Greetings From Swazi

So much going on and so many places to go to chilling out today at the pool still here at swazi back0packers. Went to the concert at House on Fire only to find it was a rap group they were good however and incrediable dancers. Met up with some Canadian friends again and German Patrick it seems is at every other hostel. Still with my Dutch and Dane friends. My Swedish friends left today for Mozumibque while two more girls from England moved in I've been with as well up the coast. Was taken by one of the people here to a real gospel singing church it was just amazing. The talent the people have here. This country is probably on the top of being one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. The people can't be more friendly. It is so easy to hitch hike here (I don't do it alone). Everyone has trucks stop while you climb in the back and off you go. The other mode of transportation is the mini buses and they are really an adventure. They pack as many people they can get in them. It seems I always get between to large ones or on the edge of my seat with two beside me. Of course the music just roars over here loudly as well.The big event however was yesterday getting to a place about an hour and half from here to attend the Kings birthday party. 6 of us left the hostel at about 6 am to hopefully find a ride into Manzini and to find transportation from there to the stadium where the party was to be held. We got a ride luckly from a guy with a truck and we all pilled in. It seemed everyone you saw was waving and happy and all going to the same place. The Irish people we were with found a big bus going there and again like the mini's they put as many as they can just barley shutting the door and off you go. A gospel vidio was on the whole way and of course the people were just a rocking. We went up into the mountains looking down into the valleys below was sensational. We were dropped off in town and just followed the crowd walking it was about a mile away. There it was with flags from every country flying above the stadium and people just everywhere selling food, clothes you name it it was there. After going through security we found the best seats in town directly across from the Kings throne where he was to sit. There was entertainment going full tilt when we got there from dancing their native dances to huge choirs, groups singing. About 200 warriors came in with the animal skins on with their spears in hand. All ages sizes you name it. They also performed the native dances as well. Bands started coming on board with dazzling majorettes doing all types of patterns in the field. It came now time for the kings guards and his band to appear. Hundreds of guards in bright red coats with black pants and red stripes. Almost looked like the RCMP's. They filled fhe field with their marching in so many formations and the band was also unreal. Then it was time for the King's wives (all 12 of them) to arrive as well as the queen mother. Now it was the Kings turn. He arrived in a jeep painted all colours standing tall as they went around the stadium twice waving to all. AFter he went to sit on his throne time again for his guards to perform as they marched by him a salute to them was given. I don't think I have ever seen anything as spectular as this day. It just went on and on never stopping until we had to leave to find our bus hopefully to get back to Manzini than another mine to here. Tomorrow is an all day 4 wheeler quad bike day. MY dutch and dane friend are going and we are moving to another hostel situated in a game park. It takes so we are told 40 minutes to walk just to get to the main gate to get out to do things. Oh well it is supposed to be beautiful. Maybe I'll wake up in the am with a hippo in my room. Saturday is an all drive day going back into South Africa again and getting to Jo'berg for a 2 night stay at the North and South hostel and than home 19 hours later. This has been about the best adventure I have ever had. So many things I have seen and of course the party with me always goes on That is an every night event. New people to travel with hopefully to S. America this time. Will probably be on one more time before I leave for reality and the same conversations I was having before I left. I finally met a woman my age who is also a traveller. She and I are going to a sangoma tonight. A physic guy in the township not too far away and of course she has a car. Time for the sunshine and relax and waite for all my friends to come back tonight with their stories especially my newfie from Newfoundland who is an amazing musician. He plays for us at the bar every night. Still living the life to the fullest and hopefully you all are to.
ME

Chris from Bangor I'm back on the 2nd of May will call the office when I return looking forward to seeing you and pictures like you've never seen before.

Chris B #2 I expect a nice dinner next weekend like a good roast beef?

Jimmy I can't waite to see you and the dog. You and I will have to go out and celebrate. I just can't seem to get you on the phone. It will be another week and I will be there.

Darby Did you get the place schedule to give to Hycie?

Mitch We still must go on a travel together even if it is back to Mexico. I do plan on coming back to the UK not to worry we shall meet up again.

Emily & Mike so glad the company is doing so well. I do miss you guys hopefully you can come across the pond again this summer.

Tracey I think of you often so sorry things did not work out. You are a good person and you shall find another equally good one. Don't give up. Just start saving money again you can travel with me.

