Summer Travels

Happy New Year! I danced into 2009 at a club in Durban to a song that is currently popular in South Africa – “Where’s your head at?” Yea, I know- flashback- they may as well have played “Party like it’s1999.” But welcome to South Africa, where any song you thought had passed its prime still has a future as a remix.

This holiday season was far different from any other I’ve experienced in my 25 years. For one, it took place over summer vacation and summer in Africa is HOT! Needless to say I only dreamt of snowflakes on my nose and eyelashes. Then it was my first Christmas away from home. I missed out on mounds of wrapping paper and presents, Dad’s French toast, Mom’s homebrewed too-strong Starbuck’s and best of all the remains of Santa’s cookies and milk on the fireplace.

In place of a “traditional” holiday season I experienced a phenomenal three week vacation across Mozambique, Swaziland, and South Africa! I travelled over 6000km with 7 other Peace Corps volunteers in 2 air conditioned (!) VW’s. I saw the landscapes of Southern Africa that until now only existed in photo calendars. What did I actually do for three weeks? Well here is my attempt to bring you a taste of my unforgettable trip. (Minus the inside jokes, laughs, and well. . . the good stuff that can’t be conveyed- only experienced)

We began by meeting at LaTosha’s home which is in the Mpumalanga province. Day one- we drove into Kruger Park and saw zebras, impalas, other animals that looked like impalas, massive pink toed birds, and monkeys. . . then we walked onto a covered viewing platform/deck. We broke out the binoculars and saw yellow, purple, and brilliant blue birds building nests. After hearing a gargling noise underneath we crouched down and looked through the deck planks. Our eyes were met by the massive nostrils of a pregnant hippo. I felt and smelled the pungent noise spray as she exhaled!

The next day we planned on travelling to Blyde River Canyon. On our way we passed through Graskop and saw a canyon with people gliding across! We pulled over. Kristy, a fearless free spirit wanted to do the canyon swing and I agreed to go tandem with her ($22-why not?) - without much thought. As we were geared up for the dive I began laughing ridiculously (in a oh my, what am I doing? Way). The man told us to walk backwards to the edge and place our feet on the footprints. I was shrieking by this point and Kristy was pulling me towards the edge. He then said lean back- I didn’t but all it takes is one and in no time I was screaming- free falling backwards facing the sky. Looking up and falling down, down, down 68m! Until a waterfall came into view and then the swing took over! Instead of bouncing like a bungee cord we swung out across the canyon gorge. What a sight!

Next up we travelled to Blyde River Canyon (which I plan to hike in the near future), 3 Rondavels, God’s Window, and the Potholes. All of these are spectacular lookout points along the Drakensburg mountain range. Final stop for our busy day was to the Echo Caves.

Onto Sabie we went. . . misty, rainy Sabie. I soaked in the backpackers hot tub for too many hours, drank too much wine, and played a ridiculous amount of charades. The next day we planned on river rafting but due to the intense rains we couldn’t. So instead we went kloofing (canyoning) which is essentially rafting without the tube. Donning wetsuits and helmets, we traversed down numerous waterfalls, rocks, vines, and one long stream of cascading water. For those three hours I felt alive and powerful beyond recognition- I loved it. Crawling on all fours to maintain balance on the moss, shimming down a tree, floating in swift moving shallow waters, jumping over fallen trees . . . ahh. The trip ended with a dip in the water of the Mac Mac falls and a hike straight up and out of the canyon. Upon reaching the top we had to crawl through a fence that kept those who were viewing the Mac Mac Falls away from danger! So here we are with mud covered wetsuits and helmets crossing the path of hundreds of fully clothed, camera handy visitors. Someone asked if we were scuba diving! HA

Next came Mozambique. Just for the pure story of it we paid men at the border R50 per car to speed up the immigration process. 2 hours later we had our passports stamped and were on our way to Maputo. (Apparently on a busy day paying these men lets you jump the line.) We entered the coastal city after dark and read signs in Portuguese. We had two great drivers who avoided most of the potholes that we had been warned of. After many hours in the car we were looking forward to our air-conditioned backpackers. With great difficulty we eventually found our backpackers . . . which was without electricity.

As a general rule of thumb throughout the trip we found ourselves making U-turns, getting slightly off course, driving through taxi ranks, and best of all finding the sketchiest areas of town. So it was no surprise when the following day we found not only a delicious coffee shop, our next backpackers, the US embassy, the Peace Corps Mozambique headquarters- but also the shanties of Maputo.

