DURBAN, South Africa 
Continuing our journey southwards, we arrived in the city of Durban, the busiest port in South Africa. It is also the busiest container port in the southern hemisphere, getting much cargo from landlocked Johannesburg as well as other cities. The port district is well organized with warehouses, trucking and rail facilities easily accessible to the ships. We found the unique enclosed container ship for automobiles very interesting. A large number of Toyotas and BMWs are assembled and shipped from here, although sugar is probably the largest export.
As we drove through the city we were struck by how clean the streets were and how nicely the buildings were kept up. It is a
modern city, but still has much art deco architecture. We were able to stroll through the botanical gardens which have the original cycad plant growing there. It was discovered in 1895 and is considered extinct in the wild. Only male plants exist and all plants in other locations have all been cloned from this single plant. It was very peaceful, with a lovely orchid garden, storks and flamingos in the pond. It is a favorite site for weddings, and we happened to see a wedding party passing by on their way to take photographs.
The King Edward VIII Hospital has one of the largest trauma units in the world, and doctors from all over come here to complete their internships. Apparently the exp
erience they get in six weeks would take a year in any other city! They need a large trauma center because they have many automobile accidents (the drivers are crazy!), lots of stabbings, gunshot wounds, fights etc. as a result of alcohol and drugs flowing freely, especially on weekends. They have a very large university, and good schools -- students must wear long sleeved shirts, ties, blazers and long pants, even in 100 degree weather! It seems old traditions take time to die! We passed the stadium that’s being built for the 2010 Soccer Cup, which will be large enough to hold the Olympics that they plan to bid for.
On our way to the Indian Market (Queen Victoria Market) we saw the golden
sands of 
Battery Beach, with the colorful Zulu rickshaws and souvenir stands. A large swimming pool, free to the public, was at this end of the beach area. We could tell that we were approaching the Indian Market by the wonderful aromas of the spices. Signs clearly identified the brightly colored powders, and I was particularly intrigued with the “Mother-in-law Hell Fire” spice….
I was amused to see the street signs -- when the name is changed,
they simply leave the old sign up and paint a line through it! I guess it helps locals find their way until they learn the new street names! We also had an opportunity to visit a very interesting shopping center. Since it was Saturday afternoon, they had a band and, again, dancers -- this time they did the limbo under a pole with burning torches on it! The center was built in circular pods, designed to look like Zulu huts, connected with walkways, and the merchandise in the shops was good quality and reasonably priced. On one side of this particular center was the beach, and on the other was a canal that offered gondola rides. What a charming place to spend an afternoon!
Continuing our journey southwards, we arrived in the city of Durban, the busiest port in South Africa. It is also the busiest container port in the southern hemisphere, getting much cargo from landlocked Johannesburg as well as other cities. The port district is well organized with warehouses, trucking and rail facilities easily accessible to the ships. We found the unique enclosed container ship for automobiles very interesting. A large number of Toyotas and BMWs are assembled and shipped from here, although sugar is probably the largest export.
As we drove through the city we were struck by how clean the streets were and how nicely the buildings were kept up. It is a
modern city, but still has much art deco architecture. We were able to stroll through the botanical gardens which have the original cycad plant growing there. It was discovered in 1895 and is considered extinct in the wild. Only male plants exist and all plants in other locations have all been cloned from this single plant. It was very peaceful, with a lovely orchid garden, storks and flamingos in the pond. It is a favorite site for weddings, and we happened to see a wedding party passing by on their way to take photographs.The King Edward VIII Hospital has one of the largest trauma units in the world, and doctors from all over come here to complete their internships. Apparently the exp
erience they get in six weeks would take a year in any other city! They need a large trauma center because they have many automobile accidents (the drivers are crazy!), lots of stabbings, gunshot wounds, fights etc. as a result of alcohol and drugs flowing freely, especially on weekends. They have a very large university, and good schools -- students must wear long sleeved shirts, ties, blazers and long pants, even in 100 degree weather! It seems old traditions take time to die! We passed the stadium that’s being built for the 2010 Soccer Cup, which will be large enough to hold the Olympics that they plan to bid for.On our way to the Indian Market (Queen Victoria Market) we saw the golden
sands of 
Battery Beach, with the colorful Zulu rickshaws and souvenir stands. A large swimming pool, free to the public, was at this end of the beach area. We could tell that we were approaching the Indian Market by the wonderful aromas of the spices. Signs clearly identified the brightly colored powders, and I was particularly intrigued with the “Mother-in-law Hell Fire” spice….I was amused to see the street signs -- when the name is changed,
they simply leave the old sign up and paint a line through it! I guess it helps locals find their way until they learn the new street names! We also had an opportunity to visit a very interesting shopping center. Since it was Saturday afternoon, they had a band and, again, dancers -- this time they did the limbo under a pole with burning torches on it! The center was built in circular pods, designed to look like Zulu huts, connected with walkways, and the merchandise in the shops was good quality and reasonably priced. On one side of this particular center was the beach, and on the other was a canal that offered gondola rides. What a charming place to spend an afternoon!
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