"The Windy City" - With Wind-Blown Hair to Jeffreys Bay and the Sacramento Trail

Wotae: 14.08.2018

Wɔ Nudɔdɔ na Nyadzɔdzɔgbalẽ

Hello everyone!

After the adventurous and exciting weekend in Addo, I had a lot of work for university waiting for me in the following week, so I was eagerly looking forward to the next weekend. However, this time there were no overnight stays in icy hostels, but only two one-day trips scheduled. On Friday evening, I went to the cinema with some girls to watch Mamma Mia 2. Besides the really nice and entertaining film, where we sang along more than once, we were also very happy about the prices. Thanks to our insurance card, we get a discount and can watch a movie for the equivalent of 3.50 euros. However, it's taking some getting used to for me that they only have salty popcorn. I guess I'll have to do without my beloved sugary popcorn for the next 5 months!

On Saturday, we rented a car again and drove to Jeffreys Bay. This coastal town, which is also part of the Garden Route and only about 1 hour away from us, is the El Dorado for surfers. Regularly, the world championships in wave riding are held here and the whole town is geared towards this sport tourism. This is especially evident in the Surfer Village, several streets where there are only outlets and stores of big surf brands like BillaBong, Quicksilver, Roxy, and Ripcurl, as well as smaller surf shops. That's exactly where we hoped to find what we were looking for, as two other girls and I had set our minds on buying our own surfboards and wetsuits. Surprisingly, all four of us found wetsuits in the same store that were on sale and therefore definitely affordable! Unfortunately, we couldn't find any boards that met our price expectations. So we spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach, watching the surfers who, in our opinion, skillfully mastered the pretty high waves. I was particularly impressed by boys who were no older than 8 and could easily keep up with the adults.

For lunch, we went to Tasty Table, a burger place right on the beach. I've already had a few burgers here, but this calamari burger was really good! Although the day was quite cool and we couldn't sit on the beach without a jacket and scarf, I really enjoyed these quiet hours talking and watching the sea.

On Sunday, we went hiking with a large group of exchange students. This "hike" was planned and conducted by an employee of the International Office, Johan. This once again shows how great this department is, as he organized all of this in his spare time! We drove in rented buses for about 20 minutes along the coast to the starting point of the Sacramento Trail.

This hiking trail led us about 5 kilometers through dunes and sand, while on our left side we could always hear and see the roaring sea. We were even very lucky to be able to see the blowing water and fins of whales in the distance! Every year from mid-July, they travel to the coasts of Port Elizabeth to raise their young in the warm waters. We also discovered evidence of their stays on our way. Huge vertebrae and ribs were lying on the beach. Only when you have seen and tried to move these monumental skeletal parts in front of you do you get an idea of the dimensions these animals can reach!

On that day, Port Elizabeth, also known as "The Windy City," lived up to its name. Equipped with wind jackets and scarves, we resisted the wind. Despite these adversities, the sea offered us a breathtaking view. The waves built up meters high, only to crash against the rocks with a roar. I could perceive the forces that nature develops through the raging noise, the deformed stones, and the spray of water several meters away with all my senses.

Before we made our way back on the same path, we made a stop at a sausage stand that was even run by a German! He emigrated to South Africa in the 1980s and has been running this small place, which advertises with real German sausages, since 1994.

We returned from our trip in the early afternoon and I spent the rest of Sunday in my shared flat with my roommates, having dinner together, playing games, or preparing for university.

Best regards from the still frequently frozen

Caro

Wɔ Nudɔdɔ na Nyadzɔdzɔgbalẽ

Ŋuɖoɖo

Mègaŋlɔ be be yeanye ame nyui o :)

South Africa

Mɔzɔzɔ ŋuti nyatakakawo South Africa

#jeffreybay #sacramento-trail #küste #meer #wale #kino #essen

"The Windy City" - With Wind-Blown Hair to Jeffreys Bay and the Sacramento Trail

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