Madrid Still!
Day 29
We went to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia today and saw Picasso and Dali!! Ohhhhh talk about WONDERFUL!!!!! To see Salvatore Dali FOR REAL is just out of this world! I remember seeing Dali when i was 15, in a book, and i actually bought the book when i was studying at 18 and of course, being a rebellious sort that i was, loved all his work.
And to see it for real..was amazing!
And Greg loves his work too. He was as blown away as i was! We´re loving seeing all the art here in Spain. Kindred spirits for sure.
We saw the famous works of his....including "The El gran masturbador, 1929" !!! So funny! Shows his great fear of grasshoppers!!! A lot of his works and scuptures were not there. Maybe we´ll see them in another city.
Picasso was unreal. Imagine. Seeing REAL Picasso´s!!!! Oh dear. We´re in heaven! We saw his sketches and other work..then we saw "Guernica 1937" It was so BIG! 3.5 X 7.8 metres. Unbelievable! You just don´t expect that do you???
There was a whole room of Joan Miro as well...plus other individual works scattered throughout the museum. I´m in awe.
We watched a French Movie here as well. The Director had Dali offer his help to produce it so it was a 63 minute rendition that assalted the senses! Weird! And what´s more, we watched the whole thing, and enjoyed the irony and comedy of it!
After spending SEVEN HOURS at the museum we had dinner (paella and pizza) at a restaurante nearby and now we´re bout to go to see a Flamenco!!
Thanks caza for your messsage! Youré a darl. I´ve been thinking about work and everyone there. Please say hi to everyone for me! I´m thinking about you all!
Okies..going now..will write again!
xxx
Saturday, 31 March 2007
Friday, 30 March 2007
SEGOVIA
Madrid, Spain
Day 28
Segovia
We GOT UP EARLY this morning! We were not going to have a repeat performance of missing out on going to Sergovia. So off we go, to the metro, after we had our breakfast of toasted breaksticks, oil and tomatos (and yummy espresso coffee) to get to the ´hidden bus station´to Sergovia!
Didn´t tell you that yesterday did i..the reason why we also didn´t go to Sergovia yesterday is because we couldn´t find the station where the bus left from! No kidding. It´s hidden! Well, it´s stuck behind the main station, over the road and underground and the ticket guy said, just go there....!! (in spanish!) so we went just over there..and over there, was a huge shopping centre! ´
But today! Hola! We found it!
We travelled 90 minutes to Sergovia, did the repeat thing, got something to eat (bread stick) when we arrived at the station (what is it about these stations, they make us hungry!) and then headed off to discover Sergovia!
We went the wrong way..but what´s the right way. There´s nothing signposted. Weird really, the whole place is like a place a hundred years ago! In fact, we´re discovering the whole of what we´ve seen in Spain is like a hundred years ago! Smoke everywhere...people carrying breadsticks everywhere...Honestly it really does feel old and quaint and a bit out of date.
About the smoking. People smoke in restuarants! (restaurantes) And it´s socially acceptable whereever you are. Even the bus driver today was smoking. It´s so strange. A lady i was watching was smoking a cigarette just before she hopped onto to the bus and flicked the cigarette away and i just thought..whoa, she shouldn´t be doing that!
How conditioned are we.
How non conditioned are they.
Even in Africa they don´t smoke in cafes!
So! We walked and walked..to see what we could find in this magical, medieval town of Segovia. And...then, looming out of nowwhere we saw it...
The Aqueduct! it was right there in front of us and it looked fantastic! This is a water system that is 800 metres long, 30 metres high, that transported water to the town from a mountain spring. What an engineering feat! The designers at the time didn´t use an ounce of mortar to build the structure. Greg was impressed. Most of the architecture in Spain has been redesigned by the Roman architects and this is one example why.
Now that we were on track we found the Segonia Cathedral. The last gothic cathedral in Europe. What a fantastic site that is. It wasn´t as outlandish as any of the other cathedral´s we have seen but it´s still lavish. It took 200 years to build. The paintings, once again, are just wondrous. We saw the room of Saint Gregory! Of course we had to take a pic of that! With our very own St Greg in it!!
Walked the beautiful, narrow cobblestone streets, freezing our asses off i might add, stopped for a coffee to warm up and lapped up the ambience of the spanish bar. (We love these bars).
Then we found the Alcazar of Segonia. This is where Philip 11 married his fourth wife Anna of Austria. The room was worn and lavish.
We went through the old castle, fireplace and throne halls.
The paintings and flemmish tapestries are intricate and amazing. So many stories held within.
There were little windows to peer outside..to observe the enemy. We went throught the castle tower and observed the city ruins beneath.
I can see why the court moved to the Madrid as a royal residence. It seemed cold.
And afterwards it was turned into a prison.
In a way, castles and royal premises of the day, did seem a bit like prisons. You have to wonder how happy they were locked in these lavish castles.
We went up the Tower after that, 157 long, narrow and winding steps! Mum sent a text as we reached the top and i quickly tex´d back and put my gloves back on. So COLD. From the top we could see snow on the mountains!
We were hungry again after this and had dinner (is it dinner or just a continuation of a feast!?) at a place that was as homely as can be. Little girl watching Spanish Ninja turtles and the muppets on tv (weird how western shows are translated into euro languages here!) and families all mixing in the bars, or cafes that they are.
Our day in Sergovia ended up eventful. From a dismal start to a wonderful finish.
On the bus, we observed so much grafitti on the walls on the highway....and i started wondering where all that started. In the cathedrals and castles there is grafitti dating back to 1921 and you have to think...even the granfather´s were marking their names on monuments!
On the train back....we noted the shoes.....pointy, not unlike the pointed armour in the Segovia Tower.
All for protection i imagine!
Home for us now....almost curfew!
Day 28
Segovia
We GOT UP EARLY this morning! We were not going to have a repeat performance of missing out on going to Sergovia. So off we go, to the metro, after we had our breakfast of toasted breaksticks, oil and tomatos (and yummy espresso coffee) to get to the ´hidden bus station´to Sergovia!
Didn´t tell you that yesterday did i..the reason why we also didn´t go to Sergovia yesterday is because we couldn´t find the station where the bus left from! No kidding. It´s hidden! Well, it´s stuck behind the main station, over the road and underground and the ticket guy said, just go there....!! (in spanish!) so we went just over there..and over there, was a huge shopping centre! ´
But today! Hola! We found it!
We travelled 90 minutes to Sergovia, did the repeat thing, got something to eat (bread stick) when we arrived at the station (what is it about these stations, they make us hungry!) and then headed off to discover Sergovia!
We went the wrong way..but what´s the right way. There´s nothing signposted. Weird really, the whole place is like a place a hundred years ago! In fact, we´re discovering the whole of what we´ve seen in Spain is like a hundred years ago! Smoke everywhere...people carrying breadsticks everywhere...Honestly it really does feel old and quaint and a bit out of date.
About the smoking. People smoke in restuarants! (restaurantes) And it´s socially acceptable whereever you are. Even the bus driver today was smoking. It´s so strange. A lady i was watching was smoking a cigarette just before she hopped onto to the bus and flicked the cigarette away and i just thought..whoa, she shouldn´t be doing that!
How conditioned are we.
How non conditioned are they.
Even in Africa they don´t smoke in cafes!
So! We walked and walked..to see what we could find in this magical, medieval town of Segovia. And...then, looming out of nowwhere we saw it...
The Aqueduct! it was right there in front of us and it looked fantastic! This is a water system that is 800 metres long, 30 metres high, that transported water to the town from a mountain spring. What an engineering feat! The designers at the time didn´t use an ounce of mortar to build the structure. Greg was impressed. Most of the architecture in Spain has been redesigned by the Roman architects and this is one example why.
Now that we were on track we found the Segonia Cathedral. The last gothic cathedral in Europe. What a fantastic site that is. It wasn´t as outlandish as any of the other cathedral´s we have seen but it´s still lavish. It took 200 years to build. The paintings, once again, are just wondrous. We saw the room of Saint Gregory! Of course we had to take a pic of that! With our very own St Greg in it!!
Walked the beautiful, narrow cobblestone streets, freezing our asses off i might add, stopped for a coffee to warm up and lapped up the ambience of the spanish bar. (We love these bars).
Then we found the Alcazar of Segonia. This is where Philip 11 married his fourth wife Anna of Austria. The room was worn and lavish.
We went through the old castle, fireplace and throne halls.
The paintings and flemmish tapestries are intricate and amazing. So many stories held within.
There were little windows to peer outside..to observe the enemy. We went throught the castle tower and observed the city ruins beneath.
I can see why the court moved to the Madrid as a royal residence. It seemed cold.
And afterwards it was turned into a prison.
In a way, castles and royal premises of the day, did seem a bit like prisons. You have to wonder how happy they were locked in these lavish castles.
We went up the Tower after that, 157 long, narrow and winding steps! Mum sent a text as we reached the top and i quickly tex´d back and put my gloves back on. So COLD. From the top we could see snow on the mountains!
We were hungry again after this and had dinner (is it dinner or just a continuation of a feast!?) at a place that was as homely as can be. Little girl watching Spanish Ninja turtles and the muppets on tv (weird how western shows are translated into euro languages here!) and families all mixing in the bars, or cafes that they are.
Our day in Sergovia ended up eventful. From a dismal start to a wonderful finish.
On the bus, we observed so much grafitti on the walls on the highway....and i started wondering where all that started. In the cathedrals and castles there is grafitti dating back to 1921 and you have to think...even the granfather´s were marking their names on monuments!
On the train back....we noted the shoes.....pointy, not unlike the pointed armour in the Segovia Tower.
All for protection i imagine!
Home for us now....almost curfew!
STILL IN SPAIN!
Madrid, Spain
Day 27
Went in seach of Tapas! (hors dóeuvres) Which of course are not hard to find! At 12 oclock! OK we slept in!! We found a place that sold Tapas and we asked for the traditonal plate.
We got a fried assortment of squid, prawns, potato and other things that we didn´t quite know what they were. And we´re sure this was not a regular plate of tapas. Did they think we´d just like fried food cos we´re American´s? (Honestly, people don´t really know WHAT or WHO we are...
We´ve so far been mistaken for British, German (mostly) and American!) Perhaps they don´t know what an Australian is! Ok, a bit harsh, but we´re out of tourist season at the moment and from what we´re oberving, we´re the only non spanish people about! And we´re confusing everyone. Even ourselves! (who are we again!) Greg sounds a mix between african, spanish, italian and allsorts hahaha! He transforms with every country we go to! :-)
Today´s plan was Avila.
No busses.
Segovia.
Too late.
(Story of our life!)
SO! We got the last guided tour of the Madrid Palace! And we feel blessed!!! What a tour. The tiny little gnome of a spanish lady, dressed in black with clogged shoes (who told us she learned English in England) was the guide of our minority english speaking group. She was so funny, whenever anyone tried to join our group she shooed them away saying they didn´t belong!
But she was loyal to us, her little group and we got quite friendly with her. She shared information that was ´secret´and said although she thought she could show us what was under the dining table of the great room she wouldn´t out of respect! (a boring old ply table apparently!)
But what a site the palace was! Talk about over the top! If the Toledo cathedral was considered extravagent, this was as well. There was a lot of Italian and French influence as the King of the time (Carlos 1V) had ruled Naples in Rome so had a good knowledge of Italian design so he brought it with him. All but one of the chandeliers in the place were Italian or French! The only Spanish one was in the Queens (Isobel) writing room!´
This is because the original old castle burned down so he had to redeorate and rebuild. In 1788. Anyway, whatever the influence was, it was massive. Gold. Marble. Bronze. Imported goods.
Shall we talk about the starving people of the time, at this point, or just forget that?
OK. Just to justify the extravagence of the place, apparently 6000 people actually lived at the palace at the time. In the 16th century. Including royal family, servants etc. Of 3000 rooms we saw 32 rooms! It´s bigger than Buckingham palace and the palace of the verselles in France.
After all this..and all the walking..we stopped at Nice Cream and had an icecream!!!
What a day. Walked SO MUCH TODAY!
By the way, we only just got back to the hostal in time. Our hostallier locked the great iron doors 30 seconds after we arrived back!!! Phew.
I wonder what we would do if we were late for the 11pm curfew?
Day 27
Went in seach of Tapas! (hors dóeuvres) Which of course are not hard to find! At 12 oclock! OK we slept in!! We found a place that sold Tapas and we asked for the traditonal plate.
We got a fried assortment of squid, prawns, potato and other things that we didn´t quite know what they were. And we´re sure this was not a regular plate of tapas. Did they think we´d just like fried food cos we´re American´s? (Honestly, people don´t really know WHAT or WHO we are...
We´ve so far been mistaken for British, German (mostly) and American!) Perhaps they don´t know what an Australian is! Ok, a bit harsh, but we´re out of tourist season at the moment and from what we´re oberving, we´re the only non spanish people about! And we´re confusing everyone. Even ourselves! (who are we again!) Greg sounds a mix between african, spanish, italian and allsorts hahaha! He transforms with every country we go to! :-)
Today´s plan was Avila.
No busses.
Segovia.
Too late.
(Story of our life!)
SO! We got the last guided tour of the Madrid Palace! And we feel blessed!!! What a tour. The tiny little gnome of a spanish lady, dressed in black with clogged shoes (who told us she learned English in England) was the guide of our minority english speaking group. She was so funny, whenever anyone tried to join our group she shooed them away saying they didn´t belong!
But she was loyal to us, her little group and we got quite friendly with her. She shared information that was ´secret´and said although she thought she could show us what was under the dining table of the great room she wouldn´t out of respect! (a boring old ply table apparently!)
But what a site the palace was! Talk about over the top! If the Toledo cathedral was considered extravagent, this was as well. There was a lot of Italian and French influence as the King of the time (Carlos 1V) had ruled Naples in Rome so had a good knowledge of Italian design so he brought it with him. All but one of the chandeliers in the place were Italian or French! The only Spanish one was in the Queens (Isobel) writing room!´
This is because the original old castle burned down so he had to redeorate and rebuild. In 1788. Anyway, whatever the influence was, it was massive. Gold. Marble. Bronze. Imported goods.
