Zulu Land

So we decided not to go scuba diving. Too much money and too many other things to see. We went to Zululand 3 days ago. When we first got there we set up camp in a small town called eshawe. After we pitched our tent we went to the local brewery to plan out our time there and see who we could meet. We were having a beer and a local guy came up and sat down next to us. I started talking to him and asking questions about the area. We hit it off and he invited us to go to a coming of age ceremony (similar to an engagement party) the next day. The following day we went for a walk in the forest and then around 12 headed out into the village. It was about 30 miles on dirt mountain roads to get to where we were going. Our car barely made it up some passes and we bottomed out many times. We Finlay arrived and the scenery was amazing. I know understand why Hemingway always talked about the green hills of Africa; The mountains were dramatically green spotted with mud house villages. When we first got there (we were the only white people) they brought us Zulu beer in black pottery for us to drink. It did not taste like any other beer I have ever had. you had to kneel down and blow off the top before drinking. After that they brought us a delicacy. I knew exactly what it was but I did not want to ask (plus there was an enormous language barrier; they spoke a few words of English but mainly just Zulu which is a clicking language). They cut us up some meet and we took a few bites. they then cut up the testicle and liquid spurted everywhere. What we ate was the scrotum. I can't really say that it was tasty but it was interesting.

After we ate the ceremony started and we went outside and sat down on a hill. Below us were all the women aged 8-22 dancing, chanting and singing. The available women danced bare breasted and the taken women (or the women that were too young) had tops on. The men and women were in separate groups and there was almost no interaction between the two groups. the men had spears and shields and they were chanting and singing. There were a lot of rituals going on that we did not understand but it was fascinating nonetheless. Groups of men, sometimes 100-200 at a time, would come out of no where chanting and banging their shields with their spears. They would then donate money to the wife to be. She would get on her hands and knees and they would pin it to her head. This money would then be given to her husband to be so he could pay her dowry. The dowry is 11 cows which costs about $6,600.

The whole experience was amazing. The houses these people lived in were made out of mud with dirt floors. Children had to walk to the one school for sometimes 2 hours. There were no pens, no paper, no materials for these kids to do any work with. Seeing the way people live here and other places I have been really makes me realize how blessed I have been in my life to have all the things that I have.

I am in Durban now which is a beach town and am headed up to drakensbugh tomorrow to do some hiking. That could all change in the morning but I think the plan will stay in place. I have taken a lot of photos and will put them up online as soon as I can. I shaved a Mohawk into my head the other day and a fu-man-chew into my beard. It looks hilarious and I love it.

I need to get going but a quick note on a driving hear.
We have done about 1700 miles at this point and it is very interesting indeed. I have to drive on the left side of the road and on the left side of the car. While driving down the highway there will sometimes be 12 inch deep pot holes that take up the entire lane. I have to dodge all sorts of animals, everything from cows, goats, to zebras, and giraffes all while driving sometimes 50 miles an hour. The people also walk down the side of the highway. This next bit is going to sound a little scary but keep in mind that I am in another part of the world. and am driving how they drive here. With that said... the other day I was driving down the highway and passing a vehicle with oncoming traffic over a double yellow line speeding into a military road block. I got pulled over and the soldier (or cop or whatever he was wielding his ak-47) told me that I should not be doing that and sent me on my way. Then 3 days later I got pulled over in Swaziland and the cop came over to me and talked for about 5 minutes about where I was from and how to have as much fun as possible while in Africa. He then told me I had been speeding and gave me the maximum fine of $8.

More stories to come soon.

By the way it is too expensive for me to proof read these entries so I am sure there are plenty of mistakes.