Swaziland

Exploring Eswatini and the Barberton Geotrail

2summers2025-09-04T14:49:49+00:00May 22, 2025|

I’ve been to Swaziland many times. During my early years in South Africa, Swaziland felt almost like a second home to me. But I hadn’t been to Swaziland since it was renamed Eswatini in [...]

Swaziland’s Bushfire Festival: My Top 8 Tips

2018-05-30T18:04:25+00:00May 30, 2018|

Last weekend I attended the MTN Bushfire Festival in Swaziland. It was my second time at the festival (read about my first Bushfire in 2012) and my seventh trip to Swaziland, one of my favorite countries [...]

Six Arts and Crafts Hotspots in Africa

2017-09-06T08:45:38+00:00September 5, 2017|

Although I generally avoid shopping, I love to buy things when I travel -- especially in Africa (which is most of my traveling these days). So when Afristay asked me to write a post [...]

Swaziland: It’s Really Freaking Green.

2014-02-02T22:21:02+00:00February 2, 2014|

Swaziland is my second home in Africa. I knew Swaziland long before I knew South Africa, and long before I decided to move to Johannesburg. I’ve been to Swaziland six times in the last [...]

There’s Something About Swaziland

2012-05-31T18:28:56+00:00May 31, 2012|

Swaziland grabbed me a few years ago. It won’t let go. My first visit to the Swazi Kingdom, in 2008, was an emotional earthquake. I was blindsided by the realization that I wasn’t the [...]

A Fiery Swazi Weekend

2012-05-29T13:22:06+00:00May 29, 2012|

Before this past weekend, the last music festival I attended was the legendary HFStival — sometime around the turn of the millennium in a grimy, beer-sodden stadium in southeast Washington D.C. It was oppressively humid and there [...]

After the Fire

2012-05-27T21:34:23+00:00May 27, 2012|

I’ve just returned from a weekend in Swaziland, my second-favorite African country. The main reason for my trip was Bushfire 2012, a huge music and arts festival at Swaziland’s House on Fire. I saw [...]

I Went Crafty in Swaziland

2012-02-23T11:42:45+00:00February 23, 2012|

I’ve never been a big shopper, and my inclination to shop has dropped even lower since I left the United States. But I do enjoy one type of shopping in Africa: craft-shopping. Especially craft-shopping [...]

Beauty, Poverty, and Joy Under the Baking Swazi Sun

2012-02-16T23:42:45+00:00February 16, 2012|

Last week I went to Swaziland for a freelance assignment. The assignment was with Samaritan’s Purse UK, a charitable organization that does disaster relief and community development projects around the world. I went to [...]

Return to the Swazi Mountaintop

2020-07-06T18:36:23+00:00February 12, 2012|

There was a time when I didn’t believe in fate. I used to think life was one big coincidence. Then I came to Africa and changed my tune. Five years ago, if I had visited [...]

Land Rover on a Swazi Mountaintop

2012-01-10T20:53:32+00:00January 10, 2012|

The day after Jon’s funeral, I said I wasn’t going to write about his death on my blog anymore. That was crazy talk. I currently think about Jon for about 58 of every 60 minutes. How [...]

Joe

2011-12-20T19:11:18+00:00December 20, 2011|

Joe died yesterday. His real name was Jon. He was a gifted photographer. He was sensitive, intelligent, opinionated, and loyal. He had green-gold eyes and a mischievous smile. He was my best friend. We loved each [...]