Tuesday was a fabulous day.
I borrowed a bakkie (small van if you're English) 4 hours later than planned. Discovered only as I drove off that there were no mirrors whatsoever, only one windscreen wiper, no water to wipe said windscreen with and neither of the two doors with a lock that locked.
Drove to one of the dodgiest cties in South Africa with one of the dodgiest bakkies I've had the misfortune to think might have been a good idea to borrow.
Let out my inner racing car driver by saloming round potholes big enough to eat a small car while simultaneously dodging small children and cattle on a rural African road of note.
Stopped nearly forever in a fuel station since once it was refuelled it wouldn't re-start. Spent a while rolling around the back of the fuel station where the lorries park trying to push start the evil bakkie. Finally got the bugger going again and then had to leave the engine running as I was too scared not to, while I popped to the loo. Got stuck in a psychopathic jigsaw of a traffic jam and realised that I might be a pushy Brit driver but am way too polite for getting anywhere in this dodgy city.
Only found out when parking on a small slope that the handbrake is deeply pants even with the car in gear and that I need bricks under the wheels to stop the damn thing rolling off on its own merry little way.
Two hours after leaving my hut, I got to the visa office. Stared like a goldfish with mouth pouted into small "o" at the chains and padlock around the entrance. 15 minutes before closing time. Needless to say, I'm gonna have to repeat the whole experience again in order to lodge my visa application.
As I said.
It's been fabulous. .
