TravelStream™ news feed for member martinwilliams on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/martinwilliams en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:00:41 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1171298460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1171298460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1171298460/tpod.html Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:00:41 -0500 It all about giraffe racing

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Jeffreys Bay, South Africa

So the roadtrip continues on to jeffrys bay and i,m losing the will to write however the only real highlight of this place was our room location,the beach, weed, vegetable soup and a billabong wharehouse. But it was really good just to kick back after a few days of just driving.No real excitment just chilling and a feeble attempt at sorting out money and flights etc....also i,ve managed to mess this thing all up, but if you go and look at the entry for 30th of january, sodwana bay, ive added a load of pictures with me diving with crocadiles(keir you'll love this pal), stroking cheetahs and lions etc. sorry for the fuck up just bored of writing now. Also i,ll be home on weds so i can tell you all about it then......
Take it easy and see you all real soon
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170264120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170264120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170264120/tpod.html Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:57:19 -0500 It all about giraffe racing

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Sodwana Bay, South Africa

So after a few days in Mozambique the roadtrip took us back to Sodwana where we had all booked to go diving with Whale sharks in the morning and Ragged tooth sharks during the afternoon. Basically between 5 of us we paid for a microlite plane to go out spot the whaleshark and direct our boat to them we jump in and snorkel next to him/her for 2 hours!!! Bearing in mind these are the biggest fish in the sea and reaches lengths of 12metres. However we where not dissappointed within minutes we was snorkelling and diving down and swimming within touching distance of an absolute beast at 8 metres long it. I still cant get over how gracefully and effortlessy it was cruising through the water. The only thing we had to be careful of was its tails as it can totally K.O. you. I only had one near miss and yes i was close to crapping my pants. This alone was worth travelling to South africa for and would highly recommend to anyone. Just check the pic's out and i,m sure you'll see what i mean. So after swimming with the beast of the sea for a few hours we then go straight to the dive site where the ragged tooth sharks hang out, only to find out that some cowboy dive outfit has a shit load of divers diving on a site there not even meant to dive on!! So it looks like the "raggies" is scrapped for the day. So off we go to do our normal reef dive, so spoilt. However i get down about 10metres and my ear feels like the drums being ripped out of my ear, i go up then back down again, but this ear thing just isnt shaking. So go back up and hop on the boat, fuming. I think its due to my final shooting spree on the reserve, shooting from a moving vehicle is not a good idea as the noise fucks your ears!!! So i,m fuming up until the point we are heading back and the fella decides we can go diving with the ragged tooth sharks. Only thing being i,ve given my air away to someone else already. So everybody else goes diving down which is the safest place to be around sharks, whilst muggings here gets the snorkel out and swims and splashes about a few metres above. Clearly a sitting duck, however the sharks are so docile the didnt even batter an eyelid at me, so again absolutly amazing, check the pic's. I think this has been my best day travelling so far by a long way. The company who took us out basically done whatever we wanted them to do all day and all for about 40 quid!!
Anyway peoples sure your all cool, got to dash as i,ve got too write the next one,haha.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1171211460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1171211460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1171211460/tpod.html Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:40:54 -0500 It all about giraffe racing

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Sinsta??!!, South Africa

Well after the party the night before my birthday, i felt i had clearly no nedd to celebrate it on the day as i couldnt even move for an hour in the morning. Kate was feeling to sick to drive, so it was down to me to drive for a few hours to our next destination. Which looking back i,ve no idea how we actually got there. What with the potholed road and a mighty strong hangover, i think i slipped into a computer game in my head driving. Anyone seen that scene in the beach, that was me on this road,haha. So we arrive at a nice place called sinsta, i think!!! We get a tent which is on a platform above the forest and looking out to see, had one beer realised it was a wrong move. Then just went back to our tree house thing and chilled out looking at the stars from our tent.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170863460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170863460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170863460/tpod.html Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:30:39 -0500 It all about giraffe racing

