2004 Time Capsule: Backpacking South Africa | TLGA

South Africa Travelogue

Johannesburg and Diamond Diggers

Arrived in Johannesburg from Victoria Falls and were picked up by the driver for Diamond Diggers Backpackers, where we would make a home for more days during our stay in South Africa than we imagined. The driver was a bit strung out, it seemed, so it made for an interesting ride. Checked in and had dinner at a Portuguese restaurant just down the road. All the talk about crime in Jo’Burg makes it a little freaky even just walking down the block.

Got buzzed in and out of the restaurant, which also had an armed security guard out front. A little redundant, but maybe not too much here.

Watched the movie Dodgeball with two others at the hostel and had an easy night. Every house is equipped with razor wire or electric fences. Makes it seem like the white people are prisoners here. Fear of the black man. A la Michael Moore. Whites only make up 5% of the population in South Africa.

Next day, Rob went to the Apartheid Museum with two English girls staying at the hostel, and Corey went for a haircut, again needing to be buzzed in.

The Apartheid Museum was an excellent account of history and provided us with a much better understanding of the struggles here and the way people are here and why they are that way. Ordered pizza and went out with some folks in the diamond class.

Evan, the owner of the backpackers, is a diamond dealer who had some bad luck and now owns the backpackers and runs diamond classes there.

Back to D.D. and up late with the crew, including Evan. Took a $100 flight to Cape Town, and Evan drove us to the airport at no charge.

Cape Town

Got a room at Cape Town Backpackers and met our new roommates, Vicky and Sarah. Out with them to play pool on Long Street. Long Street would be like 1st Ave in Minneapolis. It’s the main place to go in Cape Town. It had a French Quarter feel to it because most of the bars had balconies for partiers to hang out on. From the balcony, we got to watch a ton of cops stopping cars on Long Street and patting people down and searching their cars. It was like watching Cops live.

Next day hiked Lion’s Head with Sarah. Lion’s Head is a rock formation overlooking the city that provides some climbing but mostly just a good hike for a few hours. It was very rainy, windy, and cold, but still nice to get out and hike.

Went out to Stones on Long Street and played more pool with Vicky, Sarah, and Yvonne, another girl from our place. Rob, Corey, and Sarah rented a car and drove to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point for some more good hiking and amazing viewpoints. Stopped off at Boulders Beach along the way to see the penguins in action.

Got back and picked up Vicky and Yvonne after their ascent of Table Mountain and headed to Bloubergstrand, a beach with views of the city and Table Mountain. Had some drinks on the beach, watched the kite surfers, and got excellent sunset photos.

Next day Corey and Rob had a great hike/climb up Table Mountain overlooking the city and Cape Town. Took the India Trail up, the route that goes right under the gondola or pretty much straight up. Got lost and had to do some tough climbing for a couple of hours. Spent some of this time discussing whether to rent a car or take the bus around the coast for the coming weeks. No clear-cut decision.

The climbing was nice consolation to getting lost, really. Finally found our way near the top. Just when we thought we’d have to turn back and find another route, we spotted some people traversing on a path just above our current rock face and below the huge menacing one before the top. Two of these people were Sophie and Pipa from England. Talked with them on the way up and all decided to share a car for the drive around the coast, as they were having the same thoughts as us about car or bus.

Had a good seafood dinner at the Ocean Basket at the waterfront with the girls. Next day laundry, organization, and then to the beach near Cape Town with Toni and Tom, a couple from England/Ireland. Quite windy, but relaxing save for the Rikki ride down and up from the beach.

Out to a bar called Jo’Burgs and a couple others for our last night out in Cape Town. Picked up the girls in our beautiful new Toyota Corolla and headed down the coast to Hermanus Backpackers.

Hermanus and Gansbaai

Stopped off at an excellent winery along the way where we tasted some very expensive wine and then snuck out the back before discussion of how there’s no way we could afford this wine could begin.

Hung around the pool and then out to Zebra’s for dinner and drinks. Up late and off to kayak with the whales in the Hermanus Bay Whale Sanctuary.

Saw many whales from a distance that seemed quite close from a kayak.

Had a great steak dinner from the braai (South African BBQ) and “proper” cocktails made by the Brit birds. Corey made it out to town to see a live band with a German couple, but Rob and the girls needed to be up early for a date with Jaws.

