TravelStream™ news feed for member mindabarley on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/mindabarley en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:10:10 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230957000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230957000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230957000/tpod.html Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:10:10 -0500 Madness in Madrid

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Madrid, Madrid, Spain and Canary Islands

Time for some culture we felt so the eight of us walked to the Reina Sofia and queued to see the Guernica. We had been told that it "takes the breath away" so figured if we had to admire one piece of art this would be it. We were also keen to see some of Dali's work especially that piece with that name that appeals to all those with a puerile sense of humour; oh, that will be all of us then!

Well confession time, Andrea and I are blatant art heathens not understanding any of it and feeling underwhelmed when faced with the Guernica. Pete joined us is in our lack of finesse. Rich, Melbers and Steve appeared quite into it all and Rich even made some comments on the Dali pieces...

After the art experience we had tapas (finally!) in a wine bar recommended by our guide book. I finally got to eat pulpo (octopus) and there was some confusion over bullock cheek but I think we resolved it. I chose the cheapest glass of red only for the waiter to tell me no, so I chose another one a bit more expensive and still he said no, so I gave up and he chose one for me and you're all thinking he will have gone for the most expensive one, but he didn't same price as my second one. Likely it was the one they wanted to get rid of but it was perfectly fine.

Headed back to Laura to wait for our minibus back to the airport which was all uneventful. We found the right check in desks for Easyjet and as luck would have it, chose the slowest one with the most miserable check in personwho pretty much barked at us and had bad breath! I asked for special assistance again and his response was "you only"! Well that wouldn't help me up steps if I needed a hand would it? So I said I needed one more and he just grunted but granted my request. Then his printer jammed so we waited even longer. Then the Melbers' case got stuck on the belt...and it was stuffy in the airport...you can imagine the mood of our group by now.

Went through security and we must have been at the wrong part of the airport as there were no shops and not enough time to traipse round and find them so we headed to the gate. As usual with Easyjet there was the usual riot of people all trying to get on first. Andrea and I headed to the front ready for the special assistance shout out and this rude Scouse woman looked at our passes and said "you're B" implying we shouldn't be there. Andrea retorted "SA actually"! Her whole family were horrible,. Her mum kept jostling me as I was in front of her. Like that would get her through quicker??? Sometimes the rudeness of people baffles me!

Anyway a muffled announcement came through announcing a delay! Twenty minutes later we boarded but the pilot told us there was a European wide aid traffic controller strike so we would be further delayed but at least we were on the plane. Rumour had it, it could take 2.5 hours to depart! Eek! Luckily it didn't and we ended up being delayed by an hour. The stress, heat and activity of the last few days just meant I slept through the delay and whole flight although Steve had to nudge me a few times as I was emitting loud snores!

Now we're back I can say I had a great new year. Madrid was fun and made even more so by friends. As a destination there are probably better European cities with more to see and do. Madrid seems to be more about art galleries and we're not that type of person. However the Puerta del Sol on NYE would be pretty hard to beat!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230870540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230870540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230870540/tpod.html Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:09:34 -0500 Madness in Madrid

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Madrid, Madrid, Spain and Canary Islands

Next morning I was so glad I didn't have a flight to catch. We woke about 10am, got dressed, went to breakfast with Pete, Melbers and Rich. Andrea hadn't been feeling well and had taken two Night Nurse the night before and was dead to the world. After eating my body weight in tortilla I needed to sleep again and so did Steve so we left the boys to do what they wanted agreeing to meet at about 2pm.

2pm came and I couldn't bring myself to get up and my back was hurting again probably as a result of not taking the walking stick out the night before so I stayed to rest some more and Steve went to meet the rest of the gang. They went for a walk around the palace and museums area but nothing was really open but I guess the fresh air helped the heavy heads.

We had a dinner reservations at 8pm at Casa Botin so off we headed. As we drew closer we saw a huge crowd of people stood outside. My goodness, definitely THE place to be! These Italian ladies were a force to be reckoned with by barging through with linked arms with the efficiency of riot police! After much jostling and me waving my stick menacingly (I didn't really) we got through and were seated downstairs. Our waiter was a funny chap who looked like a small Frank Sidebottom! We all had roast suckling pig except for Andrea who had roast baby lamb which was strange to me because isn't lamb a baby anyway? Nevertheless the food was delicious and it finished with a huge scoop of ice cream and chocolate sauce - simple pleasures eh?

Andrea and I decided to head back to the hotel for an early ish night. The boys decided to find a pub. We later discovered that Pete and Rich decided not to in the end and also headed back to the hotel as it was busy but my husband the beer monster stayed out. I'm glad I decided to retire given that the pub conversation consisted of cricket and not much else!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230783900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230783900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230783900/tpod.html Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:08:50 -0500 Madness in Madrid

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Madrid, Madrid, Spain and Canary Islands

Eight of us gathered for breakfast. Pete and Rich slept on! Breakfast was a pretty good spread. There was cold meats and cheese, different breads, muffins, pastries, cake, fruit and delicious tortilla with a fresh tomato sauce which if you caught them bringing a fresh one out was also warm! They replenished the food often too.

Over breakfast it was decided that Mr and Mrs Mostari plus Melbers would go see the Bernabéu stadium, Rotters and Nicky would go football shirt shopping leaving Andrea, Steve and I to go to the supermarket to do the buffet shopping.

The three supermarket shoppers headed to El Corte Ingles which was very close and had a strange fairyland puppet like display on the outside wall. Snack shopping was a little confusing as we didn't know what lots of the stuff was - paté especially so as not sure what animal it was coming from! There was an incredible fresh fish counter inside though. If only my local Tesco was like that. And we found these packages of octopus tentacles. The octopus must have been huge as the bit of tentacle we saw was like a baby's arm and that was only part of it and they have eight of them!

Drinks wise, we knew we wanted cheap cava to see in the New Year and decided to get everyone a small bottle to take to the square and get some bigger ones for beforehand. Steve chose some beer for the boys. We found some cartons of sangria too. And then wine deliberation...tried to find screwtop as no corkscrew and not sure if hotel would take too kindly to us asking for one but failed.
I spotted some €1.50 litre cartons of vino tinto. Steve had to think about it but then thought it was just too much of a bargain and how bad could it be? So we bought a few of those too. Now with being somewhat useless at walking and carrying I could offer little assistance except to carry the crisps! We called Pete to see if he was up and he was so he came to meet us.

