Through my eyes

living my life without regrets

Thursday, April 02, 2015

16. Seychelles

Seychelles

Location of the Seychelles, East of Zanzibar
Seychelles is a country comprised of 115 assorted islands, some not even inhabited, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. We stopped at only the two largest. Our first stop, the Island of Mahe, with Victoria being the capital of the Seychelles, was wonderful. Instead of joining a tour we hired a taxi and the driver, Armand, was our guide. He spoke English with a French accent but was easily understood.

Even though the Seychelles were under British rule since 1810, most people here speak Creole or French. This is because the very first settlers of the islands were French people. There were no natives before the Europeans arrived. The first French settlers built their farms, lived a quiet, rural life and spoke French. No matter who ruled them, they lived their lives in peace and slow, quiet isolation. The few times those farmers had to interact with the British officials were rare. The English language never took hold among the locals. Today this is all changed. The younger generation no longer works on the farm. In the 1960's, plantations accounted for 33% of the economy but by 2006, it was only 3%.
Hindu Temple in Downtown Victoria

Armand was a terrific guide. Being 60 years old and having worked for a tour company for 10 years, he knew his way around Mahe Island. His first small tour was through the capital city of the Seychelles, Victoria, the largest town on the Island of Mahe. Proudly he showed us the very clean and very organized town. Our immediate impression was that this is not an inexpensive, time forgotten, location but a modern, tourist oriented location on Earth, lead and administrated
Million Dollar Housing
by smart people. One section of Victoria near the harbor, has a man made Island with hundreds of expensive, exquisite houses. Each house costs a minimum of one million U.S. Dollars. Anybody who buys a house for this much money on this Island is given immediate Seychellois 
citizenship and a passport. There are hardly any houses for sale on this island and the waiting list is long if you decide you want to buy there.

We took the shore road to the next
Shore Road
biggest town on Male, Anse Royal. About 20 km south of Victoria, Anse Royal features an old spice plantation, the Jardin de Roi which is stuffed with trees, bushes and plants of all sorts so that it looked like a “natural” garden to me. No, there are no straight rows planted. Orchards, organized and set up like a checkerboard are not to be found. The shrubs, trees and the mix of spices, medicinal plants and fruits seem to be grown at random, planted where there is room or where conditions for the
Jack Fruit
plants are ideal. It is a fantastic set up. The farmhouse sits in the middle of it all, prim and proper and cozy. Large verandas give shade and decks around the house. From the house one can overlook the whole terrain and see all the plants, cinnamon, jack-fruit, cotton, saffron, nutmeg, black pepper, star fruit, bananas, turmeric, vanilla, etc. etc. You name the spice or fruit and they most likely grow it here.


Lipstick Plant Used to Make Red Colouring
Inside Nutmeg Fruit


Coco de Mer also called a Double Coconut
Each tree has a male and female part and both are needed to produce the nut (inside the female part)
Amazing



Cacao - Inside are the Seeds Used to
Make Chocolate



Bird of Paradise







Another Variety of Bird of Paradise
While today it is no longer a commercial farm, it still shows how it was years ago when rare fruits, spices and medicinal plants were grown. All those plants made for a good living. My head exploded with all the new information I was given. Plants I have never seen before and know nothing about, all of a sudden become interesting and might save someone's life. This place, Jardin du Roi, was right up my alley. Were it not for the heat and humidity I could have stayed longer, but climbing up and down the slope wore me out.
Refreshing Drink
A fusion drink of organic fruits and veggies, sitting in the deep shade of the veranda helped me a bit, still it felt hot. Armand, who was our knowledgeable guide among the plants, understood perfectly and we rested up a bit. A herd of giant tortoises, some over 100 years old were held in a pen nearby. The premises also held fruit bats, vivid feathered birds but no poisonous anything.  There are no large animals on any of the Islands and no poisonous snakes, spiders or any kind of
Giant Tortoises Over 100 Years Old
dangerous creatures.
Even the waters off the beaches are free of sharks. The Seychelles seem to be a special place.

These are not volcanic islands or atolls. The base of the Islands, the substructure under the water is all or mostly granite. Those rocks are at least 500 million years old. Some scientists speculate that Gondwana, the prehistoric super continent, originated here. The Seychelles are what is left over when the Teutonic plates started to drift apart and form today's continents. So it all started here, is what they speculate. Simply amazing!

