This was sent from my mobile phone.
www.zippys.f2s.com
www.zippyssolar.blogspot.com
19 July 2011
Sailing in The Sound
This was sent from my mobile phone.
www.zippys.f2s.com
www.zippyssolar.blogspot.com
18 July 2011
Astra gone.
I have now got rid of the Astra estate car. It was still a runner but I just wasn't prepared to put up with the intermitent fault reported by the engine management system. Every now and again it would refuse to rev up. The person who had installed the dual fuel stuff and sold it to me, had already removed the cooking oil system before helping me to get it the scrap yard. I could probably have got more than the £160 received if I had broken it up myself but that would make a mess and take too long. Now down to 1 vehicle at the property.
This was sent from my mobile phone.
www.zippys.f2s.com
www.zippyssolar.blogspot.com
23 February 2011
Day 3 Kruger National Park - Skukuza to Berg-en-dal
During the night it rained. Woke me up about 0300hrs. Not too heavy but enough to make it annoying. Had to toddle off to the toilet block.
I didn't want to set off too early due to the amount of booze we drank last night. I slowed things down a bit just to take it easy and didn't actually leave the campsite til about 1000hrs. Previously we had been leaving at about 0800hrs or earlier.
Just outside of the campsite we came across our first (and only) hyena.
Took a long time to go a fairly short distance because we took side roads rather than the main direct route.
We saw animals we'd seen before. We were expecting to see rhino and the cats. On the back roads we saw plenty of rhino middens but no evidence of the rhino themselves. We saw giraffe, zebra, tortoises and warthogs.
Stopped for lunch at a stop called Afsaal. It is just for food. There is no camping there. Just outside on the main road we came across a pair of black rhino by a mud wallow. Couldn't see an awful lot due to the high grass so pictures are pretty pants.
Further on we saw a white rhino and her calf just pop out of the bushes for a bit. Got some pictures, before they hightailed back away from the road. Again these are on my main camera and will wait until I get home before posting them.
Rather than come into the night stop from the front we decided to head around the back. The roads were a bit more chewed up than others because it was quite hilly and the rain had put quite a few ruts in it. Still nothing we couldn't handle.
Arrived in Berg-en-dal about 1600hrs. I took a lot of time in the shop before getting back to the car so we could put up our tents. Luckily I took so long it started to thunder and rain so we went back to the office and asked for a chalet instead. Total cost for the two of us was R670. It is a single bedroom with attached galley. There is a shower toilet area. Soap and towels are provided.
Nice to be in a chalet for one night. Starting to get very tired with the early starts and late nights. We spent most of afternoon just chilling reading books etc. Setup the bbq briquettes and wood ready for lighting. Had to cover them up with the washing up bowl to keep them dry. I did bring the meat out as well to keep it nearby but Rich didn't like that idea because of civets. These are cat like creatures which have been known to whip away meat etc from the plate if you're not careful. Once it got dark we started with the braai supper. I did the veg while Rich did the meat. The cooker controls worked okay but the mounting for the knobs was a little unconventional
I didn't want to set off too early due to the amount of booze we drank last night. I slowed things down a bit just to take it easy and didn't actually leave the campsite til about 1000hrs. Previously we had been leaving at about 0800hrs or earlier.
Just outside of the campsite we came across our first (and only) hyena.
Took a long time to go a fairly short distance because we took side roads rather than the main direct route.
We saw animals we'd seen before. We were expecting to see rhino and the cats. On the back roads we saw plenty of rhino middens but no evidence of the rhino themselves. We saw giraffe, zebra, tortoises and warthogs.
Stopped for lunch at a stop called Afsaal. It is just for food. There is no camping there. Just outside on the main road we came across a pair of black rhino by a mud wallow. Couldn't see an awful lot due to the high grass so pictures are pretty pants.
Further on we saw a white rhino and her calf just pop out of the bushes for a bit. Got some pictures, before they hightailed back away from the road. Again these are on my main camera and will wait until I get home before posting them.
Rather than come into the night stop from the front we decided to head around the back. The roads were a bit more chewed up than others because it was quite hilly and the rain had put quite a few ruts in it. Still nothing we couldn't handle.
Arrived in Berg-en-dal about 1600hrs. I took a lot of time in the shop before getting back to the car so we could put up our tents. Luckily I took so long it started to thunder and rain so we went back to the office and asked for a chalet instead. Total cost for the two of us was R670. It is a single bedroom with attached galley. There is a shower toilet area. Soap and towels are provided.
Nice to be in a chalet for one night. Starting to get very tired with the early starts and late nights. We spent most of afternoon just chilling reading books etc. Setup the bbq briquettes and wood ready for lighting. Had to cover them up with the washing up bowl to keep them dry. I did bring the meat out as well to keep it nearby but Rich didn't like that idea because of civets. These are cat like creatures which have been known to whip away meat etc from the plate if you're not careful. Once it got dark we started with the braai supper. I did the veg while Rich did the meat. The cooker controls worked okay but the mounting for the knobs was a little unconventional
22 February 2011
Day 2 - Long trip from Letaba to Skukuza campsites
The dawn chorus this morning was quite loud. Didn't hear any wildlife in the night though. The outside of the fence is supposed to be patrolled by hyena etc. looking for scraps left by people or for a way into the campsite.
Before dropping the tents we went in search of a hide or something to have some breakfast. On the way there we came across a number of baboons walking down the road.
We eventually came across a bridge where you were allowed to get out, at your own risk, between the yellow lines. We had tea and rusks. Not the best breakfast in the world but something.
After a bit of breakfast we went back to the campsite and packed the remaining gear for the days trip. Saw a small deer roaming the campsite.
On the way down we saw a herd of buffalo, individual elephants, zebra and plenty of the impala. We stopped at Olifants Lookout, as we'd been told the previous night that there should be some elephants there.
Nope. Had lunch at the Oliphants rest area. Quite a nice little stop-off with the restaurant and cafe decks built within the trees. We hadn't planned to stop here overnight, because they don't have any camping, only chalets. After lunch we continued on some of the back roads to Skukuza.
On one back road we came across a little pool by the side of the road which appeared to have a turtle in it. When we stopped to have a look, it became apparent that there were more than quite a few. For some reason they seemed to be attracted to the car. There was even a little croc. Rich got a better photo than me as it was on his side of the car.
