South Africa wrap up

Now that I've officially exited the South African border, it might be time for a summary of my first country on this trip.

I can't claim to understand the country and its problems, and I've only spoken in depth with white South Africans, and that's only 10% of the story.

- There's a HUGE discrepancy between the haves and have nots. I really got a taste of this in Joburg when I went through the township and shanty towns in the morning and then Darryl took me for a drive through the Hyde Park neighborhood with walls so tall you can't see over them.

- South Africa is unique in that it has affirmative action for the majority of the people. About 90% are black and 10% are white. After apartheid, the government seems to have overcompensated a bit by putting in place policies such as "Black Economic Empowerment" that put black Africans into high level positions. However, they were ill-equipped to do these jobs...according to many.

- It's impossible for a white South African, especially white man, to get a job in government.

- The education system is messed up. Some public schools have class sizes over 100 or even 150 students. Children basically sit around under the tree all day waiting for their few minutes of actual class time. One mother (black) I spoke with said they should bring back the white people to run the schools because they knew what they were doing. One retired principal volunteered his services for free and was rejected because he's white.

- AIDS is rampant. A doctor told me infection rate is over 40% in the country, and his medical ward is over 90%. He wants to immigrate to Canada because he wants to get away from all the AIDS exposure and he can't wait for the day when he doesn't have to carry a gun with him at all times.

- A lot of white South Africans have gone to Australia or Canada or the UK but there are also many who are fiercely patriotic and would never leave their land. But then again, they are the ones who live in nice homes and employ housekeepers and gardeners.

Transit - Days 13-14

I've arrived at Bulawayo, Zimbabwe after 24 exhausting hours and still another 24 to go.

To catch everyone up, my last night in Clarens with Francois and Gerrit was amazing. They invited several of their friends over for what was supposed to be a simple braai. But of course, with an executive chef at the helm, it turned into this elaborate affair with multiple side dishes, impeccable presentation, and candle lit table. I swear my stomach has shrunk already because I could only put down one plate and half of my dessert...needless to say, I was devastated.

The next day Gerrit dropped me off at Qwa Qwa so I could catch a minibus taxi to Joburg. That was a pleasant surprise to me because there are multiple in a day and a bit cheaper than the long distance buses. However, they're not air conditioned so we had to crack the windows a bit and after 4 hours, my face was grimy like no other.

The timing actually worked out pretty well because by the time I arrived in Joburg, purchased my tickets, grabbed something to eat, and hit the internet cafe, it was time to board my overnight bus to Bulawayo. I "splurged" and went with the pricier and more comfortable bus, but was assigned a seat in the front row. Thought that would be a good thing but the drivers were playing music and chatting all through the night! The bus and its 50 or so passengers arrived at the border crossing at 1am where we all shuffled off the bus and through a tent (a la refugee camp) to get stamped out of South Africa. Then we boarded the bus again, drove 1km or so and did the same thing again at the Zimbabwe entry point. No exaggeration...this whole process took 3 hours. The border entry was easy enough I suppose. One person asked questions, another took my $30 for the visa and wrote out the receipt, and yet another issued the visa. I was looking forward to boarding the bus and getting some sleep, but little did I know, that was only the beginning. When we got back to the bus, everyone had to remove their luggage and open everything for inspection and customs declaration - all 50 of us. They didn't really give me any trouble and exasperatedly said, "Just keep the form" when I indicated I had nothing to declare. The entire procedure took so long because some guys refused to pay taxes on goods imported and the bus can't leave until that was sorted out. Yea thanks.

Despite the hassle and inefficiency, I can't deny the kindness of the people I've encountered. The guy who sat next to me actually volunteered to drive me from the bus stop to the train station this morning. Every time I ask for directions, the people go out of their way to help and maybe even accompany you for a bit. They smile and they stare, and sometimes both at once.

I got my ticket for Vic Falls tonight, stored my bag, and walked around town a bit. It really is the pits... There's just nothing aesthetically pleasing about this place. The buildings are dilapidated, the store shelves are half empty, all the products look like they're from the 80s or 90s and the prices are inflated. By the way, Zimbabwe uses US dollars and also the South African Rand as their currency. BUT they only seem to have US paper bills. So anything smaller than one US dollar...they'll use Rands. I bought lunch for $2.50 and got back $17 US and R4. I guess it works.


