Well, I haven't been near the internet for over a week now and I have just a quick 5 minutes so I thought I'd write a quick post to let everyone know I am still alive!
Well I've been in Cintsa for a week now and it has just been one big party with the occasional bit of exercise. Went on a bike ride yesterday morning to visit a Xhosa village, I meant to have a quite night the day before. Well that didn't happen and after far too many shots later we staggered back across the beach at 2.30 am! Getting up at 8am to go on a bike ride was not easy. Needless to say two minutes in I fell off my bike and gave myself some cool new grazes that I think will give me some new scars to add to the collection. So the lesson for the day was not to go bike riding when still drunk from the night before!
Anyway my internet time is just about to run out so I'll say goodbye for now and promise to post a more in depth description of my time in Cintsa at a later date.
Thursday 30 September 2010
Wednesday 22 September 2010
3 weeks in
Well I've been traveling for three weeks now, my old way of life feels like a lifetime away now. I've been in PE for a couple of days now, we went to see a seal show yesterday at the oceanarium, they are very clever animals and are equally able to respond to hand and voice signals. I hadn't realised they were such intelligent creatures.
We went and had a walk around the town today, I must say that PE is my least favourite place I've been so far. It's full of 60's high rise blocks and a very industrial port town. Although when the sun comes out and you look at the lovely sandy beaches and water it still looks quite nice.
Of to Chintsa tomorrow, about 5 hours up the coast. Jenny's friend has a beach house there and she has very kindly offered it to her to use. Chintsa looks like a very nice quiet beach town with sandy beaches, so a great place to chill. In the the description in the guide book the say there is now an ATM in the town!
After spending a few days there we going to head for Hogsback in the mountains, which is rumored to be the inspiration for Lord of the rings. So I'm hoping to see some lovely countryside and do some walking and cycling.
We went and had a walk around the town today, I must say that PE is my least favourite place I've been so far. It's full of 60's high rise blocks and a very industrial port town. Although when the sun comes out and you look at the lovely sandy beaches and water it still looks quite nice.
Of to Chintsa tomorrow, about 5 hours up the coast. Jenny's friend has a beach house there and she has very kindly offered it to her to use. Chintsa looks like a very nice quiet beach town with sandy beaches, so a great place to chill. In the the description in the guide book the say there is now an ATM in the town!
After spending a few days there we going to head for Hogsback in the mountains, which is rumored to be the inspiration for Lord of the rings. So I'm hoping to see some lovely countryside and do some walking and cycling.
Sunday 19 September 2010
By the beach, well not quite......
.... as it's dark, overcast and very windy so inside instead! I'm currently in Jeffery's bay, the spot to come surfing in the whole of South Africa. But it is far too windy to surf, or walk on the beach even. So as you can imagine in a surf town when you can't surf, well there really isn't much more to do! Well there is drinking of course, but as I didn't go to bed until 3 this morning it think it is best to wait a few more hours before I start again! Well I do have the Liverpool vs Man Utd match to watch in an hour or so.
So what have I been up to the past few days I hear you ask. Well not a huge amount, just working my way up the cost through sleepy beach towns. I went zip lining through the treetops of Tsitikamma forest yesterday. It was fun and there were good views, but it wasn't enough of an adrenaline rush for me. I'm much more looking forward to bungee jumping off Sydney harbor bridge!
Friday I went up to a local township with one of the staff members of the hostel. For those of you who don't know what a township is, it's basically slums that were set up for black people during apartheid. That's probably a very simplistic and only partially accurate description, so you're probably better to Google it for a better description. Anyway back to the story. We went to the local community centre as they had opened it up for the evening to the teenager so they had somewhere else to hang out other than the streets. They were playing cards, dominoes, and singing and dancing. I played a few games of dominoes, and even won one! I struck me when I was there that this just wouldn't happen in England. The children would just be playing computer games or on the internet. I just shows you don't actually need that much to have fun, and they did seem to be laughing an awful lot more than any kid on a computer game.
Well I'm off to Port Elizabeth tomorrow for a few days, hopefully finally get to learn to dive there. Although with the current weather that may not be possible, I may have to wait until Zululand. I'll try not to leave it quite so long between posts next time.
So what have I been up to the past few days I hear you ask. Well not a huge amount, just working my way up the cost through sleepy beach towns. I went zip lining through the treetops of Tsitikamma forest yesterday. It was fun and there were good views, but it wasn't enough of an adrenaline rush for me. I'm much more looking forward to bungee jumping off Sydney harbor bridge!
