We made all the right turns and congratulated ourselves. One turn had a sign with “Sodwana Bay 88 kilometers (55 miles). I was thrilled – we would arrive in about 2 hours. We had to cross a small “mountain.” I thought we could see and smell the ocean from the top.
The road snaked up to a very cute village at the summit. There we had an amazing view, but no ocean. I panicked for a few minutes. Were we lost again? The road became another dirt road. It can’t be 70 kilometers of dirt road to Sodwana Bay. Oh please, please, please… Not that. It was the longest 45-mile drive of my life and took about 4 hours.
As we got closer to Sodwana Bay my excitement knew no limits. The water, the water, the water. I could not wait to get into that water. As we drew closer, I realized it had been 12 years since I got my diver’s license in Malaysia. It was in the same ocean as I was getting close to now. Since then I have preferred warm waters filled with life whenever I travel. Learning to scuba dive, and experiencing the underwater world was one of my life’s strongest experiences. I was about to return to that water and almost had tears in my eyes.
Through the gate to Sodwana Bay, and soon we were on little beach tracks in the sand. We turned into the Mseni Lodge at 5 pm. A little discombobulated that it had taken us so long to get there, and worried because we had told Sean our guide who were to meet us that we would be there earlier.
We quickly got our luggage into the cabin and called Sean and let him know we arrived. The cabin didn’t look like what I had expected, but I didn’t have time to focus on it then.
Sean arrived a few minutes later and we all went to the bar for drinks. It was wonderful to relax and not drive. Those 45 miles on dirt roads had taken a toll on me! Meeting Sean was wonderful, and we were excited about getting started. I had to remain patient, as we were not going into the water first thing.
After drinks with Sean we went directly to dinner. Unfortunately, it took the restaurant over an hour to serve us because they had a large company.
We returned to our cabin after 10 PM drop dead exhausted. We chose bedrooms, and got our luggage situated. But the cabin smelled terrible. Tired, and a little confused we investigated. It soon became abundantly clear that the cabin had been recently fumigated for ants. A few corners had large mounds of dead ants and the cabin smell grew sickening after 30 minutes. Mseni Lodge was definitely not the luxury accommodations described online!
The office had closed and we were the last people to leave the restaurant before it closed as well. The grounds were dark except for few stray lamps. I began having trouble breathing inside the cabin.
I was furious, exhausted and shocked! This was not a “hotel”, but a fancy campground cabin with few amenities!
I was preparing to sleep in the car because I had trouble breathing inside the cabin. My mom and Craig were planning to sleep with all windows open.
I finally found the night guard and flagged him down. After showing him the cabin he got the night manager. They found us a new cabin and helped us move our luggage.
Finally we got to sleep!
Sodwana Bay Day 2
We had all the morning to relax and get acquainted with our surroundings. The rustic cabin had a small outside terrace, but we had to take the chairs out there. The wood chairs were straight backed. There were also a few wood benches with very thin seats. Mseni Lodge could significantly upgrade their accommodations to better resemble a hotel for minimal cost.
The absolutely gorgeous grounds were in one of the last large dunes preserves in the world. We saw a few monkeys, banded mongoose and many birds at the cabin.
In the afternoon Sean picked us up and drove us to Muzi Pan for our canoe trip, where we met Corlia and Brian. Tempe was our African guide on the canoe trip across the pan. We canoed down the pan a little and then across. There was an abundance of birds, a few far off hippos, and a crocodile. I felt a little nervous because I knew if I made a mistake and ended up in the water there were several deadly crocs and hippos around.
As Sean noted later that night, hippos kill the most people after mosquitoes.
We got safely to the other side where Corlia and Brian had set up a picnic. This was a fantastic night. A large group of hippos were about 40 ft out in the water. Corlia had prepared an amazing picnic dinner including scalloped potatoes, fresh baked bread, salad, steak and sausages. And all the drinks, soft drinks and wine we could possibly drink.
We sat and talked and got to know each other while feasting. The spectacular waking of the hippos occurred at the most amazing sunset we had seen in Africa. They yawned and played in the front of a setting sun – absolutely stunning!
Brian soon displayed his knowledge of the local eco systems, and I was excited to listen.
It was a wonderful afternoon and evening, enjoyed in great company and the food was much better than at Mseni Lodge.
Day 3 Sodwana Bay
Back to the lodge and our beds. We were tired, but I had trouble sleeping. We ran the ceiling fan, but the ants were attracted to the electricity. I didn’t realize what happened until daybreak, but the fan kept rained ants down on my legs.
I was tired but excited the next morning because water was waiting for me!
