Saturday, 05 January 2008
SIKHOMBE RIVER MOUTH
SIKHOMBE TO MTENTU
We woke up early, and it's amazing how 5am seems late. We packed up quickly, because it was still heavily overcast and drizzling from time to time. I was actually glad that the Mtentu camp was close, because I didn't feel like hiking in the rain all day. Our breakfast consisted of energy bars and coffee, quick and easy. We send word to our old friends Wonderful and Jabulani that we were here, and were hopeful to see them today.
I sat for a while silently watching as a bird paraded proudly, with a crab in it's beak. In quick movements, he hit he's catch against the rocks, until the crab finally stopped moving. It's amazing how everything just falls into place. We made our way to the spaza in the valley, and it was great, memories came flooding back from times past, good times and hardships. This is surely my favourite part of the coastline, and we hope to spend a lot of time here. It is especially this part that will be so sad to see ruined in the mining process. Besides the vast beauty and diversity of the Mtentu valley, the people who live here, make it the experience that it is.
We reached the spaza, and I could've sworn it was further. We saw lots of new faces, but once inside, it seemed all too familier. There were people sitting in the tavern area, which is the entrance, all drinking a beer of some sorts, mostly Black Label, and the aroma of marajuana thick in the air. This is where they come to do what they know best - networking. Ah, it was good to be back. There is something to be said about the simplicity and honesty, which encapsulates these people. We had a cell phone signal from up here, so we phoned Wonderful, and we made an appointment to meet each other at the campsite later, with strict instructions to buy a couple of courts to mark the occasion.
The views from the top of these hills are breathtaking as we strolled along through the village consisting of a few homesteads scattered around, almost one on each hill top. We reached the Mtentu campsite and were met by some new faces. Lux, which is camp master, is quite the entertainer, and he kept us informed on the mining situation, and the decline in tourism. His take on it was quite interesting, and yet everybody seems to be neutral on this issue. This campsite was build some years back, by the EU, as an insentive towards upliftment and a tourism oppertunity. A trust was founded in the name of the community, but it seems that some serious mismanagement has occured since the last time we were here, which is little over a year ago.
According to another source, the very same people who came here, years back, trying to influence the community to lean towards tourism, are now the people trying to convince them that mining is the better way to go. This community is torn between those who think mining is good, and those who lean towards tourism, and maintaining the lifestyle they know and love. Fact remains, that they will all be moved 20kms inland, and these 200 or so job oppertunities that are promised to them yet remains to be seen, especially those high paying managerial positions, as very few of these people are skilled or educated enough to fill such positions. The rivers will become polluted and most of their resources will be used up. This community relies on the ocean to provide them with food and oppertunities to make a living.
Don't you just hate it when people take advantage of other people's lack of knowledge or education in order to make a quick buck. Well, I do, especially when I think that this might bring about the end of a culture, one we have grown to love and respect.
Wonderful came round and it was great to see him again. So sad too, because we learnt that one of our friends, Izaack had passed away December last year. We also met Wonda's sister, Thula, a very sweet lady who looked after us during the time that we stayed there. The campsite is in a very poor state, but apparantly no maintanance had been done by the trust for ages, so once again, I wonder what is really at work here...
We met one of the guides here at the camp, called Stix. Another entertaining man with loads of funny stories to tell. What the camp lacked in comfort and maintenance, the staff certainly made up for in caracter and kindness.
Run down or not, we were extatic to get out of the rain for a bit, and the views from our room was to die for. By the time it was dark, we were all bathed, fed, and ready for bed. The solar panels at the site had been stolen, so we had no electricity, nor candles, so we lay chatting for a long, long time. It was a good day. There are much work here to be done...
I sat for a while silently watching as a bird paraded proudly, with a crab in it's beak. In quick movements, he hit he's catch against the rocks, until the crab finally stopped moving. It's amazing how everything just falls into place. We made our way to the spaza in the valley, and it was great, memories came flooding back from times past, good times and hardships. This is surely my favourite part of the coastline, and we hope to spend a lot of time here. It is especially this part that will be so sad to see ruined in the mining process. Besides the vast beauty and diversity of the Mtentu valley, the people who live here, make it the experience that it is.
