Thanksgiving

South Africa has proven to be a very welcoming and friendly country to us sailing cruisers whohave slowly invaded its coast over the last few weeks.  Many more of us are visiting its shoresas we have re-routed around Africa in order to avoid the Somali pirates in the north Indian Ocean.  The SouthAfricans we encounter are warm with their welcome and generous with their willingness to share their country with us.

In Richards Bay,we were warmly invited to partake in the local charity canal race, theAfrikaners sharing with us their joy for food and fun.  Ann and her husband shared withus a book on the history of Zululand and gave us a nice sampling of a variety of South African music.  Fiona, our main contact at the Zululand Yacht Club, cheerfully assisted us and pointed usin the right directions even as she was increasingly swamped with incoming boats looking for limited spaces.  The local sailors, especially Wayne and Michelle of New Horizons, and Brett and Gideon of Panache, all shared with us their advice and expertise on navigating their treacherous southeastern coast, must-see harbors and good places for getting boat work done.

The Zulus we met in the game reserves generously shared with us their culture and patiently repeated words for us so that we could try to incorporate them into our vocabulary.  Our best word is,“ngiyabonga,” (pronounced 'sayabonga') which means thank you. While in Ithala Park, we met a couple from Durban who were celebrating their wedding anniversary.  Steve and Catherine generously invited us to visit their chalet, to share some food and wine, and to learn more about their country.  They loved being in the African bush and greatly expanded our knowledge of South African birds. Of course they said, “call us if you come through Durban.”

Transiting the southeastern coast of Africa is tricky business.  The strong Agulas current runs to the southwest, which is good in that it gives you a nice 2-4 knot boost when trying to get down to Cape Town.  On the other hand, the frequent weather systems that arise from Antarctica cause high winds coming from the southwest,which results in not only unfavorable wind direction, but also waves countering the current.  These waves can become quite high and dangerous. They are often called rogue waves and are a sailor’s worst fear.  So we wait for favorable weather windows and run as fast as we can, sailing just within the current to benefit from the free ride, but still close enough to shore to be able to quickly escape the worst waves in the event of a southwestly.

Durban is the largest port in the southern hemisphere.

When we left Richards Bay, Durban was our safety harbor, but we were hoping for a longer run down the coast.  It was not to be, since a southwesterly sprung up, so into Durban we came.  We have been here since November 16, thought we would be leaving yesterday or today, but with winds blowing 35 knots from the southwest, we are still waiting.  Upon arrival, Bob, from the Point Yacht Club here at the marina, welcomed us with an offer of two weeks' free membership and bought us a beer. The adjoining Royal Natal Yacht Club also offered two weeks free membership, and gave usa free bottle of bubbly.  The Durban Marina provides us a safe place for our boat, but the yacht clubs offer showers, Internet and food.  So two weeks complimentary, which is also what we received at Zululand Yacht Club in Richards Bay, is generous to say the least.  In addition, within a block of the marina there are a number of chandleries (boat supply stores) and the Durban guru of South Africacruising, Tony Herrick, whose shop offers charts, used equipment for swap or sale, and lots and lots of good advice.

Naturally we also called up our new friends Steve and Catherine.  They, along with their daughter Shaleen (please forgive me if I’ve misspelled your name), joined us for dinner on ile de Grace lastSaturday evening and brought many gifts to welcome us to their country.  A lovely copy of Robert’s Birds of South Africa is greatly appreciated.  Jon and I are amateur bird watchers. That means we appreciate birds, try to notice them and enjoy their songs and antics, but what we do not know about them us a lot.  A local bird guide is invaluable.  South African wine also made the evening’s dinner more enjoyable.

Marula is a South African liqueur made from the fruit of the Marula tree, a favorite food of elephants as well as humans.  Itis really tasty and, if you like Bailey’s, you will like Marula.  Another South African couple told us itwas often called sugar and cream, because they add it to coffee.  Jock of the Bushveld is a classic South African novel about the adventures of a hunting dog.  Our friend Keith’swife, Catherine, had told us earlier that this was the South African version ofour Lassie.  Jock was a real dog, however, and his and his owner's adventures took place at the turn of the previous century, and there is a statue of Jock in the Kruger National Park.  So it was with great delight that we accepted this wonderful book.  I would have loved reading it to our children when they were younger.  Now that they are 27 and 24 years old, I will just have to pass it along as they are unlikely to cuddle up for a nightly reading of a “chapter book.”

Marionhill Cathedral, originally a Trappist monastery

The following day, Catherine and Shaleen picked us up at 7:30 in the morning so we could attend a Mass in the Zulu language at the cathedral in the suburb of Marionhill.  What a treat.  Throughout our journey, Jon and I have sought out church services known for their indigenous music, and though we do not understand Zulu, we enjoyed witnessing the music and motions in this beautiful church that overflowed with worshippers.  It was clear, that if any part of the service could be sung rather than spoken, then sung it was.  Also, the Women’s League, comprised mainly of grandmothers in our estimation, had some clout, as they entered the church in the procession, singing and swaying, behind the priest and altar boys.

