Zululand

We have an early flight to Durban this morning and then we are off to KwaZulu Natal. This is an area known as "the garden province". It stretches along a shoreline beside the Indian Ocean and shares borders with Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho. It has a history of legendary Zulu kings and living Zulu traditions. Land of Ghandi and Tutu! Here are some quick facts: This culture can have more than one wife. Cows are offered to pay the bride price which is typically R5000 or equal to 11 cows. This shows that he can support the wife. The first night, the bride spends with the uncle to learn how to be a good wife. They are very spiritual people. They live in round houses so the spirits cannot trap them in a corner. They are known for their beautiful beadwork.

The St Lucia Wetlands is a World Heritage Site where we board a boat for a sunset cruise this afternoon. Of course there are refreshments involved as we cruise down the river. We spot different types of birds and large pods of hippos. They are really fun to watch as they yawn and whack their little ears at you.

On the way to the hotel we are cautioned to keep lights low. They have vampire mosquitos here. A few instructions:

* Close doors immediately and keep lights off
* Flush toilet before sitting, otherwise you become a ripe target. Mosquitos like to congregate under the rim of the seat.
* Keep belongings, including shoes, off the floor....tarantula spiders like to crawl into corners of shoes and suitcases.
* Use the "Peaceful Sleep" plug-in for repelling mosquitos at night
* Mosquito netting will be let down when they turn the beds down in the evening

These "suggestions" apply from here on throughout the rest of the trip. On safari, long sleeves, insect repellant and sunscreen....A MUST!
We were given sunscreen and repellant in our toiletry kits. (They are serious!)

....and with a "good night, sleep tight"....we all head to bed for (hopefully)...a restful night's sleep....

oh...btw... 5 AM wakeup, 5:15 luggage out and breakfast, 6:00 safari! Wear warm layers, it is cool in the morning!