I'll be back

Sunday 21st September

OR Tambo Airport, Johannesburg

There's nothing quite so painstaking as a day spent counting down the hours to a flight, so we were determined to make the most of our last day here.

We began by visiting Hartebeespoort Dam,a beautiful construction which creates a lake with banks reminiscent of northern Italy.

To drive over the top of the dam (an interesting experience in itself), we had to wait in what felt like the world's longest traffic jam, caused by the fact that traffic can only cross the dam in one direction at a time.  This time was not wasted, however, as watching the street vendors walking between cards trying to sell everything from Despicable Me backpacks to wrought iron bird cages was entertainment enough.  One technique they were employing to get people to open their cars and talk to them was to pretend they had spotted a soft tyre and point at it in horror.  The amusing thing was watching people fall for this again and again, then ending up agreeing to purchase an etch-a-sketch or a wineglass made from a beer bottle.

The view from the dam was as spectacular as any we've seen here, but once at the other side there was little of interest so we about-turned and joined the queue to go back the other way.

Wisdom at Hartebeespoort Market

In the village of Hartebeespoort itself, there were huge markets on either side of the road with live music and lively bars - a suitable South African end to proceedings.  Once again, the friendliness of the people here shone through and this made for a very enjoyable afternoon.

From here, we went on to Pretoria, most of which was being dug up for what looked like some kind of tram project.  Experience in Edinburgh told me it was best not to ask...

We passed the courthouse which has never been off TV screens since we got here, where Oscar Pistorious was on trial.  Beyond that, there wasn't much to see - being a Sunday afternoon most places were closed.  Leaving the city, we were pulled over by a police patrol, but she seemed confused by the overseas driving license so waved us on rather than having to think about it.

Before long, we found ourselves here, back where it all began three weeks ago.  Returning home from a holiday is never fun, but leaving here is particularly hard.  There's something that just feels 'right' about being here, feeling more like home than somewhere visited for a break.

We've driven over 4,400km through 2 countries, 5 provinces and countless diverse cultures, yet have barely scratched the surface of this fascinating land.

I guess this all builds up to just three words... I'll be back!