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Razor Wire
To keep the pirates off We never thought we would ever be able to visit South Africa but here we were in Durban. The capital of Kwa-Zulu Province, it is reputed to be the most Indian city in South Africa as well as the busiest container port in Africa.
We arrived early in the morning but it was about 10am before we were able to get off the ship and take a shuttle bus to the beginning of the “Golden Mile” - Durban's world famous surfing beach. It was deserted for most its length but, at one point, preparations were being made for a surfing competition due to start the next day.
As we walked away from the beach and into the centre of the city we began to meet more people. There were a lot of people hanging around the street corners – mostly young men – but they were friendly and happy to talk with us. We investigated a couple of shopping centres, sat for a while in a small park near the town hall and then decided it was time for a coffee.
After walking for what seemed miles, we still hadn't been able to find anywhere that sold coffee
so we started to ask people for a coffee shop. All agreed that the only place to get coffee in Durban was the local McDonald's. We don't usually do McDonald's as it doesn't serve the sort of food we eat but decided to make an exception. We only have one coffee each per day but we do enjoy it.
We were greeted at the door by the manager who was surrounded by a number of security guards. Sylvia chatted with him while I went to order our coffees. When he heard that we were heading for the Victoria Market, he became quite agitated and said we shouldn't go there as the mini-bus drivers were on strike and there was likely to be violence. (The mini-bus station is at Victoria Market.) That was why there were so many security guards; to stop the restaurant being trashed.
While we were drinking our coffee Sylvia asked the only other customer whether she knew of a shop which sold African material. This prompted a big discussion, with the staff happily joining in. Eventually everyone agreed there was only one shop which satisfied Sylvia's requirements but no-one could tell us how to get
there. Recently most of the streets in Durban had been renamed, leading to a lot of confusion. Even with the aid of our map, no-one could show us the way.
Finally, the assistant manager said she would take us as it wasn't far. Everyone had been so helpful and friendly that we passed out koalas to everyone (we always travel with little koalas or kangaroos to give to children we meet). This triggered a lot of excitement and laughter and an opportunity to take a photograph of us with the staff.
We were led through the kitchens to the back entrance where one of the security guards unlocked the heavy gates and let us out. He securely locked them again after us. After being taken across a back street, down a little alley and across another street we arrived at the material shop. Sadly, we discovered that, although many of the designs had an african theme, they were mostly imported from China or places other than Africa. They had nice lace, though, so Sylvia was not totally disappointed.
Despite the warning from the manager of McDonald's, we went to Victoria Market. While there were a large number
of people milling about, we definitely didn't see any demonstration or trouble. The market itself was rather disappointing, being mostly a spice market with a few stalls selling tourist rubbish. By now we were feeling rather tired, so we took a taxi back to the shuttle bus and returned to the ship. The next port, Mossel Bay, is two days away.
Mossel Bay is a small town halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Its major claim to fame is that it was the first place where Europeans landed in South Africa in 1488. It became a provisioning base for many of the Portuguese explorers and traders due to a fresh water spring and the oysters and mussels found on its shore.
Fishing and farming were the main activities until the discovery of natural gas offshore in 1969. Now it acts as a service point for supply ships servicing the offshore platforms. Tourism has also become a contributor to the town's economy.
Although we were offered an option to visit a safari park, it was fairly expensive so we decided just to walk around the town. The harbour was too shallow for the cruise ship
to enter so we needed to take a tender from the ship to the port. From there it was a steep climb up to the town. There is not really a lot to say about the place. It had two streets of small shops, banks and government service centres, a couple of interesting churches and a tourist information centre which was more useful for its toilets than its information. Sylvia did manage to find a sewing machine shop which sold real african fabrics so she went back to the ship happy.
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Dancing Dave
David Hooper
Be Careful
It seems you have had warnings of this and that already. Being in volatile South Africa warnings should not necessarily be disregarded but the message is usually to "take care" rather than "don't do it." But I say "Be Careful"...'cause Africa can capture your hearts. Not a bad thing at all in my book.