I’m finally back and can write again.
Life in the rural area was absolutely breathtaking. We stayed in Dokodweni, about 2 hours north of Durban.
Dokodweni is in the Amacambini Tribal Authority, ruled by the inkosi, or chief. It’s right on the North Coast, and the mix of the brick red clay roads, the rolling, green tropical hills and the totally undeveloped shore/beach makes for an incredible feeling. I’ve never felt so at peace with the land, nature, the dirt, the bugs, night and day…it sounds strange, I’m sure, but this feeling of being directly tied to the earth below me was overwhelmingly new. Needless to say, it was amazing.
I stayed with another boy in the group at ubaba Mhlongo’s. The nights were me, my friend, baba and three sisters. They lived in a home three times the house I stay in at my Bonela homestay! My baba runs a local tourist camp and also sits on one of the tribal committees, so he’s relatively well off. There’s no running water, just giant green jugs that collect and store rain water. So we drank water we brought and bathed out of tiny buckets by candlelight each night. (There was electricity, but they liked to conserve it because it is very expensive.) So rural doesn’t necessarily mean poor. Still, other students experienced life on a rural homestead, with cramped sleeping, no water, no electricity, etc. But even in those situations, the families have a lot of love and laughter in their lives. Sometimes it was so obvious that so much in our lives is unneeded or gets in the way of what’s really important, and by focusing on that stuff we fail to see the beauty in life all around.
I cannot explain to you the beauty of this place. Fruit growing all around - waking up and picking a banana or guava - walking to the beach, stopping to pick sugar cane out of the field and suck out the sweetness…oh man. So much more to tell you about.
We went to Umfolozi Game Reserve on Saturday. Again, this whole theme of life and the earth. I saw giraffes, zebras, impala, rhinos, hippos, buffalo, hyena…even bush babies! haha…they are like these real furry raccoon-like animals with big bushy tails that come out at night and chill in the trees. I have some good pics of all the animals.
This week was full of absolutely exhilarating new experiences. It took its toll too. I was really burned out yesterday and was getting a little cranky. Also, my stomach has not been in working order, though it feels better this morning. Basically ever since I got sick it always hurts and I’ve lost a lot of my appetite…so I’m not eating much food…especially meats and other heavy stuff.