Here we are safe and sound in the magnificent Buenos Aires. I was slightly worried that my memories of this city were too positive and that I would end up being somehow disappointed. Thankfully I feel just as happy here in this city as I was over five years ago. We arrived early to check into our apartment in Recoleta so had lunch at a bistro around the corner (complete with our big rucksacks) and then chilled in the foyer for an hour. We tried desperately to converse with the porter at the door, an extremely friendly man in his fifties who spoke absolutely no English. He called the people we organised the apartment through to express that we have been waiting for some time and that they should hurry up and get here!!! We had no idea what he was doing on our behalf until Bernard pulled out our Lonely Planet Spanish phrasebook. Our porter was so taken with the book that he looked at it until our check-in took place.
It was, I felt, a good omen to our time in BA and South America in general. The flat is fantastic. As we are staying here for a month, a flat was more affordable than staying in dorms in a hostel. The bed is small, but we have a spare room with a single bed so we can sprawl out if we need to. So far we have sprawled out because its impossibly hot here and the air is so still that you have to lie star shaped to get comfortable. We have air conditioning in the living area, but not the bedrooms. But we are keeping all shutters closed in the mornings and the whole flat is getting cooler day by day. We have internet (!!!) so can skype friends and family readily as well as keep in touch with events around the world. A few TV channels are in English although i do feel that Coyote Ugly is better in Spanish!!! We have cooked our first meal in the kitchen which will make a real difference to managing our expenses.
We are now in day 2 of our Spanish classes. Yesterday was extremely overwhelming - you hit the ground running when it comes to listening to instructions then trying to retain new information that is relayed to you predominantly in Spanish. I slept like a log last night - the jet lag (5 hours ahead) is a killer and my brain is simply not used to this level of stimulation. But today I felt much much better about the pace and the way my brain is retaining this new information. I am eager to learn more and keep up with Bernard whose Spanish is far more superior to my own. The school is good, even if there aren't a lot of students there at the moment - the teachers are friendly and helpful. We've got a few ideas up our sleeve for new years thanks to their advice.
I think the fact that we are in Recoleta is helpful. Firstly, it takes a full 50 minutes to walk to our school which is not a bad thing at all. After a few months on Shashe its wonderful to be getting two hours of exercise every day. If need be we can catch a number of buses into town for a brilliant 30US cents. The fact we are in a lovely residential area means there are lavendria, fruit store and supermarket in our block, and ATM's, restaurants and cafe's a block away. We are also relatively close to newly fashionable parts of Palermo which we might visit one weekend or so.
Finally, I am loving living with Bernard once more. I was worried about how it would feel being just the two of us again, but it really does feel like home (back in Highbury that is). I am relishing the freedom of being "off tour" and the comfort of not living out of a suitcase. I unpacked everything from my pack within the first hour of being in the flat! We have enough space here to be doing our own things - and we have a city with so much to entertain that I'm sure we'll have lots to do, together or on our own.
Tuesday 28 December 2010
Arrival in South Africa
We arrived in South Africa after our final and rather uneventful border crossing. We spent an evening at a lovely camp beside orange river where Bernard and I relaxed by watching movies on his computer in an attempt to escape the impossible midday heat. The next day we travelled further into South Africa to highlanders, a campsite in the mountains in vineyard country. We spent our final official evening on tour enjoying wine tasting - my ideal way to spend an evening. The next morning we drove into Cape Town and my emotions were all over the place by then - I couldn't believe that the tour was about to finish. Part of me was so incredibly relieved at the prospect of a bed and ensuite bathroom for a week and a bit of space away from everyone. Whilst the other part of me was incredibly reluctant to leave the routine of the truck knowing that soon I would have to say goodbye to Emily and Lindy in particular, two women I've grown particularly fond of during my months on tour.
That first morning in Cape Town and our last formal activity together was a tour of the black townships. Its incredibly humbling to see the conditions that many black Capetonians still endure. That three families sleep crammed into a small bedroom is hard to imagine, but that's the reality of many. But then, it was equally surprising to see that just many of the shacks "illegally" built out of corrugated sheet metal and old planks of wood were decked out with large TVs, stereo system and all the trapping of modern life. One mustn't judge a book by its cover as going to Mzoli's taught us. We went to this fantastic BBQ place in the township - it was a sunday afternoon just before Christmas and the place was pumping!!! It was full of black and white young people, eating various bits of BBQ with your hands and drinking fantastically cold beer on a hot sunny day. The music - oh yes that music- was unbelievably good R&B. I could have stayed there all afternoon - and a sure sign that South Africa is evolving slowly and surely.
After the tour we took our stuff off Shashe for the last time, took a taxi to our guest house in Tamboerskloof then rendezvous with everyone at the V&A waterfront for dinner. The waterfront is rather lovely with great views of the table mountain and pretty good shopping, if a little on the expensive side. As expected saying goodbye to Mark and Lindy our wonderful guides was hard going and I shed many a tear saying goodbye to Lindy. Thankfully we had a few more days with Rodney and Emily from tour so I wasn't a complete mess. Later that night I marvelled at how fantastic a warm bath, a big bed and a TV can be after being without all three for two months. I was very glad that we stayed a few suburbs away from the waterfront - we had a sense of seeing the real cape town, not what is put on show for tourists. That first night I slept like a log beside my darling Bernard, a very happy and content girl.
That first morning in Cape Town and our last formal activity together was a tour of the black townships. Its incredibly humbling to see the conditions that many black Capetonians still endure. That three families sleep crammed into a small bedroom is hard to imagine, but that's the reality of many. But then, it was equally surprising to see that just many of the shacks "illegally" built out of corrugated sheet metal and old planks of wood were decked out with large TVs, stereo system and all the trapping of modern life. One mustn't judge a book by its cover as going to Mzoli's taught us. We went to this fantastic BBQ place in the township - it was a sunday afternoon just before Christmas and the place was pumping!!! It was full of black and white young people, eating various bits of BBQ with your hands and drinking fantastically cold beer on a hot sunny day. The music - oh yes that music- was unbelievably good R&B. I could have stayed there all afternoon - and a sure sign that South Africa is evolving slowly and surely.
After the tour we took our stuff off Shashe for the last time, took a taxi to our guest house in Tamboerskloof then rendezvous with everyone at the V&A waterfront for dinner. The waterfront is rather lovely with great views of the table mountain and pretty good shopping, if a little on the expensive side. As expected saying goodbye to Mark and Lindy our wonderful guides was hard going and I shed many a tear saying goodbye to Lindy. Thankfully we had a few more days with Rodney and Emily from tour so I wasn't a complete mess. Later that night I marvelled at how fantastic a warm bath, a big bed and a TV can be after being without all three for two months. I was very glad that we stayed a few suburbs away from the waterfront - we had a sense of seeing the real cape town, not what is put on show for tourists. That first night I slept like a log beside my darling Bernard, a very happy and content girl.
Christmas in Cape Town
The days flew by in Cape Town. The first day we spent the day with Emily - we went up table mountain because the weather was clear, and bumped into nearly everyone else from tour but went our own way once we came back down the mountain. The view from the top is amazing, but I think other vistas of Cape Town are more spectacular simply because they have the mountain itself in view. We had a lovely seafood lunch - (wonderfully large portions in South Africa) then tried to get an appointment for a pedicure (for Emily & I, not Bernard of course) but ended up giving up and going into back to the Waterfront so we could watch the latest Harry Potter movie. I am particularly pleased I got to see it on the big screen in all its glory, though I am terribly impatient for the final installment. I wonder where I'll be for that one? Later Bernard joined us at the waterfront and we had a lovely dinner.
The next day we had toddled off around the corner to do some laundry, relaxed for a bit, and then met Rod and Emily to go to Robbin Island, the island that was used during Apartheid era as a place to hold political prisoners. The view of Cape Town on the ferry was pretty and the tour itself was fantastic. The first section we were taken around the island on a bus, visiting various places of importance, and then finally taken through the prison by an ex-inmate. Being in the prison was one thing - it was pretty amazing the conditions that people endured: sleeping on tiled floors during very cold winters. However it wasn't seeing Mandela's cell that was the highlight, after all its just a small space with very little in it - it was the perspective we obtained from our guides that made Robbin Island a worthwhile place to visit. After a great day we went off for a drink at Buena Vista Social Club (I had two excellent martinis) then Em & I shared a bottle of bubbles over dinner. A truly great day to spend with great people.
We spent the next day arranging for a box to be sent back to Australia with some of our purchases accumulated during the months - what a drama that had become during our trip. We were quoted 600USD through to an impossible 1100USD. In the end it worked out OK (and thanks Jen) with a very reasonable 300USD for a whole suitcase of things. For lunch we met up with Emily to say our farewells, and as you can well expect by now I was a bit of a mess but being Christmas and all the shenanigans happening with snow I was actually pleased that Emily was going home to be with her family (which thankfully she arrived without any problems). The next day we spent shopping (I bought sexy new jeans!) and on Christmas eve we visited the Cape of Good Hope on the Baz Bus. The day trip was fantastic, visiting penguins, cycling for a bit, and walking to different aspects of the Cape. However I got incredibly sunburnt and later that evening wanted nothing better then to sit down with 2 litres of water, a bottle of aloe vera, a glass of rose, and a few slices of cheesy pizza. Which is exactly what I did.
When getting the pizza we realised that two blocks from our guest house the convent hosts catholic mass services in the chapel - so rather than go to midnight mass, I woke up the next day and went to mass in a small and personal chapel. It was a wonderful start to Christmas day. I spoke to many friends and family in the morning, packed our backpacks and then was pleased to have Rodney over to our place for a relaxing afternoon. We grazed on tapas style food and drank slowly all afternoon by the pool with views of table mountain. We sat in the shade, moving our chairs to avoid the sun accordingly. It really was a delightful way to spend Christmas and our final day in Africa. The next morning we caught our taxi at 6am and headed off to airport to embark on our next part of the journey - South America…..
The next day we had toddled off around the corner to do some laundry, relaxed for a bit, and then met Rod and Emily to go to Robbin Island, the island that was used during Apartheid era as a place to hold political prisoners. The view of Cape Town on the ferry was pretty and the tour itself was fantastic. The first section we were taken around the island on a bus, visiting various places of importance, and then finally taken through the prison by an ex-inmate. Being in the prison was one thing - it was pretty amazing the conditions that people endured: sleeping on tiled floors during very cold winters. However it wasn't seeing Mandela's cell that was the highlight, after all its just a small space with very little in it - it was the perspective we obtained from our guides that made Robbin Island a worthwhile place to visit. After a great day we went off for a drink at Buena Vista Social Club (I had two excellent martinis) then Em & I shared a bottle of bubbles over dinner. A truly great day to spend with great people.
