Everything a bit wilder - The Wild Coast of South Africa

Hello everyone!

I apologize for not getting in touch for so long. I could hardly keep up with capturing all the impressions. But now it's time for some news from me!

The Garden Route, which is the most famous route in South Africa and is traveled by thousands of tourists every year, remains on the list of places and regions that I still want to see during my time here. However, since this is planned for the weeks after my exams, three friends and I have focused on another stretch of coast for our next trip:

The Wild Coast.

This is the region of the Eastern Cape, which stretches between the cities of East London and Port Edwards and whose cliffs reach out into the Indian Ocean.

We had big plans for the long weekend due to International Women's Day. We had a total of 1339 kilometers of road ahead of us, which we could hardly wait for. Therefore, we started our journey early on Thursday and completed the first leg to Coffee Bay after an 8-hour drive.

However, I have to briefly report on the special travel conditions that we experienced on the way, which are very typical for this part of South Africa. The Wild Coast cannot be driven directly along the coast. Instead, you stay on a national road inland and take the corresponding exit that leads to the coastal town of your choice. These routes from the national road to the coast are often poorly developed, so our progress was often greatly slowed down by many potholes. We were also forced to stop several times by crossing animals such as goats, sheep, dogs, and even cows and donkeys.

The really small town of Coffee Bay got its name because of the many coffee trees that used to grow there. It is no longer clear where they came from, as a sunken ship with a load of several tons of coffee beans or plunderers may be responsible. Unfortunately, the weather was quite bad when we arrived, but we quickly settled into our room at Backpackers Coffee Shack and explored the surrounding area starting from the hostel's entrance to the beach. In the evening, we had dinner together with the other guests and were delighted by the traditional Xhosa bread. We asked, but the recipe must remain a secret!

The Hole in the Wall

This natural arch protruding from the sea is located directly off the coast of the town of Mgxotyeni, but the journey itself from Coffee Bay to the arch should already be worth seeing, as we were told. And we were not disappointed.

In addition to these natural wonders, we also learned a lot about the culture of the Xhosa population. Our guide Isaac told us on which occasions certain animals were allowed to be slaughtered, that a plant can help with breastfeeding just by being present, and that a man still has to present cows to the family of his beloved in order for them to agree to a wedding. Once again, I realized how different people grow up everywhere and how culture and rituals can influence life.

We spent the afternoon on the beach or on the rocks by the sea. The sun actually came out during the day!

The next morning started early for us again, as we wanted to be in Port St. Johns, 190 kilometers away, on time at 10 o'clock. However, our departure was delayed by half an hour because the gatekeeper for our gate did not arrive on time. However, his apology quickly made us forget our stress and rather made us laugh:

He couldn't come on time because the tide surprised him. The path was flooded, so he had to take a detour. You don't hear that every day either!

Despite this small delay, we arrived almost on time at our backpackers Amapondo and immediately set off with our guide to Magwa Falls. Once again, we found ourselves on the back of a pickup truck, which was equipped with a roof and benches. The journey started in Port St. Johns, where we had the opportunity to visit some market stalls. Then we crossed the Mzimvubu River, which means "Place of Hippos" in isiXhosa. Unfortunately, there are no more hippos there, but it is still used as a popular fishing spot. Our journey took us through a beautiful hilly landscape once again, which with its various shades of green and extraordinary vegetation reminded me of scenes from the movie "The Lord of the Rings". I particularly fell in love with the Coral Tree, as its orange petals glow in the sun.

Before we reached Magwa Falls, we passed by the fields of the largest tea plantation in South Africa, as our guide told us. And we believed him without question, because wherever you looked, you could see the green bushes!

And then we finally stood in front of them, the Magwa Falls.

But we didn't really stand in front of them, but rather on them.

We had arrived on the plateau from which the water plunged 142 meters into the depths of the gorge. It was so high that we couldn't see the bottom. The special thing about these falls is that you can sit right on the edge of the cliff. And right here really means right. Our guide even climbed a few centimeters down to pick a plant off the walls of the gorge. We girls were a bit more cautious and only let the tips of our toes dangle over the abyss. That alone was enough to make my heart beat a little faster!

From a ledge, we could overlook another waterfall as well as the entire, deeply wooded valley. We spent the rest of the afternoon at this location, talking and having a braai, the traditional South African barbecue.

With the sunset, we then drove back to our backpacker, where after a short detour to the bar and various rounds of card games, we finally fell into bed, quite tired.

After this long post, I send warm greetings back to Germany. Thank you for still being interested in what I experience here. The next post won't take as long, I promise!

Your Caro