The Heads as seen from our table at the cafe.
On our way to The Heads, we stopped on a side street to ask directions. The street was line with black guys either sitting on the curb or standing and they would hold up their hands as we drove by. Johann stopped and suddenly about 20 of them rushed the car. I wasn't sure of what they wanted and sort of knee-jerked by rolling up the window and locking the door. I'm sure I would have done that regardless of who it was; it's unsettling to be in a poverty-stricken country and have a group of men who appear homeless rush the car. Johann explained this was the street where they spend their day and construction owners know they can come to the street and pick up however many they want and pay them a low wage to do work nobody else will do. It was such a sad site. They were all willing to work and were competing with one another to get even a small job so they could eat. I've read about alcoholism being a significant problem in the country but none of these men had the tell-tale signs of alcoholics. They just wanted to work. I asked if there was a drug problem but it seems that blight hasn't hit the country with full force yet.
After The Heads, Forbes and I got on a harbor cruise boat that took us around the bay and gave us history of the area. It was a stunning day. Sunny with a slight ocean breeze and about 75 degrees. It could not have been any better.
The Heads as seen from the boat.
A house on the hill leading to the Heads.
We met up after the cruise and decided to split and do our own shopping along the main street for a few hours. We met up at our designated time and found Johann had spent his time in the pub. We got the car back to the apartment and Forbes and I went back to the pub where Johann had befriended a coloured man who was a teacher at the local school and quite intoxicated. We tried to leave him and go to our own table but he followed us and sat down next to me. At one point he took off his knitted beannie cap and put it on my head and said it was mine. Eventually I gave it back to him but the other two enjoyed the site while it lasted. The rest of the night I have to say was not at all pleasant as it involved problems with some behaviors that are not acceptable when traveling with others. I won't provide any detail but it involved me shouting at my travel mates. It's rare but justified in my mind. :-) The next few days will be interesting as there is now a distance between us (which may be needed anyway) but there are only two nights left. I have previously left out any mention of small squabbles that happen when friends travel together but this time it affected the evening's events and the blog is a way for me to record major events as they unfold and this was just another part of the journey.
We woke up this morning without much conversation and are now on our way to Port Elizabeth for the final stage of our trip.
