Flew back to South Africa on Thursday from Kasane in Botswana to Cape Town via Johannesburg. Travelled on budget airlines which is a relatively new and welcome development in this part of the world. South Africa now has three low cost airlines, Kulula, One Time and Mango which for some reason, all sound like fruit drinks.
Uneventful trip until I was pulled in by immigration officials at Joburg because of an unpaid 'overstay' fine of R1000 (£90). I had actually paid it in Cape Town a few months earlier but because I had no receipt, and it was still registered on their computer as outstanding, they insisted I pay or be refused entry. I did ask them to ring Cape Town airport immigration to check with their colleagues' computer but they refused, leaving me no alternative to cough up again or spend the rest of my life in the arrivals section.
The second upset of the trip was receiving a call from a friend who was supposed to be picking me up at Cape Town airport, to say he couldn't make it because his pregnant wife had just gone into labour. This news required me to ring around a number of friends, to try find someone to pick me up as well as somewhere to stay. Fortunately, I did manage to find someone. I've been living in his office ever since. Poor John.
The one piece of good news was receiving word that my application for residency in South Africa had been approved. This means I can now live and work in the country for three years. This news brings to an end, a long period of uncertainty about the future. Now all I have to do is try and generate some work to allow me to live here.
It's only been five days but missing Elle already. Her birthday today too.
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