February 12, 2014

Wendesday we began our eight hour drive home from Bloemfontein to Durban.  We decided to take a small detour through Golden Gate National Park.  We stopped for lunch at an artsy town named Clarens.  We had great fun walking from shop to shop and had a wonderful lunch outdoors.

We stopped at Basotho Cultural Village to learn about the people who lived in the region from 1700's to today. This is a chief and medicine doctor.  It was interesting to see the change in their dwellings as they were introduced to more modern influences.
The older huts were cooler and more efficent then the newer huts with tin roofs.  The guide said the changes were about status.

Friday night Sean and Diane from Joburg came to spend the night with us on their way to Port Edward for a short vacation.  Sean is the Southeast Public Affairs Director
They've lived in Joburg for 12 years. Sean speaks fluent French and he and his wife lived in Madagascar where he served as mission president. Sean and Diane carry out Rhino Captures several times a year, where you tag the Rhinos to discourage poachers from hunting them for their tusks.  Elder Cinquini and I are signed up for a June hunt,should be fun. 
We took a picnic dinner to the beach and watched the ocean until dark.  It was a nice visit.