We reached the spaza, and I could've sworn it was further. We saw lots of new faces, but once inside, it seemed all too familier. There were people sitting in the tavern area, which is the entrance, all drinking a beer of some sorts, mostly Black Label, and the aroma of marajuana thick in the air. This is where they come to do what they know best - networking. Ah, it was good to be back. There is something to be said about the simplicity and honesty, which encapsulates these people. We had a cell phone signal from up here, so we phoned Wonderful, and we made an appointment to meet each other at the campsite later, with strict instructions to buy a couple of courts to mark the occasion.
The views from the top of these hills are breathtaking as we strolled along through the village consisting of a few homesteads scattered around, almost one on each hill top. We reached the Mtentu campsite and were met by some new faces. Lux, which is camp master, is quite the entertainer, and he kept us informed on the mining situation, and the decline in tourism. His take on it was quite interesting, and yet everybody seems to be neutral on this issue. This campsite was build some years back, by the EU, as an insentive towards upliftment and a tourism oppertunity. A trust was founded in the name of the community, but it seems that some serious mismanagement has occured since the last time we were here, which is little over a year ago.
According to another source, the very same people who came here, years back, trying to influence the community to lean towards tourism, are now the people trying to convince them that mining is the better way to go. This community is torn between those who think mining is good, and those who lean towards tourism, and maintaining the lifestyle they know and love. Fact remains, that they will all be moved 20kms inland, and these 200 or so job oppertunities that are promised to them yet remains to be seen, especially those high paying managerial positions, as very few of these people are skilled or educated enough to fill such positions. The rivers will become polluted and most of their resources will be used up. This community relies on the ocean to provide them with food and oppertunities to make a living.
Don't you just hate it when people take advantage of other people's lack of knowledge or education in order to make a quick buck. Well, I do, especially when I think that this might bring about the end of a culture, one we have grown to love and respect.
Wonderful came round and it was great to see him again. So sad too, because we learnt that one of our friends, Izaack had passed away December last year. We also met Wonda's sister, Thula, a very sweet lady who looked after us during the time that we stayed there. The campsite is in a very poor state, but apparantly no maintanance had been done by the trust for ages, so once again, I wonder what is really at work here...
We met one of the guides here at the camp, called Stix. Another entertaining man with loads of funny stories to tell. What the camp lacked in comfort and maintenance, the staff certainly made up for in caracter and kindness.
Run down or not, we were extatic to get out of the rain for a bit, and the views from our room was to die for. By the time it was dark, we were all bathed, fed, and ready for bed. The solar panels at the site had been stolen, so we had no electricity, nor candles, so we lay chatting for a long, long time. It was a good day. There are much work here to be done...
BAD WEATHER AND BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS
Still raining, but almost at the Sikhombe River mouth
GUIDE DOG, NEW FRIENDS AND UNHAPPY FACESA
OUR NEW FRIEND THAT FOLLOWED FROM MNYAMENI
KATRYN NOT TOO HAPPY ABOUT THE NEW COMPANION
MNYAMENI AND THE WAY THERE
SMALL RIVER BETWEEN MZAMBA AND MNYAMENI
THE VIEW FROM OUR PATIO AT MNYAMENI COTTAGES
THE VIEW FROM OUR PATIO AT MNYAMENI COTTAGES
MNYAMENI RIVER MOUTH
Friday, 04 January 2008
MNYAMENI TO SIKHOMBE
When I woke up, it was so quiet, even the waves were quiet. The sun was rising up from the ocean, and painting the entire valley beautiful! SJOE! This very moment, is why I do what I do. This is what I believe in, this is where I am whole!
I got up and found a spot where I could just sit and watch. I don't know how long I sat there, but I heard movement on the porch, and when I snapped out of it, we were back on track. Coffee, cuddle with the dogs, and packing up. This was such an energizing spot, making us stay a bit longer. We left somewhere around 9am. It was still overcast and we hiked in thick, loose sand in places, but the scenery was something else. Ahead of us, only white sandy beaches, to our right, beautiful vegetation, and to our left, the ever prescent ocean.
It started raining during our first break, and we found that we had a new friend who followed us all the way from Mnyameni. He was a black local dog, and no matter how desperately we tried to send him back, he was adamant to stay with us. Katryn didn't like it at all, and kept on growling at him. He stayed a couple of paces behind us, and every time we stopped to rest, he would sit a couple of metres away from us.
Eventually I started to feel bad, and so I invited him to walk with us, seeing as he didn't respond well to the silent treatment. He is a nice dog and I kinda liked his company. He obviously felt the urge to guide us to wherever, so I figured there was no harm in that.
