Africa Part 3: Up the pass and into Lesotho

My next adventure started at 6am with a cheerful greeting by Dave, my faithful tour guide.  We were off to the mountains thru the gentle mist of an early morning, enjoying the quiet that comes with a Sunday morning.  After 2 hours driving through pine tree farms we arrived at Underberg.  Here, I was handed from Dave to Charles, who would be the guide for the trip up the Sani Pass and into the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.  I was joined at this point by a Dutch couple who were 1 week into their 3 week holiday trip to S. Africa. 

In a blue Land Rover that had seen much better days, our group was off to begin our ascent into the Drakenburg mountains, which is both a UNESCO heritage site and a protected nature reserve.  As the road gradually got steeper, we passed through rolling green slopes and came upon a troop of baboons out for a morning frolick.  Finally we reach the South Africian border control, and enter into No Mans Land, where only 4-wheel drive vehicles are permitted.

At this point, the slope increases, the road becomes nothing more then a narrow tow-path full of rocks and hairpin turns.  These curves have been named by the locals as "Devil's Elbow", "Suicide Corner" and "Don't look to your left"....to name a few!  Needless to say, I was gripping the seat and praying that the seat belt held!

Much relief was had when we reached the top, and passed through Lesotho immigration.    We only spent a few hours in Lesotho, but in that time we went to a border village and spent time with some local woman, listening as they told us the history of the independent kingdom which is completly surrounded by South Africa.   We were treated to freshly made bread (wonderful!) and beer (a bit on the unusual side).   Afterwards we lunched at the Sani Top Lodge, the highest pub in Africa at 9000 ft above sea level!

 

At the end of the day, we made our way back down the pass, which had not gotten any less frightening in the hours we were off of it.   Finally, we made it back to the bottom, where I met back up with Dave and headed back to the coast!

Africa Part 2: In Search of the Big 5!

There is only one thing that can make me wake up before the 5:30am alarm on a Saturday morning......SAFARI!!!!  So after being greeted and collected by Dave (who ended up being my personal tour guide), we headed north through the sugar cane and eucalyptus tree fields, into Zululand.  Along the way, I learned about south african poltics, history of the local tribes, and many other interesting facts about the area. 

2.5 hours later we roll into Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, the oldest game reserve park in South Africa.   Its also a leader in conservation, bringing the White Rhino back from the brink of extinction.  Lastly, it is home to all of the Big 5: elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard.  All of this gives me hope of some serious animal sightings during the day. 

Within the first half hour, I had seen rhino, zebra, giraffe and buffalo.  The most amazing thing about the park is that the animals are not segregated and hand feed.  They roam around in their natural ecosystem, hunting and intermingling in the way that they would outside of human eyes.  There is such a feeling of sneaking a peek at something that amazing.

The most amazing part of the day was as we were pulled off on a side trail, trying to figure out if the grey blob in the distance was a rhino or an elephant.  Just as we were about to move on, a movement from up the hillside grabbed our attention.  There, a few young elephants were making their way down to the waterhole.  Then a few more came down, and then a few more.  In just a few moments, there were more then 40 elephants were gathered around for a drink and some cooling off.  The herd was made up of older elephants and young calfs.  Even some babies, so incredably small, tagging along, single file with the mom. 

After a break for lunch, we set out along the south side of the park.  The midday naptime apparently applies to the animal kingdom, as there was less wildlife out and about.  Towards the end we came upon some antelope and some warthogs grazing on the side of the road, giving us a last sight before heading back to Durban.

Africa Part 1: Joburg!

Well, its official!  Wed morning, at 7:30am, I made landfall on my 5th continent!  Having only really seen pictures of the bushland in Africa, the site of builidings and smog was not exactly what I was expecting.   But the city was just like any other, with lots of traffic and graffited overpasses. 

Having been warned about the crime and roughness of Johannesburg, I was apprehensive on the way to the hotel, keeping an eye out for the "dangers" that may be lurking around the corner.  What I found was friendly people, and a careful, but comfortable atmosphere.   Granted, I am in a fairly upper class neighborhood, neighboring a conference center and business area.  

At the recommendation of the local PRA staff, I wandered over to the next door shopping center, and wandered through the shops, arriving in the middle of an open air square complete with a fountain and a monument to Nelson Mandela.  Dotted on the edge of the square where a number of resturants, including a seafood place where i enjoyed a very nice local Sauvignon Blanc.   I also enjoyed dinner at an African resturant where I experienced an amazing lamb shank, with a beautiful pinotage, all while being entertained by a group of traditional drummers.  

