allowed more than one wife - the king has over eighty!!! Whilst we think this maybe strange, you also have to accept other cultures and their beliefs. We had seen enough of Christian influence and dominance to last a life time so it is good to see that other cultures have managed to survive their onslaught. Apparently all of the wives get on and there is no jealously between them. The chief of the area also has great influence over the villagers and most are good. The king is considered to be a great man and only a few dislike him and wish for a broader spreading of his wealth.

After chatting with Eileen we went into the kitchen for lunch. Our guide had brought lunch with him and it consisted of bread, cheese, tomato and crisps all washed down with a lovely cup of tea. Our guide explained more about Swaziland culture and how it has made sure to keep its culture strong. He didn’t want to be

like the bushmen of South Africa who have lost their culture to that of the West. Swazis were proud of their land and culture and wanted to keep it that way. It was really interesting listening to him and made the day all of the better. Instead of just a day’s quad biking we were getting a cultural tour of this part of Swaziland and meeting some really interesting people and learning about life here.

After lunch it was time to climb on the bikes once more and head off down another dirt road. We would be on the bikes for another 20 minutes or so before we stopped at another little place where the local kids were selling crystals. This all helped give the people a little extra income and make the people feel like they were providing a service rather than just being given money for nothing. We bought a few of the crystals and were soon on our way again.