When we finally reached the Sikombe river, we had to try and find a spot out of the rain, because it was becoming miserable. We found a very nice spot to set up camp, right next to the river. It has been such a good day, in terms of my state of mind, feeling complete and just being here. Our campsite was perfect, and we immediately started cooking our dinner, which consisted of spicy tomato soup and noodles. After dinner, we bathed in the river, but it was a bit chilly outside, so we made it snappy.
We had a gorgeous, huge can of coffee, and got into our tents, as it started to rain again. There were so many mosquitoes, and they sucked me dry, before I could zip up and retire for the evening.
There's barely enough space in my tent for myself, let alone Katryn, so our new friend had to sleep outside. There were many dry spots for him to sleep under, but he stayed close by, didn't seem to mind the rain. I was only too happy to give him some of Dante & Katryn's food (Royal Canin), because it meant a lighter pack in the morning. It was only seconds and his food was finished! Poor boy was hungry.
I tried my best to recap my day and to do some visualizations, etc, but I couldn't stay awake for more than 5 mins, so I drifted off happy to be...
I got up and found a spot where I could just sit and watch. I don't know how long I sat there, but I heard movement on the porch, and when I snapped out of it, we were back on track. Coffee, cuddle with the dogs, and packing up. This was such an energizing spot, making us stay a bit longer. We left somewhere around 9am. It was still overcast and we hiked in thick, loose sand in places, but the scenery was something else. Ahead of us, only white sandy beaches, to our right, beautiful vegetation, and to our left, the ever prescent ocean.
It started raining during our first break, and we found that we had a new friend who followed us all the way from Mnyameni. He was a black local dog, and no matter how desperately we tried to send him back, he was adamant to stay with us. Katryn didn't like it at all, and kept on growling at him. He stayed a couple of paces behind us, and every time we stopped to rest, he would sit a couple of metres away from us.
Eventually I started to feel bad, and so I invited him to walk with us, seeing as he didn't respond well to the silent treatment. He is a nice dog and I kinda liked his company. He obviously felt the urge to guide us to wherever, so I figured there was no harm in that.
When we finally reached the Sikombe river, we had to try and find a spot out of the rain, because it was becoming miserable. We found a very nice spot to set up camp, right next to the river. It has been such a good day, in terms of my state of mind, feeling complete and just being here. Our campsite was perfect, and we immediately started cooking our dinner, which consisted of spicy tomato soup and noodles. After dinner, we bathed in the river, but it was a bit chilly outside, so we made it snappy.
We had a gorgeous, huge can of coffee, and got into our tents, as it started to rain again. There were so many mosquitoes, and they sucked me dry, before I could zip up and retire for the evening.
There's barely enough space in my tent for myself, let alone Katryn, so our new friend had to sleep outside. There were many dry spots for him to sleep under, but he stayed close by, didn't seem to mind the rain. I was only too happy to give him some of Dante & Katryn's food (Royal Canin), because it meant a lighter pack in the morning. It was only seconds and his food was finished! Poor boy was hungry.
I tried my best to recap my day and to do some visualizations, etc, but I couldn't stay awake for more than 5 mins, so I drifted off happy to be...
Thursday, 03 January 2008
OVERCAST, ENERGIZING AND ADVENTUROUS
MARIA AND TWINS
THE OTHER SIDE OF MZAMBA
LONG WHITE BEACHES AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE...
THE OTHER SIDE OF MZAMBA
LONG WHITE BEACHES AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE...
MZAMBA TO MNYAMENI
KATRYN, MARIA AND DANTE, WAITING BY THE MZAMBA RIVER FOR LOW TIDE
We woke up, had breakfast, and packed up, thinking that it was getting very late. The tide was at it's lowest around 12pm, so we wanted to go and see if there wasn't any way we could cross it. To our dismay, we realized that it wasn't even 8am yet, so we had a long wait ahead of us. There were some people who started crossing the river, so we watched carefully, in the hopes that they knew where the shallow bits were. Still too high. We didn't wait too long, when we saw a man crossing, but higher up the river, and the water came up to his knees. Ghmff!!! We crossed immediately and were soon on our way to Mnyameni.
