Blackcabs and Beaches

And so I arrived into Polokwane, South Africa on my wonky bus from Zimbabwe. I was aware of the problems with crime in South Africa so I picked Polokwane as my first destination to ease my way into S Africa. In the guidebook it warned that the only danger was getting wet from the sprinklers from the middle class suburban gardens! However when I checked in at the guesthouse the receptionist warned NOT to go out at night as it was very dangerous with frequent muggings. I rolled my eyes secretly and thought to myself what does this lady know? I´ve travelled through Africa with minimal problems, I´m sure I can manage a provincial town in South Africa! In my best condescending voice I asked how many muggings there had actually been. ´3 this week Sir, all with knives´. Ah. That night I ran back to the guesthouse after my meal.

Not much public transport in South Africa compared to the rest of the continent and I struggled to find a bus to my next destination. At the guesthouse I asked about the minibus taxis, a minibus service that takes people to destinations once they are full up similar to others in Africa, and was told to ask a black man as it was only them that used these buses! I asked at the tourist office and received a similar answer, they even referred to them as blackcabs! Eventually I found out where these secret minibuses left from after asking around. A superbly organised station with clearly marked destinations, proper passenger lists, and even a section for next of kin! A very pleasant surprise after the rest of Africa. No white South African seemed to want to travel on them though.

After a few of these minibuses I arrived at Sabie, a cute little tourist town in the north of the country with outdoorsy stuff to do. Some Tubing down a white water river which was cool despite getting thrown out a few times. Some cool waterfalls in the area to visit too. Just up the road I also visited Graskop after hitching a lift with 3 guys in a very clapped out Toyota all drinking bottles of beer whilst driving. Drink driving is a big problem in SA. The car managed about 2km before giving up and I had to thumb another lift. Graskop was cool and got on really well with a couple of Dutch girls and a SA lad. Some awesome scenery around this area with Blyde River Canyon apparently being the second largest in the world? Hmm. Went out cycling around the sights one of the days and was left floundering at the back behind the SA lad and a super fit 60year old Dutch manmachine called Hank who sped off into the distance at every opportunity leaving me puffing and panting at the back. Think my current fitness has to be desired!

Next stop was Johannesberg. Now everyone warned me about the dangers in Joberg so upon arriving at the main bus station I was on my guard. I´ll try and paint you a picture. Small rucksack on my front, compartment with my camera in padlocked. Big rucksack on my back with every strap done up. Nothing in my pockets apart from the equivalent of 10pound. Keeping to the main streets with plenty of people looking for a minibus to Soweto where I was going to stay. As I was used to the usual helpful people in South Africa I asked someone where they went from. ´Just over here´, walked over with this guy making sure we kept to the busy streets still, very aware of people around me. Suddenly this guy shouted over to some people and I got jumped by about 4 guys I think (this number normally increases the more times I tell the story). Before I had time to think they were on to me, arms held behind the back whilst one trying to yank my small rucksack off me, another evil looking b****** standing over me with a huge knife looking as if he was about to stab me. I screamed like a little girl as they tried to mug me. Bear in mind that this is a busy street at 4.30pm, no one gave a passing care. Luckily the small rucksack didn´t come off as the big one was over the top of it. They opened the zips but couldn't get in the one padlocked. They went through my pockets but didn´t even manage to find the 100rand note (I had many pockets). I´m still not sure why but they finally left me without gaining anything. I´m not sure whether it was because of a security guard close by or whether they were just after a quick steal. I jogged off away from the scene as another bystander called out ´hey why are you running?´ To say I was shook up was an understatement, I´d never been violently threatened like that before and I was a shaking mess with the image of the knife in my head. I was screwed, I couldn't get into a taxi as they are apparently just as likely to rob you. I asked a lady in the street to help me and she led me down into an underground car park for the minibus. I was bricking it. Fortunately she was one of the many South Africans who would do anything to help you and she mothered me onto the minibus which did actually depart from an underground car park! Thanks to more lovely people on the bus I finally got to the hostel in Soweto. Unfortunately it has messed me up in the head somewhat and I am now very wary of any contact or anyone getting close to my personal space. I even had another experience in Cape Town with a guy on the street who showed me his flick knife and asked for money. Upon seeing the fear in my eyes he further said ´just some change´. Luckily he was an idiot on his own and I simply ran off. That was at 8am! Such a cool country South Africa but the crime really spoils it. I think people who live there just get used to that kind of ####. A shame.

