A small stream meanders into the bay here. The water is a bit dirty and cold. After some hardcore study of late it was heaven to swim in the waves this morning. September has just begun and my classes are over. Between now and November I must only write a term paper and study for my remaining exams. The South African university system is interesting. The year has two semestres, each semestre two terms. So one has four blocks of classes. In the year you are suppost to take classes totalling 120 credits, or 60 per semestre. To give myself time to see the region I took all 60 of my credits 3rd term, and now freedom!!! I feel some guilt. It will now be like I´m on vacation for a few months, and its not my money I´ll be spending, at least not money I´ve earned. Ah, but I find solace in the knowledge that I may pay one day for all my own needs, and these are experiances that shall serve me well. This self-analysis can be left out if this gets typed up :P. Hmm, would it be funny or boring to read?

I worry about Brandy. She gets so very drunk. Perhaps I´ll have to try and limit her intake on this little jaunt of ours. Oddly enough the American nurses are here, all 13 of them it seems. For some reason I´ve never talked much to them, although they are all at UPE as well. It is a weird coincedence to find familiar faces all these hundreds of kilometres from P.E. though.

What I miss most about P.E. right now is all the kids at Emfundweni Primary School in Zwedi. I wouldn´t have seen them until Monday, but it's a bit sad to know I won´t see them for a couple weeks. Some of the initial excitement has faded, and some days they can be right ornary bastards, but lovely bastards. I dunno what I´ll do when I´ve got to say adios for good :). Perhaps the whole English as a second language thing suits me afterall. At the moment I´m going to take a nap. I have absolutely nothing that needs doing in the next couple weeks :).

------

What a lovely afternoon of doing nothing. The beach at sunset was quite romantic. I found a cute little snake, the first time I´ve seen one in the wild since I was 12. Which reminds me, there was a monkey on campus a week or two ago. Raggid little wet specimen.

My stomach growels. I begin to regret staying at the dorm this afternoon. Dinner remains an hour or so away yet I yearn for sustinence.

The fog rose from the sea as it grew dark. It did not come into shore with the wind but sat at sea giving a bit of an etheral quality to the dusk. As the tide left, shoals in the estuary grew, and the river once so small was a torrent. But laxing in its fury from what my friends say. Brandy, ever the cartoon character that we adore, injured herself in crossing, mis-steping a rock and skinning her knee. Earlier in the day she walked into a tree and before that sneezed hitting her head on a chair. She still carries a scar from a month or so ago when at a pub she managed to slice open her head rather badly on a ceiling fan.

2002.09.08

They are back and I am up. Ah, the mist rose to meet them as they hurried away home. I am jealous and melancholy. I fear I miss too much as pathogens course throgh my veins. A fine white blanket surrounds us. This atmosphere carries more wonder for me than Cintsa. The beach had its magic, but here there is more ether in the air. Less people, more songs in the trees. This is somewhere I would like more fervently to return to.

It is said J.R.R. Tolkien was inspired by these hills to see another world. I would have no surprise if that was the case. He was born not far away, and although soon left for merry olde this could well have loged in a childs mind. It is also suggested that Blomefontain may have been behind Mordor. That I cannot say. Although I passed through there in the early morning in darkness, on a bus from Jo-berg to P.E.

On the road again today I was reminded that South Africans carry the prize in my judgement as the worst drivers in the world. It must be seen! Cars passing double on a two lane road as blind corners are ahead, even as other cars rush towards them! I mean as a car is driving ahead on its one lane a car passes it, and another passes that one simotaniously and in the reverse lane a car bears down. This is not all of it either! Suicidal tendencies abound on the motorways. So any who come here please beware.

I enjoy that I am running into more nice South Africans, before now the only person of this land that I´ve had exclusively pleasant conversations is strangly enough a girl from Blomefontein. Maybe old Tolkein was wrong afterall. So thanks Jeanine for proving there are wonderful personalities in this this place of so much discourse. I must qualify that by saying that she is still the only nice one that I´ve had long conversations with, as most longer conversations with South Africans of all backrounds get obscene. Also I must say there are many I haven´t talked to enough. Formost those wonderful kids at Emfundweni, also some old librarians in the basement at U.P.E., some professors, and others I´ve talked to for short minutes.

It grows quite cold and dark. My foot sleeps. Maybe dreaming of friends and family spread like stars on our one pearl. So small in the night.

2002.09.10
48 hours have passed now we are at the Sani Pass Lodge about 24km from the Lesotho border in the Drakensburg mountains. Sleep calls out to me. From Hogsback it was a 10 hour drive, most of it by me. I truly meant to write but I think I will eat some and go to bed.

