South Africa <3

South Africa completely surprised me - and only in a positive way. I spent the last 3 weeks here and got to know many different facets of this country. It all started with 3 days in Cape Town. A beautiful city that stands out for its mountainous and rugged region. In addition to Lions Head, I also climbed Table Mountain here and could see Cape Town from above. That was really spectacular. In addition, I visited the Cape of Good Hope, as typical tourists do. It is said to be named that because sailors back then believed that they could end their journey alive after successfully circumnavigating this cape. This is because ships often capsized along the coast here and it is one of the most dangerous routes in the world. Today, the route along the coast of South Africa is still one of the busiest routes ever. Along the coast, I often found parts of sunken ships. But back to Cape Town. In addition to the day trips to Table Mountain, Lions Head, and the Cape of Good Hope, I mainly spent my time with Joshua. Joshua is a German tourist who worked in a aid project in Cape Town for 2 years in 2013, which aimed to rehabilitate children and young people from one of the continent's most crime-ridden areas. Since then, he has returned once a year to visit the now young adults. This time I also had the opportunity to get to know the people and spend time with them. It was actually a very special experience for me, as we can hardly imagine how these children have to wake up there at home. Violence and fear unfortunately prevail here on a daily basis.
After three very exciting days, I decided to travel along the coast. My first stop is Hermanus, a charming town about 2 hours away from Cape Town. Hermanus is known to tourists primarily for the opportunity to observe whales here for a few months each year. The mother whales show their newborns how to swim. Tourists walking along the cliffs have a great view of the young animals, which sometimes swim only 20 meters away from the cliff. I spent 2 days here. In my hostel, I met Emilie for the first time, a solo traveler from Belgium. We only talked briefly and had nothing to do with each other at that time. However, I will meet her again later and we will spend more time together, but more on that later.
After the two days of whale-watching, I take the bus to Stormriver. It takes just under 10 hours and I arrive in the small town after sunset. I arrive at the Dijembe Hostel totally exhausted. This hostel is by far the most unusual one I have ever seen. Completely eccentric figures greet me with homemade bread and a welcome drink. However, I go to bed early because I am still very exhausted from the long drive. The next day, I join two German girls who are traveling by car. We explore the Tsitsikama National Park. Here we hike to a very beautiful viewpoint and then to a waterfall that flows directly along the coast. A great first day here in Stormriver. In the evening at the hostel, I meet Emilie again. Similar to me, she has also heard about the nearby bungee jump and is looking for someone to take the plunge with her. Since I have also been thinking about doing the bungee jump all day long, I enthusiastically agree. Deal! We do it together. Said and done. The next day, we want to book the jump. At 4 p.m., we get a spot at the fourth highest bungee jump in the world, with a height of 216 meters. Since we still have so much time before that, we decide to go kayaking in the Tsitsikama National Park. We do that and it was really worth it. The tour takes us through a small picturesque gorge. At the end of this gorge, there is an opportunity for cliff jumping. You don't have to tell me twice. I climb up to 8 meters high and jump into the river. The water is ice cold. But it's fun and it's actually only cold for the first few seconds. Once I'm back in the kayak, it's fine again because the sun is shining and it's pleasantly warm outside the water. After the kayak trip, we go to the bridge where the bungee jump will take place. When we arrive at the parking lot, suddenly the nervousness starts to make me think. Should I really throw myself off a bridge from 216 meters? Emilie has the same doubts. It's a good thing we signed up together. So there are no more excuses. So we jump. I'm the first one. The assistants equip me with the necessary harnesses and hooks, then I sit just before the edge. Strangely enough, the nervousness diminishes and I start to get excited. I hop step by step towards the edge. Now I'm right on the edge. I would like to have more time to admire the surroundings. Mountains as far as the eye can see, a river winding towards the ocean. The view is fantastic. But behind me, I can hear the bungee staff shouting: '3, 2, 1, BUNGY!!!!!' A slight push helps overcome the edge and before I know it, I am in free fall. The feeling is indescribable. I scream so loud that