EASTERN CAPE OF SOUTH AFRICA

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April 14th 2015

Published: April 15th 2015

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Kevin and Susan

WASH DAY AT HOWICK FALLS

The town's women all join to wash clothes

Richards Bay was our first port of call in South Africa. It is an important seaport because of the proximity of minerals for export and it is the gateway to many of the game parks and to "The Big Five." These are the trophy animals: elephant, leopard, rhino, lion and Cape buffalo that everyone wants to see in the wild. In previous years, we have taken a number of game drives and short safari trips. This time we needed to get some essentials for the last month on board. So we went to a modern mall and it was quite an eye opener. Malls are a way of life in South Africa as they provide a safe environment for not only shopping but also for dining, entertainment and socializing. In a country which has a rather high crime rate this is very important. In this mall, there was a mixture of black, whites and coloreds all working and interacting in a seemingly harmonious fashion. There appeared to be a cross-section of middle class people going about their daily routines. Perhaps things are changing for the better in this troubled, yet beautiful country.

In Durban, also called the Kingdom of Zulu,

RICHARDS BAY CRAFTS MARKET

They were allowed to set up right on the pier...make shopping very handy

we opted for a tour into the countryside in an area called "Valley of A Thousand Hills." This is a very different side of South Africa. This area of rolling hills and eucalyptus farms is more like the hills of Kentucky or Australia's Margaret River area. To drive through the country is called the "Midlands Meander." The countryside is very pastoral and filled with dairy farms producing designer cheeses, pottery studios, horse stud farms and artisans creating quilts and furniture. It is storybook pretty.

This burst of rural creativity was brought about when the government stopped subsidizing the growers and the farm wives sought other sources of income to make ends meet. It seems to have worked as this is attracting many tourists and wedding parties. We visited a very unique ceramic shop whose Zulu artists are encouraged to combine their traditional pottery methods with more modern techniques and materials. Their creations are fantastic and are shown all over the world. And they fetch top dollar on the market.

En route we stopped in Howick to see the famous water falls with its 312 foot drop. It was amazing to watch a group of Zulu women doing their

DURBAN SOCCER STADIUM

Built for the 2010 World Cup

laundry at the top of the falls. We also passed by the place where Nelson Mandela was captured and went on to spend 27 years imprisoned on Robben Island.

We had a lovely lunch at a country inn that I swear was transported directly from the Cotswolds and plunked down in the middle of the Midlands. They even brew their own beer out back. The Pickled Pig Porter was quite robust.

This state of South Africa is called KwaZulu Natal. This was where the Zulu Wars led by King Shaka and the Anglo-Boer wars between the British and the Dutch Afrikaners took place. Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi crossed paths here and began their very different journeys to leadership...one a pacifist and one an imperialist. Fortunately both survived these African wars and went on to guide their home countries through very difficult times in the 1940s.

There are still many townships throughout South Africa. These wretched places house thousands of people in nightmare slum conditions. Since our last visit to Africa, there have been strides made to improve the housing for poor people. Now there is electricity and running water available in most townships, some new small

ERICH ON DUTY

Austrian born shore excursions manager

square boxes have been built and they are a vast upgrade from the tar paper shacks of five years ago. Once they can solve the social problems like crime, Aids, and lack of education are, it will be a paradise with its abundant beaches, mild weather, exotic wildlife and beautiful countryside. Hopefully a strong leader will rise from the ranks to steer South Africa in the right direction.

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