First Night in Knysna

After the car debacle during my first night, I thought I should see what a Friday evening in Knysna looks like. So off I went, alone, into the fluorescent unknown.

Oldies
Now this was the first place I was told to check out. A great place by the looks of it. It appears to cater to bikers a lot; or so I gather by the many pictures of bearded leather-clad men by their bikes. The bar staff is friendly, but not the the type of social vibe one looks for when you are alone. The tables are filled with pre-set social groups and some families. So I sat by the bar, making note of the day's events; longing to be back at Bush Bar. Then the strangest thing happened: for the first time during my trip I started to feel lonely. As you are about to find out, that did not last long.

Kings
The locals at Oldies told me to try Kings, and I am glad that they did. It was my kind of bar. Just the right amount of seedy; not to so much that its scummy, but enough to bring in a crowd that are unpretentious and open to conversation. It's important that the clientèle don't take themselves too seriously. The bar-stools are stacked beer crates with cushions. I have to admit I was very partial to the black and red decor, but that's me. I could even excuse the rugby T-shirts on the wall. What's a bar without a bit of sports trimming? Just as I was thinking to myself, "Hmmm, these people look interesting, I would like to get to know them better", this guy turns to me and asks me what I am doing. I was taking notes, so I explained the trip and my intentions, and when finding out I was not there with anyone he graciously invited me to join his table. Chris, you are a legend. At the table I met such gems as Jonty the Jew, and Carl (if you forget his name just ask yourself, what is naked in Afrikaans).

Zanzibar
After many jokes were shared, we headed off to Zanzibar. It is the type of meat-market every town creates when it gets to a certain size. The bigger the town, the more they have. It is some kind of universal law. I was last there a few years back, for the Gay Pride Festival, the Pink Loerie. At the time they had a silhouette of Batman on one of the walls, sadly it is there no longer. So the night continued into the early morning. It was a warm and exiting introduction to Knysna that more than made up for the troubles I had with my car.  

I don't know what to tell you about Zanzibar. We all know these clubs; huge dance floor, a few sections were you can sit on comfy couches and pretend you're not sixteen. Let's see ... there is the balcony; that's a must. There was one thing that really impressed me was the DJ that played some of the score from Star Wars.

Maybe Batman is till there in spirit.