Continuing south through lush, green countryside we crossed the border back into South Africa and headed into Zululand. Shaka, the great and terror-inspiring Zulu warrior-king, led the only significant battle in which the British were defeated (1879). He also is known for things like slaughtering his own children and ordered all old mothers in his kingdom killed when his own mother died so that his subjects should share his pain. He came to power by assassinating his brother; in turn, one of his other brothers assassinated him.
Our next stop was Simunye Lodge, which was a tractor-driven ride down from the plateau on a long, bumpy, precipitous road into a green canyon -- and then we trudged in the heat (about 80+ degrees) across a river on a footbridge and up a hill right next to a Zulu Village. Our lodgings were in a rondavel - a bit less rustic than the real thing, though. Of course, we met the chief and were entertained with singing and dancing and demonstrations of battle lore. The second day we had some time to wander around and to relax by a very unique pool built into the canyon wall. I actually had the first massage of my life there - the equivalent of $14 for an hour's full-body massage!
Leaving Simunye the next day, we had the same tractor ride uphill. Continuing south on our van, we passed more rustic-looking homesteads, but also large sugar-cane plantations and huge tree farms (pine, eucalyptus). We drove into Durban, which has the largest Indian population outside India, and visited a spice market. We had hoped to have lunch on the Indian Ocean waterfront, but it was all torn up in preparation for the 2010 World Cup. (Lots of road work going on all over South Africa, as well, to get ready for this event.) I wasn't unhappy when we headed back out into the green countryside, west toward the southern Drakensberg mountains, the region in which Cry, The Beloved Country was set.
Our next stop was Simunye Lodge, which was a tractor-driven ride down from the plateau on a long, bumpy, precipitous road into a green canyon -- and then we trudged in the heat (about 80+ degrees) across a river on a footbridge and up a hill right next to a Zulu Village. Our lodgings were in a rondavel - a bit less rustic than the real thing, though. Of course, we met the chief and were entertained with singing and dancing and demonstrations of battle lore. The second day we had some time to wander around and to relax by a very unique pool built into the canyon wall. I actually had the first massage of my life there - the equivalent of $14 for an hour's full-body massage!
Leaving Simunye the next day, we had the same tractor ride uphill. Continuing south on our van, we passed more rustic-looking homesteads, but also large sugar-cane plantations and huge tree farms (pine, eucalyptus). We drove into Durban, which has the largest Indian population outside India, and visited a spice market. We had hoped to have lunch on the Indian Ocean waterfront, but it was all torn up in preparation for the 2010 World Cup. (Lots of road work going on all over South Africa, as well, to get ready for this event.) I wasn't unhappy when we headed back out into the green countryside, west toward the southern Drakensberg mountains, the region in which Cry, The Beloved Country was set.
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