Swaziland Crafts

I’m starting to get a better sense of the role fiber arts is playing in Southern Africa today. Whereas I expected indigenous fabrics to be the big story, what I’m really surprised by is the way fiber products are being successfully being created for the tourists. I was conflicted about this at first because something woven out of imported wool in a western style didn’t seem sufficiently “Authentic Africa” to me. This was short sighted on my part because I’m now learning about all the communities where women were taught how to weave or sew these little touristy things and are making a living with the profits. The places where these things are sold are pure tourist trap… but it really is for a good cause in this case.

Plus I get to stock up and both Lance listens to anyone who would tell him their story. Maybe tourist traps aren’t so bad in some contexts.

So here are two of the best places we've stopped at. First was Tintsaba at the Peak Fine Craft Center. They work with locally grown sisal to create baskets, place mats/coasters and the most gorgeous sisal jewelry. Here’s their story.Also in the same area is a wool weaving group. It was Sunday so they weren’t around but I did get some pics of the store. In the upper right of the second photo you can see the women who started this whole place a few years back. If you build it, and stock it with pretty things, tourists will come. And it works.

In a neighboring store I picked up a traditional Swazi maiden wrap modeled by the store clerk here. I dunno. I haven't actually seen anyone wearing these things anywhere but the tourist guides. It is still pretty cool fabric though. I did my part to support the local economy and we were back on the road. Next stop this insanity.You have never seen such a tourist trappy tourist trap in your life. Unless of course you have been to South Of The Border in which case ... you have.

I did not buy any fabric here. It just had a different vibe to it and the people selling couldn’t give me any background info. Plus I recognized some of it as basic African themed cotton prints available in Botswana. And the US. And probably China.

But behind all the stalls is a diamond in the rough and another example of fiber arts being used to support local charities. Check out Baobob Batiks. This stuff is the real deal you could smell the wax from outside. Inside two very patient women answered all my questions and had the biggest smile when I said, “Say.. crazy American tourist!” I bought a few batik napkins which I may actually just use as napkins. I know! Not cutting up fabric to sew together to make fabric. Scandal!

We ate lunch at the trippiest place I have ever been in my entire life.
Exhibition 1:

And 2:

Sitting among the trees (and oddly painted bugs) we relaxed and lost track of time a little. Lance looked at his watch, said "Uh we gotta go like now" and we were literally running for the border. Okay, driving is more like it but you see the border we were planning to cross closed at 4:30 that day and the next one north closed at 6:00 but it would have mean driving on dirt roads, through the woods, probably in the dark. YIKES.

So driving as fast as we could down this roadWe just made it to our first choice border in time. Phew! I mean just in time. We had like 5 minutes. The guards didn't seem to mind though. On the Swaziland side they were happily watching a WWE wrestling match on television.

We all had a good time filling out paperwork and talking about how Shawn Michaels is totally awesome. There was no tv or smiles on the South Africa side but the important thing is that we made it in time.

Next the battlefields of Roorke's Drift.