I could hardly get my tongue around the word as we sped through Pondoland towards the coast. Mmm-bort-yee. That sounded almost right.
I was reminded by my globe-trotting daughter, out from London for some quality family time, that I was never good at languages. No time for a verbal tussle.
At least the three of us could agree on one thing - we wer all out looking for our own version of solitude. And we all wanted a liberal dash of home comforts. Soft adventure, I believe it's called.
We found it all at Mbotyi River Lodge on the Wild Coast.
The final approach from Lusikisiki is through magnificent forest with an extravagance of ferns, glimpses of waterfalls and Pondo ladies deeply engrossed in wash day on the banks of the Mbotyi River.
With the entire access to the Wild Coast via Kokstad and Flagstaff on tar, our final 19km to the lodge on a good gravel road was very easily accomplished. Of course, it was not always so. It was extremely hazardous getting to the Mbotyi River mouth before 1985. Guests had to park their cars at the entrance to the forest, tehn walk the last 8km to the lodge on a narrow path, lugging their suitcases along with them.
Usually, porters were available to assist with this task.
Even so, only intrepid adventurers and fishermen who had temporarily lost their senses would be seen emerging from the forest, with backpacks and tackle.
During the rainy season from October through to March in years past, guests were frequently rained in for days on end with teams of oxen required to pull vehicles out of the mud. Things really are much more comfortable now.
The concrete road through parts of the forest, which visitors now enjoy, was built towards the end of the 1980s at the time that the lodge was completed. It guarantees a blissful arrival at Mbotyi River Lodge's spacious grounds and superb viewpoint.
Yes, there's the crashing surf, the sensuous dunes in the late afternoon light, the enormous lagoon and the trimmed lawns of the lodge. All the buildings, constructed of wood, blend perfectly into the environment.
Then, a race to the sea. What a pleasure to feel the sand between your toes and the gentle slapping of the incoming tide. The disappearing sun splashed colour across the sky while a lone fisherman - all of 13 years old - got to grips with rod and line and learned the art of never-ending patience. Did it really matter if he did not catch a kob or two?
Just breathing the ozone was good enough for me. That night I collared Mbotyi's manager, Charles Lamb, over coffee and persuaded him to divulge some of the history of Mbotyi.
"Well, the Wild Coast has always had its wild characters - none better than one Jack Barber," said Charles, taking another spoonful of sugar.
"He was dubbed the 'Robinson Crusoe' of Mbotyi - a soccer player for Scotland and survivor of the horrors of trench warfare during World War 1 in France. While convalescing in a military hospital, Jack fell in love with his nurse, Sally Barnes. Not unusual at the time. But Sally was a volunteer from Boston, USA - very far from South Africa and Mbotyi where Jack Barber was headed."
Charles gave his coffee a stir.
"It turned out to be a great love story for these parts. Jack Barber together with a colleague, Johannes Kottich, created the Mbotyi River Mouth Trading Site in 1922, covering an area of just over 4Ha.
"Incidentally, it's one of the few sites on the wild coast that confers freehold title on its owners. However, for Jack Barber, Mbotyi was wild with just a few fishermen's shacks and the nights were long.
"He had maintained a close contact with Sally through correspondence and finally proposed to her.
"She accepted and set sail for Durban. Overjoyed, Jack told Sally that as the ship passed the Wild Coast on its way to Natal, she must look out for a bonfire on a hill at the mouth of a mighty river when the ship was a few days from Durban. It would mark her new home.
On the designated day, a massive bonfire was built on the hillside above today's Shark Point welcoming Sally to her new home.
No more lonely nights for Jack but it must have been a tough life for both of them.
"Sally arrived at Mbotyi in an ox wagon and quickly set about administering to the local community. People called her a saint.
She brought many a child into the world and nursed the sick until she almost dropped with fatigue.
Her passion was horseriding and she was often seen on the beach at sunrise. The path leading from the lodge to the sea is called 'Sally's Alley.' Her death in the 1950's broke Jack Barber's heart. His shack caught fire one night and he died in the flames. Some said it was suicide."
"And the name, Mbotyi?" I ventured.
Charles grinned. "It actually means 'Place of Beans' That's because the climate and fertile soil is absolutely perfect for the production of beans. You'll find beans on the menu most nights!"
I strode out into the night air with a friendly zephyr brushing my cheek and reflected on the entrepreneurial spirit of pioneers of yesterday and the tenacity of visionaries of today. Mobtyi is still remote with scant evidence of commercialism.
The lodge, today, is owned by a consortium of Johannesburg businessmen who quite clearly wish to maintain a high standard of creature comforts without altering the natural environment in any way. The facilities are excellent and offer guests a wide range of activities, but my advice is - learn to do nothing and not feel guilty about it!
Naturally being remote, Mbotyi has had its scattering of drug traffickers and other undesirables.
Bank robber, Andre Stander, once holed out in the Mbotyi area when on the run from the police.
And it might be exceedingly romantic to stroll on the dunes under a full moon but be on the lookout for a ghost or two. There have been sightings. I was persuaded, however, on the following day, to stroll behind a group of riders clip-clopping through the nearby Pondoland village and up and over some hills before returning to the lodge.
I didn't get very far. Coming to a narrow stream and thinking I was on safe and secure ground, I stepped in - and went up to my knees! 'Thwuck' - I got one leg out. Then 'thwuck' - I got the other leg out - but sans sandal!
A search began for the sandal. Slosh! Thwuck! Slosh! - I was a mess. No ways could I traverse those hills hobbling with one sandal and a large flat foot - covered in mud, of course. With dismay, I saw the 'posse' disappear through some trees. It was a digital moment!
Some youngsters from a hut nearby tried valiantly to find the lost sandal but to no avail. I hobbled back to the lodge.
"Why not frame the remaining sandal?" suggested my daughter that night over a main course of lamb stirfry. She was quite serious.
"You could call it one foot above sea level." I ignored her.
I was up before dawn the next day and settled on a fine spot for some sunrise photography.
In the stillness of a dawn I am always touched by Nature's majesty, the power of our nearest star and the innumerable questions that find no answers. You become an instant philosopher. The slanting rays of a new day created voluptuous torsos of the immense dunes.
It was a magnificent day of hiking, photography and wading through the mouth of the Mbotyi river to the splendid beach. Those who were not in the surf, took to kayaking up the river or throwing a line out to tempt one of 800 species of fish found along the Wild Coast.
Others sporting mountain boots and 'binos' made a sortie into the indigenous forests searching for birds. Twitchers, all!
In contrast, if you're the meditative sort wanting to glimpse a dolphin or two, you'll find plenty of opportunity at Mbotyi.
That night, the Weather Gods threw everything at us for 24 hours.
Lightning, thunder, rain and wind. A great experience in itself, enjoyed from the comfort of the Lodge, although we had some concern for our departure the next day.
My daughter broke the melancholy. "Not a bad place to be rained in," she said. We all agreed.
But the weather was in a much better mood the next day, giving us a grand send off. I reflected that three days at Mbotyi was certainly not enough. Crammed into this area are extraordinary waterfalls, glorious hikes of short or long duration, excellent fishing, primeval forests. and a glimpse into the daily lives of the Pondo, You meet peace and tranquillity head on.
We will return. I've just got to find that doggone sandal!
- Mbotyi River Lodge: Telephone (039) 253 8822, (039) 253 8888, email [email protected] or visit their website.