Finally I’m off the plane!
After almost a day of traveling, hours of waiting, too many movies and a lack of sleep, I am back on solid ground. Our guide Elmar picks us up and the trip goes on by car. Everything is green, it’s warm. Spring in the end of November. For the first time I crossed the equator.
For lunch we are going to the Sea Belle, a restaurant right by the beach. The sun is shining, everything seems like in a dream. I can hear the sound of the waves and before we are leaving, I just have to put my feet into the water. I’m on the other side of the world.
I’m in South Africa!
We are driving along the coastline, then further into the country and my memory is fading. I keep falling asleep on the back seat. The long trip is taking it’s toll. After we stopped, everything is different. The noise of the last 24 hours has disappeared and I can hear my thoughts again.
Tonight we will stay at the Ecabazini Zulu Cultural Village near the Albert Falls Dam. I am getting my own hut in the traditional style of the Zulu. That means “back to the roots”. There are no windows and no electricity. The small room is illuminated by 2 oil lamps, but is equipped with a tourist-friendly bed (which I will be very thankful for this night when a centipede is going to take a walk through my room).
After a hot coffee, David – the owner of this place – explains the meanings of the different buildings. Hut of the patriarch, hut of the first wife, second wife etc. Of course the food is cooked on the open fire. In the middle of the property there is an enclosure for the cattle, which is a very important part of the Zulu culture and essential for the survival of the family. That’s why they do not live outside of the village. However this night they disappeared all of a sudden, because in the past they started to chew on the hut of some visitors and scared the heck out of them.
For dinner there is grilled beef with bread and salt, later we are given different sorts of vegetables. After we enjoyed our meal, the Zulu people are sharing their culture with us by showing dances, singing and playing the drums. We end this eventful day sitting by the fire with a glass of wine. It get’s dark early here and life is adjusted to the sun. That means people go to bed early and get up at sunrise.
The fire is already started as we arrive.
My cozy Zulu Hut for tonight. It will get dark soon.
The view from my hut.
The kitchen with an open fire. Here our meal for the night is being prepared.
Traditional Zulu dances and singing.
In Africa it get’s dark early.
A night in the Zulu hut
I can barely keep my eyes open so I disappear pretty quick. Oh by the way, not far behind the huts in a separate little building there are real toilets and showers. A luxury in the middle of nowhere. Yet the big fat spider in my bathroom and I won’t become friends!
I’m leaving the door to my hut open and to my surprise there are hardly any bugs. I’m listening to the sounds of nature for a little while. The chirping of crickets, the singing of birds, sounds of the night – balm for the soul. Exhausted I fall asleep.
Before my alarm goes off, I’m awake and crawl into the open by sunrise. The coffee water is boiling on the fire already and I’m enjoying the fresh morning. Even if I’m happy not to be isolated from the outside world, through the sim-card I bought for my phone the day before, for a moment I think electricity is overrated and I’m happy to just “be”.
My sleeping place for tonight.
Maybe I could live without electricity, but not without coffee! ;)
However I’m glad I can take a hot shower now. The spider moved out and after a relaxed breakfast and a walk by the lake we are off to the next adventure. Zip-Lining through the rain forest. I’m excited!
What was the most unusual place you ever spent the night?
Leave me a comment! I’m curious!
- Outdoors photo shoot with Tre - October 15, 2017
- Beach photo shoot with Kyra - February 24, 2017
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27 comments
What a wonderful beginning for your time in South Africa! It sounds quite enjoyable, now that you have actually arrived, what a long trip :-)
I look forward to hearing more about your experiences there. Thank you for sharing :-)
I like! Wanna go to Africa now!! ;-)
Long trip, but worth it :) Looking forward to hearing more!
What a description and beautiful pictures- felt like I was there. Have lots of fun and I ll be waiting for the update. *love*
Thank you! Next post will be about my first surfing lesson. Stay tuned! ;)
Great Post an Great pictures. Metro Toronto Zoo has an ersatz version where kids can spend the night. Bizarre waking to the sounds of animals that don’t normally share the same continent. Many strange nights in approx. 100 countries visited but memorable were several in Spanish Jails. As a hippie during Franco days I would hitch to and from Morocco via Spain and was required to sign in at the local Police Station every night. Failure to do so earned a night in jail each time. Free Bed and Breakfast ! Magic !
