Durban

Robin and I went to Durban for five days in October. Durban is a beach town and has a similar feel to San Diego in places. Swimming in the ocean there was ridiculous. I wore my swim suit all day for two days straight and didn’t even get into the water because it wasn’t hot outside. So on the third day I wore a dress... and then went swimming. The waves completely thrashed us. And we nearly had the beach to ourselves that day, so I didn’t have to worry too much about flashing people each time a wave tumbled me over. We also got to tour the largest mosque in the Southern hemisphere, which we couldn’t find from the outside. We explored the Victorian market where you can find all sorts of Indian and African merchandise. We spent our last day at Ushaka World, which is much like Sea World. I especially enjoyed the seal show and lunch at a very creatively styled restaurant- decorated largely with debris from the ocean. We also made some friends with whom we explored the suburbs and played mini golf and night bowling. We were constantly confronted by the difference between the classes and largely, the races here. We kept comparing our lifestyle in Pretoria with the lives of the well off white people with their huge and beautiful homes. I hope the cultural shock I continue to experience here will lessen the reverse culture I’ll experience when I return home.

Other than seeing the ocean, we also wanted to visit the friends I made last time I was in South Africa in nearby Tugela Ferry. Unfortunately my friends backed out at the last minute due to transportation, so we didn’t get to visit them. That was a bit disappointing. I don’t know if I’ll have money to go in that direction again.

I'll post a few pictures soon.