Who needs 24hour access?

Just arrived in Livingstone in Zambia for a couple of days - chance to see the Victoria Falls and relax after the 'rigours' of 10 days on safari before we head back to Johannesburg.
It was very refreshing to be without internet, phone, tv or any other interference for nearly 2 weeks - gave us the chance to concentrate on the amazing variety of habitats, incredible wildlife and friendly people of Botswana. Three different camps, 15 game drives, one boat ride, a mokoro trip and a Bushman's walk which had to be hastily abandoned due to appearance of a large male lion!

Of course there are quite a few stories to tell about our experiences and the people we met and particularly the wildlife and their habitats - watch this space!

Does it get better than this?

Another enjoyable day in Johannesburg - coffee at Origin at Arts on Main and then a relaxed morning wandering around a few of the galleries. Maboneng is very boho, urban cool. We looked in on The Living Room but decided we weren't cool enough to stay. Settled for a good Mexican lunch and a little bit of essential shopping for our safari trip.
A walk in the park with Sue and the dogs and then back to our room to repack for our departure tomorrow morning. Quick dinner at Franco's in Parkview and home again for an early night.
A fairly ordinary day you might say but then I remembered to check the football results to see that Arsenal won 2-0 at City!
Not sure how much internet access there will be while we are in Botswana but expect to be back online before the end of the month.

Travel, tequila and Tu Nokwe

Our first flight on an A-380 was very comfortable - we were on the upper deck and there were a number of empty seats so the crew had plenty of time to look after us. An excellent journey all round and then Sue was waiting to collect us at Sandton when we got off the Gautrain - what more could you want.
After a shower and a short nap we headed off to the NeighbourGoods Market downtown for lunch - Linda had the obligatory frozen Margarita, Sue was on the Champagne while I found a great craft beer to wash down the chicken curry roti. As usual the place was buzzing lots of people having fun in the hot sunshine and live music as well.

Very comfortable B&B just round the corner from Sue and time for a kip before we got dressed to head downtown to the Orbit - a great live music venue with a bistro - for dinner followed by an amazing performance from Tu Nokwe - a South African actress, singer and composer. Tremendous jazz singing - something like Cleo Laine and also Ella - if you can find her music on line then listen and enjoy. We had a great night - good company a little wine and tremendous atmosphere - food was the only disappointment - just OK!

That Joni Mitchell moment...

Although Linda would credit John Denver who wrote the song

Creature of Habit?

We took the two laying hens off to their holiday home today.  I'm sure they will be very happy with their new companions - particularly the rooster. The six ducks are off to a different holiday home tomorrow and then we have to get busy packing and preparing for our departure on Friday.
I am concerned that I am becoming too predictable since my diary tells me this was exactly what I was doing on 13th January 2014.

All in all, 2014 was a great year - the pigs grew well and produced some excellent pork which has kept us fed; we also raised a couple of dozen chickens for the freezer, collected a lamb which was due to us and even managed to buy some local beef from a friend and neighbour who had slaughtered one of their Belted Galloway bullocks. No shortage of meat! In fact we could probably live for another year on the contents of the freezer.

However it is definitely time to head south - the Atlantic storms have been building in strength, the temperature has dropped and we had a light fall of snow today. Of course it will probably blow over and warm up again by the weekend but the days are too short and there is very little to be done outside.

I have already completed the first four volumes of Churchill's 'History of the English Speaking Peoples' and need a good dose of sunshine and a new wine selection to get me through the last one.

This year we are off to Southern Africa: - 10 days on safari in Botswana and then 4 weeks mooching around the wineries and beaches of the Western Cape.

I imagine there will be some tales to tell along the way, some old friends to catch up with and some new ones to make.