While the need for security is obvious, as seen by the abumdance of barbed wire, gated areas and always present armed guards, there is something enticing and welcoming about South Africa, especially in every person I have met so far.  There is beauty amoung the concrete and I am lucky to get to see it.   Tomorrow I am off to Durban, where I will get to see the coast, some safaris and the mountains.  

From Poland with Love

2011 seems to be the year for weddings!  And I was so lucky to get to travel to Rogow, Poland to witness my dear UK friends, Ewa and Peter join their lives.  Flying into Krakow on a cold and rainy day, I meet up with some work friends to drive the 2 hrs across Poland to reach the small, quaint village.  Luckily, the weather could not have been more perfect for the day, with temps in the mid 70's (F) and the sun gently warming the guests as we gathered outside the church to await the bride.

With the groom taking his place alongside the best man, the doors opened to reveal the procession of the bridesmaids, and then, with the sun throwing rays at their feet, the radiant bride was lead down the aisle by her father.   The ceremony was entirely in Polish, so we were wondering exactly what Pete agreed to, however he did so with the biggest smile ever seen.

As soon as Pete and Ewa were named husband and wife, the party began!  The couple greeted their subjects from the balcony of the castle, and we enjoyed bubbles and bites before moving inside of the beginning of what would end up being a 8-course meal!  At least, I think there were 8-courses...I lost count!!   And on the tables were bottles of specially labeled vodka for the toasts.  And there were LOTS of toasts!  And the bottles keep coming.   At one point, they called up all the guests by birthday month in order for us to do shots!  So glad I had plenty of practice in college ;)

The party went on into the wee hours of the morning.  Our crew called it a night at about 3am, however rumour has it that the party went on until 7am.   The perfect celebration for one of the best couples I have ever meet!!

Congratulations and Best Wishes Peter and Ewa!!!!!

Czech (Republic) Please!

What a surprise it was to get a call on Friday at work, and hear "we need you to go to Czech Republic on Tuesday!".  Since coming to Europe 15 months ago, all I have heard is how I need to Prague...so of course, I jumped at the chance!  Except....as typical for my job, my time in Prague was to consist of a hotel bed for 6 hours, and then on to Brno I was headed.

Not to be disappointed, I went about finding all of the neat, fun facts about the second largest city, located in the eastern portion of the country.  Very quickly I realized that I was in a place of important scientific history.  As I strolled down the street, a fourteen-century Augustinian monastery rises over the modern skyline, drawing me towards it like a moth to firelight.   I have a thing for old churches, and as I approached this one, I entered into the Mendel Gardens.  For those of you who are not bio-nerds, Gregor Mendel worked out the basics of inheritance and genetic domanance while breeding pea-plants.  His work was not appriciated during his life, however all current biology students know Mendel as the "Father of Modern Genetics".  It was a bit thrilling being in such a historic place!

A stroll through the city center was a brilliant treat, as the area was completely a pedestrian zone, and was alive with the vivacity of a warm summer's day!  It seemed the entire population was enjoying a nice beer under the large awnings of the local pubs.  The original lagers were brewed in the region now known as Czech Republic, and the tradition remains as there are exclusively local brews available for consumption.  It was at such an occasion of al fresco dining where I enjoyed the ultimate in Czech beer....the originial Budweiser (brewed by Budvar) with a delicious pizza (which I ordered in the best international language...Pictures!!).

While I still need to get to Prague, I am thrilled to have gotten the chance to see a lesser known, and under appriciated area of the Czech Republic!

Off to the races!

A bit of Pimms, fancy bags, over the top hats.....must be that time.   Royal Ascot!!  In my quest to do as many things "British" before my stint in the mother country comes to an end, my friends (Sarah squared) and I snagged some tickets to the premier racing event in Berkshire.  After weeks of picking the perfect dress, bag, shoes, and head-wear, we were off on a gray and chilly summer's day.

Admittedly we felt a bit silly walking thru Reading all dressed up, but as we pulled into Ascot station, we realized we fit right in as we were surrounded with some....well....interesting hats and fascinators.  Luckily, the weather mostly held out as we toured around the grounds, finally settling on a tent to enjoy a few pitchers of Pimm's and watch the constant parade of race-goers. 