Shall we talk about the starving people of the time, at this point, or just forget that?
OK. Just to justify the extravagence of the place, apparently 6000 people actually lived at the palace at the time. In the 16th century. Including royal family, servants etc. Of 3000 rooms we saw 32 rooms! It´s bigger than Buckingham palace and the palace of the verselles in France.
After all this..and all the walking..we stopped at Nice Cream and had an icecream!!!
What a day. Walked SO MUCH TODAY!
By the way, we only just got back to the hostal in time. Our hostallier locked the great iron doors 30 seconds after we arrived back!!! Phew.
I wonder what we would do if we were late for the 11pm curfew?
TOLEDO
Madrid, Spain
Day 26
Riosol Hostal
Toledo
We had our last breakfast at the Regente and checked out in rainy dismal weather. Oh no! We had to trudge around in wet weather with our packs on board to get to our next accomodation. No worries though, it wasn´t far. Thank god! Greg did take a photo of me with my silly raincoat on tho..and i took one of him looking very ninja turtleish!
Those backpacks! Gawd....what we´ve discovered though, is their actually better than suitcases when it comes to going up and down stairs! (Metro´s etc!) And they´re waterproof! So, they´re not so bad afterall, and we´re getting used to them!
When we got to the hostal we got excited. So much cheaper and more like we´d intended for this trip (remember, we have our budget!). It´s so funny though, no one understands English. Even the guys at the hotels and hostals. They don´t seem to really know what on earth we´re on about, and what´s more, when we do try to say, in our stilted clear english, what we´re talking about..they answer in fluent long spanish!
We must just look like we´re standing there with our dumbfounded looks agreeing! Of all countries we´ve both been to, we´ve decided this country is the one that lacks communication with tourists. Not that that´s a particularly bad thing, it´just seems to be the thing that just ís´. Doesn´t help us though! When we asked the Hostal guy if there was a lounge or anything at the hostal..he promptly got his map out and circled the laundry, 2 blocks away and gave us a contented look!
OH DEAR!
And it´s the same everywhere here it seems. Spain is full of Spanish! Now i know that sounds very logical and of common sense..but it´s the only country that seems to lack multiculturalism! Very few other nationalities, from what we can see! Oh wait. Lots of South Americans tho..and what do they speak? (Spanish!) :-)
TOLEDO.
That was our plan for today.
We caught the metro (underground train) then the bus and it all worked like clockwork, thanks to Greg´s `´plotting´! We arrived in Toledo. The place to go according to the Lonely Planet. A old knights town that is situated behind a fortress wall.
Firstly, we were hungry so we trotted off to the Cafetaria. We looked at the menu and knowing people didn´t speak much english decided to point to the picture at the wall and go with that. It was a salad roll and a drink. He spoke Spanish back to us and we said, ´ce´. In a few minutes the roll came back..with 10 little sausages and no salad. We just looked at it! OK. Let´s just eat that. (i rarely eat, if ever eat, sausage!).
We take our massive sausage sandwich and because there´s no table and only two little tables at one end of the cafe Greg picks one up and pulls a couple of chairs and there we are. All set. To eat.
The next thing WE GOT A MOUTHFUL!
The spanish guy must have decided this was just not the thing to do. He yelled and screamed (LOUDLY) at us, in spanish, with us not knowing what a clue he was saying, and then he promptly came over, grabbed the table and pointed for us to ´sit thereª!It was probably more like...."$·$%$/%/&%(/&$ SIT THERE!"
The poor old guy that we had to sit with was flabbagasted. We were. And the rest of the cafe stared at us.
I wonder what they said?
He was probably saying ´"bloody tourists!"
Off we headed to Toledo sites. And when we got behind the wall (trudged up a million steps to get there) we got into the quaint and so beautiful town. It was like going back a hundred years. Or more. What a place. Just beautiuful. We went to the Toledo Museum and Cathedra. Is the Cathedral a man made wonder of the world?
The art work, the design, the gold, the statues, the whole place was just AMAZING! We were treated with the works of Greco, Goya, Raphael. The leadlight was just wondrous.
One has to wonder about the extravagence?
Did people starve while this was being built over 300 years?
The town of Toledo was just exceptional. The bars abound. What is it about the Spanish bars? They are so appealing. Every window has the lure of wine and tapas. And so delightful.
We decided we had to head back to Madrid. At the hostal we´re at there is a 11pm curfew! So we had to get back, have something to eat and get in before curfew!
We found a gorgeous bar in Madrid where we had nuts and wine. We took pics and the barman was so friendly. A cute little place.
We also bought the book, Iberia (Spain) by James Mitchener. And from what i´ve read, he has a great perspective on Spain. Not unlike how we feel as well. It´s a place that is not that friendly to ´foreigners´but it´s a place of passion, of intense loyalty and arrogance and a place that is certain to grow on us.
Which is why we´ve decided to stay another week!
Day 26
Riosol Hostal
Toledo
We had our last breakfast at the Regente and checked out in rainy dismal weather. Oh no! We had to trudge around in wet weather with our packs on board to get to our next accomodation. No worries though, it wasn´t far. Thank god! Greg did take a photo of me with my silly raincoat on tho..and i took one of him looking very ninja turtleish!
Those backpacks! Gawd....what we´ve discovered though, is their actually better than suitcases when it comes to going up and down stairs! (Metro´s etc!) And they´re waterproof! So, they´re not so bad afterall, and we´re getting used to them!
When we got to the hostal we got excited. So much cheaper and more like we´d intended for this trip (remember, we have our budget!). It´s so funny though, no one understands English. Even the guys at the hotels and hostals. They don´t seem to really know what on earth we´re on about, and what´s more, when we do try to say, in our stilted clear english, what we´re talking about..they answer in fluent long spanish!
We must just look like we´re standing there with our dumbfounded looks agreeing! Of all countries we´ve both been to, we´ve decided this country is the one that lacks communication with tourists. Not that that´s a particularly bad thing, it´just seems to be the thing that just ís´. Doesn´t help us though! When we asked the Hostal guy if there was a lounge or anything at the hostal..he promptly got his map out and circled the laundry, 2 blocks away and gave us a contented look!
OH DEAR!
And it´s the same everywhere here it seems. Spain is full of Spanish! Now i know that sounds very logical and of common sense..but it´s the only country that seems to lack multiculturalism! Very few other nationalities, from what we can see! Oh wait. Lots of South Americans tho..and what do they speak? (Spanish!) :-)
TOLEDO.
That was our plan for today.
We caught the metro (underground train) then the bus and it all worked like clockwork, thanks to Greg´s `´plotting´! We arrived in Toledo. The place to go according to the Lonely Planet. A old knights town that is situated behind a fortress wall.
Firstly, we were hungry so we trotted off to the Cafetaria. We looked at the menu and knowing people didn´t speak much english decided to point to the picture at the wall and go with that. It was a salad roll and a drink. He spoke Spanish back to us and we said, ´ce´. In a few minutes the roll came back..with 10 little sausages and no salad. We just looked at it! OK. Let´s just eat that. (i rarely eat, if ever eat, sausage!).
We take our massive sausage sandwich and because there´s no table and only two little tables at one end of the cafe Greg picks one up and pulls a couple of chairs and there we are. All set. To eat.
The next thing WE GOT A MOUTHFUL!
The spanish guy must have decided this was just not the thing to do. He yelled and screamed (LOUDLY) at us, in spanish, with us not knowing what a clue he was saying, and then he promptly came over, grabbed the table and pointed for us to ´sit thereª!It was probably more like...."$·$%$/%/&%(/&$ SIT THERE!"
The poor old guy that we had to sit with was flabbagasted. We were. And the rest of the cafe stared at us.
I wonder what they said?
He was probably saying ´"bloody tourists!"
Off we headed to Toledo sites. And when we got behind the wall (trudged up a million steps to get there) we got into the quaint and so beautiful town. It was like going back a hundred years. Or more. What a place. Just beautiuful. We went to the Toledo Museum and Cathedra. Is the Cathedral a man made wonder of the world?
The art work, the design, the gold, the statues, the whole place was just AMAZING! We were treated with the works of Greco, Goya, Raphael. The leadlight was just wondrous.
One has to wonder about the extravagence?
Did people starve while this was being built over 300 years?
The town of Toledo was just exceptional. The bars abound. What is it about the Spanish bars? They are so appealing. Every window has the lure of wine and tapas. And so delightful.
We decided we had to head back to Madrid. At the hostal we´re at there is a 11pm curfew! So we had to get back, have something to eat and get in before curfew!
We found a gorgeous bar in Madrid where we had nuts and wine. We took pics and the barman was so friendly. A cute little place.
We also bought the book, Iberia (Spain) by James Mitchener. And from what i´ve read, he has a great perspective on Spain. Not unlike how we feel as well. It´s a place that is not that friendly to ´foreigners´but it´s a place of passion, of intense loyalty and arrogance and a place that is certain to grow on us.
Which is why we´ve decided to stay another week!
MADRID - REGENTE
Monday 26th March 2007
Madrid - Regente Hotel
Day 25
Uh oh! Greg woke up with a cold! We dragged ourselves out of bed (afterall, yesterday was a BIG day!) and had our buffet breakfast. We booked another night at the Regente so we didn´t have to bother with arranging accomodation. A reprieve for a day! And so Greg could sleep.
Isn´t it awful when you´re away and you get sick! Wa´n´t long ago, hey sis, that you and Graeme were in Europe with your dreaded colds! Same thing. I think i had a bit of a dose when we arrived and i just wanted to sleep, but i wasn´t sure if that was jet lag (after missing that whole night´s sleep from Joburg to Madrid) or if it was a cold. Greg says he caught it from me....so there you go. My fault! haha!
Anyway, we stayed in bed all day and i finished my book,´´A Wedding in December´ by Anita Shreve (about a group of school friends meeting for a reunion - reminded me of ours Jilly...by the way, thanks for the email!!) I loved just ´being´to tell you the truth, so i was glad Greg was sick and had to sleep! Watched a bit of CNN as well. Caught the bit about a cyclone up north and got worried about Sam at the Abrolhos but it didn´t come down that far.
Oh yeah. My foot was so sore it was good to rest!!! (OK CEd (Suzie!) I mentioned the ´bloody foot!´´) By the way, how are you guys going? I believe you´ve started the regional road safety weeks now! (How was Bunbury Bob?) I have to tell you about the South African roads (excellent roads - great sign posts, well set out!) in an email!!! (Don´t want to bore everyone talking about our passion - ROADS - now do we!)
Back to Madrid!
We spent the afternoon with Greg waking up...plotting...and me writing! We decided we´re soul mates because he likes to plot and i like to blog! :-) Nah, not only cos of that, we know we are, because, well, we just are! And we travel so well together too! Day 25 and no concerns at all. I think we could do this forever!
We ventured out in the evening in search of the Tourist Centre in the end to find a hotal for the next few days in Madrid. And we found one! Booked it as well. 42 Euro each night! (Just found the Euro key...i tell ya, spanish keyboards are murder!) € OK. Got it! €€€ (Thanks Greg!!) He´s sitting here looking at the keyboard!!! Anyway, to continue...it´s a good price. A third of the price of the Regente! That perked us up a bit!
Also found a place that´s like Myer. Can´t think of the name at the moment but it´ll come to me. El Cortez something or rather.....anwyay, we found some Beautiful Perfume! And bought it. El Cortes De Engleis. That´s it (thanks Greg!)
At the moment, we´re in the internet cafe on the corner of where our accomodation is. It´s such a gorgeous little..well, not so little, place. Restaurante Zahara Cafe. When you come in here..there´s a bar (where we´ve had beer, olives, peanuts) and there´s a place where you have meals (chicken sanwich) and you go upstairs and put coins in for the internet. €3 for 50 minutes! (which is why i´m going to start my next blog!)
Hey, thanks for all your emails...Deidre, Jilly, Helena, Marguerite (bub is GORGEOUS!)..! I just love hearing from you! And of course from all my family. You´re great. What would we do without you! Aiden. The pics of down south were gorgeous! Anyway, thanks to you all. We love coming to the internet and seeing your emails. And thanks for all the info Jaak.
And Silvia...how wonderful to hear from you!!! When we get to Italy, you´ll have to tell us where to go!!! :-) Hey..i reckon you´d do so well with your jewellery here!!!
Okies, next blog xxx
Madrid - Regente Hotel
Day 25
Uh oh! Greg woke up with a cold! We dragged ourselves out of bed (afterall, yesterday was a BIG day!) and had our buffet breakfast. We booked another night at the Regente so we didn´t have to bother with arranging accomodation. A reprieve for a day! And so Greg could sleep.
Isn´t it awful when you´re away and you get sick! Wa´n´t long ago, hey sis, that you and Graeme were in Europe with your dreaded colds! Same thing. I think i had a bit of a dose when we arrived and i just wanted to sleep, but i wasn´t sure if that was jet lag (after missing that whole night´s sleep from Joburg to Madrid) or if it was a cold. Greg says he caught it from me....so there you go. My fault! haha!
Anyway, we stayed in bed all day and i finished my book,´´A Wedding in December´ by Anita Shreve (about a group of school friends meeting for a reunion - reminded me of ours Jilly...by the way, thanks for the email!!) I loved just ´being´to tell you the truth, so i was glad Greg was sick and had to sleep! Watched a bit of CNN as well. Caught the bit about a cyclone up north and got worried about Sam at the Abrolhos but it didn´t come down that far.
Oh yeah. My foot was so sore it was good to rest!!! (OK CEd (Suzie!) I mentioned the ´bloody foot!´´) By the way, how are you guys going? I believe you´ve started the regional road safety weeks now! (How was Bunbury Bob?) I have to tell you about the South African roads (excellent roads - great sign posts, well set out!) in an email!!! (Don´t want to bore everyone talking about our passion - ROADS - now do we!)
