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.
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.
Upon arrival at Rocktail Camp, the general manager detailed all the available activities – snorkeling, nature walks, scuba diving, and turtle drives to see loggerheads and leatherbacks laying eggs along the stretch of protected South African coastline in KwaZulu Natal. This is why we were here. My previous attempt to see turtles the year before was a comedy of errors, but this time I was feeling lucky.
An hour into my 9.2 km hike on the Robberg Nature Reserve, I looked over an expansive vista with several other hikers. No one said a word. All five of us soaked in the moment and even though we were a crowd, we were all enjoying a solidarity moment staring at the ocean and no doubt, reflecting on something private. It was a lovely moment. It was an in-the-moment moment.
Afar Magazine published an article early this year, “Where to Travel the Year According to Your Astrological Sign.” Whilst I don’t believe that our date of birth predicts the future much less correlates with our travel preferences, it is always oddly unsettling when you find a bit of truth in your horoscope. According the the astrologer, Pisces (like me) are drawn to vast open space like the ocean, forest, or desert where they feel connected to the world. Perhaps this is why my weekend walking a largely deserted beach at Prana Lodge at the start of the Wild Coast was a welcomed respite.
“Have you been to Durban yet?” Despite having traveled extensively around South Africa, in a year and a half I had only spent one day in Durban for work. So, I finally booked a weekend away to explore South Africa’s third largest city and a place The New York Times named one of the 50 places to go in 2015. I had great plans for a weekend in Durbs except that when I arrived, I chucked aside all of my plans in favor of lazing around the beach.