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The quickest
route to Kruger National Park from KwaZulu Natal is through what was to be
our 26th country of the year, Swaziland. After the most ridiculous queues
and form filling exercises at the border we have ever experienced we
finally arrived at Mlilwane, 241 kilometres north of Mkuze Falls.
This was a nature
reserve that you could walk around and it was probably easier because the
roads were shocking! We did see an abundant supply of bucks and Warthogs
and the Crocodile and Hippo pool next to the restaurant was great.
Earlier this year
I seem to remember going off on one about the majority of smokers thinking
the world is their ashtray and yet again we witnessed a couple throw their
cigarette butts straight into the Hippo pool without batting an eyelid! I
must also say that we have seen thousands of discarded beer bottles thrown
by the side of the road throughout southern Africa, which is equally
aggravating and unsightly!
Our accommodation
in Mlilwane was a Beehive Hut which was once the traditional home of the
people of Swaziland, although ours had a shower and toilet attached to it
which wasn't so traditional, but nice nonetheless! In the camp restaurant
that night we had the best Potje of our travels so far and a creamed
spinach which knocks the socks off the Sag Paneer we get at Indian
restaurants in the UK!
The following
morning our trip to Kruger was thankfully uneventful with a quick trip
back through the border, via Piggs Peak where we were stopped briefly by a
routine police road block. The Swaziland police wear almost exactly the
same uniform as the British police. |