We spent the next day arranging for a box to be sent back to Australia with some of our purchases accumulated during the months - what a drama that had become during our trip. We were quoted 600USD through to an impossible 1100USD. In the end it worked out OK (and thanks Jen) with a very reasonable 300USD for a whole suitcase of things. For lunch we met up with Emily to say our farewells, and as you can well expect by now I was a bit of a mess but being Christmas and all the shenanigans happening with snow I was actually pleased that Emily was going home to be with her family (which thankfully she arrived without any problems). The next day we spent shopping (I bought sexy new jeans!) and on Christmas eve we visited the Cape of Good Hope on the Baz Bus. The day trip was fantastic, visiting penguins, cycling for a bit, and walking to different aspects of the Cape. However I got incredibly sunburnt and later that evening wanted nothing better then to sit down with 2 litres of water, a bottle of aloe vera, a glass of rose, and a few slices of cheesy pizza. Which is exactly what I did.
When getting the pizza we realised that two blocks from our guest house the convent hosts catholic mass services in the chapel - so rather than go to midnight mass, I woke up the next day and went to mass in a small and personal chapel. It was a wonderful start to Christmas day. I spoke to many friends and family in the morning, packed our backpacks and then was pleased to have Rodney over to our place for a relaxing afternoon. We grazed on tapas style food and drank slowly all afternoon by the pool with views of table mountain. We sat in the shade, moving our chairs to avoid the sun accordingly. It really was a delightful way to spend Christmas and our final day in Africa. The next morning we caught our taxi at 6am and headed off to airport to embark on our next part of the journey - South America…..
Sunday 19 December 2010
Botswana, Chobe NP and the Delta
I realise that way back when I didn't blog to update about the other 16 passengers that we were travelling with from Nairobi – I only realise this because at Livingstone most of us split into different journeys – most to Jo'burg, and only eight of us to Cape Town. Leaving Livingstone was difficult, saying farewell to fellow passengers whom we had come to know so well, getting used to a completely different set of passengers, more laissez-faire and interested in spending time at the bar.
So the first few days of the next leg Bernard and I had to pull ourselves up from our bootstraps and find some renewed enthusiasm for our trip. Arrival in Botswana was great from a game spotting perspective – the river cruise down the Chobe River presented numerous birdlife, crocs and hippos. We managed to see a number of pods, captured the hippo “yawn” and even saw some of the hippos fighting with each other.
By the time we arrived in Maun to visit the Okanvango Delta we were getting our groove back. The Delta was very full for this time of year and we had a fantastic day bush camping getting to and from the island campsite in Mokoros – boats carved out of local trees (Bernard and I got a fibreglass Mokoro, more sturdy and less likely to leak). We lathered ourself in factor 50 in an attempt to not be fried by the sun (I'm very sensitive to the sun at the moment). We did nature walks which were pleasurable if uneventful – a torrential thunderstorm swept through the Delta the night we were there – Bernard and I both awoke moments before the storm to close the windows to our tents. The morning walk the air smelt of wild sage and wet grass – intoxicatingly refreshing.
We spent the next day in Maun, not having to set up our tent because we upgraded. The old and new passengers were getting used to each other and relaxing that bit more. We had lunch with another couple from our trip and relaxed by the pool while everyone else flew over the Delta. It was a good day, so great to have a quiet moment away from tour. We got our groove back, looking forward to Namibia and counting down the days to Cape Town.
So the first few days of the next leg Bernard and I had to pull ourselves up from our bootstraps and find some renewed enthusiasm for our trip. Arrival in Botswana was great from a game spotting perspective – the river cruise down the Chobe River presented numerous birdlife, crocs and hippos. We managed to see a number of pods, captured the hippo “yawn” and even saw some of the hippos fighting with each other.
By the time we arrived in Maun to visit the Okanvango Delta we were getting our groove back. The Delta was very full for this time of year and we had a fantastic day bush camping getting to and from the island campsite in Mokoros – boats carved out of local trees (Bernard and I got a fibreglass Mokoro, more sturdy and less likely to leak). We lathered ourself in factor 50 in an attempt to not be fried by the sun (I'm very sensitive to the sun at the moment). We did nature walks which were pleasurable if uneventful – a torrential thunderstorm swept through the Delta the night we were there – Bernard and I both awoke moments before the storm to close the windows to our tents. The morning walk the air smelt of wild sage and wet grass – intoxicatingly refreshing.
We spent the next day in Maun, not having to set up our tent because we upgraded. The old and new passengers were getting used to each other and relaxing that bit more. We had lunch with another couple from our trip and relaxed by the pool while everyone else flew over the Delta. It was a good day, so great to have a quiet moment away from tour. We got our groove back, looking forward to Namibia and counting down the days to Cape Town.
Namibia - the bushman and Etosha
Not quite in Namibia, we spent a night at Ghanzi on the Botswana border so we could do a tour with the Bushman (tribe of short nomadic people who make clicking noises when they communicate – aka the tribe in The Gods Must Be Crazy). It was a fantastic tour – only an hour and a half, but they were so relaxed, informative and chatting to each other in their unique way – all of us were captivated by these remarkable people.
That night we camped with the window flaps completely open, falling asleep gazing at the stars. After a long travel day we arrived at Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and were blown away by being back in the west and suddenly becoming invisible. For the first time in seven weeks I was no longer a Mzungu, but one of the many white people shopping in town. I observed a 40:60 white/black split, and I can't quite convey how it feels to suddenly be surrounded by western shops and westerners. We went out to Joe's Beer House and ate Gemsbock (Oryx), Zebra, Kudu, Ostrich and Crocodile. My tummy rebelled from having so much red meat and despite a lovely night out, I spent most of the night and next few days as my body tried to find its equilibrium.
The next day we travelled to Etosha National Park. It was the dry season and very hot - though our game spotting wasn't fantastic, we did see lions up close and black rhino. The highlight was the camp site's very own lookout onto a water hole. During the day some of the larger animals like elephant visited the waterhole, but at night you could see a vast number of rhino, springbok, gemsbok, and jackal. And the sound of lions communicating to each other when they are close to camp can be quite unnerving. During the day when it was exceptionally hot we relaxed like kings beside the pool enjoying an Callipo, cold drink and pints and pints of water.
That night we camped with the window flaps completely open, falling asleep gazing at the stars. After a long travel day we arrived at Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and were blown away by being back in the west and suddenly becoming invisible. For the first time in seven weeks I was no longer a Mzungu, but one of the many white people shopping in town. I observed a 40:60 white/black split, and I can't quite convey how it feels to suddenly be surrounded by western shops and westerners. We went out to Joe's Beer House and ate Gemsbock (Oryx), Zebra, Kudu, Ostrich and Crocodile. My tummy rebelled from having so much red meat and despite a lovely night out, I spent most of the night and next few days as my body tried to find its equilibrium.
The next day we travelled to Etosha National Park. It was the dry season and very hot - though our game spotting wasn't fantastic, we did see lions up close and black rhino. The highlight was the camp site's very own lookout onto a water hole. During the day some of the larger animals like elephant visited the waterhole, but at night you could see a vast number of rhino, springbok, gemsbok, and jackal. And the sound of lions communicating to each other when they are close to camp can be quite unnerving. During the day when it was exceptionally hot we relaxed like kings beside the pool enjoying an Callipo, cold drink and pints and pints of water.
Namibia - landscapes and adrenaline thrills
Departing Etosha we headed to the amazing Skizkoppe for a night of bush camping (no showers or toilets) - perhaps the best place for photographs on tour to date, both Bernard and I marvelled at the landscape at dusk and then the spectacular star gazing once the sun went down. A fellow traveller started playing guitar and I couldn't help but sing along and was amounts the last to go to bed at 11pm - an unprecedented event on tour to date. The next day we arrived in Swakopmund for a few days of adrenaline seeking adventure. I signed myself up for skydiving immediately though it was cloudy the weather cleared within an hour and we were all clear to dive later that afternoon. Skydiving was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I squealed with delight on the way down - the sensation of falling out of the plane is addictive - I could seriously do that time and time again.
Later that evening we all went out for dinner and drinks - I of course couldn't wipe the smile off my face. The next day we had a bit of a lie in, spent time on web getting organised for next phase of travel in South America, then headed out to go quad biking on the sand dunes. It was an adventure that's for sure. Its been an age since I was on a motorcycle and I started out a little rusty. Bernard's speed comfort threshold was particularly low and unfortunately the guide didn't do a good job of catering for him when he should have. For the first half hour Bernard and I were at the back of the group whilst the other five were in front. One of the girls out front into a corner too fast and fell down a very steep sand dune and had to be evacuated and taken to hospital. Bernard returned with the guide very dissatisfied with the whole thing - I thought we were all turning back so i was waiting for the others to go in front, before I realised that actually the rest of us were continuing on the excursion.
At first I was guilty, continuing when I really ought to go back. So there I was, the lone female with the rest of the boys. But then there was little I could do about it so I decided to enjoy every last minute. I was an absolute hoon going as fast on the dunes as my comfort would allow, and I was very fast and confident on the bike - earning shedloads of respect from the boys. If only Bernard had had such a rewarding time on the bikes as I had and that our fellow traveller Izzy hadn't hurt herself. Later we found out that Izzy walked away with a punctured lung - that's all - which was lucky given how bad the early prognosis looked. But upon leaving Swakopmund we were down 2 passengers (Izzy & her mate Karen) which was quite a shame - I enjoyed their company immensely.
Later that evening we all went out for dinner and drinks - I of course couldn't wipe the smile off my face. The next day we had a bit of a lie in, spent time on web getting organised for next phase of travel in South America, then headed out to go quad biking on the sand dunes. It was an adventure that's for sure. Its been an age since I was on a motorcycle and I started out a little rusty. Bernard's speed comfort threshold was particularly low and unfortunately the guide didn't do a good job of catering for him when he should have. For the first half hour Bernard and I were at the back of the group whilst the other five were in front. One of the girls out front into a corner too fast and fell down a very steep sand dune and had to be evacuated and taken to hospital. Bernard returned with the guide very dissatisfied with the whole thing - I thought we were all turning back so i was waiting for the others to go in front, before I realised that actually the rest of us were continuing on the excursion.