As we approached Skukuza we tried to cross another bridge but were hindered by a couple of cars taking time to stop and take pictures of something. Come on we thought! Impala are everywhere. Not so. It turned out to be a crocodile floating in the water.
As we had a bit of time before they closed the gates we decided to head out after pitching the tents, to see if we could see any cats. We found a bird hide. A few people were already there. Unfortunately we were a bit late in the day. One guy had the biggest lens I've seen on a camera. It also had the mossy oak camo on the last piece of glare shade. Looked like he'd been there quite a while taking pictures of birds. Unfortunately some very noisy people came in, despite the numerous signs asking people to be quiet. We left back for the campsite not long after they arrived. Just as we're going down the last bit of road to the main gate we see a cat on the road going in our direction. I said leopard, Rich said cheetah. Just before we could get out the cameras it disappeared into the grass extremely quickly. Rich admitted he got it wrong.
Cooked a stew in a heavy metal pot called a potjie (pronounced 'potchee') See http://www.taste-africa.com/product_potjie.php for a description of its uses etc. We used the remainder of the steak from last night, some sausage and a few vegetables. A little too much salt for my liking but not too bad all the same. Had rather a lot to drink.
Before dropping the tents we went in search of a hide or something to have some breakfast. On the way there we came across a number of baboons walking down the road.
We eventually came across a bridge where you were allowed to get out, at your own risk, between the yellow lines. We had tea and rusks. Not the best breakfast in the world but something.
After a bit of breakfast we went back to the campsite and packed the remaining gear for the days trip. Saw a small deer roaming the campsite.
Just before leaving we saw three guides walking on the outside of the fence line, I assume to check the integrity of the fence.
Today was always going to be a long one. We had planned to go from Letaba to Skukuza campsite. The guide quotes this as being a trip of 160km which is just over three hours. This obviously doesn't take into account any detours or animal spotting.
Nope. Had lunch at the Oliphants rest area. Quite a nice little stop-off with the restaurant and cafe decks built within the trees. We hadn't planned to stop here overnight, because they don't have any camping, only chalets. After lunch we continued on some of the back roads to Skukuza.
On one back road we came across a little pool by the side of the road which appeared to have a turtle in it. When we stopped to have a look, it became apparent that there were more than quite a few. For some reason they seemed to be attracted to the car. There was even a little croc. Rich got a better photo than me as it was on his side of the car.
As we approached Skukuza we tried to cross another bridge but were hindered by a couple of cars taking time to stop and take pictures of something. Come on we thought! Impala are everywhere. Not so. It turned out to be a crocodile floating in the water.
As we had a bit of time before they closed the gates we decided to head out after pitching the tents, to see if we could see any cats. We found a bird hide. A few people were already there. Unfortunately we were a bit late in the day. One guy had the biggest lens I've seen on a camera. It also had the mossy oak camo on the last piece of glare shade. Looked like he'd been there quite a while taking pictures of birds. Unfortunately some very noisy people came in, despite the numerous signs asking people to be quiet. We left back for the campsite not long after they arrived. Just as we're going down the last bit of road to the main gate we see a cat on the road going in our direction. I said leopard, Rich said cheetah. Just before we could get out the cameras it disappeared into the grass extremely quickly. Rich admitted he got it wrong.
Cooked a stew in a heavy metal pot called a potjie (pronounced 'potchee') See http://www.taste-africa.com/product_potjie.php for a description of its uses etc. We used the remainder of the steak from last night, some sausage and a few vegetables. A little too much salt for my liking but not too bad all the same. Had rather a lot to drink.
21 February 2011
Day 1 of Kruger National Park
It was going to be a long drive out to the Kruger National Park today so we got up fairly early. Most of the equipment had been loaded last night and we just had to load personal bags and the food. Saw Jayne take the kids to school and eventually set off about 0730hrs.
At one of the stops along the way we needed to get some paraffin for the lantern. This was at a big store similar to B&Q in the UK. Outside they were selling trailers which looked excellent. They look like they've been designed for rough bush style camping in mind. It comes with a bike rack attachment on the top as well. Trailers in South Africa are independently taxed, licensed and tested.
We needed to get to the park entrance in plenty of time to allow us the minimum time to get the first stop at Lataba. After 7hrs (according to the GPS tracker) on the road we arrived at the Phalaborwa gate.
We booked in at three campsites at the first gate. For two local 'children' it cost us approx R750 for the three nights. They obviously made a mistake with that, but we didn't find out until the last night where we had to get an exit stamp.
They won't let you in the main gates unless they think you can make it to a campsite in the minimum time at the parks max speed of 50kph. From our gate to Lataba this meant a minimum of an hour, if you went straight there without stopping to see animals etc. As we had a bit of time to spare we took one of the side roads almost immediately. Saw a giraffe within about 20mins of getting through the gate. Cool. Photos are on my Canon camera so will be updated here when I get home. Didn't see any big cats today. Loads of impala everywhere.
They won't let you in the main gates unless they think you can make it to a campsite in the minimum time at the parks max speed of 50kph. From our gate to Lataba this meant a minimum of an hour, if you went straight there without stopping to see animals etc. As we had a bit of time to spare we took one of the side roads almost immediately. Saw a giraffe within about 20mins of getting through the gate. Cool. Photos are on my Canon camera so will be updated here when I get home. Didn't see any big cats today. Loads of impala everywhere.
We got to the campsite at Lataba and pitched the tents, next to power sockets and a braai stand. The shower block wasn't too far away either.
After dark we went back to the tents to cook some supper. Fairly basic steak rolls and plenty beer/wine. Took some interesting insect photos while waiting for super.
20 February 2011
Crocs Sailing Centre
Spent today helping out at Rich's Sailing Centre. It is based at the Pretoria Sailing Club on the Rietvlei Dam. What we would call a reservoir in the UK is called a dam in South Africa. This is situated within Rietvlei Nature Reserve which is open to the public.
The club has its own little swimming pool and a BBQ area.Oh yeah bbq's are known as braai's here in South Africa. It is apparently a short version of the Afrikaans for 'grilled meat'
Rich was running the second part of a beginners course. We arrived a bit early so that we could get things ready, including launching the rescue boat which is also used as a teaching platform.
