Jeffrey’s Bay – We Hit The Eastern Cape

The last time Seth and I were in Jeffrey’s Bay, I was heavily pregnant with our Kyla Bell.  So it’s kind of fitting that we were back there to celebrate her birthday.   We were so blessed to be able to stay with the amazing Watson family in their beautiful and welcoming home.  I love being able to connect with people who live in the area and have the experience of “living like a local”.

The kids were in their absolute element.  The last time they were able to play with kids their own age, we were back in Mossel Bay, just a week into our trip.  Montana has a brother who is just about Knox’s age and so they all had friends to play with.  It was actually quite weird not being all up in each others spaces while we were there, like the kids entertained themselves and we got a chance to chat with other adults.  It was really quite lovely for all of us.

One of the other reasons that we were in Jeffrey’s Bay is that Incompass Insurance Consultants (my business) has a branch out there.  Yup, that’s right.  I’m still working.  Judging by the amount of people who have asked me this on Instagram, I’m guessing you may not know 🙂  I co-own an insurance brokerage that provides specialised short term insurance for the guest house / AirBnB industry as well as personal and commercial insurance.  I don’t usually talk about it but I figured, why not.  It’s a big part of who I am.

We have branches in Jeffrey’s Bay, Durban and Johannesburg as well as Cape Town obviously.  Working on the road is difficult, but at least in this type of industry it’s at least possible.  Hit me up if you need some options on insurance cover, I’m sure I can help you personally, or I can get my people in the various areas to get in touch with you directly.  We also do insurance for those outside those areas, but via email as opposed to a face to face visit.

Anyway, part of our time in Jeffrey’s Bay was for me to connect with Rob, our consultant there.  We spent one of the mornings working on somethings but on another one of the days, he took us out to the Gamtoos River on his boat.  It was a freezing cold morning, like dragon breath and shivering kind of cold, but we were kitted out in shorts and bathers under all our jackets.  We needed to be able to get in and out of the boat in the water.  Not going to lie, it made me not want to go but it turned out to be one of the best days that we have had.  It was incredibly cold out on the water, like toes freezing off and falling in the water kind of cold, but once we got to the dunes and it heated up it was absolutely stunning.

I couldn’t get over how untouched by pollution and just general humanness the dunes were.  It was a little slice of heaven.  I can only imagine what it would be like on a properly warm day.  I think it was at this point that I started wondering whether our life in Cape Town was really worth going back to haha.  (It is, don’t freak out family)  I just mean that life in the smaller towns is just so laid back and full of natural beauty it’s hard to resist wanting to immerse ourselves in it a little longer.

That said, I think we are definitely going to have more of an adventurous spirit when we get back.  And when I say we, I mean me.  My family has always been about exploring and experiencing.  I’m the reserved one not wanting to branch out of my comfort zone.  Oh how this trip has challenged that at every turn.

The rest of the time in Jeffrey’s Bay we spent with the wonderful Watsons.  It was so lekker to connect with them and spend time with them doing normal things like going to church. We spent time combing the beach for shells, chatting on the sand, playing with their sweet little puppy Lightning and chilling out.  It was so great!

Another cool thing that we experienced was the rock octopus that live there.  I didn’t even know that this was a thing!  Octopus on the rocks?!  No way.  But then we saw some and it totally made my day.  I love these creatures (from a distance) and it was really cool getting to see them up close.

We had such a wonderful time there so it was difficult to pack up and leave but we had to move on to our next stop.  Port Elizabeth.  Now I know that this place sometimes gets a bit of a bad wrap for not being worth a visit, but I beg to differ.  It’s a sweet little city with lots to do.  Check in next time I get a chance to post and see why.

