Although totally exhausted, I sleep poorly in this night. I constantly wake up from the cars that feel like racing through the room, the bell-battle of wild stray dogs outside, and Krishna's snoring. I try to move as little as possible, as my otherwise beloved air mattress rustles like gift wrap. While I'm lying awake, I think about the last month and my accommodations. They were all great.
In Cape Town I stayed at A Sunflower Stop Backpackers. http://sunflowerstop.co.za/ (unpaid advertisement). For a very affordable 220 Rand per night (12,63€) you get a bed in the mixed 6-bed dorm,
nice common areas and a spacious communal kitchen, even with breakfast. Awesome!
The exterior location is a real asset and there is even a pool that glistens invitingly as soon as the sun sends its rays through the clouds. Of course, it was too chilly to jump in, but in the summer I think it would be really awesome. The hostel is run by 2 girls and 2 guys, who are not only really nice, but also really on top of things and can address all guests by name. Respect. There is freshly brewed coffee available all day for free and the communal bathroom offers a special kind of service. Note the yellow print. Hahaha!
The only two downsides are the lack of heating and the fact that I can't sleep well. It seems that I am and remain a light sleeper - with such a light sleep that I wake up at the slightest cough. And that's exactly what happens every time Alvaro from Uruguay, Michael from South Carolina, Mari from Chile and Adrian from Zimbabwe come into the room at night or get up in the morning. Especially Adrian from Zimbabwe doesn't make the smallest effort to be quiet and makes noise for hours. I could kill him and ask him on the third day to be more considerate. He is completely surprised, but makes an effort afterwards.
With Denja I fly to Durban. There we are very lovingly received and accommodated by her scout friends Megan and Marco. They make a lot of effort with us, invite their friends over and spoil themselves and us with a real Braai. There is home-baked bread, dips, various salads and above all and everyoneeee loads of fantastic meat with even more fantastic wood smoke flavor. Yummieh. Unfortunately, the only photo is bad, but I'll show it anyway.
I am so embarrassed that I didn't bring a gift for the host, not even a bottle of wine. I want to sink into the ground. When Denja said in our planning that we could sleep at the Scouts, I assumed she was talking about an empty rustic cabin. Obviously not the case. Megan even washes our laundry at night and serves us breakfast in the morning. After that, Denja and I camp in Thomas' tent.Our first destination is the Amphitheatre Backpackers Lodge in the Drakensberg (unpaid advertisement). https://www.amphibackpackers.com/ A really cool hostel, even with a jacuzzi.However, I imagine that it will be totally crowded in the summer, especially since there is already a lot of digging and drinking going on. I'm out of here. We booked a campsite for 95 Rand per person per night (5.46€); in the Southern Hemisphere winter, quite a challenge. But unfortunately, when we come back from our Lesotho tour, the good piece lies flat on the ground, as if it has collapsed. Apparently, the already rotten poles were unable to withstand the wind on the plateau with the great view and simply collapsed. As a true scout, Denja appeared to cure the patient's brittle poles in no time at all. But the wind and rain are so strong at night that we are really worried about our tent not making it and lie awake.In Swaziland, we spend the night in the middle of the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary National Park. What incredible peace and views amidst this wonderful nature. A fantastic experience. In the Sondzela Backpackers (unpaid advertisement) http://biggameparks.org/properties/sondzela-backpackers-5 booked through Hostelword, we have a night in the mixed 6-bed dorm for 125 Swaziland Lilangeni (7.16€) per night. But even there, I naturally wake up when our Polish roommate goes to bed late and has to get up early. Stupid crap. It would be so nice to just fall asleep again. In Kruger, we camp in a different main camp every night. In Skokusa and Pretoriuskop, there is even a small pool, coolio. The washing facilities are clean, only a bit too few toilets and showers for so many women. Tired and dusty, we set up our tent, hoping it will survive the night and dismantle it in the early morning. Monkeys and wild boars sniff around the tent at night and give me a moderate heart attack, thankfully the hyenas only howl in front of the electric fence. Very exciting. And with 158.18 Rand per person per night (9.09€) really cheap, because after all we also need money for the not insignificant daily park fees.Tenti holds up! Yeah! More than relieved, we dismantle it for the last time, but this time not dusty, but muddy, because it has rained again during the night.In Mbombela, I sleep at the scouts without Denja in the dorm for 120 Rand per night (6.90€). I can use the kitchen and washing machine and Thulani and Shakes are so nice to provide me with information.In Johannesburg, I am welcomed by Curiocity Joburg http://curiocity.africa/jhb (unpaid advertisement) which is a real gem among the cheap hostels. For 110 Rand per night (6.32€) in the female 8-bed dorm I get the full package: great location, security, parking, great balcony, café and chill-out areas. Each bunk bed has its own light and socket to charge your phone. Someone really thought this through, two thumbs up. Only the bathroom is currently under renovation, unfortunately very loud, and therefore there are too few showers for the girls. Doesn't matter, it's super great here. Only apparently someone always leaves in the middle of the night and not everyone is clever enough to pack their backpack the night before. That's annoying.I'm lying here now and I'm tired. Tired from constant sleep deprivation, tired of always waking up and on the other hand worrying about disturbing others, tired of having to peel myself out of the wet tent or having to get dressed when I have to go to the bathroom at night. I was so looking forward to having my own room. That Krishna lies next to me in this small room wouldn't have bothered me otherwise, but now I long for some privacy. That's when Krishna turns on the light. It's 3 o'clock in the morning, he has to pee. I take the opportunity to do the same. After that, neither of us can fall asleep again. It's a good thing that his phone rings and he gets an order from his buddy Bishnu. The heli to Mount Everest is rising; he is supposed to take customers to the airport. I'm glad to have the room to myself and read in the travel guide. Until the morning. Yuni calls and better not mention that I can't sleep in my own room as expected. He wouldn't understand that it's harmless and would be jealous and really angry! (So sssshhh!!!) The phone call does me good and I decide that I want to move out. It's not because of couchsurfing, because I still think it's great, not because of Krishna, because he is decent, and not even because of the Nepalese bathroom. I just want my own room, just for me. Now I understand why Peter treats himself to a single room from time to time on long trips. I turn on the iPad and then decide on the Kathmandu Garden House. https://www.tripadvisor.de/Hotel_Review-g293890-d2259233-Reviews-Kathmandu_Garden_House-Kathmandu_Kathmandu_Valley_Bagmati_Zone_Central_Region.html (unpaid advertisement). It is only one street away from Thamel and is therefore super central, but in a very quiet side street. It has its own small garden and you can sit outside in the shade. That sounds perfect. Some peace away from the complete hustle and bustle and noise is exactly what I like right now. I'm considering whether to wait and try to negotiate the price on site, but then I decide to make a reservation. 1550 Nepalese rupees (11.50€) for my own room. Mega cheap and available. Yeah! And it even has its own small shower room. With toilet, washbasin, waste bin and mirror. What more could you want? Nothing!I unfortunately cannot talk to Krisna because he doesn't show up. I have no idea if I can take the key or not. I take a comfortable shower and leave for breakfast and sightseeing. I leave my things there, it would be very rude if I just ran away without saying a word. When I come back at 4:30 p.m., Krishna is still not there. Apparently, I do have to inform him about my move via WhatsApp. That's exactly what I wanted to avoid. Luckily, he doesn't react offended and funny enough, he is the one who understands best that my friend doesn't like the situation. Men. Ha. We plan to meet for a beer and I am relieved. Now Nepal can come!!!
