The man with twelve fingers

Sunday, 24 February 2013

(Recommended song choice for this blog entry: "Half a Decade" - Guy Buttery)

Sibongile, a man with 12 fingers came to fetch me from the Coffee Shack.

I surprised him by giving him a hug. 

I surprised myself as the words poured out of my mouth: 

"I bet it pays to have 2 extra fingers".

He burst out laughing, and so did I. A friendship was formed. 

It is funny how we as humans are so quick to sideline anything foreign to us, even our own. 

I use Sibongile as a minor example, but it plagues my mind knowing how quick we are to recognise our differences, over and above our similarities. And I see it everywhere. Even in myself, sometimes. 

It was a 45 minute dirt road drive in a Northerly direction with my new friend before I met Johann Stadler and his  staff at Mdumbi Backpackers: a bunch of people perched against the edge of this handsome, rugged coastline, who live differently and believe in what they stand for. 

Once again, I will let the pictures do the talking.

With a smile,

Ali.

ALI'S TIP OF THE TRIP:

#1) Lose the phone. Try being uncontactable where you can.

#2) Heads up: Mdumbi Backpackers does not sell alcohol on the property. You are however, free to bring your own booze (if that's how you cruise), or feel free to support the locals who sell courts of beer and cider in the village. 

#3) Mdumbi does not accept credit cards, so if you are planning on buying extra nibbles or treats during your stay, draw your cash from the banks before arriving - or stick to electronic banking.

#4) Head out to the Point Lookout when you have a moment. It is approximately a 5-10 minute walk from the main house - and on a clear day, you can see all the way to Port St. Johns.

These big lumbering creatures stalk around everywhere.

The cows head to the sandy beaches, as this is the one spot the ticks cannot get to them. 

And then they begin to groom themselves quite vigorously to rid themselves of any ticks that might have latched onto them whilst feeding on the lush grassy planes of the Wild Coast. A strange and yet amusing sight which diverted my attention for many a good minute during my stay at Mdumbi. Pretty priceless.

They don't care much for us people, who in this photograph, were sitting on a grassy patch just off the beach under the dapple shading of a small tree. I suppose they simply just slot us into their daily lives. I came across this particular young bull on the sandy beach later that day, and he half-charged, half-herded me off the sand. I assume I was too close for his liking. 

From my observations, apparently, they travel in packs.

And the preening, primping, and sprucing ensues - accompanied by strained, confused facial expressions and sounds from the animal.

I tried to get close to the cows, but they mostly just ran away. 

I could not help thinking that this photograph was almost symbolic of a sad love-story.
Less cows - more Mdumbi!

My friend Jimmy, erecting poles for his tight rope.
I met Jimmy at the Buccaneers Lodge and Backpackers where he works. He decided to take a mini vacation, and he was received warmly by the Mdumbi staff.

The Reception: I spent much of my time hanging out at reception with the other guests, discussing our travels, banging on the backpacker's drums and strumming on its in-house guitar. Indescribably, this spot has a gravitational pull for good energy, which at the time of my stay was extensive. 

The porch outside the reception area has great views and loungers comfortable enough to get stuck in the entire day.

All catered meals are served up here in the main house/reception.

The Kitchen: It runs mostly on gas and is on to recycling!
The backpack makes space for both self-catering and catering. I love food (eyes closed, mouth full), and I certainly found my stomach at Mdumbi. If you happen to be there on a Saturday, make sure that you sign your name down for their Saturday Seafood Feast. There prices vary, but are relatively cheap!

Breakfasts: ZAR20 - ZAR35
Toasted Sandwiches: ZAR15 - ZAR25
Dinner: ZAR50 - ZAR70

If you are as into carbohydrates as I am, do yourself the favour and pre-order one of these traditional Xhosa loaves of bread. They cost ZAR35 and make for a masterly lunch, or a splendid evening starter, and they are all baked by the Xhosa ladies who work the kitchen.

 Even self-catered guests join us up at the reception for our morning meal to suss out the glorious views which the day brings. Jimmy, showing us how to eat breakfast.

(had to, sorry Jimmy!)

More cows - and even the dog is captivated!
(I am not too sure what this says about me though.)

When I think back to the photograph of this guy (another guest at Mdumbi), I realise how I truly managed to encompass and embody the spirit of African time.

What is African time you ask?
In English, you will note that we have many ways of greeting one another, whether it be good morning; good day; or good evening etc... 

However, in the Xhosa language, when one greets another, there is but one word that is used, and that is molo (meaning hello). There is no reference to time. That is why they say that in Africa, we abide by African time:

Things will happen when they happen. 

In case you get lost: Mdumbi sits on the edge of a handsome coastline, a mere 200 metre walk away from pristine sandy beaches. The area is characterised by thick forests, a healthy estuary, and a thriving Mangrove swamp.

Escape the rush. One of the best things about Mdumbi is that you don't have to move an inch if you don't want to.

While I was at Mdumbi  my mobile phone conked out for the most part - and I found myself more disconnected from the outside world than I had anticipated. For the first time in my life I experienced the calm of being uncontactable. One thing less to distract me from this quiet bliss I had come all the way from Cape Town to experience. 

As I mentioned above, the ocean is a 200m walk from the backpackers. It flaunts a world-class point break - which with the right swell conditions and sandbank formations, pumps out a wave that you can ride for up to 1km. 

Johann took me on an early morning surf on Sunday morning.
The water was so warm that all I donned was my bikini, as opposed to my 4/3mm wetsuit which I usually cruise around in (in Cape Town). 

