Swaziland hiking: Sheba’s Breast

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On our day off today, we went to Swaziland, one of the few true remaining Kingdoms on the planet. Swaziland is led by King Mswati III. If you find it as fascinating as I do that a kingdom could still exist in landlocked within the borders of South Africa then read the excerpt from Wikipedia below.

                        The constitution for independent Swaziland was promulgated by Britain in                 November 1963 under the terms of which legislative and executive councils were established. This development was opposed by the Swazi National Council (liqoqo). Despite such opposition, elections took place and the first Legislative Council of Swaziland was constituted on 9 September 1964. Changes to the original constitution proposed by the Legislative Council were accepted by Britain and a new constitution providing for a House of Assembly and Senate was drawn up. Elections under this constitution were held in 1967. Swaziland was briefly a Protected State until Britain granted it full independence in 1968.

                  Following the elections of 1973, the constitution of Swaziland was suspended by King Sobhuza II who thereafter ruled the country by decree until his death In 1982. At this point Sobhuza II had ruled Swaziland for 83 years, making him the longest ruling monarch in history. A regency followed his death, with Queen Regent Dzeliwe Shongwe being head of state until 1984 when she                            was removed by Liqoqo and replaced by Queen Mother Ntombi Twala. Mswati III, the son of Ntombi, was crowned king on 25 April 1986 as King and Ingwenyama of Swaziland.

The mountainous roads of Swaziland have enough twists and turns to make even a guy who’s been driving backcountry roads in Boone for the last five years a little car sick. The hike was beautiful, and as we went through the forest I could not help but appreciate that I was doing this at what must be the best time of year. Cool breezes chilled our sweat as we walked underneath vines named Christ’s Thorn, that easily could have taken out almost anything reckless enough to come in contact with it.

Along the way some dogs followed us. The friendly pups had short legs but from the way they navigated that mountain it wouldn’t surprise me if they summited Sheba’s Breast with every group of travelers that came along.

The top was gorgeous, I sat on top reflecting, gazing out into the hazeless winter sky and encouraging the others on my team to take the leap over a reasonably narrow but still imposing crevasse to get to the peak. If I hadn’t been in my element on the trip yet, it was enjoying the supreme peace of looking out over a country I had never expected to go to.