Road Trip!

I just returned from a road trip to Cape Town for semester break with seven other international students. To give you an idea, Cape Town is about 1900km from PMB. I rode with the Jessis (one from UCSD, one from Germany) and Amir. In the other car were Mani, Lauren, John, and Jacob. We left early on Friday, April 6, to make it to our first destination, Port St. John's in the Eastern Cape. The roads do not parallel the coast, but are rather windy in some parts, especially the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape. This region is also known as the Transkei, which was a large and notoriously underserved 'homeland' under apartheid. Seeing this area, one could say that the neglect still shows, or that the isolation helped to preserve the indigenous Xhosa culture. Most dwellings are brightly colored rondavels and the town centers look stereotypically African (i.e. lots of street vendors, bustling with people, etc.). A disturbing consistency between all of the towns is that each one had at least two or three funeral parlors. Although beautiful, the driving was not easy going due to the windy undivided roads and numerous obstacles that included stopped cars, people, and livestock (we had a close call with a cow that decided to walk into the middle of the road and take a break there). After four hours of this we reached Port St. John's which is beautifully situated between two rocky cliffs known as the 'gate.' Unfortunately the weather was not so great for the first couple days and it started raining, really raining, right after we got there. So the first day was spent mostly hanging around the backpackers, Jungle Monkey. As always, we met some cool people at this backpackers, including our roommate Harrison who is South African but lives in Sweden most of the year working in music. He was carrying around with him a 24" widescreen iMac, which made for some very good movie watching that night.

The next day we moved on to the geographically convenient city of East London. Along the way we made a quick stop in Mthatha (pronounced Umtata), which to me came off as a big gritty African city. Mthatha did not seem to have an elite class that employs the lower class to do its dirty work, and as a result it was a lot dirtier than PMB, or any other big city I have seen in SA. This was most evident when Jessi and I went to the public restroom in the shopping center and the flushing mechanism had been removed from the toilets. Once we reached East London it did not take us long to realize we were staying in the 'hood. There are almost no people on the streets and you needed to get past three padlocks to reach the dorm in the backpackers. The staff also advised us not to leave our cars on the street and not to walk at night, and the staff were black, not paranoid white people. Despite being overall unimpressed with East London, the backpackers was clean and quiet, and thanks to my travel book we found a great restaurant for dinner that night, Smoky Swallows. Up until that point it was the best meal I had in SA complete with great atmosphere, great service, and great food.

After a surprisingly good nights rest in the ghetto, we continued to Jeffrey's Bay. Reading my trusty travel book, I realized that one of the reasons that crime is such a concern in East London probably has something to do with the fact that the second largest township in South Africa is located next to it (second in size only to Soweto in Jo'burg). To reach Jeffrey's Bay we passed the large city of Port Elizabeth, or PE as it is commonly called, and J-Bay was definitely worth skipping PE for. Jeffrey's Bay is famous for its "Supertubes" as featured in the classic surf movie "Endless Summer." Unfortunately, it seems that the best surf is in the winter (a few months away) because the waves didn't look too spectacular to me. However, we were still able to enjoy the beautiful weather of the "Sunshine Coast" and the unbeatable deals at the Billabong factory shop down the street from our backpackers, Island Vibe. After settling in, a girl staying in our room told us the "history" of the beach. Apparently the backpackers is located on the lower end of what was the "white" beach and the beach to the right of the backpackers was the "black" beach--the line is demarcated by some wooden poles in the sand. Supposedly it is "unsafe" to go on the beach to the right of the backpackers because the rules are still unofficially followed by the people living in the township. This seemed to be overdramatic because the next morning we walked along the beach to the right and did not feel at all threatened, nor did the locals seem displeased to see us there. Plus, the shells in the sand to the right were much better, probably due to fewer tourists over there. As we were about to leave we noticed a pod of dolphins hanging out around the cove. John from New Jersey who had never seen dolphins in the ocean, and one of our roommates from Holland decided to swim out to the dolphins. As they got in they realized that the water was very cold, the dolphins were pretty far out by some rocks, and that each guy thought the other was more experienced swimming in the ocean than he really was. It was pretty amusing to watch.