La Digue was the other island we visited the next day. Again, coming off the tender, we rented a taxi for $ 60.-. This time the driver was a young man who spoke better English and was nice enough but he could not hold a candle to Armand from yesterday, in terms of his knowledge.


Main Street
The difference between the two main Islands of the Seychelles is startling. While Mahe is geared towards business and government, La Digue is all touristy and laid back. Just a few cars are on the island of La Digue. The main roads are very narrow, 2 cars passing always creates a dilemma and requires careful planning. The local population rides bicycles or walks or sometimes travels by ox-cart. The pace of life is slow. Granite boulders and rocks seem to be strewn all over the island and beaches. There is not a lot of flat land available
Ox Cart Transportation for the Locals
and the mountainous regions are too steep to build on. All this makes
for a very picturesque setting. Grand, but cozy hotels are set near the waters edge. All was done elegantly and was expensive looking. Our taxi showed us the best of the best and I was duly impressed. The natural setting of water, beach and man-made buildings created marvelous settings. Postcard perfect! A vacationers dream. You could make an advertisement for holidays with the beautiful scenery around every corner. La Digue is a paradise and people who
Beautiful Beaches
love beaches will find the best beaches here. While not cheap, it seems reasonable enough for the middle class. Guesthouses might be a better way than the super expensive, yet hugely impressive boutique hotels that abound near the waters edge.




We got a good overview of the Island using our taxi and even climbed a steep
Another Beautiful Beach
hill where tourists normally don't go. La Digue is a vacation island were traffic is controlled, where time seems to slow down, where relaxing and daydreaming are given priorities.
 
See the Seychelles if you want to have a tropical paradise for a few weeks. Great spot to dream.

15. Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa

Zanzibar, Tanzania


Map Showing Some of Our Ports of Call (Red Dots)
Many have heard of Zanzibar, yet many more have no clue where it is. It's an island off the coast of Tanzania, due east of Dar es Salam. It was a spice island in the past and a collection point for slaves who were shipped throughout the world. Yearly, about 60,000 slaves left Zanzibar and were sold mostly to the Arabian countries.

Zanzibar, for most of its history was ruled by Arabian Sheiks or Sultans. In 1840 the Sultan of Oman was the richest man in the world. A combination of money received for rare spices and payments to him from the slave traders, gave this Sultan money
Nutmeg
galore. One nutmeg nut sold in London, England in 1840, for the price one would pay for a house in London at the time. Just imagine in today's economy, a London house for a nutmeg. By the way, each nutmeg tree delivers about 3000 nuts a year. The Sultan controlled the trade. Zanzibar was his headquarters for all of East and South Africa.

Zanzibar has a unique location. The harbor is deep all year round providing easy access for large ships. Zanzibar has a historic town, Stone Town. In the colonial era, European and U.S. Embassies were present in Stone Town. In the 1800’s Zanzibar was what Manhattan or Hong Kong is today, the center of business. Anything coming off the large African continent was shipped via Zanzibar. Large sailing vessels could not dock on the East African coast. Reefs, sand banks and shallow harbors made loading cumbersome. The lack of a large city with good facilities and European oversight at the time gave Zanzibar the edge. While ruled by Arabian Sultans, it was an economic powerhouse and the center of trade.

Slavery was just part of this trade. The human misery it created was of no consequence to the merchants at the time. In fact their trade, slavery, was proudly advertised on the front door of their house with elaborate and stylized carvings. Zanzibar was also the supply store that outfitted famous Africa explorers such as Livingston and many others. I mention Livingston because he was the man, after he returned to England, who spoke out against slavery in a big way. Due to him and many others, slavery was officially abolished in the year 1873 in Zanzibar. Good, no more slavery, right? Well, did you know that slavery was only made unlawful in Saudi Arabia as late as 1965? You read right, 1965, with a moratorium, a phasing out period until 1975. And these slaves were secretly supplied by Zanzibar. Only after 1975 did it become an offense to trade or possess slaves in Saudi Arabia. I wonder if it is actively enforced even today. Who would know if a woman held in a harem is a slave or not? Think about that! Sure makes me wonder.

Well that was Zanzibar two centuries ago. Today Zanzibar is geared towards tourists. Gone are the unique naval advantages it had, gone are the monopolies of the spice trade and Zanzibar is no longer ruled by a Sultan but belongs to the Republic of Tanzania. Tourism is now the main source of income for most if not all the people on this Island.

