Umtata (Mthatha - take 2)

I forgot to add pictures of our braai. Here they are:

 

It is basically like our bbq - using coals or heat beads.  They have braai's all the time - like our bbq, it's quick and all you need is salad.



Umtata (Mthatha)

Nelson Mandela's home - it was closed so we couldn't go to have a look, but we spent the afternoon in the pool at Kingfisher Lodge where our stop is for the night.

Beautiful place - we were the only guests for the night, so the owner invited us for a Braai (bbq) - with salad & toasted sandwiches.  It was gorgeous.

Kingfisher Lodge -where we stayed for the night

Our room for the night

Water was so nice & cool after a 6hr drive

The back patio of the Lodge - so beautiful & cool.

Jeff playing a tune before we got back in the car for another drive

When we left Durban, the landscape was so green, then along the way, it was so barren, dry & hot.  African's walk, & when I say that - I mean they "walk"....  The houses could be km's away from the main hwy/road, but they walk to hoping to get a ride to either the next town or to another city. I'm still amazed at just how much they walk.   These next set of pics are just random, taken along the way to Umtata - people trying to get a lift by the side of the road, & a few towns we went through, so I can't really comment on any of them - just enjoy them!

 

 

 

 

Most houses/huts are made of concrete - but some are also made from tin.  I'm just guessing it would be stiffling hot in there on a hot day??

 

 

Durban

We arrived in Durban a while ago now - staying at the Salvation Army Thembela Home.  A 45 resident home for the elderly (excluding us!).  Although it's not a 5 star hotel, it has been somewhere to lay our weary heads at night - plus the old folks have been wonderful.  Giving us advice on what to look out for on the streets (loads of pick-pocketers), don't show any valubles in the car cause when you stop at lights they will grab & run, don't be on the beach for New Years, put anything you have in your boot so when we park the car & leave it it wont be stolen etc....  Lovely people tho.  No tv in our room, but the one tv there is - it's blurry & it has a high pitch squeel.

Security is tight here too.  The home is all locked up at 8pm - front & back doors are locked so we have nowhere to go to if we want - luckily we are all stuffed so by 830 we are asleep!

The sun rises so early here - @5am it's just insane - and it gets dark early @7/730...  So we are kind of glad that we do most of our touring in the early morning before it gets hot.  And although it's only 30o, it's humid & feels hotter.

 

Just like we have seen everywhere else, the top of the fence has rolled barbed wire for added security - just becuase it's a salvo home doesn't mean to say they are exempt from break ins etc..

 

Ok, lets get on to uShaka Marine World.  Did you know that Shaka was King Shaka?  That's right!  Shaka kaSenzangakhona, also known as Shaka Zulu, was one of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu Kingdom. He was born near present-day Melmoth, KwaZulu-Natal Province.

 

Our 1st day was Wet'n'wild & Seaworld all in one - $15 each to get in - unlimited fun!

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Entry to theme park - on the beachfront of Durban

Panoramic view of the dolphin show arena 

View of Durban beach from the 'cocktail lounge' in Wet'n'wild.  Thousands would have been here for the NYE fireworks, & tons of people would have been pick-pocketed

One of the waterslides we went on

The 'squid' waterslide





Today (2nd Jan) - we went to Phezulu Safari Park & it was magical. 

 

Entrance to Phezulu

 Here are some of the aminals we saw - no explanation is required (I hope)

 

A male Impala

Baby wilderbeest feeding from mama

 

Before the safari, we saw a traditional Zulu dance - they explained how the man courts the women & becomes engaged, to the wedding ceremony.  It was awesome!  The groom pays the bride's family 11 cows for the marriage, that way the parents know that he is genuine about marrying.  The 3 days before the wedding, they celebrate by meeting both parents and other celebrations.  When the woman agrees to marry to man, she gives her necklace to the man - that way everyone knows he is taken.  When they are married, she wears some kind of headwear and a top to cover her boobs.

 

 

 

They sing to the beats of the drums which is totally awesome.  They are so lively & have lots of fun.

 



There was also had croc feeding - they whistle & clap for all the crocs to come out of the water & meet at the end of the pen, then the feeding begins.  Not all the crocs had meat - they don't need a lot to eat - they also don't get fed during winter as they can't digest the food properly, so they will regurgitate it up..  (croc feeding pics below)

 

 

 

The other show they put on for us was about some of the other animals they have at the park.  Lizards, snakes, tortoise's & alligators - I even got to hold a baby alligator - check it out:

 



Harrismith - Mount Everest Game Park

We left Jo’burg this morning, heading for Harrismith on our way to Durban.  Good drive, saw lots of crazy things on the way – eg: a smashed car on the side of the road with a sign on it “Speed kills” or something similar; a van with about 15 people in it instead of the usual 5; a ute with mattresses stacked so high with not much rope to hold them in place; mothers & children waiting at the toll booth hoping to catch a lift.  But I would never have guessed that it would be as green as it has been.  Very lovely spot to get out of the city & head for the hills where Jeff has actually booked us in for the night.

Mount Everest Game Park is our stop for the night – OMG!  What an incredible place this is – right at the foothills of Drakensburg mountains.  Spectacular place – we wish we could have stayed longer! 

Views of the Drakensburg mountains near Mount Everest Game park

Reception at the game park - inside they have heads of stuffed animals - not a big fan so I didn't get any pics

Along the highway, we saw the poor part of town on our left (see below) and the nice part of town on our right.  But in the midst of the doom & gloom of it - all the kids seem to be having fun!

 

 This wa our cabin for the night at Mount Everest game park - stunning views....

 

 

The activities for the afternoon was painball which was super awesome.  We started off with 50 balls, had so much fun that we decided to pay for another 50!  $20 for 300 balls - it's crazy!  Chloe was going off her nut - bang, bang, bang, bang!  We did have tin cans for our target - it was so much fun.

 

 

The other activity was a 30min game drive around the farm - spectacular.  We saw zebra's (too far away to get a pic), impala's, wilderbeest (they have borrowed a boy wilderbeest to produce - they have already had a baby from this, so he will be going back to his owner soon), cows (which they milk), horses (one of the men trains them) & gazelle's.

 

 

A short drive from our cabin, they have this incredible little watering hole that you can swim in - with a zip line.  They call it a "foofi" - was tons of fun..



 

See you all in Durban - & to see in 2016!