South Africa #7 and Swaziland

Some trip decisions bite you even when using common sense. Looking at a recent map we could enter Swaziland from the north and drive 30 K on a gravel road, or use RSA hard roads to enter from the west and have a much shorter drive to Pigg's Peak, then proceed to the next gate south and depart. We chose the latter. Our map lied as the road was "under construction to BE paved." It climbed into the mountains with stretches no wider than a cow path. Women construction workers waved red flags to go or stop as heavy equipment worked inches from our car, and a 1000 foot drop off. The farther we journeyed the worse it got. A big Mazda left us in their dust only to be caught at the next stop. As bad as the "no rental cars allowed" road on Maui, we beat our tiny Corsa Lite over boulders, through ditches, and always up into the clouds. When we thought it could get no worse, it did. A grader dug up a stretch of loose dirt that I doubted our car could handle. The women waved the red flag at us giggling, and we followed the Mazda through. At the border we cleared RSA and then Swaziland checkpoints. This gate was so seldom used they did not have a computer, just a hand written journal. The Swaziland road to Pigg's Peak gave a whole new meaning to potholes. You could not avoid them only try to hit the smallest. The Mazda, long gone, left us alone on the road with farm tractors and wagons. At Pigg's Peak the road turned into a super highway. From 10 kph we now zoomed to 100 kph. A beautiful spot with hills, lakes, and a pull-off forced us to stop. A Swazi girl and her brother came over with some beautiful stone rhinoceros and elephants. I didn't even bargain. When I paid in Rand, she saw 1 US dollar in my wad. "I want that dollar." She waddled back across the road, brought a selection of necklaces, and got the dollar. Farther up the road a troupe of teens and younger dressed in leaves doing a dance tried to lure us to stop, and farther a toddler and his father beating a drum did the same. Now I wish we had stopped. I planned on getting Swazi money, but Alzheimer's kicked in and we got none. If you want to read about other countries with different trips go to Amazon Books and search Four Keys Overseas.

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