Carol and I participated and helped the local economy in this way. Jean and Ross Copas found an excursion via the Internet that sounded promising. A dhow ride,
Dhows in the Harbour When we Docked
snorkeling, lunch, drinks, sandbars, coral reefs, nature and a guided walk through Stone Town, all for just $ 97 for the day, per person. Sounds good? It was even better! This day was a fantastic day! Nothing was artificial, we lived the real thing; it was all of the things I spelled out and more.  A former British lawyer, Eleanor, the owner of Safari Blue, delivered as promised. She herself was part of the outing and her crews and dhows were authentic and happy. Eleanor runs a good business.

Six of us were picked up at the ship in a first class, modern bus, transported to a secluded beach to be transferred into dhows waiting off shore. We were given flippers and snorkels and then were guided across the flat (low tide) beach to climb into the dhows. With the help of the crew and an outboard motor we arrived a bit later to a spot that had an amazing variety of corals and marine life. The instructions to snorkel were easy to follow and the sights of life below the surface were just stunning. Nobody wanted to leave but the idea of a good lunch convinced us to abandon this great snorkeling spot.

Poster of a Dhow on an Idyllic Beach
Before we went ashore on an uninhabited island for our mid day feast however, we beached ourselves on a huge sand bank, maybe an atoll, just so we could later see how much the tide would cover this barren spot later. We had a choice of assorted fruits as a snack and all the non alcoholic drinks one would want. We watched the tide come in for a little while then scrambled back on board the dhows. We had lunch next.

Lunch was a rare event. It was a delight for the eyes, for the stomach and had a surreal, true atmosphere. Rugged, cloth covered tables and benches were placed on the beach, under the trees, in the deep shadows. A mild wind blew across the water, pleasantly cooling us off. No flies to bother us. The food was amazing; it was African food at its best. BBQ lobster tails, king fish, tuna, chicken, curried rice, polenta, vegetables and again all the drinks one could drink, this time including beer or wine.

The dessert was really different. Assortments of local fruits were offered to us. Not only were they offered, but it was explained how to best prepare and eat them. There were red bananas, screw mangos, jack fruit, passion fruit, dates, Turkish delight etc. All the personnel during lunch were employed by Eleanor. Her people were happy, smiled easily and seemed content. Eleanor paid them well and they could all keep and share the food we, the clients, did not eat.

Michael, Eleanor's beau, told us that years ago Eleanor's first husband was killed, shot dead, by locals from Zanzibar. They killed him because his unfair business dealings with his employees which upset the local tradition. The killers were never found, even though they shot him in front of Eleanor and their two young children at the time. Africa can still be wild and brutal. The locals, however, did not count on the toughness of the British. Eleanor, despite the death of her husband, took over the business and has been running it successfully for decades now. She still treats her employees well, too.

After lunch we went back to the main Island for a short, guided visit to Stone Town in Port Victoria. Our guide was the same man who also guided Prince Charles through Stone Town. This man certainly knew this town and history well. With a friendly attitude and many stories about the area, our guide made the tour a delight. We never felt rushed, nor felt lost in the large crowds of tourists all around us. After maybe an hour we all went back to our cruise ship. It was a delightful, informative day that gave me a real insight of other people's lives in a foreign land.

If you ever go to Zanzibar seek out Safari Blue, you can Google it.

14. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Africa

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Africa

Finally, after all those days at sea we see land, we enter the harbor of Dar es Salaam (Dar). Immediately, we see hundreds if not thousands, of bustling people on the shore line. Men in dugout canoes wave to us. Young boys swimming in the harbor water wave a greeting. People on the low title flats, seeking mussels or other crustaceans, straighten up from their bent over body positions and smile and wave to us. It seems
Busy Beach in Dar es Salaam
Dar is happy to see us. It is a Sunday yet the market is open, shoppers are everywhere alongside the beach. The ferry is full of people. We dock and naturally vendors are there to sell us souvenirs but they are not pushy.

Carol and I take the shuttle into town, especially since the instructions last night told us that this shuttle would make a large circle with a few stops along the way. We are on a mission in Dar.

Local Sampans
While getting Carol’s China visa in Toronto she met this young man, Rahim, at the visa office who is native to Dar. Carol took some pictures of Rahim and wanted to give those pictures to Rahim’s parents who own a small restaurant in Dar. So being on a shuttle with a circular route is a great way to ask people where the restaurant is. Our instructions from Rahim were that the KT shop, his parent’s restaurant, is well known. All we have to do is ask anybody and they will point us to it. Sounds like a plan.
Rahim from the Visa Office in Toronto

We stepped off the ship, asked someone local and got just a stare. They had no clue where the KT shop was and even asking their friends we got a “never heard of it”. We even tried to Google for KT shop with no success. According to Rahim the shop is only 10 minutes walk from the pier. Well, there are many piers in Dar, which one is it?

