Managed to lose all the work I've done on my journal since arriving in Sodwana Bay (about two weeks worth). This is pretty unfortunate because I was very excited about the dives we'd done so I'd written a lot. Alkaline batteries are not available in Swaziland so I was using normal carbon batteries and they quit midway through a save...
Was expecting a rather short drive - what we got was a five hour boring boring drive. Chose a backpackers out of the new Coast-to-Coast (a free budget accommodation guide for Southern Africa). And went to the Old Vic Inn pub. At the pub (a very cool old converted church) found out that the Coast-to-Coast had just come out a week ago and we were going to be the first guests!
Dave and his wife Bella (the owners and sole employees of the pub)are running the backpackers out of their house and were incredibly hospitable. Had a beer, then went up to the house (a few miles away), settled in, showered, then headed out back to the pub. Had a delicious dinner and spent the evening sitting in the pub, playing pool, and generally enjoying Dave's hospitality and humor (though he ended up bringing us a few too many shooters on the house...)
