Here I come

Just about to head out to the airport . Threw in some phots of this past weekend at the lake . Enjoy!!

DURBAN

The Family

Kelly

Durban Monkeys

East London hosts Mark and Gwyneth

COFFEE BAY SUNDOWNER

finally.... SAFARI!!!!!

Got a few more days in lovely southern Africa. Have had a great time staying with Bruce and his family. Tonight I am going to cook tacos for them or at least try to cook. Not much going on around Durban just helping Bruce sell cars and have been going out jorling (partying) most nights. Went out last night to watch a band play at the local pub. It was interesting to see that every song played was an American song. Not too much in the way of musical influences over here unless you count the huge populous of Indian and Pakistanis. I ate a proper curry meal yesterday which was called bunny chow. Probably the spiciest thing I have ever had. It was a 1/4 loaf of bread cut out with mutton (lamb) and curry inside. Have been getting some cool emails from everyone away at college and looks like everyone did the rush thing and got into frats and sororities. Looks like I will stick with my surfing fraternity around the world.

I did not realize until I arrived here that this country has gone through and continues to go through so much turmoil. The corruptness is immense i.e. the vice president is currently on trial for embezzlement and fraud. I could type for days on the things I have learned about this country and have joked around with people about writing and book called A Hundred Reasons That South Africa is F$#%&@d. there is tons of petty crime and you definitely need to have your wits about you when traveling around alone and that even goes for the okes who have been living here all of there life. So one country down and one more to check off the list as not as fortunate as the one we live in. count your blessings that you don’t have to have 12 foot walls around your house with electric fencing on top which is the norm.

On Saturday night I and Bruce are going camping with about 10 other guys and then wakeboarding all day on Sunday. I leave Monday for Bali and I arrive just in time for the kuta beach festival to begin. Until then cheers and I hope to hear from everyone at one point or the other.

Ok so I arrived in Durban late Thursday night after a long party on the backpacker’s bus up the coast. I am staying with a guy and his family whom I met in j bay. Very cool people. There is actually a change of plans I am leaving for Bali the 12th now instead of tomorrow. I guess it will give me a lot of time to see more of this amazing country. We are going up the coast this week to stay at a cabin on the beach and go wakeboarding. It amazes me how inviting and hospitable everyone in this country is. I was talking to a South African yesterday who traveled through the states and said it was totally opposite there. I guess people don’t seem to open up their doors to people as openly as they do here. I have been very lucky meeting some very neat people. Durban is a very big city and is very warm. There are monkeys running around the streets and it is also pretty dangerous so I am very glad I got hooked up with Bruce and his family.

Have had a great few days. Coffee bay is amazing. The real Africa it is said to be. Beautiful rolling hills with nothing in sight but the ocean and the random tribal hut. Yesterday I experienced the most amazing thing. I walked to the village about 4 miles away and sat in during a tribal ceremony. More or less a big party and a good excuse for everyone to pass around huge buckets of Xhosa beer which is made from maze. Great time and I hung out with the older ladies all day as you can see in the photos. They were pretty much offering up their daughters to me but I don’t have any cows. (You need to give 15 cows to marry) the way they took me in and made me feel welcome was so amazing. Also the way they have kept their cultural beliefs through out time is so interesting. The ceremony was held in the Headman's front yard. And to finish off the night we had heroes and villains costume party back at the hostel and I won dressed up as Osama bin laden. (sp?) I am leaving for Durban tomorrow on a 10 hour bus ride and then leave for Bali on Sunday. Oh and by the way you can see all of my safari pictures if u go to my photo gallery on travellerspoint.