Thursday 25th August 2016: Today we were meant to go on a cruise on the lake to view the wildlife at the water's edge, namely hippo, but due to an expected high wind there is a change of plan and at 8.30 there are 4 safari vehicles ready to take us to the Mkhuze Reserve. We have an 'African Massage' as we travel over a very rough rocky road in the Zulu ancestors land. They are having the worst drought since the 1940's - it hasn't really rained for 2 years here and this has culled out the weaker animals in the reserve. The scattered Zulu huts and houses don't have running water and they haven't been able to plant their vegetable crops due to the dry conditions, meaning life is really difficult for them. 
 
We enter the 36,000 hectare Mkhuze Reserve and it has a main sealed road and lots of unsealed tracks. We are lucky that Jean is the guide for our jeep - she has been doing this job for 24 years and is passionate about Africa and the animals, - plus she has a wonderful sense of humour.
Firstly we see baboons - they are known to kill baby Impala, possibly why Impala are always in large herds. Our morning includes seeing zebra, nyala (like large deer), Impala, monkeys and some stately giraffe - apparently that sway they get up is because they walk forward with both feet on the right and then both on the left and hold the centre of gravity with the sway of their long neck.
Jean now gets a 2 way call, raises her arm announcing 'Ferrari Safari' and we take off on the dirt track at speed - the reason being, a pregnant female cheetah has been spotted laying under a tree - we get there in plenty of time and she doesn't look like she is going anywhere in a hurry. The cheetah has a flat tail and uses it like a rudder to change direction.
We backtrack to the waterhole in the hope of seeing animals coming in to drink. It has a lookout built over the waterhole with viewing holes so that we are safe and the animals aren't aware that we are there. Not too many today, just some Nyala and Impala.  
 
Afternoon Excursion: Back on the safari vehicles,and we wend our way high up and around the mountains to the top where the Zulu village is. Not withstanding the drought it still looks very inhospitable, so rocky and high up - so I ask "why up here" - the reasons from years back - safety, they could see their enemies coming, it is cooler in summer, the tsetse fly and malaria only existed in the lower regions and nobody would want to take this land from them - all land here is Zululand. They still live in family communities, and the whole village lives like a family community, looking after each other. Our guides here are 100% Zulu, speak perfect English and attempt to explain the Zulu culture to us. They still follow their cultural traditions, along with Western living to some extent - the style of houses show both, some now have electricity and even TV - everything to us though looks primitive. We get a lesson in traditional house making with the thatched roof, see the cattle yard which is a sacred place of the cow - not everyone allowed in here, rituals run by the elders. The cow is a symbol of wealth and is sacred to the Zulu, being used to get a wife, 11 cows worth R10,000 for an 'intact' girl, which apparently they aren't all as the number of cows decreases for not being 'intact' and for each child they might have.
 
They are Christian, while still keeping their culture of believing in the spirit of the dead and have a special room for speaking to their forefathers, special family meetings etc.
Justice who has been our guide is 37, is not married but has a girlfriend - he has 60 cows, so he thinks he will be able to marry shortly. Both his parents are still alive - it is the duty of the youngest son to care for the parents in old age. In most family communities, a couple of members work for money. Some children are now going to University - they would sell a cow to fund this. Gorgeous children sitting around watching us - a very interesting experience. 
 
Looking at the irrigated cane crops on the way back, I queried the water source as there's not much water in the river. Apparently there is a huge dam covering 19,000 hectares and 90m deep, that is now down to 40%, but to stop planting would put thousands of people out of work, so surely this drought will break in time.
Barbecue tea tonight with a Zulu singing and dancing plus a warrior display.