Day 3: Driving to Swaziland

Driving seemed to be the main event of today, and we spent nearly 8 ½ hours (including stops) getting to the Foresters Arm Hotel in Swaziland. This morning, before the drive, I woke up and went running. I was a little thrown off by the treadmill counting kilometers rather then miles, but it was a good workout for my converting skills. Next we had a giant breakfast that was amazing! There was a giant buffet containing halite (a type of fish), eggs, omelets, croissants, salmon, chicken, a million types of bread, jungle oats (oatmeal), a huge fruit bar including one called guapa that looked like raw meat, and even ox tongue! I ate a giant breakfast and was even brave enough to try the guapa… it was NOT good.

The car ride consisted of sights such as the largest Buddhist temple in South Africa, villages with ramshackle houses, ostrages grazing on the side of the road, and mostly cows grazing. On the way, we stopped at a random mall for a bathroom break. Surprisingly, their malls are nearly identical to America’s except for the store names. We finally arrived at the border of Swaziland and after going through customs, entered the country.

The Forester Arms Hotel is so quaint and nice, sort of like a large bed and breakfast. Passion fruit juice was served upon our arrival and large fireplaces welcomed us from the chilling rain outside. Victoria, Caroline, and I are again staying in an adorable larger room with three beds. Dinner was served at the hotel and was delicious as well. Bread was strewn out on a table with delicious olive oil beside it and we could get as much as we pleased. I had chicken and corn soup for an appetizer, then salmon and these unique tasting potatoes that were sweet but white. For dessert I ate a spongy apple cake moistened with a sauce.

When dinner ended, many of went to the bar and met a German girl our age who was studying in South Africa and a couple of women from the Netherlands.  

Tomorrow awaits another exciting day where we will finally be sightseeing rather than traveling!