So we thought of taking the bus shuttle from the ship and get off on the first stop of the circular route (a large hotel) and ask again. No such luck, the shuttle bus did not make a circular route but drove us to a shopping center about an hour away from the ship. Naturally we asked, hey! Why don't we stop along the way? Why are we being driven to this shopping center? On a Sunday to boot, when most stores are closed and only the small souvenir stalls, the sheds, are open?

A few phone calls from our “host” on board the shuttle confirmed the bus company changed the route. The ship knew about it, quickly printed a flyer and even sat the flyers on the destination desk but forgot to inform anybody via the public address system of the route changes. People on board the bus were not happy. A small, growling revolt could be felt and heard within the shuttle bus. We all felt we were being led by the nose and told to do as the ship dictates. Nobody really wanted to go to the shopping center. Most, if not all, wanted to use the circular route as a “look and see” sight seeing tour. To just go from point A to point B seemed useless, especially when there is nothing open at point B. Like I said, it is Sunday, most shops are closed. Even the KT shop, the place we were looking for, closes at noon on Sunday. Rahim told us that, so we made it a point to get up early to be at the restaurant mid-morning.

All this preparation on Carol’s part, taking the pictures, having the prints made, carrying them carefully from Toronto to South Africa, even protecting them during the Safaris from being bent etc. just so we can deliver them to Rahim’s parents, now came to a grinding halt. The bus does not take us on the promised circular route and other folks are arguing to be let off at the promised hotel which is now not on the schedule. The time ticks by, the confusion increases and we are left holding the pictures but never get to the KT shop.

We boarded the bus at 8.30 am and stepped off the bus back at the dock a little after 11 am. We were close but could not deliver. Carol was deeply disappointed. There was no easy answer to our dilemma. Sending the pictures by mail is impossible in Dar. We do not have an exact address. Remember, this is Dar, things are not that organized. Besides, it's Sunday, all is closed. Slipping the pictures under the door? Again we do not have an address.
Only Saw Men Out Walking

Most stores and restaurants have iron shutters in front, totally locked up. Dar is not a very pretty town. Too much poverty and too many young men with no work and too much idle time on their hands do not make Dar a very safe city. We had no choice but to call it a defeat. We could not deliver the pictures. We did see Dar es Salaam from the safety of the bus; we even saw the embassy district, supposedly the nicest part of any Capital. Believe me; you would not want to even live in that part of it. High security fences, armed guards, electrified perimeters, etc. tells you the story.
Not a Pretty Town
 
Dar could have been a nice human touch story yet it was not to be. Call it fate. 

13. Diversion

Diversion

The Indian Ocean has been choppy; the waves had white caps all around us as we left Maputo. Swells of 10 Feet (3 meters) rocked our ship. It was difficult to walk on board without holding on to something. Some folks on board wear small round patches behind each ear to prevent sea sickness. There are visibly fewer people at the cafeteria
Cyclone Near Madagascar
tables. We were on the outskirts of a cyclone. Our itinerary will lead us directly into the center of it. Not a good idea. The notification we received at breakfast the next morning was that we were not going to Nosy Bay, Madagascar. This part of the trip, by the power of the captain, has been cancelled. The booked excursions will be refunded, we each got a statement of our on board account to see the refunds stated. Notices and letters were given out with our new schedules, our new destinations, etc. A flurry of changes greeted us.

The Mombasa, Kenya stop has also been eliminated for “security” reasons. We had a practice drill on board in case we get attacked by pirates. It was explained to us that we are entering an area at high risk for pirate activity. This is no joke; even the crew practices a pirate counter attack drill. Pirates?

I never thought about this. Sure, I understand that the captain does not want to steer this ship into a cyclone, so he cancels that part of the trip, but Pirates? Not the swashbuckling kind, rather the ones with AK 47’s and Uzi’s. Pirates! It just shows you how innocent I am, how naïve. Not in my wildest dreams did I think we would be threatened by Pirates.

