Dust & Echoes in Port Blossom
okay, so, i’m pretty sure i’m running on fumes and lukewarm coffee. 912628… that’s the number of times i’ve tripped over something in the last 48 hours. 1894152710… honestly, i don’t even know what that is. it just… appeared. like a glitch in the matrix, but with more humidity.
port blossom. it’s… weird. like, aggressively weird in a good way. the air hangs thick, you know? 21.12 degrees, feels like 21.61, temp min 21.12, temp max 21.12, pressure 1011, humidity 89, sea level 1011, grnd level 878. it’s basically a sauna that’s also slightly melancholic. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
I landed here on a whim, really. a last-minute flight deal and a desperate need to escape the relentless beige of my life. and beige is not a color that exists in port blossom. it’s all bruised purples, faded turquoise, and this weird, almost iridescent moss that grows on everything. seriously, everything.
I’m staying in this tiny guesthouse run by a woman named Esme. she’s… intense. she makes these tiny, hand-painted ceramic birds and won’t let you leave without a small one. i’ve got three now. they’re judging me.
I wandered down to the docks earlier, and someone told me that the old lighthouse keeper, Silas, still comes out at night and sings sea shanties to the crabs. i didn’t see him, but i heard something. a low, mournful tune carried on the breeze. it was unsettling, but also kinda beautiful.
There’s a weird vibe here, you know? Like everyone’s carrying a secret. I overheard a group of fishermen arguing about a lost net - something about a mermaid’s curse. Seriously. Someone told me that the best seafood is at ‘The Salty Siren’ - Yelp says it’s 3.5 stars, but honestly, it smelled amazing. I’m going to check it out later.
Speaking of locals, if you get bored, [Port Blossom] is just a short drive away. There’s a really cool antique shop there, ‘Curios & Oddities,’ run by a guy named Bartholomew who claims to have once dated a pirate. He’s a bit of a character, to say the least.
I’ve been snapping photos like a maniac. Trying to capture the light, the colors, the… the feeling of this place. It’s proving difficult. My camera roll is already overflowing. I need to invest in a bigger card. Seriously, a massive card.
Here’s my gear list, because apparently, that’s what everyone wants:
Camera (obviously)
Film (because, you know, analog)
Notebook (for scribbling down random thoughts)
Sketchbook (for attempting to draw the moss)
Raincoat (it’s always raining)
A ridiculous amount of coffee
Three ceramic birds
I found this little cafe called ‘The Driftwood’ - TripAdvisor says it’s ‘charming’ and ‘rustic.’ It’s basically a shack with mismatched chairs and a perpetually grumpy barista named Finn. He makes a mean espresso, though. I heard that he used to be a jazz musician before he gave up and opened the cafe. A shame, really.
I’m starting to think this place is messing with my head. It’s beautiful, it’s strange, it’s… unsettling. But I’m kind of digging it. Maybe I’ll stay a while. Maybe I’ll even learn to sing sea shanties to the crabs. Don’t judge.
Seriously, if you’re looking for a place to get lost, a place to disconnect, a place to just… be*, port blossom might be it. Just be prepared for the moss. And the birds. And the potential mermaid curses.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g338490-Port_Blossom_Western_Cape_Province.html
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-salty-siren-port-blossom
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