The "Homelands" were independant territories during Apartheid. They were small areas mainly used as dumping grounds for the non-productive enough as well as for the numerous disturbing political activists. This is how our friend Henry ended up spending a few years of his life in the remote village of Hogsback because of his anti-Apartheid activities during his colleg years. Being white probably saved him from jail.

Les "Homelands" constituaient de petits territoires independants situes au beau milieu de l'Afrique du Sud au temps de l'Apartheid. On y envoyait les gens ages ou inaptes au travail ainsi que les elements politiques derangeants comme notre ami Henry. Il s'est trouve force de vivre a Hogsback dans le Ciskei a cause de ses activites politiques radicales, c'est-a-dire anti-Apartheid. Etant de race blanche, il a ainsi echappe a une cellule derriere des barreaux.

It is within the ex-Ciskei bounderies that Steve Biko was born, held hostage and finally burried after dying from his wounds inflicted by the charming SA police. Biko became the new leader for the Blacks once Mandela and other ANC leaders were serving long sentences behind bars. He called for Blacks to take destiny into their own hands and rid themselves of the "shackles that bind them to perpetual servitude."

C'est tout pres de Hogsback que Steve Biko est ne, fut pris en hotage et finalement enterre apres avoir succombe aux tortures infligees par la police. Biko etait devenu une nouvelle figure politique alors que Mandela et le autres chefs de l'ANC etaient detenus. Il pronait l'independance des Noirs. Que ceux-ci prennent en main leur propre destinee et qu'ils se debarassent des chaines qui les maintiennent en servitude perpetuelle.

Even into the depths of the ex-Ciskei, magic mushrooms can be found. Wylie would probably sniff them just about anywhere. The people of this area are poor and live very simply. They often risk their maigre bread to be stolen by their neigbors. Getting drunk and high seem to be a good escape around here.

On a trouve des champignons magiques comme dans les comptes de fees. Wylie peut les reperer a peu pres n'importe ou. Les gens de la region sont plutot pauvres et risque frequemment de se faire voler ne serait-ce qu'une portion de pain. Se saouler et/ou se droguer deviennent souvent une facon bien facile de s'echapper de cette vie.

On a more positive note, hiking around here is magical. We felt as if we had entered a world of gnomes and fairies. It is here that J.R.R. Tolkien was inspired to write "The Lord Of The Rings." We have actually found a cluster of homes that pretended to be living in Hobbiton.

Se ballader dans les environs nous transporte dans un monde ou les fees et les petits hommes verts existent. C'est ici que J.R.R. Tolkien se serait inspire pour l'ecriture de son livre: "Le Seigneur des Anneaux." En se balladant on a appercu un petit village au nom de Hobbiton.

We don't know if J.R.R Tolkien really came here or the locals just use is as a mean to attract tourists but according to a guide book Tolkien was indeed born in South Africa. His parents were both British and when his dad died while he was still an infant his mother went back to England where he was brought up.

On ne sait pas si la legende locale concernant Tolkien est bien vraie ou juste un moyen d'y attirer les touristes. Notre guide de voyage affirme qu'il est ne en Afrique du Sud de parents Brittaniques. Lorsque son pere est mort alors qu'il n'etait qu'un nouveau-ne sa mere serait retourne en Engleterre ou il aurait grandit.

It was very tempting to get caught in Hogsback's magic and never come out again but our short lived job as travel writers for an on-line South African hostel guide pushed us towards more adventures.

Malgre notre envie de se laisser capturer par cet endroit pour quelques mois, notre emploi comme ecrivains(e) pour un guide d'auberges a prix modique, nous a force a poursuivre notre periple vers d'autres aventures.