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I share a flat with Nick, Emily, Alma and Ela, and whoever comes along, and that means a lot of rainbows around. In the building there's another flat with hippies, who have their own guests, and therefore we drum and play and don't sleep enough. In the building there are also a few empty flats, with the doors open, and for a few night we slept there. One day a lady who works for the real estate company caught Ela and told her not to leave her bag or expensive things there, so we squatted the other apartments, too.
One morning I went back to the flat I slept in last night to get a few things, and was caught by an angry guy. It turns out he showed the place to potential tenants, and they saw our things, and the guy was embarrassed. He threatened to call the police if he ever sees me again in the building, and I was banned from even visiting my friends ... I became very stressed, but it passed the day after, when I realized that there's nothing he can do about it, and nothing to prove, and he has no saying at all about this thing. However, since than the doors are locked and we don't squat anymore. The situation in the flat becomes more crowded.
Besides that, I lost my wallet in the movies (Lord of the rings, second time), with 600 rands and my VISA card. I asked for a new one from home, and felt totally broke (though I had enough cash for a week). Another problem was that my visa to S.A. ran out in a week, so I needed extension, with no money to pay for it. I went to the immigration office to try and talk it out. It turned out that I misread my passport, and actually have a visa until the end of February. Happy happy joy joy.
So now I'm here. I have the new VISA card. And I can finally GO somewhere, though I don't know where. Current option is a week in the area of East London, and then with Ela to Namibia and Botswana. As usual, it's just a plan, so don't hold your breath.
Love to all the world, Moddy.
This is a particularly nice day to forget things that made you angry.
My plan was to leave early morning the day after, and to go to Morgan's bay, where Uri is (and maybe Haimosh!), BUT in the evening there was the last Seed Camp party. Seed Camp is a place near the Hoek. where they had parties and drumming, etc., but was shut down, and they do a last party. I stayed another day.
The party was incredible. Everybody was there, and I decided to take E for the first time in my life. Wow. I finally understood why people like these parties so much. I was (as usual) stressed and annoying, but everyone was patient. In the morning I was too tired to go, so I stayed another day of half-sleeping.
Next day ... I don't remember why; maybe I just stayed late, but I didn't go. Everybody started talking about the upcoming rainbow gathering which nobody started scouting for, and I decided to take initiative and talk to a few of S.A. rainbows and see what I can help. I started by visiting Claire at Southern Comfort, and as I started hitching, Omji's camper van stopped. Omji was in the party, and he stopped (because I looked familiar) to ask if I know where Claire is ... we saw it as a sign. We went together; talked about scouting; went to the beach. In the evening we went to a bonfire/drumming at Martin & Kayla's place. We talked again about scouting. In the morning we talked again, and I finally started my journey to Morgan's bay, or so I thought.
Upon leaving Martin and Kayla, Omji asked me to join him on a scouting mission in Barrydale area. We had some connections, and Omji wanted to take his time slowly to CT. I agreed. We were four - me, Omji, Sandra and Tonia. We began by visiting Jaso and getting more info, and then went and spent the night with Flee and Cecil. They live in a big house that overlooks a beautiful valley. They have a pool and trampoline and they do pottery. There were many guests there who met them in the party. It was a wonderful evening.
The day after Omji showed what he means by 'slowly'. We started late, stopped for a few hours at the beach, picked John from Seed Camp whom we found hitching, and the van broke down. By that time, it also started to rain. Someone towed us to the next town and we spent the night in a gas station in the middle of town. Pretty weird to spread your sleeping bag in such a place ...
Morning was spent on looking for a mechanic. Omji managed to get people to drive us all over town in the search. Eventually, we left the car in the garage, and everybody took their own way. I decided to hitch to Barrydale and scout by myself. I forgot my harmonica in the van.
Hitching was not easy, but the I managed to get to Barrydale in the early afternoon. Part of the journey I did in a police car (my first time!). The contact was Tom, who can be found either in the Cafe or in Ronnie's sex shop. Another pornographer? I went into the cafe and asked the cashier if she knows Tom. He was right behind me.
Turns out he has a farm about 25 km from there, and he is willing to give it to rainbow ... but the area is half desert, and no water, shade or firewood. He took me the day after to see other possible connections in the area, but they were not at home, including a guy who often sails to Madagascar. I got a message from Ela that there'll be a scouts meeting in the Hoek. that evening, so I hitched back. I forgot my shoes in Tom's car.