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Coffee Bay, South Africa

Well its just taken me 10 minutes to work out how to spell coffee(just showing off now),
After our 6 hour roadtrip, a few wrong turnings and an hours drive on a road that had more potholes than road we made it alive. Only just as few kids tried throwing stones at us as we entered into the tribal land. Basically all the land is owned by a chief here and he then in return reports to the government any problems or the village sort it out themselves......
Another amazing place, we turn up late on, and as always Kates hungry (haha) so we decide to go and have dinner with the chief of the tribe. With the promise of music, dancing drink and food we are both happy. We all get tightly crammed into this rondavel(small hut with thatched roof made of mud) on top of a mountain with amazing views of the sea and mountains then the tribe start heading in for dinner next thing its all going off musically with people playing drums beating sticks or just stamping and clapping in a crazy trance like fashion all in this tiny little hut. But absolute class. 3 Blokes from the tribe are pulling off shoulder shuffles that anybody would be proud of. The women where doing some form of stampede dance. I start to crack my glowsticks, just kidding.
This goes on for about an hour, so me and kate go outside for a cigarrette and get absolutly mobed by kids trying to teach us games, asking us questions and just generally fighting for attention. So kate gives some of them the camera which there absolutly amzed by and they start taking pics of us. Then back in side dinner was really nice however still not sure entirly what we ate.... Also started knocking back some of there homebrew, the only thing it resembled was when i have puked up from drinking to much beer, the taste left after this was the same taste as there beer!!! Although some wallys where saying it tasted nice, er no it wasnt!!!!
Next day we go on a hike across mountains, through caves and cliff diving. Which again was qaulity, also saw some cows on the beach, how weirds that, COWS on a BEACH.....Then at night get completly smashed and between me and my new best tribal mate we hog the pool table all night......................Next day was the 7th birthday of the hostel so free bbq on the beach playing volleyball, surfing and playing footy with local kids on the beach. However after half hour of playing footy(even got a little training session on the go for them, reeves you would of been proud) i realise actually how unfit i,ve become since being away.haha Then at night they have free see food and gin and tonics. So we tuck into them then nip across the road to see some buddies(one of which is really david hasselhof), do some jager bombs (jagermeister and red bull, with kate being smashed in about 30 mins, pure light weight)then back across the road for a good old knees up. The night ended with us in a tent right next to the sea as we had been shoved out of our room by someone who booked in advance, but at least they gave us a tent.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170602880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170602880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170602880/tpod.html Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:51:23 -0500 It all about giraffe racing

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Port shepstone, South Africa

Hello again,
Just updating my travel diary as i,ve finally found an internet place on the last of my travels!!! I leave it upto you if your intrested or not??
Anyways after diving with sharks, whales and dolphins the roadtrip came to an end in durban (again), with a game of stoned pictionary. Which basically involved me and kate passed out on a couch....
Next day we decide the best way to get to cape town and see everything we want to see is to get a hire car rather than busing it. Roadtrip number 3. So we head to a Port shepstone and find a hostel right on the beach with amazing views, waves that totally just beat you up(hours of fun) i think kate lost her bikini to them a few times actually) and just generally chilled out for a few days with the beach just outside our room. We went to see some rope swing that swung about 100 metres above a forest, but both off us bricked it, however kates story may involve the mention of lack of money, lame excuse if you ask me.It was good anyway as there was loads of cliffs and stuff that we dangled off etc...and a shit load of hiking. Then the car wouldnt start so not a good start to the roadtrip. Anyways one new car later and away we went heading to a place called coffee bay.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1136301480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1136301480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1136301480/tpod.html Sat, 17 Feb 2007 12:18:17 -0500 It all about giraffe racing

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Alldays, South Africa


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170184980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170184980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170184980/tpod.html Wed, 07 Feb 2007 14:53:20 -0500 It all about giraffe racing

