Surfing and Sliding Over Rough Coffee and Hogs

***Photos and videos have finally been added. Internet connection here has proven to be pitiful. I added photos to the last blog entry as well.***

Hope all are well as you read this, our second to last entry from South Africa. At the end of this entry, I have added our third installment of the State of the Belly Report. Watch as Nadine expands.

Your local lifeguard on duty

From the confines of Durban, Nadine have made a steady trip south along the southern coast of South Africa to Coffee Bay. There were not any coffee beans floating around in the surf for those of you caffeine addicts looking for a new Mecca or free coffee. Nadine, Melissa, another medical student Molly, and I took advantage of Coffee Bay to work on our budding surfing skills. From our 4 person hut, we jumped in a van lacking 4 seats for 4 sets of butt cheeks, and ran over to Long Beach. It was at this point that we realized in the van that one of the other passengers, with a seat, was from the same area as Melissa's grandmother in Minneapolis. In the end, we found out that they only live 4 houses away from each other. Who knew it would take a trip to South Africa for these two people to meet? It really is a small world. But back to Long Beach, that is what I am going to call it, since we never caught the real name, and the beach was really long with the added home comfort of steers as lifeguards looking on from sand. "Moooo, grab onto my udder. I will bring you ashore."

Who is following their own surfing lesson?

We started off with a small surfing lesson from English Sam and the warning to avoid blue bottle jellyfish, a small jellyfish that is not officially a jellyfish, but looks like a jellyfish looking for human legs to attach themselves to. Molly threw on a wet suit for safety, you can never be too safe, but that must have attracted them to her. On her first opportunity trying to hang 10 on her board, she was attacked by a blue bottle, and instead of hanging ten, only caught one. After several attempts on standing on our boards, we all rode at least one wave in.

Hanging a full 2 on this one. That is one big wave

A little later on, the next blue bottle jellyfish, still not a jellyfish despite the name, grabbed a hold of Melissa's foot. From the recent history, I then politely asked the rest of the non-jellyfish to not grab me. They peacefully complied. After another afternoon session in rough, tide riddled waters, I had my fill of surfing and salt water. Next stop, the Hawaii professional surfing circuit only if they have Texas cows lifeguarding.

A classic Nadine and Melissa pose from high school

A classic Nadine and John pose, her arm around my neck

Our surfing day offered great weather, the next two did not. We planned on hiking the coast for 3 hours to the Hole in the Wall. It's a natural hole formed at the base of a small island that water rushes through with every coming wave. Instead of a miserable hike through the rain and wind, we jumped on a truck. We did hike to the top of the small islands which made me imagine what Ireland must look like with those way too green hills dropping off at the water's edge.

That is a large hole in the wall. Need a little more than plaster

From Coffee Bay, we were on another bus to Mthatha and their bus station located at a big, clean Shell gas station stocked with delicious Magnum ice cream bars. At this point, Molly returned to her medical rotation in Durban while the three of us went to our next stop, East London. What made this 100 rand bus ride great was the fact that it was free, some glitch on their part. I rode with this guy from Argentina spending his first trip abroad in South Africa. It was the first time in a long time for me to speak Spanish and talk about Nadine and Melissa without them completely knowing what I was saying about them. I would say something to Carlos while pointing at both of the girls, and then begin laughing. I also learned a very useful expression for Argentina, tener rose. I can't reveal what it means here unless you have studied Spanish for over 2 years. Another thing, as we ate dinner at an East London restaurant, the waiter revealed that his mother was from Elma, Washington, the city right next to where Nadine lived while volunteering in Washington state. Once again, it's a small world. Next thing you know, you may have New Mexicans leaving the state and running into other green chili loving people. Ok, that's not too likely.

From East London, not anything like the actual big London over in England, but we jumped on a shuttle up to the mountain town of Hogsback. It gets its' name from the three hogback mountains towering over the area. I can also say with authority that Hogsback has the absolute best reading spot. From this point you can read, watch parrots fly by, listen to monkeys rustling in the trees, and sit right on the edge of a cliff. I called it first.

Best spot in the world that we've found to read

Hogsback was made for hiking, and that is just what the three of us did. It had been raining heavily two days earlier and it made the first part of our hike tough. We descended down a few paths that had a stream flowing down the middle, so we simply had to straddle the trail with each step. Our first stop was at the "Big Tree." It was big and old, 800 years old. We continued on to a point in the trail that you had to cross a simple little creek, but this creek had metamorphized into a stronger, wider creek with the help of a heavy downpour. I attempted crossing it and just as soon as placed my foot down on the opposite, slippery rock, I was down in the water, with the water up to my butt cheeks. Any normal New Mexican twin would have had water up to his big nose and snorting.

Third Official State of the Belly Report

The rapids caused us to change our original route. Further on, we came to another point that we had to cross the river, less dangerous, but still intimidating. We crossed successfully, but with no path on the other side. The entire time we had been going with an 18 year old English teenager, and he had become the unofficial guide. He also stated a few times that he got lost the last time he went hiking. Not an enthusiastic endorsement. On the other side as we began bushwacking in search of the trail, it was at this exact moment that I felt the fatherness come out in me. Immediately I stopped our group, and said we had to get back to the path and stay on it. It was interesting for me to note the father-to-be in me come out. Good sign. Nadine and Melissa noticed it as well. So I would like to tell everyone right now, "Don't run with scissors in your hands! And, brush your teeth tonight! I mean it. I will pull this car over!

The rest of our hiking was enjoyable and safe. We ran up to the Swallow Tail and the Madonna and Child Waterfalls. Both were great and left us mildly wet.

Madonna and Child Waterfalls

One of the things anyone coming to Africa or South Africa usually have at the top of their list is a trip on safari to see the Big Five. The Big Five consist of the black rhino, Cape buffalo, elephant, leopard, and lion. Since we have yet to go on a safari game trip, we have created our own Big White Five. These are animals that we've seen and have commonly seen across South Africa and they are ferocious. Don't allow your children to read these as they may have nightmares. The Big White Five are the horse, cow, sheep, goat, and donkey. We have found them in abundance crossing roads without heed to cars roaring towards them, sitting in groups under trees, and just lazing in the sun. So when you return home or are at a party after a weekend in the Texas countryside, you can tell that special someone that you saw the Big White Five, and then hike up your pants. They will look at you with envy.

From this interactive map, you can follow our entire trip by simply clicking the arrows

Life is good and our threesome is about to become a foursome as Melissa's boyfriend Jesse arrives into South Africa to travel with us for two days on a visit to two game parks. Then we head directly to Cape Town.

This week's question is a little different. Since we only have a maximum of 20 days left on our trip before we head back to the U.S., we would like to get all of those faithful readers favorites from this entire trip. So simply send me an email with your vote to jwhit003@gmail.com

What has been your favorite or most interesting picture?

Video?

Location?

Story?

Blog entry?

Comment?

Favorite traveler between Nadine and I? We already know who is going to win this one?

Favorite anything else.

Enjoy your week and let your friend know how much you like them by suggesting that they read this blog as their weekend activity. They might buy you a beer.

JW