Back to Madrid!
We spent the afternoon with Greg waking up...plotting...and me writing! We decided we´re soul mates because he likes to plot and i like to blog! :-) Nah, not only cos of that, we know we are, because, well, we just are! And we travel so well together too! Day 25 and no concerns at all. I think we could do this forever!
We ventured out in the evening in search of the Tourist Centre in the end to find a hotal for the next few days in Madrid. And we found one! Booked it as well. 42 Euro each night! (Just found the Euro key...i tell ya, spanish keyboards are murder!) € OK. Got it! €€€ (Thanks Greg!!) He´s sitting here looking at the keyboard!!! Anyway, to continue...it´s a good price. A third of the price of the Regente! That perked us up a bit!
Also found a place that´s like Myer. Can´t think of the name at the moment but it´ll come to me. El Cortez something or rather.....anwyay, we found some Beautiful Perfume! And bought it. El Cortes De Engleis. That´s it (thanks Greg!)
At the moment, we´re in the internet cafe on the corner of where our accomodation is. It´s such a gorgeous little..well, not so little, place. Restaurante Zahara Cafe. When you come in here..there´s a bar (where we´ve had beer, olives, peanuts) and there´s a place where you have meals (chicken sanwich) and you go upstairs and put coins in for the internet. €3 for 50 minutes! (which is why i´m going to start my next blog!)
Hey, thanks for all your emails...Deidre, Jilly, Helena, Marguerite (bub is GORGEOUS!)..! I just love hearing from you! And of course from all my family. You´re great. What would we do without you! Aiden. The pics of down south were gorgeous! Anyway, thanks to you all. We love coming to the internet and seeing your emails. And thanks for all the info Jaak.
And Silvia...how wonderful to hear from you!!! When we get to Italy, you´ll have to tell us where to go!!! :-) Hey..i reckon you´d do so well with your jewellery here!!!
Okies, next blog xxx
Monday, 26 March 2007
RED CROCS AND ICEBREAKERS!
Hey!
I just read your pòst about the crocs Jaak! I´m sorry, i must have missed it before. They are my shoes!! I love them! They are the most amazingly comfortable shoes and not only i can attest to them. When we were in Makutsi, on the safari tour, the lady there, Tish had a pair on as well. She was the only other person i knew apart from Yvonne that had a pair that´d i´d seen before. I thought they were Aussie, but apparently they´re American! Maybe someone can put some light on where on earth they came from!
I got them at Main Peak in Cotts. They have heaps of different colours. And two different styles from what i saw. I bought them at the last minute after another pair (Jetties) that i bought at a place that sold orthopaedic shoes fell apart after a week. (Shoes are the bane of my life now that i´ve had two ankle operations and suffer every day with pain but i´m not going to go into that because the last thing, ever again, that i want to hear is ´How´s your foot?¨or more to the point, ¨How´s your ´bloody´foot?????¨´
They´re plastic, or are they rubber? They´re lightweight and are the rage overseas it seems! We saw them in heaps of shops overseas.
Along with my Icebreakers! Which are clothes that are the best! They´re 100% Merino wool and are made in NZ. Oh, and my Monts!! Which is my coat that i got five secons before we left to go away. Greg is getting sick of me raving on about these Icebreakers!!
So, in answer to your question, that´s what they are! Sorry for not seeing your comment earlier!
And a Belgium beer sounds wonderful! Greg also has some friends in Brussels who verified the worth of Belgium beer!
By the way, Mum...i´m wearing the black ones we got for walking! And we´re doing heaps of walking as you can probably tell! So don´t worry - they are certainly getting their money´s worth!
I just read your pòst about the crocs Jaak! I´m sorry, i must have missed it before. They are my shoes!! I love them! They are the most amazingly comfortable shoes and not only i can attest to them. When we were in Makutsi, on the safari tour, the lady there, Tish had a pair on as well. She was the only other person i knew apart from Yvonne that had a pair that´d i´d seen before. I thought they were Aussie, but apparently they´re American! Maybe someone can put some light on where on earth they came from!
I got them at Main Peak in Cotts. They have heaps of different colours. And two different styles from what i saw. I bought them at the last minute after another pair (Jetties) that i bought at a place that sold orthopaedic shoes fell apart after a week. (Shoes are the bane of my life now that i´ve had two ankle operations and suffer every day with pain but i´m not going to go into that because the last thing, ever again, that i want to hear is ´How´s your foot?¨or more to the point, ¨How´s your ´bloody´foot?????¨´
They´re plastic, or are they rubber? They´re lightweight and are the rage overseas it seems! We saw them in heaps of shops overseas.
Along with my Icebreakers! Which are clothes that are the best! They´re 100% Merino wool and are made in NZ. Oh, and my Monts!! Which is my coat that i got five secons before we left to go away. Greg is getting sick of me raving on about these Icebreakers!!
So, in answer to your question, that´s what they are! Sorry for not seeing your comment earlier!
And a Belgium beer sounds wonderful! Greg also has some friends in Brussels who verified the worth of Belgium beer!
By the way, Mum...i´m wearing the black ones we got for walking! And we´re doing heaps of walking as you can probably tell! So don´t worry - they are certainly getting their money´s worth!
PRADO - TINTORETTO & GOYA
Sunday March 25th
Madrid
Day 24
(We´ll change the pics on here as soon as we get them on a disk. We need spanish one´s now!!)
This morning we had the best buffet breakfast! Black espresso coffee to die for! It was included in our price of accomodation so we have booked another night tonight! Tomorrow we´ll try to see whether we can get accomodation at the hotel we booked before we left seeing we´d already paid a deposit there.
Our plan today was to see the Prado Museum! And we did! On the way there we ended up in the Market Square which was incredible. All these stamp vendors swapping their stamps and playing cards. We thought of Pa and his stamps and how much fun he´d have there! There were guys who collected bottletops. In fact there were people who collected every possible thing. I took heaps of pix. So fascinating. And the cafes were all around. What a place. It just feels so cultural here.
People have different faces. Isn´t it so interesting to be in different countries where the faces have different colours and yet it´s not the colour of the face that stands out it´s the expression on the faces. And the last 3 countries have all had that contrast. In Hong Kong the faces and the movement of their bodies seem intent. They had direction it seemed. A certain kind of business about them. In Africa the people have such big smiles. They lope more. Have a casualness about them. Very much like Australians.
Here they don´t seem to smile as much. It´s weird. They seem strangely engrossed in the people their with somehow. There are girls with their friends. Lovers. Guys in groups. Men in ´salons´, the small little hotels on each cobblestone street. The faces have a contrast.
I can´t quite put a finger on what i mean. But there´s a difference.
Back to the Prado. We eventually got there! After messaging Mum and Elise from Market Square (standing in the middle of it, oblivious to the world going on, there i was messaging, Greg taking photos!) who i have constant contact with and which i appreciate so much. It keeps me connected. What would i do without my ma and my Lisly loos! To know that daylight saving has finished in WA is very comforting. But weird. Daylight saving starts here at midnight. How about that!
The Prado was AMAZING! We were so lucky to see the Tintoretto exhibit!! I didn´t know a lot about him until we saw this amazing exhibition. We learnt so much about Raphael and Michaelangelo by looking at his paintings as well, as he painted such biographical works.
And to see Goya´s works. Now that was brilliant. I recall Lesley, my art teacher talking so much about him when i was doing my art and design course in Gero. Goya was one of her favourites, particarly his dark period. And to see it all in it´s glory here in Spain, his home was just something. We spent FIVE hours looking at his exhibit!
And we found one by Rembrandt as well. I can`t remember what it was called and now i can´t wait to find out more about this particular painting. I´ll never forget the detail on this wonderful lady that was being served by her child assistant. The light on her face, the detail on her pearl earrings, the gold on her dress. Beautiful. It was then i wished i had the internet and could go research when i got home!
We also loved the Reubens. I last saw Reubens at Buckingham Palace (many moons ago - when i was 15!) and I was flabbagasted. And i was again. They are so HUGE!!! I love the art. We´ll go to the other famous art museums here as well. We especially want to see Picasso. That will be for another day. Greg has a few places in store before we go back to the art.
We loved the Goya exhibit so much we decided to go find his resting place, which we found in a twin church. We went into the first church and paid our respects. The place where he now lays had a ceiling decorated by him when he was alive, which apparently was one of his most magnificant works. Pity it wasn´t open to tourists!
On our travels today, and i´m not kidding. We travelled. By foot! We must have walked absolutely MILES all around Madrid. We saw the Palace. We saw the Madrid Cathedral AND went in there too! Nothing like going to church twice on Sundays!!!
In the end, we were HUNGRY so we went to this wonderful cafe, thanks to a guy that was handing out flyers to his restaurante outside the Prado. It was a buffet for 9 Euros and what amazing food. Anyone that comes to Madrid must go to Restaurante Diamantino! YUM! The empanada´s were to die for! (Tuna pie type quiche!) We drank Vina Veintina cold. Getting into the swing of things here that´s for sure.
About the language. I have to laugh at Greg. He´s so confident when it comes to speaking the local language. His understanding of Italian has come in handy. I just love the way he talks to the locals. If only i was as confident. I now understand why people are shy to ´practice´ a language other than their own. But i have learned one word which i have used. Gracias!
I wonder what the spanish word for hello is?
We´ve decided we want to learn a language. But what?
We´re planning our ´Eurail pass´trip at the moment...but we want to stay here for a while too. We want to see Leon, Segovia, Avila, Seville (where Easter is meant to be good! Barcelona, Toledo, Gibraltor...island of Majorca. Oh, all places we want to see....
Not sure what´s next. Where to go next, but i think it´s so liberating not to knów where we´ll be day to day, freeing in a way, and yet comforting when we´re in the same place for more than a day.
Again, we love where we are and want to stay. I wonder if that´s the way to go...leave when you still want to stay?
xxx
Madrid
Day 24
(We´ll change the pics on here as soon as we get them on a disk. We need spanish one´s now!!)
This morning we had the best buffet breakfast! Black espresso coffee to die for! It was included in our price of accomodation so we have booked another night tonight! Tomorrow we´ll try to see whether we can get accomodation at the hotel we booked before we left seeing we´d already paid a deposit there.
Our plan today was to see the Prado Museum! And we did! On the way there we ended up in the Market Square which was incredible. All these stamp vendors swapping their stamps and playing cards. We thought of Pa and his stamps and how much fun he´d have there! There were guys who collected bottletops. In fact there were people who collected every possible thing. I took heaps of pix. So fascinating. And the cafes were all around. What a place. It just feels so cultural here.
People have different faces. Isn´t it so interesting to be in different countries where the faces have different colours and yet it´s not the colour of the face that stands out it´s the expression on the faces. And the last 3 countries have all had that contrast. In Hong Kong the faces and the movement of their bodies seem intent. They had direction it seemed. A certain kind of business about them. In Africa the people have such big smiles. They lope more. Have a casualness about them. Very much like Australians.
Here they don´t seem to smile as much. It´s weird. They seem strangely engrossed in the people their with somehow. There are girls with their friends. Lovers. Guys in groups. Men in ´salons´, the small little hotels on each cobblestone street. The faces have a contrast.
I can´t quite put a finger on what i mean. But there´s a difference.
Back to the Prado. We eventually got there! After messaging Mum and Elise from Market Square (standing in the middle of it, oblivious to the world going on, there i was messaging, Greg taking photos!) who i have constant contact with and which i appreciate so much. It keeps me connected. What would i do without my ma and my Lisly loos! To know that daylight saving has finished in WA is very comforting. But weird. Daylight saving starts here at midnight. How about that!
The Prado was AMAZING! We were so lucky to see the Tintoretto exhibit!! I didn´t know a lot about him until we saw this amazing exhibition. We learnt so much about Raphael and Michaelangelo by looking at his paintings as well, as he painted such biographical works.
And to see Goya´s works. Now that was brilliant. I recall Lesley, my art teacher talking so much about him when i was doing my art and design course in Gero. Goya was one of her favourites, particarly his dark period. And to see it all in it´s glory here in Spain, his home was just something. We spent FIVE hours looking at his exhibit!
And we found one by Rembrandt as well. I can`t remember what it was called and now i can´t wait to find out more about this particular painting. I´ll never forget the detail on this wonderful lady that was being served by her child assistant. The light on her face, the detail on her pearl earrings, the gold on her dress. Beautiful. It was then i wished i had the internet and could go research when i got home!
We also loved the Reubens. I last saw Reubens at Buckingham Palace (many moons ago - when i was 15!) and I was flabbagasted. And i was again. They are so HUGE!!! I love the art. We´ll go to the other famous art museums here as well. We especially want to see Picasso. That will be for another day. Greg has a few places in store before we go back to the art.
We loved the Goya exhibit so much we decided to go find his resting place, which we found in a twin church. We went into the first church and paid our respects. The place where he now lays had a ceiling decorated by him when he was alive, which apparently was one of his most magnificant works. Pity it wasn´t open to tourists!
On our travels today, and i´m not kidding. We travelled. By foot! We must have walked absolutely MILES all around Madrid. We saw the Palace. We saw the Madrid Cathedral AND went in there too! Nothing like going to church twice on Sundays!!!
In the end, we were HUNGRY so we went to this wonderful cafe, thanks to a guy that was handing out flyers to his restaurante outside the Prado. It was a buffet for 9 Euros and what amazing food. Anyone that comes to Madrid must go to Restaurante Diamantino! YUM! The empanada´s were to die for! (Tuna pie type quiche!) We drank Vina Veintina cold. Getting into the swing of things here that´s for sure.
About the language. I have to laugh at Greg. He´s so confident when it comes to speaking the local language. His understanding of Italian has come in handy. I just love the way he talks to the locals. If only i was as confident. I now understand why people are shy to ´practice´ a language other than their own. But i have learned one word which i have used. Gracias!