Next day up early and off for Gansbaai and cage swimming/diving with the great whites. Many great whites patrol the waters near Dyer Island, also known as Seal Island for the thousands of seals that inhabit it. The gap of water near here is called Shark Alley, where we anchor and wait for Jaws. The first one arrives, and I have to say I spotted it before the crew. It was damn close to the boat too, which got the adrenaline going a little more.

Took turns in the cage, each group of four getting a couple of turns down in the water. The sharks would come brush right up against the cage while we’re down there, and from the boat you could see them jumping up after the bait. The sharks are never actually allowed to get the bait, as if this keeps them from equating humans with feeding time. Very intense to see them up close and personal.

Wilderness, Buffalo Bay, and Storms River

Met Corey back at the hostel and off for Wilderness via Thai dinner at Mossel Bay. Wilderness was mellow backpackers, just hanging around the fire pit talking. One of the girls found a snake in our dorm hall, first thought to be a very poisonous variety but turned out not to be so.

Drove to Buffalo Bay and checked in to Wildside Backpackers right on the beach. When I say that, I mean you walk out every door and onto the sand. Weather not great, so we drove into Knysna for oysters and beers, then partied back at the hostel and stayed up for NFL PrimeTime for our first taste of American sports in quite some time. (Corey didn’t make it to the 1:30 showtime.)

Morning did some horseback riding along the beach for a couple of hours and then back for a nice day on the beach, boogie boarding, and just laying around on the beautiful sand. Made a sausage, kraut, and corn-on-the-cob dinner and hung around the fire. This was a nice reminder of BBQ’ing at home.

Sometime in the night Pipa asked if she could shave Rob’s head, as a haircut had been discussed. It was decided to do it, but only if it was into a mohawk. Nice work on the do, Pipa. Still have it.

When leaving, Corey got his money belt from the safe and found $150 U.S. missing from it. Luckily, Garth the owner repaid Corey in rand, the South African dollar.

Left Buffalo Bay for Storms River Tube and Axe Backpackers. Stopped off at the world’s highest bungee jump on the way. Oh my god. Unbelievable to watch this and to imagine the jump.

Hung out at the backpackers and played quarters, or coinage as they call it here. This was the bartender’s idea, and he joined us and a group from Ireland in the festivities. The Irish faded early on us, but the rest of us carried on and the five of us managed to annoy the entire place. Nice work.

Morning Rob and Corey went and did the world’s highest bungee jump at 216 meters. The girls went and did some tree fort exploring or some such thing. Enough said about that decision. The bungee was intense. A 216-meter-high bridge, with a free fall of about 190 of those meters. The walk to the jump point was scary enough. It’s over see-through grates that flex when you walk on them. Some people pay just to do the bridge walk.

Rob’s new haircut made him extremely aerodynamic, which must have pushed his speed well beyond Corey’s, even with his weight advantage. Wicked, shocking, all kinds of crazy feeling on the freefall, which is enough time to think about all that could go wrong but didn’t. After the first bounce then it is very peaceful and quite an amazing feeling. The buzz lasted a couple of hours. It was Miller Time!

Hiked around the Storms River Park to wind down a bit, then picked up the girls and headed for Jeffery’s Bay. Checked in to Island Vibe Backpackers and took it very easy.

Jeffery’s Bay

Next morning surf lessons from Andrew at Jeffery’s Bay Surf School. Great instruction, and all of us managed to get up on the board, for varying intervals. Hung out with the girls and Matt and Kelly from Philly.

Went out to a Mexican restaurant for dinner where we introduced Sophie and Pipa to margaritas. Out to a local bar and then talked the bartender into giving us a ride to Island Vibe right in the middle of his shift. Great people here. Partied late night again. I think another pattern is developing.

Surfed all day and actually starting to get the hang of it. Probably look like idiots, but should be pros by the time we reach Australia for the Special Olympics. Off for Port Elizabeth and dropping the girls off for their bus ride to Jo’Burg. Had an absolute blast with them.

