I had a good time in Hogsback. My next stop was Chintsa which is on the coast north east of East London.
Using Baz Bus required that I took a shuttle back to East London and wait for the bus at the, previously mentioned, Shady Shack Hostel. I chatted to a young English couple who had stayed there. They confirmed that it was a “dodgy place in a dodgy area”.
Staying at Buccaneers
I had booked into a place called Buccaneers in Chintsa using Expedia. I am not sure what I, or they did, but I ended up with a cottage all to myself.
Chintsa turned out to be a very small place. Buccaneers is sort of a resort, albeit a bit basis. It has a swimming pool with a café, a bar and restaurant. There seemed to be more staff than guests.
Another Cattle Encounter
I had a late lunch in the café by the pool. There was a group on cows in a paddock beyond the pool. One was making a loud bellowing noise. The girl in the café explained that its calf had escaped from the paddock and it was probably at the beach. The “mother was calling to it”.
After the lunch I walk down to the beach. This involved going through a gate and down a narrow path that led to a wood bridge that crossed a small stream that flowed to the beach. I crossed the bridge and continued along the path.
As looked along the path I could see a ‘not too small calf’ heading my way. I turned and ran back to the bridge, thinking the calf would not cross the bridge. I was right about that. It simply ran through stream and up the path to the gate.
I headed up the path. I could hear both the cow in the paddock and the calf bellowing.
As I neared the gate the calf suddenly came out of the bushes beyond the gate.
It started to come towards me, but suddenly stopped. The gate was open the it ran through it.
I walk up the gate. One that staff from café was at the gate laughing her head off. She and seen me react as the calf came towards me. I obviously looked as scared as ‘all get out’.
She said “he is just looking for his mother”. She had heard him bellowing and came out to open the gate. As she did, he ran straight past her to the paddock.
In hindsight it was obvious that all the calf wanted to do was get to its mother. It wasn’t interested in me except that I was on the same path.
Good Meal
In the evening, I had a meal in the restaurant. That was the only place to eat and there was only one option on the menu – barbequed meat and salad. It was very good.
All the quests dined at one table. The conversations we interesting. Two of the guests were young lawyers from Cologne in Germany. Naturally the ‘New Year’ incident came up. They said “it was serious, but it will be the problem with the migrants will be resolved because Germany has good processes”.
Great view
The breakfast was served in the restaurant. Has a really good view towards the beach.
Walk and Quick Dip
I went for a long walk on the beach and had a quick. The water was much warmer than Jeffrey’s Bay, but still cool.
Friday night
It was Friday. I ate in the restaurant again and went to the bar after the meal.
The place was ‘packed’. The barman explained that the ‘locals’, come to the Buccaneer’s bar every Friday because it is “the only place there is”.
The ‘locals’ were a bunch of young and old, and male and female. They seemed to three things in common: they were white, spoken Afrikaans and could drink like fish. Oh and one other thing: they all smoked.
To Coffee Bay
I had time for a walk in the morning before the Baz Bus arrived to take me to Mthatha where I was to catch a shuttle bus to Coffee Bay.
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