South Africa Observations....

* There are bars on many of the shop windows and doors, especially in towns and cities

* You have to buzz to get into some shops

* There are public security officers on street corners in some towns, they look like local people wearing orange bibs and i'm not sure how much of a good job they do, but it's a bit strange to see them!

* There's a real divide amongst the people, both with race and wealth.

* The towns are pretty well built and maintained, and full of white people, the townships outside of the town are make shift, some without electricity and water, and are full of black people. The restaurants in towns are full of white people eating and black people working.

* There is no public transport! The only way to get around if you don't have a car is by taxi bus, which are mini buses that pick people up at the side of the road and drop them off somewhere along the main, then they walk the rest of the way. It takes ages to get anywhere and you are constantly picking people up and dropping people off. They never think they're full enough and just keep squeezing people on!

* People drive like lunatics! The roads are quite often awful with pot holes everywhere but people just ignore them and drive mentally straight over them!

* You had to be on your guard all the time when walking around, you were constantly aware of who was around you, and were careful what money and valuables you carried with you.

* Saying that, the people we met were all really lovely, very friendly, helpful and welcoming.

* South Africa is absolutely beautiful. Especially the coast along The Garden Route and Drakensburg Mountains. Drakensburg takes your breath away.

* Everyone sounds posh! They have a posh accent and say 'yah' for yes.

* Some people didn't wear shoes, by choice! We did a hike with a guy from the hostel who had chosen not to wear shoes for 2 years and was doing the hike in bare feet!

* When we'd been to other parts of Africa, we realised South Africa wasn't really proper Africa! It was very westernised, and although not that built up, was a lot more built up and modernised than the rest of Africa.