Coffee Bay

Stayed the night at Lungile Backpackers and rested up. Drove to Coffee Bay and almost ran out of gas along the 60KM backroad it takes to get to the Coffee Shack. Great remote spot on the bay where we began the daily ritual of surfing and other adventure, hanging around for dinner and then “killer pool,” which we were first introduced to in the Greek Islands. Now here. Crazy how a game travels through the backpackers world.

Went to a “Becoming a Man” or a “Coming out of the Bush” (for lack of a better name) party in the local village. Basically it was Corey, Rob, a Dutch couple, and hundreds from the village and surrounding villages celebrating the day that one of their own had reached manhood. He had just spent three months in the bush on his own, following his circumcision, and now they celebrate with food, dance, and song.

Very cool experience, joining in the prayer sessions, which was much like chanting and just expressing themselves at will. They all sang and danced and played games amongst the villages, such as the women hitting each other with broom-like whips. We joined in a bit but mostly just watched the ceremony and the true rituals being performed, not staged for the tourists.

Had a late day surf and then realized Matt and Kelly had caught up with us again. Trouble.

Final big night at Coffee Shack, and this is the perfect night for it as it is the “Fruit Party” night. Everyone dresses up like the fruit of their choice and drinks a “WOP”-like mix. Rob dyed the mohawk green for his pineapple costume and also managed to win the killer pool game somehow. Great time had for entire time here.

Drakensberg and Back to Johannesburg

Escaped the Coffee Shack to the Drakensberg Mountains, but not before having to put leaded gas in our unleaded-only car just to get us back to the main road. Dropped Matt and Kelly at the truck stop and then a romantic sunset drive to the Sani Lodge for Corey and me.

Decided to forgo the hiking and head straight to Jo’Burg in the morning to sort out our India travels. Out that night to Melville, an area of Jo’Burg much like Uptown in Minneapolis or Capitol Hill in Seattle. I know these are very different, but you get my drift.

Shopping at Eastgate the next day, finally bought an India guidebook and realized that we need to apply in advance for our Indian visas. Whoops!

Kept the car and headed out for the weekend after one more night of fun at the Diamond Diggers. Hung out with a crew of Irish and made good use of the hot tub in the bar. Everyone was thrown in or jumped in. Every bar should have a hot tub.

Sun City and Pretoria

Drove to Sun City and checked it out before checking in to a backpackers in the middle of nowhere (can’t afford to stay in Sun City). A bit of trouble finding it and not a lot of fun driving around desolate Africa in the dark.

Drove back to Sun City in the morning where we took on the Gary Player Country Club. Great course for $50 U.S. Played about as good as could be expected for two “golfers” that haven’t played in quite some time. A bit rusty, I guess. Off to Pretoria and the 1322 Backpackers for a night and then up early Monday AM to take care of visa business.

Had to go to South African Airlines, Jet Airways, and the Indian Consulate in Jo’Burg before all of our plan changes were complete. Visa will be ready in five days, so keep the car and figure out a four-day adventure. Drove to Nelspruit and stayed at the Funky Monkey Backpackers.

Panorama Route and Kruger

Hooked up with Ruppert here, who we had run into earlier in our travels. He joined us for the next couple of days that involved a drive to Graskop and some viewpoints and hiking along Blyde River Canyon, the world’s third largest canyon behind Fish River and yes, the Grand Canyon is the biggest.

The viewpoints were good (God’s Window and others), but the Three Rondavels was the highlight of these. Stayed the night at Panorama Rest Camp in Graskop where our cabin was right up to the edge of the canyon.

This provided an amazing view of the red moon rising. Drove up to Bourke’s Luck Potholes and did a day hike to a great waterfall. Lunch there and a hike back followed by a drive to Gecko’s Backpackers near Kruger.

To bed early for next day’s game drive in Kruger. Game drive in the Corolla was excellent and only cost us each $5. This is the way to do a safari if you can handle the inferiority complex it gives you. Lots more bird watching and much big game, but still shut out on the rhino front. Back to Nelspruit for the night and up late with the owners and crew. Rob managed to go 9-1 in pool, guess this is my game… not golf.

Final Night in Africa

Friday back to Jo’Burg to sort visas and final plans for India.

Spent our last night in Africa holed up at the D.D. Backpackers online preparing. Flight to Bombay in the morning was very long, accentuated by the terrible movies. Don’t ever see Stepford Wives… second one at least was from Bollywood! India awaits!