Surfing, Salmon, Shark Diving, Jollyboys

I can’t say it enough, there’s fun to be had in Cape Town, South Africa.  If you’re looking for an introduction to international travel, the kind of introduction that mixes lots of fun and adventure without culture shock, Cape Town is the place for you.  For our last day in paradise, Mark and I booked a surfing adventure at Munchiem Beach.  Our Aussie instructor and his girlfriend, a marketing/ESL teacher, picked us up in their Scooby Doo van which was loaded with surfboards.  The name of their company is Wet Dreams.  Yes, sexuality and innuendo are not taboo here like they are in the States- a fact which surprises South Africans because they think of America as displayed through Hollywood stereotypes, sexually promiscuous.  With free condom dispensers in the lobby of each backpacker’s hostel and vineyard gift shops with names like “Fine Dry” (innuendo for too much good sex), it seems that South Africa is far more progressive.

Munchiem beach was packed with people for a Billabong teen girl’s surfing competition sponsored by Seventeen Magazine.  In between song lines like “C’mon, Baby, let’s do the twist!” a D.J. announced winners for a hula-hoop competition.  We stretched into our wetsuits and plopped down on the beach for our second surf lesson (the previous lesson was two summer’s ago at Mission Beach, California, and our skills were a little rusty).  Paddle, push up, knee in, twist up, stay low.  Full of excitement, we strapped the board’s leashes to our ankles and set out into the salty waves.  Both of us were able to stand up and surf several times, but more often than not, we looked like we were doing our own version of the twist followed up with a splash.  It was awesome.  After a few hours of fighting the waves, we were simultaneously elated and exhausted.

We relaxed at Long Street’s Café (where they have free wifi) for the remainder of the afternoon, then joined Michael and Joel on the hostel’s second floor veranda for a glass of Pinot Tag red wine with smoked salmon and gouda on butter crackers.  What a treat.  The guys showed us pictures of their day- shark diving.  Five at a time, they were lowered into a metal cage while bloody chum was dropped into the water and fish heads on sticks were used to lure in the sharks.  Some of them actually reached out to touch the sharks as they sped past the cage.  It looked like fun!  If a person had unlimited funds, there would be unlimited fun to be had in South Africa.

Jollyboys Backpackers Hostel Communal Sitting Area

Jollyboys Restaurant/Bar

Jollyboys Pool

We went to bed just before midnight and got up at 3am for our 4am taxi to a 5:45am flight.  Long Street was still partying when we loaded the taxi’s at 4am.  There were two short flights on the way to Livingston’s tiny airport in tropical Zambia.  Our hostel’s shuttle bus greeted us at the airport and took us to our next paradise, Jollyboys backpacker’s and camp.  We spent the day in the pool relaxing and gathering mangos from the nearby fruit trees.  At night, Mark and I walked into town to get groceries at the Shoprite.  In the hostel’s kitchen, we made a Mexican-inspired supper for 11.  We ate fruit salad, corn on the cob, dirty rice with cheddar cheese, kidney beans, and a tasty Portuguese chicken and fresh vegetable medley.  Awhile later, three local Rastafarians joined us with their drums and shakers for some music and conversation at the pool-side restaurant and bar… just another day in paradise.