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Goodbye Africa…I look forward to seeing you again!

Monday, October 2nd, 2006

After nearly 2 months spent in Africa I left with much sadness.  Who knew that in such a short amount of time I would fall in love with the place.  Deep down I knew that Africa would be a special place but had no idea just how special it would be.  I can’t say for sure when I will be back but I certainly hope it’s sooner rather than later.  The people I met, the places I visited and the experiences I had will truly change me forever.  I will say that you haven’t lived until you’ve seen Africa, which is in my opinion the most diverse, beautiful, tough, and exquisite place on earth.  Where else in the world can you meet people who speak 4 or 5 different langues with such fluency?  Where else you can go and get a wave and a smile from every person that you drive past on the road?

For all it’s splendor there is certainly quite a bit of problems in Africa.  The AIDS epidemic and the racial seperation are things that may never quite change.  I met so many volunteers from all over the world who were spending time in Africa working with people to educate and to help with some of these issues.  I commend anyone who volunteers their time for such a worthy cause and place.  However I think that people in Africa are tired of being the world’s charity case.  The people have learned to live and cope with things on their terms and I think there is something to be said for that.  We who live in the western world and who don’t have to deal with some of the issues that they deal with can sit back very easily and point out what is wrong and what needs to be fixed.  I don’t want Africa to be like the western world.  I want if to continue to be the amazing place that it is.  I want the people to continue to hold on to their culture and language.  I want the people to continue to smile and be warm and welcoming.

I’m not quite sure how in only 2 months i felt such an amazing connection to Africa.  It was always such an exotic destination that seemed so far away and so distant.  When I left it felt so close, almost like home.  I’ve been to lots of places so far on my travels but non have affected me like Africa. I will miss it and I am counting the days til I return.

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Coasting Along in South Africa Part 2!

Monday, October 2nd, 2006

So where was I…? Oh, right, I had just finished off in Coffee Bay. Let me continue with the rest of my journey up the coast. From Coffee Bay I headed about 100 Kilometers up the coast to another small town called Port St. Johns. In just a short amount of distance I traveled from the grassy slopes of coffee bay to the lush green semi-tropical forests that covered the hills in Port St. Johns. The guesthouse was situated on the side of a hill and gave a small birds eye view of the beach off in the distance. The gardens surrounding the guesthouse were filled with beautiful flowers and banana plants. The beach was probably about 10 minute walk. I only had two nights in Port St. Johns before I had to continue moving north. I did a nice hike on the first day with a guide from the guesthouse. We walked up through some of the hills into a small game reserve and down to another beach. The game reserve wasn’t very big and the animals that are there are not very visible except for a few monkeys climbing through the trees. We walked down to the beach before heading up and around the point and back to the guesthouse. Later that day I did another hike to a place called the Blow Hole. It’s quite a beautiful sight. We walked up the side of a hill that overlooked the bay. Then we had to traverse down the side of it towards the ocean. We were guided by a cable that was draped over the side and after climbing down that we climbed up a ladder and over to the point that overlooked the blowhole. The blowhole is created by a hole that is in the rocks that makeup the shoreline. When the waves come in they go under the hollowed out rocks and up through the blow hole creating a massive spray of water that shoots up about 20 feet in the air, it’s quite impressive.

Most of my time in Port St. Johns was spent reading and relaxing. It was quite fun going into town as the only way to get in and get back to the guesthouse was to hitchike. There is only one small road from the town to the coast and people have no problem stopping for anyone with their thumb out and taking them in either direction. I’ve never hitchhiked before but found it to be quite fun. You are always warned about how dangerous Africa can be but there is also a very friendly and trusting side to it as well, people do look after one another and being a visitor I felt this very much.

When my two days in Port St. Johns ended i headed north for a mandatory stay over in Durban. Durban is the 2nd largest city in South Africa behind Johannesburg. It is a huge coastal city and home to the largest indian population outside of India. Because South Africa was a major stop on the trade routes alot of people from India ended up settling there and eventually making it home. Durban essentially marks the spot where South Africa turns into a more tropical landscape. Tall coconut palms line the streets and the harbor front where ships line up all day long to come in and drop off their cargo. I would have liked to have stayed a day or two in Durban to explore but it is a big city and with big cities in Africa comes crime and the loss of the ability to do hitchiking and walking around like I could have done in some of the smaller cities I had already been in. The real africa is in the smaller cities and communities where people are warm and friendly and eager to say hello and help you. Although I literally only had about 10 hours in Durban, basically to sleep, it was quite eventful. As I had posted in a journal entry months ago the trials and tribulations of communal living can be quite difficult sometimes. Being in such close proximity to strangers is something you learn to accept and get used to but it’s not always something you enjoy. Sleeping a few feet away from strangers is just a way of life when you are backpacking and on this particular night I got a little more than I bargained for. When I arrived at the guesthouse in Durban I immediately dropped my things and hit the sack. I was exhausted and would have to be up early to head to my next destination, St. Lucia. A few hours into some deep and relaxing sleep i was awakened to the sound of some people talking outside the room and then eventually entering and turning the lights on. I didn’t think much of it and pretty much just tried to roll over and cover my head with my blankets until the noise subsided and I could resume my sleep in peace and quiet. Sadly enough as the following events unfolded that would never happen. I was sleeping on the bottom bunk of a bunkbed that was to the right of the door as you entered the room. There was also a set of bunkbeds to the left of the door, the bottom of which was occupied by an older gentlemen. Two people entered the room and took residence on the top bunk of the bunkbed against the wall that was straight ahead as you entered the room. I’m not going to get graphic or give you details as the only details I can really give is the sounds I heard as I was hiding under my blankets. Do people just have no shame anymore or class? In a community room people just don’t care about doing that in front of complete strangers. Are you kidding me? I was angered beyond belief. The funniest thing off all which did make me laugh a little at the time was that not to long after the couple started doing their thing did a korean guy walk into the room to go to sleep. Where did he choose to sleep you ask? Well right underneath them on the bottom bunk. He gave a quick look at the situation as he entered the room and reacted as if he didn’t care and then proceeded to change and put his Ipod on and go to sleep. Unbelievable. I was quietly laughing on the inside and hoping it would be over soon but apparently I stayed in the same guesthouse as Dirk Diggler. Not until the sun came up did things finnally end. I managed a few small protests as I ripped a couple of loud farts to no avail as I don’t think it really disturbed anyone but it made me feel a little better. I was really tired in the morning and not happy but I knew it would make a good story.