Finally, it was time to start the show, and we set off to nab a good spot to watch the Royal Procession.  And what a good spot it was!!  Finally, after 16 months in the UK, I got to see the Queen, mostly up close and personal!  Well....she was about 30 yards away, and there were some security people in between us, but I am sure I saw her smile and wave AT ME!!!!  (well.....maybe not :) ).



 The rest of the day went by entirely too quickly.  In the spirit of things, we places our 2 pound bets on the races, and as luck would have it, I actually picked the winning horse twice!  The biggest pay-out being the last race of the day, the Buckingham Stakes, were the winning horse was Manassas.   Of course I picked this horse based on the face that it shared a name with the next closest town to my home in Virginia.  And it paid off!   With my 37 GBP winnings, we celebrated the day with a bottle of bubbly.   After all, it just seemed appropriate!

A city not so divided

With James in Europe for work, and a spare weekend at the end of the trip, we did the only logical thing.....we went to Berlin!

After dropping our bags at Marc and Elise's flat, we headed out for a Friday of exploring and doing the "touristy" things.   Elise gave a quick tutorial of the U-bahn and bus system, handed us our day transport tickets, and off we went!  As we got into the U-bahn to head to the main part of the city, I got distracted by the line heading to the Olympic Stadium.  I am a sucker for all things Olympic, and there was a certain draw to the place where Jessie Owens made his mark.  So off we headed, and were not disappointed.  As we approached the stadium, there was a indescribable pull to witness the ghosts of history.  Sitting on the stairs in a now modern stadium, you could almost here to pageantry of the propaganda that was the public face of the Nazi regime in 1936.  The mask that was shown to the world, obscuring what would become the tragedy underneath.




I could have spent the day, seeped in the aura of the landmark, but it was off to see how the Berlin of the past and the Berlin of the now merged together.  We hopped a bus into the city, and once in site of the Brandenburg gate, we hopped back off, and started a procession down the street towards the border of east and west.  A beautiful park lining the street beckoned to us, and we wandered along the footpaths, the city disappearing around us.  Both of us were simply amazed by the openness of the city.  European cities are not typically noted for being spacious, yet Berlin has a wonderful feeling of a comfortable suburb.  We finally passed under the Brandenburg gate, with all of its majesty.  From the peace of the park, to the liveliness of the plaza, it was impossible not to fall in love with this city.

As the afternoon drew later, we headed off to join our hosts for dinner at a traditional German bier garden.  By luck, we passed a piece of the Berlin wall, standing alone at a corner, a stark reminder of the past in an unexpected place.  We are glad we got our touring out of the way, because the rest of the weekend was a wonderful glimpse into the everyday life of Marc and Elise, and their two wonderful kids:  Liam (3) and Sasmira (13 mths).   Dinner in the bier garden was really an outdoor dining area in the middle of a huge park.  The evening passed quickly as Liam led us all in games of chase until it was time to head home, put the kids to bed, and let the adults catch up.

Our next two days continued as the Tessier's made us feel part of their family.  We headed off with Marc, Liam and Sasmira to the local pool, where Liam showed us his awesome swimming and splashing skills!  Liam speaks French, English and German, but anytime I tried to practice my french with him, he would giggle, shake his head, and answer me back in English.  Oh well, I guess I was not fluent enough for him :).

During the weekend, James and I had the honor of introducing the entire group to our shared (obsession) hobby of geocaching.  It was fun to watch both of the kids find their first "treasures", and even Marc seemed excited about it.  Especially since one of the caches we found was right outside Marc's office!!  After getting caught in a sudden downpour, we called it a night and headed back to the apartment.   Once there, I was deemed worthy of the bedtime routine, and Liam insisted I read one of his french story books to him.   I much appreciated the correction of my accent and pronunciation (with the giggles and head shaking, of course!).  After the kids were in bed, James and I enjoyed another evening of chatter, and shared culinary skills as we made Pad Thai under the watchful eyes of Marc and Elise.   

The next morning we said our goodbyes after a leisurely brunch.   It was a wonderful, if too quick, weekend in a new city with the most perfect hosts.   We can't wait to go back!!

In the footsteps of Alexander the Great

The thing I love most about my job, is that I get to go to those places that I would vote "least likely to get to in my lifetime".  This held true as I embarked on a trip to another one of the countries that made up the former Yugoslavia.  My destination?  Skopje, Macedonia.   Now, there is some despute of the name, as Greece takes issue with "Macedonia", claiming that it refers to an area of northern Greece.  So, the current official name of the area (at least until the name dispute gets worked out) is the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia or FYROM.   As this is a bit of a mouth-full, for the purposes of my blog, we will stick with Macedonia.