At first I was guilty, continuing when I really ought to go back. So there I was, the lone female with the rest of the boys. But then there was little I could do about it so I decided to enjoy every last minute. I was an absolute hoon going as fast on the dunes as my comfort would allow, and I was very fast and confident on the bike - earning shedloads of respect from the boys. If only Bernard had had such a rewarding time on the bikes as I had and that our fellow traveller Izzy hadn't hurt herself. Later we found out that Izzy walked away with a punctured lung - that's all - which was lucky given how bad the early prognosis looked. But upon leaving Swakopmund we were down 2 passengers (Izzy & her mate Karen) which was quite a shame - I enjoyed their company immensely.
Namibia - ruggest landscapes part II
Namibia has impressed me very much - a number of our newer traveling companions not so much, but I hope that when I look back on Namibia it will be the landscape and its wildness that will linger in my memory, not the cumulative impact of traveling with people who you don't particularly gel with. We spent the night at Serisem camp site, in Namib desert to wake early and walk on the huge bright red dunes to watch the sunrise. The camp site was impressive and we had another spectacular sunset and star gazing opportunity and the night was particularly cold. We awoke at 4am and were on the truck to walk up the dunes at 5.30am. The dunes were very high and it was quite an effort walking up the steep ridges - Bernard felt more comfortable on the ground and took some amazing shots whilst I spent the morning on the top of the dune marveling at the wonders of the world.
After breakfast we were taken on a tour further into the desert - and ironically we were freezing cold rather than hot - we managed to arrive on one of the 15 days that the desert is covered in a thick fog. It made the walk pleasant but the drive into the desert unpleasantly cold. Our guide Buismen was an amazing man who knew the desert inside out - he showed us wildlife that lives happily in the desert, we saw the petrified forrest with trees over 900 years old, and he even encouraged us to run down the steep slope of the sand dune by throwing himself face first down the dune on his tummy - quite impressive for a man in his forties.
We left the desert for our camp on route to Fish River canyon, the second largest (not necessarily deepest) after the Grand Canyon. The Canyon was impressive but unfortunately our photos don't really do the place justice - the horizon was covered in a haze of dust - but it was lovely walking along the canyon edge (Bernard and I hung back to allow others to go out early) and it felt like we were alone which was equally lovely. We watched the sun set over the canyon whilst drinking some wine and returned to camp eager for an early night. The next day we headed to South Africa - only a few days left on our tour.
After breakfast we were taken on a tour further into the desert - and ironically we were freezing cold rather than hot - we managed to arrive on one of the 15 days that the desert is covered in a thick fog. It made the walk pleasant but the drive into the desert unpleasantly cold. Our guide Buismen was an amazing man who knew the desert inside out - he showed us wildlife that lives happily in the desert, we saw the petrified forrest with trees over 900 years old, and he even encouraged us to run down the steep slope of the sand dune by throwing himself face first down the dune on his tummy - quite impressive for a man in his forties.
We left the desert for our camp on route to Fish River canyon, the second largest (not necessarily deepest) after the Grand Canyon. The Canyon was impressive but unfortunately our photos don't really do the place justice - the horizon was covered in a haze of dust - but it was lovely walking along the canyon edge (Bernard and I hung back to allow others to go out early) and it felt like we were alone which was equally lovely. We watched the sun set over the canyon whilst drinking some wine and returned to camp eager for an early night. The next day we headed to South Africa - only a few days left on our tour.
Thursday 2 December 2010
Zambia – Livingstone, White Water Rafting, and the Devil's Pools.
The past few days have gone by in a whirl. We spent a day in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia before making our way to Livingstone, where we have been for the past four nights. Today our trip goes in different directions – 8 of us go on to Cape Town, whilst the rest go to Jo'burg or Botswana directly. Therefore its been a pretty intense period of bonding for us all. First day 19 of us went white water rafting together down the Zambezi river. I have wanted to muster up the courage to go white water rafting so many times during my past six years travelling the world. Every time I never made it – until now. I was terrified – after all I was going down one of the best rafting sites in the world with at least 3 Grade 5 rapids – I was crying after the safety talk and pretty much the entire truck ride from camp to the start of the rapids. The leader of the tour said to me very early on that I'm with him – and I think everyone knew that whichever raft I was going to be in was going to be the most conservative ride of the day. That said, there's only so much a guide can do to prevent you from flipping on some of the bigger rapids. Bernard went overboard on a Grade 4 rapid fairly early on but apart from that the raft didn't flip at all – though there were a number of times where we were extremely close to flipping and we were holding on the side rope for dear life. It was fun, lots of fun, but the photos are quite amusing because I don't think I am smiling in any of them. I look terrified!
I got horribly sunburnt on my legs despite regular application of 50+ sunblock. I think the doxy tablets have made my skin extremely sensitive to the sun. I spent much of the next day relaxing applying aloe vera cream to my legs. Later that evening we had a sunset (booze) cruise and I managed to be the entertainment for the night dancing up a storm until I hit my “time for bed” moment and Bernard very kindly escorted me back to the room. Yes, we upgraded for the night – wasn't it heavenly the next day to have a hangover from hell and at least have the comfort of an ensuite bathroom and a comfortable bed to lie on until the early hours of the afternoon.
We visited Livingstone island and the Devil's Pools at the Royal Livingstone Hotel. We literally went out on a boat to the island that Livingstone visited when he was first shown the falls by the locals. We went to a couple of vantage points then swam out to a pool that literally sits within the falls themselves and spent about 10 minutes enjoying the view (and the fish nibbling at our feet) before settling in for some afternoon tea. We were escorted back to the hotel and I then got myself a Martini to enjoy whilst watching the sunset and the hippos come out to graze for the night. Twas marvellous day out and one of the highlights of my trip.
Zambia – or Livingstone in particular has been absolutely amazing and I would recommend anyone come and visit – and if your budget can stretch to the $800 a night rooms for the Royal Livingstone, then I'm sure you'll have the time of your life!!!
I got horribly sunburnt on my legs despite regular application of 50+ sunblock. I think the doxy tablets have made my skin extremely sensitive to the sun. I spent much of the next day relaxing applying aloe vera cream to my legs. Later that evening we had a sunset (booze) cruise and I managed to be the entertainment for the night dancing up a storm until I hit my “time for bed” moment and Bernard very kindly escorted me back to the room. Yes, we upgraded for the night – wasn't it heavenly the next day to have a hangover from hell and at least have the comfort of an ensuite bathroom and a comfortable bed to lie on until the early hours of the afternoon.
We visited Livingstone island and the Devil's Pools at the Royal Livingstone Hotel. We literally went out on a boat to the island that Livingstone visited when he was first shown the falls by the locals. We went to a couple of vantage points then swam out to a pool that literally sits within the falls themselves and spent about 10 minutes enjoying the view (and the fish nibbling at our feet) before settling in for some afternoon tea. We were escorted back to the hotel and I then got myself a Martini to enjoy whilst watching the sunset and the hippos come out to graze for the night. Twas marvellous day out and one of the highlights of my trip.
Zambia – or Livingstone in particular has been absolutely amazing and I would recommend anyone come and visit – and if your budget can stretch to the $800 a night rooms for the Royal Livingstone, then I'm sure you'll have the time of your life!!!
Small but significant signs of corruption
Everyone knows that things are done slightly differently in Africa. After all, it is what Mark, our tour leader/truck driver continually says, “ TIA people, TIA”. TIA = This Is Africa. At first there is a small trickle of innocent signs of corruption – especially in Uganda. To see the Gorillas we used a local “fixer” to get us there. An efficient way for us to navigate very tricky physical terrain and local red-tape. However, the fixer was subsequently paid a commission by any person who earned money off us 7 mzungus – whether he was involved in the arrangements or not. It felt entirely wrong – this arrogant man taking money off people – because they think he did this great deed bringing a group of white people to their country. What they don't know is that mzungu come to Africa in droves and are limited only by the number of permits the Government issue. These fixers take advantage of their fellow countrymen's naivety, people who work hard and are grateful for whatever work they can get.
But in Tanzania the corruption was more blatant – officials pulling over trucks without cause, making up reasons for why they are pulled over, and making up arbitrary fines that are to be paid in cash on the spot. Mark and Lindy are savvy and level-headed in those circumstances and have so far avoided having to be paid such “fines”. In Zanzibar officials on the road would pull over our taxi and demand that the taxi driver give the official his 1.5L bottle of water. Just like that. One one particular stretch our driver got pulled over more than once and each time the official asked for water. One particular time the taxi driver had to buy a packet of cigarettes and put a nominal amount of money in the cigarette packet for the official.
As a traveller I find myself trying not to pass judgement – things are not right or wrong – its just as they are. I know fully well that corruption is alive and well in the West – its just that however small signs of corruption can significantly affect the wellbeing of those who struggle each day living below the poverty line.
But in Tanzania the corruption was more blatant – officials pulling over trucks without cause, making up reasons for why they are pulled over, and making up arbitrary fines that are to be paid in cash on the spot. Mark and Lindy are savvy and level-headed in those circumstances and have so far avoided having to be paid such “fines”. In Zanzibar officials on the road would pull over our taxi and demand that the taxi driver give the official his 1.5L bottle of water. Just like that. One one particular stretch our driver got pulled over more than once and each time the official asked for water. One particular time the taxi driver had to buy a packet of cigarettes and put a nominal amount of money in the cigarette packet for the official.
As a traveller I find myself trying not to pass judgement – things are not right or wrong – its just as they are. I know fully well that corruption is alive and well in the West – its just that however small signs of corruption can significantly affect the wellbeing of those who struggle each day living below the poverty line.
Restful days on Lake Malawi
Yesterday was a brilliant day at Kande beach. In the morning we went to a children's centre started by a women from Geelong. The centre supports very young children ensuring that each child has one solid meal a day and a time to engage in play. The centre was amazing fun dancing with the children and playing games. We donated lots of pencils and other goods such as baby formula as there is a particular problem with children being either orphaned or unable to breastfeed and mothers simply being unable to afford any formula. After a few hours at the centre we came back to camp, had lunch then I went off horse riding. Expensive, but really good fun.
My gorgeous light grey horse, Clover, was the matriarch of the bunch, and I had a jolly hard time stopping her from eating along the course – she loves mangos and ate a dozen along the way. I wasn't confident enough to go with the more advanced riders – good thing too because they did a spot of galloping at one point. But as I had ridden previously I was able to lead the less advanced riders – however Clover wanted to go for a run when she heard other horses galloping, so it was quite an effort holding her back. We did a bit of trotting which I handled really well, but the highlight was riding bareback into the water with the horses. SO much fun – Clover was a great horse, she responded well to my commands to speed up, slow down and stop eating.