We woke early and Sean picked us up. We drove down to the beach and met Pepe, our Captain, and 4 more helpers. We were going out to see dolphins!
I had not told my mom or Craig about the boats and the beach launches in Sodwana Bay.
We walked down to our large, sturdy and motorized pontoon boat. We jumped in and sat on the inflated sides. We stuck our feet under some rope, and had some rope to hold on to up at the side. My mom sat in the middle towards the back on a box.
We launched through the surf, avoiding the large breakers as we sped out of the way.
I was giggling. Craig and my mom were both a little afraid, and I don’t know if they would have joined me if I had told them. It was great though, and Pepe navigated these breakers daily.
We sailed down the coast looking for dolphins. After a little while, we spotted some dolphin pods. I dropped into the water several times, but they were not very social.
We went a little further and ahead of the pod, and then dropped me into the water. I barely had time to get my mask situated before 3 dolphins passed close to me on the side. Then one of the helpers tried to get my attention. I didn’t want to peel my eyes of the dolphins, but then another three dolphins came right at me. They swam next to me, and directly underneath me. They were so close; I felt I could almost touch them. They were so much bigger than I imagined. One rolled over, and looked up for a few seconds. I had maybe 20 seconds of direct eye contact and connection with this amazing creature.
The intelligence stood written in the dolphin’s eyes. So did strength, and an odd experience of authority. I was in his territory, and he knew it. I also experienced a sense of gentleness, curiosity and playfulness in spite of the obvious strength. I was completely breathless and beside myself in awe. No wonder these beings inspire so much attention.
The moment was over before I knew, and I swam back towards the boat. I wanted a few minutes rest in the water to bask in the experience, but we were too close to the breakers and I had to get out of the water fast.
Still when I got back in the boat all I could say was: “wow” several times. Grinning, I knew this was an experience I would never forget.
On the way back we saw a humpback whale momma and baby. I also snorkeled over a shallow reef with good visibility. The reef was 12 feet down and definitely very healthy. That made me so happy. The reef had spawned last night and the tiny spawn floated on the waves. Just more signs of a very healthy reef system.
We had to motor through the large breakers to land safely far enough up on the beach. This meant going full speed the last few yards until we hit the beach, which catapulted us further ashore. I found the expected large jolt very exhilarating.
Corlia had lunch waiting for us. I spent some time snorkeling over a stone outcropping nearby. It felt absolutely wonderful with this water on me, and experiencing what the water had to show. The tide was a little too shallow for me to see much.
Back at the beach tent my mom and Craig had eaten and relaxed. I got a bit to eat, and we started to make plans for the afternoon. It was still early. My mom wanted to go back to the cabin and write post cards. Sean was going to scout out a nearby lake, and invited us along. This was not part of the arranged tour, but a freebie. Craig and I were only too happy to join.
Sean took us on a 40-minute drive through the dunes. All the tracks were one way and in the sand. Finally we arrived at this really nice lake. The eco system seemed much like the Muzi Pan. We saw a crocodile, some hippos in the distance and an amazing amount of gorgeous birds.
We just hung out for 3 – 4 hours, having some wine and talked. It was wonderful. Sean was quickly becoming as much of a friend as Genie, Andre, Janine and Mandla.
I felt a bit guilty returning to the cabin. I knew my mom would be irritated we had stayed out so long. I was right.
Dinner, and to bed – tomorrow was another full day.
Day 4 Sodwana Bay
We again started fairly early the next morning. We drove on the beach for about 15 minutes to a place called Adlam’s Reef, an amazing snorkel spot, although the tide was extremely low. Adlam’s Reef was a circle of rocks into the water that created a very protected little area in the shallows. There were thousands of fish, which grew as the tide rose. I saw various trigger fish, needlefish, snapper, rays and many others. It was glorious snorkeling. I was only sad that I didn’t manage to lure my mom or Craig into the water with me.
The soothing waters reminded me why seeking out these places has been a passion for the last 12 years. Being back in the Indian Ocean only fueled the passion.
We drove back to the tent on the beach for lunch. Corlia’s cooking was wonderful and we hung out and talked to the divers a little. I also talked to Brian and Ron about what I had seen. The knowledge those two had about the eco system and the fishes were a real treat! This confirmed the inkling I had gotten before.
We asked Brian, Corlia, and Sean out for dinner the next evening. It was our last night in South Africa, and Thanksgiving as well. They had already made plans, and instead we got invited to the Muzi Pan for another barbeque with all our boat helpers. We said “Yes Thank You!”
Corlia had set up for me to get a massage after the swimming. Craig and my mom headed back to the cabin for a bit of relaxation.
We dined at Mseni Lodge again, and were tired early from all the day’s experiences.
