At last!!! an internet connection that ...
Trip Start
Jul 09, 2001
1
4
66
Trip End
Ongoing
Where I stayed
Big Jay's Hostel
Port St. Johns, South Africa
Wednesday, July 18, 2001
I'll have to be quite quick then, so this it whats been happening.
Tuesday 10th am time: Jo'burg
Made it into Jo'burg and managed to get a cab without getting mugged. Me and luke were both a bit on edge after being dumped into this completley different place and weren't quite sure if the taxi we got into was good or not, we half thought he was going to take us to his township and just nick our bags, and that the whole taxi image was a big front for something more sinister, luckily that wasn't the case. Instead we just ended up paying him 220 rand for he ride when we could have got a bus for 50. Oh well. At least we made it alive!!! After we got to Kieths and Viviens (parents of a friend in Guernsey)we were pretty knackered but still went for a walk down to the shopping centre, what a weired walk. We were the only white people about, and coming from Guernsey thats something you don't get, it felt a bit intimidating at fist but then you get used to it, and I suppose i's better to be a bit paranoid to start with. The shopping centre was big and nothing really special, just the normal sort of shops....
Wednesday 11th Jo'burg
We were supposed to be going down to one of the townships with Vivien as she does the meal on wheals for some of the old people down there, waited at the house till midday and then she turned up with 2 massiev pots full of carrots and bits of meat, apparently there had been a power cut down at the home so we had to cook it on the little stove, which took hours. So we got down there at 2ish! THe people there were realy nice, if a little insane. We had to give them one of each cake as they came past and an apple and some stew, this one guy insisted we put eveything into a plastic bag so he ended up with 4 cakes an apple and this nasty stew all in one leaking carrier bag. We got a quick tour around the clinic, it was quite a quiet time so no real emergencies which was probably for the best because apparently shot wounds and nasty things like that are quite common. We managed to walk down to the outskirts of a township but turned back because a big crowd of people were looking aggressive and moving towards us.
In the evening we made it down to the water front which is a big complex of shops, bars, pubs, cinemas, and all sorts of shit with a big pond in the middle and a light show that randomly come on and goes in time with the music, very nice. Stayed there for a while and vowed to come back before we leave S.Africa for good. Quite anxious to get down to durban by now so start making plans. It turns out the bungee isn't on the way to capetown so we'll have to go the long way round.
Thursday 12th Jo'burg
Started sorting out stuff for durban. Booked into big J's hostel and got bus tickets... 8 hours drive!!!! AHHHHH!! 10 hours on a place is bad enough!!!!!!! It cost 170 rand for the bus which isnt bad though.
In the evning went to Montee Casino which is some massive casino that makes to feel like your somewhere completeley different, the roof and inside are designed to spin you out, all of a sudden you just walk along and it's light and your in some little town centre. Pretty bizare! Arnold Swatznigger (sp!) was there doing comentry on a wieght lifting thing and we got to see him from a distance which was not amazing really. Me and Luara made loads of money on the 1rand spin mahines and then spent it all trying to find a special machine that would be a jackpot - it didn't happen!
Friday 13h Jo'burg / Durban
Got up early and said bye to people, Vivien made us a packed lunch with loads of cuppa soup, sandwhiches and cakes (mum would be gald to here that one!) We're looking forward to getting down to Durban and treking out on our own for a bit, just not looking forward to the bus.
Arrived in Durban at about 16:00 and went straight up to the hostel..... what a wicked place!!! First thing we saw when we went into the kitchen was a sign saying fresh herbs in the garden and two blokes (ben and pete) sorting out nice amounts of smoke on the counters. You can't move anywhere here without getting passed a spliff. There was a big party on somewhere but we just ended up smoking a few and then passing out, not a bad evening really. Also met his kewl guy called stuart who we're going to club 330 with on Saturday. That will have to be my proper 20th b-day celebration!!!!!!
Saturday 14th
There was a festival on along the Durban seafront which we went to see, some surfing thing. Durban is a lot nicer than Jo'burg, for a start there are no house-prisons with huge electric fencing out side and also everyone just seems a lot more chilled. Had a look around some shops and in the big skate park they've got, man I wish I'd brought my snake board!! Nobodys even heard of one over here!
330 in the evening was excelent! I was a bit cautious to start with as I didn't know what kind of clubs you'd get over here but I was pleasatly supprised, some nice tunes, kewl people and a chillout area on the roof! I tried to blag a tune of one of the guys mixing by saying how much I miss my decks and stuff, he just politley said it was just him and his mate playing and that they wanna keep it that way, which is fair enough :( Stuart ended up walking home with no shoes and socks, he only brough socks in the first place which I couldn't understand, he regreted it later when we had to climb over the fences to get back into the hostle at 6am! Had a quick smoke before bed and then decided to call it a night when look disapeard and stuard had a 20 minute coughing attack (that guy seriously needs to sort his chest out!!)
Sunday 15th Durban!
Did nohing apart from buy coach ticket to Port st johns, book hostel and chill!!!!!
Monday 16th
Caught the bus at 7am to Port St Johns and arrived at 2ish. I'll update some more tommorow now that I've found a half decent PC, would have liked to give you more detail on stuff that ive done but maybe from now on aye!!!!!! Port St. Johns is really sweet though, the view from the back of our hostel is breath taking :@)
Bye for now!
