RAILS & TALES . . . South Africa
Two Girls' Adventure through
South Africa Your guide to surviving South Africa: There are more waves than sharks. Story & photos by Leane Darling
Surf trips are nothing new. Traveling 5 weeks through Cape Town, Jeffrey’s Bay and Durban changed the way I plan to take a trip in the future. During the summer of 2010, my good friend and local South African, Marizanne Grundlingh, and I surfed, learned to play vuvuzelas, surfed some more and played fútbol with the locals during the World Cup of Soccer. It doesn’t necessarily take a lot of money or genius to do a trip like this, just a sense of adventure. Despite its dangerous reputation, South Africa is home to beautiful mountains and pristine coastlines. It is a country that is worth traveling to and will change the way you think about the world. Here are some tips that I learned on this trip and can be useful to you, no matter where you decide to travel.
T
ip #1: Travel light
Marizanne was looking for a new surfboard on Nelson Mandela’s birthday, while the entire nation was giving one hour of their time in community service in honor of the former president. Jordy Smith had just broken two boards in one heat at the Jeffrey’s Bay stop in the World tour of surfing, all while Marizanne sifted through dusty glass pots and used barbecues, also known as braai kits, at the local thrift store. She found an old green, funky looking fish for a mere 1500 Rand, which calculates to just under $150. Marizanne was stoked on her new board. This was definitely the best way to go due to the rising prices of traveling with oversized luggage. We were ready to surf the great spots in Cape Town, Jeffrey’s Bay and Durban that we had been hearing about. Driving is a beautiful way to travel within South Africa, and much easier if you don’t have a lot to cart around. We stopped halfway between Cape Town and J-Bay for an overnight stay in Vleesbaai. I learned a lot about how to stay warm in this sleepy village. It can get very cold at night during the winter in a house with little insulation. Instead of packing my entire wardrobe’s worth of winter coats, Marizanne taught me the effectiveness of a hot water bottle in bed at night. Boiled wine is another way to keep warm. Just add one spoonful of sugar and a slice of lemon to boiling red wine and sit back as this tasty drink warms you up. By traveling light, you free up your burden of luggage and have the opportunity to explore the resources that the country may have to offer.
T
ip #2: Travel with a local or know before you go
Marizanne knew exactly where to go and how good the waves were at her beach house in Vleesbaai, just about 3 hours drive from Jeffrey’s Bay. Locals in South Africa know what a special place it is. They know that in almost every single bay along the southern coast Garden Route, you can find a private beach with a peeling wave. They also know that all along the Wild Coast a good wave is just as easy to find as those men in grey suits, aka sharks. Marizanne is a recreational surfer. She’s the kind of person you want to travel with. She can tell you where the sharks like to go and how much to pay the legless car guard who is “protecting” your car, for example. After getting past those dangers, your trip will be a breeze. There are more waves than sharks. Just remember that. Our Vleesbai session was pretty epic. We were hoping that Toads, a spot out at the point of the bay, would be breaking. But the swell was not the right direction. Instead, we surfed the beach break and practiced dropping in to massive close-outs. We laughed a lot and Marizanne loved her new surfboard. Even the local body boarders couldn’t get past the colossal white water at this beach-break, so we got to surf alone. Later on, Marizanne and I went down to the local store for more wine. There is only one store in the small village of Vleesbai, and it opens and closes whenever it pleases depending on the owners’ nap and eating schedule. Marizanne also acted as translator. I stood by watching her converse in Afrikaans with the store owner’s son who she has known for years. After leaving, she told me that they were just catching up. He did say that he saw two crazy out-of-towners paddle out in the huge beach break that morning. When you are traveling, the surf and close-outs you find are the card dealt to you that day, so that’s what you surf.
T
ip #3: Make it cultural
In the beginning of the trip, our minds were more focused on fútbol than waves. It was 8:00 a.m. July 3rd when I arrived in Cape Town. Excitement surrounding the World Cup was already in the air at that early hour. The sound of Vuvuzelas and Shakira’s “Waka waka” filled the streets along with smiling faces from all over the world. With enough time only for a small nap and some coffee with Amarula cream, a locally made cream liqueur, we were out on the streets to see the Argentina vs. Germany game at Greenpoint Stadium. I didn’t have tickets to the game, so I sat outside in a bar with an elderly local woman who was drinking a Savannah dry beer and watching the game on a big screen that had been set up for spectators. Belinda was her name. She represented what the World Cup meant for South Africa: pride. She was a little bit tipsy as she
54 | womenssurfstyle.com | wSSm
At last... J-Bay!