Travel tip: always have an address for where you staying when you enter a country. An address like “London” is not good enough. Otherwise the nice-looking lady will say ominous things like “It’s a legal requirement,” and you suddenly realise you don’t have any contact details for Solomon (who, in this hypothetical situation, you’re staying with) and unless some small miracle happens, you’re on the next flight home (probably via Kiev) sitting next to Mrs Kolapovsky whose personal boundaries are, let’s say, a little fluid…

Anyway, after she let me in and Solomon picked me up we went to Heather B’s birthday party - a cocktail theme (which, on reflection, perhaps wasn’t the best idea, she said) which was good fun (although here’s another tip: go easy on the mint). Had some great conversations - Difa, Anton (who’s coming home in a month’s time), and a few girls (and here I must apologise…2 hours sleep did not help the name-remembering process) of which a highlight was a viewing of the Northern Lights explained so well that I felt I was there. So far I’ve met more South Africans than genuine English people…hanging out in Rynes Park hasn’t helped!