Blogs from Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Africa

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Africa » South Africa » KwaZulu-Natal » Eshowe June 9th 2012

How did we end up here, of course the birding brought us here without really meaning to. The surrounding area did not have a caravan park for us to camp, at least we never inquired. The lonelyplanet and stephan/s guide book mentioned this place. So we payed, got our room and let's say, it was heck of a whirlwind experience. This place is old meets new. A style like no other and people like no other. ECCLECTIC, STrangely fascinating, intriguing, full of intellect, art, artists, punk, maybe my words won't do our experience here justice an my words can.t quit describe it. But lets say, there was a history club meeting in one room, the bar could have served their micorbrewery beer (but was defunct for the moment for repirations of the microbrewery), there were afrikaners ... read more

Africa » South Africa » KwaZulu-Natal » Eshowe April 29th 2008

Zulu warriors! We did our first long drive from Addo and tried to get all the way to Durban. This must be about 750km, so it will be no great surprise we didn't make it. The drive eventually got a little dull as we've not managed to get a radio transmitter for the ipod yet and SA radio stations are truely awful! The drive took us through a large area called the Transkei. This is what was called a homeland and was an area where the apartheid government translocated people. The areas were then meant to be self ruling, but in reality were areas where there was little infrastructure or jobs. It was pretty obvious as we were driving through that it was very different from the SA we'd seen so far. It was a lot ... read more
The battlefields
Zulu warriors
Hiking up the Drakensburg

Africa » South Africa » KwaZulu-Natal » Eshowe July 9th 2007

Zululand! Waved goodbye to dippy Debbie the Dog Lover at St. Lucia to drive to Eshowe, our stop over on route to the battlefields. We decided to visit Shakaland, a rather touristy but fun Zulu themed resort! Shakaland was originally part of a film set for a TV show back in the Eighties. Someone had the bright idea of preserving the homestead as a tourist attraction when filming finished. We had a tour of the "living museum" to learn about the infamous King Shaka, who usurped his older brothers to become King. He is credited with expanding the Zulu people from a relatively small tribe, by dominating all neighbouring tribes with his clever military strategy of attacking the enemy with a Bull & Horn formation of Zulu warriors, and also by modifying the spear design to ... read more
Zulu Warrior in Shakaland
Rach & Jase in Zululand
Shakaland Village

Africa » South Africa » KwaZulu-Natal » Eshowe June 27th 2007

It's been a while since I arrived back in the UK now so I really don't have any excuse for not having done this earlier... but I figured I should at least finish the last few blogs from my Africa trip before I head off again ;0) Eshowe is a small town and at first, when I realised I was the only person staying at the backpackers there, I was more than a little tempted to hop back on the Baz Bus and head on up to St Lucia with everyone else. In the end I was glad I stayed (and not just because I got upgraded to the hotel ;0)) - travelling through in the low season I think I was a bit of a novelty in town and so got to spend a great ... read more
Local wildlife outside my window
The young nephew
One of the ladies I lunched with...




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