There were supposed to be 6 (the max he'll take) but 1 lad didn't show. They started with a recap of the previous lesson and then we went out to rig the boats. We rigged the boats initially with a reef as Rich wasn't confident in the ability of the students at this stage.
While Rich did a bit of a pep talk I went and saw to the rescue boat to make sure I understood where everything was and how it should work.
Once on the water we tried to get them to sail a course which involved tacking only. This didn't go quite to plan though and they did quite a bit of gybing as well. The students got to swap about quite a bit so that each could show what they'd learnt to 'pass' the course and get their certificates.
After a short while the wind dropped sufficiently for us to shake out the reefs and let the students have a go and follow the leader. They did this very well and seemed to just click as to what sailing is all about. Part of the trick with teaching sailing is to see what is working for the students and adapt the methods you use to get them to do what they need to do, rather than sticking rigidly to the plan you had before.
During the session I took plenty of photo with the small digital camera so that Rich could use some in his publicity. Also gives the parents an idea of how the kids were doing out in the middle of the lake.
Once the course was finished we had a picnic lunch with Jayne and the girls.
There was an important meeting with the club officials which Rich needed to be around for, in the afternoon so I agreed to take the girls out for a spin in the safety boat. Got a slapped wrist for going too far up the lake. There are hippos in the nature reserve surrounding the dam and we're not allowed to get too close. We didn't see them.
Got back to the shore and then packed away the boat. Although I had put plenty of sunscreen on my arms, face and even my legs, I forgot about the tops of my feet. They got a little sunburnt and left white bits where the straps for my flip-flops had been.
Roast dinner for supper. Can't wait. Packing bags etc for the trip to Kruger tomorrow. Apparently the camping is quite civilised.
19 February 2011
Table Mountain, Cape Town
Slept better last night. Probably due to the better supper and not so much booze. Neck feeling a bit better. Room still a bit off after coming back from the shower.
Had to check out today. This meant packing all the bags and emptying the cage under the bunk. If you're not leaving until later you're able to keep your excess baggage in a locked room until you return. You're even allowed to use the showers etc. Received my R70 I'd left as deposit for the padlock and bunk tag.
Managed a more leisurely breakfast this morning as there was no deadline. I had decided to try and get up on top of Table Mountain as it is the thing to do when in Cape Town. Lots of other stuff you don't have to do but a visit up Table Mountain is a must. I didn't have enough time and didn't feel up to walking to the top so phoned for taxi from Ashanti. This was using Rikkis cabs which charge by the person and use the London style of cab. It only cost R19 to get the cable car for Table Mountain. Pretty cheap I thought.
There didn't appear to be too much of a queue as I bought my ticket, but this changed as soon as we got up in the lift to the embarkation level. Completely uncontrolled. It was obvious some people were getting upset about it as more and more people came out of the lifts and joined the middle of the queue. To be honest it would've been difficult for them to get to the back of the queue anyway as it went right back to the balcony.
The gondolas are used to cart everything to the mountain top. No roads to the top then. All the workers must go up and down as well. There are two embarkation areas, to the left and right obviously.
Once on board, the ride takes approximately 7mins. As is usual with this type of ride there was a rush to be at the windows for the best view all the way up. The makers of these gondolas had thought of that, and the floor actually rotates as it rises. Very fair.
When we got to the top it actually took a little while as there were plenty of people on the top. I think that plenty of local people come up to the top at the weekends as well. There was the obvious tourist shops which weren't as bad as I thought they'd be. T-shirts were expensive and none in my size as usual.
Being 1086m above MSL, the temperature was obviously cooler than lower down which made a nice change. Some people were walking around all wrapped up for a Dartmoor winters day. Locals probably. There was plenty of cloud in evidence but this was expected.
There were a number of walks shown on the little leaflet you get with the ticket and I decided on the middle one due to time constraints to be back at the airport in time for the flight back to Johannesburg. The path didn't seem to be well marked, and I also went in the opposite direction to most others. Was a wise decision as the cloud started off bad with visibility sometimes down to 10's of feet, but as I went anti-clockwise round the top, the conditions got clearer and clearer. The path wasn't clearly marked in my opinion. I just had to stick to the bits which had concrete in it. Very little in the way of posts or rails etc. Once on the Northern side of the plateau the conditions got clearer and I paused at a number of stations and took lots of shots to try and make a panorama when I get back home with more computing power etc.
Before heading down again I sent a number of postcards from the top. Had to buy another expensive/cheap pen as I'd left the others in J'burg. I could've waited until later but wanted to get them stamped from the top.
Getting back off the mountain seemed to be a little more crowded than coming up. I guess this might be because of all the brave souls who had walked up instead of being lazy like me. In the queue I found a booth which took free pictures to show you'd been there, done that!
At the bottom I tried to call for Rikki's again but they said they didn't have anybody in the area so I'd have to find my own way down to the hostel. I didn't feel like getting ripped off by a metered taxi. I eventually went and asked at one of these mini-bus affairs. They generally wait until enough people turn up to make it worth their while. Initially I was quoted R40 but then this was dropped to R20. As it was only R1 more than getting there I thought that was okay. I waited a little longer than anticipated but still had a bit of time in hand. Once enough people were on-board (4/20) we set off.
Got to Ashanti and had some lunch before setting off in the hostel mini-bus. The cost was R100. It was only a few Rand dearer than using other methods but it did mean I was going door to door. There was only one other passenger. A German who had brought down 4 containers worth of used bikes from a German bike company as part of a project in a local area.
It was at this point I probably lost my Maui Jim sunglasses. Bugger. Didn't realise until getting off the plane in Johannesburg.
Flew back with BA to J'burg. Had a simple supper with Rich's family. Caught up on blog. Bed by 11pm.
Had to check out today. This meant packing all the bags and emptying the cage under the bunk. If you're not leaving until later you're able to keep your excess baggage in a locked room until you return. You're even allowed to use the showers etc. Received my R70 I'd left as deposit for the padlock and bunk tag.
Managed a more leisurely breakfast this morning as there was no deadline. I had decided to try and get up on top of Table Mountain as it is the thing to do when in Cape Town. Lots of other stuff you don't have to do but a visit up Table Mountain is a must. I didn't have enough time and didn't feel up to walking to the top so phoned for taxi from Ashanti. This was using Rikkis cabs which charge by the person and use the London style of cab. It only cost R19 to get the cable car for Table Mountain. Pretty cheap I thought.
