Days 11 & 12 – June 7 & 8, 2009: Goodbye Cape Town, Hello Durban!

First of all, we apologize for the delay in our blog. Yesterday was a day packed with traveling and exploring the traditional Zulu way of life. It was an early morning, but it was hard to say goodbye to Cape Town. We grew to love the city and enjoyed all that it had to offer.

Our plane departed from Cape Town at 9am and landed in Durban at 11am. Most of us do not remember the flight, including the members that are blogging today because we all fell asleep before take off and woke up after landing. Those who were smart enough designated a person from the group to wake them for food and drinks.

Once we landed in Durban, we rushed off the plane to get on our bus to travel three hours to a traditional Zulu homestead. We arrived at the traditional Zulu homestead where we ate a traditional Zulu meal and watched traditional Zulu dances. Some people even volunteered to get up and dance! We were introduced to a more rural lifestyle and experienced some of the daily customs of the Zulu culture.

An important practice of Zulu culture is war and defense. Traditionally, the men went off to protect their families, and women cared for the children and the household. We watched and participated in some of their traditional dances, and stick fights. Many of our group members participated in these activities realized that it was much more difficult than expected.

We were privileged to behold the humility in the way that they live. They hold cattle in a very high regard, it is central to their society and survival. The wealth of a man is reflected in the amount of cattle he has. When a man wants to take on a wife, he must give the brides family a lobola, which is an offering of cattle. Cattle offer clothing, food, shelter, methane, protection, cleaning supplies and so much more. For example, one of the members of the Zulu tribe showed us how cow dung is used to clean their floors. Some members were brave enough to try it as well.

Ultimately, we were fed wonderful food and experienced a different culture. We went our separate ways and headed to The Tropicana Hotel in the city of Durban. It was lovely to be right on the beach and to hear the ocean as we slept at night. We were able to sleep in and then we departed to Hluhluwe. On our way, we were able to see many wild animals including wild boars, nyala, monkeys, and kudus. It was a long ride but we arrived and were pleasantly surprised to see the scenery and the safari lodge. We look forward to tomorrow’s adventure on the safari expedition.