Hare Krishna Temple of Understanding

We then went to the largest Hare Krishna temple in the southern hemisphere, called the Temple of Understanding.  It is built in the shape of a lotus flower and is ornately decorated with paintings of stories and lessons from Krishna’s life. As in other forms of Hinduism and Buddhism, food is left for the gods.  Apparently it is a big attraction to be around to witness a hand coming out and taking the food that is left at the altar, but we were too early for that event.  The feet of the gods are also bathed daily in milk and then that milk is available for worshipers to sip after theirvisit to the Temple.  Not any stranger than eating the body and blood of Christ in communion.  A local interpreter was more than happy to enlighten us on the life of Krishna, emphasizing that tolerance, respect and common ground were more important than focusing on religious differences.

This was an interesting visit for us.  SouthAfrica has the largest number of ethnic Indians other than India, and Durban’s population is the largest in South Africa.  This is a result of the large numbers of Indians brought here as indentured servants (slaves for all intents and purposes) to work in the sugar cane fields of centuries past. Mahatma Gandhi came to Durban in 1893 to work as a lawyer and witnessed the intolerable discrimination suffered by his fellow countrymen and his experiences here shaped his philosophy of non-violent resistance, and helped change the world.

Jon enjoying a Bunny Chow and Coke Zero

Today, many South Africans of Indian descent are prosperous and their cultural legacy is abundant.  In addition to Bollywoodmovies and music, curry dishes are favorites everywhere we go.  In Durban, there is a particular favorite called the Bunny Chow; a hollowed out loaf of bread with eithermutton, beef, chicken or vegetable curry in the center.  Traditionally, it is served on newspaper or butcher paper and eaten with one’s fingers….Jon and I loved it, but opted for a fork.

Catherine and Steve on their veranda

Steve and Catherine hosted us at their lovely home for lunch.  They have a view overlooking the Umgeni River gorge and enjoy many bird visitors as the seasons come and go.  They showered us with yet another gift, a bag of biltong,which is South Africa's version of beef jerky. YUM!  It is cut thinner than American jerky and is not as stiff, and boy is it really, really good.  While ideally designed for surviving in the bush, it may also prove good for surviving at sea.  That is, if we don’t eat it all up first.

This Cape vulture was poisoned.

We finished the afternoon with a visit to the Umgeni Bird Sanctuary, where our avian education was further refined.  The sanctuary included birds from South America and East Asia as well as those indigenous to Africa, and we appreciated seeing these wonderful creatures up close.  Shaleen got particularly close as she fed the lorikeets with nectar.  She had one perched comfortably on her head and several on her arms, as they were quite used to humans, or at least willing to put up with us in exchange for nectar.  Some birds had been rescued from injury or poisoning and could no longer live in the wild, so they became part of the sanctuary’s education program, teaching the ultimate predators, us humans, their value, role and beauty in nature.  The diversity of birds, in size, shape, colors and special ornamentation, just as the diversity in sea life, leaves me almost breathless.  The following sign is posted at the ticket gate, which we did not notice as we entered, but we are glad we saw as we were leaving. Good advice.

So ten days in Durban have flown by fast.  There is much we have not seen or done, such as attend a local soccer game at the new stadium built for the 2010 World Cup (no home game during this time), go kitesurfing or board surfing at one of the famous Durban beaches (we do not have the experience to try that), play golf at one of the many courses here, or any number of other things.  We have ventured into town to solve an Internet problem, attended the Immigration office twice (to clear in and to check out) and made obligatory visits to Customs and Port Control, so we are improving our abilities to navigate this country’s very bureaucratic systems. We have managed to stay safe (muggings and crime are high in this city with its high unemployment) and yet get a feel, another bit of a sampler plate if you will, of South Africa’s third-largest city.

Durban Marina

There is much to be thankful for as Jon and I celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday.  There was an effort to organize a dinner among the few Americans here, but it fizzled out in the heavy rains, which have been going on for the better part of the last week.  Jon and I had our dinner alone of leftover yellow fin tuna (who can complain?), yams and potatoes.  To be truthful, I was feeling pretty homesick, until we shared dessert with a South African and Belgian couple. Gerry and Diane, on a catamaran named Whiskers, recently completed their second circumnavigation and are back in their homeport of Durban a few boats down from us on B Dock.  We first met them in Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas (it is indeed a small world).  I made an apple pie with dried cranberries and Diane made a pumpkin pie for the occasion, being familiar with our holiday.  Willem and Haike from A Small Nest, whom we first met in Bali and again in Mauritius, joined us as well and shared their bottle of port. 

Hopefully, our weather window will return tomorrow and we will continue our journey south.  In the meantime, we are glad we had to divert into Durban and we are very thankful for the kindness and generosity we have experienced thus far in South Africa.