My next stop north of Durban would be St. Lucia. St. Luciais another small coastal town and one of the last on the coast before South Africa gives way to Mozambique. It has one small street that runs right through the middle of town and is lined with shops, restaurants and guesthouses. It is more commercialized than some of th previous coastal towns I had visited in South Africa but it’s mostly because it is the homebase for people visiting one of Africa’s best game parks, Hluhluwe Umfolozi. I can’t begin to explain how to pronounce that but it was voted as one of the best places in South Africa to view animals as it is home to the big 5. The park is also home to one of the biggest rhino populations as well. Along with the game park is the wetlands park that surrounds the town. There is a massive wetland area and river that flowed right along next to town and eventually out and into the ocean. The river is filled with Crocodiles, Hippos and some game that patrol the shoreline. When I arrived I was given the rundown of the area by the folks at the guesthouse and was told that I could only walk in certain areas at night, pretty much like you are told in any place in Africa. However being able to walk out at all is quite a bonus. When asked why I could only walk in certain areas as it looked like a pretty quiet little town I was told that Hippos come up from the river at night an walk into town to feed on some of the grass on the side of the road….oh, right, of course! It’s things like this in parts of Africa that I will never forget. People living in such close proximity to the animals and not even thinking twice about it sometimes. Hippos are quite dangerous and if you’ve had a few drinks at the bar you certainly don’t want to stumble into one on your way back to your guesthouse, well the hippos that live in the water of course. The wetlands area is also home to Elephants, Leopards and lots of other animals. Unlike the game park i previosly mentioned, Hluhluwe Umfolozie which is about 40 kilometers outside of town, the wetlands park is not fenced in which gives the animals freedom to roam wherever. I was told of Leopards occasionally come and visit town at night. I want to live in a place where leopards and hippos roam freely, how cool is that. I mean we had squirrels and racoons that roamed freely in the neighborhood I grew up in but for some reason it’s just not that exciting.
On my second nigt in St. Lucia I did a boat cruise up the river to see some of the Hippos. They are quite a sight to see. They pretty much sit in shallow parts in the river in groups of 10 to 15 all huddled around each other. Hippos, believe it or not, can’t swim. They walk on the bottom of the river to get where they need to go. Some can stay underwater for up to about 3 minutes or so and some even longer. During the day they sleep and are not active. It was sunset during the cruise and that’s when they start to awake. They start to grunt and groan and t sounds like a really loud burp when they making noises. It’s great to see them yawm and show their massive teeth. Hippos are vegetarian and don’t hunt so i’m not quite sure why they have such large teeth. They are only dangerous when they feel like they are threatened, pretty much like any animal. I learned that when a female is pregnant she will go and leave the group just before she has the baby. If the baby is a female she will return to the group right away. However if it is a male she will stay away from the group for 6 months up to a year until the male calf is bigger and can defend himself from the male that controls the group. The dominant male of the group views the new male as a threat and will try to kill him even though it may be his own offspring, quite interesting.

I really enjoyed St. Lucia. Sadly enough it was be my last stop in South Africa before departing from Johannesburg. My next stop would be the Kingdom of Swaziland.

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Coasting Along in South Africa!

Wednesday, September 20th, 2006
Let’s get caught up people…are you ready? Are you? Drum Roll Please…..! So from Cape Town back on the 3rd of September I jumped on the bus and headed north. I ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Wine Tasting in Cape Town!

Saturday, September 2nd, 2006
I’m now in the City of Cape Town in South Africa. Cape Town has the look of the Bay Area in San Francisco with ... [Continue reading this entry]

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I blessed the snow down in Africa?

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006
As I boarded the plane in Hong Kong with my stale and sweaty smelling t-shirt I prayed for cooler weather in Johannesburg. The constant sweating and jock itch were getting on my nerves. I swear this trip should ... [Continue reading this entry]

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