Tales from the Wild Coast

I headed south from the Drakensburg Mountains to the Wild Coast, which lies west of Durban. I only made a quick overnight in Durban, preferring to spend more time in some of the smaller towns that lie between it and Cape Town. I had a month to make my way back to Cape Town where I would catch my flight home for Christmas.

Coffee Bay

My first stop was Coffee Bay, a small beach side village that is a favorite among the backpacker crowd. By far the liveliest spot was “The Coffee Shack” a fun backpackers with a party atmosphere and lots of activities to keep guests entertained. We had a bus load of people staying at the Coffee Shack, including a few familiar faces from the mountains. Soren was a Danish guy who I met at the Amphiltheatre Backpackers and was traveling back to Cape Town where he would do some volunteer work. I also connected with a lovely English girl named Jo and her friend Serine. Everyone had left a job behind at home to come and travel in Africa (and beyond). We all had a lot in common! 

 

The hostel organized hikes in the area and the first day was a walk to a beach known as “pumpkin seed” in the local Xhosa language. The scenery was dramatic and our local guides took us along the rocky coastline to secluded beaches, caves, and a natural Jacuzzi. A few people did some cliff jumping into a tidal river, but I decided to stay dry and watch from a far. The water in South Africa is really cold and I haven’t had much of a desire to go swimming at any point along the way. After a few hours of hiking, we made our way back to a grassy spot for a picnic lunch of toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches. It was a nice way to end the hike.

Later that evening, I met Bianca, Gordon, and Dominic who were in Coffee Bay for a few days. Bianca and Dominic were siblings from Pretoria, and Gordon was Bianca’s English husband. They live in the UK and were in South Africa on holiday for a few weeks to visit her family. We ate dinner together, played pool, and hung out by the fire sharing stories. Bianca was a character and I really loved getting to know her and her family better.

 

The following day, Soren and I joined a young Dutch couple for a hike to Coffee Bay’s main sight “Hole in the Wall.” Hole in the Wall is essentially a large rocky cliff in the ocean that has been worn away by the sea. There is a large hole at the base of the rock and the tide crashes through it in dramatic fashion. We hired a local guide and set out on our 10K cliff side walk. It was an absolutely beautiful day – sunny and warm versus the previous rainy and muggy days. The hike was a lot harder than I expected, with lots of climbs and descents across uneven ground. I have definitely lost some of my Camino conditioning over the past two months! In the end, we all made it to Hole in the Wall and enjoyed a rest on the rocky beach. We caught a lift back to Coffee Shack so that we wouldn’t have to walk back in the heat of the day. 

Dinner that evening was potjie, a typical Afrikaans stew that has a little bit of everything in it and is cooked over a fire for several hours. It was very tasty and went well with a couple of Black Labels, my favorite South African brew.

I caught the Baz Bus the next day and said goodbye to my new friends. Next stop Chinsta!

Chinsta

Chinsta is a pretty coastal town about two hours west of Coffee Bay. It has a large sandy beach and two small villages (Chinsta East and West). I was staying at Buccaneer’s, one of the oldest backpackers in South Africa. The place was really nice – beautiful sea views, spacious dorms, and friendly staff. I took long walks on the beach, relaxed by the pool, and did quite a bit of shopping in their fair trade shop. Nothing like adding a few pounds to the bag! The highlight of my stay was a two hour horseback ride along the beach. I rode a gray horse named Gideon who was a bit spirited and liked to run. The more experienced riders were allowed to canter on the beach on some of the long stretches away from the crowds. It was a lot of fun, but Gideon was a bit hard to control at times. Overall, it was a fantastic ride and one of my favorite things that I have done in South Africa. 

Hogsback

I spent the Thanksgiving holiday in a small mountain town called Hogsback. The town is named after three mountains in the Amatole range that literally look like hogs’ backs. The place is a little quirky (the locals are obsessed with fairies) and it is the supposed source of inspiration for JRR Tolkien’s Rivendell in Lord of the Rings. The town reminded me of Girdwood, Alaska and had a definite hippie vibe. I stayed at “Away with the Fairies,” a small backpackers that is perfectly situated on the mountain. There are stunning views of the mountains at the edge of their property and several hiking trails begin at their doorstep. There is also a bathtub perched on the edge of the mountain for those who would like to take a bath with a view. The water was freezing and the mountain air was cool so I decided to skip the bath on the cliff. I did a lot of hiking in the area and visited a local artist’s “Fairy Realm” to pass the time. I had a delicious lunch at a quirky café and topped the day off with a massage at the backpackers. The best part of the day was speaking to my family for about an hour on Thanksgiving. It can be hard to be on your own and away from home on the holidays. I really enjoyed my short stay in Hogsback and caught the shuttle back to Chinsta where I would continue my journey from there.

The internet in South Africa has been pretty spotty so the blog updates are a bit few and far between. Thanks for reading!