Fun in Durban

It's been a spectacular long weekend in Durban, kicking off with Madame Zingara on Friday, much wine, men and song, and frolicking in the Guesthouse rooftop jacuzzi. The weather has been superb while most of South Africa has been in a winter shiver. Great to meet you guys and Francois (left) for his second visit to the guesthouse.

Thinus (right) and Rudi are owners of the new Ramp Divas Club which recently relocated and offers gay clubbers an awesome experience in Boksburg.

Night with Madame Zingara

Llewellyn booked a table weeks in advance as bookings opened and a group of 16 of us enjoyed the Madame Zingara spectacular in Durban this weekend. In the photos are Cathy Specific compere and comedienne of the Show with Dave, Llewellyn and Jeremy; in the second photo dressing up for the occasion is Theuns and Llewellyn - Theuns will be opening a new street cafe and restaurant at the reknowned BBB site in Durban soon - and in the bottom photo Dave gets cozy with Madama Zingara hereself. The show is fully booked out for the 3-month tour in Durban, the acrobatic feats (and guys) were fantastic and the food spectacular.

Gaydar rebirth in Durban

Enjoying a drink in the Guesthouse pub are Exit journalists Ernst, Eddie and Gerhard here for the rebirth party of gay dating website Gaydar, whilst Raph from France has joined us with Celine a work colleague from a French Perfume manufacturer working in Johannesburg on contract.

Welcome to Durban guys and for bringing some new talent to town. Guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn is in the centre of the pics.

Wreck of the Phoenix

It is not often that a ship of the size of the Phoenix is wrecked on our coast. The last I recall was the Aimie Lykes in 1970 when I was still a schoolboy. The latest is the Phoenix which ran aground this week just up the road (or should I say beach) from Durban. Brad took the day picture and we all took a drive up last night to have a look. Amazing sight! The ship was en route to being scrapped, but made it's own way to an early graveyard after breaking anchor and drifting ashore. It seems like they will be pulling her off the rocks and sinking her offshore.

Family Sunday roast for Llewellyn's 41st Birthday

It's the birthday month for just about all of us - Llewellyn on the 2nd August, his twins on the 9th August and Dave on the 24th. So here's Llewellyn tucking into his birthday cake baked by his kids, whilst we also enjoyed a Sunday roast that Dave prepared with yorkshire pudding!!

Cape Town weekend

We took time out last weekend and paid a quick visit to Cape Town. This is the former house of Simon van der Stel, first govenor of the Cape in the 1600s, still a wine farm and also a museum.

Groot Constantia wines are well respected and we spent some time visiting local farms and enjoying the wines and Cape sunshine.

Edinburgh Sean

Guest Sean from Edinburgh joins us in the Guesthouse pub during his 6-months travels through India, Cambodia, Vietnam and South Africa. This is Sean's first visit to South Africa and he was welcoming the cooler winter air compared to the high temperatures of India's heat.

Hot Winter in Durban

Durban was stunning for the running of the Durban July Handicap yesterday. Glorious sunshine and great outfits. Llewellyn did some handiwork and added a crown to our velvet waitcoats and my kids Mark and Kate-Lynn joined us for the fun. The running of the 13th Race (naked guys) added some amusement and I managed to take a video clip which I will load on YouTube later.

Dave and Llewellyn with July waistcoats

July Races in Durban

It's the fabulous July Handicap horseracing in Durban on Saturday and here Llewellyn puts the finishing touches to his and my matching waistcoasts - in the theme "A Right Royal Affair" - Kings, Queens, Knaves and Knights... should be a load of fun and a Guesthouse full of guests who are able to stroll down to the racecourse just below the house.

Hong Kong

Our French guests Claude and Jerome have been living in Hong Kong for a few years - it's stiffling hot there now so they are in Durban escaping the heat. It's pretty cool here right now but the glorious winter sun is the envy of the rest of South Africa where there is a big chill and snow on the mountains.

Durban welcome

Guesthouse co-owners Dave and Llewellyn welcome guests to the guesthouse and enjoy a birthday dinner out with Ian (top left) whilst Dewald, Peter (Cologne), Shaun, Johan and Willie enjoy drinks in the guesthouse pub.

Below Llewellyn sports his new crop-top hairstyle!!!

Busy weekend

Great to see a full guesthouse the last few days. Meet Rosche from East London (middle) with Llewellyn (left) and Cody - an American living in McKay, Queensland, Australia.

