Our stop in Nelspruit meant proper civilization! So also meant getting things sorted. Mainly on the car, maintenance, we had been waiting for SA where parts are cheaper and more available.  We needed to get the front suspension replaced, dropping the car off at a recommended garage we headed to a shopping mall. We were told the car would be ready by 5 so as much as I am not a shopper we made the most of our time in the mall. Sneaking off to buy Christmas presents and eating nice food.

We even managed a trip to see Santa. Baby blue was very suspicious of him, Middle Man in awe, whilst Lego Boy was confused. After the visit he asked ‘mummy that wasn’t the real Santa was it?’ steering him away from his brothers I asked what made him say that… “his beard wasn’t real and he wasn’t old”. Quickly I explained that Santa is very busy in December and he has special helpers who help him. Hopefully with magic of Christmas still intact I change the subject.  When did my baby boy become so grown up?

5 o’clock came and went and we still had no car so decided to eat out. 7 o’clock came and went and still no car. Realising we would now be driving in the dark I start to worry. Although I hadn’t felt threatened at all in SA yet, all the advice from everyone is DO NOT drive at night. We also didn’t have a working phone, so what if we had trouble on the road with the new parts?! Well we would be stranded.

When we finally got a lift back to the garage at 8 o’clock, with 3 very tired and grumpy boys! But the car is not finished, so while I settle the boys on the waiting area chairs husband takes a walk to the shop next door which apparently sells sim cards.

He returns empty handed a few minutes later. He had been told by the shop owner he cannot walk around here at night, he will get mugged or worst.

Now panic really sets in! What should we do?  All we could do is risk driving back to the campsite but I would be much happier with a working phone.  I have been stranded before but never with kids and never in a place were I have been told “you will get mugged or worst”.

Reluctantly I contact our friends who are also in Nelspruit to ask their advice, one of them has Malaria so I didn’t want to bother them (very English) but I felt we had no choice. Having had Malaria once before I know how hard it is to function never mind help anyone else out. I was told by our friends we must not drive back to the campsite without a working phone. She would lend us one but we had to go to her.

When our car was finally ready (gone 9) the mechanic gave us an escort to our friends who gave us a working phone. I was so relived to see a familiar face, someone to advise us. I have never felt so out of depth on my travels before but with a phone we nervously set of to the campsite.

The drive to the campsite seems to take forever. My nerves all ready at breaking point when I get a text on our friends phone… It says “if you have any trouble or break down call xxxxxxxxx,  they will send an armed response unit”. I know this was meant to reassure me but it had the opposite effect. Never before had I been in a situation where it is a good idea to have the number of an armed response unit. Not long later the phone buzz makes me jump out my skin. Another text “If you must stop, don’t get out your car”. Another buzz and I nearly have a heart attack. “Don’t worry the response unit will make sure you are safe”…. Don’t worry! Ha, to late.

Less than 15mins later we pulled into the campsite with an illuminated cross high on the mountain side, to me this was a sign we were looked after on that night.

The dark, the unknown, the stories, had made the experience very scary.  But was the risk we had taken as big as it felt at the time? Probably not either way I am grateful that our little family was safe for the next adventure.