And what is this about Mombasa, Kenya? Cancelled for security reasons? There is nothing on the news about Kenya, about Mombasa being in the lime light. Am I being kept uninformed on purpose? Is the cruise line trying not to ruffle any feathers and keep their passengers in a mental state of stupor? The news we get is via a paper flyer printed each night with the latest news for each country. I get the US news, Carol gets the Canadian news. There is nothing written about any trouble in Kenya, especially Mombasa. The captain is the master of the ship, what he says will be done and he said we are not going to Mombasa. Period!

So we are now at sea for the next 3 days. No stop over until we get to Dar Es Salam, Tanzania.

So with nothing to do, I read the statement of my account again and….I see I am being charged for having my laundry done. Again this was a negotiated agreement before I took the cruise and I have it in writing that I have free laundry service while on this cruise. What is this with this ship, this cruise line? We did not have those issues last year when we took the trip from Papeete to Sydney. Is it the ship? Or is it because Oceania was purchased by Norwegian?

Something is askew on this trip. So off I went to my “friends” at Reception to show them the wrong entry on my statement. You would think they would smile and fix the entry immediately, right? Well, no, they have to check with headquarters and update their computers again for my account. So now I will wait until the next statement to see if those charges were reversed. It’s a little thing yet it irks me none-the-less. It is mainly the attitude of the folks behind the Registration Desk that make me write this down. They are not helpful but standoffish. Not my kind of people. I would fire them all with glee if I could.
Tea Time Sandwiches
 
The days on board pass by with almost unlimited supply of food. Carol and I read a lot. We started a puzzle game in the game room. We go for walks around the deck. One mile is equal to 13 rounds on the upper deck. We keep on walking to try to keep the weight off. Hard to do when you have cookies and free pastries all around you. We attend all the enrichment classes the ship offers. We go to the free show each night with
Yummy Desserts

performances by tenors, piano recitals, musicals, plays, jugglers and comedians. We also take naps.  We are being pampered and don't fight it. Is that what a cruise is all about, to rest not only your body but your brain, too? Or is it being lazy and spoiled; or both?  It sure is a lifestyle I would have made fun of years ago. Now that I am living it I don't know what to think. Maybe I will see myself differently once I am removed from this experience in months to come. For now we are being
Crepes Made to Order
diverted from Madagascar and Kenya and the itinerary has changed. Next stop Dar Es Salam, Tanzania.
Table Decorations - All Edible







Brunch
More Desserts
                                  





12. Maputo, Mozambique, Africa

Maputo, Mozambique

Excursions or even the shuttle into town, start early in the day, as early as 8.00 AM in this case. A tourist visa to visit Mozambique costs U.S. 169. - Per person. Lucky for us it was part of our package when we negotiated the cruise. Still, we found a sheet of paper left in the stateroom that asked us to sign and pay for the visa separately. It took 2 trips to the Registration Desk and an additional email to Sara, our travel agent, to clear up this confusion. The ship had not received the negotiated terms from their headquarters. The attitude at the Registration Desk was not very pleasing to put it mildly. According to them I was wrong and their computer was correct. It took several days for the message from Headquarters to reach the computer on board the ship. After the cruise line found their errors we received 3 phone messages from the ships personal with profuse apologies in each message.

I do not like it when these mistakes happen; these errors create a rift and spoil the vacation mood I am in, especially when I am absolutely certain that I am in the right yet the bureaucracy does not agree with me and tries to fight me. No apology later will make up for the feelings I have while in the “fighting” mode. It also leaves a residual feeling of the incompetence of the cruise line in my mind. This is only intensified when the personnel on board show an attitude. I never had the feeling of being “helped” but was shown an aggressive “my computer shows you as wrong”, end of story, attitude. Go away! Even typing this now again raises my hackles and aggravation, never mind their apologies later.

I need to go back to the excursion into Maputo, the topic of this blog. The day started off as a hot day. There was no shelter from the sun while we waited at the pier for the shuttle to come and drive us into town. After waiting about 20 minutes, Carol gave up
Waiting in the Sun for the Shuttle to Town
and returned to the ship, not being able to handle the intense heat. Ross Copas, just recovering from a bout of food poisoning, did the same and returned to the satisfying AC interior of the Nautica. Jean Copas and I braved the trip into Maputo.

