Kwana.... where?

Hello all,

It seems to me that there have been a couple of times since I arrived in SA that I reach a hostel and think “what am I doing here?’. Either it’s just not as nice as I expected, or I’m the only guest, or it’s raining non-stop and there is nothing to do. That’s exactly what happened when I came to Kwananombi. Basically in the middle of nowhere, I’m here as it’s near to a town where I have a dentist appointment tomorrow. Not sure what’s happened but one of teeth is unbelievably sore and think it might need a filling. Anyway, I’m here and bored, the day (and night) stretching out endlessly before me. It’s now 7pm, pitch black and still raining hard when a guy turns up on his bicycle. I’d actually passed him on the road this morning with the fisherman who gave me a lift.

He was quite a character and became even more so when he told us that he had cycled round Africa. Not SA, but Africa. The whole thing! It’s taken him two years (he planned only one). Meeting him was a true pleasure. We totally hit it off and spent the rest of the night talking, even venturing out at 10pm to find a place showing the rugby. This we failed to find as the hotel bar was shut and the locals not particularly friendly or accurate in giving us directions to the country club which should have been showing the game. We ended up striding through the bush, with no torch getting soaking wet in an epic adventure that reminded me of trying to find Frank Zappa’s head in Villnius. We finally returned to the hostel at 11.30pm, having completely failed in seeing the game.

This morning, Marayn (the hostel owner) and I woke up at 4am to spend half a day in the oldest game park in SA. Weather not the best, at least the rain managed to moreorless hold off until the afternoon, by which time we’d seen zebra, giraffe, warthogs, kuru, wilderbeest, impala, white rhino’s, nghala, buffalo, turtles and lots of birds. Two of the big five down (named Big 5 after their hunting appeal), only have lions, leopards and elephants to go.

I’m really glad we went as there is little else on the schedule until I leave for Swaziland on Wednesday. Marayan is doing a boarder run tomorrow, so there is no-one to do the tours so I’m pretty much stuck here unless some backpackers turn up with a car and I go with them on their outings. This is possible, as most guests here come by car.

SA doesn’t feel like it has completely worked out for me. The company that I wished to work for in Sodwana Bay only emailed me after I’d left (they had been away all week) and this just feels like another, small but noticeable, incident that says it is time to move on. I plan to spend a few days in Swaziland and then go to Mozambique. I’m praying it will be warmer there because SA is just cold and wet at the moment. The rainy season has started early but I’m hoping that it will finish early too. In Mozamibque too, the rainy season is from Dec to April. What joy!

Take it easy,
Love
Kx