There didn't appear to be too much of a queue as I bought my ticket, but this changed as soon as we got up in the lift to the embarkation level. Completely uncontrolled. It was obvious some people were getting upset about it as more and more people came out of the lifts and joined the middle of the queue. To be honest it would've been difficult for them to get to the back of the queue anyway as it went right back to the balcony.
The gondolas are used to cart everything to the mountain top. No roads to the top then. All the workers must go up and down as well. There are two embarkation areas, to the left and right obviously.
Once on board, the ride takes approximately 7mins. As is usual with this type of ride there was a rush to be at the windows for the best view all the way up. The makers of these gondolas had thought of that, and the floor actually rotates as it rises. Very fair.
When we got to the top it actually took a little while as there were plenty of people on the top. I think that plenty of local people come up to the top at the weekends as well. There was the obvious tourist shops which weren't as bad as I thought they'd be. T-shirts were expensive and none in my size as usual.
Being 1086m above MSL, the temperature was obviously cooler than lower down which made a nice change. Some people were walking around all wrapped up for a Dartmoor winters day. Locals probably. There was plenty of cloud in evidence but this was expected.
There were a number of walks shown on the little leaflet you get with the ticket and I decided on the middle one due to time constraints to be back at the airport in time for the flight back to Johannesburg. The path didn't seem to be well marked, and I also went in the opposite direction to most others. Was a wise decision as the cloud started off bad with visibility sometimes down to 10's of feet, but as I went anti-clockwise round the top, the conditions got clearer and clearer. The path wasn't clearly marked in my opinion. I just had to stick to the bits which had concrete in it. Very little in the way of posts or rails etc. Once on the Northern side of the plateau the conditions got clearer and I paused at a number of stations and took lots of shots to try and make a panorama when I get back home with more computing power etc.
Before heading down again I sent a number of postcards from the top. Had to buy another expensive/cheap pen as I'd left the others in J'burg. I could've waited until later but wanted to get them stamped from the top.
Getting back off the mountain seemed to be a little more crowded than coming up. I guess this might be because of all the brave souls who had walked up instead of being lazy like me. In the queue I found a booth which took free pictures to show you'd been there, done that!
At the bottom I tried to call for Rikki's again but they said they didn't have anybody in the area so I'd have to find my own way down to the hostel. I didn't feel like getting ripped off by a metered taxi. I eventually went and asked at one of these mini-bus affairs. They generally wait until enough people turn up to make it worth their while. Initially I was quoted R40 but then this was dropped to R20. As it was only R1 more than getting there I thought that was okay. I waited a little longer than anticipated but still had a bit of time in hand. Once enough people were on-board (4/20) we set off.
Got to Ashanti and had some lunch before setting off in the hostel mini-bus. The cost was R100. It was only a few Rand dearer than using other methods but it did mean I was going door to door. There was only one other passenger. A German who had brought down 4 containers worth of used bikes from a German bike company as part of a project in a local area.
It was at this point I probably lost my Maui Jim sunglasses. Bugger. Didn't realise until getting off the plane in Johannesburg.
Flew back with BA to J'burg. Had a simple supper with Rich's family. Caught up on blog. Bed by 11pm.
18 February 2011
Tour to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope
Woke up early. Showered. When I got back into the room to get ready for the trip it did smell a bit rank. 5 hot sweaty bodies with little or no ventilation can do that to a room.
My neck seems to be getting worse. Can hardly move it at all. Not sure if I'll enjoy the tour.Don't know why I'm so tense. Maybe expecting too much in short time. Thinking I should have gone on the tour bus yesterday to get an idea of the city. Confused as to what the days are. I'm a day out for some reason. Tried back tracking but not working out.
I was supposed to meet the tour bus at 0800hrs and so needed to get breakfast out of the way. Although the tour said a light snack and lunch would be provided I wasn't relying on it as I've seen some of these affairs before. The buffet breakfast was a little late starting and then only after I asked! The food they laid on though for R35 was quite good. Breakfast cereals, muesli, toast, yoghurt, juices, tea/coffee, muffins, and all you can eat. I got down to the reception by 0800hrs and waited by the front gate.
Not long later this little grinning man appeared. Definitely Indian background. Bit too sunny for me this early in the morning. I was the first pickup of the day. The tour included a bike riding section through part of the Cape Point reserve so the bus was pulling a trailer of bikes.We went around the town a bit picking up various people from other hostels etc. and ended up as a group of 11 + tour guide and the driver. Every time the driver accelerated my neck felt like I had a bad case of whiplash. Had to turn side on in the seat belt to reduce the pain a bit.
The first stop of the day was at Hout Bay. There was a choice of options here. Either we could go on the seal boat tour, look around the tourist stalls or wander down the sandy beach. As the seal boat trip took about 45mins we'd be here an hour. I decided to go on the seal boat trip which was an extra R65. The price was a little more than others on the harbour, but we had been told that there had been some incidents and this was the company suggested by Baz Bus. As the total cost was still only £6 I didn't push it.
On the way out round the headland there was quite a breeze and a 1.5-2m swell running. I didn't think we'd be able to get too close to the seals unfortunately. Duh! How wrong could I be. The coxswain did a masterful job of getting his boat a lot closer than I would've attempted. Well worth the extra R20 just for the skill.
After the boat trip we headed further down the cape. We stopped at a point overlooking Hout Bay and had a small snack of squash and chocolate biscuits. We then travelled along the Chapman's Peak drive, which is a road which winds its way precariously along the cliff edge. It is a toll road to help with maintenance.After that we headed over to the Eastern side of the cape.
At a place called Simon's Town we stopped to view the penguin colony. The cost was included in the Baz Bus tour.(http://www.simonstown.com/tourism/penguins/penguins.htm).
An hour was about all we needed to have there really.
After the penguins we headed towards the Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park. Once inside the reserve we pulled over for the cycling part of the tour. We were told that we could see ostrich, baboons and varieties of antelope. The bikes had not been maintained very well. Tyres were flat, cables were rusty and gears were not the easiest to use. Also we got no instruction. It was assumed that people knew how to operate the bikes. I was last to leave as I had to get the back tyre inflated to cope with my massive bulk. I caught up with one of our group who was having trouble. The seat was far too low and her knees were around her ears. Had a bit of trouble getting the seat adjusted due to general lack of maintenance. Eventually got it sorted and off we went again. The riding conditions were not helped by the 30knots of wind blowing in from the side in the more exposed sections of the road. At least it wasn't from ahead.
