Garden Route

howsit?
I have been traveling on the famous Garden Route for 3 weeks now. It is impressive how different South Africa can be. When I was traveling along the West Coast, rocks, dust, and desert dominated. Now, on the Garden Route, South Africa looks completely different. It is very green, with many forests and incredible beaches. These beaches are often long and even more often deserted.
From Mossel Bay, I continued to Wilderness with the Baz Bus. The backpackers' hostel was a bit outside and had an incredible view. From the room, you could see the beach directly. There was a canoe tour and a hike to the waterfall. Canoeing is quite fun and beautiful, especially when there's a headwind. It's even better when you have a canoe partner who is as skilled at paddling as I am ;-) As we paddled through the forests, it felt like being in the middle of the jungle.

After a stop in Sedgefield, I continued to Plettenberg Bay, a well-known holiday destination. There, I met the people from Wilderness again. While traveling, you often meet the same people. It's pretty cool when they are cool people. We rented a car to explore the surroundings. Traveling without a car is okay, but sometimes I wish I had one. Everything is quite spread out in the towns, and it's not fun to carry groceries for a long distance 😊 but of course, it is possible to do without a car. By the way, the car we rented was hardly used. In Plett, we went on a water adventure. Swimming with seals was on the agenda. It was very impressive. The seals swim around you so closely that you almost have to be careful not to crash into them. Unfortunately, we all felt pretty sick on the boat. The waves and the smell of the seals were challenging. We all suffered a lot on the boat.

All my dear travel buddies then left Plett, and I was the only one left. It's great to always meet new people. During this time, when I was traveling with a group for a longer period, I realized that I miss building relationships. After a few days, you develop a certain familiarity, which I really like. That's why it's even sadder when paths separate again. I stayed in Plett and did the Open Water diving course in the following days. Diving is great. You can breathe underwater. Isn't that amazing? 😊 So, I am officially a diver now 😊

The following days can be summarized quickly. I am currently chasing waves. First, Saint Francis, and now in the surfers' Mecca Jeffreys Bay. In J-Bay, I'm staying at the Ubuntus Backpackers. It's super nice. The hostel is mainly run by Workawayers (hahaha funny word, Mirko). This creates a super relaxed atmosphere. Surfing is on the agenda at least twice a day, and between sessions, there's a lot of reading, lounging, and waiting for the waves. It's really good for me to relax and do nothing.

Well, that's about all I have to tell. Actually, not that exciting 😊 So here's a high and lowlight list:

What I don't like:

- Bad hostel kitchens

- Dull knives (uhhh there are a lot of them)

- Sharks in the water when I want to surf

What I like:

- Bungee jumping (adrenaline junkie)

- Diving

- Surfing

- Braai (barbecue)

- Brandy and Coke

- Hiking through the beautiful forests of the Garden Route

So, adios! Thank you, and see you next time