THIS AND THAT michelle cahill Lining your own already bulging pocket

WAS warned. “Pack your warmest clothes. You are goIing to freeze your butt off.” “No,” I said, “I can handle it. I don’t usually feel the cold.”

Ha! I have never ever got as cold as I did on Monday. When people say Grahamstown, oops Makhada soon, is cold believe them.

Then, to crown it all, the electricity went off twice for more than two hours at a time.

The second time was the worst as it went off at around 6.30pm – just when I wanted to take a shower and get into my warm gown and slippers and put my feet up to watch the soccer.

I guess I just have to move on and see who is playing next to know who went through.

I just need to tell you that this is my first proper holiday in almost 10 years.

Yes I have taken leave, but I have never gone away – and a lot of that time I have either spent at the office or worked from home.

This time I decided it was going to be different.

Nobody and nothing – even the cold – was going to stop me from going away.

So on Sunday I started my solo road trip of almost 700km full of hope and enthusiasm.

It was great at the beginning. I stopped off in Hopetown for my first pit stop.

OK it took me almost 10 minutes to find the ladies’ room. They just told me it was “through those doors”. I think I went through every bedroom and office to find it but I eventually did. I did my business and hit the road again.

Next stop Orania.

It was with mixed feelings that I approached this kingdom of Afrikanerdom.

After the whole Poppie saga, I just wish I could have bypassed it altogether so, I decided it would be best for all of us if I just held my pee to the next town and not stop off.

So my next pit stop was Hanover. That was when the poverty of the Northern Cape really hit me. I had just pulled into this service stationtype place that had a restaurant and rest rooms.

The dust had not even settled when I was surrounded by about 10 street children all wanting money or something to eat. My heart broke.

I wish the comfortably corrupt could have seen this. Money that was meant for these children has most definitely not reached them.

I felt horrible that I couldn’t do anything to alleviate their plight.

With my most basic needs, relieved and my car full again it was time to hit the road again.

I had a couple more pit stops between towns as I couldn’t bear to face another hungry child again.

I made it through to Cradock thinking this might be a more “progressive little dorpie”. Yet again I was wrong. Poverty is rife wherever you look.

Yes I understand that budgets have been slashed this year, but why is that?

Well, duh, the obvious answer is that there is no money. But where has that money gone? I doubt if it will ever be recovered.

So, as I lament on my conditions – cold and without electricity – that was only for one night, what about all those for which this is just part of their daily lives.

Corruption needs to stop now and the money meant for the poorest of the poor should be channelled and put to use where it is intended – not into your own already bulging pocket.