The worlds most dangerous roads just got more dangerous
I have a car now.
I'm driving around on the left side of the road, with the steering wheel on the right, in a little manual-transmission Toyota Tazz. I haven't driven on this side before, this country is notorious for being a dangerous place to drive, and the most I've ever driven standard is taking my lovely VW camper around the block a few times.
South Africa, LOOK OUT.
Due to the 9 hour drinking spree last night I didn't get an early start this morning, and didn't get on the road for Kruger until 2pm. But it was a beautiful drive, through South African mountain roads at sunset.
You know you're in a different country when you keep seeing signs on the highway saying "ALERT! Hi-jacking hot spot. Do not stop!". And when cows walk out in front of your car while you're going 120 through the bush.
One of the bizarre things the SA government is doing is spending equivalent to $35 million on changing the names of the roads, as some kind of way to show that apartheid is over and a new era has begun. But the poverty in the black areas is so bad that you wonder if it's really the best use of the money. And it doesn't help when your lonely planet guide is a couple of years old and you're trying to find the hostel, at night, when all the street names have been changed and there are no updated maps.
It took me 2 hours to find it. By the time I arrived I was so exhausted and frustrated, not only with the getting lost thing but also the fact that I really am crap at driving this car and when you're doing 4 U-turns every 5 minutes that equates to lots, and lots, of stalling.
Arg.
But now I'm here, and I've booked the safari for tomorrow instead. I leave at 6am.
I'm driving around on the left side of the road, with the steering wheel on the right, in a little manual-transmission Toyota Tazz. I haven't driven on this side before, this country is notorious for being a dangerous place to drive, and the most I've ever driven standard is taking my lovely VW camper around the block a few times.
South Africa, LOOK OUT.
Due to the 9 hour drinking spree last night I didn't get an early start this morning, and didn't get on the road for Kruger until 2pm. But it was a beautiful drive, through South African mountain roads at sunset.
You know you're in a different country when you keep seeing signs on the highway saying "ALERT! Hi-jacking hot spot. Do not stop!". And when cows walk out in front of your car while you're going 120 through the bush.
One of the bizarre things the SA government is doing is spending equivalent to $35 million on changing the names of the roads, as some kind of way to show that apartheid is over and a new era has begun. But the poverty in the black areas is so bad that you wonder if it's really the best use of the money. And it doesn't help when your lonely planet guide is a couple of years old and you're trying to find the hostel, at night, when all the street names have been changed and there are no updated maps.
It took me 2 hours to find it. By the time I arrived I was so exhausted and frustrated, not only with the getting lost thing but also the fact that I really am crap at driving this car and when you're doing 4 U-turns every 5 minutes that equates to lots, and lots, of stalling.
Arg.
But now I'm here, and I've booked the safari for tomorrow instead. I leave at 6am.
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