An Indiana Jones Moment

Everyone talks about the violent crime in South Africa, and how "horrible" it is to live here. I can honestly say that I love it here and have never felt any fear... until yesterday. Yesterday I experienced one of the most terrifying moments of my life, only it had nothing to do with violent crime or even people. It had to do with the National Botanical Gardens and some ants.

I was taking a walk around the perimeter of the Gardens, working on a speech I have to give in two weeks. I thought it would be easier to be alone with my thoughts and really tackle this speech than to be at the office or at home where there are too many distractions to break my concentration.

While I was enjoying the beauty and solitude of the Botanical Gardens, I was getting some great ideas and really making progress on my speech... until I looked down, that is, to find my shoes covered in ants. Not tiny American ants, but big African ants. I shook my shoes, but the ants wouldn't come off. I tried to brush them off, then I tried to flick them off, but they wouldn't budge. It was like they had hooks and were hanging on for dear life. Then they started to bite. That's when I started to stomp my feet, and then run, but they *still* kept coming.

I looked ahead of me, and the brick path that I was on was covered in ants as far as I could see. That's when I began to panic and pray like crazy. It took me about 25 minutes to reach the exit of the Botanical Gardens, and when I got to the parking lot I kicked off my shoes, only to find my socks covered in ants. I peeled my socks off, and the ants were INSIDE my socks on the bottom of my feet!

I ended up using my car keys to scrape off all of the ants, and then I got into my car and cried for fifteen minutes! I phoned Dan, who calmed me down, and just when I was about to start the car and drive home, I realised that some of the ants had crawled up my jeans and were on my legs. That's when I *really* lost it!

I am happy to report that I made it home and that my feet are now fine. It really was a bit traumatic though. That feeling of having no way out was most unpleasant.

I went to the Botanical Gardens to work on my speech with no distractions.... but I think I would have been better off at the office!