The theme for this trip so far is: plan it then do something else. I wanted to photograph surfers this morning. A few were out yesterday so I figured today would be better. I got up, grabbed my long lens, and headed outside.
No surfers. None. In fact there were very few people in the ocean at all. Perhaps it was too early, I thought. After all, right outside my hotel was a public exercise routine. That must just be how they start the weekend!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svPgYcxsyCI
As I walked the beach I saw a few swimmers, but not as many as yesterday.
There were a lot of guys out fishing though. I asked them what they were trying to catch. “Everything!” They all said. One of them was from Johannesburg, visiting his parents. He works in the oil industry and had been to Houston just a few months ago. Others were happy to give me advice on where to go and what to do while I was here. All of them were cool with having their picture taken.
By now it was getting toward noon so I needed lunch. I wandered to the nearest cafe and had a seat. The kitchen was closed as they switched from breakfast to lunch (no this wasn’t McDonalds) so I had to make due. With a coke and carrot cake!
Now fully recharged I started back toward my hotel. I had been trying to arrange to hang out with some locals and one messaged me back saying he was available in the afternoon. I wanted to get back, shower, change, and be ready for a BBQ, modern dance show, and night on the town. Except, on the way back, there was some sort of “game” going on. Guys racing for green sticks. Lots of people watching. I have no idea what this was all about.
Back at the hotel and guess what? The exercisers were still going at it.
I went to my room to change. And fell asleep. Um. Oops. Guess I’m still used to my 2:00p naps. I slept for a long time! When I woke I feared I’d missed the text telling me where to meet my soon-to-be-friend, but there was nothing. Looks like I was getting stood up.
It was dark now (yeah, I mean I slept for a really long time!) so I grabbed my camera for some night shooting.
When I got hungry I found my way to a little pizza shop on the promenade. I ordered and waited. And waited. And waited. I wasn’t forgotten, they were just busy. I walked outside to grab a table and had an awkward moment trying to sit on the same bench as another guy. After a wonderfully witty comment from me (which I now can’t remember, but it was good) he offered me a seat across from him. We chatted for a bit, then decided to go find a beer somewhere. Walking some more we came across a band playing to a little crowd.
We hung out for another hour or so. Chatting about the differences between South Africa and America. In his words: we’re very similar, just on a smaller scale. He’s a Johannesburg native who moved to Durban only a month ago. He’s still finding his way around and looking to make some money off of real estate before returning to Johannesburg to start up a series of driving schools. 
It was great fun! All because the plans I thought I had fell through.
Travel 