I ate lunch by the side of the road. It was sadza (think polenta) and beef, with a side of people watching. Everything is still similar to South Africa, but obviously functioning on less resources. The older women walk around dressed in skirts and blazers and hats despite the heat. The younger guys are either in business casual or hip hop apparel. The mothers tie babies to their backs using a towel (which does not look comfortable for the babies). And the fruit sellers use a water bottle with holes punched into the cap to wash off fruit as people purchase them. So far, it seems like a laid back and calm country. The media has made Zimbabwe out to be a nightmare and I'm sure it is nothing but difficult for the people living here...but for me just passing through...it's not so bad.

Clarens - Days 11-12

The past three days have felt like a mountain retreat. On Saturday Francois had to run some errands and dropped me off once again in Clarens. It was a complete 180 from my first introduction to the town on Thursday night. All the shops were open and buzzing with people. I've promised myself not to buy anything at this point so it was really nice to just browse. Although I did buy some gourmet chocolates and such for my dessert loving hosts.

They had a dinner party to attend so I stayed home alone and watched the Travel Channel, which btw actually shows all travel related programs unlike the US. Saw a preview for a show called "Third Class Traveler" about this guy backpacking everywhere and sleeping on couches ;) Oh I also docked my iPod on their sound system and had a poor man's karaoke night.

Today I did another short hike to the overhanging caves behind the hotel. It wasn't as physically demanding as climbing the buttress but really required you to be surefooted. On both hikes, I was out for about an hour and half and didn't spot a single soul. I suppose that's nice but the whole time I remembered my hosts saying there are puff adders and spitting cobras in this region. Thankfully no encounters today and I'm sure I was just being paranoid.

They have invited their friends over for a braai tonight so the carnivore in me can rejoice.

Tomorrow I will leave here and be on the road for two full days and nights so probably no more blog updates until then. Next stop: Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls.

Clarens/Golden Gate National Park - Days 8-10

Yet another iPhone update.

It was a quick visit to Joburg, but quite lovely. I basically only stayed for one full day and saw the Apartheid Museum and Soweto Township. My hosts insisted I take the tour because Soweto isn't safe to explore on its own. Perhaps that's true but the tour itself wasn't mindblowing and put quite a dent in my budget. Still it was nice to see a place of such historical significance and how some of the poor and middle class live.

That evening Darryl was kind enough to make a traditional South African dish called bobuti which was a baked minced meat dish with dried fruit and eggs. I, of course, found it delicious and swore I would make it when I get home. So Darryl's job in a few months is to translate the recipe from Afrikaans and email it to me :)

The following day was the epitome or travel. Got up at 5:30am to make the 6:30 bus to Harrismith. It is only about three hours from Joburg but took almost six because it's public transport and we had to wait at certain stops. In Harrismith the bus dropped me off at a gas station by the side of the road and I was clueless as to where to find local transport. After asking three people, I found the taxi rank and found a minibus taxi to Qwa Qwa (great name ay?) which I thought was close to the Golden Gate Hotel. Not quite. After a 30 min ride to the Qwa Qwa taxi rank I found myself stranded again. Taxi ranks are notoriously chaotic and known to be dodgy so I really want to stay there for long. A kind taxi driver helped me locate a minibus driver who was willing to drop me off at the hotel but I had to wait for two hours. Seeing as I had no other choice (except to pay 20x that price for a personal taxi), wait was what I did. So by the time I arrived at my hosts' place it was almost 4pm.

My hosts are Francois and his partner Gerrit. It's like a gay tour of South Africa :) They are the executive chef and hotel manager at a nice hotel in the national park, respectively. Their home is on the hotel premises and has a tremendous view of the park! I really lucked out because all I wanted after hopping from city to city was to get away from civilization a bit and relax. I couldn't ask for a better place and more laid back hosts.

Nearly by Clarens is the "art capital" of South Africa and is teaming with little independent galleries and shops. Got a glimpse of it last night when Francois went into town for yoga but most of the places were closed.