In the evening we had a Shashe wedding. Andrew and Francy are on tour on their honeymoon so Mark & Lindy decided to host a wedding reception for them. We all got two garbage bags to turn into our attire, and Bec and I turned a few rolls of white toilet paper into a delightful bridal outfit for Francy. The ceremony was a hoot, the food delicious, the punch lethal. We all stayed out to the early hours revelling and there were many a sore head this morning. This morning's fry up was well received by all.
Today has been monsoonal weather – ridiculously hot all morning – I was sweating beyond belief at 8am, simply unable to stay in my tent any longer. By 9.00am the heaven's opened with a pretty spectacular storm and it rained til well after lunch. Everyone hibernating in their tents, the truck or in the bar.
My gorgeous light grey horse, Clover, was the matriarch of the bunch, and I had a jolly hard time stopping her from eating along the course – she loves mangos and ate a dozen along the way. I wasn't confident enough to go with the more advanced riders – good thing too because they did a spot of galloping at one point. But as I had ridden previously I was able to lead the less advanced riders – however Clover wanted to go for a run when she heard other horses galloping, so it was quite an effort holding her back. We did a bit of trotting which I handled really well, but the highlight was riding bareback into the water with the horses. SO much fun – Clover was a great horse, she responded well to my commands to speed up, slow down and stop eating.
In the evening we had a Shashe wedding. Andrew and Francy are on tour on their honeymoon so Mark & Lindy decided to host a wedding reception for them. We all got two garbage bags to turn into our attire, and Bec and I turned a few rolls of white toilet paper into a delightful bridal outfit for Francy. The ceremony was a hoot, the food delicious, the punch lethal. We all stayed out to the early hours revelling and there were many a sore head this morning. This morning's fry up was well received by all.
Today has been monsoonal weather – ridiculously hot all morning – I was sweating beyond belief at 8am, simply unable to stay in my tent any longer. By 9.00am the heaven's opened with a pretty spectacular storm and it rained til well after lunch. Everyone hibernating in their tents, the truck or in the bar.
Zanzibar to Lake Malawi
Zanzibar was just amazing. We had two wonderful days on the beach and could easily have spent a handful more (though thankfully for our bank balance we didn't). We went to stone town, did a spice tour and it was fantastic to see the raw products of so many things I use in my cooking on a daily basis. Seeing the slave market was interesting, but a shame the site isn't being invested in an maintained as a sight of such importance in Zanzibar's history. But it was being in stone town for “Eid al-Adha” has been a real highlight of my tour thus far. We were at the night market after having a few drinks during sunset at Africa house when we discovered masses of people dressed up in their brightest and beautiful attire celebrating together in the square. Such a family friendly atmosphere – children were running about, playing and making that wonderful sound that kids make when they are happy. The colour – the women wore such beautiful attire – I am so disappointed with my photos – so I'll have to make a conscious effort to keep the colours vivid in my memory. The food was amazing – locals and foreigners eating in droves from the market stalls. I had a Zanzibar pizza and a falafel which were both pretty amazing. Afterwards Bernard and I retired early to the hotel room and fell asleep whilst watching Kung Fu Panda on his laptop. It was a pretty blissful day.
The next day we went back to Dar Es Salam in the most impossible humidity I have ever experienced. The entire bus didn't sleep well that night at all – no relief from the heat in our tents – we were all up before the call to prayer – tired and extremely grumpy. We drove over twelve hours that day to a farm house half way between Dar & Lake Malawi. The farm house was a big estate that grew all types of produce. Bernard and I upgraded and slept a blissful sleep in our hut. It was the cruelest thing Mark & Lindy have done to us thus far on tour – making us wake up at 5am and leave the comfort of those beds!!!
Yesterday after another relatively long day and a border crossing we arrived at Lake Malawi. Bernard and I bought a Malawi table. I found the one I liked and Bernard was responsible for the haggling. He was at a stalemate with the man for nearly half an hour – Bernard sent me away within three minutes because my haggling technique wasn't good enough! I slept relatively well last night and we are now at Kande beach and will be here for a few days longer. My tummy has been (touch wood – a lot of wood) really good this week. A full week happiness it has been. My mood is fabulous at the moment. We're half way into our stay in Africa and I'm feeling good, so its not a bad way to be at all.
The next day we went back to Dar Es Salam in the most impossible humidity I have ever experienced. The entire bus didn't sleep well that night at all – no relief from the heat in our tents – we were all up before the call to prayer – tired and extremely grumpy. We drove over twelve hours that day to a farm house half way between Dar & Lake Malawi. The farm house was a big estate that grew all types of produce. Bernard and I upgraded and slept a blissful sleep in our hut. It was the cruelest thing Mark & Lindy have done to us thus far on tour – making us wake up at 5am and leave the comfort of those beds!!!
Yesterday after another relatively long day and a border crossing we arrived at Lake Malawi. Bernard and I bought a Malawi table. I found the one I liked and Bernard was responsible for the haggling. He was at a stalemate with the man for nearly half an hour – Bernard sent me away within three minutes because my haggling technique wasn't good enough! I slept relatively well last night and we are now at Kande beach and will be here for a few days longer. My tummy has been (touch wood – a lot of wood) really good this week. A full week happiness it has been. My mood is fabulous at the moment. We're half way into our stay in Africa and I'm feeling good, so its not a bad way to be at all.
Wednesday 17 November 2010
Zanzibar - getting there and the beaches
Its been a wonderful few days, soaking up the sunshine on a beach in Zanzibar. Its been the first day in about eight days where my tummy feels fine without any medical intervention. To say that I've been pushed outside my comfort levels with regards to my digestive system this past fortnight is somewhat of an understatement. But I don't think its food related per say, but rather camping for four weeks on a thin mattress, enduring very long and bumpy roads, getting used to new foods and drinks, and of course the trauma of anti-malaria tablets that have caused most individuals on tour incredible havoc to their digestive system.
So today, having slept in on a wonderful king size bed, with ensuite, air-conditioning and a stone's throw from the beach has been rather blissful. Zanzibar couldn't be further away from the Serengeti if it tried. The island has its own distinct feel, the expanse of white beaches are intoxicating but cause havoc on white skin that doesn't have an appropriate base layer. Almost everyone who went out into the ocean today got horribly sunburnt despite the rigorous application of sunscreen. I of course, did not burn to a crisp, but that's probably because I spent a great amount of the day enjoying the view from under layers of clothing and a shade umbrella, rather than sunbathing or snorkelling. Similarly, Bernard also emerged relatively unscathed. We are among the few who also apply 50plus sunscreen - one of those few occasions where the higher factor clearly has a greater impact.
So since last entry we have gone from Arusha to Zanziabar. Big driving days, big distances, broken up with a few rest days along the way. We did indeed view Kili on our way past Moshi. I was the most vigilant on the bus - spending an entire half hour waiting for Kili to come into view pre-and post Moshi- we didn't see a complete view, but when the ice-capped areas came into view I squealed with delight and the rest of the truck knew that the "Roof of Africa" had come into view. My pictures are not impressive to say the least, but I spent an age trying desperately to get a shot of the iconic mountain. Fabulous stuff. The scenery around Tanzania is pretty amazing. The majority of the drive from Moshi to Dar Es Salam was flanked by a monstrous escarpment with bushes growing that look like pineapples but clearly were not. We found out later that this is the plant that makes hessian. Our first night on camp towards Zanzibar the heavens opened and I fell asleep to heavy rain droplets falling on our tent. It was a relatively blissful sleep that night. Bernard however, woke up with a wet bottom of sleeping bag, one of the pitfalls of being a tall - his head and feet hit both edges of the tent.
We eventually arrived to Dar Es Salam (Dar) and its infamous traffic. We got stopped at a traffic light for an age to allow a motorcade go through with some official, whether it was the president or not I'm not sure. The camp site was fabulous, on the ocean with a fabulous beach. We were awoken at 4.15am by the call to prayer from a number of local mosques. It was a unique experience to be awoken in such a manner. Luckily enough we had to be on the road by 6am so the wake-up call was relatively pleasant. Many who have spent time in Muslim countries will know what the sound is like - I can honestly say, hand on heart, that the chant sounded to me like... "Mmwwahhh Lizzzzz wake up - Lllllliiiizzzz - wake up....."
Crossed the ferry to Zanzibar and have spent a few days in heaven in a beautiful room with four poster bed and view of the ocean. Today we made our way to a turtle colony during high tide, and had to carry our non-waterproof items high above our heads as we walked along the shoreline that might have been submerged at one point all the way to our neck. It was fantastic. I was extremely nervous along the way but it was one hell of an adventure. I have spent t a few hours catching up on internet access - found out my father is doing extremely poorly so I sent you a thousand well wishes Papa smurf. Otherwise, all is well for Bernard and I. Tomorrow we head into Stone Town to visit the historic spice area as well as the slave market and the night market. I'm pretty excited but am also sad to be leaving such paradise.
I think of people back home, wherever you are. Its been a month since I left the UK - how quickly time flies. Its also approaching Christmas and yet it doesn't feel like Christmas at all - it just isn't the same in southern hemisphere climates. I am looking forward to Cape Town considerably - even though there are bunches of fun stuff to happen before then. I have decided to go Skydiving in Namibia - though this may increase the blood pressure of my mother tremendously!!! I will also be going Gorge Swinging and White Water Rafting in Livingstone NP in Zambia.
So today, having slept in on a wonderful king size bed, with ensuite, air-conditioning and a stone's throw from the beach has been rather blissful. Zanzibar couldn't be further away from the Serengeti if it tried. The island has its own distinct feel, the expanse of white beaches are intoxicating but cause havoc on white skin that doesn't have an appropriate base layer. Almost everyone who went out into the ocean today got horribly sunburnt despite the rigorous application of sunscreen. I of course, did not burn to a crisp, but that's probably because I spent a great amount of the day enjoying the view from under layers of clothing and a shade umbrella, rather than sunbathing or snorkelling. Similarly, Bernard also emerged relatively unscathed. We are among the few who also apply 50plus sunscreen - one of those few occasions where the higher factor clearly has a greater impact.
So since last entry we have gone from Arusha to Zanziabar. Big driving days, big distances, broken up with a few rest days along the way. We did indeed view Kili on our way past Moshi. I was the most vigilant on the bus - spending an entire half hour waiting for Kili to come into view pre-and post Moshi- we didn't see a complete view, but when the ice-capped areas came into view I squealed with delight and the rest of the truck knew that the "Roof of Africa" had come into view. My pictures are not impressive to say the least, but I spent an age trying desperately to get a shot of the iconic mountain. Fabulous stuff. The scenery around Tanzania is pretty amazing. The majority of the drive from Moshi to Dar Es Salam was flanked by a monstrous escarpment with bushes growing that look like pineapples but clearly were not. We found out later that this is the plant that makes hessian. Our first night on camp towards Zanzibar the heavens opened and I fell asleep to heavy rain droplets falling on our tent. It was a relatively blissful sleep that night. Bernard however, woke up with a wet bottom of sleeping bag, one of the pitfalls of being a tall - his head and feet hit both edges of the tent.
