The First Seventy Years: Chapter 88 - A Canoe Journey
...The highlight of the visit was the 67km vintage steam train trip to the town of George. A scenic loop around the lagoon was followed by a long climb through lush forests where the engine carries the sounds of extreme effort until the summit of the Phantom Pass has been successfully reached. Dropping down towards the coast Wilderness National Park can be seen stretching away to the north whilst the beautiful coastline of the small town of Wilderness can be admired from the train...
Eric Biddulph and his wfe Mary continue their travels in South Africa.
To read earlier chapter's of Eric's wonderfully-detailed autobiography please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/the_first_seventy_years/
Eric’s book The First Seventy Years can be obtained for £10 by contacting http://mary@bike2.wanadoo.co.uk or telephoning 01484-658175.
All the cash raised by the book goes to a water aid project in Malawi.
Arriving in Cintza, just north of East London, I booked us into the Buccaneer Backpackers hostel, reputed to be the best in South Africa. Our en-suite bungalow gave us a magnificent view over the lagoon. This paradise was ours to savour for the next four days. After a pleasant walk along the shoreline on our first morning we took out one of the canoes owned by the hostel and went up the lagoon, our recently acquired skills coming into their own.
The Inkenwenga Game Reserve was our destination on the second day. A very hilly and rugged terrain it contained a number of species including lion and rhino but unlike a game park it had been subjected to controls so that predatory instincts were curtailed. Fencing had been erected to ensure that the lion did not have access to their natural prey. They were fed once a week; this was considered sufficient to keep them satisfied.
The trip was rounded off with a very good lunch in the reserve restaurant overlooking an area frequented by grazing animals which under normal African conditions would fall prey to lions. During a trip in the hostel mini-bus to East London we had an insight into the mind of our driver, the daughter of the hostel proprietor. Displaying very liberal tendencies she revealed that her family gave financial support to a local school which we had the opportunity to visit the next day. We later joined the 'booze cruise'; a two hours motorised journey around the lagoon complete with a free supply of wine.
The school visit was one of the most enjoyable and heart warming of the whole trip. Once a week the hostel minibus takes a party of backpackers on a visit. The children, aged between five and sixteen sang a wide range of traditional folk songs and ballads. An experience I shall always cherish. A donation was given to support the school's finances.
The Baz Bus efficiently transported us to Port Alfred. A quaintly converted railway station provided pleasant accommodation. The Lonely Planet handbook referred to the nearby town of Bathurst as unique. Its local pizza factory, or more correctly, pizza shop had been visited by a South African TV team whilst filming in the area. Availing themselves of freshly made pizzas the crew were unanimous in their praise saying 'they are the best in South Africa'. This view was projected on to the TV screens giving the proprietor a very positive image across the country. We decided to sample the fare for ourselves. Our verdict; very good. The best in South Africa? Can't answer that.
Port Alfred did not have much in the way of attractions beyond a pier and fine shoreline. It did nevertheless, provide us with an afternoon's pleasant walk around its hidden backstreets. Our visit came to an end when the Baz Bus picked us up late in the evening and took us further down the coast to Port Elizabeth. Named after the wife of a British Consul during the 19th Century it is a major centre for the import and export trade. Our visit was short-lived. It did not figure on our itinerary as justifying a stopoff. Rising at 5am the next morning we were again aboard the Bus by 6am.
Less than three hours later we were booked into accommodation at Jeffreys Bay. Fellow backpackers were the British couple who had been managing Big Blue backpackers' hostel in Nhkata Bay back in Malawi. They were en-route to the UK by way of Johannesburg. The hostel ambience resembled a small hotel. A large sunken circular area with a large TV provided a comfortable location to chill out and exchange experiences. Along seafront provided a pleasant day's hike before purchasing some food from a supermarket to cook in the hostel; a rare experience for us on this trip.
A few hours drive in the Baz Bus brought us to Kynasa, a lovely town of some 35,000 residents overlooking a large lagoon and sheltered from the sea by dramatic headlands. A trip in a boat out to the edge of the open sea was an experience not to be missed.
The town had an early 20th Century feel to it with its shop canopies extending to the pavement edge; providing shelter from the sun as it progressively heated up as the season moved towards midsummer. The highlight of the visit was the 67km vintage steam train trip to the town of George. A scenic loop around the lagoon was followed by a long climb through lush forests where the engine carries the sounds of extreme effort until the summit of the Phantom Pass has been successfully reached. Dropping down towards the coast Wilderness National Park can be seen stretching away to the north whilst the beautiful coastline of the small town of Wilderness can be admired from the train.
Having enjoyed a rest the engine is again called upon to pull the carriages and their passengers to the final destination. George is home to a magnificent railway museum. After an enjoyable meal in one of the static vintage dining cars a walk around the numerous exhibits occupied our time until the conductor blew his whistle to signal the imminent departure back to Kynasa. Five wonderful hours aboard a travelling paradise; all for less than eight pounds Sterling.
