How did you deal with hygiene?

I was often asked how I managed to bath, wash my hair, or shave. The answer is: I didn’t. Shave, that is. Over the course of my journey I tried jacuzzis, plastic basins, showers, galvanized baths and outdoor taps. Partly, what made it so exciting and indeed what makes our country so exciting are the diverse ways of our people. I found that most South Africans use plastic basins to wash themselves in. Because most South Africans do not have geysers. Instead, boiling water from a kettle is poured into a basin and cold water is added. All you need is a face cloth and soap. As a guest you will not be allowed to prepare your own ‘bath’ – it is the host’s honour to do this for you.

My most bizarre experience was in a township in Mpumalanga. There was a bath in the house, as well as a geyser. But for the life of me I couldn’t find a bathplug. The lovely home owner, a retired nurse, was off on her rounds taking care of some disabled and elderly people in the township that morning, so I was on my own with this dilemma. There were two massive basins in the bathroom, so I put them both in the bath, filled them with water and added some bubble bath. Then I sat with my backside in one and my feet in the other basin, merrily splashing away. I felt five years old again! It was such bliss.