Hitching got me to Knysna after sunset. This time I was more optimistic, and managed to get a lift with a reggae band. The scouts meeting didn't happen - everybody was there, but there was no talking circle, and there was nothing much to talk about - the only reasonable site was Morgan's bay, and none of us knew the place. Ela volunteered to go there and see. I said my visa runs out so I need to do a 'visa run' - that is, to leave S.A. for a few hours and reenter, getting a new visa. I said I'll go to Namibia...
In the morning they told me that there'll be a big party in CT for the 02-02-02 (Feb 2nd, 2002). So I had a lift to the party, and I went to the party. At first I tried to sneak in, but it involved walking through thick thorny bush, and I shamefully deserted. I paid full price, and didn't enjoy at first. I was too tired. The morning began stressed, too, and I was thinking of going home, until a small chat with Roni cheered me up (Roni says 'Relax. Leave worries for tomorrow. Have fun') . Since then, I had full energy and danced and swam in the ocean and LOVED it.
And now I'm back in Capetown. Tomorrow I go to Namibia!!! or is it???
Love, Moddy.
Today is a great day to forget old decisions.
I also feel my last letter was a lifetime ago, and it was only 10 days! Let's see ...
I hitched to Namibia for a visa run. I.e. my visa runs out in the middle of the gathering, and if I want to stay more I need a new visa - which I can get at the office for 390R, or at the border for free (or that's what Toto and Nogah told me). It started great - first lift even gave me 10R to buy cold drinks - he said I'll need them. A few hours later I was 100 km from Capetown., middle of the desert, no water and nobody stops. I stood in the middle of the road waving to drivers who honked and gave me the finger.
Eventually someone stopped.
-"Do you have any water?"
-"No"
-"Can you please take me to a place with water?"
And he did - it was a gas station one km up the road, and the guy took me all
the way to the border ! A long ride indeed, which ended after midnight at the
border.
Crossing was easy. Getting into Namibia was impossible - It turns out that Israelis need a visa ! AND on returning, the border guard didn't give me a new one. I slept at the border, hoping to find a nicer guard in the morning. He wasn't. He was the chief officer, and said that if he gets caught giving me a visa he'll get fired. You can tell how disappointed I was.
I hitched back. By 4 pm I was back in Capetown., trying to figure out what to do. The only reasonable option was Lesotho, which means hiking back to Knysna as fast as possible, getting my shoes back, asking Lerato for pointers, and missing half the gathering. I was too fed up of hitching. I love hitchhiking, and it always works, but it takes a lot of spirit. You put yourself on the line, and take it's hard not to take it personally when drivers pass you by. You feel "I don't smile enough ; My clothes are too shaggy ; I should have shaved ", etc. Another consideration was that I called Ela, which I considered to be my girlfriend, and she actually asked me not to hurry to be back... So of course I ran home and took the night bus to the Hoek.
Guess what I found (because I won't tell you). There was a climax, a crisis, and a conclusion that we are now the best friends that can possibly be. One special consequence is that the Yacht-to-brazil mission may come true. (Skippers: Rob and Chaitanya. Crew: Moddy and Lerato).
I wanted to go to Barrydale the next day to get my shoes back and go on, but we procrastinated (I learned a new word). The next day me and Haimosh went to Kathumba and walked to Nature Valley (beautiful!). Next day Ela ( who promised to come to Barrydale with me and have a swim in the awesome river ) was sick. Then I left by myself, with some magnificent lifts. One of them was Eric Attwell, an 87 years old man who wrote a book about (listen!) his journey from Port Elizabeth,S.A. to London,UK on pushbikes in 1936! I bought the book for Haimosh, while Mr. Attwell wrote the dedication "From one intercontinental cyclist to another".
I arrived in Berrydale after dark, got my shoes, and early in the morning stood on the road towards Outdshoorn and Bloemfontein. Two hours later a guy picked me up and asked me for breakfast. The man is an artist who hates Afrikaners, Muslims and racists. He took me all around town and introduced me to everyone as his "Israeli friend who is a captain in the army". Two hours later, after a big breakfast, he put me back on the road. Nothing changed - no car passed. I decided to hitch back to Knysna, and try the other way - through Port Elizabeth. It rained, and I waited a long time in the BP in Swelendam asking people for a lift, until the manager asked me to stop bugging the people, and minutes after I left I got the ride. I was back in the Hoek. before dark.