This stretch of coastline is simply devine. The weather is not what we had hoped for, but there's something about walking in the rain. The first part of our hike today, we had mostly soft sand, which put some strain on the calves, and especially my achillis, which is in a right state. It was fun however, and the dogs didn't seem to mind the rain too much, even though it was coming down a bit harder at times. The ocean was the most amazing shades of blue and was complemented by the grey of the clouds, which made it seem so much more intense.
We hardly saw anyone today, except for the occassional fisherman. It was quite something to have all of this to ourselves. Katryn seemed a bit melancholy, but I figured it was because she missed the clan back home, or maybe due to the sudden exersice. Difficult to say. It was still fairly early when we reached the Mnyameni River, but it was becoming challenging with the rain. The river was low enough in places to get through, and there was a ferry man in case we had troubles. On the other side of the river, on the hill, there was a handful of cottages, owned by families, who have in previous years, aquired a small peace of land from the Chief of the tribe which they have traded in return for money, or cattle, or even alcohol.
There is a lot of controversy surrounding owners of such land, and the means with which they have traded, etc. In my opinion, if you've legally retained the right to own a property, be it by trading something for it, or buying it cash, it's all good. These cottages are nothing fancy, in fact they are not allowed to build lavish beach cottages, not even allowed to build on to the existing building or even in some cases, to fix a leaking roof, thus remaining part of the rural backdrop of the Wild Coast.
We met a lovely family who was down for the holidays, John and Diane and a whole lot of lively boys, not all their own of course. We needed desperately to charge GPS and laptops, but there was only enough electricity derived from Solar panels to charge only a few items. Something is better than nothing, so thanks John, much appreciated.
We came out of the rain, and slept on the porch of one of the cottages. There were many Transkei dogs around, which means you have to be careful, or they will eat everything you have. They are usually underfed, and not well looked after. In the Xhosa tradition, dogs must fend for themselves, and find their own food and shelter. Ticks and fleas are also a problem amongst these animals. This is a very hardned breed of dog.
We met Chocolate, who is the security guard looking after this camp site at night. He is also a local Sangoma, and a very kind man. We offered him a sigarette, and we smoked one in silence mostly, because of our lack of understanding Xhosa and his broken english. It was one of those perfect moments, a moment shared in silence. Mmmm, been a long day, so with weary body, watchfull of prowling dogs, and rain falling softly on a tin roof, I fell asleep...hmmm, it's gonna be a while still before I get used to sleeping on the ground.
This stretch of coastline is simply devine. The weather is not what we had hoped for, but there's something about walking in the rain. The first part of our hike today, we had mostly soft sand, which put some strain on the calves, and especially my achillis, which is in a right state. It was fun however, and the dogs didn't seem to mind the rain too much, even though it was coming down a bit harder at times. The ocean was the most amazing shades of blue and was complemented by the grey of the clouds, which made it seem so much more intense.
We hardly saw anyone today, except for the occassional fisherman. It was quite something to have all of this to ourselves. Katryn seemed a bit melancholy, but I figured it was because she missed the clan back home, or maybe due to the sudden exersice. Difficult to say. It was still fairly early when we reached the Mnyameni River, but it was becoming challenging with the rain. The river was low enough in places to get through, and there was a ferry man in case we had troubles. On the other side of the river, on the hill, there was a handful of cottages, owned by families, who have in previous years, aquired a small peace of land from the Chief of the tribe which they have traded in return for money, or cattle, or even alcohol.
There is a lot of controversy surrounding owners of such land, and the means with which they have traded, etc. In my opinion, if you've legally retained the right to own a property, be it by trading something for it, or buying it cash, it's all good. These cottages are nothing fancy, in fact they are not allowed to build lavish beach cottages, not even allowed to build on to the existing building or even in some cases, to fix a leaking roof, thus remaining part of the rural backdrop of the Wild Coast.
We met a lovely family who was down for the holidays, John and Diane and a whole lot of lively boys, not all their own of course. We needed desperately to charge GPS and laptops, but there was only enough electricity derived from Solar panels to charge only a few items. Something is better than nothing, so thanks John, much appreciated.
We came out of the rain, and slept on the porch of one of the cottages. There were many Transkei dogs around, which means you have to be careful, or they will eat everything you have. They are usually underfed, and not well looked after. In the Xhosa tradition, dogs must fend for themselves, and find their own food and shelter. Ticks and fleas are also a problem amongst these animals. This is a very hardned breed of dog.
