Durban

Friday, March 14, 2014  bus tour of Durban

Durban is a city of 4 million people and a major seaport of South Africa.   Paper pulp and wood chips from Eucalyptus trees are a major export.  Fields of sugar cane, another major export, surround the outskirts of the city.  The soil is very good but the stalks are shorter than we see in the USA because there is no irrigation done. When the crop is ready the migrant families come in to harvest while the tops are burned to provide richer sucrose. 25 % if Durban’s population is decedents of India, who were brought in as a 10 yr.  Indentured servant by the British for cheap labor in the 1800’s. We visited the downtown Indian trade market where spices etc. are sold.  It is a way of life.  The large roads into the city are toll roads.  They have been privatized so the tolls pay for the upkeep and improvement.

Our first stop in Durban was the Zulu Cultural village.  It was up in the hills overlooking the city.  We had a demonstration of their native dance, a history of their tribe, and then advanced into their native huts for more educational demonstrations it was very interesting and we then toured their display of crocodiles and snakes.

We visited the downtown Indian trade market where spices etc. are sold.  They also sell many cultural and beaded items in the stalls.  The downtown was interesting as you saw the diverse cultures of the people and the buildings. On the sidewalks there is an informal policy of free trade.  People come to town and sell their wares and produce on the sidewalks. It is a way of life and very helpful for the poorer people where they can buy, sell, or barter.

We had lunch at the downtown Aquarium in Durban.  We sat at tables which were beside a tank of fish including sharks.  It was a great meal and the ambiance was terrific. 

We followed that with a guided tour of the Phansi Cultural Museum where we saw many artefacts of the different cultures of SA.

While driving along the highways it is interesting to find the cell towers.  They are all built to look like various trees.  No two appear alike so you have to look close to find them.

The educational system in SA requires that each child get 12 years of education to receive a certificate.  Children may leave school at age 16 without a certificate.  Anyone with a certificate can apply for a place in the university but acceptance numbers are controlled by the ethnic background of the country and     the individual.  Some people have to apply several times to get in.  Whites are the minority and thus it is harder for them to get in but this is done to reverse the effects of apartheid.  Some of the public schools in rural areas have 60 students to 1 teacher.  The public schools are given seed and the children are taught life lessons including how to plant and care for private crops.  They are taught to grow vegetables for their family and to sell.  Vegetables grown at the school are often sent home with the children who live without parents.  Aids is still a big risk factor and thus personal hygiene and aids prevention is taught in school starting at age 6.