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uMgungundlovu District Municipality

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    • Overlanding Through Africa
      Day 14

      Arriving at Mama’s

      May 20, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      We then drove to our homestay for the night. Sindy came along, too. On the way, we stopped at a bottle shop to buy beer.

      The homestay was down a very narrow lane and then down a steep hill into the yard. Ernest did a sterling job with both to get us to our destination safely.

      At the homestay, we were introduced to Mama, our host for the night. She invited us into her living/dining room and then came round to meet us all individually. She was very warm and seemed genuinely happy to have us in her home. Normally, she lives there with her three grown-up children and one of her grandchildren, Lily, who is seven. So, to have us all descend on her must have been a bit of an imposition!

      Dinner was served almost immediately. Mama’s youngest daughter, Konya (who looks remarkably like Narissa from Tobago!), explained what all the dishes were. We were then invited to help ourselves. It was all very good.      Read more

    • Overlanding Through Africa
      Day 14

      A visit to a sangoma or healer

      May 20, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      Our walk took us to the home of a teenage sangoma or healer, or witch doctor as we call them in the west. She seemed very young. Apparently, she had been called to be a healer at the age of 13 and had gone through nine months of training to achieve her certification. With Sindy acting as interpreter, she explained the clothing a healer wears and the herbs he or she uses to heal her patients. The treatment she offers does not replace orthodox medicine. Rather, it complements it. She then danced for us, accompanied by a boy playing a drum. It was all very interesting. I’m sure it works for some people.

      It is more usual for sangoma to be much older than the one we met. We were told of two healers in their fifties. One had been called by the ancestors of her grandfather. When she danced, she made very masculine, guttural sounds as the spirits came through her. The other had been called by the spirit of her grandmother. She was much more feminine when she danced. Both had gone through six years of training up in the mountains to become fully fledged sangoma. They were not allowed any contact with males during this time, and both had to follow a strict vegan diet, the belief being that male or animal spirits could contaminate them. After six years, a cow and a goat were slaughtered, and they each had to drink a horn filled with their blood!

      The first sign that a person is called to be a sangoma is that they become ill. If they refuse to accept their calling, they will surely die!      Read more

    • Overlanding Through Africa
      Day 14

      A Zulu dance performance

      May 20, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

      A group of locals then drummed and danced for us. Typical Zulu dancing involves lots of high kicking and foot stamping. It looks strange to our eyes, but it is very rhythmical.

      The whole performance, especially by the youngest members of the group, was very entertaining. Inevitably, members of our group were encouraged to join in! By the time the children had finished, the sun was going down and they were all freezing in their scanty costumes! We all tipped them generously!Read more

    • Overlanding Through Africa
      Day 14

      Traditional Zulu homes and costumes

      May 20, 2023 in South Africa

      After meeting the healer, we continued our walk, picking up some random children along the way. We were taken to a traditional rondeval where Sindy explained how this building is used in Zulu families and the special clothing that is worn for ceremonies.

      Villagers then arrived to dress up Cassie and Kurt (whose birthday it was today) in traditional attire. The obligatory photos were taken 😀.      Read more

    • Overlanding Through Africa
      Day 14

      Some songs and lunch

      May 20, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

      After the orientation, we went inside to be entertained by the project’s manager, mSizi. He played the keyboard and sang us several songs he had written himself, as well as one cover. He had a beautiful voice.

      We then had lunch (beef and sausages cooked on the braai, salad, cheese, and bread), and were given snack bags (crisps, an energy bar, and an apple) to keep us going during the afternoon!!

      We were sitting under an interesting-looking tree covered in large, cream berries. It was called Siringa, or the china berry tree. Goats eat the berries, but they are poisonous to humans.      Read more

    • Overlanding Through Africa
      Day 14

      Valley of 1000 Hills

      May 20, 2023 in South Africa

      This morning was a pretty miserable pack up in the rain. We put our tents and bedding away wet. We were relieved to know that we now have six nights NOT camping! Ivan made fried eggs, chicken sausages, and baked beans for breakfast. To add to our woes, the gas ran out mid cook, but he improvised over a damp fire! Once again, we had to keep the cheeky monkeys at bay!

      Typically, the forecast was much better today. By the time we set off for our 5 – 6 hour drive, the sun was shining!! We drove towards Durban, stopping twice on the way for toilet breaks. We went beyond the city of Durban to the Valley of 1000 Hills, the Zulu homeland. The scenery was spectacular.

