Kwalazulu Natal – South Africa

After more than a month on safari, we wanted to land in an area that offered a bit more of a “civilized” experience.  We loved the animals and people of Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda, but yearned for a bit more upscale services and to look at faces more like our own.  It is draining to always be different; to stand out like a sour thumb.  We wanted to fit in more then we did long ago as awkward teenagers!

  So we set out for South Africa, our 26th country and second to last destination.  Although the population of South Africa is only 8% white, at least we blended in a bit better then in the countries with less then a 1% white population.  At the beginning of our travels we were anxious to be surrounded by people of diverse colors; at this point we were exhausted by it. 

We landed in Durban, population 3 million, on the Indian Ocean and rented a car to explore the KwalaZulu Natal region of South Africa. 

Remember the television miniseries called “Shaka Zulu”?  Well if you do, this is the area of Africa where King Shaka came from and where he united the various local tribes into the mighty Zulu warriors of  the early 19th century.  We were still in a very culturally diverse place; just to a lesser extent.

It was mid summer, in February.  Warm, humid and sunny.  And we liked it, but air conditioning was very welcome.  Durban was our first of many stops in South Africa and was used as a place primarily to catch up on all the mundane necessities like paying bills, doing laundry and hair cuts.  It provided our first look at the beautiful Indian ocean!  The beaches are gorgeous.  Soft white sand, really warm water, and lots of…….shark nets!  Over 40 species of sharks are found in this area, and there are warning signs everywhere.  The nets work to some degree, but the danger postings are very clear of the risks that lurk below.

This area is famous for lots of sea life, not just sharks.  Depending upon the time of year Whale Sharks (the world’s largest fish) and Right Whales migrate through here.  Unfortunately, we missed these gentle giants, and would like to come back to see them someday.   

We usually dread shopping mall excursions, so it’s hard for us to believe that we actually desired to go to The Mall.  The largest mall in South Africa is in Durban and has the tallest climbing wall and a huge water park, an iMax theater and of course lots of stores.  Amy had an uncomfortable, eye opening experience in one of the main department stores.  She went in by herself looking for some fresh clothes.  It was uneasy because there wasn’t another white person in sight and all of the mannequins had darker skin.  She realized how women of other races must feel when shopping in a store marketed to whites.  It’s not a welcome feeling.  

After catching up on life in this modern city, we headed north for more nature.  St Lucia and Sodwana Bay were our destinations. 

They are on the coast of the Indian Ocean and offer great diving, birding, nature reserves and a really laid back vibe.  Steve made a couple of scuba dives on the famous 2 Mile Reef off Sodwana Bay and saw 9 big rays, and 4 large moray eels.  He was in heaven.

               

There were times when we had miles and miles of beach all to ourselves with no one else in sight.

Durban and the rest of the KwalaZulu Natal were a perfect transition out of the deep African bush to the more tame end of this exceptional continent.