Soweto was really cool. The township is almost just like a proper suburb of Joberg now. met some really cool people and felt very safe there especially compared with Joberg. Still this white black split exists though. I went into an Internet cafe there and was asked whether I was lost as I was white! Race is still a huge issue still and much of society seems massively split. Every conversation with a South African normally involves the words coloured, white, or black somewhere in the chat when describing something. For example blackcabs, white jobs, or coloured music. Didn´t venture back into Joberg surprisingly to do any of the sights apart from to get the bus out of there. That was a very nervous day!

Next was some awesome hiking in the Drakensberg Mountains, probably the best I´ve done. Very lucky with visibility and it was even warm enough to swim in some pools at the top of a waterfall at 3000m! Some precipitous drops with some of the climbing needing to be done with steel chain ladders swinging about down the cliff faces. Also managed a little side step into Lesotho, a small country within SA. A fantastically remote place thanks to the mountains forming its borders. Like a proper little hidden mountain kingdom going into the country. A lot of transport still on horseback and probably the simplest of lifestyles I´ve experienced in Africa. Very surprising.

Had a nightmare bus journey down to Coffee Bay after that. On overnight bus that didn´t show up meant that I had to go via Durban and wait for a connection. Yet another dodgy bus station with a beggar calling me racist as I didn´t give him any money! ´Do you want a fight?` he asked. Dickhead. Made it to Coffee Bay after about 24hours, was well worth the wait, so good to see the coast again. A beautiful coastline but still quite rural with traditional round mud huts still being the preferred housetype. Stayed at a proper party place of a hostel and had some heavy nights on the drink but met some really cool people who I travelled with for the rest of my trip in South Africa. Swimming, cliff jumping, and trekking along the stunning coast the normal activities for a few days before the partying ensued in the evenings. Even managed to get some surf lessons in as well, and after a few more go´s at other places I can just about stand up. Get a bit of envy seeing the really good guys though! Will have to try and keep it up on my travels ready for some bracing outings in Tynemouth when I get back!

One of the guys I met, Pim, had got a hire car and we ended up halving the costs and travelling down the coast together to Cintsa and Jeffreys Bay. More beachy places with activities centred in the sea and on the beach. More and more touristy the further south you headed though. Some great hostels to stay in, a real treat. Probably the best I´ve been in worldwide. South Africa is really set up to the young backpacker with loads of activities like bungees, surfing, rafting, shark cage diving and the like being offered. So much to see and do. I ended up staying 4 weeks in total but still envious of stuff other people had managed to do that I hadn´t!

Stopped off at Stormsriver, Knysna, and Wilderness on my way through to Cape Town. Weather was not so good though which limited what you could do which was a bit of a shame. Surfing ended up being the ideal wet weather activity! Knysna full of holiday homes and rich overfed slow moving old folk dawdling around. Stormsriver rural with some good wet walks. Wilderness an awesome beach location with top surf and a great hostel overlooking the bay, sharks too apparently, told after I had been out surfing! And so after 6 months on the road I finally arrived at the final destination - Cape Town.

What an incredible city, the sun even came out to shine for my arrival with a nice coastal breeze. For the weekend I stayed with Dave and Marjana, a couple I had originally met with in Malawi over Christmas. So nice staying with them in a lovely house in Muisenberg Bay. House on a river waterfront 5 minutes from the beach. A lot of the places to see on the Cape you need to have a car for so it was ideal them showing me around. Sunset picnics on the beach and some good exploring. Even managed one picnic on the beach when penguins were sauntering past us! Two sides of the Cape obviously, a cold Atlantic side which took your breath away when you swam (10 degrees in the water) and a warm Indian Ocean side (20 degrees). So weird only being a few miles apart. A brilliant place with a great vibe and a cosmopolitan mixed feel that seems to be a bit lacking in the rest of South Africa. Beautiful so called ´coloured´ Capetonians with dark skin and blue eyes. A real mixed bag. After a weekend with Dave and Marjana they dropped me off at a hostel for a couple more nights in the centre of Cape Town - Long Street, for a bit of partying. Had one night out with a SAfrican, a Turk, and a Congolese guy. Brilliant, met some more great locals. Just a shame that you had to get taxis about after dark (or drive drunk). Climbed Table Mountain one day, a 1000m high mountain in the centre of a city! That was a hot 40degree climb but well worth it at the top with some incredible views. I can only think of one or two other cities that have mountains and beaches in the city centre. One of, if not the best city I have ever been to even with the crime. A great way to finish the African travels. I guess my last day in Africa should of been time for reflection but ended up being a bit of a hungover blur! After a dearth of good cities so nice to finally find one.

And now onto another cool city - Buenos Aires...