Swazi Team Trip 2013: Day 2 - London!

I won't spend much time on this day, though it was very amazing. We had an 8 hour layover in London, so enjoyed several hours seeing the Westminster area of the city.

Though we had such a great time, and I am thankful that the bonus layover was included, there were definitely mixed emotions when I pondered this part of the trip. We witnessed firsthand a country that is much older than our own, with architecture that is breathtaking, and a bustling city that is governed by a royal family and Parliament. A new prince had just recently been born, the royal family is enjoying great popularity, and being there, seeing Buckingham Palace, Richard the Lionheart's statue, and the Tower of London all added to make it seem like we were in a fairy tale world.

9 hours away we arrived in a land that has been populated for much longer than our own, with thousands of folks living in primitive huts, ruled by a king who governs the last remaining absolute monarchy in the world. The number of people living with positive HIV is staggering. The king is rarely seen but greatly loved by his people, though he lives in luxury while the Swazi people are starving and dying.

Talk about contrast. I found myself just shaking my head, wondering how we live in a world of such great opposites. Why some have so much and great opportunity while others are lacking even basic necessities is a question that is painful to ask, but constantly on my mind.