Authentic experience in St. Lucia
On vacation in South Africa, there are many things to do. Culture and nature are so beautiful that it’s hard to choose. Bas and Marloes tested our ResiRest experience in St. Lucia, South Africa and wrote a travel diary about it. They kindly sent it to us so we could share their experience on the blog. Enjoy this authentic experience, which almost feels like we’re there with them.
The local coordinator Dumi came to pick up the couple at their hotel. They bought a tart for their hosts and even though this was great, Dumi mentioned that it’s more common to bring something useful, such as bread or sugar. So, on their way to visit the local family, they went to buy bread to bring them a real local gift. Just outside of St. Lucia the local Zulu family waited for their guests. The welcome of the mother Nokulunga and her two daughters, who speak English, was friendly.
They already started making a fire and the guests immediately joined in to help them. After that, a log and a mat were placed next to the fire.
The log is meant for the leader, so Bas could take place on it. The mat is for the woman, so Marloes went to sit on the mat.
A taste of true authentic Zulu culture
Nokulunga and her daughters started to prepare dinner, and, in the meantime, the whole village heard about the guests. This led to many neighbors coming by to see if there really are tourists in their little village. Due to this, the atmosphere was great, and people were singing, dancing and children showed their acrobatic tricks. During the meal, Marloes talked to the two daughters of the host. They explained a lot about Zulu culture and traditions. The man is the leader and the women serve the man. One example is that the man always gets food and drinks first and the women must wait until after they have served the men their meals. The women kneel when they give something to the man and one man can have multiple women. This means sometimes women are left temporarily when the man is with another woman. The woman provides and cares for the children she has with this man alone in this time.
The food was delicious!
After a while, the women served the dinner on some rocks in the sand. Marloes had to serve the dinner to Bas and he was served first. Then all the other men were served and after that the women and then the children got their portions of food. The food was delicious! Nokulunga made a stew with beef, coleslaw and spinach. In addition, there was bread, cassava and a local kind of dumpling. They served self-brewed beer that Zulu like to drink in a round bowl everyone drank from. Of course, it started with Bas again.
After dinner, Bas and Marloes served the cake they brought with them. Marloes cut it into small pieces so everyone got something – including around 15 children who came to see the visitors. There was no cutlery or plates, so everyone ate the cake with their hands and licked their fingers afterwards. So delicious, yum.
Unforgettable experience
After the cake, the children went to bed and some of the neighbors left as well. Bas and Marloes took this as the moment to thank their hosts and leave as well. They had an unbelievable experience and thought it was amazing how proud the hosts were of their culture and how they enjoyed sharing it. They got a taste of true authentic Zulu culture that night – without a show put on for tourists. The realness and openness of the people made it an unforgettable experience. Thank you, Nokulunga!
Directly support a local family by sharing a meal. Check all places, famillies, and food in the free ResiRest app. See you soon in South Africa!