After depositing our goodies (if you can el cheapo vino that) the four of us decided to take a walk and try and find a place that would be good for everyone to have lunch. We asked the hotel for some recommendations and used our guide book and found a little authentic place not far away that had a set menu that looked as if it suit all tastes. We poked our head in and in pidgin Spanish booked a table for 10 of us at 3pm. Now with 2 numbers you can imagine it got complicated and I was convinced I'd booked a table for 3 at 10pm! After that we walked round to the opera house. Andrea took us to a café she'd been to previously for dos cervezas y dos café con leche. By this time I'd pretty much decided I wanted a wig to wear for the celebrations and had seen some lovely brightly coloured long curly ones on other people so tried hard to convince Andrea!

After refreshment Andrea decided she was going to head to the palace and the gardens for a wander. I thought that would be too far for me. Pete decided it was nap time. Steve followed me and the three of us had a stroll back to the hotel for a rest before we met the others for a late lunch. We went via the Plaza Mayor again and I received a text from Andrea telling me she'd found a stall selling great wigs and she'd take me there after lunch - woo hoo!

We met in the lobby for lunch and headed to Casa Marta where they had a table for ten waiting for us! Starters were a choice of soup (the owner told us it was asparagus but we weren't convinced although the takers did say it was tasty), lentil stew or vegetables of the day which I thought would be a salad. Lentil stew was really good - not vegetarian as had chunks of black pudding and pork in it. Melbers went for the vegetables of the day and got a plate of cauliflower! That was it just cauliflower! Good thing that's on the list of things he does eat!

Main courses were pork chop, roast chicken or Spanish omelette and they were all good too. We ended with some coffee and a discussion of what next. I was up for wig shopping with Andrea. Steve and Pete were going to come along and then it transpired that everyone was up for some wig action although not everyone would be going. Muzza and Melbers left their choices to us! Always a mistake to do that.

Andrea took us to where she'd seen them and she chose a bright pink one so I went for the violet and Nicky decided on pink too. So unfair that as soon as she put her's on she looked great whereas I looked stupid as I didn't know what to do with my own hair and couldn't get the fit right. We couldn't find suitable boy ones so we headed to a different square and they bought big spiky ones. Paula bought a halo as she's an angel! Then Andrea and I decided to really push the boat out and do halo and wig! The boys found a pink iridescent cowboy hat for Melbers but Rotters put it on and it was so becoming that he had to keep it so Melbers got a pink girlie wig instead!

Trooped back to the hotel for a quick rest before buffet time chez Mostari! The spread was good. The company fun. The drinking games did what they're meant to do and the €1.50 wine went down a storm. Before we knew it it was time to head to the Puerta del Sol with our mini bottles of Cava and our 12 grapes to join in the Spanish tradition of eating one grape per clock chime.

The streets were full but it felt safe and there was this really strong party atmosphere going on. Loved the fact that we had wigs - blended right in! The countdown began but we couldn't hear the chimes so I just chomped on grapes spitting out the seeds in a highly unladylike fashion. Not sure what everyone else did with the grapes. Rich was still casually eating his at 12:15! We waited to the rabble to cease slightly before heading back in the direction of the hotel where we found a local, in hindsight quite rough looking bar / restaurant that was open for some final drinks.

Muzza and Paula, Rotters and Nicky were leaving early in the morning so we had some drinks, discussed next year's plans...Munich, Krakow both cited but then the year before when we were in Tallinn we said St Petersburg and ended up in Madrid so who knows?
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230677880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230677880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/2/1230677880/tpod.html Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:08:21 -0500 Madness in Madrid

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Madrid, Madrid, Spain and Canary Islands

After the Christmas festivities had died down we began to look forward to New Year celebrations. Steve and I returned from visiting my family in Newcastle on 29th and after unpacking, repacking, finding homes for the Christmas gifts, emptying the fridge of anything foul smelling or likely to become that way, bearing in mind everything was taking me twice as long as I had hurt my back before Christmas and was walking stick dependent, it was soon time to sleep and it seemed like only after a very brief zzz, it was time to expect our fellow travellers as we had agreed to meet chez nous at 8:30am. That's the wrong language isn't it? We agreed to meet at our casa!

Andrea was first to arrive, punctual as ever, followed by Pete and Rich (Steve's brother and cousin respectively) and yes, as expected we waited for Melbers. After some car manoevring the six of us set off for Liverpool Airport in Andrea's car (girls' car) and Pete's car (boys' car).

We parked really far away from the terminal and it was bitterly cold. Unsurprisingly, I complained during the long walk about the cold, about having to walk slow, about being uncomfortable...I was pretty miserable and I didn't even have to carry my own case! At the airport, the boys went to the bar and Andrea and I got distracted by the Kipling handbag shop and seriously considered purchasing. It was that serious we actually went back a few times to try and decide. Eventually time got the better of us and empty handed we headed to the gate.

Thanks to my temporary injury and with Andrea as my carer, we were able to aboard with premium paid speedy boarding people as passengers requiring special assistance! Such a deed enabled us to get seats for the 6 of us altogether.

We landed in Madrid and encountered mild temperature and discovered that it was another incredibly long walk to baggage claim and passport control. Cue more cursing at being unable to walk properly! We'd booked a minibus to take us straight to the airport but because we had arrived early we had a short wait in the terminal for it to arrive.

The minibus pulled up outside our hotel and that's when it dawned on us that in Spain. English isn't as widely spoken as we thought and the driver merely barked a few words at us which we figured was the cost and then after he repeated himself my "passport level Spanish" from 10 years ago and isn't even GCSE level kicked in and I realised he was after €43.

Checking into the hotel was easy and after a quick freshen up we were trying to figure out the streets of Madrid. There were tonnes of people about and real celebratory feel in the atmosphere. By this time it was dusk and there were lots of families in the street being entertained by human statues and characters making up balloon swords. We arrived at the Plaza Mayor and the illuminations were so pretty - huge discs of light suspended up high. There were also lots of stalls so I got very excited and I decided that it made more sense for the girls to go off and reconvene with the boys in an hour. I knew Steve wouldn't want to traipse round the stalls with me so decided that Andrea would be a better shopping buddy! After getting rid of the men, we started wandering and sadly within 5 minutes decided that although there were at least 30 or 40 stalls, they all sold the same uninspired tat! I could feel my excitement wane quickly! Instead we wandered out of the Plaza and found the restaurant that we'd booked for the 1st Jan with its Guiness Book of Records certificate for being the oldest restaurant in the World on display!

