BOB SEGER with, "ROLL ME AWAY". Take a trip with me on South African Roads.

Driving on the roads of my country, South Africa.

My family owned a Mercedes 200S for many years. It took us from Windhoek, Namibia to Cape Town, South Africa at least twice a year, sometimes more often. The distance between the two cities is 1500 kilometers. We would leave Windhoek at about 06H00 and depending on our mood, we could make it in anything, from between 11 hours and 15 hours, depending on how many stops we made. 11 hours was the fastest time we clocked that trip.

From Windhoek to the border at Vioolsdrift (+- 8 hours), it was a mind-numbingly monotonous trip. Hypnosis was a serious problem on that road. But it was straight down through desert, with a one second respite when arriving at Keetmanshoop to change direction slightly, to the border at Vioolsdrift, where, more often than not, snotty indigenous border officials on the Namibian side, liked to make our lives as difficult as possible.

Passing through Vioolsdrift and crossing the bridge over the Orange River, was like walking onto another planet. The countryside and the vegetation changed within yards of the border post. From there on down to Cape Town, the road was more winding instead of monotonously straight

Memories of going into Angola one time, when I travelled up north to see one Pastor Peter Kalangula, come to mind. Crossing that old border (Oshikango) from Namibia into Angola brought the same kind of sights. Old buildings shot to pieces -- the sights of a war torn country all over the place -- thicker vegetation that had not been chewed down by goat farming as it was on the Namibian side. Driving on the right side of the road with cars built to drive on the left. Quaint little shops where you could buy old Angolan money. I remember giving the woman behind the counter two South African Rands (R2.00), and having her come out with a wad of bank notes known as Kwanzas, which she proudly counted out to me ... in their MILLIIONS. And ALWAYS the danger of hitting an old landmine...

Life in Africa -- never a dull moment!

Africa -- it's in my blood -- if I cut my finger, Africa bleeds out. I can't get rid of it.