people probably can hear it 10 km away. It is an incredibly good feeling that I have. Even after the jump ends after a few seconds of free fall and then a few minutes of swinging, I still have the tingling sensation. Amazing! Emilie jumps after me. She also finds the bungee jump amazing, so we both return to the hostel overjoyed. After this bonding experience, we decide to travel together for the next stage of the journey. She has a car, which is much more relaxing for me than sitting on a bus for hours again. The next day, we just hit the road. No specific destination, just a direction. We stop in several places along the Garden Route and enjoy the beautiful beaches. We pass Port Elizabeth and finally arrive in Kenton, where we end our journey. Unfortunately, it rains the next day, but that doesn't stop us from doing something. We ask at the hostel what options we have here. After a short discussion and a tip from the hostel staff, the plan is set. We go on a bike tour through a nature reserve. Here, we encounter herds of zebras, giraffes, and antelopes just a few meters away. Despite the ongoing rain, the tour is a lot of fun as we are the only two people here and can explore the reserve on our own. In the afternoon, we return to the hostel and take it easy for the rest of the day. The next day, the weather is thankfully better, and we can go for a hike, which we had planned to do the day before. This hike takes us through dense forest for 7 km until suddenly we find ourselves in a deep world of dunes. Here we spend time running up and down the dunes, collecting seashells, and taking countless photos. On the way back, we walk along the beach. We spend the rest of the day in the car as we drive to Hogsback. We will also spend the next 4 days together as we both have the same destinations - Hogsback and Coffee Bay. The town of Hogsback is located further inland in the mountains. The next morning, we start our hike to various waterfalls. The most beautiful one is also the most difficult to access. After a climb of about 30 minutes off the main path, we finally arrive at our destination. We are completely alone, and the view is fantastic. We turn around and also visit the other waterfalls. When we have some time available in the afternoon, we visit a local village nearby. The people we meet here are super friendly and welcoming. We enjoy the village until sunset. Back at the hostel, we order one of the best pizzas I have ever had. Simple, but super delicious. The base is a Margherita pizza that can be topped with all sorts of ingredients. Just delicious!
Before we head to Coffee Bay the next day, we take a bath in the bathtub right at the hostel's viewpoint. From here, we can look into the mountains at 180° and enjoy the landscape for 30 minutes. Then we sit in the car all day again. Unfortunately, the roads in the mountains do not allow for fast driving, which is why we arrive in Coffee Bay after sunset again. We play cards for a while and have dinner, then it's bedtime for me. The next morning, Emilie and I want to go on a hike to the 'Hole in the Wall', a rock formation that has formed on the so-called Wild Coast. We learn that tourists should not undertake this tour alone but only with a guide because there have been several incidents in the past where solo travelers were attacked. This is the first time I have heard something like this since Cape Town. Otherwise, I haven't experienced much of the high crime rate that I have been told about over and over again. So we start with a guide after breakfast. We pay 12.50€ per person. The tour lasts about 5 hours. Not a bad price. Especially considering what we have seen. The tour starts at the hostel and takes us straight to the first hill right next to the coast. We took 10 minutes. And already we have a magnificent view of whales and dolphins. The landscape looks like Ireland. The tour takes us along the coast. It goes up and down repeatedly. It passes a waterfall until it reaches the beach. At the end of our hike, there it is: the hole in the wall. The guide says it's possible to swim through it. The others don't dare because it's only 17° outside and drizzling lightly. But I don't care, so I undress to my underwear and jump into the sea. It is surprisingly mild. It was much fresher in Stormriver while kayaking. I share this with the rest of the group. The three Dutch people don't seem convinced, but Emilie decides to do it. After about 30 minutes in the water, we return to land, but only so that the rest of the group doesn't have to wait any longer. It was a lot of fun swimming in the waves and observing the hole as it fills with water from the waves. We then take the shuttle back to the hostel. Back at the hostel, we play cards again, and then there is a free dinner. The hostel organizes this for all guests every Sunday. Rice with chicken and vegetables. Very tasty!
