Bulungula, Wild Coast

Our final destination on our epic trip through the southern part of the South Africa was brilliantly completed at a place called Bulungula, a very small village outside the electricity, mail, and telephone grids in a place untouched by western tourism. This place prides itself on using ones brains to come up with eco-friendly ways to conserve resources while still using the gifts of the earth. I know what you are thinking; “You are going to a place with no electricity, no hot water heaters, no connection to the outside world for our vacation destination? Are you Crazy?!” Well, yes we are crazy, but that’s beside the point. This place was spectacular! The Bulungula lodge was nothing more than a shack that has been turned into a haven for nature loving, free thinkers from around the globe. We were able to learn how some bright people have started using solar power for cooking, boiling water, providing hot water for showers, and providing a bit of light all while using nothing from the electricity grids of the world. Everything there is self-sustaining! While there we were able to speak to people from a dozen different nationalities about a plethora of topics. This place was more than the activities surrounding our visit, rather it was a place where movers and shakers from around the world could find a meeting place where internet, nice homes, an amenities of all sorts were not the priority.

Grace was able to get in on a group of people doing yoga while I had some great conversations around a big fire overlooking the ocean. Brad and Eric also met some interesting people; physiologists, surgeons, engineers, sociologists, economists, mathematicians, and all sorts of others all met here for the weekend. We were able to do some kayaking up an estuary where we found a beached whale that was decomposing on the beachside. We spoke to the owner of the lodge and he told us that after the spinal disks of the large blue whale stopped stinking he was going to turn them into chairs for around the fire. Now that’s a reclamation project!

-Ben