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Touring
South Africa by Bus - by Malik
"Word of Mouth" is an unusual name for a guesthouse,
but not so in South Africa, where I also found "Bump
in the Night", "Elephant on Castle" and "Down
the Lane". All these places catered for Backpackers,
providing inexpensive accommodation and services to travelers
including TV, VCR, video library, E-mail facilities, and a
welcome tea and coffee for weary travelers.
"Word of Mouth" in Pretoria, the Capital City, was
my first stop after a long flight from my home in Pakistan.
An airport shuttle from Jan Smuts Airport dropped me right
at the gate. I chose Pretoria after an extensive Internet
search to find a safe area to start my travel in South Africa.
I had heard scary stories and was told that Cape Town was
called “Rape Town”, Sun City- “Sin City,”
and that a visit to Johannesburg was not complete without
getting mugged! All these apprehensions proved wrong however,
and I returned un-scratched after 30 days of travel.
It was July when I arrived, which is Winter in South Africa
as the country lies below the equator. Though days were sunny,
the nights were bitterly chilly for my blood. I stayed around
Pretoria for a few days to get acclimatized and enjoyed long
walks admiring fine Dutch architecture, museums and monuments.
At that time of the year the Jacaranda trees were in bloom,
immersing the city in glorious shades of purple and mauve.
There were numerous malls and arcades to browse for souvenoirs,
roadside artisans sold colorful hand-spun rugs, fine bead
and woodworks, and decorated hides and skins.
After about four days, I sat down with the lodge manager to
discuss my problems. I had only $1000 and a credit card and
a wish to traverse South Africa from one end to the other.
I wanted to get a taste of everything the country had to offer,
mountain biking, river rafting, para gliding and above all
bungee jumping – not to forget game viewing and safari
walking.
Hop-On/Hop-Off at Lodges and Hostels
A variety of transport was available to get around South Africa
including air, rail and road links, but for my restricted
budget a bus network known as "Baz Bus" was the
best choice. These buses would pick up and drop off passengers
at lodges and hostels. Passengers simply bought one ticket
to their final destination and can "hop-on, hop-off"
wherever and as many times as they like with no time limit
in between. I got a Pretoria-Cape Town return ticket for $230,
which would also allow me a stop in Swaziland, a land locked
country surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique.
Sondzela Backpackers- Swaziland
The next morning, dressed in layers of cotton & woollen
clothes, I stood at the gate of the guesthouse waiting for
the Baz Bus to Swaziland. It arrived at 7:15 am, a Mercedes
Sprinter towing a trailer. It had 22 seats and mostly white
passengers ranging 18 to 35 years. I am 57, but that was no
problem.
I was lucky to get the front seat. The entire route heading
east to Swaziland was studded with fruit plantations, stunningly
lush green sugar cane fields, high grassy plains and majestic
mountains. We passed by Nelspruit City, the gateway to Kruger,
the world famous Wildlife Park, home to all the “Big
Five” - lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes and rhinos.
After about 8 hours of travel, we reached the border towns
of Oshoek and Ngwenaya. A Swazi official issued me a visa
and by 7pm (after 12 hours of travel), we had arrived at Royal
Swazi Sun Hotel. Here a van from Sondzela Lodge was already
waiting for me, as the Baz Bus driver had alerted them of
my arrival. All the drivers had mobile phones.
Sondzela was a quaint thatched lodge, located inside the "Mlilwane
Wildlife Sanctuary", and one can be on a self-directed
walking safari the moment one gets out of his room. This was
a highlight of my trip.
Zululand to Durban
Baz Bus then took me south to Zululand and the picturesque
village of KwaBonambi, which is situated 20 minutes from South
Africa’s oldest game reserves, Hluhluwe
and Umfolozi.
Here I stayed at a hostel run by a mother and daughter. I
had the best food in most hygienic conditions and the place
was also well decorated. I was told that the daughter had
a husband but he was kicked out as he was not matching with
the overall decor! The mother had reduced her own husband
to a safari guide, and the two women were firmly in command.
Nearby at a Zulu Cultural Village, young girls performed the
dance to attract a suitable match. The price of a bride I
heard, is eleven cows, and one cow can be bought for about
$300. Unfortunately, I hadn’t the time to enjoy a blissful
marriage.
My next hop-off point was Durban. On the way, I passed through
the "St Lucia Wetlands", a region known for its
eco-tourism value. The wetlands stretch 80 kilometers from
Sodwanya Bay in the north to Mapelane in the south and are
surrounded by ocean beaches.
I liked Durban as there were many Muslims hailing from Pakistan,
India and African countries. It is a big, lively city, and
I had an opportunity to see Indian Films at the local movie
houses as well as visit museums, aquarium and the planetarium.
After a week in Durban, I moved on to "Coffee Bay"
on what used to be called the "Wild Coast of Transkei".
Here high cliffs fall to a narrow bay, skirted with golden
beach and aquamarine surf.
Next stop was Cintsa, located about 35 kilometers northeast
of the city of "East London". Here atop a hill,
I found a beautiful hostel called "Buccaneers Retreat".
As the time was running short, I moved on, briefly stopping
at the city of Port Elizabeth and then to Knysna and finally
to Cape Town. I thought I would stay a while in Cape Town
and unwind, but it was cold and cloudy. There were no outdoor
tours and it looked as if everything had come to a stand still.
I got panicky and planned my return without waiting for the
sunshine- which came two days later.
I then went cross country to Johannesburg where I had a conducted
tour of Hillbrow, a once famous entertainment and bohemian
district that has become notoriously unsafe in recent years.
I saw massive hotels like Holiday Inn closed down and chain
stores abandoned. Johannesburg seemed to me a dying city.
In 30 days I had only caught a glimpse of South Africa, and
I would love to come again. There are many other countries
though I have to see and I feel age is creeping over me, hence,
it is all the more urgent to go to unseen places. Next stop,
USA … by bus of course.
Hafeez
ur Rahman Malik, Karachi-Pakistan.
Submitted: 27 September 2002
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