I wonder what the spanish word for hello is?
We´ve decided we want to learn a language. But what?
We´re planning our ´Eurail pass´trip at the moment...but we want to stay here for a while too. We want to see Leon, Segovia, Avila, Seville (where Easter is meant to be good! Barcelona, Toledo, Gibraltor...island of Majorca. Oh, all places we want to see....
Not sure what´s next. Where to go next, but i think it´s so liberating not to knów where we´ll be day to day, freeing in a way, and yet comforting when we´re in the same place for more than a day.
Again, we love where we are and want to stay. I wonder if that´s the way to go...leave when you still want to stay?
xxx
MADRID ESPANA!
24th March 2007
Regente
Day 23, 24, 25
We´re here in Madrid and at the moment we´re in an internet cafe close to our hotel. It´s noisy and smokey (everyone seems to smoke here!) and we´re here because our hotel´s internet isn´t working! Anyway, this is the closest we´ve got to internet since Johannesburg airport so here we go..
Where do i start?
The flight from Joburg was LONG! We left at 22.10 and arrived in Madrid at 7.30am tired, but excited! It was so weird landing here...from out of the window in the plane it looked like something out of a science fiction movie! The airport had stainless steel constructions everywhere. Very new. I wondered when it was built.
And as we disembarked we realised we were in the middle of the newest airport technology too! The sign system is fantastic! We were ushered in and just followed the signs to find our baggage which was easy. Much better than other airports where we´ve struggled.
After we collected baggage...we wondered what to do! So! It was too a McDonalds to have coffee and wonder! We didn´t have accomodation and we had our luggage tying us down. Backpacks are heavy! Especially when you have a big one at the front and a little one at the back! The reason why we didn´t have accomodation is because we delayed our trip in Africa so had to cancel and we couldn´t rebook because there was nothing available.
First. To a Bureau De Change. But where? We trundled around first and second floor to find a bank. None. All closed till 10am! What´s that all about? At an airport! We waited. We had time.
We used our telstra card to attempt to ring some hostels. All booked out!
Then it was off to the Tourist bureau at the airport. The lady looked cold and offered us an explanation. The place where she was situated had been bombed in December! And it hadn´t been rebuilt. It was our first taste of COLD! Out came our jackets!! She offered us accomodation for over the amount we were willing to pay. How about around a hundred Euros we said!
She finally found us a hotel. There was a big EYE convention on in Madrid. And a SHOE convention! Everything was booked. Like Cape Town. We thought we were missing the tourist season but it seems the ´business´season was on!
We found out the taxi was 30 Euros so we caught a bus! Cost us one Euro each. After the bus to the second stop we got to the Metro (Train station) and caught a train to our hotel, the Regente. Backpacks aboard. We met a couple from Columbia who offered us some directions and a card. His name was Daniel and hers Abigail and they were into 4life - a multimarketing scheme. We decided they must have been good seeing they were at a conference in Madrid. Still, not sure it´s our thing but we were grateful for their help anyway. That´s what we´ve found - people have been very forgiving of lost tourists! (Thank goodness).
By the time we got to our hotel we were totally exhausted but the rest of Madrid wasn´t. There were people everywhere. Until really late! We looked out at our window at 10pm and there were people still shopping, eating, busking. Walking the cobblestone streets.
So we joined them. For a late dinner. At McDonalds. Twice it a day! Our justificatiohn was that we´re trying to budget and the accomodation ate into that budget so McDonalds it was! Tapa´s later!
What an entrance to Europe. I cried as we walked these late streets. We were finally here. I´d waited a lifetime it felt to come here and it´s all i expected!
Just a note. We watched CNN the night we arrived to realise why our two beers in Zimbabwe cost us 25,000 ZAM! Inflation was at 2000% according to the news and Magabe´s government has just about forced the locals to starve. The only thing intact was their beautiful smiles and glowing teeth. When we questioned why on earth beers could be 25,000 ZAM the friendly Zimbabwean barman said, ¨You get 96% discount! All we could think was that the tourists paid an equivalent of US$4 for two beers and the locals paid that astronomical price. I hopè Magabe is overthrown.
Regente
Day 23, 24, 25
We´re here in Madrid and at the moment we´re in an internet cafe close to our hotel. It´s noisy and smokey (everyone seems to smoke here!) and we´re here because our hotel´s internet isn´t working! Anyway, this is the closest we´ve got to internet since Johannesburg airport so here we go..
Where do i start?
The flight from Joburg was LONG! We left at 22.10 and arrived in Madrid at 7.30am tired, but excited! It was so weird landing here...from out of the window in the plane it looked like something out of a science fiction movie! The airport had stainless steel constructions everywhere. Very new. I wondered when it was built.
And as we disembarked we realised we were in the middle of the newest airport technology too! The sign system is fantastic! We were ushered in and just followed the signs to find our baggage which was easy. Much better than other airports where we´ve struggled.
After we collected baggage...we wondered what to do! So! It was too a McDonalds to have coffee and wonder! We didn´t have accomodation and we had our luggage tying us down. Backpacks are heavy! Especially when you have a big one at the front and a little one at the back! The reason why we didn´t have accomodation is because we delayed our trip in Africa so had to cancel and we couldn´t rebook because there was nothing available.
First. To a Bureau De Change. But where? We trundled around first and second floor to find a bank. None. All closed till 10am! What´s that all about? At an airport! We waited. We had time.
We used our telstra card to attempt to ring some hostels. All booked out!
Then it was off to the Tourist bureau at the airport. The lady looked cold and offered us an explanation. The place where she was situated had been bombed in December! And it hadn´t been rebuilt. It was our first taste of COLD! Out came our jackets!! She offered us accomodation for over the amount we were willing to pay. How about around a hundred Euros we said!
She finally found us a hotel. There was a big EYE convention on in Madrid. And a SHOE convention! Everything was booked. Like Cape Town. We thought we were missing the tourist season but it seems the ´business´season was on!
We found out the taxi was 30 Euros so we caught a bus! Cost us one Euro each. After the bus to the second stop we got to the Metro (Train station) and caught a train to our hotel, the Regente. Backpacks aboard. We met a couple from Columbia who offered us some directions and a card. His name was Daniel and hers Abigail and they were into 4life - a multimarketing scheme. We decided they must have been good seeing they were at a conference in Madrid. Still, not sure it´s our thing but we were grateful for their help anyway. That´s what we´ve found - people have been very forgiving of lost tourists! (Thank goodness).
By the time we got to our hotel we were totally exhausted but the rest of Madrid wasn´t. There were people everywhere. Until really late! We looked out at our window at 10pm and there were people still shopping, eating, busking. Walking the cobblestone streets.
So we joined them. For a late dinner. At McDonalds. Twice it a day! Our justificatiohn was that we´re trying to budget and the accomodation ate into that budget so McDonalds it was! Tapa´s later!
What an entrance to Europe. I cried as we walked these late streets. We were finally here. I´d waited a lifetime it felt to come here and it´s all i expected!
Just a note. We watched CNN the night we arrived to realise why our two beers in Zimbabwe cost us 25,000 ZAM! Inflation was at 2000% according to the news and Magabe´s government has just about forced the locals to starve. The only thing intact was their beautiful smiles and glowing teeth. When we questioned why on earth beers could be 25,000 ZAM the friendly Zimbabwean barman said, ¨You get 96% discount! All we could think was that the tourists paid an equivalent of US$4 for two beers and the locals paid that astronomical price. I hopè Magabe is overthrown.
PADDLING DOWN THE ZAMBEZI!!!
22nd & 23rd March 2007
Zimbabwe - Victoria Falls
Kingdom Hotel
When we arrived at Victora Falls we were met by our tour guides who had a big sign up for us with our names on! They had tours ready for us to try out as soon as they met us!! So at the airport, different tours spinning around in our heads we searched the Adventure brochures to see what we´d do.
We got so overwhelmed we thought we´d book when we got to the hotel.
They´d know what to do. We thought.
We booked tours we didn´t know much about! Firsly we were going to do a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls but couldn´t fit it it. And what a choice that was. A good one. The ´helicopter´was a ultra light plane. Hmm...when i saw one of those at the airport later i was so glad we couldn`t arrange that one.
A canoe ride was another one that looked good. There was a picture of a guide at the back of the canoe with two people sitting at the front. The guide paddled. It looked beautiful and relaxing. Canoeing down the Zambezi River.
We booked that, as well as a moonlight cruise later in the night.
We awoke early to go canoeing. The hotel organised a packed breakfast and we waited out the front of the hotel for our lift. A landrover, with outside seats took us to a location in the main centre. We picked up two English guys, 2 young german couples and an American. We also picked up our raft like canoes. Were they really canoes? Off we went, to top of the Zambezi river.
As we were travelling along the guide was asking if we´d canoed before! I didn´t put up my hand because about the only canoeing i´d ever done was with Robyn in her little canoe at the Abrolhos. And that was mild. She had a little paddle and i sat there. No! I´d never canoed. Why´d he want to know that!
Greg was confident. I was confident in Greg. He´d rowed before. He´d know what he was doing. But anyway, why´d he have to know? Afterall, we were to have a guide that paddled us both. The guy was taking the micky. As we knew most of these tourists guides were inclined to do!
We got to the spot. The guide now introduced himself as ´Ïnnocent´. His driver was called ´Titanic´. The names were appropriate, we were later to learn!
Innocent gave us safety instructions on how to get away from crocodiles and Hippos. The two most dangerous animals in the water. Especially the hippos who are the biggest killers in Africa today. Why was he telling us all this? He said if our boat gets overturned to swim like mad to the sure as a hippo will charge the biggest thing, the boat and not the person. If a crocodile is about to get us, paddle like mad.
I was to find out i was meant to listen very, very carefully because we were going to be canoeing ourselves. Two in a boat. Just Greg and I. The strongest and most coordinated (Greg) at the back.
The guide jumped in with the American. The two english guys were together and the two german couples went in together. We were all pretty much amateurs!
Before we knew it. We were in our canoes and padding down the Zambezi!
The first wild thing was the crocodile pop up his head near to the shore, near us. Innocent screamed at us, ¨paddle!¨We paddled all right. Our hearts were beating like mad. Before we even knew what we were doing we were literally paddling over the crocodile. The thought of it´s jaws were actually quite frightening and it´s only after (now) we realise how dangerous it was. These creatures were wild. And we were game.
There was no time to complain. No time to pull out. No time to realise we didn´t want to do this. We had to get down the river, the landrover had gone and it was going to be picking us up in three hours time, with lunch. (If that was required)
As we were about to approach white water, the two german girls asked, or should i say, yelled at Innocent, the guide to go to shore. No, he couldn´t. We had to go through the rapids, no time to talk, no time to go to shore.
Through the rapids we went! It was exhilerating. But it felt dangerous.
There were quiet hippos that weren´t causing any trouble as we paddled along.
The girls wanted out. They said they were on the wrong tour. We were all on the wrong tour. Well, all, except the American! The two English guys didn´t know where they were meant to be and didn´t care, they were having fun. In fact, Carl, was a crazy man. He was profoundly deaf but had an implant but we´re sure he had selective hearing as well.
He didn´t listen to a damn thing Innocent was saying, even after his friend had told him in sign language the instructions and i was sure he was going to get us into trouble because he was deviating and it almsot felt like he wanted to encourage the hippos we were passing. (He was thumping the boat when we were told not to as it encourages the hippos to react).
We knew we were definately on the wrong tour. This was definately not mild cruising with a guide in a quite stretch of the river.
This was the real thing.
Innocent calmed the girls down as we parked regularly at the shores of the river. I´m not sure why i wasn´t worried, at this point. I think maybe i didn´t realise the danger. I´m just not sure.
I was concentrating on paddling. My back was starting to hurt. My arms were ok, it was just my back. But Greg was at the back doing the steering and most of the work. I still had to paddle to keep up and really, we were both, and all, paddling like mad!
We approach a quiet stretch of water. Innocent told us to stop and go to shore. He was heading us, and Titanic was trailing us. We were all meant to be in single file. When he yelled intructions it was only once and we had to listen except Carl - he had to be told a million times and eventually prodded by his mate to just STOP! And he wouldn´t single file. Honestly, you always seemt to get one person, a pain in the neck person who just wants to be an attention seeker. You´d think, being deaf, he´d be doubly cautious, but no. He really made it hard for Innocent and we were all feeling it.
We got to shore. Innocent said there was a hippo in the water. No one could see him. A few questioned him. He had to prove his leadership by saying he knew there was a hippo and that stretch of water was dangerous. Not to Carl. He wasn´t worried, he wanted to pass.
We wanted to listen to Innocent. Carl moved to go across. Innocent said NO. He got out of the canoe to check where the hippo was. He was an angry hippo, no girlfriend, and injured Innocent said. (How does a guide know these things).
He decided he´d take the terrified German girls in his canoe. And the American was to go over with Titanic. He said the hippo would go under the water for five minutes and then he´d take everyone accross and then come back for the rest of us.
He loaded everyone up and off he went.
The hippo went under and when it came up the most incredible site befell us. He came RIGHT OUT OF THE WATER IN FRONT OF OUR VERY EYES AND STARTED CHARGING TOWARD US! Hw was huge. I don´t think Greg nor i will forget that image of this huge hippo. A bull hippo. They´re so big! Inncoent and the others got through, the hippo was coming towards us. It was still about 20 metres away but it felt very close. He went under.
I was then afraid.
How were we going to be the second lot through?
Innocent and Titanic came back walking through the forest. The girls stayed up the river with the canoes.
Innocent made the decision that we should all walk back to where the others were with our canoes. We all agreed. Except Carl. He wanted to brave it and go throught while the hippo was under. Innocent said have you ever paddled like mad in a canoe? Carl said yes. He wanted to go. That´s what he paid for! To have an adventure.
Titanic took us to where the others were and we hoisted up the canoes. Innocent headed off with Carl. We thought they´d be history and we all waited for them to cross as we´d arrived to the spot where the girls were long before the mad Carl and the poor guide came through. We guiltily got my cameras out, wondering what we´d capture. That´s how worried we all were.