Rather than rush ahead to join the rest of the group I decided to hang around at the back to keep an eye on the not so confident woman. The ride was said to be about 6km long but it didn't seem that way to me and after checking the gps log I think it was closer to 3km. The only bit of wildlife we saw was a tortoise crossing the road.
At the end of the ride we had a picnic lunch. Plenty of food was available, but I only had two rolls.
The trip to Cape Point took about 5mins. When we got there we were warned about having food in bags as the baboons would quite happily tear it to pieces throwing everything out until they got the one morsel. I took out the apple I had saved from lunch.
The walk to the top wasn't helped by lunch. I wish I'd had nothing til after coming down. The wind was still high and at the top people had difficulty standing still. Not sure what we were supposed to see but it just looked like a load of water to me.
After getting to the bottom we saw a baboon sitting on a rock looking out over the park. Only managed to get photos on the big camera so will have to wait until getting home to post those pictures.
Next stop was the Cape of Good Hope. As with all these types of places it was only about the photo op which only proves you were there. Here's mine!
After the Cape of Good Hope it was time to head back to Cape Town. Overall the tour was a success. Not too much travelling between interesting sites. Change of pace with the cycling and animal spotting bits, with a bit of healthy exercise thrown in for good measure. Gave the guide and driver a tip.
Feeling pretty tired & fairly hot after getting back to the hostel. Decided to go for a dip in the pool before going out for dinner.
I had heard about a place called Mama Africa which supposedly did game meats and had good music. Went out with Pamela, Wayne & Hannah. When we got there we were told that a booking would've been a good idea. As we had turned up early enough they let us have a table for an hour until 2000hrs. They seemed to be pretty full of themselves actually. Tried game platter which had a variety of different game meats on it.
This included kudu, crocodile, ostrich and springbok. Quite nice, but no different in flavour really from other meats we'd have at home. The crocodile had a texture similar to chicken. The live music was interesting but only really got going when we finished the food and started to leave. Too tired to stay and booze it up. Got back to hostel relatively early. Crashed about 2130hrs.
My neck seems to be getting worse. Can hardly move it at all. Not sure if I'll enjoy the tour.Don't know why I'm so tense. Maybe expecting too much in short time. Thinking I should have gone on the tour bus yesterday to get an idea of the city. Confused as to what the days are. I'm a day out for some reason. Tried back tracking but not working out.
I was supposed to meet the tour bus at 0800hrs and so needed to get breakfast out of the way. Although the tour said a light snack and lunch would be provided I wasn't relying on it as I've seen some of these affairs before. The buffet breakfast was a little late starting and then only after I asked! The food they laid on though for R35 was quite good. Breakfast cereals, muesli, toast, yoghurt, juices, tea/coffee, muffins, and all you can eat. I got down to the reception by 0800hrs and waited by the front gate.
Not long later this little grinning man appeared. Definitely Indian background. Bit too sunny for me this early in the morning. I was the first pickup of the day. The tour included a bike riding section through part of the Cape Point reserve so the bus was pulling a trailer of bikes.We went around the town a bit picking up various people from other hostels etc. and ended up as a group of 11 + tour guide and the driver. Every time the driver accelerated my neck felt like I had a bad case of whiplash. Had to turn side on in the seat belt to reduce the pain a bit.
The first stop of the day was at Hout Bay. There was a choice of options here. Either we could go on the seal boat tour, look around the tourist stalls or wander down the sandy beach. As the seal boat trip took about 45mins we'd be here an hour. I decided to go on the seal boat trip which was an extra R65. The price was a little more than others on the harbour, but we had been told that there had been some incidents and this was the company suggested by Baz Bus. As the total cost was still only £6 I didn't push it.
On the way out round the headland there was quite a breeze and a 1.5-2m swell running. I didn't think we'd be able to get too close to the seals unfortunately. Duh! How wrong could I be. The coxswain did a masterful job of getting his boat a lot closer than I would've attempted. Well worth the extra R20 just for the skill.
After the boat trip we headed further down the cape. We stopped at a point overlooking Hout Bay and had a small snack of squash and chocolate biscuits. We then travelled along the Chapman's Peak drive, which is a road which winds its way precariously along the cliff edge. It is a toll road to help with maintenance.After that we headed over to the Eastern side of the cape.
At a place called Simon's Town we stopped to view the penguin colony. The cost was included in the Baz Bus tour.(http://www.simonstown.com/tourism/penguins/penguins.htm).
An hour was about all we needed to have there really.
After the penguins we headed towards the Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park. Once inside the reserve we pulled over for the cycling part of the tour. We were told that we could see ostrich, baboons and varieties of antelope. The bikes had not been maintained very well. Tyres were flat, cables were rusty and gears were not the easiest to use. Also we got no instruction. It was assumed that people knew how to operate the bikes. I was last to leave as I had to get the back tyre inflated to cope with my massive bulk. I caught up with one of our group who was having trouble. The seat was far too low and her knees were around her ears. Had a bit of trouble getting the seat adjusted due to general lack of maintenance. Eventually got it sorted and off we went again. The riding conditions were not helped by the 30knots of wind blowing in from the side in the more exposed sections of the road. At least it wasn't from ahead.
Rather than rush ahead to join the rest of the group I decided to hang around at the back to keep an eye on the not so confident woman. The ride was said to be about 6km long but it didn't seem that way to me and after checking the gps log I think it was closer to 3km. The only bit of wildlife we saw was a tortoise crossing the road.
At the end of the ride we had a picnic lunch. Plenty of food was available, but I only had two rolls.
The trip to Cape Point took about 5mins. When we got there we were warned about having food in bags as the baboons would quite happily tear it to pieces throwing everything out until they got the one morsel. I took out the apple I had saved from lunch.
The walk to the top wasn't helped by lunch. I wish I'd had nothing til after coming down. The wind was still high and at the top people had difficulty standing still. Not sure what we were supposed to see but it just looked like a load of water to me.
After getting to the bottom we saw a baboon sitting on a rock looking out over the park. Only managed to get photos on the big camera so will have to wait until getting home to post those pictures.