Friday I went up to a local township with one of the staff members of the hostel. For those of you who don't know what a township is, it's basically slums that were set up for black people during apartheid. That's probably a very simplistic and only partially accurate description, so you're probably better to Google it for a better description. Anyway back to the story. We went to the local community centre as they had opened it up for the evening to the teenager so they had somewhere else to hang out other than the streets. They were playing cards, dominoes, and singing and dancing. I played a few games of dominoes, and even won one! I struck me when I was there that this just wouldn't happen in England. The children would just be playing computer games or on the internet. I just shows you don't actually need that much to have fun, and they did seem to be laughing an awful lot more than any kid on a computer game.
Well I'm off to Port Elizabeth tomorrow for a few days, hopefully finally get to learn to dive there. Although with the current weather that may not be possible, I may have to wait until Zululand. I'll try not to leave it quite so long between posts next time.
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Tuesday 14 September 2010
12 days in and it feels like an awful lot longer
Well I'm now on my twelfth day of travelling through South Africa sitting in an internet cafe in Knysna. I can't quite believe that it has only been going for twelve days as it feels more like months. I've done so much and met so many new and wonderful people. I am currently winding my way up the coast on my way to Mozambique, we are down to two of us now as Jeff headed back to Cape Town to get a flight to Germany a couple of days ago. Off to Pletenberg tomorrow and intend to spend a few days there to learn to dive, then I'll be ready to dive in Mozambique when I get there. I've heard it is fantastic diving there and can't wait.
So the plan for the next couple of weeks, yes that's right I do have a vague sort of plan for once, is to head up the coast via Pletenberg, PE, Durban, Swaziland, and then into Mozambique. Well I still have no idea where I'm going to go once I reach Mozambique, so I am still roughly sticking to my plan of no plans!
Well it's been a nice few relaxing days in a few sleepy towns but I think I have now built my energy reserves again after all the partying in Cape Town and ready to go again!
So the plan for the next couple of weeks, yes that's right I do have a vague sort of plan for once, is to head up the coast via Pletenberg, PE, Durban, Swaziland, and then into Mozambique. Well I still have no idea where I'm going to go once I reach Mozambique, so I am still roughly sticking to my plan of no plans!
Well it's been a nice few relaxing days in a few sleepy towns but I think I have now built my energy reserves again after all the partying in Cape Town and ready to go again!
Monday 13 September 2010
Sunday 12 September 2010
Off to Wilderness
Quite literally, I'm off to a place called Wilderness today, this is my next step on the way up the garden route. The garden route, for those of you who don't know, runs from Cape Town, east along the coast up to Mozambique. From what I know of wilderness, which isn't much, it is just a cool and chilled out place where everyone just relaxes. Which is just what I need after all the late nights and bottles of wine over the past week and a half.
Friday 10 September 2010
A bit of diving with Great Whites and whale watching today
Only one picture at the moment as it's taking a while to upload them .....
These were big fish, and still not adults yet! But surprisingly they didn't feel scary, more intriguing.
These were big fish, and still not adults yet! But surprisingly they didn't feel scary, more intriguing.
Wednesday 8 September 2010
Finally found a day to do nothing!
Well apart from washing that is.
Well I haven't got round to writing a post yet so thought I was in need of posting what I've been up to before I forget! So let's start with Sunday, we went down to a bar in Camps bay to watch the sun set. Very nice bar, 16 Rand for a beer and Greame Smith, Mark Boucher and Jaques Callis sat at the table next to us! No fans around asking for autographs, no paparazzi, they were just allowed to sit there and have a drink without being bothered. Can't imagine that happening in England!
Monday was the second attempt to go go Robben island. We bought our tickets only for the trip to be cancelled due to high winds. I'm starting to think that it just wasn't meant to be. We went out to a restaurant called Mamma Africa's in the evening, one Englishman, 3 Americans, 1 Canadian, 1 Irish, 2 Icelanders, 1 Brazilian, and 1 Izraelie. Quite a mix of nations. I shared a platter of ostrich, crocodile, kudu, springbok, and venison, with Jenny the Irish girl. I can definitely recommend the ostrich and springbok. The crockodile was a bit odd and similar to monkfish and the kudu I didn't like at all, tasted like liver!
Yesterday we hired a car and I drove a few of us down to the cape of good hope seeing stunning view after stunning view all the way down there. If we had stopped to take pictures of every view I think the trip would have taken weeks! We also got to see penguins and ostriches grazing at the side of the road. Some people also got to see a whale, but unfortunately I missed it :-(.
