Protea Hotel Richards Bay

... whilst holding over-sized feather dusters. The dancing must be very tiring but the dancers put on a great show and the sound of the men and women singing and chanting was so authentic, despite me not having a clue what any of it meant. Finally we ate dinner. I had traditional samp and beans with chicken, it really was so much better than the Xhosa cuisine we had tried in Cintsa. On our final day in RB we travelled to St Lucia and went on a river ...

... load and unload on the move and even drivers shift changes are carried out whilst moving, albeit slowly, the reason being that the engines cannot generate sufficient power to pull the vast amount of wagons from a standing start. We were told that the previous week they had a major derailment which they've only just cleared, it took that long, but there again the train was hauling 400,000 tonnes, can you believe that 400,000 tonnes! Anyway I digress ...

... eating habits, they have a pointed mouth designed to eat from trees whereas White Rhinos have square mouths to graze along the grass. As if seeing them wasn't rare enough, the baby of the three had no ears, just holes where they should be, no one we spoke to could give us an explanation of this. Just as we thought we had used up all our luck, my auntie spotted Wild Dog in the bushes. There are only approx. 40 in the 960 sq km park ...

... anyone, let alone read a file of a visa applicant. I try again. 'Ok. Well, when I was in Pretoria, the supervisor there said I could call you and you could look on the computer system under my name, passport number and reference number, and you would be able to tell me if it was ready or not. That is what they told me to do. That is what I am doing, so if you can't help me, please put me in touch with someone who can.' Pause.... "I would be doing you a big favour to ...

... a lovely gang -Mary, Drew, Rachel, Neasa and myself, which helps as you're in the middle of nowhere. We made our own fun. Word of warning though, the owner is a bit pervy and leery. Keep your distance there. Also everything here is run on tab so it is wise to keep a record of what you eat and drink yourself to be sure you're not overcharged - you loose track easily. Costs Per Person: Ampitheatre Lodge ~ 2 nights 25 euro Hike ~ 40 euro

... femton andra resenarer for en tre-timmars resa pa motorvagen ger mig dodsangest. Sa idag har jag kollat in varenda butik och cafe i Rbays enda shoppingcenter. Det finns en strand, men det ar for langt att ga och taxi, jag vet inte (se ovan)... Nu har jag fatt naglarna malade i ljusrosa med fjarilar, atit lunch och druckit kaffe, provat skor och dromt om smycken. Jag ar less! Tur att jag kan skriva av mej! Hoppas bara bussen som ska komma om en timme har plats for mej!

At 47 degrees Celcius, we are melting at the top of the hill. It is hot. Too damn hot. As we sit and contemplate how on earth we are going to have the energy to move any time before the beginning of the next millenium, the sun laughs higher in the sky. It is hot. It is too damn hot, and today I have no option but to go in to town.

... a torch at night, the only light is the faint glow of the inside bulb through the windows. Patches of light it had been careful to stay out of. It looked at me, and within a second it turned and ran off. The size of a small dog, it ran quickly through the undergrowth into the trees. I can't be sure what it was; a civet perhaps. But it's good to know these things are around. Perhaps it's time to sit on the deck at night and get to know my visitors.

... file you are looking for' "Why? What's happening tomorrow night?" 'Valentines. We have to celebrate, or at least do a 'We hate Valentines' thing.' "Valentines! You're kidding! That's not even on my radar anymore. **** - that means it must be February! Sorry man, but I didn't even realise!" And that's how I came to understand that in the world of HiP, events like Valentines don't really matter or exist. And thank goodness for that!!!!

... Small shoots strain to reach their a flicker of energy, while the tall trees support the community, providing a green so pure it seems a healthy place to live. And I particularly like the fact that as I lay on my bed, my three windows show only the forest and it's families. I can't see another human structure, I can't hear a car or siren and I don't have to see anyone else for days if I choose. The hermit in me is finally home. Time for a nice cup of tea.