Finally back in South Africa, after nearly two weeks away, it's nice to be back. After spending yesterday filling in time at Keetmanshoop (using up a cafes free wifi and then finishing off the book I'm reading), I managed to get a cab organised to take me out of town to the Intercape bus station. The people who worked at Rachel's Backpackers were finding it difficult to get me a cab however, it was after 9pm at night and most drivers had gone home. They somehow got me one, and for N$30 I was on my way. The bus wasn't set to depart until 11:05pm so I had time to fill at the service station until it came.
The sleepliner arrived a few minutes past eleven and I got to board. It was very comfortable, with seats you could recline all the way back and foot rests you could press down - much nicer to sleep on in comparison to a plane! I managed to get a few hours of sleep until we reached the Namibian side of the border at around 3:30am, where I got off, got stamped and hopped back on the bus to sleep. It wasn't until after 5am however that the bus started moving and drove to the other side of the border and it was past 5:30am that I got my entry stamp and was officially back in South Africa.
The sun was rising, but there was a bit of a hassle a customs as the bus was being inspected on the South African side. We were due to arrive at Upington, about 125km from the border at 7am. At 8am I was to catch my next bus to Kimberley. However by 6am we still weren't moving and people were growing agitated. There wasn't much I could do but wait and hope, and finally we had to remove our bags from the bus's trailer and put them on the bus, as the trailer had to remain behind at customs.
It was nearly 7am when we finally left the border, and after 8am when we reached Upington. Thankfully, Intercape had delayed the ongoing buses by an hour because of the delay and I was able to make it onto my bus to Kimberley.
Got to Kimberley around 4 in the afternoon after another semi-comfortable bus ride. I must admit the Intercape is quite a reliable, safe and comfortable way to get around Southern Africa and I wouldn't mind having to take it again. They played several movies on the bus as well, and had air-conditioning, which was much needed because at one point it was 42 degrees Celcius this afternoon!
Tomorrow night I catch a train to Cape Town where I will arrive Monday afternoon. However first during the day I will do a bit of exploring around Kimberley, including The Big Hole, which from what I have read is the biggest man made hole? Should be interesting, but is also going to be very, very hot tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to a good nights sleep tonight in a bed, which should be easy because I got my dad to organise my accomodation for me tonight (well actually I asked him to find somewhere I could stay ... he then preceded to actually book something for me), and it is somewhere considerably nicer (and more expensive) than I have been staying the past few weeks. But it is nice and I get my own bathroom for the night.
See you in Cape Town!!!
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