We eventually arrived to Dar Es Salam (Dar) and its infamous traffic. We got stopped at a traffic light for an age to allow a motorcade go through with some official, whether it was the president or not I'm not sure. The camp site was fabulous, on the ocean with a fabulous beach. We were awoken at 4.15am by the call to prayer from a number of local mosques. It was a unique experience to be awoken in such a manner. Luckily enough we had to be on the road by 6am so the wake-up call was relatively pleasant. Many who have spent time in Muslim countries will know what the sound is like - I can honestly say, hand on heart, that the chant sounded to me like... "Mmwwahhh Lizzzzz wake up - Lllllliiiizzzz - wake up....."
Crossed the ferry to Zanzibar and have spent a few days in heaven in a beautiful room with four poster bed and view of the ocean. Today we made our way to a turtle colony during high tide, and had to carry our non-waterproof items high above our heads as we walked along the shoreline that might have been submerged at one point all the way to our neck. It was fantastic. I was extremely nervous along the way but it was one hell of an adventure. I have spent t a few hours catching up on internet access - found out my father is doing extremely poorly so I sent you a thousand well wishes Papa smurf. Otherwise, all is well for Bernard and I. Tomorrow we head into Stone Town to visit the historic spice area as well as the slave market and the night market. I'm pretty excited but am also sad to be leaving such paradise.
I think of people back home, wherever you are. Its been a month since I left the UK - how quickly time flies. Its also approaching Christmas and yet it doesn't feel like Christmas at all - it just isn't the same in southern hemisphere climates. I am looking forward to Cape Town considerably - even though there are bunches of fun stuff to happen before then. I have decided to go Skydiving in Namibia - though this may increase the blood pressure of my mother tremendously!!! I will also be going Gorge Swinging and White Water Rafting in Livingstone NP in Zambia.
Arusha, the Serengeti and Ngorogoro
Shashe, our trusted Acacia Truck, has taken us considerable distances across Africa thus far, but not necessarily at considerable speeds. East African roads can be horrendously pot-holed and terribly inconsistent. I wouldn't want to commute in East Africa. On our travel day from Nairobi to Arusha, we left camp at 6.30am and already traffic into town was crawling along at a terribly slow pace. We took the road out of Nairobi that avoided the centre of town, but unfortunately we couldn't avoid the pot holes. This is now affectionately referred to be all on tour as the African massage. We thought Tanzania would be better, but we happened to get Tanzania in the middle of its road upgrade. I counted at least 10 times we diverted from the main highway onto gravel dusty roads - the worst part was a 20 km stretch of diversion at which we were only able to manage 25 km per hour!!!
Needless to say, hours later, much later than the kms on Shashe's dashboard would suggest, we arrived at Arusha. I did spend a ridiculous amount of time looking at the horizon on our drive, trying to find where Mt Kili mount be situated, but cloud cover kept Kili back that day, but we did get a partial sight of Mt Meru, which was pretty cool too. I had high expectations of Arusha, after all my darling friends Rachel & Sharon had spent well over a year supporting the local community through the Christian brother's presence there. The boys spent some time tasting the various different snack offerings and deciding whether Samba, Wow, or Champ were the best of the cheesy puff varieties!!!
Arusha was our final outpost before visiting the Serengeti and Ngorogoro crater. I may have raved about the Mara, but the Serengeti has my heart. Not nearly as exciting in terms of game viewing intensity, after all you have over 15000 square km to explore in the national park and therefore oodles more places where animals could be hiding. But is was the vast expanses, even more spectacular than the Mara in terms of scale, were simply outstanding. I sat in the front a bit beside Emmanuel, our guide, with Toto's Africa and Somewhere Over the Rainbow running in loop in my head, grinning like a fool from ear to ear. The sunsets and sunrises throw up the most spectacular colours even if my camera is unable to do them justice.
We did see a great many game as well as birds. The highlight was seeing two leopards in one day, one having just caught its Gazelle and was taking it to a safe spot to munch (it walked right past me, so close that its tail nearly grazed my hand as I was taking photos). We spent a night bush camping in the Serengeti - as a rule you must not go to the toilet on our own, and throughout the night buffalo and hyena walked amongst our tents. Thankfully the lions stayed further afield, but they could be clearly heard at night. My heart was pounding so much that I had to put ear plugs in simply to fall asleep. I needed to pee from about 4.30am but held on to it for an hour until it was time to get up - there was no way I was leaving the safety of my tent for anything!!!
It was sad that we only spent 24hours in the Serengeti - I was quite upset when I realised that was all we got - but Ngorogoro crater game viewing made up for any sadness I felt. The crater is... well I kept saying Awesome to everyone, but that's the only word I thought could do it justice. Nothing, not TV or camera can capture the magnificence of the crater from the rim. I got up early to watch the sunrise, just a shame the clouds obscured the view slightly. We saw male lions basking in the sunshine, black rhino, scavengers circling the air looking for a recent kill, and lots of other amazing sights. My favourite was watching an Ostrich (male) chase another Ostrich (female) then abruptly stop and do a dance to court the female. I caught it all on video which was magnificent timing on my behalf.
I left the crater feeling exhausted - having not slept well for a few days for fear of encountering wild animals during the night - and from having to endure extra bumpy roads in rather hot weather. I arrived back at Arusha and slept well.
Needless to say, hours later, much later than the kms on Shashe's dashboard would suggest, we arrived at Arusha. I did spend a ridiculous amount of time looking at the horizon on our drive, trying to find where Mt Kili mount be situated, but cloud cover kept Kili back that day, but we did get a partial sight of Mt Meru, which was pretty cool too. I had high expectations of Arusha, after all my darling friends Rachel & Sharon had spent well over a year supporting the local community through the Christian brother's presence there. The boys spent some time tasting the various different snack offerings and deciding whether Samba, Wow, or Champ were the best of the cheesy puff varieties!!!
Arusha was our final outpost before visiting the Serengeti and Ngorogoro crater. I may have raved about the Mara, but the Serengeti has my heart. Not nearly as exciting in terms of game viewing intensity, after all you have over 15000 square km to explore in the national park and therefore oodles more places where animals could be hiding. But is was the vast expanses, even more spectacular than the Mara in terms of scale, were simply outstanding. I sat in the front a bit beside Emmanuel, our guide, with Toto's Africa and Somewhere Over the Rainbow running in loop in my head, grinning like a fool from ear to ear. The sunsets and sunrises throw up the most spectacular colours even if my camera is unable to do them justice.
We did see a great many game as well as birds. The highlight was seeing two leopards in one day, one having just caught its Gazelle and was taking it to a safe spot to munch (it walked right past me, so close that its tail nearly grazed my hand as I was taking photos). We spent a night bush camping in the Serengeti - as a rule you must not go to the toilet on our own, and throughout the night buffalo and hyena walked amongst our tents. Thankfully the lions stayed further afield, but they could be clearly heard at night. My heart was pounding so much that I had to put ear plugs in simply to fall asleep. I needed to pee from about 4.30am but held on to it for an hour until it was time to get up - there was no way I was leaving the safety of my tent for anything!!!
It was sad that we only spent 24hours in the Serengeti - I was quite upset when I realised that was all we got - but Ngorogoro crater game viewing made up for any sadness I felt. The crater is... well I kept saying Awesome to everyone, but that's the only word I thought could do it justice. Nothing, not TV or camera can capture the magnificence of the crater from the rim. I got up early to watch the sunrise, just a shame the clouds obscured the view slightly. We saw male lions basking in the sunshine, black rhino, scavengers circling the air looking for a recent kill, and lots of other amazing sights. My favourite was watching an Ostrich (male) chase another Ostrich (female) then abruptly stop and do a dance to court the female. I caught it all on video which was magnificent timing on my behalf.
I left the crater feeling exhausted - having not slept well for a few days for fear of encountering wild animals during the night - and from having to endure extra bumpy roads in rather hot weather. I arrived back at Arusha and slept well.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
The Maasai Mara
Africa is so surreal - you can be driving along in pastures that looks remarkably similar to the paddocks sheep used to graze in our farm. I could be on a farm in Australia I thought to myself. Little did I know that two minutes later, we would come across two Cheetah that have just killed and feasted on a Gazelle and are moving away fast before the other bigger scavengers smell the carcass. Moments after we'd stumble across a pride of Lions resting at the base of a tree.
So there I was, driving across the pastures that so reminded me of my childhood. However, this isn't rural NSW, its the Maasai Mara, and its all that's left of the great migration - we missed it by about two weeks - but the impact of a couple of thousand wilderbeast is clear enough - the grass is mown short and there are droppings everywhere. We arrive at the Mara river to see a great many hippos lazily basking in the sunshine, Crocodiles never far away, and a few stray Wilderbeast trying to find a suitable spot to cross.
We see herd after herd of elephants, several with quite young babies and very protective mummas. We see a great number of giraffe, and an even greater number of lion. We were fortunate enough to briefly see Hyena, ugly as they are, during the day when they are traditionally nocturnal animals. And everytime I saw a warthog I had to refrain from singing Hakunah Matata.
The Mara is a spectacular expanse where horizens are big and bold. Bernard took well over 500 photos during our three days. The rains caused us a little bother the first late afternoon drive. One of our three vehicles got bogged not far from a pride of lions, then the second vehicle also got bogged trying to pull the other out. At this point my nerves are shot and I can no longer hold back my nervous tears. I have a healthy respect for wild animals and this pushed me just a tad too far. We slip slide all over the place getting out as well as getting our view of the lions, but in the end no one was harmed, and we had such an amundance of good game viewing that this early mishap has become an amusing anecdote for all involved, nothing more.
And when you need to let nature take its course, then its better to pee and be seen, then to pee (behind a bush for example) and never be seen again!!!
I'm not sure how I felt when we interacted with the Masai. I suppose I feel a great deal of respect for these proud hard working people and that I am just another imposter interfering with their traditions - staying at a campsite that would otherwise be their grazing lands. That said, many of the women were ruthless trying to sell their wares. They can be as entrepreneural as any other African I have met thus far. We interacted with lots of boys and males who were minding their cattle. I hope that the nomadic lifestyle will still be relevant to the younger generations.