We met up with the boys and headed back to the hotel to reunite with our fellow New Year friends. At 7:30pm we gathered in the hotel lobby which was very red and Big Brother house-esque. It'd been a whole year since we'd seen Nicky and Rotters and probably not that far off a year since we'd met up with Muzza and Paula. Quick hugs, kisses, shaking of hands, name calling (thanks Muzza for the "hopalong" comment) and it was out to see Madrid at night.

We went to a bar just round the corner to the hotel settled on some stools and caught up over seis cervezas y cuatro mojitos. After two rounds we decided, no forget that, it was decided for us to go to an Irish bar to watch, wait for it, Hull City v Aston Villa!!! Yes, when in Madrid let's watch premiership football in an Irish pub. But before the pub, we had to get the bill and what a shock to the system that was...€8 per mojito!!!!!!!!!!!! Cue deep breathing from the girls as we paid our €16. They were very nice and much needed mojitos but whew, at such a high price. And the shock didn't finish there...€5 per pint at the Irish pub...and in a traditional Spanish way we decided to order some snackettes to eat whilst drinking...chips and ketchup! Or should that be patatas fritas y ketchupas???

By the time the football finished; 1-0 to Aston Villa if you're interested so Steve and the Hull boys were disappointed, we decided to go on the hunt for food. Actually let me correct that Steve was disappointed and the Hull boys didn't seem to care much! We'd ummmed and aaaahed about potentially eating in the pub we're in and although the chips were good (we were that hungry anything would have been good) we did have to draw the line at having lasagne and more chips or shepherds pie in Madrid. Alarm bells were ringing loudly that that couldn't have been a good decision! So other ideas were touted...kebab shop, KFC (that one was Melbers naturally), try and find a tapas place...and we decide to just walk and try and find somewhere we (yes all 10 of us) liked the look of...not the most strategic you might say but it was late and we'd drank lots so it seemed a great plan to us!

Ten minutes later we weren't having much luck! So we tried to figure out where we'd seen the kebab shop when we saw a Thai restaurant and quick consensus was let's give it a go. We were told it would take 30 minutes but Muzza, el gran communicador, managed to convey that we were happy to split tables so we were seated almost immediately. Food was extremely yummy and quick, just what we needed, and the house wine cheapish and more than drinkable. What more does a party of ten need after football, drinks and a long day travelling? And we fulfilled our needs even more by heading back to the hotel and bed!

Having siad that we didn't go straight to bed. We conducted a quick inspection of everyone's rooms as they were all different and we needed to find a place to host our New Year's Eve buffet! Verdict was that Steve's and mine was good as it was on two levels with a living area and a toilet upstairs too so two toilets was useful. We liked the balcony and view in Nicky and Rotter's room but we could only stand in a row on it as it was long but very narrow! Then Pete and Rich's room was just a room so we rejected that one. Andrea and Melber's room had a big living area and kitchenette but had a very sloping ceiling at one end of the room right over Melber's bed which was wasted space and difficult to walk round. Saving the best for last, the Mostari's (Muzza and Paula) room was the one! Penthouse with a large living space and u shaped sofa, kitchenette with fridge, circular shag pile rug and lots of coffee tables to put food on...perfect party place!

After room inspection and a collective decision on breakfast time we all turned in.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1227588180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1227588180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1227588180/tpod.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:54:18 -0500 South African Sunshine and Adventure

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Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Left central Cape Town early to arrive at Kirstenbosch for breakfast. Another beautifully sunny day and we spent an hour or so having a pleasant wander. The original plan was to head for the Chapman's Peak Drive and down to Cape Point and then up the False Bay to our next hotel. However, the tourist information at Kirstenbosch told us that Chapman's Peak was closed so quick change in plan and we decided to head to our next hotel in the False Bay area to drop off our bags and then head South from there to Cape Point.

With new plan in hand we headed South and as we left Cape Town for the coast we could sense a complete change in pace to the 2 days in central Cape Town. We missed the turning to Colona Castle once but in doing so familiarised ourselves with the area. First impressions of Colona Castle was that it was very grand and also quite colonial. We were looked after from the moment we parked the car. The suite we stayed in was so big and very luxurious but we decided to press on with our plans and save the lazing round the hotel experience for the next day.

Headed to Kalk Bay and the local harbour side establishment "Kalkies" for lunch where Steve had yellow tail and I had tuna. Very very fresh fish - could see it being brought in and sold at the side of the harbour. After Kalk Bay we went to Boulders Bay to paddle in the sea and to see the penguins. There weren't that many freely swimming actually in the bay area wherethe public can access so no chance to actually swim with them. I'd probably be too scared to anyway. Most of them were in the area of the beach that you can't actually get onto but can watch them from viewing platforms. They're such funny creatures and didn't smell as bad as I thought they would. They just follow each other but now and then one will break free and head off in the opposite direction. The signs are clear that we're not allowed to kidnap any penguins (sorry Aunty B and Mum, coulnd't bring you one back!).

After penguin watching we headed to Cape Point and took the funicular railway. There was a huge baboon sat on the turnstile keeping guard! There was a man with no shoes walking around arguing with is fiancée about having champagne at their wedding reception. At first I was shocked to see the no shoes particularly as the pathways were quite stony so I'd have thought it would be very painful on the feet and would cut into the flesh but I guess he must be used to it. During the rest of the trip, I noticed that quite often people (kids and adults) would walk around barefooted. I guess I'm just a wimp and my feet aren't tough enough! Steve though it was amusing that they wer arguing over 3 or 6 bottles of champagne when they cost £4 each! The views from Cape Point are stunning and I guess I can begrudgingly say that I'm glad Steve cajoled me into walking up all the steps to the top!