Wally Are those damned little fleas still around from the beach? They have them here I think I have bought out every store sprays to kill them. See you in Florida and you to David Murphy/

from Swaziland backpackers

10 more days and counting now. I'm staying here for at least 6 of those days so much to see and do plus the place is like a palace. Way out in the country with little mini buses packed full of people to take you to town costing only 4 rand about .50 cents. The ride here from St. Lucia was an eventful one quite eventful. The driver had not one but two cell phones one in each hand while driving mind you and shifting with his knee as he did not want to stop his conversation or look up a number while driving. We had to go through customs to get into the country dropped us off it seemed forever to walk to cross over and when we did he was no where in site. Did the toilet routine looked in a shop bought some more brain food and still no driver or baz bus. finally he arrived and away we go again. The country is beautiful and the people are the best. It is not at all dangerous here compared to S. Africa. One of my room mates I was with at Mantis & Moon she being black and from Namibia made a big difference on our travels we did yesterday. Met up with another German girl and away we went for our first day out here in the country. We caught the mini bus into the town of Manzini a real african experience and went to one of their markets. At least 100 mini buses were about where we got and all really wiondering if we could find the right one to get back to the hostel. I've never experienced a day like yesterday. After the market and the bargining down on prices we again went back to the crazy mini bus place to try and find another one to take us to another place where candles are made also a craft market as well. Having no idea where this place was and finally finding the right bus craming ourselves in and I mean cram away we go again. The country side was beautiful but getting a bit risky as this place was in no wheres ville. With the music playing loud and everyone bumping and grinding in their seats (including me) being the only white people on the bus the rest thought it was great. Did the look around thing now wondering how we were to get back again to town which was about 40 minutes away decided we would go to another place instead further up the road but did not know how far the next place was. We tried to haul down the mini buses but they were to full so the next thing to do is hitch hike. We finally got a ride got in the back of the pickup truck the driver dropped us off and told us where to walk to find another mini bus. We got to our destination had a look around another Swazi market got on another bus back to Manzini when we decided again lets go the the place "house on fire" after finally getting on the right bus off we go again only to find house on fire was closed when we got there. Went to the Irish pub next door to it and got a ride from one of the patrons drinking there back to our hostel. In all we were gone over 14 hours. The house on fire is having a huge rock concert tonight getting tickets for it as well as for my two friends arriving here around 7 on the baz bus. The dutch guy again and another friend from Norway. They called me to make arrangements for this as Michael had seen this group in Namibia. On Monday going back to Manzini to the soccer arena to celebrate the King's birthday. It will be a full day of watching just about anything and everything including seeing the kings entrance around 2 o'clock with his 12 wives. that should be interesting. Going to the capitol city tomorrow for a look around and who knows where else. Well a nice surprise my Swedish friends just arrived with their rental car. My new best friends of course will be heading out again real soon as food shopping needs to be done. don't forget live the life you love and love the life that you live. If life was like a parachute and it did not open well you know the rest.

bye for now,
Me

Emily I am doing great Darby needs me to work earlier than I expected that is the only reason for my not stopping over in the UK. Start making plans however for the return visit.

Darby Did you get my airline information I sent you?

Chris in Bangor How are we doing on the case? Do we have a date yet for what I have to do?

Fr. Marc Have I got some music for the 5 O'clock mass you will love it. Going to a full black gospel church on Sunday to hear the singing and Sat. night to the Cathedral in Manzini.

leaving tomorrow for Swaiziland

Sending this off as another different country and don't know the situations yet about computers ect. I know my cell phone won't work there oh well. Went on a game drive this am 5 am to be exact. The two crazy dutch people who had their problems in Durban and 2 from Nova Scotia. It was cold rainy sides open wide so one can see (the rain that is) not too many animals like I have seen in the past still what ever animals seen is a plus as never will see these guys in North America. A few giraffs, some rino's zebras all over the place and the usual antelope. Could of stayed here and some rum and cokes and kept warm. First time no room mates almost hate to leave. Had a great time last night at the night drive ended up at a game club quite interesting. The people there were as interested in us as we were in them. The bell sisters ding and dong just arrived on the baz bus most people who have seen them have now all dissapeared. Remember I said some people I've met are quite entertaining and some off their trolley's? AThese fit both scenes. The weather here has been terrible rain like I've never seen before however they are right about one thing. Yes the hippo's do walk down the street the grassy side that is. No more snake stories nor spiders as of yet I'm sure they are just around the corner. A girl I knew from a few hostels ago has just come down with tick fevour. There is alot of this over here as well as the aids thing. A funeral everyday no matter where you go is always present. Have met up with some great voltuneers who work with these people as well as ones on the peace core. If you think that everything that comes along your way will get to you def. stay at home as it just might do. Only a little over a week and I shall be back to the life I almost forgot except the people in it. The freedom as all who are the travellers know when it is about to end already your thinking of the next one or place or so forth. At the moment S., AMerica still might be the next one. Work hard and leave later as long as the cage door is open this free spirit will fly and keep on flying. For now until the next adventure.
me