Day 15 – Jeffrey’s Bay 1. We had an early start to the morning – setting our alarms for 7am. I know that doesn’t sound early but with the kids only getting to bed around 9 or 10 most nights, we’ve only been waking up around 8.30. Which means we’re late to everything. But this morning we made extra effort to be awake to join the Watsons at their church. I’m glad we made the effort to go. 2. After church we did what all locals do which is check out the surf. 😂 I don’t know if it was good or bad, but we headed out to the Rock pools for the kids to explore. Jane and I chilled and chatted on the beach. In our random conversations she mentioned that sometimes you actually see octopus in the pools. I thought wow, that’s cool I’d love to see it because I’m weird like that. 3. Seth comes back from the pools to say he found an octopus in a pool!! I walked over (still in boots and jeans while everyone was in bathers and bare feet) just to see it. It was incredible. There are SO many amazing creatures in nature. 4. The kids went for a bike ride with the dads while we headed out to the local shops to get some supper stuff. 5. After supper there was a dance off competition and it was hilarious. I love that the kids are at an age where they are keen to do this and we can laugh at each other. 6. I am still in awe that people actively choose to go out into the freezing cold water when it is freezing cold outside. I cannot fathom it. Plus navigating the sea and waves, I just can’t. So seeing so many young and old people just loving it blows my mind.💥 7. Riya and I have been having battles over her hair. It’s gets SO knotty and then there’s tears for days trying to brush it out. I threatened to cut it off. She said DO IT. But I actually don’t want to 😭🙈 so now do I follow through on my threat and cut it or find a way to make the knots come out easier!?

A post shared by Cindy Alfino (@cindyalfino) on Jul 15, 2018 at 1:24pm PDT

Day 16 – Jeffrey’s Bay 1. Today was just incredible. Honestly. My colleague who heads up our Jeffrey’s Bay branch took us out on the boat to the Gamtoos River. The pictures here do not do justice to how breathtaking it was. Literally and figuratively. Aside from the natural beauty, at 8.30am on a winter morning in shorts and plakkies it was a lot to handle. It was freezing!! But it warmed up which means it could easily be in my top 5 highlights of the trip so far. 2. There was a spider (small but big enough to notice) sitting where my toes were in the boat. Usually I’d freak the heck out but this journey is pushing many of the fears I used to have. Just the other day I had to go to the loo with about 6 moths watching me and I did it without screaming. 😏 3. It’s remarkably difficult to get 5 people to jump into the air at the same time! 4. We popped in at Coffee Society for lunch and I loved that they had so many healthy options! It’s been killing me that we haven’t been eating properly for the last few weeks, so this was lekker. 5. Whenever I tell people that we’ve never been further up country than PE (aside from flying to Durban for our honeymoon 11 years ago) they kinda look at us like we’re crazy. But it’s been so great exploring this very new to us section of our land. It is really just beautiful here. 6. I feel like we are just flying through places without really having the chance to see them properly or connect with everyone that we know in the area. And that’s without really getting stuck in to working in the day time or doing any home school. I’m looking forward to staying longer in places if possible even though most of the time it isn’t. 7. We had our last supper with the Watsons and I know tomorrow is going to be difficult for the kids! But I’m glad they got a chance to catch up with each other.

A post shared by Cindy Alfino (@cindyalfino) on Jul 16, 2018 at 2:38pm PDT

Day 17 – Jeffrey’s Bay to Port Elizabeth 1. This morning was all about work. It’s really difficult to juggle the work/life/homeschooling/life balance but I think we’re getting there. It’s just not that conducive to Instagram pictures or videoing though. You guys should totally follow @moderndaddiy for that daily Insta stories fix, he’s so much better at capturing the video side of things than I am. Plus he’s a funny guy. 2. We said to goodbye to friends that have graciously hosted us for the last three nights. Watson’s thank you for your amazing hospitality and company. We really enjoyed your company and appreciated all that you did for us! Our kids are already wanting to turn back! 3. Left JBay later than intended, but that’s becoming normal for us now. Leaving takes so much longer, especially when we need to search for things we’ve left in the house we’re staying in. Great way to purge though! Always leaving something behind so far we’ve left a beanie, shorts, soccer ball and all our tooth brushes! 4. Made it to Port Elizabeth with time to spare. Luckily it’s close to Jeffrey’s so it’s all good. I don’t know why people say that coming here is not worth it. You’re wrong. The Nelson Mandela bay area has so much to offer. Check us out tomorrow, I’ll prove it. 😂😁 5. We are staying at such an incredible place with an amazing, like minded family. It’s so lovely to connect with people who are on the same vibe. If you’re ever in the area, check out The Plantation. It’s amazing. Heard so many good things about it and it’s lived up to it all! 6. I totally didn’t plan this but how funny that we are in Nelson Mandela Bay right in time for Nelson Mandela day tomorrow! Looking forward to seeing what the town pulls out to celebrate the day #sharethebay

A post shared by Cindy Alfino (@cindyalfino) on Jul 17, 2018 at 2:14pm PDT