We drove back to Colona Castle, where we had a nice evening winding down from all the activity and got ready for a meal there. We had a beautiful view out and it was all very romantic. Although the romance was put on hold at first. There was supposed to be another couple dining but they arrived later than us and we had already chosen our table with the view. Well you would wouldn't you if you were given the choice of tables. When they arrived, the girl seemed a bit put out that they didn't have as nice a view ( as we had nabbed it) and her boyfriend tried to tell her it didn't matter but it obviously mattered to her so then he went all silent and they sat and argued in that I don't really want to say what I'm feeling but because I'm not saying anything you can tell I'm upset about something way. I wondered if I should go up to them to offer them our table but feared that might make things worse so I tried to ignore them and Steve watched them from a mirror! Anyway she then went out to reception to say that she wanted a romantic evening as it was their last night and they felt they couldn't now (I guess with us playing gooseberries and hogging the table with the view, romance was out the question for them) so they'd rather just pay for the meal and not have it and head somewhere else! There was no hostility and she admitted she should have thought about it more beforehand if she wanted it private and romantic but it was all very strange anyway. Especially as they upped and left and then returned when we were just about to tuck into dessert so they weren't gone for very long and then they checked out and left with all their luggage. It seemed that they were heading to the airport and catching a flight home and had always planned to do so but given that they were heading to the airport at 10:30pm and supposedly heading home to UK, it would mean their flight would have been departing after midnight and I didn't think there were any flights then...Anyway not really my business but all very strange from my perspective as an outsider.

Anyway, onto something that was my concern, our meal. We started with a tasty beetroot and goats cheese salad followed by ostrich fillet with sweet potato purée and spinach. The best course was dessert which was a bitter orange and chocolate torte with fresh fruits.

So this day was all about romance for us what with early morning strolls in the gardens and watching the sun set over dinner, but less so for the other couples we came across!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228536360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228536360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228536360/tpod.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:31:41 -0500 South African Sunshine and Adventure

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Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Another 5am call. In fact we received two and when we got to the main area we discovered that a couple from the German group had not had their's so likelihood a mix up somewhere. There was less grey cloud and even a corner of blue sky! Hurray - our first non wet game drive! Actually in hindsight, wet weather is good for animal viewing as they don't try and hide as much from the rain as they do with the sun. It's just not as pretty for photographs. This was probably the least exciting of our 4 game drives although the previous one with just us and Graeme, admittedly was pretty hard to beat.

Our first sighting was a male lion less than 2 years old. Graeme was particularly excited by this because he explained that this lion had been kicked out of the pride by his father (only enough room for one male ego type situation) but he was too young to be on his own really. His mother wouldn't have had enough time to pass on all her hunting prowess and because of this he was in a pretty vulnerable position having to rely on his own instinct. Apparently all the rangers at Shamwari were worried because of his situation and because they hadn't seen him in months but we had the privilege of seeing him basking in the tiny sliver of sunshine that was beginning to peek through.

We also saw a vervet monkey in a tree with two teeny tiny babies, almost new born. They were like those toys ( I don't know if you can still get them nor can I remember what they're called) but they were small and like monkeys with long arms and legs with thumbs and big toes that you can stick in their mouth. We encountered the two lionesses again, more giraffes and elephants - see how blasé I'm getting?! Stopped for morning tea and this time a quiche like snack and it was warm enough to take off a layer! This warmer weather really made me want to stay another night for at least another game drive.

As there had been so much rain there were only certain tracks that the rangers could drive on so on this drive we bumped into more vehicles than we ever had. In previous game drives we rarely saw other trucks. There was another one when we saw the cheetah and when we left there, others were coming up. The rangers communicate via radio and there are strict rules to have no more than 3 (ideally only 2) trucks around each sighting. Graeme mentioned that now in some of the big national parks, there can be half a dozen trucks round something which strikes me as making the experience a lot more zoo / safari park like.

As the weather was better, we could see that the fields were full of herds of antelope and we saw gemsbok for the first time. They are bigger than the impala with long straight horns and their faces have black and white markings like they're wearing masks.

Last breakfast at Shamwari and this time I had smoked ostrich and cream cheese on a bagel and Steve had bacon and feta fritters. At breakfast, we learnt that Gemma the journalist loved the place so much she was stopping another night...boy was I jealous! And I turned to Steve to see if it was possible and we thought about it and realised it would take too much re working as we'd have to cancel our next stop so we stopped ourselves from following suit but my heart wanted to so badly. I was so sad about having to pack up and leave. The next place had a lot to live up to after Shamwari!

I was sad so the sun came out to cheer me up and Steve drove us to Addo where we stayed at Woodall Country Spa Hotel. We checked in and the place was bathed in bright sunshine and the blossoms were fragrant so it was a relaxing and inviting atmosphere which made me feel a bit better about leaving Shamwari. If this place wasn't so inviting I think I'd have turned round and gone back! Our suite had a private pool and outdoor shower. The bathroom was very spacious with twin showers and a tub. It all looked very pleasant and we decided to spend some time in the sun as we'd missed it when on safari.

Soon it was time for our spa treatments which were so relaxing I pretty much snored through them! When I fall asleep during massages I always wonder if that's a waste of money or it's a sign of a good treatment...

Another quick blast of sun and we decided to get ready for our last evening meal! I hoped it would be better than the last meal the other couple at Colona Castle had! Remember them? We had G&Ts on the balcony watching the birds dart round the pond type thing that was there. We really missed Graeme though as we saw a huge bird perched on a pole and some very brightly coloured little fuzzy birds (bright yellow and scarlet) flitting around. The waiters had no idea what they were. As well as our G&Ts, there was a mini canapé buffet and they were so tasty.

Dinner was in between the rustic feel of the Old Mill in Swellendam and the more elegant Shamwari experience. We started with apple and gorgonzola soup (no gorgonzola for me), had smoked salmon salad as the fish course with a citrus dressing and then sorbet to cleanse the palate. I had chicken and prawn curry for my main course and Steve had lamb. We declined the cheese course as these portions were bigger than usual tasting menu portions and we were really getting full. Dessert was an orange and lemon creme caramel which I remember as being pretty good.