Next stop was the Cape of Good Hope. As with all these types of places it was only about the photo op which only proves you were there. Here's mine!
After the Cape of Good Hope it was time to head back to Cape Town. Overall the tour was a success. Not too much travelling between interesting sites. Change of pace with the cycling and animal spotting bits, with a bit of healthy exercise thrown in for good measure. Gave the guide and driver a tip.
Feeling pretty tired & fairly hot after getting back to the hostel. Decided to go for a dip in the pool before going out for dinner.
I had heard about a place called Mama Africa which supposedly did game meats and had good music. Went out with Pamela, Wayne & Hannah. When we got there we were told that a booking would've been a good idea. As we had turned up early enough they let us have a table for an hour until 2000hrs. They seemed to be pretty full of themselves actually. Tried game platter which had a variety of different game meats on it.
This included kudu, crocodile, ostrich and springbok. Quite nice, but no different in flavour really from other meats we'd have at home. The crocodile had a texture similar to chicken. The live music was interesting but only really got going when we finished the food and started to leave. Too tired to stay and booze it up. Got back to hostel relatively early. Crashed about 2130hrs.
17 February 2011
Arrived in Cape Town
Took the Gautrain from Standton to the OR'Tambo airport. It's very modern and clean after only being finished two days before the world cup started last year. It uses a similar system to the Oyster card in London in that you have to have a card with credit which is swiped to let you in and out. Costs R100 to get from Standton to the airport.Standton is a suburb of J'burg. The platform I needed was 9 stories down. At least I assume it's 9 as the button said B9 on it. A lot of escalators were in evidence out the lift window as well.
Kulala airlines are my kind of budget airline. They're apparently an offshoot of BA but nowhere near as stuffy. The normally practical and boring safety card (in the pocket in front of you) has hints on not trying to set world records for slides and letting you know that in the case of an emergency the O2 is free!.
On the outside of the plane it gets even better. The cockpit has an arrow pointing to the 'Big cheese
Arrived in Cape Town. Very windy. Got the bag from the carousel and headed for the transport options. Charter buses were R160 to get me to the hostel or it was R50 to the bus terminal. I took the cheap option. When we got to the bus station the bus was being rocked from side to side by the extreme wind. I estimate at least 50knots. My roller bag was nearly ripped out of my hand as I walked to find a taxi to the hostel.
I was assisted in finding a taxi by a guy who came up to me. I got in and then asked the driver to put the meter on as we pulled up to a set of traffice lights near by. He refused and said the fee would be R50. I wasn't happy and said I'd walk for that price. He said fine. I got out and retrieved my bags from the boot. Walked back to the taxi rank and asked for a vehicle with a working meter. Eventually got into a very old Chevrolet. We drove past the original driver who had returned to his spot and was a bit gob-smacked to see me in another taxi.
Got to Ashanti. (http://www.ashanti.co.za/index_ashanti_lodge.htm) There is a coded entry system. The speaker didn't seem to work. I was let in by another guest?
I had only arranged to stay 2 nights and paid up front for both. I also had to give a R50 deposit for the bed tag. This was used to indicate that the bed I chose was already taken. Under the lower bunk they have two cages for storing your bags (if they fit) and stuff. I had forgotten my padlocks in J'burg. Doh! Oh well I thought c'est la vie.The dorm consisted on myself and three women of varying nationalities. I still find that a little odd, despite coming across the same thing in NZ.The older Japanese woman had a bag the size of Tokyo and couldn't find anything she was looking for. Spent ages shuffling stuff in plastic bags. No idea how the girl in the bunk below me stayed a sleep.
Went to the bar/cafe for a salad lunch. Don't each too much when hot. During lunch some guysgot talking about the new security features which were added in the last upgrade. I decided I needed a padlock. Went down to reception to see if I could buy one. Luckily I could have one for a R20 deposit, again refundable on checkout if all the keys etc were present.
Decided on not doing too much during the first afternoon and went off for a small walk around town. Saw a very colourful market, but didn't buy anything due to full bags already. Shame really as I would've liked a large giraffe or hippo for the garden to hide in the bamboo.
I really shouldn't have walked around so soon as the heat and sun really were too much for me. Should have used the time to go on a tour bus to see what to do the next day or so. Oh well, got back to the hostel around 1700hrs. Booked a tour to Cape Point in the morning. Had a shower and then went out in search of food and wine.
I had heard that CT was good for seafood and set off in search of a recommended place. Got in, chose a platter to get a feel for more all at once. Chose a bottle of KWV CabSauv. Again I was still out of sorts and didn't really enjoy it. I finished the food, paid and left with the remaining 2/3 of a bottle.
Walked back to the hostel to finish the bottle. Needless to say it went straight to my head. No matter. Off to the bar for more booze. Got chatting to a girl from Manchester who was in the same dorm as me. Got a little too inebriated and went off to bed. Did not really have a good sleep due to stiff neck. This might have been due to heavy camera bag or just sleeping on air bed in Rich's. No idea but it is a pain in the neck.
On the outside of the plane it gets even better. The cockpit has an arrow pointing to the 'Big cheese
Arrived in Cape Town. Very windy. Got the bag from the carousel and headed for the transport options. Charter buses were R160 to get me to the hostel or it was R50 to the bus terminal. I took the cheap option. When we got to the bus station the bus was being rocked from side to side by the extreme wind. I estimate at least 50knots. My roller bag was nearly ripped out of my hand as I walked to find a taxi to the hostel.
I was assisted in finding a taxi by a guy who came up to me. I got in and then asked the driver to put the meter on as we pulled up to a set of traffice lights near by. He refused and said the fee would be R50. I wasn't happy and said I'd walk for that price. He said fine. I got out and retrieved my bags from the boot. Walked back to the taxi rank and asked for a vehicle with a working meter. Eventually got into a very old Chevrolet. We drove past the original driver who had returned to his spot and was a bit gob-smacked to see me in another taxi.
Got to Ashanti. (http://www.ashanti.co.za/index_ashanti_lodge.htm) There is a coded entry system. The speaker didn't seem to work. I was let in by another guest?