Ah but wait. Ásta my dear I had a dream last night where you were a character. That is unfortunately all I recall. Perhaps your keychain had something to do with it? I´ve had it on me of late, thanks for letting me hold on to it :).

2002.09.11
Ah what a beautiful morning. The air carries with it a fresh chill. If forced the choice between the mountains and the sea I would have to go with the former I think. Stuff is cleaner at the top than the bottom. Plus its always easier to warm up in cold weather than cool down in hot.

The drive on the N2 from King Williams Town to Kokstad passed through much variety. The high points came towards the end as the Drakensburg rose to meet the heavens. The shapes are unusual, rising quite abruptly but then capped by wide plateus. The snow reached down to the road in places. It does not reach down to here, though we´re higher in elevation. The air is chill but certainly not freezing. Oh we´re 16km from the border, not 24km. Tomorrow we take a day trip into Lesotho on a Land Rover. Unfortunately our little VW Fox, Flugzeug, likely wouldn´t make it as the road is terribly steep and gains more than 1,000 more metres on us. Anyhoo, Karl at affordable cars certainly wouldn´t be happy.

The atmosphere of the people at the various backpackers continues to change. At Cintsa there were many and the atmosphere was partylike. Hogsback had many fewer and these were quite mellow compared to Cintsa. The trend continues here near the Sani Pass, there are about as many as Hogsback but it seems yet more relaxed. The backpacker population here is also older. At the first two almost everyone was around their early 20´s while here there seem to be many in their 30´s and maybe 40´s. Our little party is likely the youngest. All three have been quite nice, but the best so far was Hogsback. I wonder how the atmosphere will change from here? Our route is yet undicided. We plan to total three nights here but its unknown where we shall move on to. I´m all for pushing on to Swaziland before we head back, but I fear this may be a minority opinion.

2002.09.13

I´ve just finished a most terrible book yesterday. The U.K. edition is titled "Atomised" by Michel Houellebecq, originally titled "Les Particules élémentaires", and I hear oddly enough there is a separate American edition titled "The Elemental Particles". The book is quite good but I wouldn´t recommend anyone else read it. It is for the most part profoundly depressing so avoid it especially if you are one who lacks balanced emotions.

The plans for the 12th carried through and we took a day trip to the "kingdom of the sky", the only country completely surrounded by another, Lesotho. I can now better explain the different figures of before. It was 16km to the S.A. border post. At both borders there was that nice tendency of out of the way places. My passport not once being looked at except for the stamp. The Lesotho border officials were even nice enough to stamp my arrival and departure at the same time, eliminating the need to return to their office on the way out of the country.

2002.09.14
Lesotho is one of those nations cursed with a paracitic royalty. One of those nations that really can´t afford to have one. Much of the people are terribly poor while the king rides around in Rolls Royces. A fellow I know back in P.E., Selete, said that many are angered by the royals arrogent opulence but nothing is likely to change any time soon.

My dreams of late continue to be interesting. Ásta, you made another appearance, but again I´ve forgotten the plot. One that was quite interesting a few nights ago was me running into two people I knew from the Big Island at a backpackers. I don´t know who one of them was, but the other was Aaron Foster. Quite odd as I never really knew that fellow and probably haven´t run into him in three years. I think his Yugo came into the plot of the dream somehow. I don´t feel that dreams are coming more often but perhaps the fact that I sleep every night in unfamilier locations causes a greater degree of disruptions and therefore more concious glimpses of the unconcious.

The morning finds us at the "Inkosana Lodge" near Winterton on the R600 in KZN. It´s quite a nice place, everything is in perfect condition, but I somehow don´t particularly like it. It is somehow posh, or sterial?The drive was again excellent, its interesting to see the change in road signs. Near P.E. there are a lot of "Hou Links By Regs Verby", Jeanine you´ll have to let me know if I got that right, and a few "Drive Left, Pass Right". Once one reaches the old Transkei it changes to English and Xhosa. But now it has returned to the mostly Afrikaans & some English. Beyond the "drive..pass" signs, most signs are in English.

East of Underberg the R617 passed along pine tree plantations for quite some time. In fact on our trip we have seen quite a large number of pine plantations. Sitting on its own about half way to the N3 was an enormous Southern style mansion. The thing was huge. I was so surprised I didn´t think to take my camera out. As we approached the N3 we left the Drakensburg behind for a time. The N3 as it turned out is a toll road so we soon left it at Mooi River and continued north on the R103. The landscape was by now quite changed, more dry sevanna than mountains. As we turned on to the R74 and R600 the foothills of the central Drakensburg returned.