The shuttle took us to an artisan exhibit. An area set up by the city to display and sell souvenirs. Stalls with African items that appeared to be mass produced, were set up under canvas awnings and shade trees. Most vendors had the same 
Artisan Exhibit
articles; carved masks, figurines or animals carved either from black wood or other woods and then polished with shoe polish to make them look black and shiny, bead work and leather straps, printed cotton cloth and mass produced pictures depicting “African” scenes. It was cheap stuff and their prices were high. Jean looked at two,  hand painted post cards to send to her grandchildren. The seller wanted 6 US dollars for the 2 cards and would not reduce her asking
Market Stalls
price. Jean walked away but asked me to go back and buy them. Having found no other comparable cards I bought them for 4 dollars later. The cards were hand painted small huts on plain white paper. Nothing too special, four dollars seemed a lot especially for a country where half the population make no more than US $1000 - per year.

Yes, you read correctly, many earn even less than that per year. I read about families living on 2 dollars a day. Well maybe not in Maputo, since this is the Capital of Mozambique but certainly in the countryside. It is not that the people are stupid, many we met speak 3 or more languages, and it is definitely the politics and bureaucracy, coupled with bribery that keeps the masses from reaching their full potential. I see it over and over, again and again, how much the corruption and greed
of some hurts so many. The sellers in those shops or stalls don’t even own the merchandise. I saw it a bit later while waiting for the shuttle to pick us up and take us back to the ship again. Jean and I were just milling around on the side of the road, waiting for the bus. We waited about 45 minutes and during this time I (we) watched the goings on around us. Sitting on an upside down plastic pail, sipping a Fanta, nibbling on locally grown roasted peanuts, we almost blended in with the locals. At least we did not get hustled with buy this, buy that from individuals around us. We just sat and observed.

A small, older looking, plain clothed Indian man was approached by many and they gave him money. He wrote something in his small book, and then gave them some money back. All the people that approached this Indian fellow came from the vendors’ stalls or tents. Now, either he was a bookie or a money lender or owned the stalls and tents where the sellers paid immediate commission on the sales they made when they sold an article for him. Jean and I talked about it and agreed that this Indian man was the actual owner of all the stalls and the money he gave them back was their actual earnings. So, the 4 dollars paid for the postcards went to this Indian fellow and the lady who was reluctant to sell at a cheaper price to us (those were not her cards) received maybe 10%, or 40 cents on her sale as pure income. I can not be sure about those details but that is what I observed. She might have been paid 20% but I doubt it. This Indian man, for sure, was the king pin of this “artist” exhibition. And looking at it with African eyes, he was also obligated to pay off someone above him to receive the right to own those stalls at this location.

The whole system, the whole economy and politics, is riddled with corruption and kickbacks. No wonder there isn’t any money; money to be used in the public sector. Nobody pays taxes. All the money is siphoned off before it can be taxed. It is a wonder that the roads are in an ok state; that police get paid, that the bridges don't collapse or the harbor does not silt over. Well, I might not have seen exquisite art in Maputo or was impressed with the city, but I received a first hand lesson on the economic state of affairs sitting like a local under a shade tree by the side of the road.

Harbour
 
Mozambique is a poor country. Well not really, but for sure it is very corrupt. The natural gas and oil wells in Mozambique have given it a good income. This income is still coming in daily but the money never makes it to the people. Too many hands are being greased, too much is siphoned off. There is no answer until someone takes the reins to lead and if he/she does do that, then that person must be very careful not to get assassinated. The system, as it is now, is so deeply ingrained that change can only come through education of the young, the new generation. But I don't even believe this will happen, since Mozambique, for the last 500 years has educated their young with the help of the Portuguese, the Arabs, the British and today by the world. The lure of greed exists, I don't have the answer, and I just notice the problem.  Still, education of the young is the only hope for the masses to live better.

11b. Xhosa Village, near Richards Bay, South Africa

Xhosa Village, near Richards Bay, South Africa

Having just finished reading Nelson Mandela’s fascinating book, “Long Walk to Freedom”, I was curious to meet the Xhosa people (Mandela’s tribe) and learn more about their customs. Xhosa is pronounced with a clicking sound for the “Xh” (made by pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then quickly removing it) and then saying “osa”. So I booked a tour to the village of Khaya La Bantu. The meaning of the village name is “Home of the People”. It is a re-creation of a real village before colonial times but it was interesting to see how the huts were constructed and used for different purposes.
Xhosa Dancers Welcoming Us

We were welcomed into the Village by a group of dancing Xhosa People. We followed the custom afforded to dignitaries by walking over a red blanket and then entered a large, thatched roof building where the men sat on one side and the women on the other. Xhosas, in their colorful regalia, performed more songs and dances of welcome.