The angry hippo went under the water and Innocent and Carl made the mad dash. And made it.
And that´s not the end of the story.
As we were canoeing along Greg and i got literally stuck on a rock in the middle of the river. High and dry. Titanic had to push us off with his canoe!
That didn´t seem half as worrying (although potentially it could have been and after the croc and the hippo we should have been worried but we did have faith at this stage in Titanic!).
I tell ya..........
We felt like the situation in Zimbabwe (the corrupt political situation) was nothing on canoeing down the Zambezi!
We bought the shirt, ¨canoe or die´ in the end.
And realised there couldn´t literally be a truer statement!!!!
The moonlight cruise after that was rather blissful! Seeing hippos that knew the boat we were in were so much bigger than them was quite comforting!
Zimbabwe - Victoria Falls
Kingdom Hotel
When we arrived at Victora Falls we were met by our tour guides who had a big sign up for us with our names on! They had tours ready for us to try out as soon as they met us!! So at the airport, different tours spinning around in our heads we searched the Adventure brochures to see what we´d do.
We got so overwhelmed we thought we´d book when we got to the hotel.
They´d know what to do. We thought.
We booked tours we didn´t know much about! Firsly we were going to do a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls but couldn´t fit it it. And what a choice that was. A good one. The ´helicopter´was a ultra light plane. Hmm...when i saw one of those at the airport later i was so glad we couldn`t arrange that one.
A canoe ride was another one that looked good. There was a picture of a guide at the back of the canoe with two people sitting at the front. The guide paddled. It looked beautiful and relaxing. Canoeing down the Zambezi River.
We booked that, as well as a moonlight cruise later in the night.
We awoke early to go canoeing. The hotel organised a packed breakfast and we waited out the front of the hotel for our lift. A landrover, with outside seats took us to a location in the main centre. We picked up two English guys, 2 young german couples and an American. We also picked up our raft like canoes. Were they really canoes? Off we went, to top of the Zambezi river.
As we were travelling along the guide was asking if we´d canoed before! I didn´t put up my hand because about the only canoeing i´d ever done was with Robyn in her little canoe at the Abrolhos. And that was mild. She had a little paddle and i sat there. No! I´d never canoed. Why´d he want to know that!
Greg was confident. I was confident in Greg. He´d rowed before. He´d know what he was doing. But anyway, why´d he have to know? Afterall, we were to have a guide that paddled us both. The guy was taking the micky. As we knew most of these tourists guides were inclined to do!
We got to the spot. The guide now introduced himself as ´Ïnnocent´. His driver was called ´Titanic´. The names were appropriate, we were later to learn!
Innocent gave us safety instructions on how to get away from crocodiles and Hippos. The two most dangerous animals in the water. Especially the hippos who are the biggest killers in Africa today. Why was he telling us all this? He said if our boat gets overturned to swim like mad to the sure as a hippo will charge the biggest thing, the boat and not the person. If a crocodile is about to get us, paddle like mad.
I was to find out i was meant to listen very, very carefully because we were going to be canoeing ourselves. Two in a boat. Just Greg and I. The strongest and most coordinated (Greg) at the back.
The guide jumped in with the American. The two english guys were together and the two german couples went in together. We were all pretty much amateurs!
Before we knew it. We were in our canoes and padding down the Zambezi!
The first wild thing was the crocodile pop up his head near to the shore, near us. Innocent screamed at us, ¨paddle!¨We paddled all right. Our hearts were beating like mad. Before we even knew what we were doing we were literally paddling over the crocodile. The thought of it´s jaws were actually quite frightening and it´s only after (now) we realise how dangerous it was. These creatures were wild. And we were game.
There was no time to complain. No time to pull out. No time to realise we didn´t want to do this. We had to get down the river, the landrover had gone and it was going to be picking us up in three hours time, with lunch. (If that was required)
As we were about to approach white water, the two german girls asked, or should i say, yelled at Innocent, the guide to go to shore. No, he couldn´t. We had to go through the rapids, no time to talk, no time to go to shore.
Through the rapids we went! It was exhilerating. But it felt dangerous.
There were quiet hippos that weren´t causing any trouble as we paddled along.
The girls wanted out. They said they were on the wrong tour. We were all on the wrong tour. Well, all, except the American! The two English guys didn´t know where they were meant to be and didn´t care, they were having fun. In fact, Carl, was a crazy man. He was profoundly deaf but had an implant but we´re sure he had selective hearing as well.
He didn´t listen to a damn thing Innocent was saying, even after his friend had told him in sign language the instructions and i was sure he was going to get us into trouble because he was deviating and it almsot felt like he wanted to encourage the hippos we were passing. (He was thumping the boat when we were told not to as it encourages the hippos to react).
We knew we were definately on the wrong tour. This was definately not mild cruising with a guide in a quite stretch of the river.
This was the real thing.
Innocent calmed the girls down as we parked regularly at the shores of the river. I´m not sure why i wasn´t worried, at this point. I think maybe i didn´t realise the danger. I´m just not sure.
I was concentrating on paddling. My back was starting to hurt. My arms were ok, it was just my back. But Greg was at the back doing the steering and most of the work. I still had to paddle to keep up and really, we were both, and all, paddling like mad!
We approach a quiet stretch of water. Innocent told us to stop and go to shore. He was heading us, and Titanic was trailing us. We were all meant to be in single file. When he yelled intructions it was only once and we had to listen except Carl - he had to be told a million times and eventually prodded by his mate to just STOP! And he wouldn´t single file. Honestly, you always seemt to get one person, a pain in the neck person who just wants to be an attention seeker. You´d think, being deaf, he´d be doubly cautious, but no. He really made it hard for Innocent and we were all feeling it.
We got to shore. Innocent said there was a hippo in the water. No one could see him. A few questioned him. He had to prove his leadership by saying he knew there was a hippo and that stretch of water was dangerous. Not to Carl. He wasn´t worried, he wanted to pass.
We wanted to listen to Innocent. Carl moved to go across. Innocent said NO. He got out of the canoe to check where the hippo was. He was an angry hippo, no girlfriend, and injured Innocent said. (How does a guide know these things).
He decided he´d take the terrified German girls in his canoe. And the American was to go over with Titanic. He said the hippo would go under the water for five minutes and then he´d take everyone accross and then come back for the rest of us.
He loaded everyone up and off he went.
The hippo went under and when it came up the most incredible site befell us. He came RIGHT OUT OF THE WATER IN FRONT OF OUR VERY EYES AND STARTED CHARGING TOWARD US! Hw was huge. I don´t think Greg nor i will forget that image of this huge hippo. A bull hippo. They´re so big! Inncoent and the others got through, the hippo was coming towards us. It was still about 20 metres away but it felt very close. He went under.
I was then afraid.
How were we going to be the second lot through?
Innocent and Titanic came back walking through the forest. The girls stayed up the river with the canoes.
Innocent made the decision that we should all walk back to where the others were with our canoes. We all agreed. Except Carl. He wanted to brave it and go throught while the hippo was under. Innocent said have you ever paddled like mad in a canoe? Carl said yes. He wanted to go. That´s what he paid for! To have an adventure.
Titanic took us to where the others were and we hoisted up the canoes. Innocent headed off with Carl. We thought they´d be history and we all waited for them to cross as we´d arrived to the spot where the girls were long before the mad Carl and the poor guide came through. We guiltily got my cameras out, wondering what we´d capture. That´s how worried we all were.
The angry hippo went under the water and Innocent and Carl made the mad dash. And made it.
And that´s not the end of the story.
As we were canoeing along Greg and i got literally stuck on a rock in the middle of the river. High and dry. Titanic had to push us off with his canoe!
That didn´t seem half as worrying (although potentially it could have been and after the croc and the hippo we should have been worried but we did have faith at this stage in Titanic!).
I tell ya..........
We felt like the situation in Zimbabwe (the corrupt political situation) was nothing on canoeing down the Zambezi!
We bought the shirt, ¨canoe or die´ in the end.
And realised there couldn´t literally be a truer statement!!!!
The moonlight cruise after that was rather blissful! Seeing hippos that knew the boat we were in were so much bigger than them was quite comforting!
Saturday, 24 March 2007
ZIMBABWE-VIC FALLS
21-03-07
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Day 20,21,22
3.30am! That's what time we woke up to get ready to leave Valeries!
And the night before we had a really late night! Watching The River on SATV! We thought we'd have the day to go to the Museum, relax, reflect and think about this wonderful city before we left.
Except we got our flights all confused and only realised at...2am! Fancy realising at 2am that instead of sleeping in till 10, at check-out, cos we'd enjoyed a late night, that we had to be up in another hour and a half! Not funny!
We arrived in Zimbabwe on Human Rights Day! A South African public holiday. And were reminded of it as we left Cape Town, arrived in Johannesburg and took off to Victoria Falls. People were celebrating it and Nelson Mandella was mentioned more than once!
We had to get our tickets reticketed at Joburg because we changed our flights so that took an hour and we finally arrived in this magical place, Victoria Falls!
MAGICAL!!! We went see the Falls as soon as we checked in to our hotel, which was gorgeous. The Kingdom Hotel, on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. Very majestic, yet old and in need of renovation. But i doubt that will be happening any time soon..
I will have to finish this in Madrid...time's out here at Joburg airport. I'm going to spend a couple of hours updating when we get there...i'm dying to tell you about our WILD CANOE TRIP ON THE ZAMBEZIE!!!
Happy Birthday David! ENJOY YOUR DAY!! :)
xxxx
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Day 20,21,22
3.30am! That's what time we woke up to get ready to leave Valeries!
And the night before we had a really late night! Watching The River on SATV! We thought we'd have the day to go to the Museum, relax, reflect and think about this wonderful city before we left.
Except we got our flights all confused and only realised at...2am! Fancy realising at 2am that instead of sleeping in till 10, at check-out, cos we'd enjoyed a late night, that we had to be up in another hour and a half! Not funny!
We arrived in Zimbabwe on Human Rights Day! A South African public holiday. And were reminded of it as we left Cape Town, arrived in Johannesburg and took off to Victoria Falls. People were celebrating it and Nelson Mandella was mentioned more than once!
We had to get our tickets reticketed at Joburg because we changed our flights so that took an hour and we finally arrived in this magical place, Victoria Falls!
MAGICAL!!! We went see the Falls as soon as we checked in to our hotel, which was gorgeous. The Kingdom Hotel, on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. Very majestic, yet old and in need of renovation. But i doubt that will be happening any time soon..
I will have to finish this in Madrid...time's out here at Joburg airport. I'm going to spend a couple of hours updating when we get there...i'm dying to tell you about our WILD CANOE TRIP ON THE ZAMBEZIE!!!
Happy Birthday David! ENJOY YOUR DAY!! :)
xxxx
Tuesday, 20 March 2007
OUR BACKPACKS!!! What's in them?
cazawaza! This will be the first post that comes up but i don't have time to fill it out and i've just got your 'comment'! Thanks so much Gorgeous! :-) I'll email you as soon as i can!!!!
Greg's here saying i only have 2 minutes left........arrghhh!!!! (We're due to go to Rodden's Island in a tic) and here we are..in here with all my unfinished blogs! haha
Just wanted to let you know i've been thinking about ya.......
And....bout the Paris Hilton glasses! They're wonderful! :-)
Hey. By the way, we have hardly anything in the packs. So I won't need much space for this blog here that's for sure!
Thanks for the comment. Love hearing from everyone.
Luv and hugs to all!
jen & greg xxx
Greg's here saying i only have 2 minutes left........arrghhh!!!! (We're due to go to Rodden's Island in a tic) and here we are..in here with all my unfinished blogs! haha
Just wanted to let you know i've been thinking about ya.......
And....bout the Paris Hilton glasses! They're wonderful! :-)
Hey. By the way, we have hardly anything in the packs. So I won't need much space for this blog here that's for sure!
Thanks for the comment. Love hearing from everyone.
Luv and hugs to all!
jen & greg xxx
PLETTENBERG
16th March 2007
Plettenberg
Day 15
Stayed at Amakaya Backpackers". Owner was a young Africaans guy called Fred. Fred from "George!" He looked about 20 or so but probably about 25. He met us there after we looked up our Backpackers guide to find this place and it just looked so gorgeous.
I was expecting some down and out digs but this was ok. Cept for the taxi stand nearby which just wasn't any old taxi stand. It was a black taxi stand where 'whites' pick up the 'blacks' for work. There were hundreds of poor blacks standing there and whites picking them up in utes to take them to work. This is the real South Africa i think.
And we've seen so much of it. These sort of areas where blacks stand waiting for work or wait to be picked up for work. That's what i meant in one of my last blogs where i thought Apartheid wasn't dead. I know it is because there's obviously no such tolerance for slaves anymore. But the social gap is still huge. There is still a social standing where the Africaans appear to be more well...dominant?
Or have an upper hand or whatever you want to call it. The blacks have the nouce and the work spirit but the whites are there driving them. Interesting because in the laundry where we did the washing we saw some articles in the local paper on the local attitude.
Very diverse, eclectic yet all sides are passionate. I'd like to get into this further but don't have time. I hope i do get time to be reflective in here because at the time i feel i only have time for facts and i'm finding it frustrating. Also find it emabarrasing that i can't edit either. So please accept my apologies for any mistakes. I keep thinking i must go back and edit. I know i need to do some and have taken scribbled notes on bits of paper when i've realised i've relayed wrong information.
About Pletts.
The scenery is amazing! Went from vast lands to forests. A bit like travelling to Gero to Margaret River really. So different.
Going to say more here....will update later!!!!!!
TBC
Plettenberg
Day 15
Stayed at Amakaya Backpackers". Owner was a young Africaans guy called Fred. Fred from "George!" He looked about 20 or so but probably about 25. He met us there after we looked up our Backpackers guide to find this place and it just looked so gorgeous.
