David (taken by Sue) at the top of Stromness
July 13
We’ve been travelling this week and internet is only occasional so we haven’t really tried to get online. The coast-line is stunningly beautiful with mountains constantly on our west side and the Indian Ocean crashing its breakers on our east. Two nights ago we selpt in a backpackers right on the beach — an old beach change-hut! Our bird and flower books and binoculars have been in much use, too!

But we also spent a wonderful day with Elaine Botha in Mossel Baai (she once taught Tim at Redeemer) who told us all her anti-apartheid activist stories from the 1970s. She was a new Christian believer when she also started to see the implications of her faith for speaking out against injustice and for her pains was under close police surveillance for years. We were wet-eyed (as was she) as she recounted those days and she still shivered as she recalled the sense of always being watched and bugged.

Now we’re starting on some of the serious long drive up the east coast towards Pietermaritzburg, then Imfolozi (the national park) and Lesotho for next week…

beautiful beach scenes

houses on the Transkei
July 17
Tonight we’re in Khumbalani backpackers in Mtubatuba readying ourselves for a 5:30 a.m. start tomorrow to go into Mfolozi National Park in an open 4×4… hope to see at least 3 of the big five. Last night we were in the guest accommodation of African Enterprise in Pietermaritzburg and this
morning we walked in Queen Elizabeth Park there and saw impala as well as many birds. AE is a Christian outfit involved in mission, reconciliation, urban relief, and other such… Sunday we spent in the Drakensbergs — a majestic mountain range, looking out towards Lesotho. We were in a
backpackers at the foot of the Sani Pass. Unbelievable colours and light! The veld is golden with reddish tinges and the mountains are variously red (at dawn and dusk) and blue in the distance. Sue hiked up a terrific hill to Stromness and down again — about 2 and a half hours! We then walked
again to a waterfall for a picnic lunch before driving a dirt road for about 60km to see more stupendous scenery!

Prior to that we crossed the Transkei, the apartheid era homelands where little concrete homes are scattered over hillsides for 3-400 km… The sign by the road said ’stray animals for 150 km’! It’s all amazing and hard to take in! We’re in a new car, having broken down at a crazy laid-back ocean backpackers in Chintsa (near East London) and having to go in the rescue truck back to EL airport to pick up a new car! There, we’d been for a dawn (7:00 a.m.) kayak in the salt-water lagoon before starting out on our long drive (then delayed because of the car problems!). The night before (we’re working backwards for the sake of time on an old dial-up computer) we were in Port Elizabeth (where we’d not meant to end up, but a surfers competition meant that the place that we’d intended to stay was fully-booked!). As you can gather we’re having a great time. There’s so much to learn about so many things, and marvellous scenery at every turn. Mostly we’re warm and toasty in the daytimes but occasionally chilly at night. The possible cause of the car problems, however, was driving through torrential rain when we had to slow right down just to proceed safely…

We’re concerned about the dreadful news from Lebanon but glad to get Al’s update from Beirut. Israel is wreaking such appallingly awful revenge for the taking of two soldiers and using Bush language to justify itself… We pray for peace and for sheer humanity to prevail…

animal photos taken in Hluhluwe Umfolozi National Park

July 23
We just drove into Durban, on schedule, for the ISA congress, We’re in an ocean-view room where we can see surfers and hundreds of Sunday afternoon fishers trying their luck from the pier! Now we’re in an endlesss snaking line waiting to register — I’ve met several friends from different countries already. We’ll be done in time for the opening song-dance-and-speeches ceremonies soon I hope!

David Sue and Sister Maria

David talks to Tieho in Lesotho

a Lesotho scene

So hard to give you any idea of the fantastic country we’ve been touring for the past three weeks. Just spectacular scenery, and wonderful people we’ve met everywhere. Our journal and pictures should capture some, but other experiences will remain in our heads and hearts… Some things we’ve been obliged to remember afterwards, though. At African Enterprise in PMB we were given Indian African food including pickles masala — pickled veggies with spices. Three days later Sue suddenly noticed that our perspiration still smelled of pickles masala!

We have stayed in some weird and wonderful places, including one backpacker that we discovered was once used as a brothel! (We got the best room, too!) Then the last two nights we were in a convent guest house in Lesotho. The sister-in-charge was about 4′6″ tall and quite round. Very sweet, too. The visit to schools and the hospital with the HIV-AIDS clinic — Tsepong — was worthwhile… we’ve learned sooo much! Today we gave a ride to Tieho, a 24 year old young man from Lesotho whose mother died of AIDS-related allergies and other ailments last year (aged 45). His father’s an alhoholic so we brought him to find his grandparents near Durban, from which he hopes to find a job.

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