Blue Heron

Durban is a bustling and colorful city, with brightly painted buses and throngs of people on the streets. Slightly larger than Los Angeles, it has everything thing we need, which is important given our extensive to do list. Of our most important to do's were the primary and secondary autopilots and the new battens for the main sail. We got on those right away and were able to find service professionals quickly. Fortunately, the primary autopilot was covered under warranty, and the fix was installed when we received the new part about a week after arrival. We were able to get the secondary autopilot addressed quickly as well, and new battens cut for the mainsail. This left us with plenty of time to enjoy the city and its surroundings.
The timing of our arrival in Durban on November 27th couldn't have been better, since the COP 17 Climate Change Conference was here from November 28th until December 9th. In addition to the meetings and negotiations, there were numerous exhibits and events open to the public. We went to the main exhibition area, which was filled with interesting companies, organizations, and government displays, all eager to show their commitment to stopping climate change. We also saw a rooftop garden built by an architecture firm committed to revitalization of urban centers. The garden, in addition to providing thermal insulation for the building, serves as a small farming area to provide food to some of the local population. The Durban Art Gallery and the Botanic Gardens also held interesting exhibitions for the COP17 conference.
The day after we arrived we met a fascinating Swiss couple, Dario and Sabine Schwörer, who are leading an expedition around the world to demonstrate how humans and nature can live in harmony. Their organization, called the TOPtoTOP Global Climate Expedition, is the 1st expedition over the Seven Seas to the Seven Summits that will be achieved by human and nature's power alone.

COP17 also brought large numbers of police. The safety issues in Durban are obvious, with fences, barbed wire, and armed response security warnings everywhere. When we checked in at the marina, we were given a mini-security briefing which advised us not to walk in the city at night, not to show cameras or cell phones, and to otherwise guard our valuables. We met a former Commodore at the Point Yacht Club, Bob Fraser, who was kind enough to take us for a drive one day into the suburbs of Durban. Unlike the city, the suburbs are clean and filled with trees, whereas downtown Durban is littered with trash. While a very different look and feel compared to downtown Durban, the safety issue was still noticeable. Nearly every house was surrounded by tall walls garnished with electric or razor wire.
Standing in stark contrast to the walls and wire, was our visit to Essenwood Craft Market, in the suburb of Essenwood. Dynamic displays of artwork and crafts, live music, and a sampling of local foods, made this a fascinating and fun way to spend a Saturday morning. The concept of the Rainbow Nation was clearly evident here, with blacks, whites, Indians and Asians enjoying themselves.
We'll spend the next few days finishing up some projects and seeing a bit more of Durban. Then, we're off to Kruger National Park for a safari and hopefully sightings of the Big 5 (lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros).