Day 3-066
8 hrs, 1.9 kms
Day totals: 16 kms, 6.9 kms

It's payday in South Africa and you can tell right away. The bars are full, with the tables covered with empty bottles... the overpriced fast food joints are full... I see a line of people that stretches for half a city block... to get into the gambling parlour.

Clearly a lot of South Africans have some serious issues with money management. A lot of people here are not going to accumulate wealth no matter how well they get paid.

I do not feel at ease at all wandering around Bloemfontein with my backpack. I drop it off at a supermarket and do a quick Parkbench concert in the plaza. Even then I'm feeling pretty nervous about setting up my camera for a video clip.

Tonight I'll catch a late night bus to Johannesburg. I find a place where there's a row a taxis that I can catch to the bus station. Good. Now I can relax a bit, go inside the shopping center and get some supper.

I go, get something to eat, come out... and the taxis are all gone!

Great. Dusk is approaching. Shops are shutting down. Once again, I find myself in a very precarious situation... even though I'm taking every precaution and planning things carefully.

I mean what's a guys supposed to do when you can't even catch a taxi in the middle of the city?

I walk for a block and find a security guard and ask where I can catch a taxi. Once again, I find myself dependant on a "guardian angel"... He confirms that I definitely should not be walking around at this hour. And don't even think of going back to the minibus station "It's very rough over there" Yeah, tell me about it. He tries to call a taxi driver her knows. Apparently here in South Africa you have to KNOW a taxi driver if you want to go anywhere safely!

No luck, so he walks with me for a block or so... until a taxi drives past. I thank him--and give him a thank you tip, and climb aboard the taxi.

I just want to get out of this country.