Swaziland

This is a traditional Swazi shield, made of cowhide. A young man is given a shield when he comes of age. The decoration of the shield denotes his age group. As he gets older, his shield (and that of his cohorts) will change.

This traditional design is depicted on the Swazi flag.

The river below the Mantenga Falls, near the Ezulwini Valley in Swaziland.

View from my room at the Mountain Inn, Mbabane, Swaziland, just before sunset.

A monkey near the Mantenga Village. There was a large group of these monkeys, cavorting across the road, up into trees, hiding behind foliage, jumping back down again and playing.

This is a traditional Swazi hut, at the Mantenga Village. The grasses and wood are cut by the men, and the huts made by the women. The covering over the thatch is intricately knotted grasses. It both keeps on the roof and provides exquisite decoration.

Mantenga Village exists for tourists. There are a couple of villages of this kind in Swaziland, with guided tours to explain the use of the various huts.

This 19th century poster was in the Swazi National Museum, which is in the royal Ezulwini Valley. The inscription on the shield reads "Swazi loyalty to the Great White Queen". Swaziland did not gain its independence from Britain until 1968.

Swaziland is now heavily under the influence of South Africa. Its currency, the Emalalgeni, is pegged to the Rand. Indeed, every price that was quoted to me in shops and hotels was given in Rands. Perhaps I was mistaken for a South African. There is a local radio station, but most radio and TV is from South Africa (or cable from CNN or the BBC). Swaziland is not self-sufficient in food, has no oil, and does not produce enough electricity for its needs. All these goods come from South Africa.

The politics, however, are entirely different. Swaziland is a kingdom, with an energetic young king, Mswati II. While I was there he issued a decree that (further) reduced the freedom of the press, freedom of expression and freedom of association.

This cheeky little monkey was not in Swaziland, he was in Barberton in South Africa. This is the last town on the mountain route from South Africa to Piggs Peak in Swaziland. He was in the grounds of a church. Note how long his tail is!

View from my hotel room at Piggs Peak in Swaziland. This photo has not been colour enhanced in any way. That really was the colour of the sky!

The moon four nights after the solar eclipse. It appears fully round because of "earth shine", the reflection of sunlight from the earth back on to the moon.

This is Simon Nxumalo. Simon came to my rescue, unasked and unaided, when I drove off the side of the road and punctured a tyre.

Only a day or two before I had been talking to a Swazi person and we were talking about the differences between Swaziland and other countries. He explained that in Swaziland, people always help one another. For example, he said, if a car breaks down, a Swazi person would go to the driver's aid. I figured it was just a good line, such as anyone might tell about their own country.

When Simon turned up and, recognizing an incompetent when he saw one, calmly took over the situation and changed the wheel, I knew my informant had been right!

This is a typical Swazi landscape. The buildings in the valley are the home of Simon Nxumalo.