The water was crystal clear. Between the glorious sets that were rolling in, I would dive the 2 metres down to the bottom of the ocean floor to grab handfuls of sand, returning to the surface just to smear onto my board while I waited for the beasts to come crashing in. 

Johann whistled to me, pointing to a pod of dolphins swimming by in the distance.
There was a sea turtle too, who often wades past Johann in the morning to greet him.

I was in heaven. 

It was just me, the board, and a crypt of miscellaneous thoughts that had been gracefully unlocked by the calm of the ocean.

And then I promptly introduced my face to the sand; eyes closed, mouth full.

I wiped out hard.

But like anything in life, s**t happens. You just have to pull yourself towards yourself; check yourself before you wreck yourself; get back on that board, and paddle back out to face your demons.

We surfed for about 3 hours that day.

Welcome to my humble abode. This traditional Xhosa home made of mud bricks and thatch was my den for the weekend. These comfortable little huts come with a double bed inside and a stack of shelves for you to offload your baggage onto. As seen in this photograph, you have your own private seating and braai area which is blocked off by the wooden walls.

Mdumbi also offers accommodation in the forms of dormitories, double rooms, and a campsite!

The Lapa: the communal area where guests can go chill, socialise and play some pool. 

The colourful building in the background is Mdumbi's fully stocked kitchen for those wishing to accomplish a weekend of self-catering. 

I had just missed them - but there are these incredible sunflowers that have been planted all over the property. I am dying to return to this chest of treasures when they are in full-bloom. 

All the bathrooms have been decorated with intricate mosaicking, adding to the backpack's rustic feel.

Mdumbi is very much so an eco-friendly backpackers which is constantly trying to figure out new and innovative ways to drive forward sustainable eco-tourism.
The establishment depends a lot on solar power, which is used to spice up the showers' hot water.

Note the high ceiling in this bathroom. I got the biggest freight when I heard sounds of movement coming from directly above me while I was having a piddle. It was one of the cats, strutting along the inner walls, sussing out the visitors of his palace.

I was absolutely infatuated with their outdoor shower, constructed from old surfboards and driftwood.

There is quite a bit of renovation going on around the property due to a fire which burnt down the original main house. The perplexing and inspirational side to this story, is that Johann is busy rebuilding the entire structure with the hired help of the locals.

Johann is the man. The jack of SO many trades. He can pretty much learn how to do anything through example; and he generally only needs one. He is on a continuous exploration to find better systems of energy generation, recycling and economical sharing - and this building is of NO exception.

Johann has been busy making bricks out of concrete and reinforcing them with the recycled glass that he has crushed up and added to the mix. This is what he is rebuilding the main house out of.

Why stop there? He also has multiple permaculture gardens growing at the bottom of the property.

And here he is: everybody say hello to Johann :)

Johann also has big plans to renovate what will soon become a day spa, fully equipped with a jacuzzi. 

I walked past this building quite a number of times before figuring out what it actually was. This old building is a church. Services are held here by the local community every so often. 

Meet Lindeka. This harmonious woman with a million dollar smile and hands of gold gave me a massage in the old church building. She is qualified, and her hands are undeniably therapeutic. Soon, Lindeka and Lindiwe (the other masseuse) will have their own day spa to operate their business from. 

Some other activities which Mdumbi offers include:
* Guided coastal walks
* River kayaking
* Horse riding
* Cultural tours
* Cave hikes

It is important to note that 50% of Mdumbi belongs to the Mankosi Community, and that all the activities offered at the backpack are self-owned by members of the community itself.
Therefore, once again you can put your mind at rest as a traveller with a conscience, knowing that your vacation money is going to the places which need it most.

Next to the old church.

I don't think that magic is the correct word to be used to describe this place.
Perhaps bewitching, or enchanting? How about commanding in the least aggressive way  possible. Powerful, yet humble.

Everywhere you look, there are spellbinding views which stretch for kilometres.When the sun goes down, you can use the moon and the stars to guide your footsteps, for their glow is scintillating in the absence of the city lights.

I spent my first evening at Mdumbi (Friday), taking a midnight stroll down to the shoreline with 8 other people (some staff were in on this one too). It was Johann's birthday, and he had returned to Mdumbi after a day in Jeffrey's Bay spent with his family, just to meet me. In celebration of this wonderful man's birthday, we stacked a great pile of driftwood together which we had collected within 10 minutes, and lit a bonfire. We had carried bongo drums down with us from the main house, and a set of fire poi. 
The moon was full, and we lay on the beach, drumming away, sometimes getting up to dance along to the deep beats which echoed through the darkness, while at the same time, remained captivated by those fire dancing.

I don't see myself ever forgetting that night.
One for the books. 

They lit a fire on Saturday evening, and Johann sat me down with a bongo drum and taught me a few rhythms. He and I pounded away together for a good hour and a bit, and the strangest thing happened: Guests just started appearing from nowhere and settled themselves around the fire next to us, as if in a daze; a trance. 
We were the pipers.
It was a really good almost substantial feeling - being able to bring people together like this. We didn't force them to come. We didn't use words. We called them through the drums.
And materialised they did.

Next to the reception, is a lounge with a sound system. On the Saturday night, we threw a party, where guests of all ages joined in on the festivities and the dancing.

An old reservoir not far off from the main house. 

I was really bummed out to have to leave this place and it's people behind.  But sometimes, saying goodbye is just another way of saying I'll be back.

And Mdumbi, I will definitely be back.