Brilliant England

On our fourth day in Britain we hired a car and began our tour of Britain... ROAD TRIP!
The beginning of our trip was fairly uneventful, following a few detours (figuring out which road to leave London) and not having any indication of what speed we should go. Apparently the sign of a circle with a line through it means "Go at the pre-designated speed for this type of road"... you just have to know what that is...

We drove south to our first stop - Brighton. The weather was fine and after having arranged our accommodation we took a "turn" along the pebbled beach to the pier which had a mini-Funpark located on the very end...we didn't waste our precious pounds. We bought some doughnuts and continued along the waterfront to a cafe where we had our first British "Fish and Chips". As we retired for the day we were very contented to have had our "water view" fix.

Our next journey took us firstly to the Winchester Cathedral where Jane Austen was laid to rest. We continued on to Salisbury and strolled around the township and grounds of the Cathedral there before having dinner in a lovely old inn. Dessert was blackberry and apple crumble with custard... yum

The English drizzle returned for Stonehenge, which added an eerie flavour. Pity about all the tourists ruining the mood. The Avebury stone circle was a bit more authentic, as we witnessed a druid ceremony within the inner circle of stones. We continued to Bath - so lovely. Having booked a B&B for two nights, we walked into the township where we had dinner in the oldest house and had one of the famous Sally Lunn Buns. The following day was spent visiting the Roman Baths (so much more information and insight than we had imagined) and the Jane Austen centre (cream tea).

Our next destination was Oxford via the White Horse of Uffington. It was really difficult to find accommodation at Oxford due to the high amount of student housing as well as us arriving in time for May Day celebrations. I was surprised at the non-campus quality of the University. We caught up with Mum's PhD supervisor to celebrate the acceptance of Mum's thesis (no changes woohoo!).

On our way to Cambridge we stopped at Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace, for lunch and a wander. Cambridge was similar to Oxford in the non-campus-ness. From here on-in we found it increasingly difficult to find a coffee that wasn't from an automatic machine.

Stopped at Belton house in the Peak Distric which was used for Rosings Park in the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Stayed at the quaint town of Buxton overnight. Lyme Park (or Pemberley) was next on the agenda as we made our way through the Peak District. Didn't find Mr. Darcy. Very Dissapointed.

"Pemberley"

Our last town in England before heading to Scotland was the viking village of York (Jorvik). Here, we met my friend Kelly and walked around the remaining Roman wall that was built around the city. We had Italian dinner down a street called the Shambles. The following day we went to Jorvik archaeological site and saw a fantastic display of Viking history and ruins.

Overall, we have found the weather to be quite Schizophrenic, having several bouts of rain-sun-wind-sun etc all in the one hour.

l
R
x
and Judy (Dr)

Leisure time in London

We stayed with my friend Nathan while in London for 3 nights. It meant we could make our own dinners and pack our lunch - a nice change from buying things all the time. Our first taste of London was a beautiful sunny spring day walking through Hyde Park. There were little daisies through all the grass and squirrels bouncing around. It made me feel like skipping (but I didn't). We decided to forgo the hiring of a deckchair at £4 and snoozed under an oak tree on the grass instead.

On a bridge in Hyde Park

We had our first coffee since Madrid Airport at the coffee shop just by the Serpentine, then took the Underground (so easy and fast) to Leyton where my friend lives.

The next day started off in a wonderful London drizzle. We made it to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard at 11.30 - gorgeous, gorgeous horses. We then walked to Westminster Abbey (via a stop at a quaint little coffee shop). After some happy snaps we walked down to West End and saw a matinee of Wicked (loved it!) a musical about the misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West. We stopped at Trafalgar Square on the way home, where people were celebrating the St George festival.

With Big Ben near Westminster Abbey

Our third day in London (beginning with drizzle again) sent us first to the British Museum for about 2 hours (absolutely not enough time) and then on to St Paul's Cathedral where I took the 343 steps to the top. We then went down to the Tower of London, which I had envisaged to be a bit more tower-like, but oh well.

View of the Tower bridge (with actual towers)

I went on the travellator past the jewels several times, and was particularly fond of Queen Mary's Crown as well as the star of Africa (which came from Great Zimbabwe).

530 carats. That's all I need to say.

l

R

x

and Judy

Minor Mishap #4

Our felucca ride was relaxing... mostly.

A felucca is an egyptian sail boat and ours was set up with a rather large mattress covering the entire deck. Captain Smiley (as he liked to be called) was very competent at tacking against the wind toward Luxor, and seemed to have the knack of skimming our heads just above the water.

Mum and I were relaxing in the late afternoon, listening to Pride and Prejudice on podcast and the others were on deck in various states of relaxation. We were all feeling very indulgent and regal. That is, until a strong gust of wind came up unbeknownst to us.

