Cape Town, Durban, Swaziland

Hi all you faithful visitors!

As we intimated in our last post, Cape town was a definite highlight. We realize now why we liked it so much: it's very much like Vacouver. It's mountainous, trendy, and it sits on a beautiful harbour. We're ashamed to admit that we only alotted two days for this amazing city; however, they were well filled, eventful days.

We visited most of the sights in those two days, including:

-Table mountain: The flat-topped mountain that looms over the city
-Slave Lodge: used since the 17th century as a prison for slaves (now clearly just a
museum)
-District Six Museum: district in which only whites were permitted to live in the days of
appartheid
-Robben Island: The holding place of political prisoners (including Nelson Mandela)
during Appartheid. Interestingly, the guides of Robben Island were former
inmates of the prison.

Next stop: Durban! That is, after a gruelling 28 hour bus ride. Though Durban didn't have as pleasant and carefree an atmosphere as Cape Town, it proved to have its own charms. As you walk though the bustling downtown area, with all its noise, smells, and scores upon scores of people, you almost get the feeling you're stepping into India itself (or at least as we picture India in our minds).

While in Durban we had our own private tour guide - PAT! (the mother of a friend of Elise's dad). It was so liberating to be driven around in a car. We weren't confined to the city, rather, Pat took us out into the Valley of a Thousand Hills, where we were exposed to traditional Zulu culture.

The kingdom of SWAZILAND! After staying almost exclusively in the big cities of SA, we were relieved to find ourselves in the picturesque Ezulwini Valley, also home to the King of Swaziland, King Mswati III. We only had one full day to acquaint ourselves with this beautiful country. We went hiking in a nature reserve, where we came face to face with a family of vervet monkeys, saw a breathtaking waterfall, and saw traditional Swazi dancing (we found that Swazi culture was very similar to Zulu in many ways). Needless to say, we wish we could have spent more time here.

And now we find ourselves back in Maputo -- which in many ways has become our "home" in Africa (it is our fourth time staying in this city!). We've become very attached to it, and look sadly to Thursday when Mindy will fly to Europe and Elise to Lichinga in Northern Mozambique.

This is more than likely going to be the last Mindy and Elise Blog post. We know...sad. Thank you so much for your interest and your prayers. This has been the trip of a lifetime. Cliche, but true. All the best,

Mindy and Elise