I arrived back in Johannesburg
on the Friday morning and I was scheduled to start my new job on the Monday
morning. The only problem was - I hadn’t decided if I wanted the job, I still
had many reservations about working in Nigeria. It’s not so much the
security issues that worry me, but rather the quality of life while staying
there. Life is too short to need to have armed escorts whenever you leave the
accommodation / office compound.
I’d discussed these issues at length with family and friends
in South Africa and Scotland and I’d
yet to come across anyone who thought that this was a great opportunity.
I contacted the Director to relay my concerns and we agreed
that I’d go in on the Monday and discuss the issues with another Director who
had recently spent some time there. It became apparent that the company were
not in a position to compromise on the Nigerian aspect of the job and I
declined their offer. That was a shame; however it does mean that my South East Asia adventure is back on!!
I went back to my brothers’ house and booked an incredibly
cheap one way ticket to Bangkok,
Thailand! I’m
on my way!
While in Jo’burg I took the opportunity to do some tourist
attractions. I went to the ‘Cradle of Mankind’ exhibitions at Maropeng and The
Sterkfontein Caves. Some of the oldest and most remarkable Hominid fossils have
been discovered in this area and they are currently excavating a near complete skeleton
called Little Foot. The so called ‘Missing Link’ scull of ‘Mrs Ples’ was also
discovered here. She’s thought to be over 2 million years old. I’d recommend
the Sterkfontein Caves, Maropeng is probably aimed more at school tours.
In the words of Sir Elton John: “My bags are packed and I’m
ready to go”. Next stop Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.
