Midsemester Adventure III | Coffee Bay

A tourism industry sprung up in the fairly small, remote coastal village of Coffee Bay after locals realized they could make some money off the surfers who came to ride the waves and camp on the beaches. We spent two nights at Coffee Shack Backpackers, which felt like someone had lifted a little pocket of Asheville, North Carolina and dropped it in the Transkei. It's definitely an international hippie-haven, but still remains true to the culture of the area and works very hard at supporting the locals and the surrounding community. The village was such an odd blend of tourism and every day rural South African life that you really have to go there to fully understand it. Coffee Bay is in the running for one of my most favorite places in the world.

The minute we got off the bus, we made a beeline for the beach. As we swam in the huge, warm waves of the Indian ocean, we watched a rainbow appear in the overcast sky, stretching from one side to the other. The sky turned pink and yellow as the sun set, and we walked home in the beautiful colors. It was an absolutely stunning beauty that brought tears to my eyes. I've never seen a sunset like that one.

 

Thanks for the great photo, Katie Bimson!

We spent the evening hanging out around the fire pit with people from all over the world, eating delicious food (with awesome vegetarian options, I might add) and playing pool in the tiny pub. We hiked up the side of a small mountain to watch the ocean, the stars, and the giant full moon before going to sleep in our own little roundhouse.

The following day we went for a hike to Hole in the Wall with Joseph, who was about our age and has lived in Coffee Bay his whole life. He told us stories about growing up in the area, and made up a few things as well (just to make sure we were paying attention).

Little Boys at Hole in the Wall

South Africans love their sunsets, and with good reason. We went to a "Sundowner" on the hill close by the backpackers, watching the sun set while drinking a beer and eating a few fresh oysters and mussels (super tasty, super beautiful).

That evening, a local boys' choir performed for us before dinner. I want to learn these songs so badly! I'm hoping to play them for someone who speaks Xhosa so I can find the exact words. At this point, I have no idea what they're singing about.

There was a drum circle following dinner, where I met Kevin, the local drummer who made the djembe I bought! Much, much later that night, a man named Silas (pronounced "see-lays") attempted to teach me a few songs in Xhosa, but it was very late and I didn't have any way to record them. One of my main goals before we leave is to go back to Coffee Bay with my voice recorder and get some of these songs to bring home with me.

Much like Volmoed earlier in the semester, it was very hard to leave Coffee Bay. It is yet another wonderful place in this country that speaks to my heart. I'm so drawn to rural mountain communities like Coffee Bay, full of such beauty and tradition and music. Sometime in my life I see myself living in rural South Africa or rural Appalachia. Who knows, maybe both?

Next up, Durban and Johannesburg!