Ngala Beach Lodge - a two week stay! - Kim and Glory - It's in My Soul

July 28, 2022

Ngala Beach Lodge - a two week stay!

I needed a vacation

I stayed here for two weeks (until August 10th) in part because of my amazing deal, in part because I got a bit sick and recovery was not going well. I wasn't horrible, but not up to biking. I ended up having recurring diarrhea spread out over a week and finally took a round of antibiotics and that seemed to have done the trick. Remember those sketchy water bottles I talked about? I'm guessing that was the culprit.

Was thankful for the cottage with a comfortable bed and high quality sheets and a comforter. I also desperately needed some time off the bike. I struggle with depression and it was obvious I was having some issues. It was mostly situational, but with my history, I started to get a bit worried being so far from home and knowing it was getting worse. Finally was able to talk to my counselor and get some clarity and some of the stuff out of my head.

Apart from that, I felt like I was burnt out on biking in Africa. It's not easy and I think I just needed a sense of stability and predictability for a bit. The lodge owners, Trish and Dan, were absolutely fantastic, as were the employees. They jokingly called it my home and it definitely felt like home. The food was good, wifi was good, scenery fantastic and the sunsets never disappointed. Literally, I felt like I found a little piece of paradise. I initially just kept extending a few days at a time, but in the end, I stayed for way longer than I thought I would. Apparently, I'm not the first person who stayed longer than intended.

I enjoyed watching the vervet monkeys swinging through the trees and playing. I love monkeys and never bore of watching their antics. I did go out swimming a couple of times, but I was worried there would be a wayward crocodile so it was a bit unnerving. It is a safe place to swim at this time of year, but not in the rainy season. They've had crocs then. I also went out kayaking a number of times as they had sit on top kayaks to use for free. So fun! Until I found out that for only the third time ever, a couple of hippopotamus' had been spotted off shore. What?! I got over my fear and went out a few more times, but you can bet I stayed very close to shore from then on out.

Other notable things that happened was I had a visitor in my cottage. His name was Mickey, although someone pointed out it could have been Minnie. I heard him scurrying about and finally had a confirmed sighting. I secured all my food, but I forgot about the snacks in my handlebar bag which was on my nightstand. I heard him and turned the light on to see if he was indeed there. I start to look and Mickey launches out of the front pocket of my bag and scared me half to death! It's funny in hindsight. Who knew mice could jump like that?! The owners did a few repairs as the mesh had been chewed through so no more visits from Mickey/Minnie after that. But, I had some gecko lizards visit as well that scared me more than once. One was on the door jam and abruptly moved over to the door and also scared me half to death. Darn these little creatures!

I was also happy to have a Facebook memory come up from 2017 where I had been investigating biking in Africa. That was important because it was before I knew my ex travel partner, Penny. I had been giving her credit for peeking my interest in Africa, but it was actually on my mind before I knew her. I suppose she did help keep it in the forefront of my mind, but we all know how that turned out...

And finally, my last day I had been in my room doing research and decided I should go down to the beach for one last walk at this lovely place. I go down and see what I knew (from an encounter earlier in the week) was a huge swarm of lake flies! I went back up to get my phone for pictures and it was almost like a comedy scene (or maybe a horror scene) from out of a movie when I returned. People are running away from the shore. They usually don't come ashore. They hatch on the lake and die within three days. But when the wind blows, they sometimes make it to land. I also know now that this is the swarm of bugs I biked through a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, they are harmless. Well except, the owner did tell me that if they hatch on the lake when the men are out fishing, people have actually died from suffocation as the swarms are so thick. What a horrible way to go and a horrible things to think about! Anyways, this will go down as one of the craziest things I've ever witnessed! I've had such "lucky" and "unique" experiences with bugs on this trip.

Those little "experiences" aside, I had an amazing time here and am so thankful. It was the perfect place to have some down time and likely will be one of my favorite places and memories of my trip here.

Grumpy cat, move over! There's a new contender in town. His name is....."Meow"

As you can see, he was thrilled to be a part of this selfie

The sunsets here were amazing every night

Because roosters don't ever get featured in my phtos

"Can I have your phone number?" A common request in Africa. "No, you can't."

He stood up and posed when I asked permission to take his photo.

I kept walking by this house and thought it was cute

Look at those mountains/layers. Waiting for sunset from the beach

A swarm of lake flies threatening to enter the restaurant. Their buzzing was loud! Then, a few days later....

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Kathleen JonesLots of folks don’t realize that one needs a vacation from an extended tour. Good for you for taking care of yourself, especially when you felt the black dog nosing around. What a great place to stay.
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1 year ago

Kim JohnsonTo Kathleen JonesThank you! Yes, glad you realize the importance of my mini vacation. It was fantastic!
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1 year ago