Swaziland

By Dana

Matt's Homestead

After some touring through South Africa, we headed to the lovely country of Swaziland.  For those of you who know as much about this country as I did before going here, Swaziland is about the size of the state of New Jersey and is nearly completely surrounded by the country of South Africa.  Despite the misleading name, the country is not one big awesome amusement park. ;)  It is a developing nation, but sadly still has the highest rate of HIV in the world, with 1 in 3 people fighting either HIV or AIDS.  

For those of you wondering why we ended up here, we went to Swaziland to visit our fabulous friend Matt, who served here the last two years in the Peace Corps.  It was amazing how much siSwati he had picked up in 2 years, and not only was it great to have him as a guide but it was so special to see the locals' faces light up when they heard him speaking their language.  It sure made for some efficient border crossings!

 The highlight was visiting his homestead and getting a glimpse as to what his life was like the last 2 years.  

The hut Matt lived in on the homestead.  

Matt's 'shower' in the corner of his bedroom.  

One of two kitchens on the homestead and the one that is used most often.  This one had a fire pit for cooking the other one had a wood burning stove.  

Toilet!!  You should have seen the mealworms in there.  SO COOL!

Making pancakes on Matt's two burner propane stove for the family.  

Super cute kids on the homestead.  

We spent hours playing tag (which in Swaziland they call "Touch") and throwing around a gourd that was about the equivalent to a baseball in the U.S.  

Matt, Brent, Babe ('father'), Mage ('mother'), Dana & Kevin with the beautiful grass matt Mage wove for Dana and the hand carved meat bowls Babe gave the guys.  I love the great smilies Swazis always have in family pictures.  :)

Sour Porriage - Made by setting Maize out overnight in a bucket with some water and letting it ferment.  In the morning it is boiled and more water is added to make it just the right consistency.  Best if served with real sugar!

Another traditional Swazi dish.  

To celebrate the end of Matt's stay in Swaziland the family had a huge Braai where they grilled a ton of meat to share with everyone present.  Traditionally a cow is slaughtered for the occasion, however so the family didn't have to butcher one of their cows, which is a major sign of wealth in Swaziland, we brought some chicken, beef and fish from the store and they butchered a couple of chickens from the homestead instead.  It was delicious!

Food served at the Braai before our departure.  

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Tim & Margie's House

Our last night in Swaziland we spent at Tim and Margie's house.  Tim was the first Peace Corps volunteer on Matt's homestead and has since stayed in Swaziland with his amazing girlfriend Margie who is from Kenya.  They were extremely gracious to welcome us all into their home without even knowing us, and it was the best last night in Swaziland we could have asked for, filled with great food, lots of laughter, and amazing company.  

The crew outside Margie and Tim's home.  

Making delicious homeade bagels for breakfast with honey and chocolate chips.  The perfect way to celebrate the end of an unforgettable trip!