So there I was, driving across the pastures that so reminded me of my childhood. However, this isn't rural NSW, its the Maasai Mara, and its all that's left of the great migration - we missed it by about two weeks - but the impact of a couple of thousand wilderbeast is clear enough - the grass is mown short and there are droppings everywhere. We arrive at the Mara river to see a great many hippos lazily basking in the sunshine, Crocodiles never far away, and a few stray Wilderbeast trying to find a suitable spot to cross.
We see herd after herd of elephants, several with quite young babies and very protective mummas. We see a great number of giraffe, and an even greater number of lion. We were fortunate enough to briefly see Hyena, ugly as they are, during the day when they are traditionally nocturnal animals. And everytime I saw a warthog I had to refrain from singing Hakunah Matata.
The Mara is a spectacular expanse where horizens are big and bold. Bernard took well over 500 photos during our three days. The rains caused us a little bother the first late afternoon drive. One of our three vehicles got bogged not far from a pride of lions, then the second vehicle also got bogged trying to pull the other out. At this point my nerves are shot and I can no longer hold back my nervous tears. I have a healthy respect for wild animals and this pushed me just a tad too far. We slip slide all over the place getting out as well as getting our view of the lions, but in the end no one was harmed, and we had such an amundance of good game viewing that this early mishap has become an amusing anecdote for all involved, nothing more.
And when you need to let nature take its course, then its better to pee and be seen, then to pee (behind a bush for example) and never be seen again!!!
I'm not sure how I felt when we interacted with the Masai. I suppose I feel a great deal of respect for these proud hard working people and that I am just another imposter interfering with their traditions - staying at a campsite that would otherwise be their grazing lands. That said, many of the women were ruthless trying to sell their wares. They can be as entrepreneural as any other African I have met thus far. We interacted with lots of boys and males who were minding their cattle. I hope that the nomadic lifestyle will still be relevant to the younger generations.
Friday 5 November 2010
Moving on - final days of leaving the UK
Its been over two weeks since I left the UK, and I still am overwhelmed by tears when I think about the UK. Its taken me a few attempts to write this particular blog - I have written pages on the subject matter in my journal. I feel heart-broken. The sadness I feel is still immense. However upon reflection it does make sense to me. I have been in love with the UK for years, a love affair that started well into my high school years. The Tuesday before we departed the UK was one of the hardest days I've ever experienced. After a weekend of saying goodbye to friends and work colleagues then saying the final goodbye to Clare and John then the London gang...I simply couldn't cry any more tears without bringing on a serious headache. Even now I know my response is kind of nonsensical, because I will see (fingers and toes) everyone again in April 2012. Still, the intensity of what I have been feeling, this ache in my heart has definetely overwhelmed me.
However, its not all doom and gloom, and I wouldn't want you to get the idea that I am pining for London or wishing I wasn't moving back to Australia. But I do feel like I am grieving and that travelling is a beautiful soothing balm cushioning the pain so I can return to Australia with vigor and enthusiasm.
Every day I wake up and explore something new and am reminded of how lucky I am. The day with the Gorillas was one of those days - I quietly shed a tear when the hour was nearly up - it was just a once-in-a-lifetime experience - I felt awe-struck and so completely happy. Going tubing down the Nile river was another such experience - all aprehension about going white water rafting has gone after that amazing "introductary" experience to white water. At Nakuru - Days1&2 of tour I got to see so many animals - Giraffe, Rhino, Impala, Waterbk, Water buffalo, Flamingo, Baboons, Zebras, Falcons, Eagles, Rock Hyrax, Eland, Fuinnea Foul, Vervet Monkeys, Thompson and Grants Gizelles.... Even sitting at camp in the evening around a campfire with my fellow travellers has me sitting quietly with content - I am surrounded by wonderful people, Bernard of course! I am so proud of being able to say "I'm with that big tall Mzungo" when Africans ask me what I'm doing in Africa. When we were volunteering for a charity in Jinja I was asked by all the teachers (female) how many boys Bernard and I were going to have when we get back to Australia. They were of course surprised that Bernard and I were in our thirties - by their reckoning we should have at least 3 or 4 boys by now!!!
So things are good. I am thankful for all I have. And I am thankful to be on "holiday". Travelling, for all its hardships, really can be fantastic fun.
Lots of love to family and friends, and I'll be in touch again when internet permits. L
However, its not all doom and gloom, and I wouldn't want you to get the idea that I am pining for London or wishing I wasn't moving back to Australia. But I do feel like I am grieving and that travelling is a beautiful soothing balm cushioning the pain so I can return to Australia with vigor and enthusiasm.
Every day I wake up and explore something new and am reminded of how lucky I am. The day with the Gorillas was one of those days - I quietly shed a tear when the hour was nearly up - it was just a once-in-a-lifetime experience - I felt awe-struck and so completely happy. Going tubing down the Nile river was another such experience - all aprehension about going white water rafting has gone after that amazing "introductary" experience to white water. At Nakuru - Days1&2 of tour I got to see so many animals - Giraffe, Rhino, Impala, Waterbk, Water buffalo, Flamingo, Baboons, Zebras, Falcons, Eagles, Rock Hyrax, Eland, Fuinnea Foul, Vervet Monkeys, Thompson and Grants Gizelles.... Even sitting at camp in the evening around a campfire with my fellow travellers has me sitting quietly with content - I am surrounded by wonderful people, Bernard of course! I am so proud of being able to say "I'm with that big tall Mzungo" when Africans ask me what I'm doing in Africa. When we were volunteering for a charity in Jinja I was asked by all the teachers (female) how many boys Bernard and I were going to have when we get back to Australia. They were of course surprised that Bernard and I were in our thirties - by their reckoning we should have at least 3 or 4 boys by now!!!
So things are good. I am thankful for all I have. And I am thankful to be on "holiday". Travelling, for all its hardships, really can be fantastic fun.
Lots of love to family and friends, and I'll be in touch again when internet permits. L
Initial observations of Africa
The soil is red. So incredibly red. My heart soars at the sight of it - it reminds me of Moorefield where I grew up, even through the soil is probably a little lighter in intensity. The problem is that the dust coats everything - you may think you have a great tan, but then you realise that you're simply covered in dust. When it rains and the soil turns to mud it is even more impossible - you have to scrub long and hard at your trouser legs to get those mud stains out. Suddenly I recall my mother's frustration of having to dust Moorefield (that red dust) and clean our muddy red clothes!
Nothing can quite prepare you for Africa. I am completely surprised at the inadequacy of the provision of critical infrastructure - electricity, rail, roads, sewage, running water, rubbish collection, parks and open spaces. There is real poverty in Africa. I knew this - intellectually I knew this - and I am just so surprised at how ramshackled the cities are - everything is utter chaos - the streets lined with rubbish - people live in mud huts and having to find fresh drinking water...and yet people are so lively, well dressed in their Sunday garb, full of vigor and entrepreneurial spirit. Nothing is wasted, everything is for sale, its a completely different way of life.
Yet for every person we see who working hard to improve their quality of life, there are others who exploit the mzungu (whites) - asking for money, bottles, pens, anything really. I have found that 9 times out of 10 it is boys/men ask for money, and not women. Whether thats because boys simply have more confidence to interact with mzungu, or whether girls are busy working.
Women lead long hard lives in Africa. I am humbled by them. They very seldom are resting, they are in the shops, selling their wares, in the fields, complete with young babies on their backs, they are heaving water and firewood great distances balanced carefully on their heads. They have such dignity. They look at Mzungu with curious and yet ever-so-slightly distrusting eyes. And rightly so.
The landscape is more green and lush than I was expecting - though I am travelling in the wetter part of the year. The Acacia trees are magnificent, Jacoranda trees have been in bloom so Nairobi and other cities we have visited have been covered in this lovely lilac bloom. In Uganda sugar cane plantations were in a abundance. The smell of burning sugar can fields are so distinctive. The weather can get extremely hot during the days and surprisingly cool in the evenings. My 3+ season sleeping bag has been handy indeed. And when it rains, it can be Monsoonal - I had forgotten what really heavy rainfall feels and smells like after years of gentle UK drizzle.
Nothing can quite prepare you for Africa. I am completely surprised at the inadequacy of the provision of critical infrastructure - electricity, rail, roads, sewage, running water, rubbish collection, parks and open spaces. There is real poverty in Africa. I knew this - intellectually I knew this - and I am just so surprised at how ramshackled the cities are - everything is utter chaos - the streets lined with rubbish - people live in mud huts and having to find fresh drinking water...and yet people are so lively, well dressed in their Sunday garb, full of vigor and entrepreneurial spirit. Nothing is wasted, everything is for sale, its a completely different way of life.
Yet for every person we see who working hard to improve their quality of life, there are others who exploit the mzungu (whites) - asking for money, bottles, pens, anything really. I have found that 9 times out of 10 it is boys/men ask for money, and not women. Whether thats because boys simply have more confidence to interact with mzungu, or whether girls are busy working.
Women lead long hard lives in Africa. I am humbled by them. They very seldom are resting, they are in the shops, selling their wares, in the fields, complete with young babies on their backs, they are heaving water and firewood great distances balanced carefully on their heads. They have such dignity. They look at Mzungu with curious and yet ever-so-slightly distrusting eyes. And rightly so.
The landscape is more green and lush than I was expecting - though I am travelling in the wetter part of the year. The Acacia trees are magnificent, Jacoranda trees have been in bloom so Nairobi and other cities we have visited have been covered in this lovely lilac bloom. In Uganda sugar cane plantations were in a abundance. The smell of burning sugar can fields are so distinctive. The weather can get extremely hot during the days and surprisingly cool in the evenings. My 3+ season sleeping bag has been handy indeed. And when it rains, it can be Monsoonal - I had forgotten what really heavy rainfall feels and smells like after years of gentle UK drizzle.
Our "Shashe" Acacia Tour - at a glance
Bernard and I will be spending 59 days on Shashe, our Acacia overland truck (and remember its a truck not a bus!). Shashe holds up to 24 passengers. During the past two weeks we've had the luxury of up to 10 passengers so lots of space. All of us are bracing ourselves for experience of a full truck - which we will be by Sunday this week.
Bernard and I have been impressed with the quality of the tents. We're travelling during East Africa's "Short rains" season and so far its rained nearly every day and the tents have kept us safe and dry. We have tent 663 - chosen because its in really good condition. I have locker number 11, again chosen after careful deliberation of which locker height suits me best, locker 5 didn't pass the test. I sit on the front seat on the left hand side of the vehicle. Ah, the luxury of choosing these small things before the truck gets full!!!
