Travel
Mesmerizing Mana Magic
Here 21st Century human noise has been obliterated and Natures’ silence is deafening. That’s really all I can say. Magical Mana. Spiritual and Supernatural. The mighty Zambezi snakes through the enchanting forest of indigenous trees. Earth and water. Such powerful energy sources. ...
Friendship - There Is No Value
That's what you wrote in our Guest book before you left for the last time. You’ll not remember leaving a copy of your book titled "Sand In The Wind", with a note:8h30am “Good Morning! book under chair, something to read by a waterhole perhaps. Best Keith” It took a while, but, we made it to...
Time Travels Through Zimbabwe
The clock struck one and time stood still in Zimbabwe. It’s here that one fully appreciates that man’s influence on the Earth is small and insignificant, but, the conundrum is that technology also has the upper hand, for a while anyway it will. Plumtree border post was our port of entry and...
Meanderings During The Merry Month Of May
My favourite month by far, not too cold, not too hot, skies are bluer than blue and the landscape has changed into its autumn coat. With a very tight schedule and not many hours to spare we packed and readied ourselves to set off on a 3 week safari to Zimbabwe. We were awake before the...
The Weakest Link Takes A Hike
History tells us that contemplation, meditation, soul-searching and philosophising often takes place on mountain tops. Jesus, Mohammed, Moses, Mandela and Ghandi did it. I had a close call, a wake-up call, a bruised ego, a sore bottom and a chipped toenail. Last week we packed our back...
In Etosha We Slosha In Galosha
A distant rumble, a short, sharp whip cracks, the skies light up while the heavens become darker, heavier. The smell of rain rolls over the dry, cracked earth. Every animal becomes aware and focuses on the storm as it gathers momentum. Stifling heat cools down. We’ve arrived in Etosha. That...
Resolution, Revolution Or Right On From Where We Left Off
The choice is always ours. New years have come and gone a few dozen times in my life, some good, some indifferent and some jolly awful. My New Years' resolutions have been a fickle affair, being of the opinion that if we try and don’t succeed this time we can start all over again in 365...
Monday Musings And Trip Advising
A week ago one of the children asked me how old I felt, without missing a beat I said 18. We must never get wiser with age, just a little more careful, then, we're sure to keep our freespirit alive. This morning while spinning I forced myself to stop looking at the very slow tick of the clock...
Treading Lightly On The Earth
Sometimes one meets a person who makes the right impression. I did, he's a strange man, quiet, introspective, solitary, a lot like the animals he loves. At first he is also quietly arrogant and a snob. He's a free spirit and born free, he played his guitar in pubs during the seventies,...
R is For Rhino Rob Restaurants and Red Wine
Animals, Beer/Braai, Creation Dinner, Elephant, Fishing, Giraffe, Hermanus, Impala, Jâgermeister, Knights, Long Street, Mama, Newton-Johnson, Open Bus, Precious, Quiet, Rhino, Sunshine, Tortoise, Unique, Vineyards, Watches, X-factor, Yellow African Sun, Zebra – this was the brief, we had to...
It's The Final Countdown
My throat closes, my pulse quickens, there’s a hand gripping my heart and nausea is creeping up on me, I’m not pregnant. Only one sleepie left. Their visits are always too short. Women used to shave their heads, wail and keen for their children, I could too. The pillow we shared this...
Shark Cage Diving in Kleinbaai
Being charged by a Rhino or stormed by an Elephant is exciting but nothing is as chilling or as exhilarating as being in a cage out at sea observing a Great White Shark in Shark Alley. He went from the very North of South Africa where he saw a very rare sighting, two Rhinos being hunted by a...
Road Tripping, Rondawels and Rhinos
Elephants! That was the brief. We did the groundwork, puffed South Africa up without sounding too arrogant or full of ourselves, now it had to prove itself. Not that we have any doubts on that score, but expectations had to be met. Fortunately the Kruger National Park does speak for itself. ...
Stay a while Crocodile
Make haste while the sun shines! Time waits for no man as we trundle along. It's true, we can see our lives flash past us when we have fun. When those glass doors at the Johannesburg International airport swooshed open I became one happy Mama, my girl was safely back on African soil. I...
My Funny Valentine
Like minced beef I forced myself into my new contouring spandex figure-hugging petticoat and sexy, lacy, red bra, a birthday gift from Precious when I was a size smaller but had no need of support, as we were camping in a rooftop tent in Xai-Xai, Mozambique, a decade ago! On Saturday evening my...
Morning After The Valentine Night Before
I have carpet burns on both knees and my forehead is blood red and burning. On Sunday morning I had: lower backache, a blinding headache, swollen ankles and my pedicured toes had blistered, I throbbed! I have no regrets and I'm not complaining. I am “just” over the 50 year mark so “regret”...
Moon On The Water - Where a Simple Life Comes Together
As soon as the furniture is arranged on the veranda and the long table is placed against the railing I sit down and feel my shoulders drop, my neck becomes looser and the tension flows like blood through my veins out through my toes. I can breathe again, long slow inhalations,...
Good, Better, Mozambique
It’s a long and winding road getting to Lua No Mar, a cottage on the beach in Tofo, a pinprick on the map of Mozambique in the Province of Inhambane. This is the place of long white beaches, mosquitoes, sand flees, balmy days, and the friendliest most accommodating people in Africa. Vasco...
The Fast Lane to Bloemfontein
You may well ask, what on earth were we doing in Bloemfontein? The home of the Safari Suit; indeed, one only goes there for a wedding, a funeral or a meeting. But someone’s wagon stopped there. My Ouma was a student at the Teacher’s Training College in 1929. Today, unless you’re accepted...