Thanksgiving Day – Sodwana Bay
Next morning we had planned another trip out on the boat to see some dolphins. My mom stayed in the cabin to rest, finish some post cards and start to get packed.
While we did not see any dolphins, we got quite a consolation price! We saw a huge loggerhead turtle and snorkeled with it. This turtle had clearly laid her eggs last night, and was swimming around the shallows for a cleaning before returning to land and lay more eggs tonight.
She was giant, almost as long as I am, and wider. She swum around the boat, and investigated and getting very close to several of us. This was one ancient looking creature. So dignified really. The loggerhead turtles are now threatened after existing since the time of the dinosaurs. She looked that ancient, mysterious, strange. She was a creature out of a different time. Even Pepe could not handle this temptation and jumped in the water with us.
Seeing a loggerhead turtle was much more of an event than seeing dolphins. I will never forget that short connection with the dolphin. While I understand that people who swim with dolphins daily are more relaxed, to me it was an experience never to be forgotten.
Seeing a loggerhead turtle was very different, but just as incredible. When Pepe later apologized for not finding any dolphins, I said these are wild animals and I understood that sightings could never be guaranteed. If I wanted guaranteed dolphin interaction I could see them in captivity, which I would never do. Like the proud lions, after seeing wild dolphins, seeing them captive would sicken.
A loggerhead turtle was an astounding consolation price. One never to be forgotten!
When we returned, I went down to the nearby rocks to snorkel. I knew this was my last chance to be in the water. Now I stayed on the outside of the rocks and saw so much more. Rays, triggerfish, and several other fish species. Several times I thought – ok, last time swim up and down the rocks and get up. Several times I just had to go one more time.
I love the water that much, it felt impossible to leave it.
Ok, now – last time. Up and down the rocks. It was gorgeous. I started to slow as I neared the shore. I knew I had to get up. Suddenly, out of nowhere a gigantic school of tiny, shimmering metallic colored fishes surrounded me. This was a school of thousands of fish smaller than my pinky. At one point, they all swam around me in a circle. It didn’t matter where I looked, the water was alive with these tiny creatures. Everything was silvery colored.
I enjoyed it for maybe 5 – 10 minutes. Breathing it in. Saying Good Bye. Finally the spectacle was over. I thought that this can’t be topped and left the water. The ocean had said good bye to me.
Back at the cabin we had a few hours before Sean picked us up for dinner.
Thanksgiving Dinner
Imagine having Thanksgiving dinner on the shore of a large river. 30–40 feet into the water are a large group of hippos. Gorgeous trees and scenery surround you. The food, like the last barbeque dinner, was scrumptious. There was no shortage of anything! The company was fun and light-hearted.
The magnificent sunset played with the lighting throughout the evening.
The conversations were interesting. This was a well-traveled group of individuals, and all had travel stories, or special knowledge they could add to the group.
Brian’s knowledge of the eco system was complimented by Vince’s knowledge of how to build energy efficient houses.
Our knowledge of Scandinavia was complimented by Vince’s stories of traveling in the eastern European countries. Lance knew about Jimmy Buffett, which gave us quite a giggle. He would like to travel to our parts of the world.
We all joined in some nasty attitudes towards President Bush, and we all felt a strong sense of hope for the next administration. We were all worried about the global economy.
The evening dragged out wonderfully. It was getting dark, and the hippos surfaced from the water, but thankfully not on our shore.
Eventually we had to say good bye. Another round of good byes that just didn’t feel easy. Brian had drawn us a great map to help us back to the airport.
We hugged and said good bye, and got into the car. Just as we drove out towards the road a large hippo stepped out right in front of the car. Muzi Pan had said good bye as well.
We were exhausted when we finally got to bed.
Monkeys, Monkeys, Monkeys
The next morning we woke up, and the local troupe of Vervet Monkeys were having a party. They were all over the place. Two monkeys got into the restaurant during breakfast and stole some croissants. Another couple of monkeys almost made it into our cabin, until the maid warned us and Craig shushed them out.
They sat in the trees and on the chairs outside the restaurant. The treetops were alive with vervet monkeys talking, and jumping. The whole campground seemed to be a large playground for these creatures.
After breakfast we left the restaurant. One vervet monkey sat right above us in a tree. I made eye contact and he returned it. He then nodded up and down three times consecutively. So I did the same. He did it again and so did I. We stood for a few minutes taking turns nodding up and down. We had eye contact most of that time. Finally, he ran up the branches, but stopped and looked back as if asking “are you coming?” When I didn’t follow him he returned. We made eye contact again, and he yawned a couple of times demonstratively. I did the same. Eventually we both moved on.