We met Chocolate, who is the security guard looking after this camp site at night. He is also a local Sangoma, and a very kind man. We offered him a sigarette, and we smoked one in silence mostly, because of our lack of understanding Xhosa and his broken english. It was one of those perfect moments, a moment shared in silence. Mmmm, been a long day, so with weary body, watchfull of prowling dogs, and rain falling softly on a tin roof, I fell asleep...hmmm, it's gonna be a while still before I get used to sleeping on the ground.
CAR RENTALS, BACKPACKS AND HIKING
We woke up, but was slow to get moving. There was still so much to do, and we tried desperately to fit everything into our backpacks, which turned out to be a bit on the heavy side. We ended up leaving a lot behind. Tersia made us a lovely breakfast, and we had to return the car to Avis at Margate Airport before 9am. We had a coffee, then Ters collected us and stopped by Paddy's place so that we could say good-bye to our dear old friend and his wife Gracy.
It wasn't until 12am that we were dropped off at the Wild Coast Sun where we would start our hike.
It was overcast, and we were hoping the weather would let up, but I didn't suspect it would. Wow, it was good to be back! We hiked towards the Petrified Forrest, passing a couple of people on our way. The first river we had to cross was the Mzamba, but the tide was coming in, which would make it difficult to cross if it's too deep, because our packs are heavy and we risk loosing a lot if our gear got wet.
We hiked faster, but it was as we feared, too deep to cross, and there was no ferry in sight, so we set up camp, just in the nick of time, because it started raining. We have these amazing tents from Topeak, called bikecampers, which you are meant to set up by using your bicycle as the structure, but since we have no bicycles this time, we made a structure using conduit piping, which is light to carry and reasonably flexible. In theory it's a great design, provided there's no wind and no rain. It was a tight squeeze, but we remained dry.
There was still enough daylight in which to play out in the rain, and adjust to our surroundings. What a priviledge it is to be able to experience this once again. There is a certain magic about the Wild Coast, which is inexplicable at best. I had memories of a previous time that we were here at this very spot, and we met a man named Andre, who lived on a property just a little bit into the forrest, and so I made my way in the general direction, to see if there was any traces left of him. Dante and Katryn came with me, but they were very alert. I walked quite deep into the forrest, and still couldn't find this place. There was a network of foot paths, all leading in different directions. There were the strangest sounds coming from deep within the forrest which not only had the dogs spooked, but me also, especially since the sound were around us now. The next moment Katryn jumped, and before I knew it, they bolted in the direction we came from. I didn't wait around to see what got them so spooked, as I was right behind them.
I eventually found the path which leads to this property, but this time I got Maria to come with me. The place was run down and deserted, not that it was in top shape the last time we saw it, only no sign of Andre. We walked around a bit, saw a snake, and that was the sign I needed, to get out, because the place gives me the creeps.
Maria says that the main building looks like it burnt down, but I didn't even see that as I was getting out of there!
We quickly washed and ate before it got too dark, then we crawled into our tents, and lay listening to the sound of the waves before drifting off to sleep...
It wasn't until 12am that we were dropped off at the Wild Coast Sun where we would start our hike.
It was overcast, and we were hoping the weather would let up, but I didn't suspect it would. Wow, it was good to be back! We hiked towards the Petrified Forrest, passing a couple of people on our way. The first river we had to cross was the Mzamba, but the tide was coming in, which would make it difficult to cross if it's too deep, because our packs are heavy and we risk loosing a lot if our gear got wet.
We hiked faster, but it was as we feared, too deep to cross, and there was no ferry in sight, so we set up camp, just in the nick of time, because it started raining. We have these amazing tents from Topeak, called bikecampers, which you are meant to set up by using your bicycle as the structure, but since we have no bicycles this time, we made a structure using conduit piping, which is light to carry and reasonably flexible. In theory it's a great design, provided there's no wind and no rain. It was a tight squeeze, but we remained dry.
There was still enough daylight in which to play out in the rain, and adjust to our surroundings. What a priviledge it is to be able to experience this once again. There is a certain magic about the Wild Coast, which is inexplicable at best. I had memories of a previous time that we were here at this very spot, and we met a man named Andre, who lived on a property just a little bit into the forrest, and so I made my way in the general direction, to see if there was any traces left of him. Dante and Katryn came with me, but they were very alert. I walked quite deep into the forrest, and still couldn't find this place. There was a network of foot paths, all leading in different directions. There were the strangest sounds coming from deep within the forrest which not only had the dogs spooked, but me also, especially since the sound were around us now. The next moment Katryn jumped, and before I knew it, they bolted in the direction we came from. I didn't wait around to see what got them so spooked, as I was right behind them.
