Judgement Day

There have been a lot of billboards around town announcing the end of the world; therefore, our friends Joe and Garrett decided to take advantage of one final opportunity to host a blow-out party. I mean, there was a 'schedule of events' including a pig roast, bouncy castle, fireworks, drumming, a troop of dancers, a silent auction, and a flippy cup tournament.

My scheduled event was the silent auction and we took advantage of the opportunity to unload all of our household goodies that won't be coming home to the United States with us. I only included the electronics and most desirable items in the silent auction and everything else was priced for a garage sale.

You know you are moving when your house is totally empty and you are laying everything out in the yard for other people to purchase. Sad. Sigh.

Part of the silent auction including a heater, fan, toaster oven, blender, beach umbrella, tent, camping chairs, grill, speakers, etc.

Kitchen wares

Keri helping me to man the fort and to model the camping chairs

Open for business! Customers, customers, customers

All of the money we raised will be used to support a couple of children we sponsor through Young Heroes and to pay school fees.

Mbuluzi Game Reserve

Coincidentally, it happens that the first couple of things that we ever did in Swaziland also happen to be the last couple of things we'll do. For example, our first weekend EVER in Swaziland we went to a music festival called, BushFire. This weekend will be our last weekend EVER in Swaziland and we will be once again attending the BushFire music festival. Additionally, our second weekend in Swaziland, we went to a small game reserve called, Mbuluzi, with another PAC doctor and his family. Earlier this month we returned to the game reserve with our friends Keri and Eric in celebration of Keri's birthday. Bookends, I tell you. Bookends.

We stayed in the tented camp and it didn't disappoint. Our friends, Matt and Stephanie, were actually building the camp when we were in Mbuluzi the first time. So, it was fun to see the camp completed and especially to get to enjoy the luxurious set-up.

Outside of #3

Bedroom in our tent

Bathroom

Outdoor shower

View from our patio, overlooking the river

In addition to the 3 tents, there's a main house (called a Boma) and it boasts a well stocked kitchen and common area for guests to share. Nobody had booked the third tent; therefore, we have the Boma and grounds to ourselves.

Boma patio; we ate all of our meals out here

There's also a pool, fire pit, wood-fire stove and a lot of other amenities to enjoy around camp

It was a particularly peaceful weekend as we just played games, read and did some birdwatching. Doug enjoying his book in the sunshine

Eric using his super strength binoculars

Keri and I went running in the reserve on Saturday morning and came across a giraffe! It was the first time in my life that I've been running and come across a giraffe! After our run we walked back with the boys to show them our find. Keri and I tried to pose with him, but the giraffe was timid and you can barely see him over Keri's left shoulder and next to the tree. Oh well.

Doug got nice and close

Later in the afternoon we came across a group of 7 giraffe and were able to get a couple of close-ups

The boys had to leave early on Sunday morning to go to Lesotho for the annual Baylor Conference; therefore, Keri and I went for another run and lazed around for a while longer in camp before checking out about noon.

Doug Adventures

As we enter our final month in Swaziland, Doug has gotten really nostalgic about his running and biking routes. Living in the mountains means that beautiful landscapes await every time you exit the front door. Doug usually seeks out the tallest mountain and runs (as fast as he can) to the top, or carries his bike up an impassable trail so that he can mountain bike along a ridge he's driven by recently. I (on the other hand) take a totally different approach. As in, I try to find the smallest mountain to run (around) and the flattest route possible (there's just no hiding from the hills when you live in the mountains)! Alas. I'm in much better shape for it.

Anyways. Doug has been so remiss about leaving his favorite running and biking routes that he's been taking the camera along on his workouts this past week. So, here's a collection of photos from Doug's workouts and the area immediately surrounding our house. Beautiful. Simply, beautiful (and really mean if you are running). Okay, I'll stop.

