Christmas in Durban (plus tourism to Lesotho and Western Cape)
Counting down to Christmas in Durban. Decorations have appeared (far too early as always) and work Christmas parties are in full swing. School holidays have started and the hoards are descending on the beach. Meanwhile we've been settling into Durban life, working on the boat and have had ourselves a little holiday in the Western Cape and a day trip to the Kingdom of Lesotho. Durban is properly The Big Smoke for the first time since Brissie. Population of about 5 million, the second busiest port in Africa, a marina sandwiched between the CBD and the port with a long stretch of coastline (with esplanade and surf breaks) about a kilometre away. In a lot of ways it's just like Brisbane: relatively small, subtropical city with beaches close by. Locals say about twenty or thirty years ago it was just like Brisbane but there's been a lot of changes in South Africa since then and Durban certainly has a completely different vibe now. Downtown Durban is a