As we were used to the frequent tipping of the boat, we didn't suspect anything was amiss... However, then we started to slide towards the edge while the icy cold water of the Nile started to rush in. I got to my feet in quite a rush with only a minor amount of screaming.

Captain Smiley was able to avoid capsising (we weren't so sure if he could at one stage) and correct the boat. We sailed towards shore to dry out and wait out the wind.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of myself, but it looked a bit like this...

l
R
x
and Judy

Travel like an Egyptian

Overall we spent 11 days in Egypt. We travelled to Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Alexandria. It essentially never rains in Egypt and the Nile is the only water source, so the landscape really is sandy desert with a strip of green oasis. Very different to home.

The pyramids were a little bit of a let down because of all the tourism - there is tarred road that cuts in between the two main pyramids. There is also lots of rubbish around due to the lack of bins. However, it was still good to go and see them as an experience. The Egyptian Museum was spectacular. So much so that we returned to it at the conclusion of our tour (the end of 8 days). Cairo also gave us our first experience of a Dervish (Sufi) dance show- this is where they spin constantly.

With the Large Pyramid

We took a sleeper train to Aswan. Actually quite comfortable and a private 2 bunk cabin - with a locking door (much better than China). Aswan was hot. Very. Hot. Here we spent a 46 deg C day melting around Philae temple and dipping our feet in the Nile. The same day we rode some camels on the West bank in the Sahara. We explored some and got into the swing of bargaining on our second day in Aswan.

Riding Camels in the Sahara

A felucca sailed us to Luxor, where after a minor mishap (see #4) we arrived safely and had time to see the Karnak temple. The following day was busy, spent visiting the Colossi of Memnon, Valley of Kings (via donkey), Medinat Temple, a local family for a traditional lunch and Luxor temple. We had time for some quick bargaining before boarding a seated overnight train (gah!) to Cairo... and then bus to Alexandria.

Medinat Temple, Luxor

Alexandria was so beautiful. It is a mixture of Greek and Egyptian culture, which was evident in people's features. We also saw it in the catacombs - where representations of Greek gods had been merged with Egyptian gods. We had glorious ocean air as the city is set around a bay. We visited the site of Fort Quaitby - built from the 7th wonder of the ancient world (yep, the English decided to quarry the Pharoah lighthouse for a fort) - where we met some lovely locals who gave me a live little fish to play with. Unfortunately, I couldn't take Fred with me in further travels, but he is with me in my heart. Our Alexandria day trip was topped off by a visit to the library - built on the exact site of the ancient one.

Library of Alexandria

l
R
x
(and Judy)

Thank the powers that be...

... for creating the V.I.P. lounge at Madrid International Airport.

After our 2 hour flight from Cape Town, a 9 hour wait in Johannesburg followed by a 10 hour flight to Madrid, and facing another 9 hour wait for the 4 hour flight to Cairo, our knees were beginning to buckle a little.

Then we saw the V.I.P. lounge and were able to enter once off, for a small fee (what it would have cost us for lunch out of the lounge area). For this we were able to make use of sleeping rooms, free high-speed internet, essentially unlimited access to food and drinks, tea and coffee, a bathroom, power outlets, spacious lounges and tv.

We are now ready to face our flight.

l
R
x
and Judy

Cape Town Bliss

Four lovely days were spent around Cape Town and surrounds. Day 1 was a bit drizzly so we caught up on some sleep/recovery. Later in the day we discovered a coffee shop/bakery called Caramello's on Kloof Street, which was to become a daily destination. We met the owner and his wife and became quite friendly (they gave us a free milk tart!)

The second day we spent on the hop on-hop off bus tour of the city. It took us up to the cable car at Table mountain, which we made use of. A bit nippy at the top, but totally worth it. It is quite amazing how fast the weather changes here. We also went by Camps bay, then got dropped off at the Victoria and Alfred waterfront for lunch. Although mum had forgotten her credit card, we managed to scrape together 50 rand for lunch ($7 AU).

View from the top of Table Mountain.

On day three, we hired a car and escaped down to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. We had morning tea and Haut Bay and drove through a slightly nerve-wracking cut out on the side of the mountain known as Chapman's Peak Drive. Ocean views were fantastic. We also stopped off to see some African Penguins coming back from their day of fishing. The drive back along the coastal route was through peak hour and there was a power cut which made things interesting. When we got back to the city, we realised we didn't have an appropriate map, so followed our noses (in circles at some times) back to the B&B.

Chapman's Peak Drive

Our last day was spent looking around the Gold Museum (we want one of everything). Fortunately, Mum had forgotten her visa again (sigh) so we couldn't spend money. We also went to the castle (the fortification built in the 1800s) and got to observe the changing of the guard and the noon cannon firing. It housed the military museum and an antique furniture collection.

