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Hi Everyone!
Sorry this has taken ages, but when we were in Coffee Bay we actually had no access to internet! So here's a quick update!
We left Port Elizabeth on Monday (24th March) and got on the Baz Bus (The SA OZ Experience equivalent!) for 8 hours to Mthata service where we were being picked up by the Coffee Shack (Coffee Bay Hostel), unfortunately some of the other guests hadn't arrived and we ended up waiting for a couple of hours, service stations are not fun places! Anyway we eventually got on the shuttle, to ride 1 1/2hours to Coffee Bay, literally through nothing! The countryside was beautiful rolling hills/mountains, and dotted all around were these small circular green huts, where the people lived! it was amazing! When we got to CB there were literally only 20 houses/buildings there and the biggest being the hostel. It was cool all made up of thatched open air buildings, and some of the accomodation were replicas of the huts the locals lived in! Unfortunately we weren't in one but never mind! We met a really lovely grp of ppl, there was us, Declan (Irish), Basak (Swiss), Moritz and Lina (German), and we kinda ended up hanging out together during our stay! We all decided on the Tues to do a walk we had read about to Hole in the Wall (literally a hole in an island cliff!). So we got up early and had brekkie, then set off, without a map and just vague directions from the hostel - follow the cliff top path, sounded easy enough! Well it was a pretty tough walk, literally on the cliff edge no room for mistakes of slips, otherwise it was bye byes! We met a young lad on the way who became our guide! (the hostel recommend using them as long a s its not school time so they can earn some money, but are not begging as providing a service!) His name was Allan and he was 11, and really good fun!he was teaching us swear words in Xhosa (the local language, which includes all that clicking stuff!!). He got quite frustrated with us as we were too slow and had to keep stopping for drinks once we had climbed yet another steep hill! The 10km took us 2 1/2 hours (hostel said 3, we were proud!), at one point Allan said we were only half way and cracked up as our faces dropped as we were only round the corner from it! We saw Baby Hole in the Wall, before we got there. It was cool watching the waves crash through it! We had a swim and some snacks, we shared our food with Allan and he wolfed it down, bless him! We started walking back, but were all exhausted (it was 37degrees!), so managed to thumb a ride back! They thought it was funny that we brought our guide with us, but couldn't exactly leave him as he had helped us get there! Was an awesome walk, with great views and well worth the pain!
Next day we went on the beach day, we had a free surfing lesson, which was great fun! Andy managed to stand several times, however i just belly flopped a lot! I have my excuses! Later in the afternoon, I (Ali) got roped into making bead necklaces with a local women. I decided to buy my necklace but she wouldn't give me a discount seeing as i had made it! how rude! she also ripped me off, but never mind! not a lot of money to us, but was to her!
It was amazing to be somewhere so remote, and experience such poverty but in a different way to inner city poverty. The people relied on the land, and tourism to keep them going, there was a lot of begging, and the children would shout sweets sweets as you drove past!( It reminded me of the seaguls in Nemo "mine mine mine"!!!)
We had an excellent time there are would love to go back!
Anyway, will write the next one now!
Love, Ali and Andy xxxxxxxxx
p.s. there are 2 blogs written CB and Durban, so check both!
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