Thursday, March 6, 2025 - Durban, South Africa

The rainbow city of Durban is located in the Kwa-Zula Natal Province, once known as the Natal Colony, and the former territory of the famously fierce Zulu King Shaka.  Durban has the pulse, the look, and the complex face of Africa.  The stifling heat can create a sauna effect that soaks you with sweat in minutes.  We were fortunate that today, although it was quite warm, it wasn't the extreme high heat and humidity we could have encountered.  

 

The streets are filled with traditional healers who tout animal organs, vegetable and spice vendors who crowd the sidewalks,  and minibus taxi drivers who honk incessantly as they trawl for business.  Durban is a colorful, stimulating and hypnotic city, steeped in history and culture. Gandhi lived and practiced law here and Winston Churchill visited Durban as a young man.

Durban is located along the extensive Kwa-Zula Natal coastline and is the busiest port in Africa.  It is a fascinating cosmopolitan city which has been greatly affected by Western culture and yet retains brilliant Zulu traditions.  There are palm-lined streets filled with Victorian mansions and fabulous white sand beaches.  It is a quickly changing urban environment.  It is the third largest city in South Africa and has a population of 4 million. The city is quite diverse with 50% Black, 25% Indian, and the remainder are considered "colored" (a mix of races).  The large amount of Indians living here is mainly descendants of the indentured servants brought here by the British in the 1800's. 

In 1948 Apartheid was introduced in South Africa.  Apartheid was a political and social system which was instituted under white-minority rule.  It stood until the early 1990's.  It was finally banned in 1994, when a new constitution was ratified which abolished the previous system of segregation.  Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation. It was characterized by an authoritarian political culture based on white supremacy, which encouraged state repression of the Black, Colored (mixed race), and Asian populations for the benefit of the nation's minority White population.  There was segregation of public facilities and social events, housing and employment opportunities by race.  It also prohibited mixed race marriage as well as making it illegal to have sexual relationships across racial lines.  All South Africans were put into one of four racial groups based on appearance, known ancestry, socioeconomic status, and cultural lifestyle.  They were classified as Black, White, Colored or Indian.  From 1960-1983, 3.5 million Non-White South Africans were removed from their homes and forced into segregated neighborhoods, in one of the largest mass evictions in modern history.  Apartheid sparked significant international and domestic opposition, resulting some of the most influential global social movements of the twentieth century.  

Thirty years since the end of Apartheid, South Africa still grapples with its legacy.  Disenfranchised groups during the period of apartheid will argue today that there is still unequal access to education, unequal pay, segregated communities and massive economic disparities.  They attribute much of this inequality to the existing institutions and attitudes.  Racism has deep roots in the economic, spatial and social fabric of this country.  It reflects the legacy of oppression and subjugation from apartheid and colonialism.  

In 2022, a World Bank report on inequality in South Africa gave it the unfortunate distinction of being the most unequal country in the world.  The report stated that 80% of the country's wealth was in the hands of 10% of the population. It is the Black population who factor the most into the poorest category.  When visiting various neighborhoods in the greater Durban area the inequality in neighborhoods is readily visible, although great strides have been made by various organizations to improve the lives of the Black population and to dismantle systemic racism in South Africa.  

Now for a bit of information about how Bob and I spent our time here. Today, we split up for our activity.  We have been here a couple of times before and Bob wanted to repeat one of our previous tours but I wanted the opportunity to take the shuttle to the beach side shopping area and just stroll along the beautiful coastline.  So, off we went on our separate ways.  Since he's not back yet I'll tell you about my day first.  

A couple of days ago, we were warned by our destination lecturer to be very careful while walking due to the high number of very skilled pickpockets.  We were instructed to remove all of our jewelry and leave all valuables on the ship.  So, armed with information about how to remain safe, I set out to enjoy my day in Durban. 

The shuttle bus was located conveniently just outside the Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal.  It is a very modern structure and easy to navigate.  Once through the terminal I boarded the shuttle and headed toward the shopping area.  It was a quick ride and we arrived at the Shaka Marine World in about 10 minutes. 

A brief stroll along the street gave me an opportunity to soak up a bit of local culture before exploring the shopping area.  As a visitor, the blend of people and cultures creates a cacophony of sights and sounds. Walking along the street my senses were overwhelmed by the amount of vendors selling street food, souvenirs, clothing, and tours.  Taxi drivers were waiting on the sidewalk, promising to provide the most thorough and best tour of the area.  Horns were honking and drivers were irritated with public and tour buses blocking the streets.  Still, it is an exciting and unique city and one of my favorite ports on our African itinerary.  

