With a start, I realised, upon entering the country, the border control
staff had given me a three-month pass instead of the six months they
had given Ernest. It meant I had less than a month to leave the
country. Strangely, this was a blessing in disguise as my relationship
with Ernest was becoming offensive, and it was time for me to move
along. It's strange how abusive relationships creep up on one.
Though plenty of time remained on my visa, I needed to put distance
between us, and it would be more than a year before I returned to
the USA. I wisely bought a ticket to South Africa, discarded most of
my belongings, and kept only the items of utmost importance.
Following an exceptionally long and tedious flight, I reached South
Africa two days later.
It was time to take stock and decide which direction to go. I vowed
never to find myself on the same continent as Ernest. First, I looked
forward to catching up on all the gossip, having a braai or two, and
enjoying the excellent South African wines.
After a long wait, my bank card finally arrived, and I was delighted to
continue my journey. Feeling free as a bird I flew via Dubai and Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, and onto Borneo, the third-largest island in the
world and the largest in Asia. I was, understandably, bursting with
excitement and couldn’t wait to get going.