Peace Corps Mozambique headquarters put ours to shame- a view of the ocean, a sundeck, and a personal mail room for volunteers with couches and computers. We met a 3 year PCV who was leaving the following day. He told us he was returning to the states for a month and then moving back to teach at a university! Plus he mentioned where to go out, where to eat, and about his favorite parts of the country.

That night we ate at an open air fish market (that the PCV suggested)- lobster, prawn, red snapper, calamari. . . mmm. We chose the food and then a few men prepared it for us right there. As we waited for our meal to be cooked we were bombarded by men selling crafts- bead work, purses (I bought one!), bracelets, hand-painted posters. Those with the posters held them so that only their eyes would peak over the top. Then they circled our table as we ate- I felt like I was in a rotating museum!

From Maputo we traveled some 8 hours up the coast of Mozambique to Tofo Beach. Beauty took over as we saw the rural villages. Unlike South Africans, the people of coastal Mozambique make homes of thatched palms and other organic material. The land was lush. We saw brick huts that appeared to be for baking bread and women hoeing the fields. Along the road we stopped intermittently for men selling fresh cashews. I loved it.

In Tofo we spent a few days being lazy on the beach, hiking sand dunes, spotting crabs, reading, dancing all night at a club, eating more fresh seafood, and swimming in the cool clear waters of Tofo. (You must see the photos on picasa!)

Swaziland was our next stop. We entered the country with just about a quarter of a tank in each car and glided along some 60 plus km with the gas light on and the gauge below zero. There was NO PETROL in Swaziland (3 gas stations in a row-empty). Later I found a map of this, the smallest country in Africa, and it included the locations of gas stations! HA!

In Swaziland we stayed at a game reserve that has an obnoxious amount of ostriches roaming freely. The first night there we decided to splurge ($22) and rent a thatched roof hut- was it ever worth it! Fresh clean white linens, a bath tub, shower, and best of all. . . AIR CONDITIONING! I slept divinely, needless to say. We braiied (BBQed)- Kelly grilled all sorts of meats, Jeff made pap, and I was in charge of vegetables. We went on a private game drive- by private I mean unauthorized game drive where we spotted warthogs, impala, kudu, and what Andrew thought was a lion. . . ok it was a cow with a lion’s tail? When camping the second night I awoke to a lion moaning. One day we drove literally across the country and went to a great little glass blowing factory. . .I came home with beautiful pieces

The final week and a half of the trip led us back to South Africa. Christmas was in St. Lucia where we camped near a sign that said “Beware of hippos at night.” We saw hippos in their natural environment, mongeese swarmed our campsite, as well as monkeys, we ate more fresh seafood, exchanged “white elephant” gifts, drank mimosas for breakfast, and danced the night away at Monkey Bar. (I’m getting tired of typing, can’t you tell? But mom, I’m doing it for you!)

Next Eshowe – a backpackers and brewery- where we met a strange Africaaner whose sole job was to make sure we had a good time (and we did!) I went for a great hike through the forest, saw massive trees and a short canopy walk. I briefly whipped out the Macarena that night with a random group of Zulu men and Africaaner women.

Onto Warner Beach- I vote this place to be the best backpacker in spite of one feisty manager. Blue Sky Mining was on top of a great hill and you could see the Indian Ocean from our campsite. There was a 3rd story rooftop deck from which you could view both the water and Durban. They had decent food, 2 crystal clear pools, and free boogie/surf board rental. While others went to see Twilight in the theatre (they’re obsessed!) Andrew and I rented a boogie board, strolled down the street, over the railroad, past the drunken men, onto a sand dune . . . straight to the Indian Ocean No one was there- amazing! We took out the boogie board to an area of the raging sea that appeared to be without rocks. . . wrong! I was dragged under and spit out time and again over the rocks and knocked over from waves. For the remainder of the overcast day I stood up to my knees. Later I had a delicious fresh mango smoothie and saw the more populated area of the beach where men were fishing with their poles placed in an extremely phallic place (they even had holsters right there)! Upon returning the boogie board we found out that we shouldn’t have been in the water since the shark nets broke earlier in the month. . .

About this time in the trip I began a head cold and cough- the cough remains. . . New Year’s was spent in Durban- we ate delicious Thai food, Cuban cuisine, drank espresso martinis, bargained for Fedoras, covered the length of Florida street. . . and rang in the New Year’s soaked in sweat on the dance floor! It couldn’t have been any better.

Oh and in regards to the vehicles: in addition to putting many kilometers on them we also lost a hubcap, put 2 holes in the windshield, and lost a cd in the player. . . I’m told it began smoking!