greetings from Unbzumbi mantis and the moon backpackers

Arrived here late last night by the overcroweded baz bus. Very very hard to leave Amamapondo backpackers and Port Saint John. Stayed at this place for 16 days and still not long enoungh. It was situated high on a hill overlooking the ocean where breakage in the electricty was alot and candles were everywhere. We would load everynight so many people in the small landrover to drive to the now acient airstrip where only cows use to see the sunset. Free oysers come with the staying at amapondo they come on the trip as well as an eskie full of beers and wine coolers. People hang off the sides sit up top and we actually got 13 people inside one time. I almost felt I was back in India again with the bus situation only chickens and a few goats were missing. There was a long long veranda housing arund 8 hammocks at least 6 couches and a few chairs all beckoning to come and lie or sit in them. The bar is where everything tooik place. A raging party every night with dancing on the tables and bar. The floor was wooden making it even better. You would see cop cars lined up in the long drive only they were not on duty just hanging out at the bar. Very convient people to know. When I get to Petoria where I fly out on May 1st the cops I met there at the bar are picking me up at the hostel and away we go to have a look see around their area. There is still the Irish guy colm back in the dorm the rest of us left having to go our seperate ways except the dutch guy he is still travelling with me before he leaves back to Holland. The ocean like here as well you can hear the waves crashing at night. The sand goes on forever. The other night we hiked up some rather large hills to go to a shebeen ( township pup). It overlooked all of Saint Johns bay a bit scarey coming down as most of it was steep it's the snake thing is what can happen. There were two large black mamba's under the bar which were promptly removed and one of the banna trees in front of my dorm a boomslang (posineous tree snake) decided to take up residence. One also like going into one of the toilets as well. Nonething happens however they are just as much a part of Africa as we are. Everynight is a feast. Fisherman come daily to the hostels selling cray fish, fish, oysers, mussels the likes.This the first place where there has been a computer I could use so better try and catch up on all the happening things. Hikes again to waterfalls into Xhosa villages to meet and see the real people dance singsect. Sundays is a real treat to go to one of their gospel churches the singing is just outstanding. The friends made here are mates for life. Guess I better start liking Glasgow Scotland a bit better than I did as one girl lives there I must see. The rest are from Perth Scotland and for some reason I can't excape the jordies from New Castle. My Swiss and danish friends meeting up with again in Durban in a few days time another rocking place called Tewikini. From Durban after Easter leaving for Zulu land than onto Swaziland. I'm leaving on the first of May so don't have all that much time now. I hate to be the bearer of bad news guys but I won't be stopping like I had planned in the UK only to change planes and heading back to Boston instead. Too much to get done and ready to work which is coming eariler than expected. I shall however plan on a trip back over probably around the end of October instead. but for now back to Port St. Johns. The town is so typical african. Music blaring from just everywhere sound like bob marley is back in town again and again. of course the dancing fool takes off bouncing around the town like the pied piper with all the people behind me laughing and singing. I went one night into town with 5 others who were all sick with sinus infections to see the Dr. Dr. Mahoney no less from Ireland of course. He was great showed up the next night for one of the many raging parties brought more drugs with him for all the rtest of the sick group. No one seemed to be any better. Next move was Johnny rotten a cousin of Colms (the irish guy) who has become a some what healer. Heal he did all of us. I was told after licking the black sort of stuff than throwing my hands over my head it was a combo of burnt snakes and some kind of plants. It did the trick and in one day was up and running again. I also took some courses for the last weekend there on indian head massage and stone healing. Fanstic it was including the teachers. They even came and joined in on the party attitude enough so the following morning our class started a little later. As to here it is beautiful. A huge spa next to the rock pool above the hugh bar and dance floor. Above all this is the dorms in treetops. Only four to a dorm which is great and no bunk beds to climb. At the moment cooking a nice roast lamb for supper tonight got a ride into town to do some shopping in the village. A beautiful spot but the traveling must begin again. Meeting up with old friends along the way is now common. Patrick the german guy is now back in my dorm he was last seen about 4 weeks ago at another place. Nonething ever ends and new beginnings just keep coming. Have a happy and blessed Easter everyone I shall be spending it in Durban with a meal to booit from people I met in Away with the Faries a few weeks ago who live there. What a deal ey..

Ride only Unicorns they take you away faster and never cost a cent. Living the life as usual.
ME

emily I shall cal you when I get in the UK on the 2nd. Yoiu must make plans now for Agust again.

Mitch you also must come over the pond as well

Jimmy, Darby and Russ I love you and all my little grandbabies.......................and you to B#2

by way if you are wondering how much these hostels cost a night. You pay for three nights get the fourth one free. Each night costs in American dollars 7.00 can;'t beat that with a stick can you. You buy and cook your own food unless there is something you would rather eat the hostel cooks are making and that is usually only like 6 or 7 dollars as well.