Market day

Yesterday, we spent the morning at the Victoria Street market. Shopping list – postcards, spices, flag, sari, waxed African cloth. We found it all. While many of the items sold were Zulu crafted items that we have seen hundreds of times over, there was also a huge Indian section, selling spices, flowers, fruits and vegetables, religious items, and shimmering fabrics. Durban has the largest Indian population outside of India which adds another level of diversity to this cosmopolitan city.

We spent a while tasting different spices from tandoori to ginger garlic to three different kinds of masala to the “mother-in-law exterminator” (which was in fact the Durban curry spice we ate the day before). It was interesting to talk to the shopkeeper whose family had been running this stall for three generations. We also met another woman who owned a herbal medicinal shop, and who in turn referred us to her friend in the sari shop. I was wrapped in six and half meters of gorgeous green silk; I had picked a relatively plain green pattern without the crystals or sequins that Alice was trying to steer me towards. In the end, I declined to buy it and it will probably join the short list of items I have regretted not buying while traveling. But I did find a telephone wire basket that I had looked at but not bought last year, so I think things have come full circle.

While I shopped, Russ took photos which is our typical pattern. He has a special way of capturing different perspectives while blending into the scene around us. One of the most active scenes was people diving for second-hand clothes. Russ actually found me a really nice windbreaker to replace the one that I had lost in Kuwait.

While at the supermarket the night before, we also bought some Amarula and boxed wine to bring back to Kuwait, along with a year's supply of rooibos tea, some rusks, and the special salt we like.

The downtown area was bustling, but we enjoyed the quiet beaches and green, rolling hills of the suburbs. Banana, papaya, and avocado trees are widespread, along with fields of sugarcane. Even in autumn, there are trees still in bloom, and we got the sense this eden is nature refuge all year long. The bird life is prolific. In our last afternoon with Zane, we enjoyed more curries and drove down to the beach to eat them. Our outings have been short but with his recent burst of energy, it has been a welcomed change of pace for him. We had another wonderful visit with him, his sister and mother.

The World Cup not only revitalized South Africa's cities, but also the airports. Our Diner's Club lounges are brand new and both the Joburg and Durban terminals are easy to navigate. We are about ready to board the plane towards Johannesburg and our long trek home. So glad we came.