Later, we enjoyed some pampering followed by our last meal (for a while) at Caramello's. Coconut biscuits to die for.

l
R
x
and Judy

Minor Mishap #3

In which Mum says "Throw me a freakin' screwdriver!"

We flew from Vic Falls to Jo-burg and needed to get a connecting domestic flight to Cape Town. We had made it through immigration with no hassles and on the other side Mum disappeared. Knowing Mum, I immediately headed for the bathroom. Once in there I heard a feeble "Hello? Can someone help?"

To which I replied "Mum?"

It turned out that she had managed to lock herself in the cubicle by breaking the lock - so that it wouldn't turn back.

I trotted off to find help.

I decided to go up to a female attendant to save some embarrassment, however she called over her friend to come in and have a look as well. They tried turning from the outside with a coin to no avail.

Then, when Mum's weakening cries of "I just need a screwdriver... I only have 2 screws to undo" seemed to be ignored by the general company and I could fast see the scene turning into one of the beginning scenes from 'There's Something about Mary' Mum suggested I go and get my swiss army knife from our luggage, so I did.

When I came back from collecting the luggage, there was a guy trying to bash down the door with a broom handle. I quickly handed the knife to Mum and she undid one screw on the latch.

So after 20 minutes, we were finally on our way. And after we solved the problem, they wanted us to buy them a drink!

l
R
x
(and Judy)

Big House made of Stones a.k.a. Zimbabwe

Beautiful People. Beautiful Country.

We crossed the border into the country the day after the 2008 elections, all without mishap. In fact we made it in record time. This was useful because we had more time to do interesting things and reach a really nice campsite.

Our first stop (after getting our money changed on the black market) was at Great Zimbabwe. Some of you may know that the country Zimbabwe was named after the archaeological site of Great Zimbabwe - the site of a stone castle (built without mortar) which was the ruling centre of the region for hundreds of years. The Queen of Sheba was thought to have lived there. We got to climb up to the castle and frolic around, looking down upon the great enclosure - which would have housed the whole village of about 18 000 people.

Great Zimbabwe Palace interior.

We then had enough time to head straight up to Antelope Park (thank goodness, because the campsite at G.Z. was primitive). Antelope Park is a Lion breeding centre with a view to release into the wild. Although the A.P. campsite was brilliant we both upgraded to cabins because we had been sick with a cold that wouldn't go away.

Our stay at A.P lasted 3 nights and there were lots of optional things to do. Our activities included: cub viewing, bush walking, breeding explanation, elephant training and horse riding. Tea and coffee were on tap (woohoo!) and there were allocated 'fire guys' around the camp whose sole job was to stoke our campfires. The boys in our group played soccer against the Park team, with varying results. The park elephants (Tombi, Amai, Chobi and Jaicha) bathed in the river in the background.

The Antelope Park Elephants

Following A.P. we headed up to Bulaweo (3rd largest Zim city) and out to Matobo national Park. There, we tracked and saw a few white rhino at about 10 metres distance (and saw some leopard tracks but couldn't find it's hiding place).

Our final destination was Victoria Falls. We only had time to see the falls before we had to fly out the next day. We got thoroughly drenched in the process!

l
R
x
and Judy

I Love the Plains in South Africa

Our first two days before the Safari were spent in Johannesburg. Apart from the barbed/razor/electric fencing on all the houses, the city could be any average Australian city. The suburb we were in (Hyde Park) was very safe and we found a delicious bakery and a Mall down the road where I got the most amazing brownie.

We spent a day visiting the Apartheid museum - which was very eye opening. It is hard to believe it started in 1948 and went till 1994 (during both our lifetimes!).

We had three team members looking after us on tour: Peter our guide, Gift the cook and Dumi the driver. They were all locals from Zimbabwe and were a fantastic team who always kept us safe and happy. We were also very lucky with our tour group - everyone seemed to get along and help each other out.

Our Group

Our first stop was Kruger where we were spoiled because we didn't have to put up our own tents and there were cots to sleep on. We spent a day driving around the park and saw so many different animals... Just incredible. Key memories were of a waterhole where we saw essentially all the animals at once. Also, we had to stop on the road to wait for about 20 elephants to cross on their way down to the river for an afternoon swim. Then, as we were heading out of the park we saw a mother Hyena suckling two cubs just on the side of the road.

Elephants heading for a swim

We then headed up through Graskop (famous for pancakes but we didn't have any) to Blyde River Canyon. The canyon is the third largest in the world and we stopped at three viewing spots along the way.

Our final stop in South Africa was in Musina - the hottest town. It was about 36 deg C the day we got in. Consequently, we decided to make use of the hot spring swimming pools (the spring at the source was 65 deg C). It was refreshing... when we got out.

Thus concluded the SA section of the tour.

l
R
x
and Judy