It always seems impossible until it's done

It always seems impossible until it's done - Nelson Mandela



   Alana drove me to the airport in Richards Bay where I had pre-arranged a rental car for the next leg of my journey. As with most things here, there was that proverbial screw in the works. The car rental agency wasn't open yet! When the folks finally arrived about 3/4 of an hour later, the car wasn't ready and I had to wait about another hour for that. Is it any wonder the favorite tourist saying here is TIA? So, I finally got the car, with GPS, as I was sure I would need it, popped a couple of Ativan to prepare myself and headed south and then west from Stanger on my 210 km. journey (about 3 hours). From Richards Bay to Stanger is a fairly good freeway, although you have cane trucks that are travelling half on, half off the shoulder, exceptionally slow drivers doing the same, crazy people passing when unsafe and wanting you to do same, the occasional cow on the side of the freeway that your not sure is going to stay or cross, and on and on the scary list goes. At least I had an automatic, because I don't think there was any way I could have driven a standard along with driving on the right hand side of the car and the road. From Stanger the road narrows to a 2 lane, in not bad shape, but very twisty and turny and as you get nearer to Greytown it gets more hilly. I discovered with a shock, that as you passed through little villages you would come across speed bumps; just before and just after, no signage to let you know though, so I hit a few at a good pace. There was a lot of colourful language within the car at these points. Along this road you were apt to see a cow, or goat or 2 laying on the verges, having lost a battle with a car, as well as students, walking along en-mass. The GPS kept trying to tell me to turn when there was nowhere to turn (guess the road has changed direction, but you'd never know it, looked the same all along, no new asphalt). Needless to say when I got into Greytown, even with the Ativan, I was pretty much a nervous wreck. It must have been a payday or something, as well, because there were so many people on the streets, just crossing everywhere willy nilly and walking along on the road itself - boy I needed a cuppa!

I made it! Lord Grey Guest House, a very nice B & B with beautiful comfy rooms, ensuites and breakfast included. Dinners could be arranged. I actually walked down the street a short ways, most evenings to Lady Leuchars Guest House and Restaurant, where they served Chicken Schnitzel - delicious. One evening I had the lady who worked evenings at Lord Grey come and direct me where to go so we could pick up a pizza to share; she also helped me find where to buy some airtime for my phone.

The area of the guest house is pretty much a white enclave, or so it feels; all home and business in the area are well fenced and gated. I do remember seeing a large slum area off to the side of the highway coming in to town, when we were visiting in 2009, so I imagine there can be a good amount of crime here. It's a lovely area though to be sure.
I ventured into town one day to find a bank and faced horrendous long lines to the ATM machines. Seems the machines often run out of money and folks have to go from one bank to another to find one with cash.

There was a sort of street market going on, people sitting on the sidewalks selling everything imaginable, tons of people, again, milling about. I spotted a lady selling home made aprons, which were so cute, I picked up a couple for Fundiswa's Mom and Nikki's Grandmother.

Having given both ADP's a week to pick visit days from I found myself with a fair amount of free time on my hands. I spent some time perusing a few tourist brochures and found a city named Pietermaritzburg about 1 1/2 hours away; that looked to be a good size and have a number of craft shops and tourist spots listed close by. So, feeling quite brave after my drive into Greytown I decided to venture off there. The getting there wasn't so terrible, as you could see, hardly any traffic on the roads; but, once I got into the city itself all hell broke lose for me! It was a city of freeways, overpasses, four lanes each way! Oh my God, get me out of here!! I listened carefully to my GPS to find a road outside town that was suppose to have a craft shop and got off the freeway as soon as possible. I drove and drove never to find the place. I did come across an upscale market, out there in the boonies, with a much desired coffee shop. Certainly a break was in order! With trepidation I headed out again to find my way back to Greytown, which meant getting back on the freeway - oh my! I'm travelling along, doing the best I can, thinking I'm not doing to poorly, but people keep honking at me, 'give a poor tourist a break', I think (along with a few expletives). I finally reached the outskirts of the city and decide I should get some gas before making my turn onto the road home. I pull up to the pumps and the young fellow says " Madam, you have a flat", no wonder everyone was honking. He was able to change the flat for the spare (thank goodness I took the option of having a spare and tire insurance when renting the car) and I headed back out. About 1/2 way along the road to home I hit a pothole and heard a huge thump and crash. 'Oh Lord, what now?' Should I keep going or stop? Better stop and see what happened this time. Well, I guess the young man didn't get the hub cap on tight and when I hit the pothole, it flew off into a cane field. Lucky for me a young couple in a truck had been following me and spotted the general area and graciously helped me look for it, with the fellow going off into the field and coming back with it. My saviour! 

  

                                                                                                                                                                               
   

I immediately called the rental company on my return to report the tire fiasco and ask for a replacement tire. 'Oh no', they said, we have no extra tires, you will have to drive to Pitermaritzburg and pick up a new car. WHAT! You must be joking! So, the next day, there I was, once again heading out to Pietermaritzburg airport, which was thankfully on the outskirts of town. I arrived and went to the rental company desk where I was informed that they hadn't heard a thing about this and a new car would have to be brought up from Durban, would I come back the following day, please. 'Not a chance in hell', I say, 'you bring the damn car to me in Greytown, because it just ain't happening'. They finally agreed that it could be arranged and off I headed back home once more. Everyday I expected that car to arrive - it finally did on the last day of the week that I was there!

On the BRIGHT side, the following day after my sojourn to the airport, it was my anticipated visit with Nikki and his family. Silly me had told Mumsy I would drive to the ADP, which after all this I was sorely unhappy to do - another 60 km. (about an hour) back towards Stanger. I punched destination into my GPS and was off, starting about an hour late, as I had been waiting for the new car to arrive.