On the Street Where We live - We're seeing PURPLE!

November brings many beautiful flowers and flowering trees and bushes.  The most anticipated is the flowering of the Jacaranda trees.  Beautiful purple blossoms lining the streets and hillsides of Johannesburg and surrounding area.  The recent thunderstorms with heavy rain, wind and hail have taken their toll.  We were glad to have taken these pictures while the trees were still in full color.

Last week on Monday (P Day) found us traveling with the temple missionaries to a cultural village for a tour and lunch.  We learned about five different tribes and their cultures.  This was followed by traditional dancing and drums and then we had a fantastic buffet lunch with traditional foods.  We had the opportunity to try crocodile, ostrich, pap (pronounced pop) and squashes.  It was all very tasty!  I especially liked the crocodile.  Could have had something to do with the sauce it was cooked in.  It was very tender!  Pap is made from maize and looks like mashed potatoes but is thicker and traditionally eaten with fingers along with greens.  They served it with a tomato and onion sauce. 

This was our welcoming committee.  They greeted us with song, smiles and handshakes.

Guard at the Zulu village.  We had to ask permission to enter.

This young lady was weaving a mat like they sit on and sleep on.

The woman on the left is wearing traditional clothing (especially the head gear) for a married woman.  She wears the hat ALL THE TIME.  To wash her hair she must have female relatives come and help her.  The young lady in the middle is wearing traditional clothing of an unmarried girl.  The man was our guide and is wearing the traditional blanket and hat of the Lesotho people.  They live at a higher elevation - hence, the blanket.

 

Our guide and one of the entertainers at lunch.

Back in August we went to Swaziland and went to another cultural village.

Our guide through the traditional Swazi village.

Cooking area.

Area where young men from age 8 and up live.

One of the dwellings - called rondels.  The thatch is replaced about every five years.

 

Another cooking area.

This was the grandmother's hut.  The Swazi's are a people ruled by men.....until you become a grandmother.  Your status is dramatically changed at that point and when a warrior is going off to battle he will spend the night in the grandmothers dwelling and seek her advice.

The dwellings are quite remarkable.  This is the beginning of one.

Another view of a new construction.

The Swazi singers and dancers.

 

The dancing begins.  They were quite impressive.  Male and female do high kicks with their legs well over their heads.