GoBackpacking

After a nice self-catered breakfast on the backpacker’s patio, we motored to the gate and collected our maps of the park, complete with a checklist of the animals we hoped to see.  No more than a few minutes passed before we started to spot the wildlife. 

Tons of Warthogs were munching on vegetation, while a Black-backed Jackal was simply chilling out.  My old friend, the Ostrich, was soon seen, as were the pretty yellow Weaver birds when we stopped at the first watering hole.  John was very adept at identifying each animal or bird and sharing a quick fact about them.

When you’re in a park with wild Lions, Leopards, Black Rhinos, Cape Buffalo, and hundreds of African Elephants (The Big 5), it makes sense that you don’t get out of your car except for a few signposted occasions.  The skeletal remains of male Kudus (antelope-type animal with long twisted horns) below us near the watering hole were a good reminder of why exiting your car is also at your own risk!

As we continued onward, John navigating his way through the loops and criss-crossing paved and dirt roads of the park’s northern territory, we spotted Jackal Buzzards perched atop bushes and Vervet Monkeys running around on the ground.  A little after 8am, we spotted a bunch of Cape Buffalo, our first of the big five animals. 

We also began to see lots of similar animals to the Kudu, including Red Hartebeests, Bushbucks, and Elands.  Same same, but different.  By late morning, we were getting anxious to see some elephants, although any one of us would have passed on the pachyderms for the chance to see lions or leopards. 

Yvonne spotted the first elephant of the day, off on a distant hill.  To the naked eye, it appeared as a grey outline against the green and dark browns of the landscape.  Using the binoculars I picked up in Hermanus, you could see more detail, including the tusks.  We were all excited to have seen a wild elephant, our second of the big five animals.  And John assured us they start to pop up everywhere once you see one. 

Sure enough, we drove a little further to another watering hole and saw tons of elephants, and what appeared to be a small parking lot of cars and safari trucks quite close to the action.  Now we were REALLY excited!  John maneuvered us into a good spot and turned off the engine.  We sat and watched the behavior for about 15 minutes. 

Males tested males, little ones chased away the warthogs in the area, babies nursed from moms, they rolled around in the mud to cool off, and had noticeable trouble lifting themselves up and out of the muddy embankments.  About 3 of the 6 families were at the watering hole.  The park has about 450 elephants, and with some of the older males off on their own, it meant each family must’ve held about 50-60 elephants. 

We started to follow the ones wandering away from the watering hole, watching them cross the road just a few meters from our truck.  After they get muddy, they spray themselves with dry dirt which helps to clean the parasites off of them.  We stopped at another watering hole where an area protected by electrified fence allows you to get out of your vehicle and walk to a viewing point behind a wooden fence. 

After the toilets were used, we returned to find a lone Cape Buffalo hanging out in the water.  And then it was back to the most active watering hole where we watched a new family of elephants arrive from over a nearby hill.  Watching them in the wild, marching along in a group, is fascinating.  It made me glad I didn’t decide to skip the park (thinking elephants were boring).  I was learning to appreciate the whole experience, and all the animals, not just the carnivorous cats we hoped to see.

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John recruited me for an overnight trip to Addo Elephant National Park for a few reasons.  First, he offered to drop me off in Port Elizabeth afterwards, meaning I could take a break from using the Baz bus.  Second, he promised a good experience by getting to the park early, when the gates opened.  Third, he had worked as a guide in Kruger Park, and I could tell from the way he spoke enthusiastically about the trip, he’d be a good guide.  And fourth, of least importance to a guy like me, was the fact that the three others who had signed up were girls.

I met Yvonne from Switzerland at dinner my first night, so we had already gotten to know each other a bit.  She was volunteering at a local school.  I met Karin and Stefanie (also Swiss-German) briefly beforehand as well.  They were both in the English language school run by Island Vibe.

We left Jeffrey’s Bay with braai supplies and plenty of wine.  It was the most beautiful day of my time there.  Low winds, bright blue skies, and lots of sunshine.  The water looked as picturesque as any I’d seen in Thailand (ok, almost any view because Koh Tao had some amazing beaches).  The drive to Orange Backpackers, situated 8km outside the park, was a pleasantly short two hours.  Along the way, I got to know Karin and Stefanie a little better. 

Once we settled into our basic 4-bed dorm for the night, opposite a paintball field, we uncorked the fine South African wines and hung out while the locals watched rugby in the bar.  As the sun dropped, so too did the temperatures and we huddled around the fire burning for our braai.  It took awhile, but John soon had heaps of sausage and pork chops coming off the grill.  We retired around 10pm, knowing John would come knocking at 6am.

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The Island Vibe backpackers in Jeffrey’s Bay is located atop a sand dune, just a few minutes walk to a popular wave called Kitchen’s Window, the Billabong factory shop, and the downtown area.  The décor and atmosphere revolves around surfing, with the dedicated waking up as early as 5am to check the weather and hit the water.  The motivation of some was all the more surprising as the bar was busy every night.  My participation did little to help me get over a developing cough and cold.

