This is the name of the place where we are staying and it is 15 km south of Durban. We found out why we’re here and not in Durban later in the day.

But to begin the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the day looks promising. Just as well as Sheila is in a profound depression, not only can’t her football team win a game but,  despite careful application of Deet, a mosquito, for the first time, has ferociously attacked her on her eyebrow whilst she slept.  Thank goodness for a fringe although such is her mega reaction to these bites her eye may disappear. Sue has not got away scot free either, sporting a bite on her arm and one on her back.  We shouldn’t really complain as 3 bites between us especially 3 weeks and a safari, where insects etc are always ready for a meal, isn’t so bad.

After breakfast we got a taxi to Durban to explore on their version of the Hop On Hop Off Bus – the Ricksha.  We sat upstairs and we were joined by many local people but no UK which surprised us. The guide was excellent.

Between 1860 and 1911 over 150,000 Indian people came to work on the sugar plantations. Conditions were harsh but it offered better wages and opportunities and led to massive immigration. Some wealthier Indian people also travelled to develop trade links. As time passed many indentured workers returned but many stayed after their indenture was up to work on the railways and some became fisherman.

Sugar cane is still a major export producing over 2 million tons of sugar from 20 million tons of cane. They harvest the cane by hand here, first burning the fields to remove snakes and vermin. Sadly this area is fast becoming a very popular area to live and work and the sugar cane farmers are making vast profits selling the land to developers.

Meanwhile back on the bus.  The guide told us that the population in Durban is made up of approx 51/70% Black African,  19/24% Indian/Asian,  White 4/15%. It is one of the largest populations of Indian or Asian residents outside of India.  They also brought with them many aspects of their culture. E.g. our hotel has a Curry House!

There is a stretch of beautiful coast called The Golden Mile although it is about 8 km in distance. On this lovely day it was deserted and that’s the problem with Durban. No one wants to come here anymore.  The tourists have stopped coming. There are severe safety concerns and these cover high crime rates, numerous e coli and similar water quality problems.  Water is regularly rationed and  there are often sewage problems.  All of these issues have led to tourists staying away and this has badly affected the economy. From the bus we saw so many dilapidated buildings and hotels abandoned. Some is being used for student accommodation. .

There are success stories like this stadium built in 2010 for the FIFA World Cup which is still.used for events.  The Botanical Gardens are the oldest in Africa.  Then there are the Casinos which are open 24/7 and attract many .

The vast majority of the streets are also named for Apartheid activists, Indian statesmen like Gandhi and one particularly poignant one called Julia – commemorates the 12 year old daughter  journeying to visit her missionary father in Durban where she is now buried.

It’s a terrible shame to see a once vibrant city that is very proud of it’s heritage, so run down, where residents, especially those who are retired confined to their homes once it becomes dark. 

We now realised why our hotel is in the upscale beach resort town of Umhlanga Rocks which features a robust, proactive security set up. High visibility of private security vehicles and guards is standard here but it is still recommended to take an Uber rather than walk at night.

On a lighter note the warning about the monkeys might not affect us on the 2nd floor but they caused a riot in breakfast this morning when they almost wrestled a poor lady to the ground for her muffin!