Ezulwini

Sharman whom I met in Maputo works in Swaziland to prevent HIV from spreading. Swaziland has the highest percentage of HIV in the world - 40%. She told me about Lidwala lodge in Ezulwini Valley. In this valley the Swazi monarchy is based. During my stay the government was running out of money 3 months into the year and couldn’t pay there officials and nurses anymore. They were taking their anger to the street - peacefully.

Volunteering is big in Swaziland and people are willing to pay for it. The average price is something like 600 Euros per week, accommodation and food included. On top of that they pay a lot for tours, alcohol and random stuff. The NGO’s are run like business and are big money for the owners. I got to know Marie from Denmark, who is working there in conservation. We spent three weeks together laughing and holding hands.

During the day she was working so I had nothing to do. That’s why I made a giant nutcracker with some spare wood from the back and my Swiss Army Knife. It took me 4 days to finish it. The inspiration for the nutcracker I got from Sapa, Vietnam. There they use it to crack the rice seeds out of the void. Since rice is not big around here Marie brought up the idea of a nutcracker.

Marie’s mother was visiting her for a week and I wanted to leave, so we said goodbye. My plan was to go to Durban. But this has been the plan for the last 3 days and I am still in Swaziland - Swaziland Backpackers which dangerously resembles Mombasa Backpackers. I have to catch my flight.
Eventually I went back to Lidwala for a couple days until I definitly had to leave and run to Cape Town - my last stop in Africa for now.