Swaziland and Ladysmith

Another Country

We left Kruger and headed south, following our GPS who we call Winnie. When we got a ways we stopped for an ATM and to see if we could get a map. I wouldn't say that we were scared of the market place where we stopped but it was the most chaotic and unfamiliar place that we have been so far. The gas station didn't have maps, but we were told that we were on the road to Swaziland, an independent kingdom within South Africa. Border crossing was a "trip", with lots of papers to stamp, border guards, pictures of the king of Swaziland and a good hour delay that is not factored in when the GPS calculated our travel time. Nor were the numerous cattle, sheep and goats grazing by the road that we had to slow down for.

Swaziland is a beautiful mountainous country with lots of tree farms but not a lot of people. We passed numerous schools, all missionary or church run from the signs we saw. See location on the map.

When we got back into South Africa we stopped at a little tea shop that looked a bit suspicious from the road. But inside and Elvis gospel song was on the CD player and there were two young women who seemed to be American. I asked and, sure enough, they were from the DC area and were driving around SA just like we are. The picture of the shack "B&B" is not where we stayed. The beautiful thatch cottage is!

For over 3 hours we traveled through what looked like the rolling range land and farms that looked like parts of Montana. We arrived in Ladysmith late due to lots of road construction and checked into a charming Rest Lodge in a area that has all big houses with gates and walls. This morning we saw the dirt-poor black area where huts look like a few pieces of corrugated metal and here we are in the gated, affluent white area. I know we have the same rich vs. poor contrasts in the US but it seems more extreme here.

Approximate location on the map is where it says "Battlefields".