I had only arranged to stay 2 nights and paid up front for both. I also had to give a R50 deposit for the bed tag. This was used to indicate that the bed I chose was already taken. Under the lower bunk they have two cages for storing your bags (if they fit) and stuff. I had forgotten my padlocks in J'burg. Doh! Oh well I thought c'est la vie.The dorm consisted on myself and three women of varying nationalities. I still find that a little odd, despite coming across the same thing in NZ.The older Japanese woman had a bag the size of Tokyo and couldn't find anything she was looking for. Spent ages shuffling stuff in plastic bags. No idea how the girl in the bunk below me stayed a sleep.
Went to the bar/cafe for a salad lunch. Don't each too much when hot. During lunch some guysgot talking about the new security features which were added in the last upgrade. I decided I needed a padlock. Went down to reception to see if I could buy one. Luckily I could have one for a R20 deposit, again refundable on checkout if all the keys etc were present.
Decided on not doing too much during the first afternoon and went off for a small walk around town. Saw a very colourful market, but didn't buy anything due to full bags already. Shame really as I would've liked a large giraffe or hippo for the garden to hide in the bamboo.
I really shouldn't have walked around so soon as the heat and sun really were too much for me. Should have used the time to go on a tour bus to see what to do the next day or so. Oh well, got back to the hostel around 1700hrs. Booked a tour to Cape Point in the morning. Had a shower and then went out in search of food and wine.
I had heard that CT was good for seafood and set off in search of a recommended place. Got in, chose a platter to get a feel for more all at once. Chose a bottle of KWV CabSauv. Again I was still out of sorts and didn't really enjoy it. I finished the food, paid and left with the remaining 2/3 of a bottle.
Walked back to the hostel to finish the bottle. Needless to say it went straight to my head. No matter. Off to the bar for more booze. Got chatting to a girl from Manchester who was in the same dorm as me. Got a little too inebriated and went off to bed. Did not really have a good sleep due to stiff neck. This might have been due to heavy camera bag or just sleeping on air bed in Rich's. No idea but it is a pain in the neck.
16 February 2011
First day in Johannesburg
Arrived late last night so haven't actually seen an awful lot just yet. Rich has taken the kids to school and Jayne has got to work.
I didn't quite twig, before coming here how big South Africa actually is. About 1 hour south of J'burg is a lake which is apparenlty the same size as Luxemborg. It also takes roughly two hours to fly from J'burg to Cape Town.
On the trip down from the airport Rich pointed out a load of new roads which had been put in or rejuvinated for the world cup last year. It seems the whole country was up for it. For about 3 months Friday was a day where everybody from school kids to office workers wore the shirt of their favourite team. Apparently the same thing will happen for the cricket world cup as well.
The power sockets here are very similar to the UK in that they have 3 pins, the earth being in the middle and is larger and longer than the other 2. The only difference is that the pins are round. Because they're so big they are not generally included in those multi-country converters you see at the airports. I just bought two EU/UK to SA adapters. Not sure when I'll use them after this trip but worth the money to avoid power loss.
Rich and Jayne's kids are very polite. Chloe (aka Clogs) is the younger of the two. Sophie is the eldest (obviously) and she's a bit of a sports nut as well as a tomboy. She has tennis this afternoon and owns her very own cricket bat (for kids!)
Went with Rich to buy some clothes, fix a battery in his car and go to his sailing club where he has his business. www.crocssailingcentre.co.za
We setup a Feva he has on trial from RS. It had arrived from Cape Town the previous day.
Had a picnic lunch.
After lunch Rich took me round a local game reserve which actually borders the Pretoria Sailing Club lake he uses. Unfortunately the rains are here and the grass is very tall. There were supposed to be ostrich, hippo, zebra etc. We only saw some zebra close up but there were some excellent birds. Bright red & blue as well as eagle owls.
Very hot, caught some sun. Promise of big storm which never really arrived. On the way back to Rich's house we stopped at the local liquor store and butcher to stock up for the BBQ in the back garden.
I didn't quite twig, before coming here how big South Africa actually is. About 1 hour south of J'burg is a lake which is apparenlty the same size as Luxemborg. It also takes roughly two hours to fly from J'burg to Cape Town.
On the trip down from the airport Rich pointed out a load of new roads which had been put in or rejuvinated for the world cup last year. It seems the whole country was up for it. For about 3 months Friday was a day where everybody from school kids to office workers wore the shirt of their favourite team. Apparently the same thing will happen for the cricket world cup as well.
The power sockets here are very similar to the UK in that they have 3 pins, the earth being in the middle and is larger and longer than the other 2. The only difference is that the pins are round. Because they're so big they are not generally included in those multi-country converters you see at the airports. I just bought two EU/UK to SA adapters. Not sure when I'll use them after this trip but worth the money to avoid power loss.
Rich and Jayne's kids are very polite. Chloe (aka Clogs) is the younger of the two. Sophie is the eldest (obviously) and she's a bit of a sports nut as well as a tomboy. She has tennis this afternoon and owns her very own cricket bat (for kids!)
Went with Rich to buy some clothes, fix a battery in his car and go to his sailing club where he has his business. www.crocssailingcentre.co.za
We setup a Feva he has on trial from RS. It had arrived from Cape Town the previous day.
Had a picnic lunch.
After lunch Rich took me round a local game reserve which actually borders the Pretoria Sailing Club lake he uses. Unfortunately the rains are here and the grass is very tall. There were supposed to be ostrich, hippo, zebra etc. We only saw some zebra close up but there were some excellent birds. Bright red & blue as well as eagle owls.
Very hot, caught some sun. Promise of big storm which never really arrived. On the way back to Rich's house we stopped at the local liquor store and butcher to stock up for the BBQ in the back garden.
15 February 2011
The journey starts (boring bit)
Bit of an early start today. Awake at about 4am. The shower was pitiful. No power to it at all. They did provide some shower gel, or the last occupent left it. All I could do was get wet and apply some suds and rinse off.
Taxi arrived dead on time at 5am for the trip to T4. Didn't have much time in the business lounge and the shops weren't open. I still find that odd, tha in these days of 24hr supermarkets etc that the shops in LHR do not open as soon as the flights start leaving/arriving, but wait until about half six. I had planned on getting Rich's two girls some sort of London based toy (i.e. Padington Bear or something) but didn't have enough time for that.
We were delayed a bit leaving LHR due to weather conditions at Schiphol airport. I was worried about catching the connection to J'burg.
