On Thursday the 4th October we headed with Lorna and Pippa to Bulungula which is a rural village home to the Xhosa community (which is pronounced with a click) they own 40% of the lodge and people can get a chance to share their life. We were picked up by a 4x4 which transported us through rolling hills to the village which is cut off from the outside world by forests rivers and the ocean. The drive was very scary and something Hayley described as "the reason she couldn't come back". There were a few moments we thought we were going to roll over. Hayley had her eyes closed the whole way!! We were in the 4x4 with 14 other people (and it could only carry 10) and i had to sit on Hayley's lap. (she told me after that i had given her dead legs)We finally arrived at the lodge about 7pm. The backpackers is made up of a lodge where you can eat chill out and have a drink, huts dotted around where you can sleep, toilets and a shower hut. We shared a dorm with Pippa and Lorna which is made up of mud cow poo!!! The whole concept of the lodge is Eco friendly so everything is solar powered. The showers are called rocket showers and you pour paraffin in the end of the tube, light it and it heats up the water for your shower which was the nicest shower we have had so far. The toilets have no water/flush so once you have been you just close the lid. There was also a hen in one of the toilets keeping her eggs warm to hatch! a very strange experience!!
On the first full day we went canoeing which was a four hour canoe trip down the river. The scenery was beautiful and it was so tiring. Then we all went in the sea and played Frisbee.
On Saturday, we Lorna and Pippa left and Hayley and i went on a traditional herbalist walk. We walked through the forest and the herbalist showed us what he used to treat different illness. for example there was a tree he took bark from and you would crush is and drink it if you had a cough or one you would wash with if you wanted to find a girl/boyfriend. We then went to a hut which was a restaurant on the top of hill looking over the ocean and we had a chicken and spinach curry in a pancake which was gorgeous.
On Sunday, we went on a trip called Woman Power which we went to someones house in the village experienced how they live. We collected wood and water and carried them on our heads (well tried to) and watched them live their lives. they say a good wife always has a big pile of fire wood outside the house!
We had dinner at the lodge that night which was fish cakes made by the "mumas" as they are known.
We were leaving on the Monday morning and ate breakfast watching the dolphins jump around ion the sea. It was truly the nicest i have ever been to. we both loved it. we only booked to stay two nights but ended up staying for four.
On Monday we said our goodbyes and headed for Coffee Bay where we are staying for three night. We are staying in the Coffee Shack backpackers and getting there in time for their themed party night.
If you want to see where we were in Bulungula go to their website. It is amazing!!!
www.bulungula.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment