Day 27 - Coffee Bay / WildCoast

That is exactly how one should wake up on a Monday morning!

06:45 Coffee on the verandah overlooking our bay, and between 20 and 30 Porpoise cruising by. The usual low cloud persists and sporadic light showers. Took a 5km run this morning, all those massive Wild Coast up hills are a killer, on top turned at the 'Israel Spazza' and headed back to camp at White Clay.

Karen cooked a delicious breaky of bacon and 'eggy bread'😋

Before showering I took a quick dip in the ocean. My Challenge on this trip is to swim in the sea at every location we camp at, and we will both run at every location too! So far we are on track and hopefully achieve my and our goal!

After a shower we set off to visit Coffee Bay. As I have mentioned in previous posts, as a family we holidayed every year for 16 years at the Lagoon Hotel there. Paramount Chief Kaiser Matanzima (?) who became the first President of the National Party's Republic of the Transkei, which the entire world rejected as a independent state! These were only 'puppets' of the National Party😖

Matanzima personally took control of the Lagoon Hotel and today it lays derelict and in ruin. Sadly most windows gone the odd one still draped with sheets and/or covered over with newspaper and 1980's 'Scope' center-spreads! The entire village which now does boast a beautiful new bridge, is littered with everything possible, bar nothing. The stunning beach is completely empty (no wonder) but for many years of high spring tides, flooded Umtata River debris and pollution and shipping lane wastage, nets and buoys. Flotsam of complete trees and logs and untold volumes of plastic!

Having a beer and wine at the still intact Ocean View hotel, along comes (out of the blue) an old High School & army mate, his wife and her parents Raymond and Liz Keeny, celebrating her father's 88 birthday!More beers and then lunch ended in us arranging getting together for dinner at the Hole in the Wall Hotel this evening.

In the meantime, Karen and I have also discussed our immediate plans. By all accounts, this weather is still set for several days to come and the chances of us sitting it out here in this muddy black clay at 'White Clay', have become more and more remote, with every passing shower! We have made the call to pack up tomorrow morning and to head to Morgan Bay, where by all accounts the weather has passed, and it is time!

Early evening at 18:45 Karen and I in pouring rain and definitely in 4X4 went to join Ray, Liz and folks for dinner to celebrate 'Dad's' 88th. By hook or by crook we returned safely to 'White Clay' still in pouring rain.Leia mais