A Weekend in Durban
The city of Durban is renowned for its stunning sun-kissed coastline and subtropical climate on Africa's eastern seaboard. Influenced by a multitude of diverse cultures and peoples, the city is ever changing as growing into the modern era. As an added bonus, it's an affordable 1.5 hour flight away from Cape Town, which makes for the perfect weekend getaway. Located in the KwaZulu-Natal province, Durban is also one of South Africa's prime surfing destinations, so needless to say, I was excited about visiting.
I flew in with a friend on Friday evening to stay and visit with other students completing their Master's fieldwork from Berkeley and Vancouver. We were treated to a lovely dinner in the Glenwood suburb where I had the most marvelous platter of calamari and sweet Vietnamese salsa. We then ventured to The Chairman, a somewhat hidden bar and lounge that features local jazz and soul funk musicians. That night, we watched an exhilarating performance by The Brother Moves On with Thandi Ntuli. Clad in colorful patterned leggings, the Jo'burg based ensemble sang of fictional tales and undulating jazzy vibes. The performance alone was more than worth the R150 cover charge (~$10).
The following morning, we went to check the surf and see if we could rent some boards along the famed Golden Mile. As it turns out, Durban surfing legend, JJ, wasn't around to rent to us, though the swell was remarkably heavy and currents equally terrifying. Instead, we opted for a lovely morning on the beach, ate some stir-fry at a waterfront restaurant, and wandered around for the rest of the afternoon. We ended up touring the beautiful botanical gardens and saw a few magnificent orchid blooms and a throng of mischievous monkeys hiding in the treetops. That evening, we enjoyed an authentic Indian dinner and imbibed at a few local watering holes to round off a delightful day.
On Sunday, we decided to check out JJ's shack once more to rent a couple boards. He gave us a great deal since my new friend was a regular. We strode down the boardwalk, strapped on our leashes, and paddled out into the surf...
...and then got pushed all over the place because of the ferocious riptide.
After getting smashed by the punchy falling waves, we bailed and wandered back up the sand to bathe in the golden sun. A few more advanced surfers with their 5'8" boards were dazzling their bottom turns and frontside snaps on the precarious face of the waves. I was quite content watching in admiration with my toes in the sand, thinking "someday."
Later that evening, we attended a screening of a few surf/skate films at Bantry Bay as part of the Wavescape Film Festival. Blankets and a bottle of wine in tow, we set up camp in the grassy amphitheatre and watched the harmony of the footage with the comfort of waves crashing in the background. The short films and feature highlighted the global culture of surfing and skateboarding on the eve of both International Surfing Day (June 20) and Go Skateboarding Day (June 21). The following is a list with links for the films that were presented:
Searching Sirocco - short skate film directed by Brett Novak, featuring Kilian Martin. This one was definitely my favorite from the evening!
The Wild - short surf film directed by Leiber Films, featuring Noah Beschen, a young North Shore surf prodigy.
Skeleton Bay - surfing Namibia's wild coast. Couldn't find a viable link, but Diamond in the Desert might be the next best thing. Actually, this film might be the one that was shown.
The Man and the Sea - short surf film directed by Andrew Kaineder, featuring Derek Hynd surfing finless at Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa
View from a Blue Moon - feature film of the evening produced by Brain Farm. A full-length cut is available on iTunes! This spectacular film follows the world’s most dynamic surfer, John Florence, and his closest friends from his home on the North Shore of Oahu to his favorite surfing destinations around the globe.
It was such a memorable evening!
The next morning, I woke up early to treat myself to a fruit-filled breakfast and a moment of relaxation at a local coffee shop before catching a taxi to the airport. While waiting, I finally made a dent in a book I've been meaning to read (Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman -- so far, so good!). I booked a window seat for the return flight in hopes to catch an aerial glimpse of Table Mountain while landing. Much to my disappointment, the city was shrouded by the afternoon fog and remnants of a rainy weekend. Much to my enjoyment, I was back in Cape Town.
My goodness, I love this place.
