Just had a picnic (of banana and bacon sandwiches) with zebra, wildebeast (pronounced vilderbeest cos this is Afrikaa after all) and buck (no idea which ones as yet) at the Umgeni valley park in KwaZulu-Natal. Amazing views across to Howick waterfall and 'informal town' i.e. slum at the back of Howick itself.
Went swimming last night in the warm waters of a nearby dam while Patrick joined the local running club for a 11km run.
Visited Howick prep school this morning with boys and it is fab: fantastic sporting facilities (lots of soccer of course as well as tennis courts, hockey/rugby pitches and a heated outdoor swimming pool), very friendly and the boys will be able to go on an overnight school trip to stay in a Zulu village during their stay at the school. They will have to learn both Zulu and Afrikaans as well as all the usual subjects and we heard the kids African singing practise so if they can do that as well it will be amazing. There are three or four classes per year and they will be in the 'top' class for year four and five respectively.
School starts at 0745!!! so we have to be there at 0730. I can see why because it is soo hot. It finishes at 2pm then there is sport until 3 or 4pm each day.
I've been given a US funding proposal to review for WESSA the environmental charity that our hosts work for as well as a report to edit so that should keep me busy for a while but as school doesn't start till 12th April then we will head off to the mountain kingdom of Lesotho in a couple of days to have more adventures!
The boys have been riding already as there are 3 ponies at the house and there is a menage area albeit with very long grass that the boys can ride 'Chelsea' around in. She is a real pet and the boys are having great fun learning to ride her.
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