Mark and Lindy are our tour guides all the way to Cape Town. A gorgeous South African couple whom I already like tremendously. We have a fantastic mix of passengers so far - Emily and Lucy from the UK; Anna from Ireland (whom we all must be careful around at a bar - she's a bad influence!); Rod from the States (and the best kind of American if I do say so myself); and Perry a slightly older passenger from Canada who has come over to fulfil a lifetime dream - he makes me think of my folks quite a lot. Together we all pile onto Shashe every morning, find our seats and settle down for the day's adventure.
I have somehow appointed myself tea/coffee maker because my first priority of the morning is my cup of coffee, and last thing before bed my cup of peppermint tea. But at this stage we all pitch in with duties - I help out with cooking quite a bit - the food quality is outstanding - having a freezer on tour is helping out a lot. Bought a bottle of gin in Kampala and have been enjoying the occasional G&T in the evening. Marvellous in this tropical heat.
When the tour starts Bernard will join me in the front seat (which is the only place on the truck with ample leg room for him) but it will be a tight squeeze as the seats are VERY narrow. So imagine on those long and bumpy bus rides Lizzie and Bernard sitting lide sardines but enjoying the amazing view.
Tour started two weeks ago at Nairobi - we have spent 14 days travelling through East Kenya and Uganda. We pick up more passengers then head into our next leg in the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Zanzibar, Lake Malawi, Livingston/Vic Falls. The final leg takes us through Botswana, Namibia and ends in Cape Town.
And after 59 days of camping, Bernard and I will be enjoying a little luxury in Cape Town for Christmas. Bring it on!!!
Bernard and I have been impressed with the quality of the tents. We're travelling during East Africa's "Short rains" season and so far its rained nearly every day and the tents have kept us safe and dry. We have tent 663 - chosen because its in really good condition. I have locker number 11, again chosen after careful deliberation of which locker height suits me best, locker 5 didn't pass the test. I sit on the front seat on the left hand side of the vehicle. Ah, the luxury of choosing these small things before the truck gets full!!!
Mark and Lindy are our tour guides all the way to Cape Town. A gorgeous South African couple whom I already like tremendously. We have a fantastic mix of passengers so far - Emily and Lucy from the UK; Anna from Ireland (whom we all must be careful around at a bar - she's a bad influence!); Rod from the States (and the best kind of American if I do say so myself); and Perry a slightly older passenger from Canada who has come over to fulfil a lifetime dream - he makes me think of my folks quite a lot. Together we all pile onto Shashe every morning, find our seats and settle down for the day's adventure.
I have somehow appointed myself tea/coffee maker because my first priority of the morning is my cup of coffee, and last thing before bed my cup of peppermint tea. But at this stage we all pitch in with duties - I help out with cooking quite a bit - the food quality is outstanding - having a freezer on tour is helping out a lot. Bought a bottle of gin in Kampala and have been enjoying the occasional G&T in the evening. Marvellous in this tropical heat.
When the tour starts Bernard will join me in the front seat (which is the only place on the truck with ample leg room for him) but it will be a tight squeeze as the seats are VERY narrow. So imagine on those long and bumpy bus rides Lizzie and Bernard sitting lide sardines but enjoying the amazing view.
Tour started two weeks ago at Nairobi - we have spent 14 days travelling through East Kenya and Uganda. We pick up more passengers then head into our next leg in the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Zanzibar, Lake Malawi, Livingston/Vic Falls. The final leg takes us through Botswana, Namibia and ends in Cape Town.
And after 59 days of camping, Bernard and I will be enjoying a little luxury in Cape Town for Christmas. Bring it on!!!
Friday 13 August 2010
Preparing for travelling
I must say that I enjoy preparing for travelling almost as much as I enjoy travelling itself. There are so many things to plan, lists to make, and consideration in planning what kit one will need for a long backpacking trip. Its incredibly liberating getting back to basics and from a packing perspective, the fact that we are travelling with the summer is great – less bulky clothes and more room for an extra shirt and shorts (and I’m hoping shoes!!!). I have a make-up collection that is down to 5 items (bronzer, Touché Éclat, mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow) and have discovered the joys of Neil’s Yard rather pricey but absolutely scrumptious Rose Balm – it acts as a cleanser, toner, eye-make-up remover, exfoliator and all-purpose moisturiser. One item ladies – just one pot of loveliness will save me buckets whilst keeping my skin happy through Africa.
We have the first few months worked out in some detail. The booking part of the Africa trip is completely paid for. We head off to Kenya on 20 October. We’ll spend Christmas in Cape Town then fly to Buenos Aires on Boxing Day. Our plan is to do a 3 week language course in January. I would love to head down to the Patagonia after that, come back via Chile then head over to Brazil in February (post school holidays but pre-carnival season) but its all a bit of wait and see.
Check out our Africa itinerary at:
www.acacia-africa.com/HolidayDetails.aspx?tc=UAO58&productID=1
So when can people expect us to be back in Australia? So many people have asked and obviously we can’t really give a firm answer. I think it all depends on how we find things on the road for such an extended period, and how quickly we (well, me really) go through our cash. From a logistics point of view end Aug/early Sept 2011 makes sense. Learning from others experiences, finding work can be difficult two months before Christmas, so this will give us a few more months up our sleeve. That, and hopefully we’ll still have enough time to find a suitable wedding venue.
I guess you’ll get a sense of how we are travelling from this blog as we progress. Bernard’s blog will contain a photo for every day on our travels, which means that his will definitely contain more photos than mine, so be sure to visit both blogs.
www.looking-for-bujumbura.blogspot.com
I’ll continue to write about my experiences, doing as best as I can to bring you with us on our forthcoming journey.
We have the first few months worked out in some detail. The booking part of the Africa trip is completely paid for. We head off to Kenya on 20 October. We’ll spend Christmas in Cape Town then fly to Buenos Aires on Boxing Day. Our plan is to do a 3 week language course in January. I would love to head down to the Patagonia after that, come back via Chile then head over to Brazil in February (post school holidays but pre-carnival season) but its all a bit of wait and see.
Check out our Africa itinerary at:
www.acacia-africa.com/HolidayDetails.aspx?tc=UAO58&productID=1
So when can people expect us to be back in Australia? So many people have asked and obviously we can’t really give a firm answer. I think it all depends on how we find things on the road for such an extended period, and how quickly we (well, me really) go through our cash. From a logistics point of view end Aug/early Sept 2011 makes sense. Learning from others experiences, finding work can be difficult two months before Christmas, so this will give us a few more months up our sleeve. That, and hopefully we’ll still have enough time to find a suitable wedding venue.
I guess you’ll get a sense of how we are travelling from this blog as we progress. Bernard’s blog will contain a photo for every day on our travels, which means that his will definitely contain more photos than mine, so be sure to visit both blogs.
www.looking-for-bujumbura.blogspot.com
I’ll continue to write about my experiences, doing as best as I can to bring you with us on our forthcoming journey.
The engagement and adjusting to realities of leaving
On the engagement
But the highlight of the summer was 26 June 2010. I had been experiencing homesickness – wanting to be close to my mother whilst her mother was very ill. Under that pretext Bernard had arranged a day for me to catch up with friends. I thought nothing of it – other than he was being a splendid boyfriend and hand-on-heart I can say that I had no idea what was coming. All I knew was that I was to be at Cutty Sark DLR in Greenwich for 10.30am. The day was utterly heavenly. At each stage I met a dear friend(s) who spoilt me rotten then gave me a clue as to where I was headed next. My final destination was to be at the place where Bernard and I first met. I thought it would be pretty silly if I was meeting someone else – so surely I was meeting Bernard this time.
And there he was – hurrah! At this stage I’d had a few glasses of bubbly and a few martinis so wasn’t interested in drinking anything but water. So we sat down at the table where we had our first date. This is nice, I thought to myself. Bernard handed me a puzzle box (I already knew how to open it because he’d infuriated me the previous Christmas trying to open it) and said inside it is a symbol. I started shaking, my heart racing. I fumbled for a good minute trying to open the box. It opened, and out came a ring – not THE ring, but one of his rings. I looked at the ring. I looked at Bernard. I picked up the ring and turned to Bernard at which point he said “will you?” Suddenly Bernard found himself with a weeping Lizzie clinging onto him for dear life saying repeatedly “yes of course I will, yes yes”. After he recomposed himself (it was a little dusty in the room) he said he didn’t presume to know my taste in rings (right response) and thought that since we are going travelling that it would be best to look at rings later. I agreed wholeheartedly.
Moments later, leaving Bernard’s pint half drunk, we returned to the flat to drink some celebratory bubbly. I was laughing and crying the whole walk home. “Oh you’ve put on a spread” I exclaimed when we walked into our flat. “Hmm, that’s Julie’s handbag? Is Julie here?” Moments later I realised that we were having a party with those who took part in the day, and the tears stopped and I started partying with gusto. My apologies if you received a drunken phone call from me that night (day in Australia), but I was far too happy to contain my enthusiasm.
On adjusting to the realities of leaving
The engagement gave me a greater sense of purpose in our return to Australia. We are getting married, and at some stage buy a house (fingers and toes Pound Stirling strengthens) and start a family (God willing). Sure, the idea of finding a place to live, a job and plan a wedding within nine months of returning did initially overwhelm me. But then I figure I will be far too busy upon my return to be wistful about the UK. This has got to be a good thing. And I’ve done my research and I’ve even compiled a loose budget (my goodness weddings are expensive). We know we want a relaxed style wedding on the Victorian surf coast, and I am content that we know where to start when we get home. I can let go of any wedding anxiety and enjoy travelling.
The recent passing of my grandmother (Judy Kelly) has also had an impact on my desire to return. Many times she had been close to death during the past eighteen months – she was such a fighter that one never knew when her body would eventually force her to let go. As such it was never clear if I should fly home. There was little I could do from such a distance to support my family. I had slept poorly for nearly a week – expecting a phone call at any moment. I got that call on the Monday evening (Tues morning back home). Unable to turn off the light, unwilling to shut my eyes, I fell asleep some time near 3am in front of the TV – very unusual for me.
The next day I started writing – nothing sooths me as well as a pen and paper. In the midst of my tears and reminiscence a Eulogy emerged. I shared it with mum who in turn shared it with Grandpa. The relief I felt and peace I found when told that my uncle Paul wanted to read out my Eulogy at her funeral, was immense. On the day I would be there, in some way.