We decided to retire to the suite soon after as we were getting sleepy and I had a little Amarula nightcap there. I couldn't quite manage the early night as we discovered that there must be a nest with baby birds in the roof as they were chirping like crazy and it sounded like they were next to us! Thanks to the food and the best part of a bottle of pinotage, Steve slept through it all. But my lack of sleep came to serve me well the next day...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228102200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228102200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228102200/tpod.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:07:26 -0500 South African Sunshine and Adventure

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Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape, South Africa

Breakfast was a delight taken on the balcony looking out to the sea and the sun was out in full force. Who'd have thought that we'd had so much rain the night before, there was no sign of it! Back along the trusty N2. We stopped at Knysna Quays but after a quick stroll through some shops we decided that there wasn't much else to soo. Besides we weren't up for a hike in the nature reserve and Steve refused to buy me a tanzanite or diamond ring so no point hanging around!

We carried onto Plettenberg where we spent a few hours on the main beach. We were a little surprised to see it full of young people looking very glamorous. Needless to say we looked out of place and they certainly ignored us and didn't include us when giving away freebies and flyers for parties...I wonder why? I guess we're not so young any more... Anyway our visit to Plett coincided with the end of term celebrations...I guess it wasn't dissimilar to the US Spring Break type event. So after Steve decided he could no longer keep his stomach sucked in, we headed to the main street for some lunch. The street was deserted - I guess because it was Sunday and because everyone was at the beach! We had a light lunch in a pub and headed to our hotel for the next two nights.

Emily Moon River Lodge was a lovely place to stay with beautiful views of the River Bitou. The team there were very helpful and sorted us out with an early breakfast for the next morning (more on why later) and with arranging a river cruise for us for the next day. Our suite was large and a very nice place to relax in. It was actually on two floors with an additional bedroom and shower below but we didn't use it. The view from the balcony was very picturesque and very different to the beach views we'd seen so far.

The staff at Emily Moon encouraged us to explore the area and walk down to the river so we did that and came across some canoes. We tried to get into a 2 man canoe but it was a disaster...I was all up for the idea but when it came to actually getting in it and onto the water I became very scared...why I don't know as the water wasn't even that deep! So Steve went out in one by himself and the intrepid explorer set off...and returned in 20 minutes complaining of a soggy bottom! I guess he's no Bear Grylls!

So soggy Steve decided to dry off and we spent some time by the pool catching the last few rays before sunset. I met a lady there who had come from London to South Africa for the weekend!!! Not quite the full story, her and her husband were building a house nearby so they'd dropped by to supervise some work before the whole family came out at Christmas. She told me she first visited Cape Town 10 years ago and after their first trip they bought a house in Cape Town! I looked at Steve...he looked away...I guess he didn't want to have that conversation!

After the sun started to disappear we went to our suite to get ready for dinner and returned to the restaurant just as it was begining to turn dusky. We had a table that had a great view of the hills and river. Our meal was very good. I had fillet steak with bearnaise sauce; I actually prefer rump or ribeye as I think as a cut it is tastier whereas fillet although always tender lacks depth of flavour. However this fillet had perfect texture and great flavour so definite thumbs up from me. Steve tried wildebeest which was cooked perfectly. Desserts were panna cotta (can never resist a panna cotta if only to compare to what I can do!) and Steve had creme brulee - both done to excellent standards.

The restaurant is a great place to dine so it wasn't surprising to see it busy with hotel guests and people driving in. So often hotel restaurants only have residents dining so great to see that this place wasn't like that. The waiting staff are all very friendly and the restaurant manager is a character - extremely hospitable and very flamboyant - reminded me of a mad Frenchman in his flowery language and an Italian in his passion and enthusiasm. As well as making sure we were happy with our meal he made sure we were happy with our room. He also encouraged Steve to light the fire in the suite. I questioned this given the temperature and he said to light it not for heat but for ambience! So guess what Steve did when we returned to the suite? Man and fire eh? Anyway we retired fairly early as we had to be up at 6am...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228625100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228625100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228625100/tpod.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:12:18 -0500 South African Sunshine and Adventure

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Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa

We decided to have an early breakfast so we could take advantage of the morning to squeeze in the last bit of lazing in the sunshine as knew that our return to the UK would be a shock to the system temperature wise! Breakfast took a while but by the time we finished it was optimum sunbathing conditions and we did that until checkout.

Steve loaded the car whilst I sorted out check out and when I walked out to him he was removing the cases from the boot so I was a bit puzzled. Turns out as he drove from the car park to where he was picking me up, he'd been stopped by two of the employees who pointed out a flat tyre. Actually they pointed out a very flat tyre! Our guess is that it was a result of driving back from Shamwari along that dodgy dirt road. Given the rising temperature and the fact that Steve had pulled over right in the glaring sun, Steve had gotten very sweaty just moving the cases. We were very thankful that the two gentlemen that stopped us took over and did the work without us having to ask. Steve was very grateful and therefore tipped them for their willingness and kindness.

Our drive to Port Elizabeth was very pleasant and the flat tyre hadn't affected us time wise. I didn't sleep which I feel is noteworthy. We also saw some monkeys by the side of the road. We actually thought we'd see more roadside monkeys and baboons than we did. The sunshine made PE look really pretty especially along the water. It was a shame we couldn't stop.

From PE we caught a flight to Jo'berg and from there it onto Heathrow. The lack of sleep from the bleating baby birds the night before meant I slept soundly throughout the whole Jo'berg to Heathrow leg whereas Steve struggled. Good thing we were getting the train back and he didn't have to drive because undoubtedly, I'd fall asleep during that car journey too in spite of getting almost 12 hours on the plane!

We arrived at Heathrow at 6am and it was a really cold and frosty morning. It was hard to comprehend that less than 24 hours ago we'd been sunbathing in 26 degrees and now it was about -4!

Some Post Holiday Musings
We loved loved loved Cape Town and the day spent exploring Table Mountain, the Waterfront and Robben Island. The penguins at Boulders Bay are unmissable. Cheetah walking was amazing and the Keurbooms river cruise unexpectedly entertaining. The game drives were spectacular - rhino stand off, lions mating, baby monkeys, massive herd of elephants being particularly memorable.

