Living the perfect vacation

Our dream vacation had always been to visit South Africa, that storied country of wild animals, breathtaking views and clear sandy beaches that would put Boracay to shame. When friends asked us if we had been to Africa, we would always answer in the affirmative even if we had only been to Marrakesh, crossing the Straits of Gibraltar.

Even as we love Marrakesh and would return again and again since it was practically a neighbor to Madrid in Spain, we are still hoping to make it to the real Africa, especially now that there appears to be a lot of tourist traffic which should make it more interesting.

A report from a Peter Petersen, South Africa correspondent was a godsend. He shared his report on a man called Chris Bertish and how he went along the wild South African coastline by himself in eight stages. Chris is apparently a challenger at the paddle and he has put on record accomplishments only he himself could break. After an hour and 45 minutes of preparation, Chris was on his way on the waters in Day 1. Day 2 sounded more interesting with calmer winds sneaking in as Chris set up camp and shared the night with some jackass penguins. Days 3 and 4 were monstrous weather which left Chris exhausted, sun stroked and dehydrated.

When Chris finally made it to the entrance of the lagoon, he was completely spent, clinging to the thought of merely surviving this leg, after only barely clearing the rocky entry and certain disaster. His eyes were burning and his body was screaming for rest. It got so that we, too, were ready to give up our dream for an exhilarating trip. We skipped the rest of the days, and on Day 8, the final day, Chris paddled into the horizon knowing all too well that by mid-morning the sea breeze would once again push in from the South West and make his preferred line a major challenge.

Peter reports that he received a call from Chris saying that he was sitting pretty in Lamberts enjoying his first beer. Chris had gone over 320 kilometers in eight days, unassisted, solo, in swells never less than 3.5 meters and with only nine kilometers of pure down winding, with no back-up support boat, sleeping in a tent overnight, surviving on freeze dried food and energy bars, with only head and side winds and a chick sitting on the front of his board, paddling an average of over eight hours a day. Those who have done any ocean paddling will be baffled by the thought of this and will be able to appreciate the magnitude of this achievement.

Although his story was impressive, we decided it was not for us. We wanted a vacation, not a record-breaking adventure on a boat. So we turned to professionals in the field of tourism and asked for some advice. This is what we got:

Jeff and Erica are a professional couple from New York City who both work in television production. They came to South Africa to find the perfect blend of romance, relaxation and adventure and came out declaring South Africa was the best trip they had taken so far. They shared with us their impressions below.

“Shark Cage Diving is definitely our top experience. Terrifying and awe-inspiring at the same time. We were literally holding our breath as we came face to face with the great whites. Looking right into their eyes was crazy with their rows of monstrous teeth just inches away. You cannot believe how powerful yet graceful they look upclose.” 

“Then there’s the people. Everywhere we went throughout South Africa, from big cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town to the smaller townships and the bush, the people were warm and welcoming. They were excited to see tourists and were eager to share their stories, traditions and customs. They made us feel right at home. After a bike tour of Soweto and visiting the world famous Vilakazi Street (former home to Nobel Peace Prize Winners Mandela and Tutu), we attended a huge street party, with barbecue and dancing.” 

“After taking in the incredible views of the city from the top of the mountain, the sun began to set, and we both thought it was the best sunset we’d ever seen. You look off onto the horizon and it looked like it went on forever, you could almost see the curve of the Earth. It was pristine. Horseback riding through the Free State was really relaxing and the fact that we got to do it on horseback was a real treat. Riding alongside a herd of black wildebeest with the faint sound of baboons in the distance was an experience like none other.”

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