Hitchhiking in South Africa: Durban

July, 2018.          

Hitchhiking in South Africa: Durban     

Staying in Durban with Clinton’s family is nice. I am surprised with the way they live, the whole behavior between Morgan and Janet, and between them and the boys. Of course their accent is also a surprise. They sound like truly country side North American but pronouncing the words in a British way. The difference among the brothers is also huge! Clinton and Shey have the same style but do not look alike at all. Jonathan and Travis are very different from the others but also very different between each other: the impossible hater and sarcastic one against the surfer / emo another. Travis is quite handsome but, you know, blond surfer guys are my style. Johnny by the other hand, even being a jerk sometimes, is the one, in my opinion, more attractive. Even though he looks a lot like Rafinha Bastos. Coincidentally, he is the only one I could not say goodbye.              

It is not that they are rude but it is just the way they are use to treat people. Like this “brute” countryside kind of way, so common in many African countries. I mean, you guys know me, I like to be polite and talk nicely with people but not everybody is like that. Anyway, it is fine.              

I am eating with them but I buy some bread, tea and milk almost every day. I also buy some stuff to make one or two meals for them. I do not think they liked very much, though. Apart from Johnny and his girlfriend.              

I go to the Yacht Club and start my long search for a boat to Madagascar. I talk with a few boat owners and some other people. I leave a note on the notice board. A nice and colorful one. Nothing. After one week, I am going there to check if there was any answers, when I see a boat approaching. I have this thought about how that boat could be the one. When I am leaving, I pass by one of the guys I had talked to in the last few days and he tells me those guys are going to Madagascar so I should go and talk with them.              

Stuart is his name and after one minute explaining to him my plan he says “OK! You can come with us, sure!” I am shocked! We spend some time talking about things and they tell me to be leaving in the end of the month. Right now is middle July. They would make a short break in Vilankulos (eita!) and then lead to Toliara, Madagascar.              

I go to the museum to get some wi-fi, and in my way there I make a plan: I don’t actually have a place to stay in Durban for more two weeks (I do not want to push Clinton’s family anymore); plus I want to visit Joburg and Pretoria anyway, what could be quite problematic if after coming back from Madagascar, I find a boat to Cape Town, for example. So I decide to hitchhike to Joburg, spend four days there; hitchhike to Pretoria, another four days there, and then hitchhike all the way back to Durban in the end of the month. It is a perfect plan! That would give me some days to find another place to stay in Durban.              

Luckily, I manage to find nice people to host me in Joburg and Pretoria. I think there is something wrong just with Durban. So I leave Durban two days after I have found my boat, I am so excited that I am going to Madagascar that I almost could not believe. And I should not.