On the road trip I have been happily running across some old style coins in change to add to a growing collection. I´m afraid I´ll never come across them all though :P, :). I´m in the mood for breakfast so I´ll soon be off. I think I´ll have some rooibos, or red bush tea. Quite good stuff. A British girl at the Sani Pass backpackers, Tanya, who introduced me to the stuff ended up coming to this backpackers as well. That reminds me, I finally ran into someone from East Germany at the Sani Pass Lodge. So many Germans but always from the West. So that was interesting. My stomach calls, farewell.

2002.09.15
Another morning and more sitting around endlessly! I wish these folks would get up earlier. Yesterday as I was making breakfast I was reminded of Rahel. Do you remember that absolutely useless can opener you got at the dollarama? This place had one of the cursed devices. Amazingly they can open cans! They do it in a rather particular manner though. I fail to see how that inferior model hasn´t been phased out of existance.

Yesterday we took an old Pretorian along to breakfast. He was rather interesting. Named Douglas I think. After that me and my other road trippers went for a little hike but Brandy wasn´t feeling so well so we cut it short.

I saw a free state license plate yesterday. Unfortunately not close enough to get a good look at it. At least now I know the things exist. Today we head for Durban, that is if my mates ever wake up. The scenery around here is beautiful, a plesant mix of farming, small woodlots, and wild growth. The Drakensburg remind me a bit of canyons in the South-Western U.S. Only here they are at least sort of green, quite green after the rainy season from what I hear. I once again feel the need of maintainance. So I shall now depart to feed.

2002.09.16
The morning finds us at Ansley´s Beach Backpackers in Durban. The city is nicer than I expected, although I haven´t yet seen much of it. It seems more along the lines of P.E. rather than Jo-berg. Quite a bit larger than P.E. though.

Hey, its not even 8 o´clock and Brandy is up, now if only Olli and Stephan get up we can take off. The plan is to only spend one night here and then take off for maybe St. Lucia after checking out Durban. This backpackers is definitely surfer in character, and seems to make at least the boys uncomfortable. It seems they haven´t ever been around surfers before :D. I don´t myself care but think Stephan and Olli are funny. The beach out front is charming. The sand is golden and coarse, the waves are warm and good for body surfing. The only downsides are rocks in the water and strong rip tides.

2002.09.17
Another morning in solitude. This time complete, as the Indian Ocean grinds endlessly against the coast. The sun is rising from the waves, passing orange to become yellow. Growing brighter, harder to look at.

There is the local dog of the backpackers, "The Flying Rhino", Joey, but she is off looking for some small animal to eat. Now I see a couple people in the distance coming this way with their own mutts. Joey almost found something digging madly in the sand, but the strange dogs approach so she returns to me.

Durban is rather a large city. Superficially quite like one in the U.S. As you enter on the freeway the same sorts of billboards greet. Yesterday morning we first found the Post Office so me and Stephan could send some post cards. Next it was off to Victoria Market.

Victoria market wasn´t that special. For the most part cheap garbage. Brandy dissapeered up some stairs for a psychic reading, after about 15-20min me, Olli, and Stephan were getting a little worried. Especially after the lady she dissapeered with reappeared with no Brandy. So we go up the stairs, and entered another world. The interior of the building was largely redone with poor workmanship. There were additional walls and stairways, creating a confusing labyrinth. There were signs, but mostly in Zulu. The building was crowded as well, full of the old and sick. It smelled, the atmosphere thick and oppressive. The three of us were quite uncomfortable. But we looked for a min or two. Then we went back out to discuss what to do, and out walks Brandy. Who thought the place was charming, but didn´t belive the psychic.

From Durban we´ve come west, back towards P.E. rather than continuing up the coast to St. Lucia. One of the tyres is leaking so it´d be best not to drive old Flugzeug more than necessary. I would have liked to see St. Lucia but at least now there is less driving to do. Once we get back I need to see about my SCUBA lessons. I´ve only taken one of the dives, and that Libya paper. Get a hold of UAF. Get a ticket back to Alaska, but how to pay for it? Ah but now I´ll just sit on the beach, and I get to go to Emfundweni when I´m back as well.

One problem with this backpackers in Trafalgar is it was all locked up this morning. I had to jump out a window to come down to the beach. Perhaps they are up. But maybe not. Brandy had the couple that owns the place up until 3am. Stephan agrees we should try keep Brandy and alcohol apart. Olli actually encourages her to drink her first one or two, and seems to think shes funny when drunk. It just makes me discusted and sad. I suppose theres nothing to do, she must decide she has a problem first. Well I´m gonna go climb back in a window if I can.

