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| The Transkei |
| The Great Kei River runs from the south Drakensberg out to the coast near East London, at the bottom of what is called the "Wild Coast". Although the term "Transkei" refers to the inland and coastal region as well, it is common to hear the words "Transkei" and "WIld Coast" used in the same context. However you define it, things change quite a lot when you travel east of Port Elizabeth and East London and into this region. The road climbs higher and the terrain becomes more extreme and.. well, pretty "wild". The other thing that happens is that white South Africa quickly gives way to predominantly black rural villages and towns, and suddenly round pointed huts and homes made of dung, mud, and thatch are everywhere. |
| For me, it felt like the start of the Africa I had hoped to find, and although the Transkei still has it's problems with poverty and racial strife it presented to me a warm welcoming hand and increasingly gorgeous and "wild" natural environment. And Nelson Mandela comes from this region - his house is still right by the main road south of Umtata and near the town of Qunu where he lived as a child. It doesn't look like much, but this is his house (or one of them) on the left. As we stopped for a few pictures a truck came out of the driveway and a man waved his arms in a way which seemed to mean we shouldn't be photographing, but neither he or the man inside the truck appeared to be Mandela himself. He was apparently overseas somewhere. |
| It was a long ride out to Umtatata from Port Elizabeth, but after crossing the Great Fish River the scenery had changed a lot and I enjoyed the ride immensely. People on the bus were shouting over which video to watch next, and all I could think was "hey, how about the movie out your window!" I guess if you've been here a few times before (or if you're incredibly shallow) it's not such a big deal. Near Umtata we stopped at one of the many "Shell Ultra City" locations, which is a petrol station surrounded by shops and take-away food, and frequently serves as a drop-off point for travellers. I stocked up on supplies, then caught a ride out to Coffee Bay on the coast, and got some people to take me over the extremely bad road to "Hole in the Wall", which is down the coast another 10km or so. I stayed one night in the hostel there, which is part of a larger resort. They have attempted to build the resort in the local style, so it blends in fairly well, and the location is excellent. |
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| The big surprise at Hole in the Wall Backpackers was that I was the only person staying there, which made it kind of lonely that evening. However, it also meant that I could wake up in the morning and more or less have the place to myself. So then I went for a long walk. |
| This is how the place got its name. There's not a lot I can say about it that you can't see for yourself - it's a big rock that has been erroded by the elements and happens to have a hole through it. The coastline around here is pretty dramatic. |
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| In the afternoon I met a group of people climbing around the hills who were staying at Coffee Bay, and I got a lift back there with them. It is popular to stop on the hilltop overlooking Coffee Bay on the way there. You can climb up here any time you like, and it's a view which is lasts a long time. |
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| Coffe Bay is more than a backpacker hostel. It's been a town long before, although the hostels (two of them) both make an effort to inter-relate with the local community. You can see here the Coffee Bay School at the end of classes. |
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| Groups of performers would come to the hostel every evening and usually it was a singing group, but African song always includes a sort of dance. The songs are usually done with a lot of passion, and the style and movement is quite unique and often uplifting. A plate would go around during the performance and usually ended up with a pile of Rand inside, which goes to the group or school or village they represent. It is a well-established way for tourists to help finance the community and for the community to give something to the tourists which entertains and educates them. |
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| There are two hostels at Coffee Bay - Bomvu Paradise and The Coffee Shack. I stayed at Bomvu and pitched my tent out in the back for five days. This dog and bird pair were usually quite entertaining. |
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| Out by the beach in the hot sun there were usually kids jumping off the rocks. There is a bit of a problem with kids and teenagers following the visitors and asking for money, but people are working to keep the relationship a constructive one. |
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| The "Coast to Coast" backpacker guide is popular with the locals. |
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| Near my tent was a sunflower plant which was home to this beautifully-coloured grasshopper. It was there every day and I had lots of time to watch and make pictures. |
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| On the last night I made a few photos of the Southern Cross and the two "pointer stars" below it. You can use these to find approximately "true south" by drawing a line through the long axis of the cross and another line 90 degrees from the two pointers. Where the two lines intersect is directly south. |
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| Earlier the same evening I made this shot of the half moon. |
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| On such a clear warm excellent night, it's a good idea to start lighting things on fire. |
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| Everyone had a pretty good time that night, and I was a bit sorry to leave, but I had to get to Durban - maybe... |
| I Thought I was going to Durban the next day, but I ended up stopping about 40km before at "Banana Beach Backpackers" for one night, which ended up being four nights. They have a good scene there with a free pool table, excellent hammocks with good views, and some cool dogs. |
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| Ok, I finally made it to Durban, and put my tent by the rock pool at the Hippo Hide Lodge. They have dogs too, who are from the same family as the ones at Banana Beach. |
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| Maybe not the biggest swimming pool in the world, but a good place to chill out with the view and a book at Banana Beach. |
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| It was a bit of a shock to arrive in the big city of 3.5 million people, but it's pleasant enough for a few days, and the view from the city ridge is very cool. |
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| The first day I got a bus downtown to find an anti-war protest march on the main street. |
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| As the sand says, "Welcome 2 Durban" - South Africa's closest answer to Australia's Surfer's Paradise, with surfborders dropping off the piers for a few good waves, high-rise hotels, and the world's largest Indian population outside India. |
| I spent three days in Durban, walking along the waterfront and the Indian markets where the scene is stimulating and intense (and not the best place to wave around an expensive camera). It's definitely worth a few days, and if I had given it a little more time I'm sure I would have discovered other good spots, but I was moving on... |
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| This is the "BAT Centre" which is a workshop and marketplace for local artisans with a colourfully-painted exterior. I really had to resist the urge to buy some excellent African drums and other crafts, not wanting to carry them around for another month. |
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| Time to say goodbye and leave the city for my first venture into the interior and the Drakensberg Mountains... |
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