STRAIN HUNTERS LIVE THREAD! - SWAZILAND

[Fran.gh]

Incredible update guys.

This is by far the best coverage of a Starin Hunting mission for me.

Really nice.

Enjoy it !!!

[But]

Thank a lot for all the nice comments to all you guys...

It's been a pleasure for me shooting the backstage.

[Mr.X]

Strain Hunters – Swaziland – día 8

Hoy hemos dormido en esta caverna, cuando la luz empieza a asomarse entre todas las ramas que formas las frágiles paredes, nos vamos despertando y quedando fascinados por el paisaje, ya que por la noche no podíamos ver nada.

Solo bajar unas pequeñas escaleras me encuentro a Dave que ya está despierto y preparando café, me pasa una taza bien caliente y sienta de lujo. Curiosamente en este lugar tan peculiar hay un retrete en la parte de debajo de las rocas, lo que es bastante sorprendente, al sentarte en el tienes la mejor vista posible, estoy seguro que es uno de los váteres más peculiares que podéis ver. La cuestión es que al pasar por ahí como toca tras el café, me doy cuenta de que una vez mas But a puesto una gopro escondida, para empezar el día bien. Es un tipo con una gran energía y es capaz de filmar lo que menos te esperes en el momento más peculiar.

Vamos recogiendo las cosas y cargando los coches, nos espera el camino de vuelta, que aunque ahora es un poco más sencillo por la luz del día, sigue siendo una tortura. Por fin llegamos a los caminos normales, que siguen siendo malos pero una atuopista comparado con el anterior.

Vamos a visitar un campo del que tenemos buenas referencias, antes hacemos una parada en la gasolinera y aprovechamos para comprar algo de comer y beber, luego seguimos nuestro camino. Al llegar a los campos dejamos los coches y empezamos a seguir a nuestro guía y cultivador de la zona.

Cruzamos varios campos de plantas jóvenes en crecimiento, pero no pasa mucho rato antes de llegar a las que ya están en plena floración, solo llegar vemos algunos ejemplares excelentes, a primera vista este parece el mejor campo y desde luego uno de los mejores cultivadores. Solo hay que ver las plantas y podrías pensar que son de interior. Vamos de una en una oliéndolas y tocándolas, cada una sorprende más que la anterior, también encontramos algunos fenotipos muy extraños y que a él mismo le sorprenden.

Mientras los cámaras filman el resto esperamos a un lado para no molestar y dejarles hacer su trabajo, una de las cosas que me parece curiosa del cultivador es que en estos lugares casi siempre te piden tabaco, para ellos que están bastante tiempo ahí casi siempre les interesa, pero este solo fumaba hierba pura, lo cual era algo positivo sin duda y que repercutía en su interés por cultivar hierbas de mejor sabor.

Después de un largo tiempo en estos cultivos, ya que han sido de lo mejor, o el mejor, volvemos a los coches, el cultivador nos dice que esperemos y nos trae unas bolsas llenas de hierbas y una especie de cubo azul lleno de hierba de alta calidad, muy bien manicurada, sin semillas…le preguntamos el precio del kilo en esta zona, y nos contesta que unos cuatrocientos euros el kilo de esta calidad, diez veces menos que en Europa.

Hora de dirigirnos a nuestro nuevo alojamiento, unas cabañas típicas swazi en una reserva natural. El lugar es increíble y solo llegar los arboles, el paisaje y los animales por todos lados te dejan embriagado. Vemos un gran cocodrilo en orilla, aunque pronto decide cambiar de sitio, por el camino vamos viendo todo tipo de animales, cada poco paramos para hacer fotos, pero empieza a llover y tenemos que llegar a nuestras cabañas.

Solo llegar y dejar las cosas cae una buena, no mucho tiempo pero si con intensidad durante algunos instantes, aprovechamos para darnos una ducha y cambiarnos de ropa para ir a cenar algo. Ya que cierran muy pronto y no nos queremos quedar sin comida.

La cena esta de lujo, además hemos tomado unas copas de una bebida de la zona que no me acuerdo el nombre, pero que con las cervezas y el vino hacen que se escuchen mas fuerte los animales…lol Antes de volver a las cabañas, vemos una pequeña muestra de danzas típicas de la zona y a la cama que ha sido un día muy, muy largo.

Saludos y felices fumadas, Mr.X

[Dust]

DAMN some of those buds look wonderful!! tho they unfortunatly look again like high grade crossed plants, waiting for the english update to find out

Thanks for the Pics X, and that sleeping house on traking trail is amazing!