More Welcome Dances by the Xhosa

Then the men were taken by a male tribal leader to another hut to learn about the rites of circumcision. Since I was not allowed to attend, I cannot provide the details except that it is a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood when a boy reaches the age of 14 years. At least now the tribe has been convinced to use sterile equipment although it is still performed by the Medicine Man of the tribe.


Articulate, Passionate, 96 Year Old Tribal Leader

Meanwhile, the women were taken to another hut by a 96 year old tribal woman to learn what young women are taught about love. Young women are bare breasted until dating age when they are taught the questions to ask if a young man shows interest in them: 1. “What is your name”?.  2. “Where do you live”? Who is your family? 3. “What is your job”?

Female circumcision is no longer practiced but young women are “inspected” just before they are married to ensure that they are still virgins.

Our teacher then got off topic and talked passionately about current issues for their young people, which seem to be similar to those in many other parts of the world. The young men leave the villages to look for work in the cities but because they cannot find jobs in the city (50% of young people are unemployed), they are forced to live in squalor in the townships. Here they succumb to drugs and then turn to violence to procure money for more drugs. It becomes a vicious circle. I was very impressed with the insight, passion and physical agility of this 96 year old woman.

Next, we were treated to a traditional meal of chicken stew with mealie (like rice?) but I have no clue about all the rest of it. Dessert was deep fried dough sprinkled with cinnamon. It was all delicious.

It was an interesting, informative day even though the Xhosa People don't actually live in this village but in regular, but simple, homes across the valley.

Lunch












He is Much Revered by His Xhosa Tribe


Postscript: Nelson Mandela was born close to here and is buried just down the road. However our tour did not allow time to visit his grave.







 

Recently Married Xhosa Woman













Beautiful Children
 

11a. All Aboard, Cape Town and the rest of South Africa's Ports.

All Aboard, Cape Town, and the rest of South Africa

Our Ship, The Nautica
We took the taxi from Paarl back to Cape Town (CT). The two days spent in CT flew by. I finally found a replacement battery for my watch. We spent some time convincing Paolo (travel agent) to reimburse us for the missed day at the Hamilton Tent Camp and to start the process to get some travel insurance money back for the missed Okavango Delta trip. We kept it friendly on our part, yet so far, about 2 weeks later, nothing has been done on our behalf. It makes me wonder if Paolo is just talk or incapable of helping.
Victoria Harbour
Paolo also told us that my missing camera bag has been found yet he was unable to locate it. We are still waiting for his emails to us; our emails to him tell us he is on vacation now.




Relaxing on the Deck of the Nautica






We went to the harbor and registered with our upcoming cruise on the ship Nautica. Once on board, we just waited for the ship to leave the dock. We took a vacation day. Exploring each level (10 levels) of the ship takes some time. We met up with Ross and Jean Copas, who are taking the same cruise we are taking. While the Copas’ enjoyed the sights of CT we read a book while being docked in the harbor. I have no problem not going ashore at all, in fact I like it. The ship is so comfortable that excursions seem like work.

We left CT and stopped at Port Elizabeth, South Africa, the following day. We took the shuttle from the dock of Port Elizabeth to visit the shopping center in town but we
 
Shuttle Bus Into Port Elizabeth
did not stay long. Port Elizabeth is a very large harbor town, a commercial place, it has few touristy things. The amusement park/shopping center was just not for us. So after a quick walk through, we went back to the ship.

Scary Sign on the Shuttle Bus

Amusement Park in Port Elizabeth









The next stop in South Africa, East London, was a town stop but, again, there was nothing exceptional for me to look at. I did not even get off the ship. Carol however visited the village of  Khaya La Bantu, a village of the Xhosa People. Nelson Mandela was of the Xhosa tribe. The Xhosa have a unique language with clicking sounds that sound odd to my ears. Maybe I missed something by not visiting this village, but that is hind sight. Carol seemed to have had a great time meeting the people, watching their dances and being made welcome by the tribe. Carol’s report of her visit to the village is in the next blog note.

Xhosa Dancers
 
Colourful South African Rick Shaw









The Town of Durban was the next stop. We were told Durban has the biggest Indian population in South Africa. I expected to see “little India” but that was not the case. Durban is a regular South African town. We took the shuttle bus and ended up at the “Golden Mile”, a stretch of beach Durban commercialized with restaurants, shops and amusement park rides. We walked along the board walk yet we seem to be jaded as tourists. We needed nothing from any of the shops. We did not even feel hungry enough to eat something and for sure did not need kiddie rides from the nearby amusement park!
Local Kids in Durban

The town of Durban itself has a busy downtown. The harbor area is clean but very commercial and busy and a working place. The people in Durban were friendly and nice and we noted, very good looking. I could not tell what race they were. They were a good mix of everything, the rainbow of colors that South Africa is known for reflects off their faces. Durban’s population, while it has the largest Indian population of South Africa, is a mix of White, Black and Indian. The native features of India might be the most prevalent on the faces of the people of Durban. Their facial features are very even, their skin tones, while on the dark side, are pleasantly coco colored. It seems only the best of each racial group manifested itself in the people of Durban.

