Day 10 – Coffee Bay to Port St Johns – 18 September

We left Coffee Bay after another good breakfast of grapefruit, eggs and toast for me, and just toast for Brian. Before we set off we went for a quick walk on the beach even though it was still fairly cloudy and miserable.As soon as we got to the beach we spotted some donkeys/mules walking about so took lots of pictures of them and the great sea views. Some locals were already out collecting shellfish and fishing off the rocks and it was a very peaceful and tranquil scene.

We set off back on the 80 minute journey to the N2 and through Mtatha. Once again the roads weren’t nearly as bad as we expected them to be and you soon get used to looking out for animals and people on the road. We also learned that when someone brakes in front of you and switches on their hazards it means there’s animals in the road and to watch out. We were soon driving like locals!
There was some great scenery on the way to Port St Johns and we got a spot of rain, but made good time and were there for about 2pm. Port St Johns has some impressive cliffs as you drive into the town, which makes it a bit different looking from some of the other beach towns we’ve visited so far.

We found our B&B, Glass House B&B, and once again the fact that they advertised that they had internet still didn’t mean it was usable in any way! Another place where you can only get WiFi close to the office and too slow to enable us to update our blogs. So far we’ve only found one place with good WiFI, which is shocking considering how important WiFi is to travellers!
Anyway, the room we got had incredible views over First Beach with a deck overlooking the sea and waves crashing just below us. The room could do with some attention and a bit of paint, but was comfortable on the whole, and cheap enough.

We had planned on updating out blogs but due to the state of the WiFi didn’t even bother trying, so went to Steve’s Pub for a drink and dinner instead, before football and a film on TV. Although Steve’s is supposedly the best place to eat in town, my burger came out of a packet so it is just as well Brian opted for the chicken burger as he wouldn’t have eaten the beef one! The place was getting quite busy by the time we left so maybe I just made a bad selection!
Port St Johns is a strange town – I’m not sure what it was like 30 years ago, but at the moment it is run down with lots of dilapidated buildings and it just seems kind of dirty – though the humid climate might be to blame for that? It is also incredibly beautiful with unspoilt and quiet beaches. It just seems like a town that is going downhill and we saw a few ‘resorts’ and B&Bs standing empty and falling apart or on the market and advertised in the local estate agent’s windows, which is a real shame as it is such a special place.