Elephants on Parade in Addo
Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape (April 26-29)
I first visited Port Elizabeth (PE for short) back in November 2009 while on a driving tour of South Africa with an old friend of mine from graduate school. At that time, I hadn't been particularly impressed with much, other than the lovely beaches which lie along the Corniche in the neighborhood of Summerstrand and the fact that it possesses the world's weirdest museum (Imagine a museum which has on display a fetal puppy in a jar as well as the skeleton of a colossal gorilla) as well as a snake farm.
Upon my 2-day triumphant return, I decided to spend the first day taking care of somewhat mundane but oh-so-necessary matters that only a big city can (can), such as getting a decent hair cut, picking up paracetamol pills at the pharmacy, buying a couple of 16gb memory cards for my digital camera and...drum roll please...going to the CINEMA!! A double feature no less! PE has a relatively decent shopping/entertainment complex known as the Boardwalk which houses not only a gigantic kitschy casino but also a multiple-screen cinema with several recent Hollywood releases. Film dubbing is fortunately not an issue in South Africa since English is one of its official languages so I was able to pick and choose which film(s) to see without worrying about subtitles or lack thereof. To my delight, the 4th chapter of the American Pie series had just premiered in South Africa, so I watched that first, chuckling along with the rest of the audience at the awkward and sometimes gross antics of Jim, Stifler, etc. It was by no means as funny as the original, but I rather enjoyed it as it felt akin to slipping on a familiar, comfortable old cardigan that one just doesn't have the heart to ever throw away. N'est-ce pas?
The second feature I caught that day was one which carried with it a lot of critical BUZZ and had been #1 at the box office for weeks on end- "Hunger Games." I knew the bare outline of the plot and went in with significantly high expectations, unlike "American Pie: Reunion," and yet by the film's end, I curiously felt nothing, caring not a stitch about the characters nor the outcome of the actual "game". Certainly no one would deny that it was well-cast, acted and filmed, but I found it rather paint-by-the-numbers and thus mostly ho hum predictable. Am I the only one? It was kind of a "been there, done that" for anyone who has ever seen the vastly superior Japanese film, "Battle Royale."
My second day in PE was spent immersed in the wild animal kingdom. I booked a full-day excursion to the Addo National Elephant Park followed by a game drive at Schotia, a reputable, small private game reserve nearby through my hostel, Lungile Backpackers for just over 1000 rand. I had previously visited Addo while on my 2009 aforementioned road trip but had unfortunately not spotted any lions then. This time was no different alas. Addo is simply much too large of a reserve to guarantee a lion sighting. On the plus side, we did see oodles upon noodles of creatures sporting long hoses for noses. I believe they're widely known as...errr...elephants? Hee. Other animals that practically waltzed up to our van begging for a lift to the pub included zebras, elands, springboks, wildebeests and warthogs. But the elephants absolutely reign supreme in Addo World! At the Schotia Game Reserve, however, the area is significantly smaller, which means visitors have much greater odds of encountering lions or other big critters. Schotia is currently home to 9 lions, 3 rhinos, at least a half dozen giraffes, and just recently a few elephants. The only predator living on the reserve, however, is the lion as there just isn't enough land to sustain any additional killer/hunter. While driving around in an open-air 4x4 safari vehicle in Schotia, we managed to see 2 of the 3 rhinos within spitting charging distance and also a group of giraffes happily munching down on some roadside shrubbery (Or was it a bush?!). But the coup-de-grace and "Hallelujah!" moment was driving up after sunset alongside a pride of lions feasting on their recent kill. Correction! "Their" kill was, in fact, all the hard work & effort of the lioness. The male lion and 5 cubs simply showed up after the fact to chow down on the dinner provided by Momma. I guess that, even in the animal kingdom, it is considered the responsibility of the mother to put food on the table. So who does the washing up, hmmm??
Here is a curious tidbit - did you know that black giraffes exist? Apparently there is a recessive gene which pops up within the giraffe community every now and again which produces giraffes that look curiously like burnt toast. And...these giraffes emit a rank odor similar to the one produced by homo sapiens who refuse to wear deodorant! I kid you not. This animal factoid was brought to you courtesy of Genevieve & Adam, two incredibly sweet Canadians from Ottawa I met in the Northern Drakenburgs.
Hogsback, Eastern Cape (April 29-May 2)
What kind of name is Hogsback?!? I certainly did not see any hogs, pigs, or swine running along the dirt or tarmac roads of this quaint little hamlet nestled in the Amatola Mountains of the Eastern Cape. But my Rough Guide states that the name comes from the shape of a nearby ridge which resembles a bush pig's spine. Alrighty then...
Getting to this out-of-the-way hippieish haven isn't exactly easy as the Baz Bus doesn't stop there. Instead one must arrange for a shuttle to pick you up in the city of East London at the Sugar Shack Hostel located just off the pristine and popular (with surfers and muggers alike) Eastern Beach. I was unceremoniously dumped at the far-from-sweet Sugar Shack by the Baz Bus on a Sunday morning at around 11:30 and my immediate thought upon arrival was, "When the hell can I get out of this awful sh**hole?!" The place was overrun by young locals drinking copious amounts of alcohol and playing loud games of pool. Plus, the electrical power had been out at the hostel since the night before which frankly, didn't surprise me in the slightest. Even the police stopped by while I was waiting for my tardy shuttle to ask the manager to crack down on the patrons who were straying from the premises and crossing the road to the beach with open bottles of booze in hand. Tsk tsk! I was forced to wait in this literally dirty den of impropriety for 2 freakin' hours unfortunately before my shuttle at long last arrived. Needless to say, I do NOT recommend the Sugar Shack to anyone who may be planning to spend time in East London...
As for Hogsback...
I spent 3 relaxing days in the serene village of Hogsback at a wonderful hobbit-friendly hostel, Away with the Fairies. I definitely recommend this backpacker hostel for it has a wonderful pub/restaurant (best pizza I have tasted in South Africa), a helpful and easy-going staff, free WiFi from 8-5 and a three-legged dog named Tigger who manages to hobble around the place with admirable speed. Go Tigger go!!
There are a couple of lovely short hikes in the area which, naturally, I checked out, but the highlight was a steep downhill walk to the Madonna and Child Waterfall.
The "Wild Coast" of the Eastern Cape beckons...in my next entry...
Comments
Post a Comment