Richards Bay was our next and final stop for South Africa. We had a Zulu Village trip pre-booked. The excursion started with an hour and a half bus ride to visit what we were told was a living village of Zulu people. It is sanctioned and supported by the present king of the Zulus, King Goodwill who is a descendant of the famous King Shaka, who gave the British such a hard time in the tribal wars of South Africa around 1860. So I expected to see how thing were around Shaka’s time; at least a good representation of it.

After the bus ride we were all marched to the souvenir shop first, for a bathroom stop. The lonely commode could not handle all the flushing of about 50 people and went on strike.
Our Greeters and Guides

We walked back again to the two buses and were now greeted by Isaac and Wanda who were our guides and instructors before we were allowed to enter the actual village. Basic Zulu language instructions were given before we even entered the village proper. At one point Isaac reverted to pure Zulu to give us instructions. Needless to say, nobody understood a word. Zulu is a difficult language to learn, to even listen to and to pronounce properly. The
Language Lesson
whole language lesson seemed to go on forever and after sometime my eyes crossed each other and my mind went blank. I could not see the point, why would I need to learn the language of the Zulu just to enter a village?

After what seemed like quite awhile, Wanda gave a drum signal via a drum near the entrance to the village, announcing to the village that we were coming. We had to wait for a drum response before we were allowed to
Entering the Village
proceed further. A few moments later, we did hear the drum response, OK for the visitors to come into the village.

Following a dirt path with bushes and trees on both sides of it, we came within sight of the stockade surrounding the village. Immediately it became obvious that this was a dead place; a museum at best. A few Zulus, or let's say people acting like Zulus, were hanging around looking bored. There was no life at all inside the stockade. All was erected to
Village Women and Children
give a poor impression of what it might have been like back in 1840. Grass covered roofs on round huts were displayed but they seemed artificial to me. There were no chickens running around, no goats in their pens, no fires were going, no children were playing. This place is a corpse. I immediately lost interest and felt cheated and mislead. I did not want to see a museum; I wanted to see a living Zulu village. True to my personality I stood at the outside of the guided tour and 
Small Sized Villager 

from here on just watched the other people being led around the compound. Inside I was fuming for being so stupid to fall for this Zulu sales pitch. I felt like a victim. Seething within, I only noted the negatives. So my report is lopsided.

I noted the disrepair of the stockade fence, the grass roofs that needed immediate repair, the plywood doors on some of the huts, the plastic chairs
Making Weapons
hidden inside a few huts, the concrete floors instead of the original and what should have been, dirt floors. I noticed the lethargic display the people (actors) displayed. This was their job, this was how they coaxed money out of tourist pockets any way they could. Maybe it was all set up by King Goodwill and those folks only followed orders. I don't know; I just hated it. I could not wait for this village tour to end. Even the display at the end, showing how Zulu warriors fought and trained for battle,
One of the Village Huts
left me cold and uninterested. Sure, their energy level was impressive and they seemed scary to face in battle but once I feel made the fool, I only feel contempt towards the other. The high heat, 32+ C, might not have helped the situation. It was hot even sitting in the shade watching their performances. I felt relieved when we all could climb back on the bus and leave this circus performance.



Inside Hut with Concrete Floor





This relief did not last long though. The AC on the bus did not work. The windows could not be opened. We drove back to the ship for an hour and a half sitting in an oven. Literally! Water dripped down my back, the air was stifling, the temperature inside the bus in the 40’s plus. The growling and moaning of the other passengers grew loud and menacing but what can be done. It was best to just grin and bare it. The ship’s AC never felt better once we got off the bus and we literally ran to get cooled off.  Even just stepping off the bus, stepping back into 32+C brought us a sigh of relief.


Once on board again we had to go through immigration, a face to face affair with South African Border Control because we were now leaving South Africa’s Territory. Our next country to visit is Mozambique. 









Zulu Woman Demonstrating Carrying a Large Bowl on Her Head