Tuesday 5th April - 3PM

Tuesday 5th April - Mossel Bay Backpackers

So after 9 weeks in South Africa, I've finally decided to venture outside of Hout Bay! Other than the family camping trip to Kam'Bati (just outside Swellendam) this is the first time I've left the Cape Peninsula. My thinking is that I've come all of this way to this rich and beautiful country, so it would be a waste if I returned home next week without seeing any of it!

So last week I got busy with the internet and planned my week away. I'm going to Port Elizabeth and back in a week, stopping at Mossel Bay and Knysna on the way and Plettenburg Bay on the way back. I bought my ticket on the Baz Bus; the hop-on hop-off bus that circumnavigates SA, so after being dropped off bright and early in Sea Point, I hopped on the bus, and a few hours later, I've hopped off in Mossel Bay!

The journey, meant to last about 4 hours, ended up being a 7 hour trek, thanks to a combination of roadworks, a slow bus, and a driver more interested in getting Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squakquel on the TV rather than driving the bus. Seriously, we stopped by the side of the road for 20 minutes while he fiddled with the DVD player. I didn't even watch the film.

While the journey did drag a bit, I amused myself by listening to old episodes of the Ricky Gervais Show (and trying to no audibly laugh at Karl Pilkington). Eventually we got here, and I've arrived in Mossel Bay!

Having never been backpacking before this gap year adventure in 2011, I was wary to do it at first, but after reasonable success in Tas, Adelaide and Perth, I now feel like an experienced backpacker. I was expecting a filled room where I'd have to fight for a bed, instead I'm now sitting in my 6 personn dorm on my own. I think I'm the only person in this BPers. Nice.

Anyway, they say Mossel Bay has the second most amount of sun in the world (second to only Hawaii) so I'm off to the beach!