Day trip to Swaziland (warning: Ethan dancing)

Whereas typically I'd spend July 4th relaxing my way towards a New York fireworks display, this year I went to the Kingdom of Swaziland.

A group of about ten of us made a day trip to the neighboring country and had a nice time of it. It was a long drive to the cultural village we visited (we cruised passed the capital without stopping) but worth it. The dancing and tour of the preserved Swazi village was very nicely organized, professionally presented and really interesting. It was a stark contrast with our trip the prior weekend to Mozambique.

Every one of us noticed that the Swazi people seemed calmer, more welcoming and just plan smiled more. I guess that's what political stability gets you. I don't know too much about the King of Swaziland, but the royal family has at least been a stable presence for a few decades, unlike the turmoil in Mozambique.

For the tour of the "village" the guide gave us each a role in a family as though we were a visiting tribe. It was clever and made the tour really interactive. He even pretended to marry one of people in our group (Veronica), which was pretty hilarious.

And yes, I danced.