I'm about to leave once again.

I walked for most of the day, down past small cafe's that looked a little dubvious or was it my imagination that they were checking me out…?

Getting mugged last time I was here in South Africa was a scary situation….

I just looked up my blog at that time and I went cold as I read it for the first time since writing it no wonder I am nervous….

This is part of the post.

2006/07/16
It just happened

My host Odette was in Durban to meet me but she had to make a lot of phone calls to get the final arrival time, still we connected and all was well. Odette, took me to a wonderful gallery insuring that my luggage was safe under the protective eye of paid guard.

Every parking area has a guard who looks after your car for a price. (around 70 cents).

We ate lunch on the balcony of Odettes house overlooking the valley, the sun warmed my back and I marveled that this was a mid winter day.

We went down into the city to go to another Gallery, the parking guard duly said “look after you car well madam”

The area seemed to be a market. There were people everywhere. I took off my bracelets and put them in my bag and commented that I was sad that I didn’t bring my camera.

The area was not quite what I was expecting after the last gift shop. However the ambiance was exciting. The gift shop was a feast for the eyes. The most wonderful handicrafts. Patterns and colors to make the heart race. I purchased a few gifts for friends and we went downstairs to meet a man who had rung odette about some antiques.

We walked back to the car.

Suddenly I was grabbed fiercely by the neck, thrown against the wall and onto the ground and I realized that my necklace was the prize. I was wrenched around and angrily I put my hand on my hand up and managed to hang on to the necklaces. The man was gone in a second. We were left shaken. One necklace missing, my others in pieces in my hand. It caused a little disturbance but had obviously been planned and the perpetrator had laid in wait.
My neck was bruised and scratched but the skin not broken completely.

The remainder of the necklaces were stretched and broken but still in my hand.

However, I could have had my throat cut, or been hurt even more seriously.

My bag was untouched. I am darn angry, and it doesn’t bare thinking about what could have happened. We went straight to the police station. However, the waiting line was long and we would have to wait for hours. So we visited the local station in Odettes suburb. However, we need to report it tomorrow at a main station for them to make a report. I need that for insurance purposes. But that’s not the end of the day of interesting incidents.

Odette and I were accompanied by 4 other ladies (who happened to be quilters) at a mid size local restaurant. Bill Clinton joined us for dinner. (In fact he and his friends actually sat at the table behind us) Dressed casually the were just like any other table of guests with the exception of the security guards with their earpieces and hidden weapons.
There would be No robbers in this restaurant. I recalled seeing Bill’s photo in the paper yesterday-morning as he celebrated at the soccer with chelsea in Berlin. I’m sure he came down to Durban to give me a little excitement after my drama this afternoon. Those or you who have listened to some of my lectures, I’m sure you think I exaggerate these experiences. Let me tell you friends It’s all real and I just experience them to make good stories for lectures. What will tomorrow bring.?
Sleep was hard to come by, I kept feeling the mans hand on my neck, my back was sore from being twisted and my elbow from being smashed on the wall. I felt violated. How dare he invade my person.!!

However today has been super.

I visited with a few store owners in the market… I took a young boy to buy bread, milk, cereal, dry biscuits and sugar.  He lives on the street and No, I wan't conned I wanted to do it…

I walked all day and then sat quietly in a cafe and had grilled Calamari…talked to the seagulls and reflected on  a wonderful end to the trip.