Kingdom of Swaziland

I feel like I should apologize for these tiny pictures. I tried uploading the 'medium' image and it was taking forever. These will have to do for now.

It has been a restful week after spending two weeks on the road, going from one hostel to another. I've been in Nelspruit for the last few days. Nelspruit is a city in northern South Africa, in Mpumalanga province. I spent two days this past week in Mbabane, the capital city of Swaziland. Swaziland is a kingdom with a king that rules that country. He has final say about everything that goes on. He appoints people to government positions. He has 13 wives. Every year there is a big cultural celebration called the 'Reed Dance'. All the eligible women from around the kingdom come and dance for the king. Then he chooses a wife. He doesn't pick one ever year and obviously someone caught his eye at least 13 of the past 22 years since his coronation. Swaziland is a beautiful country. When driving along you notice that the trees are very 'organized'. Apparently, Swaziland had one of the world's largest 'man-made' forest, covering over 7% of its total land area. That is a lot of trees and they are all in perfect lines.

Like most African cities, Mbabane (Swaziland) has a central area, where a lot of commerce happens. This picture is taken just outside of a mall. It is one busy place, it is also the taxi stand where literally hundreds of vans line up for different routes around the city. It is most often the only public transit in many cities.

This is the train car hostel that I stayed in a few weeks ago, you see the very colourful bunk-house just below.

These are beach huts in Cape Town. I thought the colours were cool.

Next week, I'm off to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, I'll likely be spending a few weeks in Tanzania before making my way to Rwanda and Uganda.

I expect to have regular internet access for most of the time now, so feel free to send emails.

Wild Coast

Another day... another city. I have been on the road for about 12 days now. Staying in most places for a day or two and sleeping in a different backpackers hostel every night with different roommates. So far I've shared rooms with people from Malayisa, Thailand, Reunion Island, France, England, Italy, Spain, Germany, and South Africa.... many very cool people.

The southern area of South Africa is amazing. The first part is called the Garden Route, it is very well developed. Much of the Garden Route is built up around tourism. Once you leave Port Elizabeth, you enter what is called 'The Wild Coast'. There are huge stretches of rolling hills and some very dramatic landscapes. I stayed for a few days at Coffee Bay, it is on the coast. Another surfer's paradise. My hostel was called the Coffee Shack. On the first day, it was full of young college students, it was just one big crazy party. The second day was much more chilled. The place is full of hippies. Young local people on the street and beach approach you offereing to sell you magic mushrooms and pot.

If anyone is thinking about going on a backpackers trip, South Africa is such an easy country to do it in. I've been travelling on the Baz Bus, its a 20 passenger bus that travels from one hostel to another. There is a very convenient book in all the hostels that list every backpackers in South Africa. I've been bumping into the same travellers now for over a week. It's kind of nice. I have yet to run into any Canadian travellers. Well, I did meet one couple of Canadians but they were teaching in Cape Town. Funny thing is she was a teacher from my school district in BC. What are the chances....

Today I go from Durban to a city in Swaziland, its about an 11 hour ride. I'm not looking forward to it, but I've been reading an amazing book called Tandia, set in South Africa during the Apartheid years. So, I'm sure the day will pass by quickly. On Saturday I will be meeting up with some Canadian friends in Neslpruit. That is in northern SA, near Kruger National Park.

South AFrica

It has been two weeks today since I left Zimbabwe. I spent the first week in Johannesburg and this week in Cape Town. It was so nice to be near the ocean again. I love Zimbabwe but I do miss the water. I'm a 'coastal boy'.

It has been an interesting time in South Africa. I've noticed more this time than my previous visits the preoccupation regarding race relations. Apartheid ended here in 1992, but some of the issues are still prevalent. There are still very few mixed race couples. Although I've stayed with two of them here in Cape Town, both Canadian wives with 'coloured' husbands. That word 'coloured' sounds somewhat inappropriate, but that is what they are called. Its a race of people that is not black or white. They are NOT a mixture, they are their own distinct race. I have wonderful friends here in Cape Town, although I didn't reallly know them too well before this visit. Now I feel like they are famliy.

Its seems like race enters into a lot of conversations and you hear about racial slurs that are made from one group towards another group. Its all very unsettling. BUT, South Africa has come a long way from when white and non-whites had different bathrooms, taxis, buses, the list goes on. I visited the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. It was quite a moving day. There is so much to learn.

Tonight I'm staying at a hostel in downtown Cape Town, I'm heading east tomorrow.