Like I mentioned before, I have traveled to South Africa in search of Olek, my Albanian vampire friend. It was really quite the adventure, as I wasn't quite sure where Olek would be. He is an old vampire, approximately four hundred years old and while he tends to be old fashioned and rooted in ancient philosophy and sociology, he is also fascinated with current times and the trends of newer civilizations and loves to compare and contrast.
Olek likes to travel from place to place, living in each country or area for a decade or so, studying the habits and culture of each spot he visits. When we saw him last- at Rosalie's wedding in Paris- he said he was living in a small city in South Africa but didn't specify which one or where. So as of now that is my main objective- tracking Olek down- but to be honest, sightseeing in South Africa has been rather incredible so far.
I have heard many stories about the things that go on down here, things about black market diamonds and slavery and such, and it really turned me off to the idea of living anywhere in this area when Olek talked about where he was at Rosalie's wedding. Yet coming down here has led me to experience an entirely new world, unlike any of the things I heard in any stories. I am rather glad I came- even without knowing exactly where I was going.
Of course, I am the biggest predator, so not much can scare me. I cannot be taken slave as I am the most powerful of all men; I cannot be eaten by a lion or trampled by a rhino, as I am faster and stronger than either. Then again, if taken by surprise, being trampled might be a possiblility- which wouldn't kill me but would be very uncomfortable while I let myself heal. Vampires could be injured, but we heal rather quickly- sometimes instantly depending on the type of injury. Even having a limb torn off would not stop a vampire, as we could simply reattach it, unless of course it were burned to ashes. Fire is a vampire's worst enemy if I haven't already stated that before.
Anyway, exploring South Africa in search of Olek has led me to some interesting places. I started my search in a large city named Cape Town. This just happened to be where my plane landed, and while the city was rather exciting as there were safari's, mountain plateaus, wildlife and nightlife (and anything else you could possibly imagine), I knew this would not be where my friend was. He talked of a small city and this was much too large.
Still, I stayed there for three days, exploring the scenery. I went mountain climbing to the highest cliff and stood at the top of the plateau they called Table Mountain. The view was incredible. I also went big wave surfing with some of the best surfers in the world- most of whom thought I would die in my amatuerish attempt to keep up. (They were left astonished of course.) I even went Kloofing- what the locals call Canyoning- with a group of humans that were on a pure adrenaline high. I admit, not tasting their rushing blood during that excursion was difficult, but I made sure to hunt to the fullest before each little sightseeing trip I took.
After three days, I was mentally exhausted from all of my playful excursions and ready to move on to another city in search of Olek. I was also keenly interested in his theories of humanizing and learning about civilization- both modern and ancient. How Olek could surround himself with so many different peoples and still feed on them was astounding to me. He once said that each culture tasted differently and he liked to compare their taste as he did their styles and values. I wasn't sure if I found that more appalling or interesting, but I knew that the more I explored, the more intriguing Olek's vagabond lifestyle became. Of course, I would always miss my family if I were gone too long. I have barely been gone a week and missed them already.
At any rate, I am in transit, off to find another city. I will write again when I settle in somewhere.
