Say What?

So, I go into my local Checkers and ask for the health food section.  After getting a puzzled look, I try asking for pumpkin seeds.  No?  Maybe that's too obscure.  Sunflower seeds?  I see the lightbulb go on, and follow the shop assistant to...the gardening section, where she proudly shows me the range of Starke Ayres seeds.

(This type of conversation is not limited to Mthatha though.  A few years ago, Bob went into Builders Warehouse with a full bladder.  He asked where the toilets were, and he was directed to Aisle 9. You've guessed it - the sanitaryware section)

Day Trip to Port St John's

On Sunday, we decided it was time for another outing, this time to Port St John's, which is about 70km from Mthatha, and at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River.

I've seen plenty of breathtaking pics of the Wild Coast coastline, and was looking forward to seeing it in all its panoramic glory. The countryside was beautifully green and lush, but unfortunately it's useless for farming, as it's too mountainous.

As we drove into the village, one of the first things I noticed was the proliferation of signs like this all along the beach front. The next thing I noticed was the blatant disregard for this regulation.

Broken glass and empty beer cans all around the car park. Even so, people were enjoying themselves on the beach and in the sea,  despite the warnings about sharks.

And of course, the entrepreneurs were present, with the uber-versatile wheelbarrow acting as a mobile braai.

This magnificent fellow also thought it was a great day for the beach

Election posters for May last year are still up - as in Mthatha.  Admittedly, this one could be a bit tricky to reach.

We went to Amapondo Backpackers for lunch.  On the back of this sign was another notice, asking us to keep the gate closed, to stop the donkeys from getting out.  When we arrived, the gate was open, and the donkeys were nowhere to be seen.  We knew where they were though - we'd seen some donkeys hanging around the braai area on the beach - hoping for tidbits.

Okay...

After lunch, we went exploring.  There are houses dotted all along the cliff tops.  At lookout points there were women selling beautiful beadwork.  We didn't see any other cars while we were up there, so business must have been very slow.

Someone found a bit of flatness, and planted a vegetable patch. The colour variation in the sea is probably caused by the fresh water of the Umzimvubu River mixing with the sea water. The 'stripe' runs for kilometres, and is this straight as far as we could see.

Love it!

Interesting combination.  And just in case you can't read, here's a picture to help you make up your mind.

A deserted beach.  Well, almost.

On the way home, we noticed kilometre upon kilometre of concrete pathways next to the road.  Good to see some infrastructure development.  Would be nice if some of it was sent in the direction of our potholes.

Now we know where white bakkies go to die.