As someone who notoriously plans travel itineraries around food, it is no surprise that I was charmed by the tiny fishing village of Paternoster, a town known for being a food enthusiast’s haven. As we strolled through town, Callum commented that, “surely there are more restaurants than people.” His assessment did not seem too far off the mark. Even more impressive, given the size and that the majority of residents are seasonal, the food is of high-quality and goes beyond the standard fish and chips fare.
As the swells rocked the boat, I attempted to balance while holding my camera steady enough to focus on the southern right whales in the far distance. It turns out I am a terrible photographer at sea and after experimenting with what I could get I followed the advice I often give others, I put my camera down and enjoyed the moment. I opted for whale watching in the Western Cape on a marine big 5 boat safari in the hopes of seeing whales, as well as penguins, seals, sharks, and dolphins.
In the four years since I arrived in Johannesburg, I have exuberantly explored South Africa taking every opportunity to discover new places and jet off to far-flung locales. I think for expats who know that our time in a place is limited, we feel the need to cram in as much as possible before it all ends, but end it does
As the sun set and we were still driving through a string of communities after exiting Polokwane, Limpopo I began to wonder whether our chosen respite for a girls weekend away was as serene as advertised. We had chosen an off the grid location in the mountains that seemed a million miles away from any human settlements. Where were the mountains and forest and the solitude? Finally, the asphalt gave way to gravel and the elevation gradually changed. For stressed out Joburgers, nothing is better than an off the grid nature retreat like Kurisa Moya.
For readers of my blog or Instagram followers, it may appear as if I were on a perpetual holiday, but like most people finding time to escape for a multi-day holiday is increasingly difficult. But lately, the stress of life was starting to effect my mental and physical wellbeing. I knew what I needed, a respite from my quotidian routine, in other words I needed a microvacation but not just any microvaction. I needed a solo microvacation.
Growing up in the Midwest, vacations entailed visiting far-flung relatives, or perhaps a weekend at a family friends’ lake house, but in my child-like mind vacation meant staying in a hotel (with a swimming pool, of course) and eating all of our meals at restaurants. No making your bed, no picking up after yourself, no chores, and no cooking. And then there were the restaurants, usually chain restaurants where the food was less than stellar, but that hardly mattered. I could choose whatever I wanted to eat. It was all so glamorous.