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Sodwana Bay, South Africa

Olaho,
Well the roadtrip started the following morning, all be it with a few minor gliches. Such as visas being expensive and also another girl now joining the roadtrip. Now you would think a roadtrip would be quality with me being the only bloke.....wrong. 5 hours in a confind space with 4 girls was enjoyable and torture at the same time. I think grease come on the radio at one point and all girleyness took over!!! Anyways we arrive in sodwana(not mozambique) eventually, to find that divings rubbish due to a storm, so decide that we should spend the night there and head for the border the next day to Mozambique. We also had to sleep in a tent in a reserve with roaming Hippo so that was pretty cool......
Next morning get to the border only to discover all the roads on the Mozambique side are like tracks through sand dunes and to much of a challenge for our standard hire car. So we leave the car at the border and get into Mozambique all be it by a few feet. After 1 hour trying to hitch the 10kms to where we want to go, we decide to try and ring hostels in the area to pick us up. Sadly no one wanted to answer there fones??!!! 2 hours pass still no one, by which time we have set up a picnic between the 5 of us right under the counter where they stamp your passport!! Now the border people startgetting annoyed and start ringing people for us! Still another hour passes and finally a guy turns up to pick us up. Only thing was we didnt even ring the company and he claims we spoke to him??! Not that i really cared, very grateful in fact..... We drive for ten minutes through beatiful countryside, shacks a plenty and kids yelling and waving,all the while sand roads and then we arrive at the best beach i,ve seen since thailand. However we try to book diving and its like the people are incoherent or the weeds really strong. But the dive school gave the impression they just couldnt be arsed to dive??!! Finally get that sorted, also arrange to go swimming with dolphins the next morning. However the dolphin dive turned into a bit of a circus as a film crew where on board for some tv programme over here. So they start telling us what the score is, that they get in the water first, etc... To which i was just going "No we paid the same money""get your own boat" and generally winding them up. So out we went see some dolphins, they jump in dolphins swim away!! Sadly we didnt see anymore dolphins but got dumped on reef to snorkel round. Which was full of jellyfish so everyones getting stung to buggery, all the while the cameraman on the boats giving it "come on move closer together" to which i yell "fuck off" and "poke your camera up your arse" sure he can dub it out.haha. Also tried a load of portugese food whilst here as it has a very portugese influence and is the local language. However the food rocked my stomach and a few toilet sittings where needed. Then spent the next few days going for a dive or 2 and kicking back on the beach, even a booze cruise seemed like to much effort.On one though i ahd the 2 bob bits so couldnt dive. However whilst the girls where diving i spot a pod of dolphins and get the boat driver to drop me off in the middle of them. So i,m now snorkelling with a pod of about 20 dolphins all swimming around me and swooping upto me as close as an arms length away.Quality. The girls came up raving about there dive, but once hearing about mine they where fuming. Hows your luck.
Anyways people, later you know
Martin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170080640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170080640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1170080640/tpod.html Wed, 07 Feb 2007 14:23:12 -0500 It all about giraffe racing

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Umkamaas, South Africa

Olaho people,
Well what have i been upto since i last wrote home?? We managed to get a bus from Durban to a place near the sea called Umkamaas, there wasnt much to do here bar diving and watching DVD, but it gave me the oppurtunity to finish my PADI course which i left half finished in Thailand. So after chatting to the people who run the place, whilst Kate was off busy wrestling with Tiger sharks, the owner tells me about his new house with a load of lights not working in the garden. So being me, i tell him i,ll do them for him, blatently knowing i,m then in turn going to get my diving for free, woopee. They also invite us and a few other girls from the hostel over to there house for a BBQ to show off the lights i fixed!!?? Anyways house was amazing with amazing views of the sea from the decking in garden which also included a huge swimming pool. Inside a bar fully stocked or should i say was fully stocked. I think we drunk all the beer and most of the wine, so all in all a quality night. Sadly reality kicked in the next morning when we had to be up at 7 to go diving. A bumpy boat ride is not a hangover cure, however diving was amazing and cured my hangover. We saw loads of amazing fish and the current wasnt that strong but just enough to nudge you along the top and in between reefs without any effort. We also managed to see a hammerhead shark on the way back to shore, which was a bonus. On our last night a few of us went to a bar and after a few drinks 5 of us decided we all wanted to go to Mozambique and 2 of the girls had a hire car, so we all decided "ROADTRIP".
Anyways people take it easy hope alls well back in blighty, peace out A town......
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1169663340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1169663340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1169663340/tpod.html Wed, 24 Jan 2007 14:15:31 -0500 It all about giraffe racing

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Drakensburg Mountains, South Africa