Have a good trip guys

[franco]

STRAIN HUNTERS SWAZILAND - DAY 8

I wake up a bit stiff, but well rested, with the first daylight. Simon and Dave are already up and running, so we make some coffee and wake up the crew. The sun is rising, so we go sit on top of a flat rock to enjoy the view. I complete the magic of the moment with a spliff and a Red Bull. It's an amazing panorama, truly breathtaking.

At about 7:30 we start driving. The road is challenging but the weather is dry and sunny. We struggle all the way back to the top, one rock at the time. Because of the poor tires we mount we slide a lot, but we manage to get out of trouble using low range. We stop at the group of houses where the path becomes a road again, and we shoot some scenes for the documentary with the local family. Then we drive on, to meet the new contact that we missed last night. This is apparently one of the best growers in the whole country, a man famous for the quality of his product. Along the road we stop at a restaurant where we can use the wifi and upload pictures and reports on the forum.

We meet our man the bush, along a steep path near his house, where we leave the cars and continue on foot. It takes about an hour to reach an amazing field on the side of a sunny hill. We realize immediately that this guy knows what he's doing. The field is fenced with proper poles and metal wire, and there are professional germination beds with drainage, where thousands of seedlings are sprouting.

There are around 350 medium-sized plants finishing to flower, and they are the best plants we saw in the whole expedition. The mix of genetics is once more over the top, with skunks, purples, cheese, white family, even some Power Plant and some Jack Herer. The plants are not very tall, a confirmation of the fact that these are second or third generation crosses between Swazi and imported high-grade genetics. The resin is incredible, some plants look like they have been growing indoors so glittery they are. The day is hot and we need to take a break in the shade after walking around the plants for some time.

After filming this amazing field we head back to the cars, where the grower shows us a few kilograms of dried and manicured bud, of two different kinds. It's ready to be bagged and sold. One is a fruity sativa, the other one a more indica power-plant like type. It's truly high-grade, perfectly manicured and covered in resin.

We part from the grower, thankful for what we have been shown. Then we drive back to the area of the capital city, where we stop at a popular game-farm called Mlilwane. We selected this place to shoot some wildlife and to have some quiet spots where to shoot the interviews for the documentary. When we check in we get a group of beehives, traditional local huts made of straw and wood.

Mlilwane is a natural reserve, where crocodiles roam in the rivers and wild boars and antilops run around in the bush. It's the perfect place to get some privacy.

We spend the rainy night eating at a buffet-dinner and reviewing with the crew the material we shot in the past days. It looks really good, we have the feeling this is going to be a great documentary.

Tomorrow is our last day in Swaziland and it's going to be an intense day. I smoke lots of weed and get some rest.

[Chronic Grower]

looks grate them buds wish i could smell um mmmmmmmmmmm lol

[franco]

[Mr.X]

y las últimas por hoy, saludos y felices fumadas!

[franco]

[franco]

[franco]

[franco]

[Dust]

holy cow indeed those buds look perfectly manicured! looks even better than mine lol and from far behind

I hope tomorrow will be a good last day with some nice plants, smoke some good weed for us!

And lol @ Monkey-franco on the video ^^

[Dust]

HAHAHA the video with the rally sound, looks like a thermic RC car nice videos stoners ^^

[Romeu9]

pero que con las cervezas y el vino hacen que se escuchen mas fuerte los animales…lol

I imagined myself there with that one Mr.X, that higher awareness of the such a magnificent cenary must be something to remember for life!

Wonderful photos, they keep getting better and better!!!

Gracias!!

King and Franco, please get us the more distinctive tastes and smells like you always do from the huntings, theres no tastyer strains then GHSco strains!!!

Thank you strain hunters!!

Take care

[Elektroski Justovski]

Can't fallow u dudes on daily basis, but as i said before swazi is a killer one exp. Ps. thanks for more spiders mrX i hate u.

[Elektroski Justovski]

On this vid u captured my dream witch is back to me from time to time, kinda strange thing, but... Moutains, smoke... magic. Thanks for this one a lot!

[Karagiannis]

very nice Buds especially for outdoor for real!!! Hope will also get such a nice Crop this year with my outdoor ladies!!!!These bud look like good indoor grow very similar !!!! Franco amigo bring some good Weed back to the Netherlands with you!!! because will come on 420 to the lovely city of Amsterdam so will take a deep toke Bro!!!!lol p.s you are a real cacciatore Franco!!!