The short hopper flight from LHR to AMS was cramped despite being in business class. Didn't go for any food as I was still full from the massive supper last night and the small top up of juice and yoghurt in the lounge. Also waiting for the scrummy delights which should be coming on the next flight. Also good training for not always eating on a flight just because it's on offer.
The first flight actually arrived a little ahead of schedule, so either the timetable had plenty of slack or they went extra quick to make up the difference. Still didn't leave me an awful lot of time in AMS. I had a quick look around for something to bring the girls and found a small rabbit character called Miffi I think. Two of those, sorted. I also went and bought some salt pastilles, which are from Holland but not that popular outside.
Got on the second flight without any problem. I was still sat next to somebody but at least there was more room.
I was a bit disappointed by the media system. It was the older style with the massive flip out screen but wasn't touch screen. We had to use these little remotes reminiscent of old atari's or something. We also had an announcement from the flight deck telling people that the system wouldn't be switched on for another 20mins and asking people to be a bit patient as the system acted strangely if pushed too hard. I would've thought business class in KLM could've been better than scum class on Saudi Airlines. They did has a good selection of programming which included plenty of movies and TV shows. They even had an episode of Grand Designs!!! I didn't check out any other forms of entertainment.
Choice of food was pretty good and the quality was excellent. Despite the wine being free I didn't overindulge.
Didn't get much sleep but a little.
Arrived at J'burg about 2230hrs. Took a little while for the bags to arrive. Wasn't helped by the fact that the notice board, the announcement and the actual luggage system were all different.
Rich picked me up and we went off to his house. Didn't get to see an awful lot due to the time of night.
Taxi arrived dead on time at 5am for the trip to T4. Didn't have much time in the business lounge and the shops weren't open. I still find that odd, tha in these days of 24hr supermarkets etc that the shops in LHR do not open as soon as the flights start leaving/arriving, but wait until about half six. I had planned on getting Rich's two girls some sort of London based toy (i.e. Padington Bear or something) but didn't have enough time for that.
We were delayed a bit leaving LHR due to weather conditions at Schiphol airport. I was worried about catching the connection to J'burg.
The short hopper flight from LHR to AMS was cramped despite being in business class. Didn't go for any food as I was still full from the massive supper last night and the small top up of juice and yoghurt in the lounge. Also waiting for the scrummy delights which should be coming on the next flight. Also good training for not always eating on a flight just because it's on offer.
The first flight actually arrived a little ahead of schedule, so either the timetable had plenty of slack or they went extra quick to make up the difference. Still didn't leave me an awful lot of time in AMS. I had a quick look around for something to bring the girls and found a small rabbit character called Miffi I think. Two of those, sorted. I also went and bought some salt pastilles, which are from Holland but not that popular outside.
Got on the second flight without any problem. I was still sat next to somebody but at least there was more room.
I was a bit disappointed by the media system. It was the older style with the massive flip out screen but wasn't touch screen. We had to use these little remotes reminiscent of old atari's or something. We also had an announcement from the flight deck telling people that the system wouldn't be switched on for another 20mins and asking people to be a bit patient as the system acted strangely if pushed too hard. I would've thought business class in KLM could've been better than scum class on Saudi Airlines. They did has a good selection of programming which included plenty of movies and TV shows. They even had an episode of Grand Designs!!! I didn't check out any other forms of entertainment.
Choice of food was pretty good and the quality was excellent. Despite the wine being free I didn't overindulge.
Didn't get much sleep but a little.
Arrived at J'burg about 2230hrs. Took a little while for the bags to arrive. Wasn't helped by the fact that the notice board, the announcement and the actual luggage system were all different.
Rich picked me up and we went off to his house. Didn't get to see an awful lot due to the time of night.
13 February 2011
Censorship on Saudi Arabian airlines
Came home on Saudi Arabian airlines the other day. On the whole not a bad airline really. The seats we actually far enough apart for me not to have my knees crushed.
The movie selection on the server was quite small and what they did have had been censored for their own rules. Some of the things they censored would seem quite odd to most people who don't know the country.
In Iron Man2 there are women wearing sleeveless dresses which shows the arm from the shoulder down. In the censored version the arms were blurred out. Very distracting.
In the movie Tropic Thunder they have blurred out a statue of Buddha. Now to me that seems a little odd. According to the web this is due to the fact that Islam prohibits most types of statues and frowns on others. However the statues exist in the real world and in my opinion they're only drawing attention to the fact by blurring them out in movies.
In both cases I saw I think they drew more attention to the details they didn't like by blurring them out. Wouldn't it have been better just not to have the movies or delete the scenes completely.
The movie selection on the server was quite small and what they did have had been censored for their own rules. Some of the things they censored would seem quite odd to most people who don't know the country.
In Iron Man2 there are women wearing sleeveless dresses which shows the arm from the shoulder down. In the censored version the arms were blurred out. Very distracting.
In the movie Tropic Thunder they have blurred out a statue of Buddha. Now to me that seems a little odd. According to the web this is due to the fact that Islam prohibits most types of statues and frowns on others. However the statues exist in the real world and in my opinion they're only drawing attention to the fact by blurring them out in movies.
In both cases I saw I think they drew more attention to the details they didn't like by blurring them out. Wouldn't it have been better just not to have the movies or delete the scenes completely.
First FIT payment from e.on
I have got my first payment from the electricity company.
I supplied a reading to them on the 25th January 2011 and I received a statement dated the 31st January 2011.
The reading was 381 kWh from the 20th October 2010.
The rate is 41.3p/kWh generated + 3p/50% kWh generated. The average rate is therefore 42.8p/kWh.
The rate is 41.3p/kWh generated + 3p/50% kWh generated. The average rate is therefore 42.8p/kWh.
The total they're sending to me works out as £163.07p. This will be paid into the nominated bank account in 5 - 10 working days.
11 February 2011
Weather station working again
Well I finally managed to get my weather station back up and running. It had been down since the 13th Jan 2011, which means I lost about 1 months worth of data.
It turns out the computer was trying to install some updates and the system had a little moment. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get it sorted until 11th Feb 2011.
Hopefully the system will prove to be a bit more reliable in the future.
During the day I also installed my new UV sensor. I haven't yet worked out what the units are yet. This completes the sensor suite and I may even be able to get my data onto the new network of amateurs.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)