. There’s more to see and experience. And I’ve re-started.

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Comments

[swills82]

I’m glad you’ve stuck it out Netter. How incredibly brave you’ve been my friend!