Today I plan to hike a bit, chilax, and take in the gorgeous scenery.

Johannesburg - Days 6-7

This is gonna be brief since I'm updating from my phone. Made it to Joburg after a 19 hour bus ride. Some other bus broke down so we had to detour a bit to rescue them.

Staying with a guy named Darryl and his boyfriend Hendrick:) wonderful people and a beautiful, cozy apartment.

Had a braai tonight which is in essence a BBQ but it sounds more exotic that way.

Cape Town - Day 5

Today I was lucky enough to visit Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope at the tip of the peninsula. Contrary to belief, it's actually not precisely where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. The currents change and the meeting point varies as well.

We left here mid morning with Emma's friend Lauren and started the 90 min drive down. Half way there, we stopped in Kalk Bay and had brunch at a bustling little cafe called Olympia Cafe.

On the way down, Lauren said she last went to Cape Point as a kid and remembers seeing the waves from the two oceans crashing together and being "quite dramatic." What a liar! The only things that were crashing were the waves against the rocks. There wasn't even a line in the ocean ;) Despite the let down, it was amazingly picturesque and also provided a good workout.

On the way back, Emma was kind enough to choose a different route so we came back by way of Chapman's Peak. Portions of it is a toll road and hugs the shoreline of the western cape. Cape Town really is a blissful blend of mountain and sea. Emma said she used to drive a portion of it on her way to work, and I made sure to reiterate how lucky she is to live in a place of such beauty.

It was almost 5pm by the time we got back and we were all a bit worn out. I opted to stay in and catch up on some stuff online. Tomorrow (if everything works out) will be my last day in Cape Town. I'll go in the morning to buy my overnight bus ticket for Johannesburg and then pack up. So long Cape Town. Thanks for showing me a good time, and I look forward to our second date.

Cape Town - Day 4

It's my fourth day and I now look Southeast Asian. I need some aloe cuz my face is on fire!

It's Saturday, and it means nothing to me because when you're on vacation, everyday is a Saturday! However it does mean that Emma doesn't have to work so she and I went to a weekly Saturday market held at the Old Biscuit Mill in the Woodstock neighborhood. That area is one of Cape Town's oldest neighborhoods and escaped the Group Areas Act during apartheid, so it's always been racially diverse. Some say it's gritty and dangerous, but during the daytime it's definitely very authentic and has loads of character. The market itself was buzzing with people and had several different sections with food, houseware, boutique clothing, etc... It was seriously so charming and aesthetically pleasing that I wanted to become Capetonian (?) right then and there. Let's talk about the food first shall we? Vendors abound with their homemade ice cream, cheeses, mushroom kebabs, salami, honey, olives, vinegar, pastries, brick oven pizzas, fresh seafood, etc... I settled on an almond croissant and coffee :) There were also dozens of private vendors and stores and I explored them all. Emma had to leave a little after 10am for band practice, so I said I'd stay behind and check out more stores. When you travel, it's really easy to get caught up in the sightseeing, so doing something like this makes you feel kind of "normal" again. Much appreciated.

After I left the Old Biscuit Mill, I caught my first minibus taxi into city center again. The minibus taxis I've been told are "not for the faint of heart." That means I was immediately interested, haha. Bungee jumping (esp. in Victoria Falls) is not my thing, but a crazy taxi ride I will take any day. Basically there's a minivan with four rows of seats and a sliding door that's intended to maybe hold a dozen people. The objective for them is to cram in around 20. There's a driver and a ticket guy who leans out the window and shouts out the destinations at people walking on the street. If you need a ride, you can also just hail them down. I managed to flag one down, get in, and ride the rest of the way on one butt cheek. I counted about 18 adults and 2 children in my van...not bad! The minibus dropped everyone off at the taxi stand in town, and I had no idea that place existed! There were rows of shops set up in basically storage lockers. The most interesting one I passed was a "photography studio" with a beach backdrop and a guy photographing a family of three holding an umbrella in his left hand and a digital point and shoot in his right. Fancy.

