Southern Berg to Cintsa West
24.03.2011 - 28.03.2011
25 °C
We left the mountains on Thursday, and headed south down the N2, a major road where you have to keep your wits about you to avoid goats, cows, horses and crazy drivers! We had planned to break our journey in a city called Mthatha, but we reached there before lunch (and didn't much like the look of it) so we kept going down the Wild Coast. Mid-afternoon, we arrived in Cintsa West (30km outside East London) and discovered a little piece of paradise!
We are staying at the Buccaneer's Backpackers' which we have since discovered is hailed as one of the best in South Africa. Our room has a veranda which looks down through the trees to a view of the lagoon, and surf crashing on the beach beyond. We have enjoyed some lovely walks in the afternoon where we have the whole beach to ourselves. We have spent a lot of time just sitting and enjoying the view, and even saw monkeys in the trees one afternoon.
A couple of nights ago, Nick fired up the braai and we had steak and mealies (corn on the cob!) for dinner. It was one of the best meals we've eaten since we've been away. Claire's contribution was potato salad (it says in the Lonely Planet that the men cook the meat, and the women make the salad - we thought it was important to conform to the stereotype!)
Yesterday, we went for a horse ride, and fulfilled one of Claire's lifetime ambitions by cantering along the beach. On the way back to the stables, we forded a river, and Nick discovered once they were in the water that his horse thought it was funny to splash around a lot and soak his legs! The aches, pains and bruises today weren't really part of the plan but no pain, no gain!!
On Monday, we will tear ourselves away to head along the Garden Route for the final league of our trip.
Posted by Tinktravel 27.03.2011 11:32 Archived in South Africa
Gosh! Your stop this weekend sounds really idyllic, and later the Garden Route should be spectacular too. Enjoy your last days both of you, but maybe avoid any more horseplay in the water, Nick.
27.03.2011 by Sheila and David