African Wildlife & Environment Issue 80

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

and ask “mans of vrouens?" (men or women?) and depending on the answer you got you would enter. No electricity, it was all paraffin lanterns and of course you would have the sky stretching out like a diamond-studded black velvet cloth above you. You would strip naked and gingerly enter the water because it was so hot, but once you were in, it was a therapeutic experience with the water up to your chin and controlling your body temperature by sticking your hands and feet out while lying there. I remember as a young boy listening to the men regaling stories of the big fish that got away, and stories of large snakes and river eels they had seen, that made a young boy’s mind race. The campsites were literally luxury personified, with huge double flap tents, erected with blue gum poles. The full beds from the farm were brought

collecting, and selling firewood. My parents were a bit miffed that I was born in July 1961, because for that year they could not go to Shu Shu; however the next year I had my first birthday there. One of the main attractions were the baths. These were about 6 x 6 meters square and had walls built up with river stones and cement so that you had a swimming pool size bath that you could relax in after a long day out fishing for yellowfish in the Tugela River. The water that bubbled out the ground was hot enough to boil an egg, and many believed that it had healing qualities with all the minerals it produced. Each bath had a 3-meter-high canvas wall erected so that you were protected from prying eyes. The men would use certain baths and the women the others, depending on who got there first. You would knock on the canvas door

Photograph: John Wesson

27 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 80 (2021)