The rest of the day I spent walking up Long St. and Kloof St. and checking out some of the stores, and sat in a little cafe for 2 hours reading the local paper and sipping on mint water. Then my intention was to find a minibus up to Table Mountain cable car, but failed miserably and got slightly lost and ended up walking back to the minibus place via a nice shady park. Eventually managed to find a minibus willing to head that way and haggled on the price...I lost. But R20 ($2.50) really isn't a terrible hit to my budget.

Table Mountain National Park has a special during the summer months and the cable car is half price if you go after 6pm. Since the sun doesn't set until around 8pm, that was still plenty of time to hike a bit up top and get in some good pictures and catch the sunset. Unfortunately the sunset tonight was a bust but the sky was still a brilliant orange before the sun dipped into the clouds. By the time I got down the mountain it was already dark. No more minibuses and I was thinking of a way to get down. A young couple was getting in a taxi so I asked if they'd like to split it, which would at least get me in town. It turns out they were an American couple from California on their honeymoon. The guy is a Harvard Law graduate turned lawyer, and the girl is a Korean-American girl named Esther who went to Yale, lol. No we didn't introduce ourselves like "Hi, I'm Jing and I went to Harvard." It just came up.

Came back to an invitation to go clubbing in honor of Chinese New Year. Tempting, but pass.

Cape Town - Day 2-3

Time for another update :)

I've thankfully managed to cram quite a bit in to these past two days, and also met some cool people.

Emma was kind enough to drop me off in the center of town yesterday morning on her way to work. The original plan was to take the shuttle to the waterfront and catch the ferry to Robben Island, but since I got there so early, I was able to explore a bit on foot. There are several notable streets and areas in the city center, also known as the "City Bowl." Long Street is perhaps the most well-known and touristy. It's basically a street lined with boutique shops and cafes and restaurants. Some are quite modern and others more boho/kitschy. So I walked up and down that street and popped in to a few shops (no purchases of course).

Nearby there is a neighborhood called Bo Kaap which has many flat row houses painted in brilliant colors. I figured those would be quite photogenic, but unfortunately my lack of photographic skills doesn't do them justice.

By now it's about 10am and the shuttle bus from the city center to the waterfront has started. I make my way to the bus stand and pay my R8 ($1). The V&A Waterfront is a relatively new development with several shopping malls, restaurants, and is most importantly, the launching place of the Nelson Mandela Robben Island Museum and ferry. I've heard mixed reviews about the entire Robben Island experience but figured I should suck it up and pay the $30 to see where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were contained.

The ferry ride was about 30 min each way and once we arrived on the island, we were basically bused around like...well...inmates. But the tour guide was quite charming and we heard from an ex-prisoner and also an ex-warden.

That evening, I went to a nearby bar with Emma and David and some of her friends, who are awesome by the way :) I'm pretty sure I was the oldest one there, but who cares. I'm not sure if this is true of most South Africans, but this group sure loved their foosball. We played 10+ games in various configurations, haha. Try 4 on 4 when you get a chance (and try not to be the goal keeper)!

Today I took the MetroRail out to Simon's Town, which is a little over an hour away on the eastern side of the peninsula. The water from the Indian Ocean forms that bay so it's substantially warmer than the western side with the Atlantic water. I tried both today and it's quite noticeable. I bought a "tourist pass" for R30 ($4) which allowed me to hop off at some of the other stops along the way so I saw a bit of Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and Fish Hoek - just little resort/fishing towns. Simon's Town was worth a visit for me because that's where you can see African Penguins. Boulder Beach is about a 30 min walk from the Simon's Town rail station and since it's technically part of Table Mountain National Park, there's a R45 ($6) charge. There's a boardwalk portion that brings you by the sand dunes where you can see the penguins below. Then there is also a beach area that I nearly missed where you can actually get in the water and swim with the penguins. I managed to climb up on some boulders and perch myself there and wait patiently. After a couple of minutes, several penguins would waddle by with a foot of you and dive into the water. One actually came ashore from the water and shook water droplets all over my camera.

Tonight, again, the three of us went to Clifton beach to meet up with some of David's friends that he had previously met through Couchsurfing. Remember I mentioned he has managed to stay in Cape Town for nearly 4 months with 10 hosts and without paying a single night? That racks up a lot of friends as well. We all brought some food and had a picnic on the beach and watched the sundown and lit candles. Thankfully for the warm weather, the evenings are comfortable and breezy and we stayed almost until 10pm.

