All photos: ethekwinigirl

2010 is almost here, and that means only six months to go till World Cup South Africa. A local’s advice could prove invaluable when you’re planning your visit. I mean, did you know you might have to be on the lookout for brazen baboons in Cape Town?

Good thing that Karen, known in the Matador community as ethekwinigirl, is as local as they come:

I live in Durban on the East Coast of South Africa. Every morning I watch the sun rise over the Indian Ocean. I have lived here in South Africa all my life and have travelled across the country, through all the game parks in KwaZulu-Natal, and spent many holidays in Kruger. I’ve been to the Cradle of Humankind and the Cango and Sterkfontein Caves.

I’ve climbed in the Drakensberg and enjoyed all four seasons in the beautiful Eastern Freestate. Seen Rock paintings by the San people; explored the winelands in the Cape; enjoyed the warm ocean on the Transkei coast.

As a writer, translator, and photographer, Karen makes a living producing content on her home country. She’s even written speeches for local politicians in Durban. Check out Why should you Travel in Africa? and visit her website and suite101 page to learn more about her work — including the upcoming publication of her South Africa-based crime fiction novel.

Karen’s written for Matador as well, sharing travel tips on her hometown in Durban, South Africa’s Playground. Here’s some more from her Matador community profile:

About me: I write for a living and I really enjoy what I do. I also enjoy taking photographs and travelling when I can afford it. I feel priviledged to be living in South Africa during this time of transformation.
I’m fired up on: I love wandering around strange cities and towns; sitting at pavement cafes with a book or a newspaper (or my laptop) and just absorbing the newness and differentness.
Why I travel: Maybe I like the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen next; the looking at everything through new eyes; the totally different sensory stimulation. I guess I live much more consciously when I travel and because it is all so different from home, it frees my head and cleans it out.

Do you have questions for Karen? Asking is easy. Just create your own Matador profile, visit hers, and send a private message.

Community Connection

Have you discovered Matador Sports? Get your stoke up for the World Cup with these titles:

World Cup Team Profile: United States

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