Old Coach Road Guest House Barberton

... in and they were set out nicely on the hillside, but they are not in view or near to the campsite. All the views around were awesome.

We were the only ones on camp, and after pitching the tents we went for a walk towards a picnic site about 2km from the camp. It was really pleasant and this is considered to be the last wilderness in Swaziland, it covers a vast area in the western part of the country. The next day we ...

... the Malolotja falls was lovely. But the main thing about our stay here was the first chance we've had since we got here to actually relax a little. This was the first time we didn't have to be up and out early so as to get somewhere else before it got dark (sunset is around 5pm at the moment, so short days to achieve everything).

And the cabin we stayed in was massive - actually for 5 people, but the per person rate system worked in ...

... including food and the infrastructure has been slowly deteriorating for the past 8 years.  In the campgrounds we stayed at, once a light bulb burns out that's it, there is no replacement.  Businesses are closed, hotels are closed and people are out of work.  The areas we went through were better than most because of their closeness to the RSA, Botswana and Zambian borders where goods can be obtained.  The most remarkable thing about the whole situation is ...

... but we went there during dry season and they were doing prevention burnings. So half of the park was torched. One day we ran to the Main camp and we asked them if they had a restaurant. (the food at our place was good, but not cheap!). While at the main camp this turkey decided it didn't like me and was chasing me around trying to peck me! Even when Chris would stand between us the turkey would run around him and go after me! I looked to ...

... tribal areas in Swaziland congregate and present themselves to the 'world' and the King! They dress up in bright traditional garments and sing and dance for all to see. Young and old join in and the men are present in droves. Heaps of photos to browse through, but notice the Swazi king in the last photo with many surrounding dignitaries.

... that our projects are working on. I wanted to do it even before our project leader talked about how great it was a boy was coming so those things could get worked on... listening to conversations like that are so annoying. digging holes in the ground a couple times a week sounds fantastic, and i don't like people assuming i can't do it. nothing like telling me i can't do something to get me motivated. on the last day i brought the kids candy, pinkie a card, and a ...

... to one another. The man that got married was actually Binki's grandmother's nephew... so that would make him Binki's great cousin? I don't think we have a word for it, and out here they don't feel the need to get a word for it. Binki will just say "you know we are related somehow" and had to ask several times to straighten it out. Of course there was a boy from here creche there who was also somehow related. I sat in the back yard and talked with the family sitting out ...

... were shy this morning, and we saw very little. Afterwards, we had breakfast with the honeymooners from the UK, who gave us some hints for our Australia travels. We took another morning walk, this time with many more guests, thanks to the influx that took place last night. After lunch with a German/South African family and an American who has lived in Jo'burg for many years, we had our afternoon siesta, which is now! After a foray in the outdoor shower, we had our evening game ...

... with one light bulb. I get to use their kitchen to cook, but have found that I hate cooking, now that I have to cook to survive. So I only cook two to three times a week. I can also use their bathroom to bathe myself, but find that I am locked out most nights because they are at church every day. So I explained to them that there are 6 other people living in their home and having me pay half of their utilites is not fair. They started yelling at me about me hiding my food ...

... were selling or bartering out the front. As it was mostly clothing and blankets we were not tempted to buy. Next morning we took a drive into the local game park the Itala Game Reserve which is quite close to town. The park is quite nice, although not overly large. One of the good things with this park is that you can be a bit more relaxed, as the big cats (lions) are absent, so one can get out at lookouts and drive with the window down. Mind you there are ...