There are about 15 staff who work for Will and Sharon (the lodge owners). They are of Xhorsa (pronounced "korsa") decent and speak the Xhorsa langauge which uses lots of clicking noises in the back of the throat. Most of the staff also speak Afrikaans and only a few speak English.

The staff and their families live in a small camp behind our residence here on the reserve. On Tuesday, two of the female elders, Selena (pictured far right above) and Elise (pictured below) took us on a tour of their very basic but comfortable homes, introduced us to their families and neighbours and shared stories over a cuppa. The women were so welcoming and hospitable depite their humble means.

A number of people decided to join our tour along the way and everyone wanted to have their portrait taken with our digital camera. One old lady even got changed for the occassion!

It has been challenging for Jack and myself to get use to the cultural and socio-economic divide amongst the people here in South Africa. It seems that despite the end of apartheid, the blacks are often still treated as second class citizens. For example, if we are driving and pick up some of the staff to give them a lift, they stand on the back of the truck whilst we enjoy the comfort inside.