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I manage to keep up a stare at the bus driver while sitting at a seat not too far from him, he's short and chubby seemingly friendly. It's a chilly night I have the last bit of bananas in a black bag resting on my lap. I am refraining from dozing away, the excitement of traveling alone won't let me fall asleep, and somehow miss out on some of the turns the coach is making. The sky is dark and filled with enumerable stars. I smile to myself with gladness. What an accomplishment--! The sound of the bus is the root of my heart's cheer into the unknown. It's dusk, it will soon be dawn. The sun will kiss again my black skin. I now set my tired gaze upon the tar road ahead, I've seldom been to the Eastern Cape. The sun finally let's out its first yellow ray and I began to withhold the beautiful, majestic chain of mountains a magnificent clear blue skies with no clouds on site. It's been hours, the next bus stop I get off. I am immediately met by the free-spirit Xhosa people who are the main dwellers of Eastern Cape. Each one going about doing their business. I am suddenly struck with the evidence that I am at a rather strange play of events. This is different from back home. It behooves me to look for a friendly face, my eyes wander then suddenly I see a line of eager hawkers. 'Great', I whisper to myself. 'Sanibonani', I greet the hawker lady in a red scarf turned head wrap. She replies: 'Yebo sisi', I am thirsty, so, I extend my hand into her old looking Coca Cola cooler box as my hand scrambles for a much colder bottle of natural water, I glimpse at the price list stuck on it. I quickly make my choice and render to her a Nelson Mandela note. As I open the vessel of water and head down the road. The sun is getting hotter making the gray road far ahead look like a fake river. I travel scarce, and in this part of the world the sun seems closer, too farther from comfort. The small town doesn't look too ghostly even though it's early Sunday morning than I had expected prior my arrival. The masses are either rushing to church or to the mall for leisure as I thoughtfully sip on my water. I am looking for something but don't seem to find it, wait. I hear something. It's the temple bell sounding from a distance. My soul leaped, and I held my breath yet slowly released. A simple old bell as my mind begins to picture it, I heard it for the very first time, sounds like a giant authoritative sign yet quite gentle and peaceful. The bell speaks to my soul. Yes, it's like its saying to me, 'You're welcome here, please feel at ease', I like how it makes me feel. I slowly forget I am a stranger away from home. I realize a new world exists and it has been awaiting to be discovered. The sound of the bell sets me off to a new awakening and how I see, and view traveling. I came across a sound far, far away that made me feel whole and satisfied and my desire changed, suddenly, I want to soar like the eagle to find more significant and meaningful things all over the world. If the world is compared to an oyster, that is, juicy, succulent, somewhat adventurous, scrumptious, romantic or lovely I want to be the one who goes around to find out its rich unique taste, and testify about it later, later!