Leros is a beautiful island and I have included a map of where it is. The people are friendly and relaxed. The total population on the island is less than 8 000 people. We love Leros.

Julius Caesar was held hostage in Leros for 40 days by pirates. As most of you know I’m a big supporter of Julius Caesar’s legal system. One can resolve all crime in Johannesburg by using Ellispark, a couple of hungry real Lions and some criminals. We will all go and watch a gladiator festival on a Friday after work and by the next morning we will have no more crime, but anyway I’m digressing.

However there is a sting in the tail. I also attach two photos, one marked up and one clear. One can clearly see the lights on the southern side of the marina. Leros is not near Africa or Syria and I need to remind you it is an island. The lights that are visible is a refugee camp. Currently it has 1 500 inhabitants, but we are told that a couple of months ago there were 4 000 people in there. Remember there are only 8 000 locals living on the island. We could not understand why the we had 2 German and 2 Greek coast guard vessels in the marina with us, but now we do. The refugees are paid 400 Euro stipends per month (approximately R 8 000). We spotted some refugees at Western Union transferring money to somewhere else.

I don’t know what the solutions are, in fact I don’t even know how to deal with our beggars in Sandton Drive.

However I want to use the words of Dr Rassie Erasmus when he says “We must just stop talking kak about our own country”. Every country and geography have its own challenges made worse by very weak world leaders everywhere.