As we arrived in Nelspruit we noticed the traffic lights (or "robots" as they call them) were not working, this wasn't that uncommon in SA but on checking into our backpackers we soon realised the whole town was without power. Shops were closed, no internet and no laundrette, the proximity of these precisely the reason we had chosen this backpackers. It was an overpriced dingey joint run by 3 middle aged layabouts and the keep of the place reflected it, we perhaps should have realised this when we were ushered around on check-in and saw the murky pool complete with a hollowed out watermelon and plastic furniture floating in the pool from the night before. The longer we stayed there the more we were disgusted by the place.

The following morning the power was back on, but news of a further power-shedding outage had filtered through to us. We had till 1pm African time, that being anytime vaguely in the vicinity 1pm. We ran around town completing errands, sorting travel insurance and doing last minute shopping. It was lunchtime and I had been itching for KFC since day 1 of AAA. Remarkably the smallest towns in South Africa, even the towns with barely nothing will still have a KFC, but travelling with a vegetarian and a calorie counter my opportunities to tuck in to the Colonels secret herbs and spices had been limited. Today the gods were smiling, and although now 2pm, the power remained just long enough for us to tuck into my long awaited zinger burger combo.