The day after (yesterday) I hitched with Haimosh and Tiziana, who went to Morgan's bay. Easy hitch and at night I found myself in Bloemfontein - much better than I expected, and maybe the best hitching day of my life. I slept in the gas station - the night manager let me sleep in his office, though he is not allowed to.
And now I'm here. In a short time I'll be in Lesotho, and then to the gathering. I might be out of reach for a month, so don't worry.
Love, Moddy.
Today is Valentines day. It's a perfect day to love and be loved, just like any other day.
Last message I sent was from Bloemfontein. That day was a hard walking day - I walked into town, trying to find an Internet cafe. When I found it, a guy told me where to go to in Lesotho ("Go to Malealea and find Mick Jones"), and then I walked to the other side of town, to find a hitching spot. It was hard, but I got a lift all the way to the border, and a bit further. A bus ride took me to Malealea, where Mick runs the lodge.
Malealea is on the edge of a valley. The pass into the valley is called 'Gateway to paradise', and it is beautiful. The people I met were amazingly friendly. They all talk to you (sometimes English, sometimes Sesotho). I played my flute a lot to them.
I spent the night there, camping - or should I say attempting to camp by wrapping my tarpaulin around me. It didn't work - it leaked and it rained and it was dark. I finally got up, took my tarpaulin and sleeping bag and went to find the kitchen and sleep there. I couldn't see a meter ahead, or see my feet. I kept stumbling on things and bumping into trees, until I managed to fall into a pool.
I found it quite funny: I was soaking wet, as well as my sleeping bag and clothes; I was a little bruised ; and I was totally lost. I laughed standing in the rain and hoped for a miracle. Left my sleeping bag and tarp next to the pool and went on. Then I saw a light.
Faint light it was, but it gave me hope - I approached, and it turned out to come from a small cabin with a verandah and ... a hammock! A place to sleep ... but first I went to my bag to find dry clothes to wear. Couldn't find it, of course, so I entered the cabin, searching for a torch. What I found was a sofa and a blanket. I said 'a ha' and fell asleep.
In the morning I confessed to the cabin's owner (Garick, the manager of the lodge) that I slept there. He said 'I heard things at night, but I didn't bother to check'. The real troubles started when I found that my sleeping bag and tarp are not where I left them. I had to go to the police station, 10 km away.
The station is an old house that would have been demolished in any western country. A few horses and a few marijuana plants in the garden. Unlike any other country I went to the police with, they got me back to the lodge, questioned the night watch, searched suspect's houses, and found nothing. They were very sorry, and said the investigation is not over yet.
Mick was nice an felt guilty. He gave me an old sleeping bag so I can continue my journey. I walked down to Pinseng Gorge and before noon rain started. I found a cave and spent the whole day there - playing flute, meditating, Yoga, reading ... I enjoyed the rest very much.
In the morning I continued. Combining walking and hitchhiking I met many friendly people who gave me peaches (good season), and a few who spoke English. In the evening I started to to look for a place to stay, and I asked two girls for advice. They advised to 'ask someone if you can sleep at their yard', and offered to translate. The lady at the nearest house was reluctant, so she went to ask the chief. Meanwhile I played flute to the curiosity of the gathering crowd. Eventually the woman returned with an old mama, who turned out to be the chief - luckily, she liked me, and so I stayed the night. I wanted to camp under the stars, but they wouldn't let me.
The day after I hitchhiked out of Lesotho, crossed the border (got only one month, and even that after long arguments), and went to East London, and to the rainbow gathering.
The place is beautiful. A valley with grass and trees and a small waterfall. Very few people - two days before full moon we were less than ten! But a day after full moon we were 50 (at least!). We had two sweat lodges, a cross-dressing party (for Purim), and a few little children gave a good atmosphere and happiness. Me and Ela built a tree house which was so cool! I enjoyed the gathering very much.
But ... My visa runs out in 18-3. I need to leave the country. Me and Ela have some ideas where we go ... maybe Tomorrow to Durban, and then Swaziland or Mozambique ? We want to do Vipassana again in Hermanus, 26-3 until 6-4, and my mother comes to visit me. We go with her to Namibia and maybe Botswana. "Make God laugh. Tell him about your plans".
Love, Moddy.
This is a perfect day to forgive yourself for your imperfections.
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