Tuesday, December 19, 2006

The Transkei: Beautiful Coffee Bay

Before I start this long-awaited blog entry, I am going to proffer an excuse for the tardiness of this entry: meetings out of town combined with my gallivanting across the Transkei has kept me away from the office, and therefore the internet.

The Transkei…ah, what a gorgeous region. The history of the Transkei is interesting: it was declared a former homeland for black people in South Africa by the former apartheid government. Millions of black people were forcibly moved from areas declared “white” to the Transkei (and the Ciskei etc.). The Transkei is very rural and the rolling green hills are fantastically stunning.

Billy goats and other cattle roam free [below].

We sped off on Thursday afternoon and Mother rode shot-gun the entire way. I still find it too amusing when goats, sheep or cows refuse to move off the highway, despite continuous honking from the cars and livid curses from drivers out of their windows. Grazing land is scarce in some areas, so farmers are forced to graze their cattle along the grassy shoulders of the highways.

About five and half hours later, we landed in Coffee Bay at the Coffee Shack Backpackers. There were a bunch of characters in this place, let me tell you. After checking in, we headed to the fire pit for a beer or two and the atmosphere was great. Bongos roaring, people singing, people swinging in hammocks, a guy from Wales named “Gareth” getting so unabashedly drunk he insisted on showing everyone that he could do push-ups (which the Spaniards found too amusing). So, I got comfortable. I ordered a beer in the bar area by myself and sat down. Within two seconds, the entire bar was looking at me and screaming “BUFFALOOOOOO” at the top of their lungs. Perplexed, I had no idea what the hell was going on. A man approached me with a funnel with a rubber tube attached to it and informed me that, pursuant to the "Buffalo Rules", I must now down the drink that I was enjoying through the funnel. Why? Because apparently you are not allowed to drink any drinks with your right hand when you are in the bar, only with your left.

The backpackers accommodations were spread out. The main ones were on one side of the Bomvu River, and ours were on the other side. There was no bridge, but some stepping stones that one could use to get across. But due to the all the rains on Saturday and Sunday, I had given up wearing shoes because your feet always got wet because the river level was so high. And, it was muddy, so what’s the point of wearing your shoes? Each tmie we crossed the river, a swarm of people would follow us, offering to sell marijuana or mushrooms. No matter how many times they were told that we didn't engage in any of those activities, they still insisted on following us across and trying to sell us their merchandise :) I even managed to cross this river holding a beer, with some minor assistance of one of the local canines [see below].


On Friday, we visited the “Sacred Pool” [see below]. Before I say another thing, let’s define what a sacred pool is: a sacred pool is a pooling of water in the river which Sangomas get baptised in (a Sangoma is a witch doctor). Anyone who is NOT a Sangoma is NOT permitted to swim in this oh-so-tasty looking pool since it brings terrible luck. After mulling this over for about five minutes, I stuck my toes in the water, that’s all... I swear.


The following day, we accompanied our travelling companions on their fishing excursion to the beach:
The boys were fishing with a bait they called "red bait". Due to the sounds of the oceanand the strong winds, I was unable to pick up what exactly this red bait is; however, I did manage to take a fantastic shot of it [below]. If anyone is familiar with this organism, please share your wisdom with me.
After sitting and watching the three men fish for a while, I decided to march up this hill / mountain [below] with my friend Casper to seek out a spectacular view, which we found.


On Monday, Mother and I went on a 9 km hike from Coffee Bay to Hole-in-the-Wall. What a gorgeous hike. Rolling green hills, and the hiking path is carved out of the hill. I had forgotten that mother was afraid of heights, and at the beginning of the trail, she was assuming a very quirky walking position, and holding on to the grass for dear life, while edging along the path.















We stayed in Coffee Bay for a total of six days (including the weekend). With all honesty, I can attest to you, my readers, that this was a paradise on earth. I was unfetteringly flabbergasted at the beauty of the land, and the authentic feeling I derived from the place. On departure day, mother and I were besieged by local women who implored us to purchase their beadwork (which hung from branches stuck into the ground, as you can see below). So, mother and I set to work. We decided to buy relatively the same amount from each of the women to promote fairness. The most lively woman exclaimed to us afterwards, "NOW... I am happy!", so mother took our picture since I felt fairly happy too [see below].


On the final day, Wednesday, we went for a swim and all I could think was “where zat shark, ja?” Our travelling companions, who are all South African, thought I was a hoot, and also a sissy. So, to redeem myself, I took three more steps into the water, and witnessed a certain ray (I thought it was a stingray) and ran out of the water yelling "Croiky"!! I am well aware that sting rays are pretty harmless, but let’s remember Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter, for those of you that don’t know) and how he died from a stingray jab to his chest.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

...way to go giv'er BUFFALO SOULJAH! All the best to you & mom this holiday season! Have a Happy Non-Denominational Holiday!

ps - MWA!

Plaz

1:50 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from your friend Jack in Canada
Hope you and mummy are doing well

9:50 PM  
Blogger Bruce Biffard said...

Yo Emma
Great photo's and Text....South Africa is outstanding.
The Bait picture looks like Rock scallops.....but I can't be sure.
Love the Coelacanth....let your friends know this fish exists it has also been caught off Indonesia
Where I've just returned from
Very lovely and cheap
here's some photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/biffy007/

I will be heading to Europe in the Spring
Plan To be in Amsterdam for the Queen's BDay
Keep me posted on your travels
much love
Bruce

10:18 PM  

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