Simunye (We Are One)

Thursday:

After an early morning flight to Richard’s Bay we met up with our guide, Lori Kelly, originally form Zimbabwe, but she now calls this area her home. She drove us over to Eschowe to squeeze in a quick visit to Dlinza Forest. Close your eyes and imagine a thick African rainforest with orchids, ferns, and thick trunked trees caught in a tangle of vines---this is Dlinza Forest. The area is preserved within blocks of a large public school. As you wander along the boardwalk that then takes visitors to the top of the canopy, the guide points out whatever treasures are hiding there. The most rare sighting in the shadow of a fallen branch was a resting Blue Duiker.

Back on the road, we passed endless acres of sugar cane and eucalyptus trees on our way to Simunye Village. The oxen were waiting patiently—as oxen do—for us to hop onto the cart for the hour trip down the valley to the village.

Our rock home for the night was built into a cliff face, accessed by steep winding stairs Martha dubbed the “scareway.” This was the Never Never Land side of the village. At any moment, the lost boys should certainly pop out from behind every tree.

Crossing a bridge to the village, visitors wait at the entrance to be invited in. The Zulu people welcomed us with traditional food and dance in the Grandmother’s Hut.

Sleep came so quickly this night but didn’t last long as the unusual sounds of the night kept me wondering just what was outside. Finally, with the morning light, I captured this little guy who knocked on our window.