12. Crossing the Border

I just got back from Swaziland, where I spent the weekend with Emily. She had Saturday and Sunday off from volunteering at the Door of Hope, and we sort of decided at the last minute that we were going to rent a car and drive across the border. I found myself leaving Jo'burg on Saturday morning knowing nothing but the fact that we were supposed to drive east. We eventually figured out how to get to the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, where we spent the night in a hostel. Hostels in southern Africa are very different from the ones I've stayed at in Europe; for example, there is no age limit, so there are often adult residents. Needless to say, we met some very interesting people while we were there...

We spent most of the day riding horses around the park. It was actually my first time on horseback, but luckily my horse Tiggy was very easy to handle. A guide took us to the top of the Rock of Execution, a cliff where ancient Swazis used to push captured prisoners to their deaths. It was also nice to be able to walk amidst the game animals instead of taking pictures of them from inside a car.

And yes, Harris, I did in fact buy a new camera: she's a Sony α200. I christened her in Swaziland, but I haven't decided on a name yet. I'm thinking something Zulu for this one. Any suggestions?