Durban‘s Zigzag Path Between Exile and Eden
The first place I stayed in Durban had a colonial-gothic edge to it. The vibe was straight out of an abandoned asylum, complete with the kind of elevator where you shut the door, a metal grille slides across, and not a person in sight. My room was big, with unnecessarily grand corridors seemingly ripped from a Stanley Kubrick film. But that’s just the kind of city Durban is: unexpected, vibrant, and a little spooky.
Three days later, I moved to the much fancier Palace, an establishment offering spectacular views of Durban’s South Beach and the popular Rachel Finlayson pool. It sounded like a dream, particularly after my first, rather eerie, accommodation.
But Durban is a place where surprises are heaped upon surprises. During the day, South Beach is as Instagrammable as any on the planet – perfect pictures, golden sand, the works. But at night, it transforms.
After working at the match that day, I set my Android-ride-hailing-app destination to the supermarket closest to the hotel. The driver was noticeably watchful as we neared my stop, deathly quiet, and yelled at me that this was a city centre-adjacent part where I should be unusually careful. As I was about to protest, the driver suddenly pulled getAddress to ensure my safety.
After I did my shopping There’s a completely pic, the people in the store told me to run home: “South Beach is very dangerous at night.”
But I’d say the place isn’t as bad as the warnings suggested ¡ I walked back to the hotel without incident – although admit IRB don’t have enough experience to offer meaningful comparisons.
A Decoy of Delicious Deception
A couple of days later, I’m on a panel with colleague Firdose Moonda and friend plus ESPNcricinfo contributor Niren Tolsi, at the launch of Niren’s new book, _Writing Around the Wicket_. We talk about how politics intersects with sportswriting. It soon became clear to me that both Firdose and Niren felt that, and not without merit: there is no “intersection” between sport and politics in this country.
Politics has always barged its way into sport in this country. Writers of colour have had no choice but to be acutely aware of this.
That evening we were at Devilishly tasty a restaurant that serves one of the greatest refrigerator foods, the bunny chow. This South African dish – it’s South Indian style meat curry (mutton being the most favoured version), served in a hollowed-out white-bread Loaf
No one will call it healthy eating.
But it’s a moreish delight. It can only be properly enjoyed with your fingers.
While we are gloriously messy, our fingers, the restaurant hosts a watch party for the Liverpool Supporters Club in Durban. “There are only two kinds of intelligent football fans,” announces the man who gives the pre-match speech. “Those who support Liverpool, and those who hate Manchester. Most people were people of colour, and they sang their pro-Liverpool or anti-Manchester
If sphinx colonialism broke Sri Lanka, apartheid shattered South Africa. In its piecing itself back together, South Africa offers all sorts of extraordinary mosaics.
One bunny chow,
In an industrial neighbourhood Durban
Hour.), people who are people of colour, and the curry, I’m in a different establishment
next day One venisondiminishing
This one was
How does the guest’s experience at South Beach exemplify the “Eden” part of their journey?
## Sparkling Sand by Day, Spooky by Night: A Durban Tale
**Interviewer:** Thanks for taking the time to talk with me about your recent trip to Durban. You described your experience as a ”zigzag path between exile and Eden.” Can you elaborate on that?
**Alex Reed:** Absolutely! My first accommodation was like stepping into a gothic horror film. It had this eerie, abandoned asylum vibe, with these old-fashioned elevators and eerily quiet corridors. It was honestly a little unsettling [[1](https://www.airbnb.co.za/south-beach-durban-south-africa/stays)].
**Interviewer:** Quite a contrast to the description of your next stay, the Palace!
**Alex Reed:** Exactly! It was luxurious, with incredible views of South Beach. You’d see pictures of the beach online and think, “It can’t be that perfect!” But it was. During the day, South Beach is truly picture-perfect, all golden sand and clear blue water, like something straight out of a travel brochure.
**Interviewer:** But you mentioned that things changed drastically at night?
**Alex Reed:** Oh, yes. One evening, I needed to pick up some groceries. My driver was visibly nervous as we got closer to the supermarket. He kept warning me to be careful because the area was quite dangerous. The people at the store even urged me to run back to the hotel!
**Interviewer:** So, your experience was a little more “exile” after sunset?
**Alex Reed:** Well, I have to admit, I was a little scared walking back. However, nothing happened. Maybe I just got lucky, but I wouldn’t say it was as dangerous as everyone made it out to be. Durban is definitely a city of contrasts, full of surprises, both pleasant and unsettling.
**Interviewer:** An intriguing destination, indeed. Thank you for sharing your story!