I was expecting some down and out digs but this was ok. Cept for the taxi stand nearby which just wasn't any old taxi stand. It was a black taxi stand where 'whites' pick up the 'blacks' for work. There were hundreds of poor blacks standing there and whites picking them up in utes to take them to work. This is the real South Africa i think.
And we've seen so much of it. These sort of areas where blacks stand waiting for work or wait to be picked up for work. That's what i meant in one of my last blogs where i thought Apartheid wasn't dead. I know it is because there's obviously no such tolerance for slaves anymore. But the social gap is still huge. There is still a social standing where the Africaans appear to be more well...dominant?
Or have an upper hand or whatever you want to call it. The blacks have the nouce and the work spirit but the whites are there driving them. Interesting because in the laundry where we did the washing we saw some articles in the local paper on the local attitude.
Very diverse, eclectic yet all sides are passionate. I'd like to get into this further but don't have time. I hope i do get time to be reflective in here because at the time i feel i only have time for facts and i'm finding it frustrating. Also find it emabarrasing that i can't edit either. So please accept my apologies for any mistakes. I keep thinking i must go back and edit. I know i need to do some and have taken scribbled notes on bits of paper when i've realised i've relayed wrong information.
About Pletts.
The scenery is amazing! Went from vast lands to forests. A bit like travelling to Gero to Margaret River really. So different.
Going to say more here....will update later!!!!!!
TBC
MOSSEL BAY
Checked out of Daddy Long Legs and had breakfast next door. Re Cafe. Had 2 Ciabatta breakfasts and 2 long blacks. We're getting used to the black coffee after suffering a bit from the SA milk..not sure why? And the yellow cheese?? Weird stuff and very irritating to the stomach for some reason. Anyway, perculated, which is what we're mostly having tastes so much better black!
We went to the bank to fund our Garden Route which took about an hour at the bank trying to organise. Passports spread out, us relying in Australian that we're not murderers or mobsters. Anyway we got our money.
Travelled 300km and had afternoon tea, muffin and cake, for $R55 at a local village. Booked into Margueretts BB at 6pm. Bikers in town for Buffalo festival. Went to Ocean Front for dinner, had steerbok. Now why does this sound familiar. Have i said this all before..arrghhh.....ok i'm panicking..only have 20 minutes on this internet to get all this done before we're off to Rodden Island!
Actually, i'm finding i'm not having enough time to write. I love to write and those who know me know i spend HOURS writing. And...oh, i don't have enough physical time to fill in my diary, blog that is, on here so i'm finding myself spending time daydreaming as i'm travelling on what i want to write on here and then finding, once i get on here, i don't have time to write! It's my only thing that i'm missing. Being able to write..i tell ya...
And oh yeah, i'm really missing getting dressed up! haha! Yep, i love going without makeup and wearing my 'safari' clothes...but i really miss my jewellery, my perfume, my make up...my luxuries like that!
OK i'll rave about that when i finally fill in the blog entitled what's in our backpack! I was inspired to head that one after i saw how crap i looked in those pics i uploaded. Greg looks great! (as always, isn't he so handsome?) But me...eeeewwww!
Okay i'm going to write about Pletts now!
We went to the bank to fund our Garden Route which took about an hour at the bank trying to organise. Passports spread out, us relying in Australian that we're not murderers or mobsters. Anyway we got our money.
Travelled 300km and had afternoon tea, muffin and cake, for $R55 at a local village. Booked into Margueretts BB at 6pm. Bikers in town for Buffalo festival. Went to Ocean Front for dinner, had steerbok. Now why does this sound familiar. Have i said this all before..arrghhh.....ok i'm panicking..only have 20 minutes on this internet to get all this done before we're off to Rodden Island!
Actually, i'm finding i'm not having enough time to write. I love to write and those who know me know i spend HOURS writing. And...oh, i don't have enough physical time to fill in my diary, blog that is, on here so i'm finding myself spending time daydreaming as i'm travelling on what i want to write on here and then finding, once i get on here, i don't have time to write! It's my only thing that i'm missing. Being able to write..i tell ya...
And oh yeah, i'm really missing getting dressed up! haha! Yep, i love going without makeup and wearing my 'safari' clothes...but i really miss my jewellery, my perfume, my make up...my luxuries like that!
OK i'll rave about that when i finally fill in the blog entitled what's in our backpack! I was inspired to head that one after i saw how crap i looked in those pics i uploaded. Greg looks great! (as always, isn't he so handsome?) But me...eeeewwww!
Okay i'm going to write about Pletts now!
Saturday, 17 March 2007
GARDEN ROUTE
Yesterday we started travelling from Cape Town to Mossel Bay where we stayed. Can you believe they had a "BUFFALO RALLY" on..and there are literally thousands of 'bikers' in town! So funny...when we arrived in Johannesburg we could get accomodation because over 39,000 (yep, thousand) cyclists had desecended on the town..
We're being run out by two wheelers! HAHA
We ended up getting accomodation at Marguettes Place which was so expensive. It was late when we arrived and we really had no choice. It was nice..and said 3 star..but the price was way beyond that! We paid $R300 each!
We had dinner on the sea front which was beautiful. I had Spring Bok.
We're in Plettsenburg now! Get out the map guys....hehe
Today i munched on lollies to settle my stomach and ended up havng pizza for dinner tonight. I've eaten too much game food to last me i think!
Oh yeah, you're all 7 hours behind us here. We'll be able to fit more in the rate we're going. Every country we go to we lose time!
We're at the Backpackers tonight! Much more reasonable - $R200! And the guy there is really nice. Africaans.
I must say, although i think Apartheid is dead in that there is no slavery, i've noticed a lot of the service type menial jobs, shop assistants, service assistants, waitresses, etcetc are all black. 'African' the tour guides say. Honestly, i'm wondering where all the white people are really. They don't seem to be around..in banks, in shops, anywhere. I know they are a minority but why do they have so much power? Just a comment.
One of the tour guides told us some of the Africans are paid $R100 a day to work and they wait in groups to be picked up for work. Slave labour really, i think. Anyway, people have said it's dangerous here but we feel really safe and people here are so friendly. I really love the people.
There was a comment about the blacks working the farms etc and pushing out the whites and then they didn't know how to run the farms so they starved. True? I don't know. Sounds a bit like what happened in Zimbabwe.
So weird the other day. I bought a paper as i'm dying to know the news. You know, like how the Dockers and going etc (thanks Y for letting me know the recent news in your email by the way!) and i started reading it, and found it was all in Afrikaans. Duh. Silly me. I took it back and the black girls laughed their heads off. They're so gorgeous. Big wide smiles, happy personalities and helpful.
But here we are..in a shopping centre, listening to groovy african music, me supposed to be paying telstra bills (i'm getting on to it Mum!) and instead uploading our photos while Greg is emailing his kids on the puter next door. (hi Alena and Aiden!) :-)
I'd love to upload the hilarious pic Elise sent yesterday, of Millie and Tizzie! OH DEAR! Millie has taken over their house. Naughty cat! I meant to say, "Don't let Millie in Tizze's bowl!" .... hmm..! Hopefully Scup will work it all out! And Elise, fancy someone stealing the jet dinghy! I can't believe it!
I'll email again later. I've sent you some texts today.
Hey...SOOZIEWOOZIEDOOZIE!!! Happy Birthday! :-) And was great to hear from you! I hope you ate some cake for me..i know what those morning teas at work are like! :-)
Gee..all the pisces around! I am surrounded by them hey....
Hey Thanks Andy for your 'comment' so good to hear from you! Give Jo and the boys a BIG KISS from me! The boys would love the game park, and all the animals....there were a few kids at at the place where we were staying, and they were amazed by it all. I'd recommend Kruger to anyone. It's amazing. The pics really don't do it justice.
We're not sure if we'll end up in Port Elizabeth yet. We're thinking we might just head back to Stollenbusch. The wine town!!! (Yep, South African wines are great!)
But who knows what we'll do. We're taking it all day by day. Apart from stressing about a few minor thing at home which hopefully will be solved very soon by one lady called Rose..we're having a ball! And we've only been on the road for 2 weeks. Seems like ages to tell you the truth. I thought we'd be worn out, but it's only just begun.
Exciting hey.
We're already talking about getting a 4WD and travelling around Australia. Depending on finances! Don't think the car and the boat we sold will be replaced in a hurry, put it that way!
Okies..i'm off..
Will 'blog' again soon.
Hope you're all great. And Sam and David, and Troy, hope the season is a 'burster' for you!
We're being run out by two wheelers! HAHA
We ended up getting accomodation at Marguettes Place which was so expensive. It was late when we arrived and we really had no choice. It was nice..and said 3 star..but the price was way beyond that! We paid $R300 each!
We had dinner on the sea front which was beautiful. I had Spring Bok.
We're in Plettsenburg now! Get out the map guys....hehe
Today i munched on lollies to settle my stomach and ended up havng pizza for dinner tonight. I've eaten too much game food to last me i think!
Oh yeah, you're all 7 hours behind us here. We'll be able to fit more in the rate we're going. Every country we go to we lose time!
We're at the Backpackers tonight! Much more reasonable - $R200! And the guy there is really nice. Africaans.
I must say, although i think Apartheid is dead in that there is no slavery, i've noticed a lot of the service type menial jobs, shop assistants, service assistants, waitresses, etcetc are all black. 'African' the tour guides say. Honestly, i'm wondering where all the white people are really. They don't seem to be around..in banks, in shops, anywhere. I know they are a minority but why do they have so much power? Just a comment.
One of the tour guides told us some of the Africans are paid $R100 a day to work and they wait in groups to be picked up for work. Slave labour really, i think. Anyway, people have said it's dangerous here but we feel really safe and people here are so friendly. I really love the people.
There was a comment about the blacks working the farms etc and pushing out the whites and then they didn't know how to run the farms so they starved. True? I don't know. Sounds a bit like what happened in Zimbabwe.
So weird the other day. I bought a paper as i'm dying to know the news. You know, like how the Dockers and going etc (thanks Y for letting me know the recent news in your email by the way!) and i started reading it, and found it was all in Afrikaans. Duh. Silly me. I took it back and the black girls laughed their heads off. They're so gorgeous. Big wide smiles, happy personalities and helpful.
But here we are..in a shopping centre, listening to groovy african music, me supposed to be paying telstra bills (i'm getting on to it Mum!) and instead uploading our photos while Greg is emailing his kids on the puter next door. (hi Alena and Aiden!) :-)
I'd love to upload the hilarious pic Elise sent yesterday, of Millie and Tizzie! OH DEAR! Millie has taken over their house. Naughty cat! I meant to say, "Don't let Millie in Tizze's bowl!" .... hmm..! Hopefully Scup will work it all out! And Elise, fancy someone stealing the jet dinghy! I can't believe it!
I'll email again later. I've sent you some texts today.
Hey...SOOZIEWOOZIEDOOZIE!!! Happy Birthday! :-) And was great to hear from you! I hope you ate some cake for me..i know what those morning teas at work are like! :-)
Gee..all the pisces around! I am surrounded by them hey....
Hey Thanks Andy for your 'comment' so good to hear from you! Give Jo and the boys a BIG KISS from me! The boys would love the game park, and all the animals....there were a few kids at at the place where we were staying, and they were amazed by it all. I'd recommend Kruger to anyone. It's amazing. The pics really don't do it justice.
We're not sure if we'll end up in Port Elizabeth yet. We're thinking we might just head back to Stollenbusch. The wine town!!! (Yep, South African wines are great!)
But who knows what we'll do. We're taking it all day by day. Apart from stressing about a few minor thing at home which hopefully will be solved very soon by one lady called Rose..we're having a ball! And we've only been on the road for 2 weeks. Seems like ages to tell you the truth. I thought we'd be worn out, but it's only just begun.
Exciting hey.
We're already talking about getting a 4WD and travelling around Australia. Depending on finances! Don't think the car and the boat we sold will be replaced in a hurry, put it that way!
Okies..i'm off..
Will 'blog' again soon.
Hope you're all great. And Sam and David, and Troy, hope the season is a 'burster' for you!
Thursday, 15 March 2007
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
I've got a feeling it's the 15th there. And in that case, hope Sammy and Dave caught lots today..and if it's still the 14th Happy Birthday Mum!!
What a morning - actually, what a day! We got met by the guide, Princess Prada, as she was called by one of the hilarious German guys on our little bus. She came racing to our room and said, "Is that you?" "Yep it's us!" we said. OK got that organised. Appealed to our sense of humour.
Was a great day touring up in our little mini bus with the South African Princess. Sitka was the driver and just as well because while we were at the Cape fish markets she sprained her ankle looking out for my red crocs! Long story..but cut short, i'm wearing my red crocs after my 'jetties' didn't last in Perth and at the last minute gasp getting my gear to go away i invested in 'crocs' which have been the envy of everyone here i tell you. Anyway...the tour guide (I only know her as the Princess now!) thought the lady with the red shoes was me, tried to tell me NOT to go on the second boat at the markets, realised it wasn't me, tripped, and sprained her ankle!!!
So...poor think..was the princess for the day, sitting, leg up, while we all found our way. We got up to the most southern west point of Africa and took a cable car to look at the spectacular view. Sent Mum a text for her birthday there AND got one back! Mum, you're great! She was celebrating with Annie..and the whole day i was just wishing i could be with them and having our traditional birthday lunch out.
But! We ended up at the Waterfront after that..and toasted Mum..Annie and Sue! Any old excuse hey! But this time..it was with carrot cake and espresso (After we'd already polished off our bottle of crisp South African white that we're becoming accustomed to!)
OK..now, that weight we're supposed to lose? It's not!!!! We're living it up and our budget is slightly over at the moment. Hmm...OK. When we get our car tomorrow we're going to start calming down. Otherwise...do you think we'll even last till Christmas? It's just that the South African wine is so delicious, the Waterfront is so alllurng and we have so much to celebrate! David's birthday next! (ELise's boyfriend for those who can't work out which David....so no, not David, Greg's brother..yet!)
