The pigs just wanted some bacon for their sandwiches

I keep meaning to write something but I have been writing up a few chapters of my thesis so the idea of doing un-productive writing is not compelling. But here I am. A few weeks ago went on holiday up the wild coast, one if not the best holiday I've been on. Everything went smoothly and I don't think you could find a more gorgeous area than the sunshine and wild coasts.


We flew into Durban hired a car and started driving. First day spent around Durban, than we proceeded to Warren's Beach, Port St. John's, Coffee Bay/ Hole in the Wall, Cinsta (about 20km from East London) and on the way back to Durban we stopped at Port Shepstone.

We were searched twice by police looking for pigs, seriously. Close to the border between the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal is where the road blocks were set up they are having issues with swine flu (never heard of it).

We pulled up to the road block a police women comes up to the car and we think she says she's looking for pot, she says this a few times because although this area is well known for it marijuana (when the government basically gave the all the wheat farm rights to the whites a lot of the black farmers switched to weed - good ol' apartheid) it still didn't seem right that she was using the term pot and they weren't looking for any other drugs. After repeating herself several times she says looking for pork, this is when it clicked and we realized that in fact they were not looking for drugs at all but actually pork. Of course we both break out laughing and she realized I think that two white girls in the middle of the transkei are not likely pig smugglers and starting laughing herself. Although she still looking in the backseat of the car.

We continued our trip for the rest of the week, and on the way back (close to the border) we were again stopped and searched for pigs. This time though they even searched the boot! He made us get out of car and watch him go through the bags (so that we can't accuse them of stealing, he actually told us that). We got back into the car and we on our way again. I understand they have to check everyone but the two of us are the last two people you will find smuggling pork. Neither of us eat it and to top it off one of us was Jewish!

These incidents cement one fact for me, I will never become an international food smuggler. When I was caught by the fruit and vegetable dog in the Halifax airport with my apples I had my suspicions that my life as an international food smuggler might not be right for me but now I realize I get searched for meat products too - guess I'm sticking to geology.