I’ve been in South Africa for 11 days now and so far it’s been the trip of a lifetime. Our most recent travels have taken us to the coastal town of Jeffreys Bay – a 12 hour drive from our home base in Pretoria. A 12 hour drive we decided to pass on, and hop on another airplane instead. Because, you know, who doesn’t love to fly all the time?
(Hint: it’s this guy)
But let’s be honest, a 12 hour drive is a time sink that’s best avoided when you have limited days.
Anyway, back on track.
Jeffreys Bay is a quiet town that’s got a lot to offer somewhere between a retirement and vacation community. To begin with, the house we stayed at was pretty much right in the beach. No matter where you are in the house, you can constantly hear the sound of the ocean waves. Lekker!
My son had an absolute blast on the beach. He crawled down the sand like a sea turtle, right up to the water, and then just stared at the ocean in a complete jaw drop moment. After exploring and eating as much sand as he could, he passed out for hours – a nice break for his mom, dad and a bottle of wine.
Further down from us was a place called Surfer’s Point. And surprise, surprise, it’s a hot spot for surfers. And before you ask – no, I did not go surfing. I’m nowhere near coordinated enough to even try. I’ve had enough embarrassment from those “surf pools” at waterparks. I’m good.
Beyond that, the town itself had restaurants. So many restaurants! If I stayed for a few weeks, I’d gain 20 lbs easy. Cafes, pubs, breweries, and fine dining. They have it all.
Now, all of this sounds amazing. And it was. We just ran into two small problems.
First: we were visiting in their spring – weather was largely unpredictable. We got one good day on the beach, followed by two windy days and a 20 minute attempt before getting rained out. I guess “cold” might be subjective to Canadians. Our timing sucks. It is what is though. You can’t control the weather.
Second: Jeffreys Bay is still a good drive from the airport – an hour or more. And our flight back to Johannesburg left at 10:20 am. The ensuing chaos of trying to get packed up and out on time with a baby along for the ride resulted in one suitcase being left behind.
*sigh*
More updates from the suitcase recovery team will be provided on a later post.
But anyway, such is life when you’re travelling. Not all will go according to plan. You’re lucky if it does. And even luckier if nobody kills you over her misplaced luggage.
Next stop, Pilanesberg National Park!
The CJBuzz 