Wow, that’s convenient and adventurous at the same time! Did you get in trouble after trying that for more than a few times?
Kathrin!! I loved reading your story and the picture’s are amazing. Your pictures look like they came out of a National Geographic magazine!! Excellent photography and wonderful writing ♥♡
Thank you Shelley! It means a lot to me to read that from you! :)
I love you photos also. Along with starting my blog, I’m also working on developing better photo and editing skills, so you are an inspiration to continue improving. Looking forward to hearing more of your adventures…love to travel! Keep it up.
Ah! Thank you for sharing these first days. Wonderfully written! *Beautiful pictures. Look forward to more. :-)
Love the photos, Kathrin! I´m looking forward to visiting Tanzania next year to visit the school we´ve been setting up there for a Massai village (www.Facebook.com/AfricaKids) ;)
We have a lot in common Kathrin. I too have a blog about my itchy feet and passion for travel past and future. One of the most unusual and interesting places I spent the night was back many years ago in Peru. I got to wake to the sun rising over the Urubamba as I woke on the Inca sundial of Macchu Picchu. It was awesome and the memory is as vivid today as was on that cloudy morning.
http://flattiresandslowboats.com/aboutme/
Dear Kathrina,
Lovely images and creative writing of our friend David Hazelhursts Zulu village http://ecabazini.co.za/
It has a unique feeling and timeless presence, I feel that you found this that one evening. It is a gem and a valuable asset to our fast amorphous ways of life.
Thank you for your pics and positive real observations.
Paul.
Looks amazing. I am so envious.
Stunning photos Kathrin, and a great post. I would love to do something like this. The closest I have been is doing Native American sweat lodges. Not sure if you’re familiar with them? Anyhow it’s part of their traditional practice. You spend a good few hours packed intimately into an inipi/tipi with others. There’s a fire in the middle, that the teacher keeps going. It gets pretty intense. Not everyone makes it through the whole ceremony, in fact many don’t. It is basically a purifying and worship experience. Very therapeutic.
I’m off to re-tweet this now. Great post. Thanks, Jackie
Thank you Jackie! Yes, I’m familiar with sweat lodges. My boyfriend is Native American. Haven’t had the chance to do it yet though. We just live too far east I guess. But it will definitely happen.
What an amazing experience. I first saw the beach picture and was going to just say what a fabulous looking beach but then the hut and the surroundings just blew my mind away. I am so envious.
hi katrin,
be great if you can do a story on our Rhino Art project- its a unique and saving the World through education
I agree…your pictures and story are amazing (I’m glad the spider moved along…elsewhere!). I can’t live without coffee, either! Personally, the most unusual place I stayed the night was in an igloo my best friends (Bill and John) and I had made when we were teenagers in Alaska…thought we were pretty tough and had to try it (to at least be able to call ourselves Alaskans). Really, it wasn’t as cozy as some have reported…but the experience was great!
That sounds like a “cool” adventure! ;) Even though I really like warm places, I think I should try that out one day. But maybe in an igloo with a little oven?
I love travels like this and what a magnificent interior to that hut, all the hours of thatching and putting those reeds and straw together. Fortunately for you, there is a nice western size bed. I would really love to do a tour like this some day especially for photography.
A stellar experience. I so hope the villagers truly benefit from the influx of visitors.
Thanks for letting us tag along–I know I probably would never do it for myself!!
Hi Kathrin,
Amazing to read your experience … One day I also dream to have this experience in Africa … Although I am planning a small week trip to Kenya … I am sure in future I would plan trip like you. Thank you for sharing such great experience and inspiring me to plan one like this.
Warm regards from India.
Mahesh
What an amazing adventure. Those huts are just fabulous.
It’s interesting to see, how people live over there. and the life style of them is much more different from the outside of the people. Thanks mate for this amazing article, really appreciated.