We reluctantly left Jeffrey's Bay to get to our next destination of Mossel Bay on the Garden Route. Along the way we stopped in Plettenberg Bay for lunch. I first heard of Plettenberg Bay from Jackie who spent a summer (or winter here) there. Other people and the guide books also spoke highly of it. As soon as we entered the town we could tell this town was not like any other place we had been to in SA yet. Rather than an African or westernized South African town, Plett more closely resembles Malibu, Laguna Beach, or La Jolla. It is crazy rich and crazy white. We went to lunch at the Lookout which had a nice deck right on a point that overlooked the beach. We were lucky to get a table at the corner of the deck so we had a very nice view. I felt a bit uncomfortable at this restaurant—not because I stuck out, but because I was worried that I fit in. Every guest and all of the wait staff were white, many of whom were speaking Afrikaans (a very politically incorrect language), and of course all of the kitchen staff were black. When ordering we asked the waitress to bring us tap water, but she discouraged us from drinking it because they supposedly had some scare with the water a few weeks before and it was smelling funny or something. So we gave in and ordered a bottle of water. Later I was very thirsty after my glass of expensive water, so I asked for tap water. The waitress told me she wouldn’t be responsible for whatever happened to me, and gave us a weird look when she put the glass down on the table. It smelled and tasted like nothing and I feel fine. As I looked around I noticed that everyone had ice cubes in their drinks, so we asked the waitress if they use the tap water for the ice cubes, and she said of course they do… Enough said. After lunch we played in the water before getting back on the road. Driving around Plett we noticed that unlike every other place we have been in SA, the crazy nice houses did not have big fences around them. We jokingly proposed that perhaps there is a Plettenberg Bay fence. A few minutes later we were back on the N2...and sure enough, there is a Plettenberg Bay fence on the other side of which was a very rugged shanty town. Within less than a five minute drive were the nicest homes I have seen in SA and the poorest. I felt disgusted for supporting the rich, paradisical lifestyle while clearly so many are suffering for it. As we continued along the Garden Route a similar situation appeared to be present in other towns such as Knysna and George where beautiful beach villas were juxtaposed with tin and plywood shanties, separated by a metal fence along the highway. This painful reality definitely diminished the beauty of the Garden Route for me. Just before sundown we arrived in Mossel Bay which is a very charming town whose strong Dutch roots are still present. Just like the town, our backpackers was very clean and charming. For dinner we had a Girls' Night Out at a Cuban restaurant in town. Cuban food in an Afrikaner town--that's South Africa for you.

The next day we got an early start to get to our splurge for the trip--a night at five-star holiday apartments in Franschhoek in the Winelands. To get there we had to drive over a mountain pass. Sign reading was tricky throughout the Western Cape because there is a surprising amount of Afrikaans still used there, so every other sign is in Afrikaans. I was particularly confused when I saw signs towards "Kaapstad"--I simply could not find it on the map (it turns out that Kaapstad is Cape Town in Afrikaans). On the way down into the valley we came across a family of babboons in the road. We pulled off and watched them, windows rolled up, for about ten minutes as they played on the rock face and dodged cars. There is an amusing video of the incident on YouTube if you are interested. After the babboon encounter we made it to Sorbonne (our five-star digs for the night). The other car excitedly beat us there and luckily we were able to check in early. At $50 per person per night that place was a deal because it was without a doubt the nicest place I have ever stayed. It had everything from a full kitchen to plasma tv's, a washer/dryer, and heated towel rails. Franschhoek, settled by the French Huguenots in the 1600s, is the food capital of South Africa so after settling in we walked down the main road in town which is lined with fabulous French restaurants and cafes. We went to French Connection for lunch. I had the most amazing mushroom tortellini and warm chocolate tart. This meal bumped the one at Smoky Swallows in East London from the place of best meal I have had in SA. Even though this was the food capital, I couldn't resist the opportunity to cook in a real kitchen and save a few bucks, so after lunch I went shopping for ingredients to make eggplant parmesan. My only disappointment with the food capital (and SA for that matter) is that we could not find a French bakery of any sort. You would think that along with good wine and cheese would be a demand for good bread, but I guess not. We finally found a baguette at the grocery store but I would say it was a step below the baguettes at Petit Casino. Anyway we had some very nice local wine with dinner and for dessert we had smores which we roasted in the fancy fireplace. After a good night's rest and a light breakfast in anticipation for lunch, we checked out and went wine tasting at a local winery. The first winery we tried was Stony Brook where we tried eight wines for only R20 (less than $3). Of course I bought the most expensive wine--a Ghost Gum Cabernet '04, but it was by far the best, and still reasonably priced at R140. After the tasting we had to make our reservation at La Petite Ferme, a restaurant that only serves lunch with a great location overlooking the valley. Those who got the soup starter agreed it was some of the best soup they had ever had. I ordered the beet fritters which were served with asparagus and a bean salad. I adored the salad, but was not sure what to make of the beet fritters--they were unlike anything I have ever had, yet they had a bitterness which I found unpleasant. Nonetheless, as a foodie I was satisfied with the novelty of the dish. For dessert I had a pine nut-lemon tartlet which was served with lemon ice cream and icy limoncello. It was divine. After lunch we went outside to get a better view. It had been raining so the grass was pretty wet and I stepped in a particularly mushy part and slid onto my butt...in front of the crowded restaurant, getting mud up my leg and on my butt. Luckily my luggage was in the car so I was able to change, plus I was still feeling 'happy' from the wine tasting that morning so I was not completely mortified but able to laugh it off. The long lunch event only left time for a stop at one more winery, Glen Wood. There I bought the '06 Vigneron's Selection Chardonnay which I will try to let sit for a few years.