Food thoughts: dinner at Le Quartier Francais an absolute highlight as anticipated. Dinner at the Old Mill in Swellendam, Emily Moon in Plett, Five Flies in Cape Town, Harbour House at Kalk Bay were all amazing and I would heartily recommend all these establishments for food, ambience and service. Perhaps Old Mill slightly less for ambience it was quiet but the food made up for that. Also memorable was Steve's attempt with the braai and the I'll not forget eating outside amongst the trees in fear that a fruit bat was going to descend and land on my head! Lunch at Olympia Café in Kalk Bay was unexpectedly delicious and our first lunch at Camps Bay in Wang Thai is a treasured memory as it was a sign that our holiday had started.

If we could do this trip again, anything we would have done differently? Well I think I would choose a different restaurant for lunch on the Waterfront other than Quay 4. I bought what I thought was a super strength insect repellent that was more expensive than the recommended Tabard and Peaceful Sleep (both of which I'd tried and still got bitten) hence had high expectations of this stuff only I sprayed my legs whilst still wearing my silver peep toe evening shoes and they ruined the leather finish and my pedicure as it made the varnish go all tacky so I ended up dumping the shoes and having to get another pedi (the one that took 2 hours at Tsitsikamma!) and have been searching for a suitable replacement pair of sandals since...

Now we're back and thinking about a return trip to South Africa and given what we've seen and done, we feel that Cape Town we would definitely go back for more along with the Winelands (I'd like to stay in Franschhoek this time) and safari whether Shamwari (I'd be happy to go back again as it was so good but also open to trying somewhere new but I have to be certain it is as good if not better) or venturing up to Kruger. We'd probably give the Garden Route a miss having done it already. Don't get me wrong we enjoyed it but feel that it would save time if we missed that bit and caught a flight between the West and Eastern Cape and we could use that time to do something else.

I hope by reading this you can experience a little of the pleasure this trip brought us whether it be the flavour of the food, the taste of the wine, the awesome animal sightings and the sunshine. We would thoroughly recommend this trip to anyone!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228451100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228451100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mindabarley/1/1228451100/tpod.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:52:18 -0500 South African Sunshine and Adventure

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Shamwari Game Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Our first full day on safari began with a 5am wake up call from Elvis. Bleary eyed we got dressed and cleverly added another layer given yesterday's experience before heading to the main lounge for morning coffee and either some fruit or something sweet. We donned our ponchos which Graeme had kindly dried out for us and once again experience had taught us to put the blanket underneath the poncho so we set off feeling equipped for any more bad weather. There was some rain but nothing like it had been.

The early morning included an exciting venture to try and find a cheetah and her cubs who hadn't been seen in a while. Graeme told us 4 months yet when we saw her, another truck drew up and we heard their ranger say he hadn't seen her in 8 months so not sure if it's a case of Graeme being a better ranger and seeing her more recently or someone was spinning a line somewhere?!

Seeing the illusive cheetah was wonderful enough let alone her 3 cubs. It was a mesmerising sight as they were out on what looked like a log in a plain and it was slightly misty and the sky grey so they were out in the open rather than trying to seek shade in a thicket. I have got to say that Graeme has amazing eye sight. He could always spot things incredibly far out, check with his binoculars to make sure he was right and then get us to strain our eyes and see them. I struggled with this but Steve was pretty good which is strange given he can never find what he's looking for when it's directly in front of him!

As well as the cheetah we saw wildebeest and warthogs running around. These warthogs were much smaller than the ones we saw from our own car. There were zebras arounnd, lots of impala and a big black baboon as well as the smaller vervet monkey. Graeme told us that he had recently woken up to a monkey rummaging through his bag and trying to open a packet of crisps! He sleeps with his windows wide open apparently...

We drove past these 2 secretary birds on a plain and they were the most interesting creatures and far more attractive than the huge marabou storks at Tenikwa. Called secretary for various reasons including the crest of long quill-like feathers, making it resemble the appearance of a secretary with quill pens tucked behind his or her ear. Similar explanation is that secretary comes from the Latin sagittarius meaning archer and the quills actually resemble a quiver of arrows. A more recent hypothesis is that "secretary" is borrowed from a French corruption of the Arabic saqr-et-tair or "hunter-bird" and it is a bird of prey. All these facts are thanks to Wikipedia and in my words, they look like they wear black cropped trousers and kind of stomped around as if they were in slightly too big stilettoes! Apparently the way they kill is by stamping on prey hence the "stiletto action"!

After seeing these we drove up a hill and watched them from above with a cup of tea and a savoury scone. Graeme had obviously been up all night baking for us!

We returned to the lodge probably just before 9am ready fora big breakfast. I loved the safari time scales although 5am calls every morning would be too much but the early starts means you feel you have so much of the day free. Steve spent the morning reading and snoozing and I had a mammoth session at the spa. It was blissful. I started off with some exfoliation, then a massage, then a wrap, then a bubbling bubble bath, then more massage and moisturising, then a steam and then a refreshing rain shower! And I snoozed in between!

After such hard work, lunch beckoned. And yes, we indulged like gluttons in all 3 courses and a glass of wine! Dessert was an amazing roasted pineapple and mascarpone ice cream concoction. Yummy!

As we gathered for the evening game drive we were joined by a new British couple as the honeymooners had moved on to another part of their trip after breakfast. We set off in the rain and we reached a mummy and baby rhino (baby pretty large though and if I'd not seen mummy, I would not have realised he was a baby!). After a couple of photographs, the journalist in the front and the new couple were not enjoying the rain and because we'd only been out for 20 minutes, Graeme suggested we head back to the lodge until the rain subsided. After a cup of tea and a bit of chat, the rain was less severe and Graeme asked us if anyone wanted to go back out. The new couple declined outright - I guess they still had another full day and a morning so didn't mind. Our friends from the previous night said no as they'd already been on 4 and had warmed up by then and the journalist was in a hot bath so was certainly loathe to get cold again. We ummmed and ahhhed for ages. Part of me wanted to but the core of me didn't want to get cold so I left the decision to Steve who took the accountant approach of a) we've paid and it would be a waste and b) if it's rainy in the morning we'll end up missing two drives and only doing half of what we'd paid for! So Steve, Graeme and I set off with me looking back at the nice warm lounge with the tea and cake...

