Sex can wait!

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"Sex can wait," scream the posters in Mbabane (the capital of the kingdom). "Aids can kill you and your dreams." 40% of the adult population in Swaziland is HIV positive. You read that right. It's not a typo. A staggering 40% of Swazi adults are HIV positive, the highest rate of infection in the world. It's a pandemic that threatens the country's future. Life expectancy at birth has fallen to 32 years. The king has just ended a 5 year ban on sex for young women one year early. The ban known as Umcwasho was supposed to be a "traditional" way of fighting the AIDS pandemic. Women taking part in Umcwasho wore tassled woolen headgear, powder blue and yellow for teenagers from puberty to 18 years; and red and yellow for women aged 18 - 24. There has been no explanation as to why the ban has been ended one year early and the tasles burned. Maybe the king fancies taking yet another teenage bride this year, after the Reed dance. Polygamy is also traditional - men can take as many wives as they can support. It doesn't work the other way, women can´t have more than one husband. Swazi society is still very conservative, patriarchal and sexist.



Alongside Umcwasho, there has been a media campaign in the press, Television and on Billboards. The common theme of the campaign is "Nboba likusasa ngelami," which is SiSwati for "Because tomorrow is mine".



For those of you who think I'm being too negative. Let me make it plain. The countryside is very scenic. The people are open, friendly and welcoming, and the culture is fascinating. Also, there is western standard infrastructure in the major towns and good main roads linking the major settlements. The country is much richer than many of the places I visited in West Africa earlier this year.



But...AIDS isn't the only problem that the country faces. There has been a drought for the last 4 years. There aren't any pictures of starving babies...yet! But the country does face a food insecurity crisis. Despite the good infrastructure, half of the population lives below the absolute poverty line. Many rural people are subsistence farmers. So, the problem is again money. They don't have enough, to buy food if the price rises. The problem though is made worse by the AIDS pandemic. AIDS takes out the most productive members of the society, which can leave farms to be tended by the very old and orphans.



Anyway back to my diary. At the end of my last blog I had just arrived in Mbabane at the All Ways Backpackers.

SUNDAY 13th

There were a number of things that I need to organize. I wandered around the shops, bought myself a new Swazi SIM card for my cell phone and booked a hire car for Monday. I had found a very good deal on hire cars with a company called Affordable Cars. The rest of the day I spent hanging around cafe's and working on the last blog in internet cafe's.

SUNDAY 14th

I spent most of the day working on the last blog except for frequent breaks in cafe's. An Italian tour group took over the hostel in the evening. None of them spoke English. They were also very noisy, on previous days I had almost had the place to myself.

MONDAY 15th

I collected the car and drove to Edulwini Valley's Cultural Village. The village is a recreation of a 19th century traditional Swazi village. I took the guided tour and watched the traditional dancers. After that I went to the nearby Mantenega Falls. After lunch I visited the National Museum, which I found disappointing. The place wasn't well signposted. Then I drove towards Mlilwane Park, stopping to pick up a hitch hiker. He was a middle aged shabbily dressed man who smelt of alcohol. He was the first local I had met who spoke very little English. He said it was because his family hadn't been able to afford to spend him to school.
I dropped the hitch hiker just before the park gates. I then changed my mind. I decided not to visit the park, but leave it to the morning. So, I turned around and drove back to Ezulwini Valley, where I booked into an expensive guest house that cost me E380. (The Swazi currency is linked to the South African Rand 1 to 1.)

TUESDAY 16th

When I got up it was pissing it down with rain. It was obvious that the rain was set in for the day. So, I decided not to visit Mlilwane Wildlife Park. So, I drove to the capital Mbabane and spent the day in cafe's and shopping. In the evening I booked into the City Inn. It's the only place in the city centre. It's also overpriced and slightly shabby. It's long overdue for a refit.

WEDS 17th

Again I drove to Ezulwini Valley, taking an early lunch . Then I finally went into Mlilwane wildlife park. I booked into the Sondzela Backpackers inside the park. The only thing I didn't like about the place was the notice saying that it was only for genuine international travellers. It's not the only backpackers' with that notice. It's what I don't like about the backpackers in Swaziland and the whole of Southern Africa. They are full of European travellers, the only locals are the staff. They insulate lazy travellers from reality. I don't want to be a travel snob, but too much tourist infrastructure aimed at the budget traveller can be a bad thing. Young people can think they have travelled the world, but all they've really done is party with middle class kiddies like themselves in hostels all around the world. Good parties at very scenic venues! Once, I had sorted out my room, which was a hut for only E110, I went on a drive around the park till 5pm. It was a very scenic drive, with sightings of various animals. In the evening I had supper at the hostel, with the other guest around the camp-fire.

