Batch 35 — The Great Sojourn — theNOSTOMANIAC.com

201 - Drakensberg Shuffle (Drakensberg, South Africa)

We left the Sani Pass area and began our foray through the back roads of central Drakensberg. Although we had a map and some vague idea of where we were, it felt a like we’d entered East Jesus. Small villages and large swaths of farmland were all we encountered for hours—beautiful and unsettling at the same time. Perhaps beautiful because it was unsettling…

Driving a VW Polo along an empty dirt road (we did pass what appeared to be two other tourists in a small red car at one point) can leave one lingering on thoughts of a breakdown. Sure, Avis provides twenty-four-hour roadside assistance, but service is contingent on them finding you… duh. Can you hear me now…

202 - Coffee Rhinos & Addo Elephant National Park (Southeast South Africa)

So annoyed by this was I (how dare you hog the lions), I turned down a road marked “No Entry” alongside the “camp.” I quickly realized the path wasn’t designed with a VW Polo (Safari Edition) in mind. Retreat! We discovered later the clearing forms part of a “hide” (i.e. a place where you can sit behind a wall and peek through special viewing slots designed for the purpose). There’s a waterhole in front to attract animals. I mistook the structure for a private camp. Oopsie-doopsie.

Imagine viewing a pride of lions when you spot a silver Volkswagen…

203 - “Wild” Encounters And Storms River Mouth (Eastern/Western Cape, South Africa)

I’d read you could frolic with cheetahs, tigers, lions, and even cage dive with crocs. I knew the potential for cheesiness was high, but I couldn’t resist the urge to touch those majestic furballs. So, when I read about Cango, I thought it might be worth a shot. They created a Cheetah Preservation Foundation in 1988 and seemed to have their shit together. Most of the big cats on hand were all rescues and unable to survive in the wild, though a select number of cheetahs were eligible for rehabilitation and release. I knew it was a glorified zoo, but still thought spending a few moments up close would make the setting tolerable. Wish in one hand, shit in the other… plop.

Though hesitant, we signed up for a guided tour of Cango

A Place to Be…

Just beneath a calming sea

Churns a dark uncertainty

A war against life’s entropy

A soul without a place to be

‘To be or not to be’ you see

Propels our raw humanity

An existential shopping spree

To find that perfect place to be

Universal Truth Decree:

I’m like you and you’re like me…

misc, Batch 35by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacOctober 25, 2019

204 - Good Hope On The Table (Cape Town, South Africa)

The next morning, we drove to the Cape of Good Hope with a breakfast picnic on a spectacular beach along the way. Even the three lumps of sand in our coffee, courtesy of the wind, weren’t enough to spoil that scene. If I had to recommend a “must do,” it would be renting a car and driving out to the Cape with plenty of stops. Take it slow. Take it in. Stand upon the cliffs near Cape Point and let the breeze envelop you, the shimmering azure sea mesmerize you, and try to imagine being the first human to lay eyes upon it. Yessir, ma’am.

Your only problem will be tearing yourself away. Get there as early as possible, and do your best to beat the crowds.…

Batch 35, South Africaby Mr. Nos T. O'maniacOctober 24, 2019Cape Town, South Africa, Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point

205 - Dinner with Madiba (Cape Town, South Africa)

Lesser men may have succumbed to the thirst for revenge or the perceived imperative for karmic “justice.” Mandela was a different breed, the rarest of rare. He was sure of one thing—the only way for South Africa to recover and move toward prosperity was through forgiveness and reconciliation. And he knew the eyes of the world were on him. It was up to him to lead the way. And that’s exactly what he did from the moment he became a free man.

I could point to any number of actions, not the least of which was Mandela’s establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission after becoming president, to underscore his commitment to forgiveness and the progress he believed would result therefrom, but I think the following anecdote says it all…

Batch 35, South Africaby Mr. Nos T. O'maniacOctober 23, 2019Nelson Mandela, Cape Town, South Africa