So glad we went out by ourselves! Cake, shmake - who needs tea and cake when there are lions to see? Actually lionesses, we saw two sisters walking through the rain which made coming back out worthwhile. But wait, there's more! We saw the rhino and her calf again except this time she was facing us head on, blocking the track! You don't mess with that horn! We edged forward and she did. We edged forward again and she did! I asked Graeme if she was likely to charge. Cue nervous laugh and a "she shouldn't but you don't want to push her!" We edged forward again...she did too...playing chicken with a rhino does get the adrenaline pumping. Graeme (wisely and to my relief) then reversed and decide to go off road in spite of the wet mud and we drove round her. See why I'm glad we came back out? Hey, what's a little rain eh?

We decided to go on the hunt for some hippo having not seen any yet. We've had fact one with the secretary birds so this is fact two. Hippos kill more humans than any other animal. On the way to hippo territory we saw a group of giraffe and here comes fact three. Collective noun for giraffe is a "journey" or "kaleidoscope" of giraffe! Whilst we're on collective nouns, it's a "clash" of rhino - appropriate don't you think? Graeme told me these so if they're wrong, I've been lied to by a ranger! Anyway back to giraffe, they're amazing creatures (I'm running out of superlatives to describe animals and experiences!) and they're fascinating to watch especially when they break into a bit of a run - it's like legs everywhere and the body and long neck stay still.

Then we drove to the top of a hill that looked down onto a river. By this time the rain had destroyed the tracks and land completely and it was one big mud bath. Graeme kept checking we weren't being sprayed so I told him not to worry as it was just like getting a facial - Shamwari mud spa special! We couldn't get any further along the track yet we were also close to the edge and it was very slippy. As we slowly reversed we could feel the back wheels losing grip and the edge coming closer! As if the the rhino stand off wasn't enough we had some dangerous driving conditions to deal with too! But Graeme's driving skill kept us safe although as he reversed he got hit round the head by a stray branch of a very thorny bush and one of the spikes nicked his cheek so we even had bloodshed! Those thorny bushes are pretty lethal though, like barbed wire and the spikes are as long and sharp as nails!

Subsequently, because this track proved fruitless we went further up the river and there we saw about half a dozen hippo lying in the water. They don't get out during the day and just spend time submerged and then coming back up again. They're pretty noisy creatures but not that interesting to watch and after the earlier driving drama anything was going to be a bit of a let down especially creatures that don't do much! Whilst watching the hippos we saw a massive bird swoop round the river and Graeme told us it was a King Crane, the biggest in Africa.

After this, Graeme said he could see some black rhino activity / tracks so we went on a chase to see one but proved to be a wild goose one. Instead we saw some more elephants and I can spend all day watching elephants graze. Their slow and deliberate movements are very therapeutic to watch. Also, Graeme stopped the truck and asked us if we minded if he left us in it alone as he'd seen a baby impala in a field lying down and no mother close by. How he spotted the fawn I have no idea given it was lying within a patch of grass but I guess that's why he's a ranger! Anyway we finally could see what he had seen much further out and as he got closer and closer, the fawn still didn't move so we thought maybe it was injured and had been abandoned. He was within 10 metres when suddenly up it sprang and it ran across the field in a spritely manner so must have been ok. There was a group of impalas in the direction it ran in so had probably just got left behind.

All this and I can't believe that I originally considered staying in! It was probably the best drive we went on in hindsight. And it gets better. We returned to the lodge about 7pm and Graeme told us it was light enough for us to walk back to our suite without Elvis so we braved it! Having experienced rhino stand off, precarious driving and being left in a vehicle alone we could handle leopard! Honestly speaking, it was light, so the likelihood of a stray leopard was minimal so we were quite safe. When we got to the suite we found a bottle of bubbly waiting for us with a card apologising for the delay in our room from the previous day! It was completely unexpected and just really made our evening for us. Who can resist bubbly and a hot bath so did that quickly before dinner. See what I mean by not managing to make a dent in the mini bar?

For dinner we were led to an outdoor area with a fire in the middle and served another glass of bubbly. We were told that had the weather been more predictable we could have eaten round the fire as is the usual set up but given the on and off rain, we were going to stay out for a drink whilst the braai warmed up and then actually take our food into the dining room where were were the day before. The fire was lovely and was all glowing and warm. Obviously it had been going for a while as the high flames and soot had died down so it was at the lovely embers with a few low flickering flames stage and there were lanterns everywhere. There was a really cosy and almost romantic (as romantic as you can get with about 15 people in one place) ,maybe nostalgic is a better word, ambience going on.

Anyway we headed to the dining room for starters where there was a choice of soup or a buffet of salads and cold meats. Steve had soup and I had the buffet and brought him back some tidbits! Then it was braai time! There was springbok, kudu, impala, chicken skewers, lamb and other things and we told the chef what we wanted (and yes you could have everything but before you think it, I'll tell you now we didn't...not quite everything anyway!) and while it was cooking, we helped ourselves to the vegetables and other South African specialities on offer including the national and traditional dish of bobotie (not pronounced bow-bow-tie as we learned but bab-or-tea). It's spiced mincemeat (not spicy as in chilli spicy more Christmas pudding) with dried fruits topped with an egg mixture a bit like a fritatta so it looks like shepherd's pie. I didn't think I'd like it but it was tasty and Steve enjoyed it. Can't really remember dessert so either I'd had too much bubbly and wine or the main course was that exciting that's all I can remember! And like the previous night bed beckoned by 11pm!


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Shamwari Game Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Early ish start in the morning following a not so good buffet breakfast at Tsitsikamma Lodge. I wonder if this had anything to do with the lack of chef and one of the owners standing in as the spa therapist had let onto me the day before. If so, I'm glad we had our own braai as cooking definitely wasn't this owner's forte!

We set off in the rain for Shamwari and I pretty much slept the whole way. Car journeys really make me sleepy even if I'm well rested. It's like the need to sleep takes over my body and I can't stop myself. There were roadworks and diversions on the way but I left Steve to navigate our way through them whilst I snored!

We pulled up in front of the Shamwari main gates and we were an hour ahead of our guesstimated time of arrival so we were pretty pleased with our navigational skills. Well, Steve was pleases with his navigational skills given I was had no involvement whatsoever. I couldn't even hold the map properly! But then...it took us an hour slow and careful driving on a dirt track to get from the main gates to our lodge, Eagles Crag! So, so much for being ahead of schedule! Anyway we started the animal spotting from the main gates to Shamwari and our first sight was a very slow moving tortoise walking across the road. So we made way for him and it's probably still making his way across now! In fact when we were talking to some other guests, one of them commented he'd seen it and he'd arrived the previous day! We weren't quite so slow but to be honest not far off given our flimsy hire car and the state of the track.