Arriving to Skopje was easy enough, with a short (and by short, I mean 10 min) layover in Zagreb, Croatia.  Surrounded by snow-capped peaks as we sped through the valley into town, I was impressed with the landscape.  The roads quickly turned from highway to narrow, dirt, single-lane road as we entered the city (or at least this is the way our taxi chose to go), and I started to wonder exactly where I was.

First impressions go a long way, and with somewhat cryptic directions from the front desk, my collegue and I set out to find the town center and some local cuisine.  We failed on both attempts.  After 45 mins of wandering, we found a very non-descript and grafitti covered mall and a food court.  Needless to say, we were a bit disappointed, but we did find a grocery store and set about putting together our own tasting of the local product....in this case, the great wines we had heard so much about!  (and yes, they were quite good!)

Luckily, our second day shattered the inital ideas of the city, as our hosts took us for a late lunch in the actual city center.  Beautifully situated along the banks of the Varder River, spanned by the Stone Bridge, a relic of the Ottoman Empire.  Across the Stone Bridge, was Old Town, which housed the Skopje Fortress, the remains of a Roman Aquaduct, and a Turkish Bazaar.  We were not able to check out this area of the city, although if I am ever to return, its on my list.

After lunch, we took a stroll along the pedestrian street of the city, which housed many hotels, bars, and a vitality that we missed the day before.   Along this route, we came upon the birthsite (and subsequent memorial house) of Mother Teresa.  Quite a nice surprise!

My time in Skopje was short, and while it is obvious that there is much to do to revive this city, I enjoyed having my initial impression wronged.  And who knows, maybe I will get the oppurtunity to return and see what else the city has to offer.

A pint with the Bard

"All the world's a stage, and the people merely players".  Having realized that the original stage of one of the most famous playwrights in history was a mere 2 hours away, this player decided to make the journey to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birth, and death, place of William Shakespeare.  First impressions are sometimes not worth a lot, as I stepped off the train to be met with a vast parking lot of a local supermarket chain, but as I made my way into the town, I soon pleasently greeted by a quaint, bustling pedistrian street lined with pubs and small shops, like most English country towns.  I quickly noticed how ingrained Shakespeare is to this town, as quotes from his plays and sonnets decorate the buildings throughout town, and there are statues of his characters scattered about.

Going a bit backwards in my touring, my first hour was spent strolling along the river Avon, soaking up the rare day of February sunshine until reaching the Holy Trinity Church, family church of the Shakespeare's and his final resting place.  The church had one of the prettiest yards I have seen, with the trees dotted among the gravestones overlooking the river.  The church itself was striking, but modest.  And the alter area, where Shakespeare is buried was respectfully peaceful, even with the spattering of visitors.  What I found most interesting was the original records of baptism and burial of Shakespeare that were on display, next to the baptismal font that was in use during the 16th century.  It was a very tasteful display, with not a lot of pomp to it.

Having seen the end, I headed back into the town center to visit Shakespeare's birthplace.  The house is still standing in its originial location on Henley Street, and the guides were very certain to point out what parts of the house were thought to be present during Shakespeare's life (most of the ground level, including the stone floor....so I really did walk in Shakespeare's footsteps!) and what had been added during the 17th and 18th century renovations (the upper level).  The house has been visited by Shakespeare's fans since the 1800's and became an official museum late in that century.  The most interesting thing I realized from the visit to the birthplace, is how Shakespeare, unlike so many other writers of his time, was well known and respected for his work during his life.  So the town has really been a homage to him for centuries, rather then a modern-day shrine that was erected in the last few decades. 

 After the forced journey through the gift shop, and stopping at the local tavern for some ale and lunch, I skipped the tourist buses, and took the mile journey to Anne Hathaway's cottage by foot.  The cottage is deemed as one of the most romantic cottages in England, and is the site of Shakespeare's courtship of his future bride.  The cottage, tucked away in a tiny village, in the woods and along a narrow stream, was truely an idyllic setting.  There was even a wedding being performed on the grounds during my visit!   As it is still winter, the orchards were bare, and there were only the beginnings of flowers starting to poke out of the earth.  I would very much like to come back during the summer to see the cottage in its full bloom.

At this time, my visit to Stratford was coming to a close, and I had time for a quick cup of coffee before heading back to the train.  I learned quite a bit about Shakespeare, his life, and his times during my day.  Now, off to find a use of the book of Shakespearean insults I might have picked up........