I eventually found the path which leads to this property, but this time I got Maria to come with me. The place was run down and deserted, not that it was in top shape the last time we saw it, only no sign of Andre. We walked around a bit, saw a snake, and that was the sign I needed, to get out, because the place gives me the creeps.
Maria says that the main building looks like it burnt down, but I didn't even see that as I was getting out of there!
We quickly washed and ate before it got too dark, then we crawled into our tents, and lay listening to the sound of the waves before drifting off to sleep...
COMPUTERS, POWERMONKEYS AND DEALING WITH IT
It was around 4am when Maria woke me up with a coffee, but I couldn't snap out of it. I was knackered! I moved over and Maria drove the rest of the way. I tried desperately to open up my eyes, but failed miserably. The breaking day was beautiful, but I couldn't open my eyes long enough to appreciate it completely, as I faught for conciousness for what seemed an eternity.
I only snapped out of it once we hit the Port Shepstone turn off. It was another couple of hours before we turned into Ramsgate and headed straight for the beach. It was the best thing ever to see the excitement in Dante and Kaytryn's eyes. We all got lost in the moment, and just stayed there for a long while before we got our shit together, and headed to the Waffle House for the most superb waffles you will ever have. They serve both sweet and savoury waffles, but we had the mushroom and cheese waffles - to die for!!!
This is where our search for laptop and powermonkey adaptors started. Nowhere on the entire Southcoast does anybody know what a powermonkey is, or do they have a Flybook adaptor. This was a real shame, and we spent hours in search of this tool, because once we leave the Wild Coast, electricity is a novelty, and very few people have alternate energy, so it would've come in handy to have a few more hrs of battery power. We resolved ourselves to the fact that we'll have what we need when we need it. Nothing much else to do, as we're hiking tomorrow.
It was late afternoon when we finally gave up our search, and headed towards Port Edward, and had a quick bite at the Web down at the beach. Afterwards we made our way to Tersia Killian's place where we were gonna spend the night. We met Tersia through Uys, her husband who stays at the Waterglen regularly. They are both magic people, and it was great to see her again. Tersia is a teacher, and seeing as it's school holidays, she came down to their beach house with her friend Fatima, who is quite the entertainer, and her son, Miguel.
Tersia has a Jack Russel called Scooby, who didn't like the intruders, so Dante and Katryn were off to a bad start, when he attacked them on arrival. I think they were shell shocked, because this was the first time that they had ever been in a full blown fight, and Dante was the only one that seemed hurt, but not too bad though. For the remainder of the evening, we kept them all seperate, but Scooby came to the door a bit later to make peace.
They made us a stunning dinner, and we sat round talking for hours before we headed off to bed. We had some stuff to do still, but the last two days has taken it's toll, so I drifted off into a deep sleep...
I only snapped out of it once we hit the Port Shepstone turn off. It was another couple of hours before we turned into Ramsgate and headed straight for the beach. It was the best thing ever to see the excitement in Dante and Kaytryn's eyes. We all got lost in the moment, and just stayed there for a long while before we got our shit together, and headed to the Waffle House for the most superb waffles you will ever have. They serve both sweet and savoury waffles, but we had the mushroom and cheese waffles - to die for!!!
This is where our search for laptop and powermonkey adaptors started. Nowhere on the entire Southcoast does anybody know what a powermonkey is, or do they have a Flybook adaptor. This was a real shame, and we spent hours in search of this tool, because once we leave the Wild Coast, electricity is a novelty, and very few people have alternate energy, so it would've come in handy to have a few more hrs of battery power. We resolved ourselves to the fact that we'll have what we need when we need it. Nothing much else to do, as we're hiking tomorrow.
It was late afternoon when we finally gave up our search, and headed towards Port Edward, and had a quick bite at the Web down at the beach. Afterwards we made our way to Tersia Killian's place where we were gonna spend the night. We met Tersia through Uys, her husband who stays at the Waterglen regularly. They are both magic people, and it was great to see her again. Tersia is a teacher, and seeing as it's school holidays, she came down to their beach house with her friend Fatima, who is quite the entertainer, and her son, Miguel.