We have anther Ozzie guy in the house too.. Hugo, actually originally from South Africa, but been living in Sydney for the last 10 years, as well as some delegates from the States here for the Aids Conference in Durban. So now that the weather has cleared up a bit, hope you're all enjoying the sunshine and warm winter weather (15-20 c) Durban is famous for.

Go Comrades Go!

 The 4am alarm got us up in time to get our Comrades runner guests down to the Start of this years 89km Durban to Pietermaritzburg run. In the top photo Zander and Richard from New York leave the Guesthouse on a crisp, clear and slightly chilly dark morning raring to go.

At right, cousins Matt and Gary also got off to the start and were ceded right up there with the top groups.

In the bottom photo, guesthouse co-owner Llwellyn was thankful he was not running to Pmb and surveys the debris after the thick column of runners had crossed the Start. Good luck guys - Durban gave you an awesome sendoff!

It's Comrades in Durban

 It's the 89km Comrades Marathon tomorrow and we have runners in the house from  New York and Johannesburg. Getting together with family and friends last night for drinks in the Guesthouse and carbo-loading out are Johannesburg runners Gary and Matt with Guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn (top photo) and they are joined in the second photo by Richard and Zander from New York who have an impressive 80 marathons under their belt (or shoes..ha ha) including the Antartica Marathon and the Boston Marathon.

Eating out they are joined by Jaco, Kate and Debbie and my hand is in the last photo (left) as we chug down a shooter to wish the runners well. The Comrades Marathon is an uprun this year from Durban to Pietermaritzburg and is one of the world's few ultra-ultra marathons with an impressive field of some 20000 runners.

Calling All Queens...

"A Right Royal Affair" is the theme of this year's Durban July Horseracing and Fashion event just down the road from the Guesthouse on Sat 2 July 2011.

This means all you Queens, Kings, Court Jesters and Royalty can converge in Durban and make this an exciting weekend of racing, fashion and fashion-less 13th Race.. the naked guys' race after the last horses have thundered down the track. Check out my YouTube video clip of the hot guys making a dash down the main straight... a much-waited afair by the crowd of over 50 000. Llewellyn promised he would do it if one of our guests joined him... but they are chickened out. Anyone up for it?

Join us at the Guesthouse on Friday, meet up with our other guests, walk down to the track on Saturday... win some money, hot boys and enjoy the after-parties. It's gonna be fun!

Guesthouse bookings now open or email Llewellyn on durbanview@gmail.com

Before the July, don't forget our Comrades Weekend, this weekend 27th/28th May, and our Singles Weekend 17th/18th June - Durban is where the action is.!!

On the Battlefront

Dave and Llewellyn at the Isandlwana (Anglo-Zulu) battlesite

Dave (left) got to fly this RV12 aircraft

The Battlefields a few hours drive north-west of Durban

The African country-side in KwaZulu-Natal Province

We got up early on Saturday morning and took a drive up to our province's battlefield area just a few hours to the north, inland of Ladysmith. This was the scene of the Anglo-Zulu and Anglo-Boer wars of the 1800s.

It also gave us a chance to look at aircraft types at the Battlefields Fly-in. Dave flew the RV12 briefly and is thinking of taking up flying lessons.



Indaba Showcase

Taking a quick spin-around Indaba didn't really do justice to the magnificent displays.

It is actually quite incredible what a beautiful country we live in and amazing to see such entrepeneurship and industry to keep tourists coming to Southern Africa and happy. On display was every tourist's conceivable honeymoon destination, package deal or safari expedition. Wow!!

Congratulations to all the exhibitors from Southern Africa, as well as the invitation exhibitors from further afield in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

We are the world's playground and may your efforts to promote tourism in South Africa be richly rewarded.

Indaba breakfast

Getting breakfast going for the Indaba guests involved a joint effort between Llewellyn baking muffins and Dave making an egg soufle' at the crack of dawn before setting off to work for the day, leaving Caroline to look after the guests.

Durban ready for Saturday's Mr Gay Boy 2011

We had a lot of fun at the Guesthouse tonight in preparation for tomorrow's Mr Gay Boy 2011 @ The Lounge. The contestants mingled with the judges and were thrown questions to test their sense of humour, purpose in life and in the competition and generally help the judges gauge their personalities. The boys will also vote amongst themselves for the title Mr Personality.

You can see them all in action at The Lounge this Saturday 7 May from 10pm when the pageant gets off the ground.