Exhausted and ready to sleep.

At last!

I've finally arrived in Cape Town at my Couchsurfing host's house after a 2 day stop in NYC, 7 hour flight to Frankfurt, 10 hour layover in Frankfurt, 11 hour flight to Cape Town and a miserable two hour long walk with my pack.

At first impression, Cape Town is gorgeous, sweltering, ethnically and socioeconomically diverse.

I arrived at in CPT airport a little after 10am and caught a direct airport shuttle to the city center (53 Rand, approx. $7). It must have been quite a recent addition to their public transportation system because it was pristine and quite modern (and my host confirmed later). From that short 15-20 minute ride, I could really see the disparity among the population. The bus passed by townships where homes were constructed basically out of metal sheets or even cardboard. There also seemed to be nicer townships where homes were set up in similar ways but constructed out of concrete. Hopefully I'll get to visit a township in the coming days and see them up close.

After the bus dropped us off in the city center, I had to walk around town a little bit with my luggage since my host wasn't going to be home until 2pm. Central Cape Town or "City Bowl" as they call it is quite happening. Several pedestrian streets with cafes and shops and independent vendors. It actually really reminded me of Boulder's Pearl Street but about 30 degrees hotter...

By the time I arrived at my host family's house, I was soaked with sweat, caked with dirt, and I even couldn't stand my own stench. What a first impression right? I apologized profusely, chit chatted for 2 minutes, and headed straight for the shower. At least now I'm feeling myself again, except for my sleep deprivation headache and my face that's already 2 shades darker.

My host, Emma, is also currently hosting another surfer from Argentina by way of Italy and Spain. He (David) has been surfing since September '11 on various couches around the city because he loves it here so much and never left. Now he is looking to get a work visa and find a job in Cape Town. But with a country that's facing 25% unemployment rate (so I read on the plane), that's presented quite a challenge.

Anyway, Emma and I took a little drive out to her mother's place in Camps Bay (on the Atlantic ocean) to visit some of her relatives who are here on holiday from London. The drive was gorgeous! From everywhere in the city Table Mountain is visible and all of a sudden we hit a bend and we're at the seaside and cliffs on the Atlantic Ocean. Her family owns a rental property a little ways from the beach and we said hi to everyone and sat by the pool until it was time to leave. As I type, David the semi-Italian is making yellow pepper and onion pasta for us. Not bad for a first day in Cape Town!

Gearing up

Here's a list of things I'll be bringing along with me on my six month journey :)

1. Eagle Creek backpack w/ detachable daypack. (No idea what the capacity is, but it's about the size of a small carry-on and plenty large enough)

2. Sony Nex5N camera and lens

3. Travel towel and toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, sunscreen, floss, etc)

4. Journal

5. Backup pair of glasses and pair of sunglasses

6. Medicine and first aid supplies

7. Chargers and electrical outlet adapters

8. Travel documents, money, and credit/debit cards (damn the fees)

9. 2 long sleeve shirts

10. 2 quick dry short sleeve shirts

11. 2 pairs of convertible pants/shorts (found them around the house; who knew we had so many convertible pants?)

12. 1 pair of jeans (I don't care what others say about jeans being heavy and taking forever to dry, I can't go 6 months without wearing jeans. I just won't wash them...)

13. Lightweight jacket

14. Windbreaker/rain jacket

15. Pajamas

16. Sarong (<-- great multipurpose item)

17. Walking/hiking shoes (ended up not being the ones pictured)

18. Flip flops

18. Hat

Not pictured: socks, underwear, swimsuit, water bottle, iphone and some snacks

A new beginning

So this blog used to be titled "Random Musings" but I was far from a prolific blogger and allowed it to dwindle to one blog post a month.

Now that I'm embarking on this backpacking trip, I have given the blog a new title and hope to contribute and publish more frequently (although I'm completely at the mercy of internet availability).

I depart in 4 days and much of the trip is still up in the air, but I trust it'll be just fine :) Getting some of my gear together and will post once before I leave detailing everything I will bring with me for the six month journey.

Until then~