Leaving Durban.... Alone!

Freedom!

So the journey finally begins, not to say that the previous haven't been a journey, but I am now on my own. Oh, Mom and Dad, surprise, I am now going down the coast of South Africa by myself for most of the part. The original plan of traveling in a group with three other girls to the various cities along the Wild Coast and Garden Route fell apart when they decided that they wanted to spend five days in a rural village called Bulungula just chilling. Although I have heard absolutely wonderful things from everyone who has visited there, I am ready for a change of pace after our stint at God's Golden Acre. We were working, but I want to mix things up and at least have the option to party. I am still contemplating a night in Bulungula, as the descriptions do tempt parts of me, but for now I headed to Coffee Bay.

Coffee Bay is a relatively small town that primarily gets its entire economy from backpackers like myself. Because of this, every activity is geared toward young and adventurous individuals. I am staying at Bomvu Paradise, which has beach front lofts. The promise of a free tropical drink and a hammock was too much to pass up. The city on a whole is a party and a half. I have not figured out what exactly I will do, but I am fairly confident that I will be waking up early tomorrow morning to surf. It has been a while, and I cannot claim myself as any kind of surfer, but TIA. R40 for a two hour lesson ain't too shabby either.

I met a few people on the bus already, including more dutch people, and have been comparing travel experiences and plans. A few are following a similar path and it is always good to know someone in the area, whether they are staying with you or not. Before I left the states, I was considerably concerned about the possibility of traveling around by myself. It wasn't that I thought I was incapable of the trek, but there was some fear coming from somewhere. However, after the previous night's talk, I remembered that I am best on my own, doing exactly what I want to do whenever I want to. Traveling with three other girls would have also ended badly, and I should have seen this coming earlier but I would end up getting very frustrated with that situation. So, despite family fears, I will still be with other people from the bus family, and most activities will be group oriented. I don't plan on packing my bags and walking through the mountains alone, yet.

Leaving Durban was a bit of a relief. I find the city, and the surrounding province quite depressing. The city, although it has a few great beaches, can in no way compare to the beauty of Cape Town. The buildings are old and disheveled, the streets are dirty, and the nights are dangerous. Cape Town is in no way the safest city in the world, but you can walk around during the day with little problem. I felt genuinely uncomfortable around Durban even while it was light out, and I don't think I will ever return. It appears to be a city about to explode. The government is trying to shut down the ethnic markets, the people are rioting, and the police are overly aggressive in uncalled for ways. Talking to locals we got a very good feel of how bad things are there. It paints a much different picture of the country's status than I suspect people will see during the World Cup next year.

Speaking of the World Cup, the one bright spot of Durban is the soccer stadium downtown. It appears to be completed, or at least way ahead of Cape Town's, and looks supremely cool. If South Africa manages to overcome worker strikes and complete all the stadiums on time, I hope the tourism money works its ways into the townships. I fear it will stay at the top as usual in this country, but we can still hope and push the initiative.

Anyways, right now I am on my first Baz Bus, which I mentioned earlier. It is a really cool network within South Africa that acts similar to a Eurorail pass, except more convenient. You can buy a single trip, or a pass that is good for 7 or 14 days. While I started with 7, I upgraded to 14 last night to allow myself enough time to see what I want to see. The whole thing costs about the same amount as a flight from Durban to Cape Town, but you get to have a much better experience. Plus, you end up saving money because staying in hostels along the way is five times cheaper than staying in Cape Town for the same time. Coffee Bay excites me, but I am even more excited for Chinsa, which is my next stop. I will be staying there for three nights to take advantage of everything this lodge has to offer. First, it is one of the most beautiful areas on the coast according to reports. Second, the lodge looks absolutely amazing. I will temper my hopes slightly so I am not let down, but I am excited to see what is in store for me. It is called Buccaneers, and is a one of a kind hostel that acts like an all inclusive resort. They have free games, booze cruises, and surf lessons. There is also a game reserve next door that you can take a quad bike through and do a safari with a group of extreme sport junkies. This is all coming out of guide books, of course, but I will see if I can get more information from travelers in Coffee Bay.

I have heard some reports of home sickness from others in the group, but I am really not feeling it. Not that I don't miss some of my friends and family, but I am so happy with what I am doing that it doesn't bother me. There is a reason mothers play peek-a-boo, because it teaches kid that parents will return. There is no reason to miss when you know you will see them again.

The challenge I am faced with now is writing the two papers that are due in 16 days. I don't want to have to miss any activities, so I must write during my bus rides without getting distracted. If I write a page a day I should be alright assuming I will be able to e-mail my paper on the last day (please let the internet work in SA that day). The first paper is a reflection and profile of our project. We must discuss what we did, what our entrepreneur needed, and how we grew from the whole process. That one requires no research and should be completed fairly easily. However, the research paper, which needs to be around ten pages, will be slightly more difficult depending on the availability of the internet. I am struggling between two topics which are actually somewhat related. I want to discuss either the affect of welfare and foreign aid on the South African economy or discuss the Black Economic Empowerment and Affirmative Action. Both issues can get quite emotional, and I have strong opinions that I will need to remove from the paper in order to make the most logical arguments. Finding the data to support my ideas will be toughest, as it would take a long amount of time in the U.S., and I am starting essentially from scratch. Sources are also an issue as the local governments and politicians don't readily give accurate information and very few organizations exist as watchdogs. We will see, but for now my excitement overtakes my mind.

I will try to fill in the past three weeks that went without record, but don't hold your breath on that.

Peace and Love from Africa,
Scott Stephen Smith