2002.09.19

As I was sitting in the hammock at Coffee Bay my mates came up and asked if I would like to take off. I was overjoyed. I was having a hard time writing as two fellows had noticed me and come up to the other side of the picket fence to try and sell me things. Something has turned so very sour in Coffee Bay. Both Hamburg and Coffee Bay are small Xhosa villages on the ocean but one it vile and the other lovely. Before leaving Coffee Bay entirely we looked shortly for a craft store that Brandy wanted to see. As we passed an area with several small children they took off towards the car demanding sweets. Not asking for sweets but demanding them. Even jumping on to the back of the car. They kept with the car for a while as the going was slow on the road. We had to pass by them once again after not going the whole way to the store as the road was growing worse. Purtrid children.

Hamburg is also in the middle of nowhere, down an endless terrible gravel road. Superficially it appears similar in many ways. I must repeat how entirely different the atmospheres are. But perhaps the hostles have something to do with it. C.B. has several, they seem to have a large crowd of the party types. Hamburg has one, it is very relaxed. The only other people staying here is couple a few years older than us from Holland.

Also at Coffee Bay were a couple nice Germans from Köln that we met in the central Drakensburg, and this weird beach bum guy who was at Jeffery´s Bay a couple months ago. He´s from Cape Town and had some interesting footware that's a Cape Town specialty. The highlite of the evening was playing Jenga with David and Chris, from Köln. Although there was a free pool table, and one here as well.

I had some interesting feelings of nostalgia while in KwaZulu-Natal. The sugarcane plantations, and giant trucks filled with cane reminded me of a Hamakua of 10 years ago. Which I find myself, oddly enough, missing. While for much of the time sugar was there I didn´t like it. Although it was fun to play in when a very small child. On the whole I think I prefer the west of the Eastern Cape to other parts of South Africa I´ve seen. Although since I call P.E. home I do have a certain bias. Most areas show in their vegitation that they are a bit dry. I am interested to see what it is like further west. Many friends are headed to Cape Town in a week and a half for spring break. Perhaps I´ll tag along on one of those parties. I do find myself quite missing P.E. though. It might be nice to lay low there and just study for two weeks before I head off to Malawi.

2002.09.20
The couple from Holland is gone. So now we have an entire lovely house to ourselves. A lovely, lovely house. Next door are a couple friendly Hungarians who run the place, they are now cooking us dinner. This will be the third time on the trip I shall be eating the dinner of a backpackers. It is always cheap but it is cheaper to cook your own food. We have been eating pasta almost exclusively. The other times were weeks ago at Cintsa before we had purchased groceries.

The beach lies about a half hour walk away and for but a few fishermen was deserted. Today it was powerfully desolate, with brooding clouds overhead and a silence that gave way in time to a gentle but chilling wind. I think that if I again rise with the dawn I will again make my way there by myself for a time, while the day remains naked and new. The coast is littered with shells, so many broken pieces of beautiful art. The grace remaining after the departure of life. By the water snails create random paths, on their own journeys. Knowing a mysterious world apart, having their own joys and sorrows.

2002.09.21
Hamburg is a wonderful place, but I´m quite ready to get back to P.E. This morning I walked down to the beach, hung out there for a while, came back, had breakfast and STILL none of the others are up. Its probably been over two hours. Agg! I have no trouble sleeping in when I´ve been working all week but this is exploration. We will probably be here another night and then its back home. I can´t wait.

Hey, Olli is moving around. I suppose this is a good exercise in patience, anyhoo. The river has an enormous variety of bird life. Small colourful quick little things, large silent fishers standing in the marsh, others gliding along like little boats.

Yesterday as I was cooking lunch and Brandy happened to be taking a nap an old Xhosa woman who was cleaning the house came up and remarked on this. She seemed to find it absolutely halarious. As she laughed all I could think to do was give her a wan smile.

2002.09.22

I suppose I´ve said all I have to say. This hard copy I´ve decided will go to Robin in Mass. He is one part of the family who still doesn´t have an email address. I would also like to thank Ben & Granpa. Without their VERY generous financial assistance none of this would be possible. May the muses smile upon them, and may the fates spin for them nothing but golden thread.

Loren

2002.09.23
Postscript: I didn´t get this before but it turns out Eva grew up with Mona, one of the many Germans in P.E. They are from the same town in Germany originally. What a SMALL world it is! Postpostscript: Ben, could you email this on to Leif? I don´t know his current address.

Appendix I: Exchange Rates (2002.10.01)
Code USD/1 Unit Units/1 USD Currency
EUR 0.98780 1.01290 Euro
GBP 1.56900 0.63770 British Pound
LSL 0.09497 10.63100 Lesotho Loti
ZAR 0.09516 10.55900 South African Rand

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All material copyright 2004-2010 by Loren Everly.