Speed Demons

Trip Start Oct 06, 2008

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Swaziland Ezulwini Valley, Swaziland
Sunday, October 26, 2008

Despite not being able to feel the lower half of my body (see yesterday's entry) I went on the cultural quad bike tour anyway. It was great fun zipping through all the villages taking in the view, drinking the local moonshine and learning about some of the Swazi culture. Like how spiritual leaders fit into the Swazi community.

Imagine that you wanted to quit smoking. You'd pay your spiritual leader a visit and (after giving him some money) he'd tell you that it's not you that's addicted to nicotine but a demon that's living inside you. Easy enough to cure, just your standard purification ritual that, from what I understand amounts to near drowning in a sacred river and drinking so much of the water that you vomit out the 'demon'.

No big problem there I hear you say

Brook

. If they want to drink till vomit, good for them. No different to the majority of Londoners on a Saturday night. However it does get a bit darker as you can return to your spiritual leader a week later complaining that the demon has returned.

"Oh what's it done this time" he might say. "Cut my wife's head off" says you. "Ah, that'll require a very complicated (read expensive) exorcism".

So you pay the money and when the police come knocking you can say that you were with your spiritual leader who'll back you up. The police know what's going on, but because you're trying to 'cure' yourself more often than not you won't be prosecuted. Sounds crazy and obviously isn't widespread but it does happen.

p.s. I only crashed my quad bike once in a high speed down hill chase. Might've slightly bent the handle bars as I went arse over tit...