THURS 18th

I left the hostel in the morning and drove towards one of the other wildlife parks. But... after driving for an hour I changed my mind. Instead, I drove to Manzini, which is the major industrial town in Swaziland. I decided I didn't want to do any more wildlife. I wanted something different. In Manzini I looked at the website of Mthunzi's Paradise Village. I had picked up a leaflet a few days earlier. I decided that maybe it was what I needed and wanted. The "village" is a number of huts that have been built near the top of a mountain in a rural area near Piggs Peak. There is no electric. Mthunzi is a local himself. All the backpackers, except one in Manzini are owned by foreigners - South Africans, Spaniards etc. So, I was glad to be supporting the enterprise of a local Swazi. So, I rang Mthunzi on his cell phone and said I wanted to visit in the morning.



Then I drove back to Ezulwini Valley, I booked into the Happy Valley Motel. It only cost E275. That's a low season price, it doubles in the high season when South Africans descend on Swaziland.

FRIDAY 19th

I left the Happy Valley Motel and drove towards Mthunzi's Paradise Village. It''s near the top of a mountain, on a dirt tract , 12 km's from the town of Piggs Peak. I though got a bit lost on the dirt tracks in the mountains. I frequently had to drive in first in order to climb the mountains. I had to ask the way more than once. Some of the people that I asked had no English. I was obviously off the tourist beaten track. I finally arrived at midday. Mthunzi had told me that he wouldn't be there, because he had work to do in Mbabane, but that his family would sort me out. When I arrived, I went down to the next homestead from the sign for Mtunzi's village. I asked a man who was working outside one of the buildings. He didn't speak English, but he fetched a young woman called Phindee. She is Mtunzi's sister. She showed me around the village and introduced to to another man who took me on a walk to the nearby forest and waterfall.



In the evening I drove down the mountain and picked Mthunzi up from a nearby village, where he had been dropped off by a Kombie (minibus). Mthunzi is a deadlocked Rasta. It saved him a long walk up the mountain. We had an evening meal around the fire with Mthunzi's family and friends. I talked with Mthunzi till about 11pm, particularly about the problems that local Swazi farmers have in making a decent living. Western governments don't make it easy for African farmers. We subsidize European and American farmers. Then we dump the surpluses, driving down world prices. To add, insult to injury, we then impose tariffs and import restrictions on African farmers. Our governments and ideologues preach free trade for the poor, but we don't impose it on ourselves! We don't allow Africans to compete fairly. Interestingly, the one thing that keeps hunger from the door and pays for school fees is dagga - that is cannabis. It's a reliable cash crop for subsistence farmers in the mountains.

SATURDAY 20th

I woke up at 6.30am for the sunset. Mthunsi didn't get up till much later. When he did, he didn't rush. But then most things in Swaziland are fairly laid back, and Mthunzi is a laid back Rasta. I'm not complaining, I wasn't in any rush.



We left for a walk at 11am. We walked through farms, forest and homesteads. When walking through the homesteads I removed my hat, Mthunzi told me it was good manners in Swazi culture. We walked to some San (bushman) paintings in a cave near the top of a mountain. It was a 4 hour walk on a hot day. When we returned at 3pm I was glad of a shower. After the shower I found that Mthunzi was waiting for his brother to return. His brother had the key to the kitchen hut. We waited around. Eventually I suggested we go to Piggs Peak for lunch. So, I drove both of us to Piggs Peak. I bought both of us cheap food at a takeaway restaurant. Mthunzi then did some shopping for himself and his mother. He was also keen to get the telephone number of a girl that had moved to South Africa a couple of weeks ago. So, I drove him to the house of the cousin of the girl he is keen on. The cousin gave him the number. Mthunzi was very happy!



We returned to the village in the dark. We had supper. The weather started to change. It became very windy. We had to go into the kitchen hut to eat. At one point one of the pots was knocked over, spilling food on the floor. We decided it wasn't an accident, it was the ancestors - they wanted some of our food!

SUNDAY 21st

I again woke up for sunrise, but this time I went back to bed till 8.30am. When Mthunsi got up he produced a fantastic breakfast - some sort of avocado dip served with fresh bread.



At 11.30am we drove up another mountain to a local Swazi wedding the Mthunzi invited me to. It was a very interesting experience, as were many of the friendly guests.



At 4pm I decided to leave. I drove Mthunzi and one of the wedding guest back to their places. I wanted to be in Mbabane first thing in the morning to return the car. So, I needed to get moving. I drove to the Happy Valley Motel in Ezulwini Valley. Ezulwini Valley is only a 15 minutes drive from Mbabane. I got a very good deal at the Hotel. It was only E220. That's a special price because it's off season and a Sunday.

