Im flying home in three days. Three days. Thats not very long at all is it. It feels very strange. I feel like going home is a big swirling vortex and Im being sucked towards the rim of it. In November I was absolutely gagging to get home. If you'd have said, sorry we've struck South Africa off your itinerary, you'll have to go home now Id have said Yippee! But Ive actually had a whole lot of fun here, way more than Id anticipated.

Dont get me wrong, the cities suck. Imagine if you will the barbed wire and electric fences around the towering walls of peoples homes, beware of the dog signs and some frikkin big dogs! notices promising immediate armed reactions to break-ins, guards patrolling doorways.. Horrid. I couldnt live that way. They steal food from your home, they steal the bed linen, they steal the copper from the power cables so you have blackouts, they approach your car at lights and you never know if yours is a make and model on their list that theyll shoot you soon as look at you for. The newspapers say that theyll rape you while theyre robbing your house. Terrifying to think.

When I speak to South africans about the crime they have to live with every single day they say 'Yes, but this is MY country, Im not leaving'. Especially South African women or 'Mommas'; totally inspiring. They say 'yes theres all that crime out there but I know what Im up against, I know my enemies, and Ill face them'.
The men of course, are forced to leave. Theres no point me getting upset about affirmative action, im not affected by it. But I have to say how disgusted Id be if the males of my family, the qualified, intelligent, capable and honest men were denied jobs just because of the colour of their skin, just because theyre white. How is that a step forward, its completely illogical.
South Africans are very patient when they explain the problems of this country to me. 'Its a developing country after all'.

Its something like 1 in 4 people have HIV here. Its all over the television and advertising. I spent a week in the Kingdom of Swaziland and met a Canadian woman who works as a nurse in Lethoso. She sid there you can tell just by looking that a person is dying of it. Here in South Africa I met a girl from Belgium who is working as a midwife because its 'making a difference' but shes the only one on her staff that hasnt had a needle accident where the infected needle pierces the gloove and then the skin..

Back to a happier side of it, the South Africans are all on holiday here at the moment. About a third of the places are taken up by SA tourists. And theyre so friendly, so nice! Theyll always ask you about your trip, say how fantastic it sounds and that theyre so glad youre here enjoying their beautiful country. As I said today, imagine if some tourist started garbling on in England, oh yes Ive been here and here and here, done this and this. The response would surely be 'Thats great sunshine, now shift out the way, no Im not giving you a lift..'.

And it is a beautiful country. Every section of the drive so far has looked different. The wild coast had some of the most beautiful, scenic coastline and beaches. And the hilly areas look like Scotland to me but with round rondavel houses and lines of people walking along the sides of the road (no money for vechicles). And the hostels are FANTASTIC. I hadnt realised what Id been missing. Theyre just really cool hang-out spots - better than thailand Im thinking. Mantis and Moon at Umzumbe was one of the best hostels Ive ever been to. Think a bar set in the rainforest where all the drinks are 10 rand (70p), theres a roof terrace for sunbathing and looking at the sea, a rock pool for cooling off after yet more sunbathing, hammocks, 2 minutes to the beach. Our room had an outdoor bathroom, outdoor shower etc, out in the rainforest. For 10 pounds a night. Bucaneers in Chintsa had horseriding along the beautiful beach and we stayed in little holiday cottages with deckchairs out front, a breakfast room that opened out on to spectacular views of the ocean. Sondzela in Swaziland had campfire dinners 'Impala anyone?', zebras in the grounds and an ostrich that liked to drink out of the pool!

Ive only really had a whirlwind tour of it but Ive had a really great time. Ill come back.

PS) Not only did I see the Swazi dancing shown in the photo. They made me take part. I hate 'taking part'. Grumble grumble. So I got my own back by filming when I wasnt supposed to. Ha.