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Published: September 26th 2010
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Monday (19/7/2010)
We woke to a beautiful sunny day and set out to explore Port Elizabeth. Lungile was just a short stroll/jog to the beach, we wandered along the beach front stopping at Tiffany’s for breakfast (it seemed appropriate overlooking the all but flat ocean). We continued along the beach boardwalk past shops and café’s until the boardwalk ran out then we continued along the beach right up to the lighthouse. We spotted some dolphins surfing just off shore and decided it was time to turn back our stroll had turned into a three hour walk meaning it was time for lunch. A quick stop at the supermarket and we soaked up a bit more sunshine. Back at Lungile we showered before trying our luck at the Boardwalk Casino. Not needing to check anything into the gun cloak room we passed the pokies for the blackjack table. A hour or so later we ended up 500rand up, learnt a bit of poker, placed a honoury date of birth bet on the roulette wheel for little Jackson Schulz and had a good run on the blackjack. We spent or winnings at dinner at 34degrees restaurant and grabbed a taxi back.
Tuesday
Drive Day! We checked out of Lungile Lodge at 6.45am and jumped on the Baz Bus bound for Durban. It was a long day, through the gorgeous landscapes of Zululand, past Nelson Mandela’s house strangely with a front gate replica of Capetown Prison and house replica of Robben Island with plenty of stops along the way. We finally arrived at Nomads just after 9pm. We settled in with a beer before catching a few zzzz’s in the dorm.
Wednesday
Drive Day again! We farewelled Nomads and packed back into the Baz Bus for the second day running. We passed the day reading, watching movies on the laptop, snoozing and taking in the ever changing South African landscapes. Following a surprisingly effortless border crossing we arrived at Swaziland backpackers just after 6pm. Checked into our room and headed to the Sundowners Lodge (closely resembling a pub). It was packed with locals we ordered a couple steaks and beers and soaked up the atmosphere.
Thursday
After breaky we set off on the Swazi backpackers highlights tour. Our tour guide Derek explained the Swaziland politics since independence in 1967 as we passed through the Malkern’s valley known as Valley of Heaven,
past the fields of sugar cane and pineapples (Swazi’s biggest exports) to our first stop at the curio (crafts) market. We did as suggested and started at one end and worked our way to the other… and it really was work. We didn’t really want any wooden, stone or beaded animals, jewelry, paintings, but each one pleaded with us to come and look inside. Fortunately time was up and we escaped buying just a magnet for Carly’s collection. We passed excution hill where they forced convicted to walk right over the edge! Next stop was the cultural village, aptly described as a working museum. We grabbed a cold drink and waited for the dancing to begin. We were treated to a collection of traditional Swazi dance from young unmarried girls, married women and men. We were lucky to be sitting in the back row and escaped being pulled from the audience to dance. But the Taiwan tour group provided plenty of entertainment. Next we were taken on a guided tour through the replica traditional village with Ala. First we were nominated positions within the community, Jez scored chief and was given two lovely wives a Canadian and Zambian woman, two
elders, whilst Carly was a run of the mill ‘sister’. We adhered to the traditional customs of kneeling before elders, order of entering and entering a room, women on the left men on the right. We checked out the traditional thatched huts, helped the elder women cooking pap, dressed in traditional costume, watched the building of huts, and importantly learnt the customs of the banana!
Back in the van we stopped at the two little waterfall before going to a local braai for lunch. Being a Swazi public holiday it was pumping. Derek went to the butchers to pick up some meat whilst we were directed to the bottleshop to get some drinks. Techniquely because it was a public holiday the shop was closed but after a peering through the window we were beaconed to the back of the shop and able to purchase drinks through the caged window ‘this is how we operate’ explained the bottle-o girl, we were happy just for a couple cold cidars! Stocked up we entered the cage at the back of the butchers found a table. Whilst we waited for our meat to be cooked, the locals already well into celebrating the public holiday
came and welcomed us to their country, one asked for Carly’s hand and another Jez’s number for when we comes to visit Australia. We then feasted on pieces of steak, sausage, chicken, salad and pap with our fingers. Stuffed we continued on passing the Kings Palace in the distance stopping at Gone Rural a women’s project which produces a huge range of grass products. Once again being a public holiday no one was working so after a browse through the shop shattered we hadn’t brought more cash. We checked out House on Fire a quirky performance venue. Our last stop was Swazi Candles and the Baltic shop where we watched a guy effortlessly hand sculpt a rhino candle and went through the step by step process of Baltic fabric art.
Back to the backpackers we relaxed with a game of pool and a couple beers at the bar with the owner, Derek and the Canadians Sasha and Meg from the tour. We headed back to the sundowner for a pizza with Sasha and Meg and kicked on with Aus v’s Canadian pool championships at the backpackers and narrowly coming out victors!
Friday
We were offered a return trip to
Gone Rural to check it out on a working day which worked out perfectly for us to return and stock up on some gifts… for ourselves!! Today it was in full steam with piles of grasses drying in the sun, ladies weaving away we wandered through the stock room full floor to ceiling with baskets, coasters, place mats, vases, pillow cases, mats and more. After some … ok a lot of procrastination (it is Carly we are talking about after all) we picked out some mats and coasters and to small Baltic shop for some matching napkins. Shopping done we checked into the slowest internet café to catch up on rest of the world.
After a cold drink in the sun we set off back to the backpackers opting for a local ‘combi’ for just a couple rand and then another to the local supermarket to stock up before our next overland truck trip.
Back to the Backpackers for a relax in the sun. Rejuvenated we set out for a quick roadside run. That evening we cooked ourselves a braai keen to test out some of the warthog and impala we’d spotted in the supermarket. A good hour or so
later our fire was finally right (or close enought we were starving)we grilled up some eggplant (known as Brinjals in South Africa), caps and corn with our game meats. The impala was delicious but the warthog a bit chewy.
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