Hey Sue! Great to get your comment in here! I love to receive those so anyone that can work it out, go for it, it's great to know whose reading! THånks Jaak for your messages too! Talking about Ronevels, we even went up to the "Rondevals" In Blyde Canyon..and they looked just like the places that we stayed in, in Makutsi!
Guess what's on the big screen at the moment? CRICKET! Aus is playing Scotland. The place we're staying is very COOL! It's a art hotel and every room is decorated creatively. We stayed in a "You are Here" room on the first night, so weird, everywhere we looked there was this bright pink ball of fluff saying you are here .. on the maps that is. BUt also on the bedspread as well! We took photos! (Which eventually we'll work out how to download onto here thanks to Shameems help!) Anyway..last night we were in the other room...scary...in the wardrobe was this black dress and it was almost like Estella's room out of "Great Expectations"!
The only thing was, there was no room to put our luggage! The rooms are creative..but TINY! But it's cosy where we are now..watching cricket on the big screen...drinking free wine and having free internet access! It's called "Daddy Long Legs" cos it's in Long street in Cape Town.
Tomorrow we pick up our JETTA. Car. Hopefully we'll find our way around and find accomodation as we go. Can't wait to get going really. ALthough it's been great here.
Hey. Last night we had Ostrich meat.
Hmm...
Was yummy but the thought was well....
I'm not the biggest meat eater but here i am eating meat like it's coming out of my ears. Oh well..when in Rome...(Or the Cape, do what they do!)
I've got so much written in my diary, that i wanted to put in here, but i don't have it with me so i'll have to wait till i have it to transcribe things.
So, till i get on again...
Love ya all! xxx
PS If i don't get on beforehand, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID and good luck with the crays!
What a morning - actually, what a day! We got met by the guide, Princess Prada, as she was called by one of the hilarious German guys on our little bus. She came racing to our room and said, "Is that you?" "Yep it's us!" we said. OK got that organised. Appealed to our sense of humour.
Was a great day touring up in our little mini bus with the South African Princess. Sitka was the driver and just as well because while we were at the Cape fish markets she sprained her ankle looking out for my red crocs! Long story..but cut short, i'm wearing my red crocs after my 'jetties' didn't last in Perth and at the last minute gasp getting my gear to go away i invested in 'crocs' which have been the envy of everyone here i tell you. Anyway...the tour guide (I only know her as the Princess now!) thought the lady with the red shoes was me, tried to tell me NOT to go on the second boat at the markets, realised it wasn't me, tripped, and sprained her ankle!!!
So...poor think..was the princess for the day, sitting, leg up, while we all found our way. We got up to the most southern west point of Africa and took a cable car to look at the spectacular view. Sent Mum a text for her birthday there AND got one back! Mum, you're great! She was celebrating with Annie..and the whole day i was just wishing i could be with them and having our traditional birthday lunch out.
But! We ended up at the Waterfront after that..and toasted Mum..Annie and Sue! Any old excuse hey! But this time..it was with carrot cake and espresso (After we'd already polished off our bottle of crisp South African white that we're becoming accustomed to!)
OK..now, that weight we're supposed to lose? It's not!!!! We're living it up and our budget is slightly over at the moment. Hmm...OK. When we get our car tomorrow we're going to start calming down. Otherwise...do you think we'll even last till Christmas? It's just that the South African wine is so delicious, the Waterfront is so alllurng and we have so much to celebrate! David's birthday next! (ELise's boyfriend for those who can't work out which David....so no, not David, Greg's brother..yet!)
Hey Sue! Great to get your comment in here! I love to receive those so anyone that can work it out, go for it, it's great to know whose reading! THånks Jaak for your messages too! Talking about Ronevels, we even went up to the "Rondevals" In Blyde Canyon..and they looked just like the places that we stayed in, in Makutsi!
Guess what's on the big screen at the moment? CRICKET! Aus is playing Scotland. The place we're staying is very COOL! It's a art hotel and every room is decorated creatively. We stayed in a "You are Here" room on the first night, so weird, everywhere we looked there was this bright pink ball of fluff saying you are here .. on the maps that is. BUt also on the bedspread as well! We took photos! (Which eventually we'll work out how to download onto here thanks to Shameems help!) Anyway..last night we were in the other room...scary...in the wardrobe was this black dress and it was almost like Estella's room out of "Great Expectations"!
The only thing was, there was no room to put our luggage! The rooms are creative..but TINY! But it's cosy where we are now..watching cricket on the big screen...drinking free wine and having free internet access! It's called "Daddy Long Legs" cos it's in Long street in Cape Town.
Tomorrow we pick up our JETTA. Car. Hopefully we'll find our way around and find accomodation as we go. Can't wait to get going really. ALthough it's been great here.
Hey. Last night we had Ostrich meat.
Hmm...
Was yummy but the thought was well....
I'm not the biggest meat eater but here i am eating meat like it's coming out of my ears. Oh well..when in Rome...(Or the Cape, do what they do!)
I've got so much written in my diary, that i wanted to put in here, but i don't have it with me so i'll have to wait till i have it to transcribe things.
So, till i get on again...
Love ya all! xxx
PS If i don't get on beforehand, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID and good luck with the crays!
SOME PICS!
Sorry! I think i wrote two blog the same! So, now that we've "sort of" learned how to upload photos i'm going to put some here instead of the same thing from before!
OK here goes...pix!
These are zebra's that we saw in Kruger. And giraffe's! Elephants! Baboons!
Look at this big one...
The mighty beast...
This one came out, behind the landrover, and ran down the road behind Greg who was in the back seat!!!
Naughty Baboons running on the road!
OK here goes...pix!
These are zebra's that we saw in Kruger. And giraffe's! Elephants! Baboons!
Look at this big one...
The mighty beast...
This one came out, behind the landrover, and ran down the road behind Greg who was in the back seat!!!
Naughty Baboons running on the road!
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
WE GOT ACCOMMODATION!!
We arrived 9.15pm on the 11th March...and then waited an hour for our luggage which got displaced somewhere along the line...
Then we looked for accommodation in a town that as catering for over 35,000 cyclists..."We have a room for $Rand 2,000?" the man said. TWO THOUSAND RAND we breathed very heavily! "No thanks! We'd rather sleep at the airport!" Knowing we were adhering to a budget if we were to actually see our year out, we said we wanted something a quarter of a price. He offered a room for $R1000 a night, trying his luck at securing a larger commission.
We made it very clear that was just not acceptable!
We took a room at "Tom's" for $645 rand and headed off there in a shuttle bus after he offered a taxi for about 250 rand instead of 90 for the shuttle. I guess they have to make a living somehow but we were glad the staff at Makutsi warned us about prices here in Cape Town.
Toms was nice. Martin, the gorgeous owner waited up for us and showed us a room after he gave us water and sat us at a table to ascertain where exactly we were coming from. He offered us one night of accomodation and we couldn't wait to get to sleep knowin the next day we had to be on the lookout for somewhere else to stay.
Monday 12th (Annie's birthday who we finally were able to msg after we changed mobile servers!) we searched for the Cape Tourist Centre, where we are right now on the internet (open 24/7/365) and booked tours and accommodation. It was all booked out, honestly these cyclist had inundated the place!!! What about us?????
We've found another place for 3 days which i'll tell you all about when we get back here! It's very cool. "LAKKA" as the locals say!
We've also booked a car for five days to go to Port Elizabeth. We're looking forward to doing our own thing and visiting PE and the wineries. South Africa has amazing wines!
We also booked tours today to Cape of Good Hope and Robbens Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for most of his time - 27 years.
BUT BEST OF ALL...we found a Flight Centre! So weird seeing that up in lights! There, we booked a flight to Victoria Falls and delayed our arrival in Madrid for a few days. Honestly, the way we're going, we could stay here forever. We love it here. So relaxed and so back to nature. Just fantastic place.
We've just gotten back from the Waterfront now where we drank white wine and ate a cheeseboard and listened to this amazing music - African Percussion. How could we resist buying their CD. A package home is looking imminent.
What a great place!!
And safety really isn't an issue. Last night we were out eating our steak and chips..and beer (yes i had all three..imagine that? I must be using so much energy i'm eating like a horse!) and we wandered home feeling very safe.
Okies, will write more when we can. So far, Cape Town is amazing.
Happy Birthday to Sue for the 11th! :-)
By the way, we've taken some great pics and will publish them on here when we get more time. At the moment, we're thinking we'd better get back to our accomodation as after dark is supposed to be scary, although, as i said, it does feel safe!
(So Mum, you don't have to worry!)
Then we looked for accommodation in a town that as catering for over 35,000 cyclists..."We have a room for $Rand 2,000?" the man said. TWO THOUSAND RAND we breathed very heavily! "No thanks! We'd rather sleep at the airport!" Knowing we were adhering to a budget if we were to actually see our year out, we said we wanted something a quarter of a price. He offered a room for $R1000 a night, trying his luck at securing a larger commission.
We made it very clear that was just not acceptable!
We took a room at "Tom's" for $645 rand and headed off there in a shuttle bus after he offered a taxi for about 250 rand instead of 90 for the shuttle. I guess they have to make a living somehow but we were glad the staff at Makutsi warned us about prices here in Cape Town.
Toms was nice. Martin, the gorgeous owner waited up for us and showed us a room after he gave us water and sat us at a table to ascertain where exactly we were coming from. He offered us one night of accomodation and we couldn't wait to get to sleep knowin the next day we had to be on the lookout for somewhere else to stay.
Monday 12th (Annie's birthday who we finally were able to msg after we changed mobile servers!) we searched for the Cape Tourist Centre, where we are right now on the internet (open 24/7/365) and booked tours and accommodation. It was all booked out, honestly these cyclist had inundated the place!!! What about us?????
We've found another place for 3 days which i'll tell you all about when we get back here! It's very cool. "LAKKA" as the locals say!
We've also booked a car for five days to go to Port Elizabeth. We're looking forward to doing our own thing and visiting PE and the wineries. South Africa has amazing wines!
We also booked tours today to Cape of Good Hope and Robbens Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for most of his time - 27 years.
BUT BEST OF ALL...we found a Flight Centre! So weird seeing that up in lights! There, we booked a flight to Victoria Falls and delayed our arrival in Madrid for a few days. Honestly, the way we're going, we could stay here forever. We love it here. So relaxed and so back to nature. Just fantastic place.
We've just gotten back from the Waterfront now where we drank white wine and ate a cheeseboard and listened to this amazing music - African Percussion. How could we resist buying their CD. A package home is looking imminent.
What a great place!!
And safety really isn't an issue. Last night we were out eating our steak and chips..and beer (yes i had all three..imagine that? I must be using so much energy i'm eating like a horse!) and we wandered home feeling very safe.
Okies, will write more when we can. So far, Cape Town is amazing.
Happy Birthday to Sue for the 11th! :-)
By the way, we've taken some great pics and will publish them on here when we get more time. At the moment, we're thinking we'd better get back to our accomodation as after dark is supposed to be scary, although, as i said, it does feel safe!
(So Mum, you don't have to worry!)
Sunday, 11 March 2007
MAKUTSI
http://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.photo.gif
AUS$1 = RAND $5.8
We're now in Johannesburg Airport after having been at the Makutsi Safari Farm since last Monday. We had a fantastic time. Saw lots of wild animals and people! Met some fantastic Aussies and Carla and Wolf from Hamburg in Germany where we're going to go and have a reunion. Such a friendly couple.
Monday - Got picked up at 11am and drove 6 hours to get to Makutsi. Passed "Belfast" and Lyndenburg. Black towns. Stopped at Harry's Pancake Place for lunch and got to know the two mothers' and sons. Marguerite and Winston and Cheryl and Daniel. All from Melbourne. There was also another Father and Son - Michael and Klaas. When we arrived we found that most of the people at Makutsi are German - 80%.
Looked around and booked into our 'Rondeval'.
This is it!
Tuesday Went for a game drive. Saw elephants and Golden Orb spider. Amazing.
Wednesday - KRUGER PARK. Amazing place. Saw heaps of wild animals.
Thursday - BISMARK TRIBAL VILLAGE - went to shangaan and Sotho villages and local school - Malebalony Primary. Wonderful music and dance. Donated $200 Rand.
The School & Kids (this is where my heart is...)
Friday - Two Game Drives. Met Jenny from Sydney. AM Saw pride of beautiful lions. Black lion called "Zero"! PM Rhino Safari - saw 2 rhinos bathing and one scratching his balls on a tree! !!
Saturday - Blyde Mountain and local markets.
Us Dags on Blyde Canyon! (POT HOLES)
Sunday - Drove from Makutsi to Johannesburg for 6 hours. Got flight to Cape Town. Said farewell to Marguerite, Winston and Cheryl and Daniel.
Will finish details later - not enought time here.
Off to Cape Town now. No accomodation booked and arrive tonight after 9pm! We've also decided to go to Victoria Falls as it's flooding and has the most water it's had in 30 years!
This is our group!!!
Carl & Rhiann our tour guide, with beautiful boerbull doggies :-)
Will blog from Cape Town. Happy Birthday Annie, for tomorrow, if you read this! xx
AUS$1 = RAND $5.8
We're now in Johannesburg Airport after having been at the Makutsi Safari Farm since last Monday. We had a fantastic time. Saw lots of wild animals and people! Met some fantastic Aussies and Carla and Wolf from Hamburg in Germany where we're going to go and have a reunion. Such a friendly couple.
Monday - Got picked up at 11am and drove 6 hours to get to Makutsi. Passed "Belfast" and Lyndenburg. Black towns. Stopped at Harry's Pancake Place for lunch and got to know the two mothers' and sons. Marguerite and Winston and Cheryl and Daniel. All from Melbourne. There was also another Father and Son - Michael and Klaas. When we arrived we found that most of the people at Makutsi are German - 80%.
Looked around and booked into our 'Rondeval'.
This is it!