For two weeks each July, the world’s best surfers descend upon Jeffrey’s Bay for a Billabong contest held at Supertubes, the big wave in town.  I took a taxi up there to catch a glimpse of it, even though the wind was keeping the surfers away.  Hearing surfers talk, I’m sure there is a proper way to describe it, but you’re stuck with the words of a layman.

Aside from a few wooden observation benches, there is nothing special on or around the narrow strip of beach.  In fact, there is a rocky outcropping between the beach and the wave, which looked unforgiving.  The waves are much bigger in winter (the northern hemisphere’s summer), yet I could clearly see and capture the tubular nature of them (dude).

For the non-surfing visitors, Jeffrey’s Bay offers great shopping opportunities.  Prices for name-brand clothes were so cheap, I completed another wardrobe overhaul at the expense of my Kho San Road threads.  Aside from the regular surf shops, Quicksilver and Billabong have factory shops where you can sort through tons of clothes.  For example, I bought a black Billabong hoodie for $20.  It was a “sample” meaning it didn’t go into full production, and is therefore something of a limited edition (I like to think), and on sale for 25% off!  T-shirts were as low as $7. 

I couldn’t resist a pair of Volcom board shorts at a surf shop for half the price they would cost in the USA.  To the potential disappoint of a former coworker, I’m officially retiring the Def Leppard’esque brown and orange Andy Irons shorts I bought on sale in Byron Bay, Australia back in January. 

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I arrived at Island Vibe in Jeffrey’s Bay after dark, the sounds of crashing waves all around me.  The scene was lively, and the setup much bigger than the sister backpackers in Knysna.  I felt a bit out of place, ordering food from a local pizza place since I missed the communal dinner (and am not bothering to self-cater as many do). 

My first morning brought plenty of sunshine, and wind.  Sandboarding was on offer at several places since Cape Town, however I was holding off until J-Bay since I didn’t intend to surf.  John, the guy who handled guided excursions and shuttles for Island Vibe, transported me a short distance down the rode to the few large sand dunes yet to be developed into vacation homes.  I picked up a sandboard and walked over to the first dune, referred to by the instructor as the Volkswagen.

Sandboarding is similar to snowboarding so the learning curve is far shorter if you’ve done the latter, though it’s not required to have a good time.  Before you can climb the dune for a ride, the board is waxed by using your hand to smother its base with floor polish.  Then, you rub sand against it, leaving a surprisingly smooth surface.  This process has to be repeated every 2-3 rides, making for a messier experience than I expected.  As a result of the wax-on, wax-off cycle, and high winds, I only managed to take photos of the dune, and the water, before retiring my camera.

Speed is a much bigger factor in being able to turn on sand than snow, so the Volkswagen run was only good for going straight, which was not my natural tendency.  I gave it a few tries, and then me and two German guys headed over to the dune our instructor dubbed Ferrari, mostly on account of the steep top third.  Perhaps a lack of snowboarding in recent years gave me the energy to fit in as many runs as possible, given every quick trip down required a sandy climb up.  I started to get the feel for it and found my favorite starting spot near the bushes at the upper end of the dune where the winds whipped up a steady supply of sand in my face. 

The view from atop the big dune, before descending, was gorgeous.  The water appeared as several shades of blue, and it felt like a world away from the development of town nearby. 

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The bus ride to Storms River, a small village within the Tsitsikamma National Park, lead us over the Bloukrans Bridge that is home to the world’s highest bungy jump (from a bridge, 216 meters).  We zipped over it, so I was only able to get a quick glimpse of the gorge – not enough to fully appreciate the height.  Still crediting myself with two Canyon Swings (from 107 meters) in Queenstown last December, I had already decided to pass on the bungy jump. 

Within Storms River, the views are dominated by Tsitsikamma Mountain, which I’d guess to be around 1,000 meters high.  I settled into the fairly empty Tube ‘n Axe backpackers and booked a horseback riding trip in the forest for the following day.  The bungy jump was the dominant activity of the area, so I heard several fresh accounts, reinforcing my decision not to face a ridiculously scary experience again just for the fun of it.

My horses name was Gracie.  She took good care of me, following the lead horse (Bullet) ridden by the guide, Morpheus.  The owner of all the horses was riding Rambo right behind us.  It took an hour for me to feel some sense of comfort as I hadn’t ridden in 20 years.  We did some trotting which is a real ball-buster of an experience as you bounce up and down.  When I was younger, I remember the one time I got up to canter, and how it felt smoother (and certainly faster) than trotting.  Horseback riding is a popular activity all along the South African coast, so I made a mental note to try it on the beach where even beginners can get up to a gallop. 

After the ride, I hired a mountain bike for the short trip to an 800-year old Yellowwood Tree (the national tree of South Africa).  Sure enough, it was a big tree.  Not too exciting.  Before I returned the bike, I stopped at a B&B for a selection of local cheeses and a hot stone massage.  I had to make up for the nightmarish experience the last time I tried one in Luang Prabang, Laos.  The day was wrapped up with a one and a half hour sunset Baz bus ride to a world-renowned surfing mecca, Jeffrey’s Bay.

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