If you exit our house and turn right, you enter 'Pine Valley.' These photos are from the left side of the valley and along the ridge that looks across to Sibebe (largest exposed granite dome in the world). There she be.

Close-up (with mountain bike)

Views along the ridge

Sunbeams

It's kind of awesome to be able to ride wherever you want; into the great wide open...

The next day, instead of riding along the left side of Pine Valley, Doug drove down to the base of Sibebe and carried his bike up to go biking along the right side of the valley. Let me just say that this is a 45 minute hike up (when not carrying a bike on one's back). My husband is a total nutter.

Bike posing once again at the base of Sibebe

About halfway up and looking into Pine Valley

Nearly there

Made it to the top!

Now it's time to actually ride the mountain bike! And the route possibilities are endless

Following the cow track and old jeep trails

Doug ran into some friends hiking while biking on Sibebe on Monday and they took a couple of pictures of him with their camera

Doug's happy place

Easter in Durban, South Africa

Doug and I got a last minute cancellation at a B&B in Durban and zipped out of Swaziland for the 4-day Easter weekend (gotta love a 'Christian' Kingdom that recognizes 'Good Friday' and 'Easter Monday' as public holidays!). The weather has turned abruptly towards autumn in Swaziland, so heading south down the coast to the beach and for a dose of 'city' life was the perfect plan. It wasn't our typical vacation as no camping, hiking, or real 'exerting' was done. Personally, I thought it was a welcome change. We arrived mid-afternoon on Friday and checked-in at LaLoggia B&B in Umhlanga Rocks just a few kilometers north of Durban city center. Umhlanga Rocks is the 'Beverly Hills' of Durban and boasted some seriously insane properties. I tried to take pictures as we drove past, but the fortress like gates and speed of the car made it a challenge!

We stayed in one said mansion that had been converted to a guest house.

Bedroom

Bathroom

Balcony

Pool

On Friday night we went down to the boardwalk (about 3 blocks away) and picked one of the Cancun-esque hotels for dinner

The restaurant was right on the ocean so we requested a table outside and enjoyed lots of seafood. I usually eat too quickly and forget to snap a picture, but after living in a landlocked country for 2 years, seafood is a real treat! So, here are the prawns that I had as my main entree. Calamari appetizer didn't last long enough for a photo shoot. Yum.

We had heard about a 'big' mall called, 'The Gateway,' so we ventured over after hours to check it out (and to secretly track down some ice cream - another key food group missing in Swaziland). It was actually kind of nice to be able to visit the mall without having to deal with holiday crowds because it is safe to say that it has been a long, long time since either Doug or I have been exposed to such a shopping extravaganza. I think the whole of Swaziland could have fit inside the mall!

There was a 30 cinema movie theater, 4 gelato shops, car dealerships, a wave pool (as in, you can rent a surf board and ride a wave inside), a multi-story climbing wall, and every shop known to man. Nuts.

Cinema

Climbing wall (dark pillar in the background) and entrance to the wave pool

On Saturday we went to the beach all morning and in the late afternoon headed into Durban proper to see the Durban Sharks play. On Doug's 'bucket list' before we leave Swaziland he had wanted to attend a professional rugby match, so after checking the Sharks schedule and seeing that they had a home game over Easter, we set out to make it happen. It was actually way easier than expected (in comparison to say attending a Redskins game) and we enjoyed watching the Sharks win!

Mr. Price King's Stadium

Doug, day-dreaming about being a professional rugby player

Not your average 'cheerleaders.' They were called the, 'flashers' (and I'm not kidding)

Game time!

On Sunday we spend another morning at the beach and then went out for a 3rd seafood dinner and a movie (Water for Elephants). It was a proper 'date night' and the perfect cap to our 'city scape' weekend as we had to make the 6 hour drive back to Swaziland on Monday morning.

Sometimes a little 'cush' vacay ain't all bad! It's not every time that we need to schlep up a 19,000 foot mountain in a blizzard and in the middle of the night!