Midsemester Adventure I | Knysna

March 18-27 was our midsemester break from UDubbs (technically it was their fall break and our spring break, but that just gets confusing). The short version of the story is that I went on a road trip all over South Africa with 17 of my housemates in a giant overland vehicle that looked like a cross between a military tank and a rolling greenhouse:

We did and saw so much that I can't fit it all into one entry. So, taking a page out of my friend Molly's book, I'll be giving it to you in little pieces over the next few days. To be honest, I should be writing an 8-page research paper at the moment. This is far more fun.

The break began on St. Patrick's Day, which was also my housemate Katie's birthday. Cape Town seems to have little pockets that celebrate the holiday, but nobody's going to run up and pinch you if you're not wearing green. We started the evening with a Guinness at Trenchtown, the Jamaican restaurant a few blocks away. Talk about a blend of cultures... We moved on to The Dubliner on Long Street, which was quite obviously the place to celebrate St. Paddy's Day. Kimberley House, of course, was also decorated for the occasion:

VERY early the following morning, we loaded onto the Safari Tank and settled in for our week on the road. The first destination was Knysna, a smallish coastal town 7-8 hours west of Cape Town. We drove through gorgeous mountains and rolling foothills, and had the first of many interesting rest stops and culinary experiences:

 

We arrived in Knysna late that afternoon, and spent some time looking out at "The Heads," a turbulent channel where the lagoon feeds into the Indian Ocean. It was once a sea port, but too many boats were lost and it is no longer used.

We went out to dinner at a Mozambican restaurant in town, and I had a vegetarian dish that I'm pretty sure consisted solely of cheese, cream and spinach. SO tasty. Exhausted from a day spent in the tank and little sleep the night before, we settled into the Island Vibe Backpackers for the night. Staying at a Backpackers when you're traveling with 17 other people is a pretty good deal in some ways. I never once stayed in a room with strangers, which made safety less of a concern. On the downside, we didn't get to make as many interesting new friends. I love the communal aspect of Backpackers. They usually have free coffee and tea (always important to me), and a pub where guests from all over the world congregate before crawling into their bunks.

Next up, East London and Coffee Bay!