[SuperSilverHaze78]

Nice guys keep up the GREAT work!!!!! Trip of a lifetime!!! Someday i will go with the wife to S. Africa now that i know they got some dank!

[tyl3rider]

Absolutely amazing ! Cheers guys ... I think what you guys do is amazing . Wish i could do the same and spread the pure information about this herb... totally feel your passion about this plant ! incredible man ... peace guys keep it up !

[Tomky77]

How I would love to sit on that rock with a fat spliff and a coffee great pics guys stay safe

[MonkeyMike]

At least you never got a toyota corolla this time Franco.

[GhostdoG]

I didnt had the chance to follow this expedition real time but reading the text in a day was a pleasure. More than the pics or the video the texts are really bad ass and take me there with you guys...

@Franco You should really read "Flash" from charles duchaussois and write a book like it when you'll stop travelling!

Mr.X Thanks for the picture! I only knew the northern or western part of africa and could never had believe to see such scenery!

Swaziland looks like one of the most beautifull place on earth, i never thought i would but i really need to start thinking about travelling there!

Thanks again to all of you for a very nice job, too bad the next update already is the last...

Take care and peace!

[Skritos]

Great job keeping the streams synced .Im Viewing from the forum pages, Your accomplishments may be a first for public content streaming of superb quality coupled with the pics and dialog. Congratulations for each days content, Im certainly happy to be aboard groking every detail.

[franco]

STRAIN HUNTERS SWAZILAND - DAY 9

Our last day in Swaziland begins under a light drizzle and a low sky. We eat some breakfast, then walk around the property looking for a spot where to do my interview for the documentary. In the meantime Arjan and Simon drive to pick up a very special contact, a man who has been fighting for cannabis legalization in Swaziland for the past 20 years. He is known as the Doctor.

My interview is set up just outside our huts, and I get a chance to relieve the whole trip day by day. It's been a great experience. Swaziland has thought me a lot about cannabis and about people.

Just as I am finishing the Doctor arrives. He is a small man, with a tough look in his eyes. He starts telling me his story, how he has been a teacher all his life, until one day his ancestors appeared to him in a dream, ordering him to take on as a mission in his life the legalization of this plant. In African culture the ancestors are much revered, and dreams are considered important in their influence on the reality. So the Doctor took on the mission, and started fighting for the legalization of cannabis in Swaziland. Today he's fighting a legal battle in court, to be allowed to grow plants in his property.

We collect our stuff, pack the cars and drive into the bush in the reserve.

After a while we find a perfect spot where to stop to film a dialogue with the Doctor. It's a powerful moment, when we realize how much cannabis is important to this man. it's awesome to hear his story.

When we finish there are wild deers around us, and we take amazing pictures of them.

Then it's time for Arjan's interview, and for this we find a small bridge on a strem, under a huge macadamia trees.

When we are done it's already time to drive to the airport. We smoke several joints on the way, knowing we'll be traveling. We return the 4x4s and it's time to say goodbye. We had a great time together, the crew did an outstanding job.

Simon and Dave did an amazing scouting work. Thanks to their perseverance and to the thousands of kilometers they drove and rode, we have been able to recover the original Swazi landrace, and we have made a great documentary.

Also But did great; he drove the crew 4x4, and filmed all the backstage action. Thanks to his work all of you on the forum have a taste of our daily struggles and joys. And our documentary will have great extras.

Clearing customs is not too complicated, and we are surprised by the easiness with wich we get out. We board our flight to Johannesburg, and we are there in less than an hour. During our layover we have time to eat, drink, shop and smoke. And we can even upload this last update.

Soon we will fly back to Europe. Mission completed. Swaziland has welcomed us better than we could ever expect; it's a lovely country with amazing people.

Now it's time to say a few final words to my fellow hunters.

A special thanks to all of you following us on the forum. It's a privilege to be part of the community you form. United we stand.

A special thanks to Arjan, we had a great time and we accomplished our goal. It's a great honor to hunt with you.

And a special thanks to the crew:

Cristian (director + camera), Alessio (camera) and Andrea (sound) worked incredibly well, they proved to be a tough-and-tight crew. Their footage will make cannabis history. And we have the feeling they will be back for more when the time is ripe for the next expedition.

MrX is now officially a Strain Hunter, after his second expedition he fully graduated to the task. His great talent is only surpassed by his amazing personality. His amazing work is there for everyone to see, and thanks to his shots the memories of this incredible experience will be with us forever.

Peace, Love & THC

franco