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Travel Diary
The random musings of a friendly little travel company looking to provide incredible experience and maybe change the world along the way. Subscribe to our random ramblings and general travel insights by clicking here:
Harry sums it all up
Tuesday 20 April 2010
So this crazy Pepper Experience has finally ended. Looking back however, there is one question that needs answering. What have I learnt? Well, in simplicity, I’ve learnt that nearly anything is made better by being by the beach, whether it's a cold beer or even a nap in the sun. I’ve learnt that hackey sack is one of the greatest pastimes ever kicked into creation, and not just a game for hippies. I’ve learnt to appreciate the little things in life, like a warm shower on a cold(ish) day, or a cold shower on a hot one. But have I learnt anything about myself? I now know that my hair looks good with a mullet. I have also learnt how fantastic a sneaky shot of tequila can be on a night out. Or a night in for that matter. I have also learnt that jumping out of an aeroplane is very fun rather than idiotically stupid as I have always believed. I have learnt that running through a forest covered in war paint is amazing fun. I have learnt never to drink with my right hand. There are many other things I have learnt, yet so little time to mention them.
One thing that Pepper has definitely taught us is the need to try new things in life, whenever the opportunity presents itself, because you never know, it may be your last chance. Another is the need to chill out occasionally. Take a moment away from the hectic pace of life and watch a sunset, climb a mountain, admire a waterfall, look at the world from a different perspective. When you look at things from a different angle, then you can truly appreciate the beauty of it all, and when you return to normality, you can remember what you saw, what you did, and marvel. You can say to yourself ‘I did that’.
Harry.
Images of Mozambique
Monday 19 April 2010
Freddie contemplating life on a Mozambican beach
Not a bad way to spend the day!
Life on the road
Another jumping picture
The streets of Maputo
A hard day in the sun
Mozambican sunsets
The surfers and Harry
Public transport in Mozambique!
Onward to Mozambique!
Monday 19 April 2010
Annie, Bridge and Liv left us Sunday afternoon, and following morning the ”Mozam Crew” head north to the border. We left bright and early in the chance of huge border delays. Luckily we were into Mozambique after only a couple of minutes waiting and in the capital, Maputo, just before sundown. We spent the early evening walking the streets and tucked away in a small market sipping beers. Dinner was simple and sweet, and then early bed. Tomorrow beach!
Again we attempted an early departure but we only got on the road proper after an age at the bank and a mix up with the local traffic police (more like gendarmes with their assault rifles) , nothing that couldn’t be sorted with a few Rand. The road to Tofo was long and under development. Pip was a trooper driving through the bumps and the dust.
So far on the trip we hadn’t experienced all of the ‘Africa’ imaged in Hollywood, the news and National Geographic. Yes, there were parts without the glam, tourism infrastructure and development of places like Cape Town, Coffee Bay and Plett. Losotho, Transkei and Hogsback are among those spots that had a deep rural charm because of a lack of almost little Western influence (of course evident in pinches) on the people and their cultures. Mozambique differed in that it was a whole country like this. Of course it has strong colonial roots from the Portuguese and currently trinkets from socialist revolution (our hostel was on the corner of Chairman Mao Avenue and Comrade Vladimir Lenin Road), but the country had an immediate feel of being less groomed and genuinely ‘African’. In Maputo and on the drive to Tofo a lot of jaws dropped at the landscape and villages. I felt I witnessed something new, and I was quite excited to experience interacting here, even for such a short holiday time.
Jaws dropped even further when we arrived at the backpackers. Snuggled along a ridge line with the ocean on one and sugarcane fields on the other sat our thatched roofed huts for the week. The sun rose over the sea and would settle beyond the sugarcane amongst tall coconut trees. The beach was long and curving with squeaky clean sand and never more than a dozen people stretched out. Food was all local, fresh and simple: it really either came from someone’s back garden or the sea that morning. The bar was on tab with a beer under a Pound. Pure bliss.
The days sped by on the beach, particularly after the first night boogying on the dance floor. Hugh and Georgie spent most of their time diving in the clear aqua water seeing manta ray and whale sharks. Unfortunately the surf wasn’t amazing; but that didn’t stop everyone giving it their best. The trip was largely relaxing: our biggest effort was to fetch another cocktail. Other than a few of us feeling the effects of the heat day and night, Tofo was the perfect way to relax after more than a month on the road.
Well fed and all a golden brown we headed back to Maputo for our eighth and final night in Mozam. Despite us being exhausted from all that beach time, we were all smiles: I think they were from an appreciation of vacationing in such a beautiful place and different setting, great group banter (all the boys fussing over how to change our first and only flat tire sticks out), and the realisation that such an amazing three months was really coming to an end. Mozambie was the perfect icing on an already incredible cake.
Cheers,
Josh.
A new look!
Thursday 15 April 2010
For those of you that have been keeping track of things, you will notice that our website has had a bit of a makeover. Our old site was with us from day one and I spent a lot of time adding and tweaking it over the years so it has been an emotional journey moving away from it. But as things change for us here at Pepper, we need to keep up and what you see all around is a big step forward in a long journey for us that will one day result in Pepper being the company we want it to be. So thank you to everyone for your support this far and welcome to the new Pepper. New look, same values of always going the extra step to create the best experiences we can for you and always making sure we have a positive impact on everything and everyone around us.
The next episode for the Pepper Crew
Sunday 4 April 2010
OK, so it has been a weekend of mixed feelings!
We were pretty stoked to arrive in Jo'burg on Friday after two incredible weeks in the bush. Despite the city being fairly quiet on Easter weekend, we managed to celebrate with an extraodinarily large meal followed by a much appreciated dance-floor session. After a little hunt for some happy dance tunes we found our way to little gem of a dance-floor which played embarrasingly cheesy music. So cheesy in fact that we even had Hubert dancing the night away!
Hugh soaking up some bromance!
After being the very last people leave the club on Friday night, we took a fairly relaxed Saturday morning with a extremely moving trip to the Apartheid Museum. This answered a lot of questions for the team about SA history and think it was an eye opener all round, even for myself.
After a last minute shopping and admin session at Sandton City we relaxed to a last meal at Nelson Mandela Square. With the inevitable feelings of sadness starting to brew. Although we even had a late night visit from a sneaky Easter bunny, all woke up this morning in a pretty sombre mood!
With a final Pepper Crew breakfast, some funny presents and many farewell hugs it was time for Liv. Annie and Bridge to depart.
One very special blonde!!!
What a nutter!!!
Our very own Bridget Jones!!!
All three of you have been an incredibly amazing part of the team! You are all barely in the air on the way home and are being missed already! Thanks for some incredible times. You all had a fair share of entertaining moments to add to the last three months!
The rest of us; Hugh, Georgie, Harry, Freddie, Georgia, Josh, Ed and myself are just chilling back at the backpackers awaiting the incredible next and last leg of this Pepper Experience - MOZAMBIQUE!!!!!
We are leaving first thing in morning and so it will be farewell SA for a while....
Look forward to sharing some great stories involving beach days, surfing, diving soem Portugese cooking, fresh seafood off beach and most of all Tipotinto!
Till then,
Pip
xx