South Africa

Since my return ticket to Buenos Aires (from Seoul) was with South African Airways, I had the opportunity to spend some time in Africa (as well as Hong Kong and Brazil) for my first time.

I arrived 27 December, hired a car, and began driving the 1,400-or-so kilometres to Cape Town.

I stopped in the small town of Kimberly, and then in Beaufort West on the way, taking a leisurely five days to reach Table Mountain and the South Atlantic coast.

In Cape Town, I absailed from the top of Table Mountain and had a few drinks with Taryn, who I hadn't seen since we worked together in Greece in 2002.

A 5am rise was needed to make the drive east to Gansbaai, where I was booked on a great white shark cage diving trip into the waters of Shark Alley.

A good night's sleep in Mossel Bay prepared me for the last long drive, which every South African I'd met had told me not to miss - the Garden Route.

It's with sadness that I inform them that I didn't get to enjoy the country's famed scenic route as I spent all that day's daylight time in the Garden Route Casino.

In darkness, I could enjoy only the aroma of the greenery, and arrived so late I didn't bother sleeping before my flight back to Johannesberg from Port Elizabeth very early the next morning.

I then flew to Zambia for a few days.