Dundee

  Dundee, South Africa
Friday, January 13, 2006

Hello Everyone,

We left Ulundi and carried onward to an area of Battlefields from the different wars that went on throughout South Africa's history.

We drove to a battlefield called Isandlwana. It was where a battle took place between the Zulu tribe and the British in 1879. The british were based at a camp at the bottom of a hill. A couple of british soldiers came over the crest of a hill to spot about 2000 Zulu warriors. They thought this was the whole group of them. Little did they know that another 20,000 or so where crouched down hiding in the tall grass. The Zulus decided to attack while they had the advantage and totally wiped out the unexpecting british in a quick defeat. The site wad dotted with many groups of white stones piled ontop of graves where the british soldiers fell.



We didn't get a chance to go to the other nearby battlefied of Rorke's Drift where the Zulus did not have such a favourable outcome. The british killed many zulus as they didnt have a chance fighting with animal hide shields and spears against the guns and canons.

We stayed in Dundee in a nice backpackers. It was a small one with only a couple of rooms and a common kitchen, as well as an adjacent building with a nice sitting room. We ended up having the whole place to ourselves. It was called the BBI BackPackers, the owner was very pleasant. Even gives out your choice of a free beer or pop when you arrive.

After breakfast we checked out and went to the Talana museum in Dundee. It is also the site of a battle. The musuem was well done. It had a display of glass making, which used to be one of the main industries along with coal mining in Dundee. There were some beautiful examples of glass work. It also had a mock coal mine to go through, complete with sounds, etc. Some of the original farm houses were on the site, complete with the contents that the people lived with in the houses. The history of the battle on the site was also explained.





We then headed to yet another battlefield, this area is riddled with them. Apparently war/history buffs come from all over the world to see the numerous battlefields south africa has to offer.

This one was called the Blood river site. It was between the Zulu and the Boers in 1838. This is one of the only places with two seperate museums on its site. There are two accounts of what happended during this battle, the Zulu and the Boer version. Either way you look at it many Zulus lost their lives in this battle.



Bye for now.