Hi all
Our time in J-Bay has come to an end and now we find ourselves in the middle of the Transkei in the Eastern Cape. Firstly though, to sum up J-Bay:
On Friday we got in a good surf in the afternoon before the wind came up. The nearby city of Port Elizabeth isn't called the windy city nothing, so when the wind kicks up it can be quite a gust and very difficult to surf in. In the evening we met up with Maureen and Fortune again to help with the cooking for their street kids feeding program before heading back to our hostel for a meal of our own.
The wind beat us to it on Saturday morning and by the time we had paddled out for a surf it was coming in at full blast. We decided rather to spend the morning taking it easy and preparing for the Super 14 Rugby Finals in the afternoon. The Blue Bulls, the team from Pretoria were taking on the Chiefs from Australia so it was going to be a good one. We met up with a couple of the guys from the hostel and went out to the town to watch the games. 1st up it was the British Lions vs. the Royal 11, which got us all warmed up for the main event. The Bulls dominated the entire game, and by half time were in a commanding lead. In the second half the Bulls came out even stronger to complete a formidable whitewash victory. Most of Jeffrey's Bay are Blue Bulls supporters so the town was a frenzy of delighted fans waving flags and honking their horns in the streets.
After the game it was time to head back to the hostel to pack and get ready for the long drive to Coffee Bay. In the morning we piled into the van, waved our good-byes, and headed on our way. The road was long and tiring, but the spectacular scenery made it an awesome trip. You really get a sense of leaving all civilization the further along the road you go. Life in the Transkei is very provincial and the sands of time seem to have had little effect on this part of the country. As you meander through the small towns and villages on the way you get the feeling that time is slowing down. Many of the residents still live life as their ancestors did years ago. Young boys tend their father's cattle while the girls grind grain for the evening meal and in the night the sound drums and singing can be heard drifting over the rolling hills. This is Africa as it used to be.
Coffee Bay itself is a coastal paradise set among this background of rural living and a haven for travellers from all over the world. We pulled into the hostel in the late afternoon and got settled in. Our host Dave Malherbe came out to meet us and take us on a quick tour of the surf spots in the area. Dave is an ex-world champ from the days of Pro-Am surfing and has been living in Coffee Bay for over 10 years so his insight and experience on this coast is unrivalled. The evening was an absolute classic with the sky a wash of colours and the hills glowing in the evening light. For us though, it was off to bed to sleep off the drive and get rested for the days of surf and adventure ahead.
Yesterday we all headed out for our first surf in the Transkei. The water was warm and the waves were peeling down the point. Lucy clocked in the longest ride of the trip so far, catching her wave at the top of the point and riding it in all the way to the beach. We all spent a few hours getting to know the wave before Dave came down and gave us all a lesson on turning. At this point of the trip the guys are all getting consistently good waves and riding them well, so now its time to get into a few more advanced skills. Dave worked with the guys on the beach showing them all the basic body movements involved in turning, then was time for the guys to put it into practice in the water. The rest of the day was spent soaking up the surf and the sun and just enjoying our new surroundings.
The forecast looks good for us here in Coffee Bay with only one day of on-shore winds predicted so I'm sure we're going to be spending a lot of time in the water, plus I've got a few surprises up my sleeve…
Till next time
Take Care
Bevan