Once done at Glen Wood it was time to continue on towards Cape Town. Along the way we passed through Stellenbosch, the South African town that is practically synonymous with wine, but once there looked much more like a busy college town. We were very happy that we stayed in quaint little Franschhoek instead. After passing an immense township alongside the N2 we were finally in Cape Town, the Mother City. Cape Town resembles San Francisco in many ways--hilly streets set on a grid layout, good food, mixed-use buildings, a vibrant gay community, and a touristy but beautiful waterfront. Finding the backpackers was tricky because the signage in Cape Town is poor, and some of the streets don't go through which is not indicated on the map. We stayed in Green Point, which is a pretty nice district close to the V&A Waterfront. Having gotten there close to dark we didn't have much time to orient ourselves with city, so after having dinner nearby we had an early night in anticipation for an early start the next day. So before sunrise we got up to head down the Cape Peninsula. The vistas were spectacular and the roads in Table Mountain National Park nearly empty that early in the morning. Along the way we were treated to a full rainbow, and just before Cape Point we had another encounter with babboons. Although this time there were a lot more and they were even more inquisitive. So inquisitive that one of them climbed onto our car! I was a little worried because they are known to be aggressive animals and we were clearly outnumbered (although we never dared step outside the vehicle). After the babboon climbed off the roof of our car we decided it was time to keep moving. The roads within the Cape Point park were very empty when we got there so Jessi and Amir let me do some driving. So not only have I now driven on the other side of the road, but I drove on the other side in a manual! Go me! I drove us to Cape of Good Hope, the most south-western point in Africa which is on the cold Atlantic side. We then went on to Cape Point (although we didn't make it all the way to the point) which is where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. We took a funicular up to the lookout spot, but didn't have the time or the proper footwear for the two-hour hike to the point. Instead we continued back up the Indian Ocean side of the peninsula to Simon's Town, the home of the African Penguins which were very cute as penguins always are. We then headed back to Cape Town to go up Table Mountain. We lucked out because apparently the cable car hadn't been operating for a few days due to wind but it was operating on Thursday which also happened to be a gorgeous sunny day. The top of Table Mountain is over 1000 meters above sea level so it was much colder up there (about 45F). After walking around and taking pictures we went into the cafe at the top to get hot chocolate. I was shocked to see that they had Stella Artois on tap at the top of the mountain, so I felt obligated to get a pint (I was thinking of you Zanny). After exploring Table Mountain we returned to the backpackers to rest for a bit. We then headed out to Long Street, the party/club street of Cape Town, for dinner with Emily and Bridget from Rutgers who happened to be staying in the room next to us in the backpackers. We had a good dinner with good service (a true novelty in SA) at Cafe Mojito, where they had real limes and real tortilla chips! However most of us didn't party/go clubbing on Long Street because the Jessis, Amir, and I had another very early day scheduled the next morning.

The next day we got up at 5:30am since we had booked a big five safari at a game reserve about 1.5 hours from Cape Town. On the way we got to see a glorious sunrise over the mountains. After breakfast we set out on the "safari." We saw four of the big five: cape buffalo, elephants, rhinos, and lions. Leopards rarely come out during the day so we didn't see them. In addition to the big five animals, we saw giraffes, springbok (the national animal of SA), and wildebeest. During the safari Amir demonstrated to the crowd just how crazy he is by eating termites, smelling rhino dung, and challenging the game driver to a giraffe-dung-spitting-contest. After lunch we headed back to Cape Town to see the waterfront. Rather than peruse the over-priced shops we decided to go on a sunset cruise around Table Bay Harbour. It was well worth it because there were only about 12 people on the 100-ft sail boat besides the crew, and we got to see a spectacular sunset. After the cruise we headed over to Mitchell's Brewery--that's right, a brewery in SA--for dinner. Jessi from UCSD and I happily ordered the locally brewed Ferryman's Ale and Raven Stout. Jessi from Germany was disappointed that they were out of Beck's on tap. Exhausted from the long day we headed back to the backpackers. The next morning, the Jessis and I went to Melissa's Food Shop (a full-blown foodie shop) down the street for breakfast. I was very pleased to get fresh-squeezed orange juice, not that nectar junk, and would have spent a lot of money at the shop had my suitcase not been full already. It was then time to head to the airport and get back to real life. When we returned the car, the tripometer indicated that we drove 2600km (~1600 miles).

I have never taken a road trip across the US, but I have now road tripped across South Africa! I feel very privileged to have completed a trip that most South Africans will never have a chance to take. I can safely say that a majority of the students in PMB have never been to Cape Town, let alone road tripped there. I am now looking forward to a trip to Mozambique and Swaziland in a couple weeks when we have a couple public holidays back to back. On Sunday I got a hair cut, and as it turns out my hair stylist just spent a lot of time in Mozambique and Swaziland and knows a lot of people up there that she can hook us up with. I am meeting with her later this week to see her photos and get the details. I am frequently impressed with the friendliness of random South Africans. That is definitely one of the things I will miss the most when I return home.