Hostel
to Hostel – Cheap & Safe
For
the Young and Young –at-Heart
Word of Mouth is an unusual name for a guesthouse, but not so in South Africa, where I also found Bump in the Night, Elephant on Castle and Down the Lane. Called “Backpackers”, they provide inexpensive accommodation and services to travelers including TV, VCR, video library, E-mail facilities, and a welcome tea & coffee for weary traveler.
It
was July when I was there – winter in South Africa as the country lies
below equator. Though days were sunny, the nights were bitterly chilly for
my blood. I stayed around Pretoria a few days to get acclimatized and
enjoyed long walks fine admiring Dutch architecture, museums and
monuments.
At
that time of the year, the jacaranda trees were in bloom, immersing the
city in glorious shades of purple and mauve.
There
were numerous malls and arcades to browse for souvenirs, roadside artisans
sold colorful hand-spun rugs, fine bead and woodworks, and decorated hides
and skins.
After
about four days, I sat down with the lodge manager to discuss my problems.
I had only $ 1,000 and a credit card and a wish to traverse South
Africa from one end to another. I wanted to get a taste of everything the
country had to offer: mountain biking, river rafting, para gliding and
above all bungee jumping – not to forget game viewing and safari walking.
Hop-On
/ Off at Lodges and Hostels
A variety of transport was available, air, rail and road links, but
for my restricted budget a bus network known as Baz Bus was best choice.
Baz Bus picks up and drops off passengers at lodges and hostels.
Passengers simply buy one ticket to their final destination and can
"hop-on, hop-off" wherever and as many times as they like with
no time limit. I got a Pretoria-Cape Town Return Ticket for $ 230, would
also allow me a stop in Swaziland, a land locked country surrounding by
South Africa and Mozambique.
Sondzela
Backpackers, Swaziland
The
next morning, dressed in layers of cotton & woollen clothes, I stood
at the gate of the guesthouse waiting for Baz Bus to Swaziland.
It arrived at 7:15 am, a Mercedes Sprinter towing a trailer.
It had 22 seats and mostly white passengers ranging 18 to 35 years.
I am 57, but that was no problem.
I was lucky to get
the front seat. The entire route heading east to Swaziland was studded
with fruit plantations, stunningly lush green sugar cane fields, high
grassy plains and majestic mountains. We passed by Nelspruit City, the
gateway to Kruger, the world famous
Wildlife Park, home to all the “Big Five” - lions, elephants,
leopards, buffaloes and rhinos.
Sondzela, a quaint
thatched lodge is located inside the Mlilwane
Wildlife Sanctuary, and one can be on a self-directed walking
safari the moment one gets out of the room.
This was highlight of my trip.
Zululand
to Durban
Baz Bus took me
south to Zululand and the picturesque village of KwaBonambi, which is
situated 20 minutes from South Africa’s oldest game reserves, Hluhluwe
and Umfolozi.
I
stayed at a hostel run a mother and daughter. Here
I had the best food in most hygienic conditions. The place was also well
decorated. I was told that the daughter had a husband but he was kicked
out as he was not matching with overall decor. The mother had reduced her
own husband to safari guide, and the two women were firmly in command.
Nearby
at a Zulu Culture Village, young girls performed the dance to attract a
suitable match. The price of a bride, I heard, is eleven cows, and one cow
can be bought for about $ 300. Unfortunately, I hadn’t the time to enjoy
a blissful marriage.
My next hop-off point was Durban.
On the way, I passed through the St
Lucia wetlands, a region known as a great eco-tourism.
The wetlands stretch 80 kilometers from Sodwanya Bay in north to
Mapelane in the south and are surrounded by ocean beaches.
I liked Durban
as there were many Muslims hailing from Pakistan, India and African
countries. It is big, lively city, and I had an opportunity to see Indian
Films at the local movie houses as well as visit museums, aquarium and the
planetarium.
After
a week in Durban, I moved on to Coffee Bay on what used to be called the
Wild Coast of Transkei. Here high cliffs fall to a narrow bay skirted with
golden beach and aquamarine serf.
Next
was Cintsa, located about 35 kilometers northeast of the city of East
London. Here, atop a hill, I found a beautiful hostel called Buccaneers
Retreat.
As the time was running short, I
moved on, briefly stopping at the city of Port Elizabeth and then to
Knysna and finally to Cape Town. I thought I would stay a while in Cape
Town and unwind, but it was cold and cloudy. There was no out-door tours
and it looked as if everything had come to a stand still. I got panicky
and planned my return without waiting for the sunshine- which came two
days later.
I
went cross country to Johannesburg where I had a conducted tour of
Hillbrow, a once famous entertainment and bohemian district that has
become notoriously unsafe in recent years. I saw massive hotels like
Holiday Inn closed down and chain stores abandoned. Johannesburg seemed to
me a dying city.
In
30 days I had only a glimpse of South Africa, and I would have loved to
come again. But there are many other countries I have to see, and I feel
age is creeping over me, hence, it is all the more urgent to go to un-seen
places. Next stop, USA … by bus of course.
HRM