Durban is the third largest metropolitan area in South Africa and one of the important port cities in the Southern Hemisphere. For most South Africans however it is a great holiday playground. With its interesting mix of cultures, balmy climate, and the great rollers of the warm Indian Ocean it is well equipped to spoil any holidaymaker.
Before I tell you about our travels in the rest of Natal a brief introduction and a little history about the region may not be out of place...
Vasco da Gama was the first European to see the spacious almost enclosed bay as he sailed along the coastline at Christmastime in 1497. He therefore named the region Rio de Natal. In 1845 the territory was annexed to the Cape Colony and a steady stream of immigrants, began to arrive on the golden shores of the Empire's newest possession. Prior to that however the region was already part of Shaka's fast expanding Zulu Empire. 
Cute Dolpins at Sea World Umhlanga Rocks north of Durban is an affluent place distinguished by its luxurious hotels, apartment complexes, beautiful ultra modern shopping malls; palatial private residences and inviting restaurants. The beaches are broad and white, the shoreline graced by Ilala palms, hibiscus and colourful tumbles of bougainvillea against an azure blue ocean. 
Wedgewood Terrace The next day we went to Durban. Our first stop was on the beach front. That was not half as inviting and glittering as I remember the Durban night life of a number of years ago but we spent an interesting few hours at Ocean World and the Dolphinarium. We were entertained on a display by these clever animals and had a closer look at some penguins and other sea animals as well. The aquarium with hundreds of fish species ranging from small colourful tropical fish to white sharks captured our attention for quite some time. After visiting Sea World we went back to Umhlanga where I did some grocery shopping and Peter bought some postcards. I spotted and bought a postcard with an aerial view of Umhlanga showing the path to the beach from Wedgewood terrace. I also specifically went shopping at the La Lucia Mall to buy their freshly baked spicy, garlic, ham and cheese bread. Yummy!! Zululand The Natal North Coast was on the itinerary for the next day but after a brief stop at Umhloti, a beach North of Umhlanga, we turned away from the coast towards Zululand. Our route took us past Tongaat, the local sugar Industry's headquarters and on to Stanger. Stanger is also a sugar center but better known as the site where the Zulu king Shaka built his capital, Dakuza, where he was murdered by his half-brothers Dingaan and Mhangana in 1828. This area and the land north of the Tugela river, historically known as Zululand, is soaked in the history of these warrior people but apart from the spectacular scenery that lured us on over high mountains and down into lush green valleys we did not have enough time to learn more about the history of this enchanting land. At Stanger a Hindu temple high on a hill stirred up our curiosity and we decided to investigate the possibility to have a closer look at it. Upon arrival at the temple we approached an Indian man and woman who invited us into the temple. The woman immediately knelt down to pray and the man- who may have been the priest - allowed me to take pictures inside the temple. We had to take off our shoes before entering the temple.
Today many of the Zulu people are resident in Johannesburg and other regions of the country but despite urbanization and the adoption of Western ways, much of the Zulu legacy remains intact. In traditional Zulu society the men were the hunters and stockmen and the women tilled the soil, brewed the beer, fashioned baskets and pots, cleaned and gathered firewood, fetched water and generally looked after the family's needs. In parts of Zululand the chores of the women remain the same today and the houses are still dome shaped, finely thatched dwellings built around a cattle kraal - a sacred place into which only the daughters of the family were allowed. Cattle are still prized for the wealth they represent and their mystical significance rather than for sustenance. Meat is regarded as a delicacy to be eaten only at special occasions that merited slaughter and celebration. The Zulu religion of the forefathers has four main cornerstones. First there is the belief in a Supreme Being who is called Nkulunkulu, the Great-Great One who is the creator of all things but infinitely remote from humankind. Lesser deities are Nomkhubulwana (Daughter of Heaven), the representative of fertility and abundance and Inkozi Phezulu, the paramount chief. Second there are the more approachable ancestors who provide the link between the living and the dead and are responsible for the day-to-day welfare of the people and are therefore respected and placated. Then there is the animistic element which endows inanimate objects and features such as trees rivers and boulders with spiritual content. The fourth ingredient is the spirit medium and diviner, the sangoma, who has direct access to the ancestors, and who will predict the future, interpret the nature of the present and heal the body and (more often) the mind. In the remote areas of Zululand visible expressions of Zulu culture are evident everywhere. The vistas over the hills and from the mountains are spectacular and in most of the mountain areas towards Greytown the roads lead through blue gum or pine forests and plantations. 
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