South Africa: Durban (Part 1)

My latest travel trip is to the sunny and humid coast of Durban. I hadn't been back to Durban in what has been about two years. What struck me right off the bat was how different it was from the bustling, fast moving world that I had just left in Johannesburg. People M-O-V-E to where they need to be. It got me  thinking about why I didnt notice this befrore and what had I had been thinking about two years ago when  on that same road.The conclusion was not a great deal; boyfriend,wondering what my hotel room looked like and if my best friend had already checked in. Seems a little trivial seeing as I was driving through what resembled a tropical forest highway but was nevertheless the M4 (or something, I'm not really good with remembering road names - still). 

This morning, whilst waiting for our American vet to get his McD's breakfast, I went to the cafe section and ordered a strawberry juice. It went like this, "Hello, how are you, can I please have a strawberry Sir Juice". She's looking at me but taking it all in, its almost like we're about to start a conversation. "Take away or sit down?", "I'm sorry what?" "Take away or sit down?" "Its just juice and it comes in a plastic bottle?" "Ooooh strawberry juice???". I looked down there was nothing else resembling a strawberry, "errr yeah". I don't know why this struck me perhaps because in Durban service seems like a slow process where one patiently waits, oops I forgot, yeah bra, awe, no worries, when your ready. I'm so used to the pace of Joburg, where everything is instant, understood and moved on to the next customer. Cape Town is almost the same however they are most likely to also compliment you on what you are wearing and say "shame do you have a busy day ahead?" and I am not mocking them, I absolutely love that Cape Tonians care. It makes for a change. Let it be known, I am not a snoot in any shape or form, it just struck with such velocity how different Durban is and I thought I would try mould it into something of a discussed analysis.

Now, my main point of observation, the roads in Durban. Hades on a stick, what is going on there? My dad was driving me back from the airport and our house that we are renting is near a harbour and amongst dock houses and equipment yards, what ever you want to call them. We were travelling down a main road when all of a sudden, whoops! It makes a 90 degree turn yet you are still on Mahatma Gandi or Doctor Xuma street if you like, however it has completely curved to the left, and people just understand this? Baffled my brain. Joburg is a series of straight lines with a couple of gentle bends but never anything of this proportion. I assume its because of the coast line but sweet Mary, how does anyone ever REMEMBER where they going. I have visited 2 malls whilst I've been here and I can honestly say I have no idea how I would get back to them. The highways are not the problem. ONCE you are on them it is plain sailing, but to get there one has to navigate a series of turns that one would attempt in disarming a boobie trap. Not the easiest. 

THAT was 2 weeks ago. I am now back in the fast pace of 'JOZI' which wasn't such a hot pace this morning as there were 2 accidents on my route to university (of course). I do notice the slight intricacies of change but something else also caught my mind in Joburg and I guess it is just a mash up of what you prefer. Joburg seems to be alot less friendly and people have no time to wait for an answer. If you are dwaddling in the traffic que you will be hooted at, flicked at and over taken. This sounds like a negative observation but it is not. That is the Catch 22 I think that comes when choosing where to live in our beautiful country. For a city to work and create momentum I think this will always be the case. People are deadline driven, stressed to their wits and when it is all over and they can breathe again, they go on holiday to places like Durban, Cape Town, Transkei, The Garden Route, etc. We used to live in Cape Town, I lived there for the first 10 years of my life, but my dad had to make the move to Johannesburg as the job opportunities were simply far greater and  lucrative in Joburg. Some 13 years later and I still miss my hometown. I miss the ease of the people and the care. Things still happen in Cape Town and rapidness is evident yet the people seem to be able to enjoy themselves that much more. They know how. Not to forget they have access to alot more natural attractions such as Kirstenbosch Gardens, The 'nice to look at but not dare go in Atlantic Ocean', the vineyards,  my friends in CT on a Sunday, like to climb up Table Mountain. Oh, yeah, I'm just going to gander up one of the worlds 7 wonders, chill out and look at the ocean. Lucky sods.