Tersia has a Jack Russel called Scooby, who didn't like the intruders, so Dante and Katryn were off to a bad start, when he attacked them on arrival. I think they were shell shocked, because this was the first time that they had ever been in a full blown fight, and Dante was the only one that seemed hurt, but not too bad though. For the remainder of the evening, we kept them all seperate, but Scooby came to the door a bit later to make peace.
They made us a stunning dinner, and we sat round talking for hours before we headed off to bed. We had some stuff to do still, but the last two days has taken it's toll, so I drifted off into a deep sleep...
THE BIG TREK
It seems that some things will never change, because it's hours before we leave and we haven't completely packed and still need to pick up the last package in Johannesburg before we leave for Port Edward. We scattered around in pure desperation, but by 12:30pm, we had to leave, we were running late. We said our good-bye's, and made our way to GARMIN's offices in Northriding Jhb.
Traffic was insane, but we soon realized that we weren't in any real hurry anymore, our holiday has officially started! We picked up our GPS's from Fraser and chatted for a while - super guy! By 3:30pm we had done all we had to do, so we went to the nearest restaurant to grab a bite.
Neha gave me a Powermonkey, which is a travel size battery pack of sorts, that plugs into almost anything, from your phone to your laptop, and gives you many extra hrs on your laptop, but only problem is, it doesn't have an adaptor for my specific laptop, so we went looking for someone that stocks that specific plug, with no luck whatsoever.
It was about 6pm when we finally made our way through hectic traffic, and took the N3 to Durban. We couldn't believe that we were finally on our way. I was driving, and it was amazing how all sorts of calm decended upon me the closer we came to the coastline. I absolutely adore the ocean, and don't much care for being away from it for too long. There's just something about all that water, the sandy beaches and the fresh air, that gets me going.
We stopped many times, to give the dogs a chance to stretch their legs, to get coffee and something to eat. Besides all the big trucks, the road was fairly quiet, the night pitch black around me. Perfect! When we got to Mooi River, the rain was coming down hard, and I could barely keep my eyes open, it has been an exceptionally long day. Maria had the same problem, as she kept me company all the way, so we pulled of at an Ultra City, and slept for a couple of hrs.
Traffic was insane, but we soon realized that we weren't in any real hurry anymore, our holiday has officially started! We picked up our GPS's from Fraser and chatted for a while - super guy! By 3:30pm we had done all we had to do, so we went to the nearest restaurant to grab a bite.
Neha gave me a Powermonkey, which is a travel size battery pack of sorts, that plugs into almost anything, from your phone to your laptop, and gives you many extra hrs on your laptop, but only problem is, it doesn't have an adaptor for my specific laptop, so we went looking for someone that stocks that specific plug, with no luck whatsoever.
It was about 6pm when we finally made our way through hectic traffic, and took the N3 to Durban. We couldn't believe that we were finally on our way. I was driving, and it was amazing how all sorts of calm decended upon me the closer we came to the coastline. I absolutely adore the ocean, and don't much care for being away from it for too long. There's just something about all that water, the sandy beaches and the fresh air, that gets me going.
We stopped many times, to give the dogs a chance to stretch their legs, to get coffee and something to eat. Besides all the big trucks, the road was fairly quiet, the night pitch black around me. Perfect! When we got to Mooi River, the rain was coming down hard, and I could barely keep my eyes open, it has been an exceptionally long day. Maria had the same problem, as she kept me company all the way, so we pulled of at an Ultra City, and slept for a couple of hrs.
CHAOS BEFORE LEAVING
Between collecting tents, laptops, GPS's, packing up everything we own to fit into a store room, and making sure that there are no loose ends, there is hardly any time to mentally prepare myself for our journey. It has been a long time since we've been on the road and I haven't done much to stay in shape, so I'm a bit worried, but I know it doesn't take too long to get back into that rhythm.
There's only a couple of things which we haven't sorted out, but we still have 2 more days in which to make it happen. I'm feeling frantic, as if I've forgotten something, but I guess now is not the time to worry about it. I have to thank my dear friend Neha, for finding ways to get us to Port Edward. This is not the first time you have come through for us and there are not enough ways in which to thank you girl! Welcome back to South Africa and I hope it will be an exhilirating 2 years for you.
It is always sad to leave behind family and friends when we go, and knowing that this is the beginning of another long trek around Africa, makes me a bit sad, because I got used to being home again.