I now feel ready to go home. My heart is ready. I want to spend some real time in Australia, reconnecting with my family, getting to know Bernard’s family and friends better and mine getting to know him. Yes, there is uncertainty about career opportunities, and yes our lifestyles will be completely different to what I have known these past years. But we are safe in the knowledge that if, after twelve months living back in Australia, our hearts are ready to be back in the UK, then that’s exactly what we can do. Though it is going to be exceptionally difficult saying goodbye to our English friends we’ve known all these years. I get weepy at the thought and its still just over two months til we leave.
But the highlight of the summer was 26 June 2010. I had been experiencing homesickness – wanting to be close to my mother whilst her mother was very ill. Under that pretext Bernard had arranged a day for me to catch up with friends. I thought nothing of it – other than he was being a splendid boyfriend and hand-on-heart I can say that I had no idea what was coming. All I knew was that I was to be at Cutty Sark DLR in Greenwich for 10.30am. The day was utterly heavenly. At each stage I met a dear friend(s) who spoilt me rotten then gave me a clue as to where I was headed next. My final destination was to be at the place where Bernard and I first met. I thought it would be pretty silly if I was meeting someone else – so surely I was meeting Bernard this time.
And there he was – hurrah! At this stage I’d had a few glasses of bubbly and a few martinis so wasn’t interested in drinking anything but water. So we sat down at the table where we had our first date. This is nice, I thought to myself. Bernard handed me a puzzle box (I already knew how to open it because he’d infuriated me the previous Christmas trying to open it) and said inside it is a symbol. I started shaking, my heart racing. I fumbled for a good minute trying to open the box. It opened, and out came a ring – not THE ring, but one of his rings. I looked at the ring. I looked at Bernard. I picked up the ring and turned to Bernard at which point he said “will you?” Suddenly Bernard found himself with a weeping Lizzie clinging onto him for dear life saying repeatedly “yes of course I will, yes yes”. After he recomposed himself (it was a little dusty in the room) he said he didn’t presume to know my taste in rings (right response) and thought that since we are going travelling that it would be best to look at rings later. I agreed wholeheartedly.
Moments later, leaving Bernard’s pint half drunk, we returned to the flat to drink some celebratory bubbly. I was laughing and crying the whole walk home. “Oh you’ve put on a spread” I exclaimed when we walked into our flat. “Hmm, that’s Julie’s handbag? Is Julie here?” Moments later I realised that we were having a party with those who took part in the day, and the tears stopped and I started partying with gusto. My apologies if you received a drunken phone call from me that night (day in Australia), but I was far too happy to contain my enthusiasm.
On adjusting to the realities of leaving
The engagement gave me a greater sense of purpose in our return to Australia. We are getting married, and at some stage buy a house (fingers and toes Pound Stirling strengthens) and start a family (God willing). Sure, the idea of finding a place to live, a job and plan a wedding within nine months of returning did initially overwhelm me. But then I figure I will be far too busy upon my return to be wistful about the UK. This has got to be a good thing. And I’ve done my research and I’ve even compiled a loose budget (my goodness weddings are expensive). We know we want a relaxed style wedding on the Victorian surf coast, and I am content that we know where to start when we get home. I can let go of any wedding anxiety and enjoy travelling.
The recent passing of my grandmother (Judy Kelly) has also had an impact on my desire to return. Many times she had been close to death during the past eighteen months – she was such a fighter that one never knew when her body would eventually force her to let go. As such it was never clear if I should fly home. There was little I could do from such a distance to support my family. I had slept poorly for nearly a week – expecting a phone call at any moment. I got that call on the Monday evening (Tues morning back home). Unable to turn off the light, unwilling to shut my eyes, I fell asleep some time near 3am in front of the TV – very unusual for me.
The next day I started writing – nothing sooths me as well as a pen and paper. In the midst of my tears and reminiscence a Eulogy emerged. I shared it with mum who in turn shared it with Grandpa. The relief I felt and peace I found when told that my uncle Paul wanted to read out my Eulogy at her funeral, was immense. On the day I would be there, in some way.
I now feel ready to go home. My heart is ready. I want to spend some real time in Australia, reconnecting with my family, getting to know Bernard’s family and friends better and mine getting to know him. Yes, there is uncertainty about career opportunities, and yes our lifestyles will be completely different to what I have known these past years. But we are safe in the knowledge that if, after twelve months living back in Australia, our hearts are ready to be back in the UK, then that’s exactly what we can do. Though it is going to be exceptionally difficult saying goodbye to our English friends we’ve known all these years. I get weepy at the thought and its still just over two months til we leave.
Prelude, meeting Bernard, decision to leave - the long way back
Prelude
When I left Canberra bound for the Americas in March 2005 my mother said to people that I’d fit into the living the UK with such ease that I probably wouldn’t return to live in Australia for a long while, if ever. Five and a half years on, I take comfort that my mother, in all her wisdom, knew me better than I knew myself. I didn’t get asked “when are you coming back” by my parents – and in those brief moments of uncertainty, their unconditional support had a far greater impact then I had ever acknowledged at the time.
Within a few years I had established a thriving career in the public sector, helping organisations to undo a couple of centuries of old habits and red tape. By this stage I knew that only an emotional decision that would lure me back to Australia. My disposable income had never been better and I had significant personal fulfilment from doing something I loved. And despite the grey winters, I was thriving in the English climate, loving the green countryside and the plethora of cultural opportunities on my doorstep in London town and the Continent.
So what would stir such emotion I wondered, and when would that happen? Of course, you all know how the story goes, but there is pleasure in writing it down, so indulge me if you will.
On meeting Bernard
I met an Australian lad in the summer of 2008 who changed my life. A mutual friend from my brief stint at Westminster City Council suggested we meet – after all, two successful Australians who happen to be avid Geelong fans living in Islington really ought to know each other. I thank Lee wholeheartedly for making such an introduction.
After twelve months (and what a milestone) we moved into our flat in Highbury. It took a few months getting used to living in each other’s pockets – me getting used to Bernard’s clutter – and Bernard getting used to me always tidying up his things…at which point we sensed our relationship had a bright future and were looking forward to introducing each other to our family and friends during our visit to Australia in October/November 2009.
On the decision to leave – the long way back
I recall the conversation we had during a quiet moment at Meg and Hamilton’s wedding. Bernard said that the trip home had confirmed for him that he was ready to come home, but was keen for this to be a decision we made together. Though in all honesty I was reluctant to leave the UK, it was also very intoxicating, to not be so far away from so many dear friends and family in Australia. Before too long we had concurred that the second half of 2010 was as good a time as any to think about returning.
At some point, and I don’t know when exactly, Bernard convinced me that we should go the long way back, via Africa, South and Central America. This is something I would never have considered, a few months, yes, but at least nine months, if not more? Such an enterprise could not be entered into lightly. In true Lizzie fashion, I sat down and poured over the figures, deliberating at length. Do I spend part of my house deposit on travelling? Can I afford to do this? I put together a funding strategy, not helped by the ridiculously poor value of Pound Stirling, and after a few months and one very important contract extension, I informed Bernard that I was comfortable leaving the UK in October 2010.
Then my brothers confirmed their plans of visiting us in September and everything fell into place. It was the perfect way to finish our time in the UK. We booked our Africa trip and flights through to Buenos Aires, and left everything else. We have had a glorious summer – sunshine for weeks on end (huge) and a calendar filled with activities. Hen and stag do’s for Jim and Sarah and their glorious wedding in Kew Gardens, Henley (at long last), Greece (seeing the svelte Nobles), Wimbledon, a Test at Lords, as well as lots of theatre, ballet and opera (mostly me, not Bernard).
When I left Canberra bound for the Americas in March 2005 my mother said to people that I’d fit into the living the UK with such ease that I probably wouldn’t return to live in Australia for a long while, if ever. Five and a half years on, I take comfort that my mother, in all her wisdom, knew me better than I knew myself. I didn’t get asked “when are you coming back” by my parents – and in those brief moments of uncertainty, their unconditional support had a far greater impact then I had ever acknowledged at the time.
Within a few years I had established a thriving career in the public sector, helping organisations to undo a couple of centuries of old habits and red tape. By this stage I knew that only an emotional decision that would lure me back to Australia. My disposable income had never been better and I had significant personal fulfilment from doing something I loved. And despite the grey winters, I was thriving in the English climate, loving the green countryside and the plethora of cultural opportunities on my doorstep in London town and the Continent.
So what would stir such emotion I wondered, and when would that happen? Of course, you all know how the story goes, but there is pleasure in writing it down, so indulge me if you will.
On meeting Bernard
I met an Australian lad in the summer of 2008 who changed my life. A mutual friend from my brief stint at Westminster City Council suggested we meet – after all, two successful Australians who happen to be avid Geelong fans living in Islington really ought to know each other. I thank Lee wholeheartedly for making such an introduction.
After twelve months (and what a milestone) we moved into our flat in Highbury. It took a few months getting used to living in each other’s pockets – me getting used to Bernard’s clutter – and Bernard getting used to me always tidying up his things…at which point we sensed our relationship had a bright future and were looking forward to introducing each other to our family and friends during our visit to Australia in October/November 2009.
On the decision to leave – the long way back
I recall the conversation we had during a quiet moment at Meg and Hamilton’s wedding. Bernard said that the trip home had confirmed for him that he was ready to come home, but was keen for this to be a decision we made together. Though in all honesty I was reluctant to leave the UK, it was also very intoxicating, to not be so far away from so many dear friends and family in Australia. Before too long we had concurred that the second half of 2010 was as good a time as any to think about returning.
At some point, and I don’t know when exactly, Bernard convinced me that we should go the long way back, via Africa, South and Central America. This is something I would never have considered, a few months, yes, but at least nine months, if not more? Such an enterprise could not be entered into lightly. In true Lizzie fashion, I sat down and poured over the figures, deliberating at length. Do I spend part of my house deposit on travelling? Can I afford to do this? I put together a funding strategy, not helped by the ridiculously poor value of Pound Stirling, and after a few months and one very important contract extension, I informed Bernard that I was comfortable leaving the UK in October 2010.
Then my brothers confirmed their plans of visiting us in September and everything fell into place. It was the perfect way to finish our time in the UK. We booked our Africa trip and flights through to Buenos Aires, and left everything else. We have had a glorious summer – sunshine for weeks on end (huge) and a calendar filled with activities. Hen and stag do’s for Jim and Sarah and their glorious wedding in Kew Gardens, Henley (at long last), Greece (seeing the svelte Nobles), Wimbledon, a Test at Lords, as well as lots of theatre, ballet and opera (mostly me, not Bernard).
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