Tuesday Went for a game drive. Saw elephants and Golden Orb spider. Amazing.
Wednesday - KRUGER PARK. Amazing place. Saw heaps of wild animals.
Thursday - BISMARK TRIBAL VILLAGE - went to shangaan and Sotho villages and local school - Malebalony Primary. Wonderful music and dance. Donated $200 Rand.
The School & Kids (this is where my heart is...)
Friday - Two Game Drives. Met Jenny from Sydney. AM Saw pride of beautiful lions. Black lion called "Zero"! PM Rhino Safari - saw 2 rhinos bathing and one scratching his balls on a tree! !!
Saturday - Blyde Mountain and local markets.
Us Dags on Blyde Canyon! (POT HOLES)
Sunday - Drove from Makutsi to Johannesburg for 6 hours. Got flight to Cape Town. Said farewell to Marguerite, Winston and Cheryl and Daniel.
Will finish details later - not enought time here.
Off to Cape Town now. No accomodation booked and arrive tonight after 9pm! We've also decided to go to Victoria Falls as it's flooding and has the most water it's had in 30 years!
This is our group!!!
Carl & Rhiann our tour guide, with beautiful boerbull doggies :-)
Will blog from Cape Town. Happy Birthday Annie, for tomorrow, if you read this! xx
ARRIVED IN JOBURG-5th March 207
Arrived in South Africa but can't access our blog because the computer here in the South African Airline lounge is so slow!! It needs defragging and clearing of internet files and i'm dying to do it but there's no internet options haha!
Anyway...we had a great flight. 12 hours long from Hong Kong..and we've now added another 6 hours to our body clocks....with an addition of an hour in Hong Kong...so if we were sleep deprived while we were in Perth madly trying to get ready..we're well and truly THE aussie zombies now!
But...we had a shower here in the lounge and have been eating all their goodies! And now have free internet access.....Greg's studying up places to stay in Cape Town (no..nothing yet, everything seems to be booked..there must be a celebration going on!!!)
We're waiting for the Guide to meet us to take us on our 6 day Makutsi Safari Tour...which should be FUN! I can't wait to hear the natural sounds of the wild animals..we're going in landrovers...
Then we're off to Cape Town which is where i'll try to 'blog' again!
PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY HELENA FOR TUESDAY 6th!!!! xx
Anyway...we had a great flight. 12 hours long from Hong Kong..and we've now added another 6 hours to our body clocks....with an addition of an hour in Hong Kong...so if we were sleep deprived while we were in Perth madly trying to get ready..we're well and truly THE aussie zombies now!
But...we had a shower here in the lounge and have been eating all their goodies! And now have free internet access.....Greg's studying up places to stay in Cape Town (no..nothing yet, everything seems to be booked..there must be a celebration going on!!!)
We're waiting for the Guide to meet us to take us on our 6 day Makutsi Safari Tour...which should be FUN! I can't wait to hear the natural sounds of the wild animals..we're going in landrovers...
Then we're off to Cape Town which is where i'll try to 'blog' again!
PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY HELENA FOR TUESDAY 6th!!!! xx
Sunday, 4 March 2007
HONG KONG
Conversion Rage $AUS1 = HK$5.8
We're here!
And we're about to leave to go to South Africa in a couple of hours so i'm madly trying to write about Hong Kong before we go.
The airport is amazing. Even the toilets are big enough to fit a luggage trolley with our backpacks!
And by the way, we're doing great with our packs. Mine is pretty light compared to Greg's but it's still a shock to be carrying it around. But we're doing OK, so far!
It's beautiful weather. We couldn't have asked for better weather. We arrived at 5.30 Friday night and caught at shuttle bus ($HK280) to our accomodation, Ramada Hong Kong, which is rather wonderful. Budget. But excellent. $HK 1,200 incl breakfast for two nights with late check out. Breakfast was included and was a buffet breakfast which was YUMMY. The tomatoes are amazingly red and juicy and sweet. Just beautiful.
Fresh coffee. Yum. Black and strong. For the last two mornings we've been having the healthiest of breakfasts. Boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, and an assortment of everything healthy. We've survived all day on that one breakfast and one other meal.
THE BED WAS HARD! But, when you're as tired as we were it didn't matter. On Friday night we could have slept on the floor! (and the bed was so hard it felt like we were!)
We were raring to go on Saturday morning. Up early and out and about. First thing we did was to master the MTR which is fantastic. The biggest bus station i've ever seen that's for sure! And we've gotten to know it quite well.
We spend a lot of the morning navigating our way and ending up at Victoria Peak after walking a LOT. And because we were on foot we saw everything. The shops here are amazing - the biggest names everywhere. Even Marks and Spencer. I felt like we were in Paris or London or something, with different faces. :-) The weather was so clear at the top of Victoria Peak we got a great shot at the top. That was after we had to buy batteries for camera!
On the way out of the Peak we saw a huge banner at the train station for a Harbour Cruise and Dinner and we thought why not. So off we went to book. ANd it was fabulous. And such a clear night to be on the harbour. We drank a bottle of wine $HK352 which cost as much as the harbour cruise and dinner for one! Hmm...but anyway, it was worth it!
Us at Victoria Peak
Without that bottle of wine, we wouldn't have made it back to our hotel. We decided to walk home, back to the hotel. Well. After going the wrong way (who said women can't read maps! hehe) we ended up walking more than 10km's home! Our feet were in agony, but we trudged on, and made it, with the will of the gods (at midnight, pack on board!)
This morning we had our breakfast even though we felt like sleeping in..but it was included in the accomodation so we had to go down and have it..our plan being to stick to our $100 a day budget, like it or not. Yesterday we didn't stick to it, but today we know we will because the flight out tonight is at midnight and we don't have to pay for accomodation.
We spent $A10 on transport today. The rest we walked. So i think we're going to be able to stick to this budget...
(Dinner = McDonalds!)
Which is how we're sticking to the budget....luxury one night, pauper the next!!!!
Now here we are..
Sitting in the business centre at the Ramada writing in this blog (which is going to cost $HK150) and transport to the airport is $HK80.
It adds up.................
But, we're going to do this. Like it or not.
Talk to you from South Africa!
We're here!
And we're about to leave to go to South Africa in a couple of hours so i'm madly trying to write about Hong Kong before we go.
The airport is amazing. Even the toilets are big enough to fit a luggage trolley with our backpacks!
And by the way, we're doing great with our packs. Mine is pretty light compared to Greg's but it's still a shock to be carrying it around. But we're doing OK, so far!
It's beautiful weather. We couldn't have asked for better weather. We arrived at 5.30 Friday night and caught at shuttle bus ($HK280) to our accomodation, Ramada Hong Kong, which is rather wonderful. Budget. But excellent. $HK 1,200 incl breakfast for two nights with late check out. Breakfast was included and was a buffet breakfast which was YUMMY. The tomatoes are amazingly red and juicy and sweet. Just beautiful.
Fresh coffee. Yum. Black and strong. For the last two mornings we've been having the healthiest of breakfasts. Boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, and an assortment of everything healthy. We've survived all day on that one breakfast and one other meal.
THE BED WAS HARD! But, when you're as tired as we were it didn't matter. On Friday night we could have slept on the floor! (and the bed was so hard it felt like we were!)
We were raring to go on Saturday morning. Up early and out and about. First thing we did was to master the MTR which is fantastic. The biggest bus station i've ever seen that's for sure! And we've gotten to know it quite well.
We spend a lot of the morning navigating our way and ending up at Victoria Peak after walking a LOT. And because we were on foot we saw everything. The shops here are amazing - the biggest names everywhere. Even Marks and Spencer. I felt like we were in Paris or London or something, with different faces. :-) The weather was so clear at the top of Victoria Peak we got a great shot at the top. That was after we had to buy batteries for camera!
On the way out of the Peak we saw a huge banner at the train station for a Harbour Cruise and Dinner and we thought why not. So off we went to book. ANd it was fabulous. And such a clear night to be on the harbour. We drank a bottle of wine $HK352 which cost as much as the harbour cruise and dinner for one! Hmm...but anyway, it was worth it!
Us at Victoria Peak
Without that bottle of wine, we wouldn't have made it back to our hotel. We decided to walk home, back to the hotel. Well. After going the wrong way (who said women can't read maps! hehe) we ended up walking more than 10km's home! Our feet were in agony, but we trudged on, and made it, with the will of the gods (at midnight, pack on board!)
This morning we had our breakfast even though we felt like sleeping in..but it was included in the accomodation so we had to go down and have it..our plan being to stick to our $100 a day budget, like it or not. Yesterday we didn't stick to it, but today we know we will because the flight out tonight is at midnight and we don't have to pay for accomodation.
We spent $A10 on transport today. The rest we walked. So i think we're going to be able to stick to this budget...
(Dinner = McDonalds!)
Which is how we're sticking to the budget....luxury one night, pauper the next!!!!
Now here we are..
Sitting in the business centre at the Ramada writing in this blog (which is going to cost $HK150) and transport to the airport is $HK80.
It adds up.................
But, we're going to do this. Like it or not.
Talk to you from South Africa!
BLAST OFF
Hi Everyone,
Here we are in Hong Kong! We arrived after a totally mad panic trying to get here. In the end...we didn't sleep one wink the night before we left (Thursday night) even though mum had the bed all set up for us at her place.
Annie came over during the day, Friday, and painted her butt off! She was so, so helpful..and we couldn't have gotten here without her. She cleaned the doors with a special secret recipe the cleaners had as well as mopping the floors!
Rob, "The Mover" came over with his trailor and moved 'stuff' that we were unable fit in the removal truck when they came over.
Andy turned up at the last hour and helped with rubbish. Now what we would have done without these last minute 'angels' we don't know and don't even want to start thinking about...we were, yes, in chaos. Really, it started the week before but Yvonne and Bob came to the rescue then...
And of course..Mum. She's just been there all along helping us in her beautifully quiet way. She gracefully lent us her car..then politely asked if she could use her own car during the last two weeks and each time rang to say she'd organised someone else to take her to places. We just cant thank her enough. Definitely a beautiful woman who we love.
AND...Greg completed the sale of his "Bloody Boat" with just 3 hours to spare!!
We ended up getting our international licences on the last day..at exactly 3 minutes to 5! I rang Caz to ask her when the RAC closed about an hour beforehand..and she thankfully said, it didn't close till 5pm....you'd think i'd know that wouldn't you?
We were at the building and didn't even have time to pop up and say seeyas to everyone in CE...but the thought was there! We had to madly dash back to get the ute back to the ute hire place and to pay the cleaners that had been there all day.
Cost $800 for cleaners and window cleaners. That's how BIG the place is! I tell you, we didn't realise how big it was until it was empty and all our 'stuff' didn't fit into storage!!
We toiled...cleaned, sorted, packed, delegated and carried on till 5.30am when we arrived at Mum's house. She woke up and gave us toast and tea and Greg ploughed on as he was meeting Rob, and a full trailor at the storage with another load of stuff he piled into mum's car. The storage closed at 7pm the previous night so they had to wait to the next morning to unload, in the dark!
We then got going to the airport, after hearing from Alena (Where are you Dad??") where Angie and Rhys were waiting. We then spotted Bob and Yvonne and went upstairs where Alena was waiting with Aiden and Kate. (First time meeting the gorgeous Kate!)
What a sad farewell....
I couldn't look at mum in the end.....
OK enough said.
We then walked throught he departure gates..and we were OFF. Off on our adventure of a lifetime. A year away. A year of travelling seeing wonderful places.
We were excited.
:-)
Here we are in Hong Kong! We arrived after a totally mad panic trying to get here. In the end...we didn't sleep one wink the night before we left (Thursday night) even though mum had the bed all set up for us at her place.
Annie came over during the day, Friday, and painted her butt off! She was so, so helpful..and we couldn't have gotten here without her. She cleaned the doors with a special secret recipe the cleaners had as well as mopping the floors!
Rob, "The Mover" came over with his trailor and moved 'stuff' that we were unable fit in the removal truck when they came over.
Andy turned up at the last hour and helped with rubbish. Now what we would have done without these last minute 'angels' we don't know and don't even want to start thinking about...we were, yes, in chaos. Really, it started the week before but Yvonne and Bob came to the rescue then...
And of course..Mum. She's just been there all along helping us in her beautifully quiet way. She gracefully lent us her car..then politely asked if she could use her own car during the last two weeks and each time rang to say she'd organised someone else to take her to places. We just cant thank her enough. Definitely a beautiful woman who we love.
AND...Greg completed the sale of his "Bloody Boat" with just 3 hours to spare!!
We ended up getting our international licences on the last day..at exactly 3 minutes to 5! I rang Caz to ask her when the RAC closed about an hour beforehand..and she thankfully said, it didn't close till 5pm....you'd think i'd know that wouldn't you?
We were at the building and didn't even have time to pop up and say seeyas to everyone in CE...but the thought was there! We had to madly dash back to get the ute back to the ute hire place and to pay the cleaners that had been there all day.
Cost $800 for cleaners and window cleaners. That's how BIG the place is! I tell you, we didn't realise how big it was until it was empty and all our 'stuff' didn't fit into storage!!
We toiled...cleaned, sorted, packed, delegated and carried on till 5.30am when we arrived at Mum's house. She woke up and gave us toast and tea and Greg ploughed on as he was meeting Rob, and a full trailor at the storage with another load of stuff he piled into mum's car. The storage closed at 7pm the previous night so they had to wait to the next morning to unload, in the dark!
We then got going to the airport, after hearing from Alena (Where are you Dad??") where Angie and Rhys were waiting. We then spotted Bob and Yvonne and went upstairs where Alena was waiting with Aiden and Kate. (First time meeting the gorgeous Kate!)
What a sad farewell....
I couldn't look at mum in the end.....
OK enough said.
We then walked throught he departure gates..and we were OFF. Off on our adventure of a lifetime. A year away. A year of travelling seeing wonderful places.
We were excited.
:-)
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