Well, thank God for technology right, because everyone is always just a phone call or an e-mail away. Dante and Katryn seem to know something is up with all the packing that's going on. Their friends and family will miss them too, and I think Katryn, who has been glued to the desk in reception will find it equally difficult to get back in shape.
There's only a couple of things which we haven't sorted out, but we still have 2 more days in which to make it happen. I'm feeling frantic, as if I've forgotten something, but I guess now is not the time to worry about it. I have to thank my dear friend Neha, for finding ways to get us to Port Edward. This is not the first time you have come through for us and there are not enough ways in which to thank you girl! Welcome back to South Africa and I hope it will be an exhilirating 2 years for you.
It is always sad to leave behind family and friends when we go, and knowing that this is the beginning of another long trek around Africa, makes me a bit sad, because I got used to being home again.
Well, thank God for technology right, because everyone is always just a phone call or an e-mail away. Dante and Katryn seem to know something is up with all the packing that's going on. Their friends and family will miss them too, and I think Katryn, who has been glued to the desk in reception will find it equally difficult to get back in shape.
TIME FOR OUR NEXT ADVENTURE
This have been a tremendous year for us, in terms of Big Dreams which are slowly but surely coming to fruition. As you all well know, we set out to bring about an interactive network which might very well assist in bringing us one step closer to finding solutions for some serious problems .
We've had to learn the hard way what it takes to make something of this magnitude happen. It's amazing how, when you are in pursuit of your dreams, and you believe in them strongly, the whole universe conspires to make it happen. We have met so many wonderful people, some of whom were meant to teach a lesson, and some who have brought us closer to our goals, and especially those who have climbed aboard and are now part of this amazing adventure...
Next up, is us hiking around the Transkei - again. Thing is, some of our friends living along this coastline, have urged us to go for a visit, as there is apparantly some unrest concerning the grant to start mining for titanium. Well, we could just imagine that something like this would have an immense impact on this peace of land and it's unique inhabitants. So without further ado, we started putting together what we needed for our little adventure.
We had less than a week to put together something to go hiking along the Transkei coastline. This particular stretch of coastline, had once been our biggest challenge, and it's now a place we go to, to connect with your inner selves. A shocking discovery for me, was that MRC have been given permission to mine along the best parts of this untouched natural marvel. This might be the last time we get to experience this wild coastline, it's challenges, it's blessings, and the memories...
Many special thanks to companies like FLYBOOKS, for supplying us with your super small, travel size laptops, to help us update our blogs, and to GARMIN, for supplying us with a GPS system to plot our routes and stay found, to KARRIMOR, for our durable backpacks and rain gear, to HI-TEC, for all our foot gear, CAMPINGAZ for our amazing cooking gear, TOPEAK, for our bikamper tents, ROYAL CANIN, for keeping our dogs in top condition, and WATERGLEN GUEST LODGE, for always believing in us.
We've had to learn the hard way what it takes to make something of this magnitude happen. It's amazing how, when you are in pursuit of your dreams, and you believe in them strongly, the whole universe conspires to make it happen. We have met so many wonderful people, some of whom were meant to teach a lesson, and some who have brought us closer to our goals, and especially those who have climbed aboard and are now part of this amazing adventure...
Next up, is us hiking around the Transkei - again. Thing is, some of our friends living along this coastline, have urged us to go for a visit, as there is apparantly some unrest concerning the grant to start mining for titanium. Well, we could just imagine that something like this would have an immense impact on this peace of land and it's unique inhabitants. So without further ado, we started putting together what we needed for our little adventure.
We had less than a week to put together something to go hiking along the Transkei coastline. This particular stretch of coastline, had once been our biggest challenge, and it's now a place we go to, to connect with your inner selves. A shocking discovery for me, was that MRC have been given permission to mine along the best parts of this untouched natural marvel. This might be the last time we get to experience this wild coastline, it's challenges, it's blessings, and the memories...
Many special thanks to companies like FLYBOOKS, for supplying us with your super small, travel size laptops, to help us update our blogs, and to GARMIN, for supplying us with a GPS system to plot our routes and stay found, to KARRIMOR, for our durable backpacks and rain gear, to HI-TEC, for all our foot gear, CAMPINGAZ for our amazing cooking gear, TOPEAK, for our bikamper tents, ROYAL CANIN, for keeping our dogs in top condition, and WATERGLEN GUEST LODGE, for always believing in us.
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