Well it looks as if a few of us are going to head off down the garden route tomorrow. Not sure where we are going or what we are going to see, Jenny just asked a couple of us if we wanted to tag along and I thought why not! Anyway time to go, it's quite challenging trying to type this post on the iPhone! Hopefully I'll get round to adding some pictures shortly.
Well I haven't got round to writing a post yet so thought I was in need of posting what I've been up to before I forget! So let's start with Sunday, we went down to a bar in Camps bay to watch the sun set. Very nice bar, 16 Rand for a beer and Greame Smith, Mark Boucher and Jaques Callis sat at the table next to us! No fans around asking for autographs, no paparazzi, they were just allowed to sit there and have a drink without being bothered. Can't imagine that happening in England!
Monday was the second attempt to go go Robben island. We bought our tickets only for the trip to be cancelled due to high winds. I'm starting to think that it just wasn't meant to be. We went out to a restaurant called Mamma Africa's in the evening, one Englishman, 3 Americans, 1 Canadian, 1 Irish, 2 Icelanders, 1 Brazilian, and 1 Izraelie. Quite a mix of nations. I shared a platter of ostrich, crocodile, kudu, springbok, and venison, with Jenny the Irish girl. I can definitely recommend the ostrich and springbok. The crockodile was a bit odd and similar to monkfish and the kudu I didn't like at all, tasted like liver!
Yesterday we hired a car and I drove a few of us down to the cape of good hope seeing stunning view after stunning view all the way down there. If we had stopped to take pictures of every view I think the trip would have taken weeks! We also got to see penguins and ostriches grazing at the side of the road. Some people also got to see a whale, but unfortunately I missed it :-(.
Well it looks as if a few of us are going to head off down the garden route tomorrow. Not sure where we are going or what we are going to see, Jenny just asked a couple of us if we wanted to tag along and I thought why not! Anyway time to go, it's quite challenging trying to type this post on the iPhone! Hopefully I'll get round to adding some pictures shortly.
Saturday 4 September 2010
Busy few days in Cape Town
Well I've been in Cape Town for a couple of days now and my attempt to spend a day doing nothing just hasn't happens yet. I see this as a good thing. I was planning on doing nothing yesterday but someone suggested walking up Table Mountain. So I walked up Table Mountain yesterday with an American and a Canadian, photos to follow. But I'm not sure the photos really do the views justice.
Today I also planned on doing nothing, but when two Icelandic women come up to you and ask you if you want to go to Robben island you don't say know! I now know of a very good party I need to go to in Iceland in June! So again the plan tomorrow is to just laze about and do some reading and not much esle, but that may well change in the next couple of hours!
Today I also planned on doing nothing, but when two Icelandic women come up to you and ask you if you want to go to Robben island you don't say know! I now know of a very good party I need to go to in Iceland in June! So again the plan tomorrow is to just laze about and do some reading and not much esle, but that may well change in the next couple of hours!
Thursday 2 September 2010
View from my room
Not a bad view is it?
Well I'm here now, feeling a bit tired. Sleeping on the flight wasn't the easiest thing to achieve, I know everyone complains about Ryanair, but I think BA are possibly worse. I'm starting to think paying to upgrade to club class is a necessity and not a luxury!
I met two people within an hour of arriving here (a Canadian and an American), went out with them for a walk around Cape Town and some lunch. I'm going out for a few drinks with them later and then off up Table Mountain with them tomorrow. Well my aim before I started was to talk to one new person and I'm already exceeding expectations. I also spent most of the plain journey chatting to a lovely old lady which helped the flight go a bit easier.
Wednesday 1 September 2010
Nearly on the plane
Well it's all just about to start eventually! I am sat in the departure lounge as we speak supping on a cup of coffee. I've got myself a book and a few sweets (of course!) to keep me ocupied on the 11 and a half hour flight.
What to expect when I get there? Not quite sure, but I suspect it won't be too diferent from here, well apart from nice weather that is! Well I suppose that isn't being totally fair to good old England, it has been a very nice day today. I suppose it's just England's way of saying goodbye and don't forget about me.
Well as I haven't had the chance to shop duty free for years I think I should go and see what I can fill the last bit of space in my bag with!
Well ta ta for now, next stop Cape Town!
What to expect when I get there? Not quite sure, but I suspect it won't be too diferent from here, well apart from nice weather that is! Well I suppose that isn't being totally fair to good old England, it has been a very nice day today. I suppose it's just England's way of saying goodbye and don't forget about me.
Well as I haven't had the chance to shop duty free for years I think I should go and see what I can fill the last bit of space in my bag with!
Well ta ta for now, next stop Cape Town!
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