 

The Shaka Village Walk is home to a unique shopping experience.  It offers a shoppers paradise in an open air environment, as well as affording guests a world of entertainment, family fun, shopping and dining.  It is truly an assault on the senses, with a host of unique outdoor adventure stores, a variety of curio stores and a full flavor of surf and ethnic African clothing stores which allows a retail heaven and culinary adventure rolled into one.  

I browsed in a few of the clothing stores since I'm still looking for a couple more dri-fit t-shirts but it seemed that no one knew what I was talking about when I asked about dry-fit!  I looked around on the shelves but didn't see any shirts so I came away empty handed.

 

As I walked I discovered the Chimp and Zee Rope Adventure Park, which has the longest continuous belay system in Africa!  The amusement is a rope adventure which offers 18 different elements throughout the journey, with two exciting zip lines over a rocky reef and a turtle enclosure.  There was also a zip line over the snorkel lagoon and a portion of a large aquarium.  Although I could only see a portion of the rope adventure, it looked like quite a workout by walking over ropes while tied to the above line.  Everyone who was involved in the adventure appeared to be having a great time.  Soon, it was time for me to move on and continue exploring.

As I walked, there was the smell of tantalizing, tasty food mingled with the cool sea breeze.  I was tempted to stop and treat myself in one of the dozens of outlets.  There was every cuisine you could imagine, but there was one that was an American favorite, good 'ole McDonald's. 

Although I was tempted, I managed to escape without giving in to my burger and fries wish!  I just took the photo of McDonald's and kept walking. Once I arrived at the end of the shopping area, I headed back to the shuttle bus and returned to the ship. 

Just as I arrived at the bus pickup point, I spotted a large group of delightful elementary school children waiting to be picked up by their school bus.  Although I'm sure they are accustomed to many visitors from all over the world, they were smiling, waving and saying hello to me as I passed.  They were such a sweet group of youngsters.  After I took a quick photo of their group, I climbed back on the shuttle bus and returned to the ship.  

Now, here's how Bob spent his day:

Today I had an interesting and informative visit to the traditional PreZulu Zulu Village located in the Valley of a Thousand Hills. The weather was warm which made spending time outdoors and walking comfortable.  On my arrival our group was met by a group of Zulu dancers dressed in traditional clothes and makeup.  We were seated on cement steps as they performed high energy songs and dances.  They are members of the Gasa clan who have been performing unique plays for over 45 years.  For us, they performed dances of courtship and betrothal, throwing the Sangoma's (witch doctor) bones, war and birth, all set to the mesmerizing beat of Zulu drums.

After the performance our group was treated to homemade treats and coffee as we had a chance to spend some time on the balcony with an uninterrupted view of the land with a thousand hills.  The lush, green rolling hills were absolutely spectacular and, once again, served as a reminder of the vastness of this incredible land. We had time to browse through the very interesting gift shop with many items created by the local Zulu villagers.  There was a wealth of ethnic home crafts on sale ranging from pottery, Zulu fabric art, woodcarvings, bead work and jewelry. I bought Twila two pair of handmade earrings.

We then had a chance to explore the Zulu village on our own.  We saw traditional beehive huts and learned more about Zulu life.  We then ventured into the impressive reptile park where some of Africa's most renowned snakes and and crocodiles were on display. 

Prezulu includes a Crocodile and Snake Park where guests are taken on a tour by a knowledgeable Zulu guide. The guide provided interesting facts about crocodiles and snakes.  The visit included an up close meeting with Ramesis, a huge 90 year old Nile crocodile.  There were dozens of alligators and crocs in the enclosures but as close a a few feet from the guests.  No jumping crocs were on the premises.

The tour also included a view of several lizards, iguanas, and very venomous snakes specific to Africa.  All of the reptiles were in glass enclosures but close up for viewing.  The reptiles included  a Jesus Lizard, Green Iguana, Burmese Python, Snouted Cobra and a Green Mamba.

 

Now, thankfully, we have a sea day, then we will be in Port Elizabeth for two days.  After Port Elizabeth we will sail to Cape Town where, once again, it will be the end of one segment and beginning of another, so there will be a change over of about 200 passengers. The next couple of days will be exhausting but very interesting to learn more about this fascinating, mysterious land.