Seekombuis

Now, I have already gone into the general appeal of Paternoster, but let me tell you about the one place that really made this little fishing village a great memory for me. Seekombuis  is right by the entrance for Tietiesbaai. If they ask you to pay at the boom, just tell them you are going to the restaurant and they will let you in for free. 

It is an open-area restaurant on the beach; the smell of the ocean mixes with the smell of freshly-baked bread, the smooth rocks stick out of the ocean like silent titans, old crayfish boats have been converted into tables. It all comes together to create an amazing atmosphere. Not only that, but the people who run the place are among the nicest people I have met along my travels. If you need some insider information on which routes to take then they will be able to help guide you in the right direction.

They have only been open for a year, but already they have got a strong local following. Perhaps you don't understand how friendly these guys are. So let me tell you about my experience there.

I stopped over for a beer, and told them about my plan to camp at Treckosskraal. They advised me on which road to take, but also told me that if I wanted to camp on the beach by the restaurant, I was more than welcome. Come now, if that is not the nicest thing ever then I don't know. Oh but wait, it gets better. So after I go and check out Treckosskraal, I come back, and decide that I would rather chill out there, chat to some people, have a few beers, and sleep on one of the most beautiful stretches of beach I have ever seen in my life. Things can't get any better than that right? Boy was I mistaken.

So at six in the evening fresh loaves of bread come out and the dinner service starts. Now, without provocation they told me that I have to taste their food, and they did not need me to pay for it. I realise that I told them was on a road trip and that I was doing reviews of places, but that was a surprising act of kindness. What was even better was the food itself. Smoked snoek pate with home-made apricot jam on bread that had only been out of the oven for five minutes. I was close to tears the food was so good

As the night died down, and we all made our way to bed, One of the ladies there gave me three beers, a big packet of chips and a chocolate milk for the rest of my trip. By that point I was so full of kindness if some one had pricked me I would have popped.

I woke up to one of the greatest views a person can hope for. I would like to thank every one at Seekombuis for making my time in Paternoster amazing.  

What I saw when I woke up

Last Night

So last Friday I told you about about the lady who took me by the arm and dragged me around the place. Well, by Hollywood's standards a good movie needs a sequel. So last night I met her and her friend for a night out. As I arrived the group of men that had been hovering around them walked off. They thanked me for the rescue. It was a pity that they chose the one bar in Hermanus with a cover charge. But Geko had a great view of the ocean, and being in the new harbour it was close to were I am staying (although in Hermanus everything is close).

As we sat down and chatted I found out her friend was a miner in a tiny town near Poffadder. Let us just say that my concept of random has just been upgraded. Though they were really great fun to hang out with. It became especially entertaining when we went to Shimmies to find the dance floor empty; an array of dolled-up ladies, overly Axed men and hungry-eyed middle-aged women sitting at the bar. Ha, that did not stop us. After I consulted my cell-phone Sangoma I was assured that dancing like an idiot to repetitive music with enough sarcasm to choke a kitten would be the perfect thing to do. After three songs the floor started to fill with more people, who seemed to take the whole affair with a bit more seriousness than we were. After a bit of observation, I realised that drunk men are far more certain of their sexiness than the faces of those around them demonstrated. That's why the genders drink together I suppose.

It was getting late and my party was needed elsewhere in the morning so we went to the new friends house for coffee, and a hearty round of witty banter. As we left her house the girl from last Friday had trouble starting her boyfriend's car. It was an old Toyota that resembled the old Datson bakkies. I owned a Nissan 1400 for many years (until someone hit it while it was parked and wrote it off), so I offered to help. After I showed her where the choke was she drove off, leaving me in the cool night air feeling like a real man. Besides, if a guy can't help a damsel start her boyfriend's car, then what good is a man?

I will be spending the weekend putting the finishing touches on my plan for the next leg of the journey. I will be going up the west coast then down through the R62, back to Port Elizabeth, then from there up to Hogsback. If any of you know of great places along the way I would love to hear your suggestions.

PS: Sorry this post has no pictures of last night. I did not want to cart around my shiny camera. It might have made me look like a ponce.

So here is a picture of a potplant on a chair. Yeah, that how I roll. I have tea with nature.

Travel Buddy

I am the the type of person who enjoys things more when I get to share them with other people. This ranges from a good bottle of wine to a sunset. The road has shown me many beautiful things; from hills of sweeping majesty, to forests clad in mist. Though, after a while I started to get a bit depressed. I tended to turn to the empty passenger seat and say "Hey look at ... right there's no one there, how silly of me."

So on the way to Swellendam I turned into a petrol station in Albertinia, which also had a farm stall attached to it. When I was pursuing the the merchandise I came across a basket filled with little hand-stitched figures, some in the shape of animals. But one of them caught my attention, for in this little creatures pink button eyes I saw a friend. Admittedly the days of travel had made me a bit Schizotypal. I was actively giddy at the notion of having a travel buddy; I even got chocolate milk to help me celebrate -- not sure why though.

