Addo, Aliwal and Out

My last week in South Africa was mainly about the animals- Addo Elephant Park and Aliwal Shoal Marine Reserve.

In both of these places I questioned just how brave I really am when I am no longer top of the food chain. Lions, buffalo, hippos and a whole range of sharks are a reality for people who live in South Africa, and dealing with them in a safe way is important. A ranger at Addo has survived lion, elephant and buffalo attacks in his time working in the park, and for this reason it is said he will go down in history. As well as this, a shark expert in Aliwal Shoal told me the most effective way to deal with aggressive sharks is to punch them in the face. No really. It is his job to beat up sharks that may get too feisty with divers. It is somehow reassuring to know our fight-or-flight instincts are still intact, and at the same time scary that in the end that is all we really have when threatened by nature.

Yet so many of us are still fascinated and not scared of these hostile creatures, ending up with attacks happening relatively often. It is easy to see why when you drive around Addo and stumble across a whole family complete with small children who have jumped out of their car to try and take a photo with the lions.

Ignorance, bravery or craziness? It is hard to tell with all people, but ignorance seems to be the most common problem. When the lions are so far away and appear to be sleeping, they seem gentle as if you could edge closer to them- but they run at 80km an hour and are opportunist killers. Humans are easy picking for them, and that is how accidents happen.

But ignorance isn’t only a problem for people. When shark attacks occur, there is often an outcry to kill sharks in the area in order to protect the humans who choose to surf/dive there. But (apparently) sharks are quite placid by nature, and when I was in their territory you could almost believe that. Not one of the experienced divers or experts on wildlife was scared of sharks, because they are confident and know exactly how to deal with them. I think I need a little more practice to have that kind of bravery.

Furthermore, Addo Elephant Park has lost two rhinos so far this month to poachers. Not only this, but warthogs apparently go missing often as people come in, shoot them, and take them home for tea. The ranger I talked to was disgusted by this, but at the same time chuckled and told me they are very tasty though. There are so many warthogs, it is hard to feel sympathy for them while you are there, but the much bigger problem of poaching of the endangered animals calls into question the ignorance of the people who still buy these illegal products.

In short, it seems very clear that educating people could help save so many lives- both animal and human.

I have left South Africa now and I'm currently chilling in a hotel in Malaysia! I was sad to leave as there is SO much I could have done, but being unexpectedly bumped up to business class on the flight certainly made it easier! Thank you very much Qatar Airways, and see you later South Africa! I'll be back.

Wilderness

The first stop after Cape Town was Wilderness (the name was so intriguing I had to stop here). My very intelligent Dutch travelling friend and I were greeted by torrential rain, an empty hostel and the information that the primary activity would be to walk along the broken train tracks around the side of the cliff to visit the caveman.

Route to the Caveman

The story goes that the train tracks once belonged to a tourist train that would drive passengers from the village to the cave, where there was a restaurant. They could spend the evening here, then get the train back. For this reason, there are individual rooms and running water available in the cave. A luxury cave, if you will. But it has long since been abandoned since the train stopped running seven years ago, and now the caveman squats there and takes in the homeless. He informed me that he can house eleven people at a time. The caveman himself is very softly spoken and incredibly friendly. He will happily give you the tour and explains that he decorated it all himself, with God’s help. Interestingly, God’s will in this case is lots of sea shells and an Egyptian theme.

The Cave

As well as the caveman, there is a national park here, famous for the birds. After canoeing up the river, you can see why. Everywhere you look there are huge and colourful birds that I have only ever seen in zoos or courtesy of David Attenborough before. The water as well, although shallow, was filled with tiny fish as if there wasn't really room for them all. I felt very zen by the time I left.

Raft to cross the river in Wilderness National Park

The one night spent here, the five of us staying in the hostel ended up going for a meal in the village. The most popular bar and restaurant had a surprisingly vibrant atmosphere as there was live music from a selection of local people. Reggae and country music seemed to be the pick of the day, with most artists playing either Bob Marley or Bob Dylan at some point in their repertoire. The wine was flowing, perhaps a little too much, and on the way back to the hostel, a woman dressed as Cleopatra invited us into a birthday party happening in a bar on our route home. Dancing with the group of family and friends who were all in fancy dress was a really warm and happy experience. People here really are so friendly.