By now, 2 weeks of my trip in South Africa have passed, and I have only one big goal left before heading to Johannesburg airport. The Drakensberg Mountains! Fortunately for me, the Drakensberg Mountains are also at the top of the Belgian's list. So we decide to travel together for another week. The next day, it rains non-stop. We use the day to drive to the southern Drakensbergen. On the way, we stop at the last major shopping opportunity and stock up for the entire 7 days. We arrive at the hostel, and the rain doesn't stop. So it continues the next day. We use the rainy morning to dry our wet clothes in front of the fireplace and to exchange our videos and photos so far. Around 2 p.m., it unexpectedly stops raining. We take the opportunity and drive to the Cobham National Park. Here we go on a 7 km hike along a stream through the mountains. The tips of some mountains are covered with snow. The view is incredibly beautiful.
The next day, the sun is shining, and we drive to the border of South Africa and Lesotho, called the Sanipass. Here, there is about 25 cm of snow despite the bright sunshine. Here is also the highest restaurant in Africa at 2874 meters. We enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and listen to some locals playing a few songs on self-made instruments. Around noon, we make our way down to Emilie's car and start our journey north to the northern Drakensberge. Here, I spend my last 4 days before going to New Zealand. The first day trip takes us to Sentinel Peak and the Tugela Falls. After some steep sections that had to be climbed partly with ladders, we finally reach the top and are rewarded with an incredibly beautiful view. The Tugela Falls are the second highest in the world, and you can't even see where they end from above. In the evening at the hostel, we try out the hostel's own jacuzzi. The water is very hot but otherwise very relaxing for the tired body. The next day, the weather is a bit cloudier, so we decide to postpone the major hike to Cathedral Peak to the following day and instead go on a shorter tour. Therefore, we drive to the Tugela Gorge. This hike takes us along the Tugela River. At the end of the trail is a beautiful cave that we leave again in the afternoon after an extended exploration. The next day starts early again, and after breakfast, we head towards Cathedral Peak. The hike is very tiring as it offers hardly any breaks to rest. It only goes uphill, with little variety or changes in direction. But it's worth it. The colors are vibrant, the view breathtaking. Once we reach the top, we have our lunch and then lie in the sun for another hour. The descent is much easier, and we are relatively early back at the hostel. Therefore, we go back to the jacuzzi to regenerate our muscles once again. The following day is my last day since I fly from Johannesburg to New Zealand in the evening. But in order to even get to Johannesburg, I need a bus. Emilie takes me to the bus stop, and we say goodbye. We have traveled together for 2 weeks through this beautiful country and have become good friends. The farewell is correspondingly difficult. But the thought of seeing my Merle again in less than 3 days makes the farewell a bit easier. The bus is 2 hours late, but I still arrive at the airport in time and use the Wi-Fi there to call my mom and dad. The flight will depart at 10:20 p.m., going via Dubai and Melbourne to Christchurch. The whole procedure takes 29 hours. Now I am in Christchurch and have met Merle's brother Hendrik and his girlfriend Sami. And after picking up the van, which will be our home for the next 6 weeks, we finally picked up Merle. Now the crew is complete, and we're heading to the first campsite. But I'll report on the adventures in New Zealand next time.

My conclusion:
I really liked Africa. Tanzania and Zambia have great landscapes. Unfortunately, these two countries are relatively expensive, and the people on site are quite unfriendly and solely focused on the tourists' money.
South Africa is a very diverse country. In addition to the countless mountains, there are waterfalls, beaches, dunes, whales, dolphins, and much more. The contact with locals here is much more pleasant, and you also get to know other travelers with whom you can exchange experiences. All in all, the trip has been great so far, and the first 6.5 weeks have been a successful start to the adventure.

Until next time
Fabian