Gap Year Experiences

Lions Tour Diary - Cape Town to Durban (Days 5-6)

Thursday 25 June 2009

Day 5

After another day that ran right into the late hours we were up early again, this time at 7am, to embark on a journey the length of which was being kept just as secret as our destination would appear. Our drive took us through yet more of the breathtaking scenery this beautiful country has to offer as we wound our way through the never ending hills and horizons of the Transkei on our way to the Coffee Bay Shack – a supposed haven for backpackers. Hopes and expectations of the 23 strong group of 25 year old ‘lads’ that this remote hostel on the beach would be teeming with young impressionable members of the opposite sex were tempered by the ever increasing length this journey was inevitably going to take. It did not help that the weather was once again glorious for a day spent on the Pepper bus – obviously the Mule and Chinchilla had planned the trip terribly in relation to weather patterns. Hopes were once again restored, however, as we turned off the N2 onto a local road leading to our final destination and what we expected to be a couple of nights much needed relaxation. By this stage even the Mule was ready for a quick end to this long journey and did not remember the harrowing nature of this final leg as the standard of the road dropped considerably leaving our valiant drivers to negotiate potholes the size of desks, much to the amusement of his now semi-broken charges. Such an aggressive end to a long journey, punctuated by regular stops to reattach parts of the van and to play a little rugby with the local school kids, meant that the waning light was all that stood between us and certain van failure; so when the final shale bank was scaled and we arrived at our secluded destination the team was ready to reward their tour leaders/drivers with their own tour indoctrination. With shots at 60p (R8), long Banana & Brandy Mudslides at £1.70 (R20), tabs set up, and left handed “buffalo” drinking rules put in place by the shack’s somewhat mental and scary manager, Zuki, the Mule and Chinchilla took some punishment. Alas, the team’s previous desires for R&R were shelved for another day.

Day 6

Our first sleep past sunrise of the tour was interrupted by a bleary eyed Mule taking our breakfast orders as a genuine day of relaxation and recovery got under way on the South coast of South Africa. The opening few days of this tour had been aggressively enjoyed by all involved and with 2 full days and nigh on 2000 kilometres of travel achieved in the midst of two games of Lions rugby, the highest bungee jump in the world, every night lash and near endless “dishonest” banter, tour members and organisers alike were ready for a day spent sunning, beaching, surfing, 5-a-siding, and chilling. Four out of five would have to do, however, as the wonderful weather of our travel days eluded Coffee Bay on this day of rest, meaning the Pepper Experience was once again blamed for frankly unacceptable weather conditions. They vowed to try harder. Despite this minor cloudy setback the Mule and Chinchilla got to show off their questionable surfing skills as some exceptionably well organised games of “Lions touch” were played out on the shore, resulting in many fatigued team members and one Chimp with a semi-dislocated shoulder. Words cannot describe the pleasure with which we relished NOT having to get on the Pepper buses on this day and as people pottered about with rugby balls, the odd beer and a strangely high stakes game of blackjack, the “lads” started to look forward to Saturday and the 1st Lions test vs the South African Springboks. With the team announced, varying levels of optimism surrounded the camp as Macca rued the exclusion of Martin Williams, which thus far had cost him £250, most others agreed with the selections made and everyone’s excitement levels raised exponentially as the day which we had all been planning and paying for since 18 months previous, was finally only 48 hours and roughly 600km away!

cheers for now,

Ben Coles