St. Lucia, South Africa

Photo taken in Lobamba, Swaziland by Kate ( http://nomaddreaming.blogspot.com ). Thanks to her.



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So, here is the mini-map of the places I’ve seen so far. From Johannesburg to Maputo, up to Tofo and Inhambane, further north to Vilankulo and the Bazaruto Archipelago, back down to Maputo, then Swaziland and St. Lucia in South Africa.

Now, after just over 3 weeks, I’ve entered the typical travel mindset. The days in Warsaw, working or… playing, if you prefer (my job consists of playing video games and checking that the Italian text is correct), already feel so far away.
The thing is that before every long trip —or rather, before every long trip in recent years now that I’ve gotten a bit older— there’s always a moment of “laziness,” a small part of me that grumbles a bit. You get so used to comforts, a nice bed, a nice room, a certain routine, that it kind of whines about having to give all that up for the usual hardships of wandering around. But already now no “voice” is grumbling anymore. There’s such a huge gap between home life and travel life, there’s just no comparison. Every day is a new adventure, every day new people and places. If you like a place, you stay, if you don’t, you leave. If you want to be with others, you are, if you want to be alone, you are truly completely alone.

Here in St. Lucia, actually, it’s impossible to be alone because the white South Africans on vacation are extremely hospitable and invite me to everything: barbecues, ping-pong tournaments, pool, etc. There’s a summer atmosphere, apart from the climate I mean, everyone is here eager to have fun, drink, and party. The town is small, the typical holiday spot you find all over the world: a little street full of small restaurants, bars, pubs, and shops.

But all around it is Africa. A large lake (which at this point looks more like a wide river) meets the ocean and forms a dense forest in between. There are crocodiles and hippos: I’ve seen the former just sitting on a pier, they pop out of the water from time to time and then dive back in. The hippos, on the other hand, just don’t want to show themselves to me. By now, everyone has seen them except me, despite how huge they are! Then there are lots of light gray monkeys, incredibly agile and hyperactive, very fun to watch, with the only problem that early in the morning they jump on the roof of the room and wake me up.

From what I’ve understood, the entire South African coast starting from here and going west is made up of a myriad of small villages like this, each with its own specific features. There’s something for everyone: more or less touristy places, big or small beaches, lively or quiet. In short, there’s no shortage of options.

Remember that clicking on the photos will enlarge them.