Aloha friends and family.......
Well i,ve finally found Internet thats not that painful to use!! Well since my last email i have been in Durban for a few days having a bit of a disco, watching loads of films at the cinema and finally after 3 months hitting a beach. Which has quality waves however just not big enough for surfing, which was a bit disappointing, however i,m sure one of the other beaches i come across will be cool. The other night me and Kate went out with a few locals to bars and a nightclub, however the music and mixing was by far and away the worst EVER.I think someones Nan was on the decks or maybe gramophone, however to many vodkas made it a quality night either way. The next day was spent at the aquarium which was full of sharks,then off to the water park and without fail the cinema.
The next day we headed off into the Drakensburg mountains, for a bit of a fitness regime!! The views from the place we stayed where just as amazing as Swaziland if not better. Everywhere you looked, you could just see mountain ranges and loads of fields without a fence insight.So with this mind the next day we planned to hire mountain bikes and go horse riding(another fear yet to be conquered)!!? However as we discovered it was a 20km bike ride to the stables, we started to question the idea but decided it would do us both good to do something healthy. However, South Africans description of a flat route really does differ to an English persons. On top of the route being full of bloody hills, we managed to take a wrong turning an end up riding round a huge field overlooking a reservoir that clearly has no path, just long grass. So with me doing my proud man thing and Kate doing her girly this isn't the way thing. We decide to stop for lunch and try and work out where the hell we are. Then discover we have rode the bikes for a good hour and a half in totally the wrong direction and as result missed horse riding!! The next day was spent climbing up the highest mountain in south Africa, 3100 meters high. Check fitness boy out. This was harder than expected, but the views from the top where worth every step. Sat on the top eating lunch with my feet dangling over the edge of a 1000metre sheer drop, overlooking tons of other mountains,waterfalls and lakes. We then go and see the second highest waterfall in the world, which actually didn't look that high??!! After this we then head to a sheer cliff face where we descend down on chain ladders that where installed in 1910!! It is official Kate was really bricking it but managed to get down no prob's in the end. After a while we where both miles in front of everyone, Then all of a sudden my leg just completely turns to jelly and a quality stack was shown to anyone in sight. The night was spent mainly in the bar playing pool and getting absolutely smashed, watching a comet fly across the star peppered sky and lying in a hammock drunkenly chatting till 3 in the morning. Paying for it today mind as have now arrived back in Durban after hungover bus journey. Then heading south tomorrow to the beach, Kate's going diving with hammer heads and ragged tooth sharks and hopefully i can get some surfing in.The great whites are further south.
Anyways people hope this doesn't turn out to be a blanc email again.There just not used to the Internet yet, bless em.
Big hello to everyone and hope your are all good, sorry about no pics, but just sending this email is a huge pain in the arse due to the rm nimbus i,m sending it from.ha ha
martin

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1169059680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1169059680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/martinwilliams/africa_2006/1169059680/tpod.html Fri, 19 Jan 2007 01:32:05 -0500 It all about giraffe racing

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Durban, South Africa

Well hello and happy new year to everyone, sure your all enjoying the warm weather, haha.
Well i have been a busy bee since i last made an entry on this.
I am now in durban after hiring a car with katie and driving from johannesburg to kruger and spending 3 days driving around the park hunting out the big 5, so nice to have air con as well. Whilst there we managed to see 4 of the big 5, we was just missing the Leopard which i really wanted to see. However it was more than made up for by almost crashing the car into 3 or 4 elephants.haha. Then one morning (this being 5 in the morning, early bird catches the worm and all that!!) we stopped to look at a giraffe with a mold on! straight up Giraffes get morning glory. Then all of a sudden heard a grunting noise from over Kate's shoulder, only to discover it was some crazy Rhino storming alongside the road. Both mine and kate's response being "its a fucking rhino!! Luckily he changed his direction before the car. We also went on a mountain bike ride through Kruger which was pretty cool, ended up sat on rocks near river with about 20 hippos, all about 10 metres away!! We also stopped at some real scenic spots on the way to kruger, which where really high up in the mountains overlooking rivers etc. One being called gods window, however with all the driving i was busting for a waz, so how can you not take a waz out of gods window!!!
After Kruger i think i,m bored of seeing animals now and am feeling the need to party, so will keep you posted. We also stopped in Swaziland for 3 nights and got completly stoned, went and saw some water falls and tribal people. Gladly i,m back in the land of the living now. Its a bit mad actually, as i arrived in Durban i was actually getting scared of the busyness of a city!!!???
Anyways people hope everythings well with you all, take it easy.
martin
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