Next sightings - 2 huge warthogs the size of cows and then about half a dozen giraffe. All that and we hadn't even checked in. The next few days were destined to be good in spite of the grey clouds - I could feel it!

We pulled up outside Eagles Crag and were greeted with glasses of homemade pink lemonade and shown around the general areas such as the lounge, terrace, dining room etc. Unfortunately our suite wasn't ready so we had lunch instead; duck salad for me and a goats cheese omelette for Steve. Even after lunch the suite wasn't ready so we hung around the lounge a bit more. A chap called Barcley (I think he was like a Lodge Manager) came to speak to apologise for the delay. Apparently they were laying a new carpet for us and it was taking longer than expected!

Finally the suite was ready and we were taken there. The suites at Eagles Crag are separate to the main house where the general areas are ie where we were waiting. They are individual rondavel type structures with private outdoor decks and plunge pools. They are large, light and airy yet they also feel very welcoming and cosy. There are windows / patio doors all round the part of the room that faces onto the deck. The indoor shower also has a patio door that opens onto the deck if you fancy an indoor shower with an outdoor breeze and there's also a fully outdoor shower too as well as a very deep bath. Basically the suite was beautiful and we were sad that we couldn't do justice to the "free" ie paid for already in the rate minibar. We really did try though but just didn't have time. Oh and we appreciated the new carpet of course! Very springy!

Quick unpack and play with the telescope in the room and it was time for tea and cake before our first game drive. We met the fellow guests we would be in the truck with and they were 2 other couples - one on honeymoon and another on holiday like us. Both couples were from UK and funnily enough out of the 6 of us, 4 were accountants so Steve was in good company and there was definitely shop talk at dinner! There was also a young lady who is a journalist from London who was doing a piece on Shamwari hospitality for a trade magazine so she was on our game drives and ate with us also although she didn't spend as much time with us socialising as she had people to interview and other lodges to see.

We also met our ranger for our safari and he was just the most tremendous guy called Graeme. His colleagues call him Gram - I guess it's like the American pronunciation and I didn't know whether to follow the locals or to call him Graym as we would in Britain. Steve said he'd say Graym so I followed suit. Actually we later found out his colleagues call him "Mushi" which apparently means nice guy in Afrikaans and he is definitely a nice guy. He looked like a little cherub all wholesome and cute and like someone a mum would like her daughter to marry! As well as looking cherubic he really knew his animals and a whole lot of other stuff too. Rangers have to study all sorts of things from astronomy to history to animal science to politics. At Shamwari, when you're assigned a ranger, you get the same one for the duration of the trip and they dine and have breakfast with you too. I guess it's on the game drives their animal knowledge is utilised and everything else when conversing with guests.

During our chats with Graeme we learnt that when on duty, the rangers are not allowed off site and they work 3 weeks on, 1 week off. The more experienced rangers work at the luxury lodges in Shamwari so there is a hierarchy and most rangers aspire to a role within the luxury lodges. From there you can get to senior ranger and specialise in certain subjects (Graeme's were animal behaviour and birds) and then if desired a ranger can go down the staff management route. All the staff at Shamwari stay in a "staff camp" and families get a house built for them! He told us lodgings were great. I kept imagining the lodgings the hotel staff have in the film "Dirty Dancing" and he said elements were like that but not enough female rangers to dance with!

Anyway enough about Graeme. We set off on our first game drive and by this time it was drizzling and being newbies Steve and I discovered we should have worn more clothes! The trucks are open so the rain comes in and it gets cold. There were rain ponchos and blankets provided and although very welcome, we still got wet through. The terrain changes throughout the reserve and I am amazed at how Graeme knew his way round as it literally is open land with valleys and hills. The trucks tend to stick to tracks so vegetation can grow for the animals to eat and live in but every track looked the same to me!

Sighting during this game drive included seeing a white rhino and her calf, a few zebra but they are very shy and run away as the truck nears and lots of different antelope including impala (beautiful Bambi like creatures), water buck (have a big white circle surrounding their tail and bottom), springbok and kudu. Highlights included a massive herd of about 30 elephants (several families hooking up) making their way across the reserve. The little ones got into some wrestling which was hilarious to watch and Mum had to come split them up. We also saw a lion and lioness who had broken away from their pride to "do their business". That was very interesting! Graeme gave us the heads up and told us she was about to flirt and up she rose from her lying position and she sashayed passed him giving him the eye. Then he got up, walked over to her, mounted her, let out a roar and that was it! He rolled over then she rolled over! I almost felt they should have lit a cigarette! Apparently when they're at this stage it happens every 15 minutes! So really it should be "at it like lions" rather than "like rabbits"! Then as if this sight wasn't enough, we were on our way back when randomly a big male giraffe appeared by the side of the truck! It was like walking into a statue and felt so surreal but this is safari so it's very real!

Upon our return we were met with cups of hot chocolate laced with some alcohol which was much needed as were soaked through. We had 45 minutes to turn around and return for dinner. As it was dusk, we had to be accompanied by a guard with a gun in case we encountered leopards! Such drama! And our guard during our stay was a really friendly guy with a deep deep voice called Elvis! I asked him about how often he used his gun and he did assure me that in all his years at Shamwari and there are many, he only fired a warning shot once but I guess better safe than sorry. So Elvis, armed with gun and big torch walked us all to our suites.

Quick hot bath and Elvis was back at our front door providing us with his services for the walk back to the dining rooms. We did a little wine tasting with canapés before a delicious dinner, the highlight being the impala fillet with juniper berries we had for our main course. It did seem a little strange having just seen the gorgeous creatures but hey, I'm no vegetarian and at least it was fresh right?

That night the 7 of us were the only guests in the lodge. It was like having a huge mansion at our disposal but no wild partying took place as we had a 5am morning call due! We were told that such undercapacity is a real rarity and can only be blamed on the economy in spite of the excellent exchange rate Brits / Europeans would be getting. I guess because it's not a cheap experience even the favourable exchange rate may not be enough given the current climate. Post dinner coffee was served and bed beckoned by 11pm!
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