Dan becomes a "backpacker"

[Dan's Note: A guest blog from Steph.] As we travelled across Africa on our bicycles, we were always just short of the luxuries that we wished we had, sometimes hot water, sometimes a dry place to sleep and always a bed. As the trip moved away from the “desert camps and bush camps” of Northern Africa and we were often close to or around hotels, a certain group of the riders would Always get a hotel room. Dan was one of those riders. These riders would talk to each other days before the arrival of one of these towns, deciding who would ride faster to obtain the precious commodity of a hotel room (with 60+ riders, not everyone would get a room, not even close). Near the end of the trip the commodity actually became a bone of contention within the group as riders would select another rider to zoom ahead on the truck to secure the rooms for themselves and a select group of other riders before the “actual riders” made it. Being a professional wilderness guide myself, I prefer to live in my little tent. I also prefer the non- cookie cutter style of travel offered by backpacking across countries and living in hostels as opposed to fancy Protea, or Hilton hotels. When Dan and I began our trip across South Africa once the biking was over I proposed this style of travel to him. Dan having never done it before, was very hesitant and not overly excited about the idea, but agreed. There were some conditions that Dan laid down in the beginning. These were the conditions: 1.We would never stay in “Dorms” 2. We would get Double en-suite rooms…. (Hmmm not really backpacking I thought) but a good initiation into the world of backpacking that I have been doing for years. When Dan suggested that we should rent a car to drive up the wild coast, I suggested the Baz Bus, a backpacker hop-on hop-off bus that drives up the coast. He was less than thrilled with this idea but agreed. From day one the Baz bus was full of young intrepid backpackers, and us, Dan slowly learning the ropes of meeting and greeting travelers as they got on the bus. I love people and interacting with strangers and hearing people’s stories, Dan is more of an introvert sitting on the bus with his headphones on secretly hoping no one will talk to him. First stop: Wilderness, South Africa where Dan and I agreed that Dan would have his last “fancy hotel” a small little guest house called Moontide, where we stayed in a fancy little treehouse. I also decided this would be a good trip to teach Dan about the joys of hiking, running and maybe scuba diving, three of my favorite things… He wanted to show me about computer coding (his favorite thing) however my brain is not smart enough for that. Moving on from there in the Baz bus we went to a place called Plettenberg Bay, where we stayed in a hostel which was pretty empty and stayed in a double en-suite which seemed to be more like a cheap motel than a hostel to me. At this hostel a British couple was in the kitchen at the same time as us wanting to cook on the stove. As we all started cooking the fuse blew and we were unable to all cook at the same time. I told the british couple to go ahead and cook and we would cook later, all the time Dan was standing (looking very scary and angry with his arms crossed by the fridge). The woman looked at me and then Dan and was like “oh that’s okay you go ahead” I think she was frightened by Dan’s look. I said “no really go ahead”, just as Dan stormed out of the kitchen to watch TV. I don’t think he really cared but he didn’t realize how scary he was looking. In the aftermath I stayed behind to chat to the couple to make sure they didn’t think we were mad. When I told Dan later, we had a good laugh. Next we zoomed along on the Baz bus to Storms River. Here, Dan was introduced to the “hippie world of the backpacking scene”. We had a really cool theme room double en-suite in the hostel. The owner was a real long-haired crazy dude who talked a lot. We said we would have dinner that night at the hostel as we arrived late. We got our pizza they made us and we chose to sit at the bar. The owner then came and talked some serious crazy talk to us for over an hour. It was Dan’s birthday so I felt badly that we were being held captive by this crazy hostel owner, as I was trying to endear Dan to liking backpacking, not getting them to hate it. Finally there was a small window of opportunity to get away so Dan and I escaped with out saying any more. We had one more night at this hostel where we ate at a restaurant for dinner and tried to avoid the strange environment of the empty hostel (guests) and a lot of hippie workers? Or whoever they were. Next was the best yet. We travelled on the Baz bus to Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Bay) to arrive very late (around 10pm) after the Baz bus picked us up over an hour late. When we arrived at the hostel, the entire Baz bus was also getting off at the hostel. I should also mention now that while I was trying to teach Dan about hostel, backpacking we were not actually travelling like backpackers. We (Read: I) have A LOT of luggage. This is because when you come on a trip to bike across Africa, you never think that at the end of it, it would be really enjoyable to backpack across South Africa, so you don’t lighten your load. Dan mailed one of his whole bags back to Australia, but since I will need a lot of the things in my bag after this trip, I have EVERYTHING… Bike parts, tires, sleeping bag, bike clothes etc. etc. It makes getting in and out of the hostels and Baz bus a bit of a gong show. So we get off at the hostel and we are in a line up to get into the hostel. When we finally make it to the front we find out that they thought when we booked a double en-suite, that we actually wanted a single room and Alas, they were now out. She said this is what you booked… Dan looked really scary. I said “Well it is too late to go somewhere else, so we have to figure something out”. I said to Dan, maybe you should stay in the single and I will stay in the dorm. Dan said, no I will just stay in the dorm too. After a lot of deliberation about what to do, they decided the dorm was the option. She took us to show us. As we approached the dorm we could see the entire Baz bus, girls and guys were in the dorm, the last two beds (for Dan and I ) were on the top bunk of two of the bunk beds. This was like the Hostel worst nightmare scenario. I peeked over at Dan to see what he was thinking. I am not sure if he looked more like he was going to cry or freak out. So I said, maybe you should just stay in the single. He said that was what he was going to do. Yikes. This had quickly turned from slow integration into backpacking into advance levels. So Dan stayed in the single and I stayed in the Dorm. Funny enough we both slept better than we have on the entire holiday thus far. Today, the man that owned the hostel was trying to make things better. He couldn’t get a double but he gave us a private room with four twin beds. He also offered free internet, free beer (but since Dan said we don’t drink he gave us cokes) and then he said what else can I do to make you less angry (obviously this was directed at Dan, not me) Dan said I want to take the Jaffle Iron next door- This is the story of this man’s heart, all you need to make him happy is a Jaffle iron. So that is where we stand now. Who knows what will happen next on this backpacking odyssey… Luckily all the hostels were full for Durban and (sigh) all Dan could find for us to stay in Durban due to the World Cup was a Hilton. [Dan's Note: the poor guy even offered to refund my money. It just goes to show that the secret to good customer service is being a brooding monster. Take note simpering whiners.] I don’t know if Dan will ever backpack again, but now he has “experienced” life as a backpacker, he might even win a EFI- backpackers award for South Africa.