Clickety-clack choo-choo
Clickety-clack, Clickety-clack choo-choo-choose your train wisely! Trains and Champagne. I’m neither an Anorak nor a Trainspotter but I love the huge beasts. Skinny bandy legs, new black lace-up shoes the dress 6 inches off the floor when kneeling. A very wobbly chin, I'm petrified I’ll...
Halo! Halong is Halong Bay? Halong can I stay?
“To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value.” and “To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;” I must confess I knew very little about Halong Bay except that it was exceptionally...
Decidedly Dilly Divas and other Dramas
Confucius say “short man who dance with tall woman get bust in mouth”. That is indeed a pearl of wisdom! As we were privy to local lore we were treated to strange customs in Ha Noi. So instead of watching the famous Water Puppets we went in pursuit of Fre Astair and Ginga Roger (in keeping...
Street food in the fast lane
Streets are swarming with scooters, rickshaws, hookers and hawkers. The sidewalks bustle with traders, pedestrians, street cafes, and panhandlers This frisson is like a needle in a vein and addictive. The steamy life on the street is heady and the cacophony of sound and raw energy makes any...
In a Singpore Grip
Lets agree prohibition sucked and led to all sorts of mischief. Imagine a government that bans chewing gum? The fear of the law was put into me and I had visions of sniffer dogs discovering my Imodium and Vomifene so I rushed to my G.P for prescriptions in case I got the chop, no questions...
Yikes bikes, peddling power
“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realise fishing is stupid and boring.” Desmond Tutu, high-fi! This afternoon I donned my cycling shorts and reluctantly went off to the gym to attend a Spinning...
Trekking in Sa Pa with Zer-Zer
On 24th August Butch Googled “trekking in Sa Pa Vietnam” and found a guide called Zer-Zer followed by a telephone number. Little did we know that a life changing experience was awaiting us. To contact Zer-Zer: phone +84 16 75312817 Butch was quick out of the blocks, phoned the number and...
Flights of Fancy
Boozy lunches can lead to trouble and this one was no exception, at our table there's always good food, good company and copious amounts of champagne and wine. As the afternoon unravelled we decided we’d flip a coin, September was a good month to either start Banting or to travel. It was...
Les Girls are Frenching It - Menerbes
Au Revoir Paris! All too soon we had to pack our bags and make our way down our narrow staircase to our taxi to board the TGV to Avignon. Thankfully we had someone who very kindly carried our bags down those stairs and waved and airkissed us, shouting "Au revoir" to us as the door closed...
Les Girls are Frenching It - Paris
The three days in Paris were just fabulous, our apartment in the Hotel Verneuil Saint Germaine beautifully appointed, modern, immaculate and slap in the middle of Saint Germaine, pure indulgence. A stones throw from the Louvre, the Seine, the shops, eateries, cafés, bakeries and all...
Ranthambore National Park - India
We travelled halfway around the world to visit Ranthambore National Park for one reason only. To see the mightly and very elusive Bengal Tiger. I wonder if they exsist?In Ranthambore village Precious decided to employ the services of a tailor to make some shorts, after a lot of haggling...
India by Rail
Whether you travel like a Prince or a pauper, in India there will be a train to suit your needs and your pocket. It's poplular and a great way to experience the culture, landscape and the people. You can dine with a Maharajah on the Rajastan Express or enjoy street food on the platform on...
Being Catherine De Nerve
"Work is a sideline - Live the holiday I’ll probably never see the Voyager blast off into space, but, it’s like Cape Canaveral in this house as we start the countdown to lift-off on Tuesday. Old habits die hard. When I was growing up there were certain things that had to be done before...
Gorilla De Ville Goes Camping - Botswana
“Precious”, promised himself that he would go to the bush in 2014. Reservations were made with Banks, the Camp Official at the Khwai Community Camp. This is bush camping at it's best, hard to beat and hard to find. We camped for eleven nights. N.B here's a link to "Youtube link to...
Have Passport Will Travel
For weeks we’ve spoken about nothing except Princess Open Book's holiday to Tofo, Inhambane, Mozambique. The child’s tired, over-worked, stressed and fatigued and needs to detoxify of all her physical, mental and emotional toxins. We’ve sent lists of what to haves, what to take, what not to...
Flower Power in Namaqualand
There’s nothing as rewarding as a trip to the Namaqualand in spring. Figuring out when spring has sprung is the question, traditionally we “celebrate” spring day on the 1st September, but, we’ve not informed Nature. Our experience has been that the best flowers are to be seen during...
Caravan Capers
We're back from Botswana via the Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park, and what an adventure we had! Not a day past without a mishap or surprise!Thank goodness we were able to keep our fine sense of humour! AND the world hasn’t ended, winter has come and gone and South Africa still rocks! The...
Actually India!
A year ago we were persuaded to get to India So one day whilst surfing the web I spotted some really cheap tickets and while Georgie went off to Town to do the groceries I booked our flights. 1st May we set off to India, after we’d spent 4 days walking in the Kruger National Park. We did...
Les Girls are Frenching It - The Backgound
Where do I start with this travellogue I wonder? Just a few minutes ago whilst hanging up the washing I thought about the last couple of months, first an epic adventure to India and then France, son magnifique! India was a life changing experience and left it’s indelible mark on my soul,...
Suikerbossie Guest Farm Meander - A Review
I have friend who knows the lyrics to all the 60’s and 70’s songs and she has the gift of being able to belt out the songs at the drop of a hat. So you say “submarine” and she’ll take that as her cue to sing. She does it anywhere and everywhere. That’s probably given my next sentence...