      We were heading to a project which Intrepid has supported since 2000, Light Providers. This organisation helps young people with life skills classes including help with computers (local schools often have computer equipment donated by charities, but nobody knows how to use it, so it gets locked away in a cupboard!), finances, and business courses, as well as recreational activities including music. We met Sindy, who explained Zulu culture to us and told us how helpful it was to her community to have support from Intrepid.      Read more

    • TravelerExplore South Afrika
      Day 21

      Premier Resort Sani Pass

      February 18, 2023 in South Africa

      Unser momentanes Hotel liegt am Fusse des Sani Passes und ist absolut nicht erwähnenswert. Trotzdem will ich ein bisschen was darüber erzählen…

      Das Essen ist naja, hatten gestern Buffet wobei die frittierten Jalapenos im Teigmantel gammlig gestunken haben als wären sie schon Wochen alt. Die Anlage ist riesig 120 Zimmer und sieht von aussen garnicht schlecht aus. Ist aber mehr Schein als sein. Es ist alles ziemlich heruntergekommen, der Tennisplatz sieht aus als hätte man ihn vor 30 Jahren zuletzt benutzt. Die Hotelzimmer sind ok, jedoch stinkt es aus dem Abfluss richtig übel nach Kanalisation und den Kamin in der Lobby zünden sie mit altem Platikabfall an.

      Das einzige was man hier als wirklich positiv bezeichnen kann ist die Aussicht auf die Drakensberge.

      Hier sind wir bestimmt das erste und das letzte mal.

      Wir freuen uns schon auf Morgen wenn wir den Sani Pass mit unserem Auto erklimmen können.      Read more

      See translation
    • TravelerAfrica visit with Eric & Susan
      Day 9

      2 Churches, Old Friends, and Picnic

      June 4, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

      We attended the English speaking church in town as the choir from UBI was singing 3 songs. Susan was the choir director. They did a great job.

      While visiting afterwards, I ran into Dan Genheimer. He was a classmate of mine from Moody.

      The story goes, Dan’s mother and Ramona Schroeder were classmates at Wheaton and when Dan started attending Moody, he would frequently go and visit the Schroeder’s at Foster Ave Baptist Church and that’s where I attended while going to MBI.

      Another story is that we ran into him like during Gary’s 3rd year at Moody when Dan brought their son to attend John Brown University.

      Small World … Big Family

      Then we drove over to the Binion’s Sulu church. I didn’t understand a thing except when they interjected a few English words here and there.

      We drove to a park and joined Stephanie and David and kids for a pizza picnic. There was a miniature train we all rode.

      We finished the evening with a FaceTime call to dad and then to Mark Hopper (our old youth director) from way back in the 70’s.

      Eric and Susan had a Skype call with their kids. Then we taught them the game “Left, Center, Right”, a game we played on the cruise ship during Sea Days.

      While playing the game, we shared some hard times, good times and funny times while being a missionary. We enjoyed sharing.      Read more

    • TravelerAfrica visit with Eric & Susan
      Day 8

      With Eric and Susan

      June 3, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

      We met Friday night at the huge Pavilion Mall in Durban. We had a delicious meal getting caught up on what’s happened. We told stories about our being brought up in the Methodist church and the switch over to Northwest. And the old high school youth group trips, old friends and old times.

      We drove in 2 cars through the curvey roads up towards Pietermaritzburg And eventually the Union Bible Institute campus in Hilton.

      We are staying in a guest house.Friday night we slept under 2 blankets. No heat.

      Saturday morning, we left at 8 to go to outdoor market and then we walked thru the botanical gardens. We’re south of the Ecuador, so it’s winter here, the trees are turning. Susan stayed back to fight her cold.

      Then a tour of the town. We stopped at the old train station that has a history story of Gahdi. Then we ran several errands with Eric and also drove up to a resort near-by.

      I took a 3 hour nap and we joined Eric, Susan and adult daughter Stephanie, David and 2 grandchildren Brad and Ira for dinner. We celebrated Eric’s 66th      Read more

    • TravelerAfrica visit with Eric & Susan
      Day 11

      Last day in South Africa

      June 6, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 55 °F

      I must have been tired as I slept in til 8:45. Glenn was up and about.

      We drove to the shopping center about 3km away for breakfast. We ate at a restaurant much like Panera bread. I had waffles and Glenn had scrambled eggs. Then we went to Spur, the local grocery store, as I wanted to see if they had any more TimmTamm cookies that we liked in Australia. Nope. But I got some other cookies.

      We made it back to UBI just in time for Glenn to grill the chicken for the cookout.

      The past 2 days Eric and Susan participated in a strategic planning meetings with the leadership and board members of Union Bible Institute. And so at the end, they had a cook out. Everyone (20) came over to the guest house where we were staying and we enjoyed the late lunch in the dinning room.

      I met Ben Barthelemy who graduated from Moody in 2008 along with Thomas. I also found out that he’s related to Tammy’s husband. Small world…Big Family.

      I had my 3:00pm zoom call with the Azmera group that meets weekly at 8:00amTyler time. It was a very good zoom call about gratitude.

      Glenn and I played Phase10, then we played with Susan as Eric read my Coast to Coast bicycle book.

      We had to cancel our monthly zoom call with the Guatemala field because of roaming blackout.

      Early morning pick up for our ride to Durban airport.      Read more

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    uMgungundlovu District Municipality

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