KwaZulu-Natal – lots to love!
Lois Nicholls
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No matter how long I have lived away from South Africa, my love for the country never wanes. While our recent trip was limited to four weeks in KwaZulu-Natal, there was enough to feed the soul … until next time.
I love …
· Samoosas – piled high at the Karkloof Farmer’s Market … definitely worth returning for
· A R15 Nino’s breakfast in Durbs if you’re seated by 9am … the screech of tyres as would-be patrons frantically try and make the early bird deadline
· renegade zebras rubbing their rumps on lamp posts and walls at a Howick Lifestyle Village
· the creativity of Moyo – the African fusion restaurant on Durban’s Ushaka Pier
· Hot Horlicks on the menu and thatched roof at Piggly Wiggly on the Midland’s Meander
· Colourful grasshopper on Mount Currie
· The KZN countryside
· Oupa Hans’ pickled Peppadews
· Tsonga Handmade Farm – near the rural village of Lidgetton, where 160 women gather daily to create shoes, handbags and other accessories
· Local craftsman, Calson Mangeni, selling his iron works of art at the Karkloof Farmer’s Market
· Corner Post restaurant in Howick … their home-grown marinated olives sold at the Karkloof monthly farmer’s market are sublime … restaurant sample lunch time specials include char-grilled Greenfields skirt steak (rare) with a glass of house wine, beer or soda for just R60
· The sound of hadadas settling for the night
· The call of a dove
· Guinea fowl
· Nguni hide handbag bought in the Drakensberg and owned by friend, coveted by me
· Fish and chips at the Calabash Restaurant opposite Midmar Dam
· The Everything Shop on the road to Midmar Dam which lives up to its name, selling everything from potjie pots to pellet guns.
· Cycling along Durban’s upgraded beachfront with its post world cup wide promenade
· Durban’s new Moses Mabhida Soccer Stadium, built for the 2010 World Cup
· The disarming friendliness of small town locals
Forever favourites:
· Family
· Old friends
· Zambuk
· Wimpy wholemeal bread toasted chicken mayonnaise sandwiches with Famous Wimpy coffee … admittedly a bit daggy, but can’t help myself
· Cream soda floats
· A generous assortment of condiments on restaurant tables … it may seem like no big deal for locals, but believe me, it’s a novelty finding tobasco sauce on the table when living in a land where a measly sachet of tomato sauce costs 60cents
· Tomato Fritos
· Doodle nuts
· Giant beaded Madiba figure outside Jo’burg airport curio shop
· Mr Price Home – especially their locally designed cushions depicting South African themes
· Bovril (not the beefy stock brand but the unique taste that teams deliciously with cheese).
· Nederberg Edelrood
· Beaded milk jug covers
· Catties
· Chewy dried peaches that still taste of summer, ditto dried mango
Facebook Comments:
Hi Lois, my name is Vera, I worked with Brenton at Vale and he always talked about your writing, so I read your book about starting a life in Australia... it's great. I enjoyed your writing a lot. I experienced similar situations as the ones you described and funny enough, I was amazed to see how my country - Brazil - is not so different from South Africa ... I have a blog about Australia, it is quite outdated and is in Portuguese, you might want to take a look here http://braziliantalk.blogspot.com/ (there is a good Google translator you can use). I'll try to write again in the next month... Cheers Vera
Got to love it - South Africa still offers so much for so many! Lovely Lois!
This brought a lump to my throat Lois! A beautiful combination of your gift of words and Brent's gift of images. I loved seeing Durban again through your eyes
Cannot wait to get back and sample these things again ... can taste the samoosas just looking at your pictures !