Port Elizabeth and the challenge of driving a car which has its wheel on the wrong side

After we had arrived to Port Elizabeth, there was only one thing on our minds: get a car and get into a hotel to sleep. We rented a nice Toyota Corolla 2008.


The car was spacious, handsome, it had air conditioning and everything that you could ask for. But it had one small disadvantage: the wheel is on the wrong side of the car. But what can you do? You just have to learn to drive it. Here is a list that are good to keep in mind, I noticed!

1. Drivers: enter the car from the right side. Passengers: enter the car from the left side. Extra tip for the passengers: do not follow the driver to the right side of the car. You'll look really stupid if you do that.

2. The gear stick is on your left. You'll learn to remember that when the knuckles of your right hand are on bruises because of hitting the window with them.

3. The blinker is on the right side of the wheel. It is of course ok, if you try firt the lever on the left, but you'll only start the windscreen wipers by doing that. And that looks really clever, especially when it is +25 degrees and the sun is shining from the cloudless sky.

4. When you have anyway started the wipers instead of the blinker, you shouldn't let the embarrassment disturb your concentration on your driving. Why? It is for sure, that you'll now find the right lever quickly, but you'll forget that when turning to right, you'll press the lever down, and when turning to left, you'll push it up - and not the other way around as you are used to doing it. And this is the moment when the drivers in the other cars will shake their heads; first she starts the wipers, then she blinks to the right, but anyway turns to the left!

5. How to make sure you are driving the lane you are supposed to be driving? Just remember, that you (the driver) should always be next to the line that divides the lanes and not next to the ditch. Complicated? Yes, I know. It is really easy to look like you are a drunken driver when you - regardless of all the effort you make - still end up driving the wrong lane a little now and then.

6. After you have learned to remember all this, you should note that left is still left and right is still right.

After all we got to our hotel (Hotel Paxton), which was a really nice one, and I was so happy to get to sleep in a bed instead of the benches at the airport.

In the evening after a good sleep we went to a restaurant called Cafe Brazilia to eat and to celebrate my 30th birthday. This place actually became our favourite place to eat in because of the delicious food, great service and the relaxed atmosphere. And they even have one waitress from Estonia!