Trip through South Africa

Well we are back from our trip to Salt Rock and the Drackensberg mountains. It was a great trip through some of the most beautiful landscape we have ever seen. Every mile could have been a postcard (except the 20 minutes through Jo'burg). The weather was great throughout our travels and the kids seemed to have a great time.....

Even though the place was absolutey beautiful, the trip was a bit of a roller coaster ride of emotions for us. Time and time again, we have been told horror stories of hijackings, muggings, carjackings, etc. that happen throughout the country.... We were warned, were a bit concerned about the possibility of encountering this, but it never did....

South Africa is a country in turmoil, still trying to find its identity and a balance between black and white.. Unfortunately, the disparity between the two was more than obvious throughout our travels. As you drive through the country, you encouter beautiful farmlands, rolling hills, wide open spaces, and then every so often you see a plot of land cluttered with tents, sheds made out of tarp, metal scraps and rocks. These areas were the small areas populated by the black South Africans. It was sad, truly depressing. The whole vibe of the place was different too...... not as freindly as Botswana and you could feel the tension as you walked down the street.

When we arrived in Salt Rock, a vacation town full of vacationing whites, we were greeted by our maid, Maureen... She told us she worked 7am- 6 pm, Sunday -saturday for 40 rand a day(a little less than 7 $ a day.) We told her to take a few days off, and that we would still pay her, but she didn't, I think out of fear of not getting paid. Unfortunately, I don't speak Zulu, and she didn't speak English. She did take sunday off, and seemed very happy about that.. The worst part of the deal was that she lived in the garage of the house with her son, who was Jacob's age. They slept on mattresses in the garage.

When you ask people about the cheap pay for house help, people always say, "It's just a different lifestyle", I just don't think Michelle and i have gotten used to accepting that people have a different "lifestyle", when it's impossible to choose your lifestyle on 7 bucks a day. People exploit it, but it does seems to be a way of life here.

We spent a day in Durban at the Ushaka Marine World, http://www.ushakamarineworld.co.za/home.html hung out at the beach and enjoyed our house a few minutes walk from the ocean. Kate lost another tooth, the babies got their first sunburn and we took a few drives to see the area.

On our way back from the beach, we decided that we had to stay a night in the Drakensberg mountains.. good choice....

It was beautiful, and I'm trying to figure out why they were so stunning and how they differ from the beauty of the mountains in the U.S. I think it's the fact that they seemed so untouched and the fact that they are in Africa makes them feel even more exotic? Maybe? I don't know. We stayed at the Alpine Heath resort http://www.alpineheath.co.za/and upon our arrival, extended our stay for another day. One day wasn't enough, and there were plenty of things for the kids to do....swimming, bike riding, movies, crafts, etc.

This place came with another depressing aspect as well...... Severe poverty and children by the side of the road, gesturing for food. I realize this is a daily occurrance to anyone who lives here, because when I told some South Africans at the bar the I bought some kids a pizza, they just laughed. We honestly haven't seen this form of poverty here in Botswana.. Or maybe as dramatic as it was here...

Money doesn't go very far here, so giving them food was very appreciated. Jacob and bought some boys a few pizzas after a drive to a local shop. It's difficult to enjoy oneself when you know there are people scrounging for food in the local villages. But the place was awe-inspiring and people were extremely kind, especially to our children. They are constantly playing with them and picking them up , Jude had a thing for Maureen at the beach house.

One thing to mention about the pictures. The picture of the man in front of the poster was taken at a coffee shop in Ballito, North Coast... Look closely at the poster.. It is for the Cincinnati/Dayton railway... What a crazy place to find a picture of home. We had tried to get coffee from this place earlier in the week, but the power was out in the whole complex, so no coffee.. Also, there was a "Subway" here and we tried to get sandwiches for lunch, but were evacuated because there was a bomb threat. Someone or something doesn't want us to experience the comforts of home... Good to be back.... Great trip.... looking forward to Christmas.