We fly by South African Airways to our hotel on the Golden Mile - Durban's holiday atmosphere beachfront. We're on holiday! The plan is to chill out here before the next leg of our adventure.
But this is Africa!... so there are plenty of surprises.
Durban's population has a large ex-Indian contingent so there are Hindus, Christians, Muslims and our hotel reflects the local population plus holidaymakers; just what we were looking for. We're on the 16th floor with a beach view...so all's great. Thank you, Booking.com.
On the first day we do the holidaying things as we walk the seafront, visiting snack bars with live music, browsing shopping malls, seeing brilliant Zulu street dancing, paddling in the Indian Ocean. The Sunday locals are having a fantastic time in the sea...it's clear that there are self-selecting areas on the beach as we walk along - some wholly black. Really great relaxing holiday type day but interesting nontheless.
On Monday we book a walking tour of the town....but we didn't know how good this was going to be. Of course, there are areas where tourists shouldn't venture alone but with our Zulu guide, Kululawe, and two female back-packers we visit the Southern Hemishere's largest mosque... then we venture into back streets, walk into hairdressers, bridal shops, supermarkets, all the time learning about the traditional/western culture clash and development....absolutely fascinating. But our cultural learning curve is challenged as we are led through a local market; we see stall after stall selling 'medicines' for all manner of things, including potions to ensure that husbands are faithful, DIY enema kits with which to take many of the potions, snake skins to protect against snake bites, skinned monkeys......I'll stop there I think. Another brilliant top 'learning day'...and we're supposed to be on holiday...
Our last day in Durban, ...we spend as holidaymakers again, dodging the showers and visiting the great aquarium on the golden mile. The collection of marine animals, found of the east coast is second to none, all viewed from the interiorof an old ship. Wonderful. Also see a dolphin show and a sea-lion show - but the less said about that the better.
Finish off with a Durban curry before catching our flight to Joberg the next morning. Then its, sadly, or our last night in our Melville guest house before the second leg begins...
Our last day in Durban, ...we spend as holidaymakers again, dodging the showers and visiting the great aquarium on the golden mile. The collection of marine animals, found of the east coast is second to none, all viewed from the interiorof an old ship. Wonderful. Also see a dolphin show and a sea-lion show - but the less said about that the better.
Finish off with a Durban curry before catching our flight to Joberg the next morning. Then its, sadly, or our last night in our Melville guest house before the second leg begins...
Evening Beach
Kululawe and snake-skin shop
I had a go at pounding this tree bark....goodness knows what it's for.
With apologies to those of a sensitive nature
The Jumma Mosque
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