Dismal Durban

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Geo: -29.6074, 30.3669

It was a bit of a mixed bag really for Matts Birthday in Durban.
Matt and Dave arrived the day before, so today was our first trip out, the three of us.
The foremost plan was to go to Lion Park, near Pietermaritzburg.

It was hardly the most glamourous place i have been to. It was advertised as a drive through a lion game reserve. In reality, it was more like a dozen lions dumped into a small enclosure you can drive next to and watch sleep.

Dave and I decided to attempt to surprise Matt by taking him quad-biking, which he wanted to do. Our cover story, was we were visiting a 'waterfall' on the way back, the real location being 'Thrills Park.'
When we arrived, we were to be sorely dissapointed... it was thrills park alright, for all the wrong reasons. The actual location, was in the middle of nowhere, in a poverty striken area.
There were no completed buildings to this park, one half constructed shack. There was no security. All 'Thrills' were under construction.
There was no way i was doing anything, leaving my camera in the car to be stolen. The others were to attempt Quad-biking, only to find the bikes so dangerous and unsafe, they decided against it. Fair enough too. When the 'thrill' is potential injury, mugging of death, its not so appealing.

In the end, we ended up at Pavillion Mall, to play minigolf. The trip there was interesting enough. Not a white person to be seen, and unexplained crowds everywhere... there were buses so full people were hanging out of the door.
It has been decided that Durban itself is a hole... the city feels unsafe, is drastically polluted, poorly designed, and most of the street names have been changed, making it extremely difficult to navagate. In addition.. traffic is a joke.. and as dangerous as iv ever seen.
Minigolf, when we arrived was very fun, and we enjoyed dinner at an Italian resteraunt before the days end. Watermelon cocktails are awesome!!!

Tomorrow is the big semi final between Holland and Uruguay, and im also looking at doing the following over the next few days; Aquarium, Bird Park, maybe Drakensburg, maybe another game park.

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Photos

Lion Park
Here are pictures of lions in their entirety.
Its like they just took a bunch of lions from the wild and dumped them in an enclosure. No Kruger...

Goat Time
Goat at the lion park. Pretty cool goat.

Countryside Village
Village outside Durban

'Thrills Park'
Matt and Dave check out the quad bikes

Thrills Park Crowd
As you can see, the are was well built up, professional and busy

Thrill Fear
Matt and Dave explained the quadbikes, simultaneously scratching their heads with concern

Thrill Town
Poor Town, 100metres from the 'Thrills Park'

Matt the Putter
Playing adventure golf at a mall called - The Pavillion. Outside Durban

Comments

[Liat Biderovsky]

Next time, go to Johannesburg and I will show you a REAL lion park, a Rhino park, adventure mini golf and soooooo much more. And quad biking too...

[Dave]

hahaha what a day!! So many Thrills!