A Long Weekend in Durban

 The first time I came to Durban I spent hardly any time here - we drove straight out to the town of Eshowe, where we were staying for the week. This time, my visit happens to coincide with a 'long weekend'. Today is a public holiday to celebrate 'Women's Day' (an excellent reason not to go to work, I think).
 I still would not say I am in any way an expert of the city. But I have experienced the essentials: good food, good shopping and good company.
 Logan and Rajes have taken me to their pick of the best restaurants around. On Saturday night we went to an African restaurant called 'Zanzibar'. Our waiter Tongai gave us very good service and at the end of the meal our bill came in a sweet little treasure-chest. At Sunday lunch we went to 'Granny Mouse's Country House'. Here our waiter Rob believed Logan's teasing that it was Rajes' birthday. 'How old are you?' he asks. 'Twenty-five,' replies Rajes without missing a beat. So when everyone has finished, a tray of exquisite cubes of chocolate brownie is brought out with 'Happy Birthday' written in swirling chocolate sauce, and we all have to sing to Rajes while desperately trying not to laugh.
 It would not be accurate to say that I have experienced city shopping. But on Sunday we drove westwards into the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands. We passed Pietermaritzburg and climbed up into the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains. Logan points out a crested eagle sitting on a telegraph pole. I admire the trees with bright orange-red flowers (apparently called 'African trees') and the burnt gold of the dry grass. We pull into the little town of Howick (named after a stately house six thousand miles away in Northumberland) to visit the Howick falls - a stunning 365-foot high ribbon of water with a vast gorge below and people washing their bright clothes above - and the site at which Nelson Mandela was arrested on 5th August 1962.
 Throughout this countryside, dotted along the roadside, are turn-offs into all sorts of rather nice shops. Some of them seem to be more boutiques than shops, for instance the 'Eclectic Magpie', a fabulous collection of random, shiny odds and ends. There are shops called 'Earth Africa' and 'Born in Africa', which seem to cater mostly to white tourists. But my favourite has to be the Belgian chocolate shop called 'Florentine's'. Logan insists that I buy some, so I select a few of the options, including a set of chocolate teeth. 'After all,' says Logan, 'what did you come to South Africa for, if not for Belgian chocolate?'
 I have also been introduced to several of the Govenders' friends. We shared our 'Granny Mouse' experience with a couple from India called Swati and Abhishek, both of whom were very good fun. And on Sunday evening another guest came round to dinner: the beautiful but 'highly strung' Prashanta. From what I can gather, she's been having a hard time lately, and Logan had invited her over for a little of his 'kitchen counselling'.
 Today we are taking it easy at home. The weather has turned a bit cloudy and windy and we've spent long enough in the car over the last couple of days. Tomorrow, Logan (who used to be a taxi-driver around Durban) is going to give me a guided tour of the city itself. Then I may have more chance of describing to you what the city actually looks like.