Adventures in Durban

On the morning of December 4th I headed off to OR Tambo International Airport to catch my flight to Durban determined that this weekend nothing would get in my way of some travel and leisure time. Luckily unlike the week before my trip was not hampered by mini buses or concerned landlords and so off I went.

Arrival and Cab Drivers

When I arrived in Durban the captain announced as we touched down that it was raining, as it had been for the last week and a bit. Disappointed I disembarked from the plane as I had hoped to spend the weekend on the beach. So I hope for sun and scoped out a non-sketchy looking cab. The cab driver, who tried to swindle me out of some extra money as he said we were going to be stuck in traffic for 2 hours which was not the case, spent the entire 20 minute ride to my Backpackers Lodge telling me about how unsafe South Africa was and questioning why I would come to Durban or South Africa at all. This was far from pleasant (although not entirely unusual) and so I was relieved to find a very quiet, clean and safe backpacker's lodge at the end of my trip.
After speaking with the acting manager of the accommodations I concluded that the best thing to do in Durban on a rainy day was to go to the Victoria Street Market which houses Indian and African goods and crafts. (South Africa apparently has the largest Indian population outside of India, and a lot of them live in Durban). Upon arriving at the market I found a maze of stalls occupied by people who all wanted me to come in and view their merchandise, and then of course buy it. This was a lot more direct than business in Pretoria, and somewhat intimidating. It also didn't help that I seemed to be the only westerner there at the time and as Mzi always points out I have Benjamin Franklins on my forhead (everyone thinks I have an american accent, its very irritating)
On the way home from the market my cab driver took the longest route possible so the ride was expensive and was again telling me about how unsafe Durban was which left me a little bit nervous. But everything was fine in the end.

Food, Food and More Food

For some reason Friday turned out to be a big eating day for me. It had been suggested to me that I try a Bunny Chow in Durban. A Bunny Chow is a hollowed out half loaf of bread which is filled with the curry of your choice. I decided to consume this at lunch time in the Victoria Street Market. Sadly I failed miserably at eating this dish as you are meant to eat it with your hands but I couldn't figure out how to do so without making a huge mess so I had to ask for a knife and fork to eat my Chicken Bunny Chow.
Early in the evening Friday night not having made any friends yet I decided to go out for dinner before it was too late to walk on the street. So I walked across the street to a strip mall with an Asian restaurant in it and ate sushi for the first time in South Africa. While the sushi was good, the meal was small as it was expensive and I had eaten the bunny chow moments before.
When I returned to Gibela, the Backpacker's Lodge I discovered that more people had arrived and proceeded to make friends. The people who I met were all doctors (one was a med student) who were working in a small town about two hours away. We got to talking we hit it off and so I joined them at Spiga D'oro a highly recomended Italian restaurant where I had a small bowl of pasta, half of which I took home because I was too full. Normally I would not have eaten that much but I didn't think I would get another chance to eat there.
and so that was my day of eating.

Coincidental Roommates
When I met the 4 doctors I soon learned that their encounter at Gibela was not planned. There were two American girls who had come together and a Belgian couple who had also come together only to discover their colleagues were staying in the same location. The coincidences continued later in the night when I discovered that one of my room mates and her boyfriend had arrived late at Gibela and were sleeping in the same dorm room as I was. When I realized it was them I tried to wake them up and they pretended to be asleep until I fell asleep and then jumped on me which wasn't very nice but it was nice to see them.

Surfing, Kayaking and Strawberry Daiquiris on the Beach
On Friday night when I discovered that the two American girls who I met, Mellisa and Stasia were going for surfing lessons on Saturday morning, I invited myself along. So at 10 am we headed for the Indian Ocean (which I have never seen before) and I tried surfing for the first time. Needless to say I wasn't very good at it but it was fun to try and I enjoyed being in the Ocean. Afterward we went into an African themed restaurant on the beach called Moyo which was absolutely fabulous. The food was great and there was a perfect view of the ocean. The rest of Saturday was spent at a craft center and later watching a movie as the rain returned in the afternoon.
On Sunday Mellisa had a scuba lesson at the same location where the surfing lessons were held so Stasia and I decided to try surfing again. It went somewhat better on the second try and I was actually able to stand up a few times before I got too tired. Afterward we went kayaking and I saw a very large jelly fish. We also kayaked over some coral reef which was full of fish. When we headed in the tour guide explained to us how to catch a wave in our kayak which I did successfully. Apparently surfing is easier when you are not standing up.

Ushaka Marine World
On Sunday after surfing and Kayaking Stasia and I decided to go into uShaka Marine World where the beach is located. uShaka is a combination marine world and water park, we just went into the marine world side of things as we had already spent a lot of time in the Ocean.

First we went to see a penguin feeding demonstration where we learned a bit about penguins. This was my first time to see penguins in the flesh and I have to say I really fell in love with them, they are very sweet animals. We also saw a seal show which was cute.


Next we went into the Aquarium which is built into the bottom of an old ship. The aquarium is quite extensive and houses a number of tropical fish including sharks. It was really beautiful and well put together. There are also fish in the aquarium which defy the confines of the imagination really neat.

Finally we went to see a dolphin show. I can't say I have ever enjoyed dolphin shows and sadly I can't say this one was any different.

Manic Monday
Monday morning my American friends left and I made friends with a Brazillian girl who had moved into my room. We spent the morning at the Durban Botanical Gardens which among other things has a lovely orchid collection. We then went to a Hindu Temple and explored the inside. I have never been to a Hindu Temple before it was quite nice.
Unfortunately in the afternoon I got my first migraine in 2 years and missed my flight while waiting for pain killers in a hospital. This ended up being an unnecessary expense but I did get to stay and extra night and returned safely Tuesday.

A nice little vacation if I do say so myself.