Love me or be damned 

My suggestion is, if you are going to go on a trip, perhaps it's not best to go at it alone. It always helps to have another person on hand who can drive as well, and if something happens to you there is always some one who can help, or flag down a car on your behalf. Falling asleep behind the wheel is also very dangerous and I know more than one person who has been seriously injured as a result of that same. Yet if you cannot find a person to ride with then get yourself a "Wilson" -- you know, from that movie with Tom Hanks. He's stuck on an island; I think his wife marries his best friend, so on and so forth. Just having something on you dashboard even to converse with. I know we can all pretend to be above such seemingly insane action, but when you are alone in a car, you are bound to do some silly, if not down right crazy things. The longer the road, the crazier the thing will be.

So here is Buddy, my very unimaginatively name Travel Buddy. It was just easier to say things like, "Hey Buddy", or "look over there Buddy", without having to insert an obligatory name.

Bongos Pizza Lounge

As you drive past Wilderness, it is hard not to spot the sign on the forest side of town; with the Rasta gecko/lizard playing bongo drums. Every time I drive through wilderness, I make a point of stopping at Bongos. Over the years it has become a ritual. Their pizza is amazing, and definitely worth trying. The last pizza I ate there had salami, gherkins, jalapenos and mushrooms. It took me three hours to pick up all the bone fragments -- that's how much my mind was blown.

Not if, but when you stop there, you will meet the very friendly Marcia and Anton. No, my opinion of them and their establishment is not influenced by the fact that they gave me a cigar. The ambiance is just really great there. I even met two friendly photographers. They were shocked at the the camera I was (and still am) using to document my travels. Sadly no camera shop has rushed in to sponsor me (wink wink).

If you like pizza nearly half as much as I do, then this is definitely the place to go. They also have themed parties at the end of  every month.

My Car Crash

For all of those how have been following my journey I would like to apologise for a long silence. I had a car accident. Don't worry, I am fine; no serious injuries were sustained, and no one else was involved. The car should be fixed by next week, and the journey is not over. I would just like to thank my father for all his assistance in this matter.

In the meantime I will be going through all my notes and filling you in on all the amazing things I have seen but just have not had the time to tell you about.  I hope you enjoy reading them.

What, you want something funny and entertaining?

Come on guys I am giving you some sad news. I mean it's going to cost a couple grand to fix my dear sweet car; and you want jokes and humorous anecdotes? Well, okay. The car ended up on its side, so perhaps the image of me crawling out of the passenger side door as it stood facing the sky, will amuse you. *Sigh*, I suppose that was a bit uncalled-for. Its just that the last few days have been a bit tough. Of course the notion of hanging up the towel crossed my mind. Sure, the road can get lonely. When unspeakable beauty fills your eyes, the desire to turn to the passenger seat and say "Will you look at that; ain't it cool", becomes intense. Though the chances to see these things are not constant. Besides, I have you guys to share it with. Then I remember, I am not really alone; you are with me. In my heart; my mind, my desire to share wonders and experiences to those who would honour me by reading it.

This trip started out being about me, and my discovery of whatever seeps from the tarmac. Though I must admit, you are the fuel that drives me to continue. That may seem a bit sad. Perhaps it is. It does not bother me though. That is who I am. When you leave the world that told you what it thought you are, you must be willing to consider the person you find along the way. Not the person who sits next to you, but the person that sits inside you.

Wait, I sense that I may have veered somewhat off topic. Just a bit. Anyway, had an accident, sorry about the silence, will be back to posting tomorrow.

Fairy Knowe Backpackers

Easily the best backpackers I have been to, hands down. Aside from the beauty of the enclosed canopy of milkwood, and the whelming social area; the staff here make you feel like an old friend who has just popped in for a pint. There I spend the first night drinking with the owner, staff (whom I am told has an amazing Lava-lamp), and two girls in the midst of their own trip. Very seldom to I feel like the least attractive person at the bar, but that was definitely one of those nights.

I even learnt a few new card games, and drinking games.  Seldom should I consider spending more than one night at a place but it happened at Fairy Knowe Backpackers. Though I had such a good time, and met such wonderful people, I could not help it. N and M were lovely company. I did learn that sleeping in a hammock is a lot easier when you are drunk. When you are sober things like comfort tends to be more important.

It was one of the greatest times I've had since beginning this trip at Fairy Knowe Backpackers. Ben who works there gave us an interesting tour down the old railway line. It was one of the oldest running railway lines but closed down around seven years ago after heavy floods. There I found something amazing, but that is a story for a different day.

If you are young and want to have fun, then this is a good place to stay. Also, you must ask to see Ben's lava lamp. It is amazing, says the guests. It will be the highlight of any trip.

And they have employed a real-life fairy; her name is Mack.