MONDAY 22nd

I drove back to Mbabane and returned the car for 9am. I then booked into the shabby City Lodge in the city centre. It cost me E300. Not good value money, considering the state of the place. I then uploaded the photos for this blog, and obtained my Mozambique Visa. I also got the photos of the Swazi wedding printed. I had promised Mthunzi that I would send him the photos. I relaxed for the rest of the day.

TUESDAY 23rd

I had intended to leave Swaziland, but things didn't go to schedule. The stationary shop, which is supposed to open at 8am, didn't open till 9.30am. I needed to buy an envelope for the photos, so I could post them. I posted the photos at 10am. Also, breakfast took forever to arrive. Added to which I had a mild case of loose bowels. I decided it might not be a good idea to travel. I would be using a Kombie (minibus) to cross the border. It would be a four hour journey, plus however long I needed to wait for the bus to fill, in typical African style. So I did nothing much all the rest of the day.

WEDS 24th

I finally left the country. I caught a taxi to Manzini at 10am. The Kombies (minibuses) for Mozambique leave from the centre of Manzini. The taxi dropped me off at the Maputo Kombie at 10.20am. Then I waited...



Finally the Kombie left at midday. The roads were good, even if the driver did take some of the winding mountain roads too fast. We arrived in Maputo at about 4pm. There was an American traveler in the bus who managed to upset the driver. She wanted to be taken to a backpackers. I think he might have done it, if she hadn't got his back up. She told him that she had been told in the backpackers that if she paid E45 and tipped the driver E10 then the driver would take her to the backpackers. She didn't want to pay him more than E10. He took exception to the way she talked to him. I also think she had been spoiled by the ease of travel in South Africa. She was in a Kombie. They drive point to point. They are not taxi's. If you want the driver to do you a favour, you need to be nice. What really got up my nose was when the American woman said, "In my country we don't do it that way". I didn't want a lift from the Kombie driver to my destination. I intended to walk from the bus station. The bus station is next to the train station. I didn't bother telling the American this, but it's not unusual in major cities to find that there are budget hotels near major transport hubs.



So, I left the American woman in the bus when we got to the final station. I walked down the road, and guess what, there are plenty of hotels within 10 minutes walk! In fact I noticed a dirt cheap 8 dollars a night place just down the road. But, if you've got to be in a backpackers ghetto, that's your problem. I didn't stay in the 8 US dollars a night flee pit. I walked a bit further. I booked into the Maputo IBIS Hotel. It's a business hotel, but it's prices are very reasonable. I paid only 21 pounds a night! For a brand new air conditioned business hotel. True, I got a discount because I had a voucher I had picked up in South Africa from a Formula One Hotel.



I'm now in Maputo, Mozambique. It's very different from most of Southern Africa. It feels very Latin, and is much seedier and run down than South Africa.



There will be a lot to tell you in the next blog.

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Photos

His masters voice
Swazi wedding

Swazi wedding
Mthunzi is on the far left of the picture

Execution Rock
Swazi Cultural village with execution rock in the background

Comments

[Darron]

Locals in hostels
Stuart, Backpacker hostels try to restrict business to "travellers only" for a fairly good reason. Travellers respect travellers and are accommodating in terms of space, privacy, cleaning up after themselves etc. This is essential in the confined space of a backpackers lodge or dormitory type situation. Experience has taught most hostel owners that locals often require the "cheap bed" for other reasons: a place to sneak a girlfriend when sex can't wait and a place to have a party with friends, when the folks at home don't allow it. There is a clash, so generally the policy is that local can visit provided that they are under the auspices of a formal group, church group, sport group, school group etc. so that there is a recourse to authority when needed. Chrs

[Stuart]

Stu's comment on backpackers
I see you're point about why backpackers restrict locals, but I still don't like it! In West Africa there were no "backpackers", so it wasn't a problem. You had no choise, you have to stay in cheap hotels. I don't like the backpackers policy because I don't travel in order to live in a western travellers guetto. I used the backpackers when it was convienient in the Southern African region, but if there was a choise I would often look for a cheap hotel, or bed and breakfast guesthouse as an alternative. Since leaving the orbit of the Southern Africa region, there isn't the same problem with backpackers. The exclusivity of the backpackers , which are just cheap lodges, seems to be a problem that is particularly severe in the Southern African region. I've travelled in many parts of the world - I've never found travellers haunts (cheap lodges) quite so foreign to the culture in which they are inbeded. Stuart