Mabuda Farm

The beautiful Mabuda homestead

Sunday the 6^th: We wake up to a rosy sky and take an early morning walk to a view point over the Mkuzi River. On our way back, we visit the Reid’s country neighbour who works at the hospital. He proudly shows us the new rondavel he is building. Back at Edwaleni the neighbour visits us to share cool drink and home baked scones that we all enjoy on the stoep and experience real Ubuntu. When I unpack my bike, the back tyre shows a huge bubble. That happens when you forget to let down the tyre pressure when you fly! Midday we travel back to the N2 and on to the Swazi border, busy with Sunday afternoon cross border traffic. Travelling from Big Bend to Siteki, the challenge was to avoid as many of the numerous potholes as possible. Little boys along the road fill up the potholes and ask for a contribution. From close to Siteki we follow the road signs to Mabuda just outside Siteki.We arrive just in time for the Pons’s to take us on a walk on their farm. Maryke and Gareth arrive just in time to joiun us on the walk. That evening after supper we also sit around the huge family table. Danny presents us with the logistics plan neatly set out on flip charts. The logistics for the ride and especially the back-up vehicles proves to be quite a tricky exercise but with everyone contributing a provisional plan is agreed on.