24 hours in Wilderness was a special experience to say the least.

Cape Town

“So, how safe is Cape Town?”

The taxi driver laughed when I asked him this, and pointed out that a man was hacked to death by extremists in London not so long ago. “You should be more worried about living in the UK.”

I’m not so sure about that, but yes, Cape Town certainly seems and feels safer than South Africa’s general reputation would have you believe. It is low season here at the moment, and I have been really lucky with the weather, and so it has been a really pleasant place to start my trip.

South African people seem to be very proud of their friendly culture, with everyone I meet being more than happy to help me and people are always very warm. It feels very welcoming.

Of course, you must be sensible in the area. I am aware of the gang crime and the fact people begging may be affiliated to these gangs. I also know that pickpockets are very clever and you ought to be careful of the mini cabs as, like most places, some people are out to extract as much money as possible from the tourists.

All of these things netted together display for me how tourism in the area works. There are tour companies willing to cut corners and out to rip you off, but there also many that are very honest, looking to help you and find you the best deal, even if this means directing you to an alternate company and losing the sale. Mile by Mile Tours (http://www.milebymile.co.za/) is one such company, and during my interviews with Ndonona (who was incredibly well informed and equally as lovely) I gained an insight into the way things worked in Cape Town.

He believes that tourism is a sustainable way for countries in Africa in general, including South Africa, to develop, saying that the old model of industrialisation for development is becoming out dated and is unsuitable for newly developing countries. Instead of trying to compete in manufacturing for example, South Africa should advertise its beauty to international tourists to generate income. It was really enlightening talking to someone who clearly cares so much about the way the country is developing, but also with a concern for the environment and had informed opinions on how industries should be moving forward. Needless to say the interview went on longer than I intended!

His ideas are supported by the statistic that for every eight tourists, there is one job in Cape Town, which was kindly told to me by the owners of the hostel Atlantic Point (http://www.atlanticpoint.co.za). When interviewing Tim and James, the attitudes towards the environment of people who grow up and live in South Africa helps to explain the way business is subsequently practiced. However, they also described how the backpackers who visit the hostel share their respect for the environment, suggesting room for ecotourism to grow in this sector of the market.

They were also responsible for an amazing Braai (South African BBQ) in which there was loads of people, loads of food including ostrich meat, and loads of really fond memories made. Thank you very much Tim and James, all of the staff and top guests who made it a golden night! If ever I could feel the warmth of South Africa, it was here.

In The Beginning

Bradley Woods National Park

Less than a minute away from where I've lived my whole life, is Bradley Woods- more commonly known to me and other locals as Bakers Park. I've practically grown up in this park learning to ride a bike, picnics with friends, running away from cows and swooning over footballers (Number 5 in particular, but never had the courage to talk to him) all being fond memories for me. I love it here,despite the fact it isn't the biggest or most beautiful nature reserve in the world. Devon is full of places like this, not to mention gorgeous beaches and friendly people, and so it naturally attracts a lot of tourists. Old people, families and stag-nights alike flock to the English Riviera to enjoy what we have to offer, and for this reason a lot of people live off of the tourists with ample seasonal work and streets full of hotels.

This was partly the inspiration for my proposal for the Circumnavigators Foundation's fabulous scholarship: if I feel so strongly about my home and national park, how do people round the world who are intimately involved with much vaster natural areas feel about theirs? Does the tourism have a similar fueling effect, or is it destroying the places they love and cherish? Like the 20 years in which I have been familiar with Bakers Park, have others noticed change? Has it been for the better or worse?

I hope to answer some of these questions and fulfil my curiosity by visiting areas of natural beauty and tourist hotspots around the worlds this summer, more specifically in South Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil.

As all of these places are considered megabiodiversity and developing countries, and so I want to understand the effect of tourism on the local communities and environment- either as a source of income and sustainability or a catalyst for inequality and erosion. Can the environment and society move forward together with the help of tourism? We shall see.

My travels start today when I fly to Johannesburg and I cannot begin to describe how excited I am. If you are interested in my travels and the discoveries of a curious twenty year old, just watch this space.