Nowhere's perfect....

We have enjoyed our week here in Salt Rock - a peaceful, comfortable apartment, right on the beach, with easy access to places to eat and drink and shops to buy anything we need - but in addition to the thunderstorm which knocked out the internet for half our stay, we also had a power cut one evening and had to arrange for the hire company to replace our initial hire car.
Decided to have breakfast on the beachfront  in Ballito this morning only to find that our chosen venue - the local bakery and cafe - had just closed for their annual 2 week holiday!
However found an alternative around the corner which served an excellent breakfast and good coffee. While we are used to fellow diners who insist on bring either their scabby wains or their equally scabby pets to the breakfast table, I think this is undoubtedly the first place that we have seen someone bring their Harley into a cafe and park it alongside the table - at least it was very well behaved throughout the meal and didn't beg for attention or even need a bowl of water.
Have spent a good bit of time sitting on the beach watching the breakers rolling ashore - always a fascinating sight.

We are on the road again tomorrow - about 300km north west to a game reserve on the borders of the Hluhluwe National Park - hope to spend a few days watching wildlife before heading back to the coast and the St Lucia wetlands next week. Not sure whether we will have any internet access but will catch up when we are able.

Normal service resumed!

After the 30C plus temperatures of our first 24 hours here, it was not really surprising that the second afternoon brought a fairly impressive thunderstorm. Luckily, we had finished our evening walk and were safely undercover in a local seafront bar.

Not much rain but an amazing lightning show as the storm passed right over head and headed out over the ocean.  The only consequence is that it knocked out the internet router so we have had three days without any access.

Peace and quiet

While it was great to spend time with Sue in the big city, it was great to leave it behind and arrive on the East coast where the only noise is the waves breaking on the beach. Thanks to one of the regular taxis and airport shuttles that are still available, we managed to get to the airport for about £3.00 more than the quoted Uber fare – so who needs them.

Our flight to Durban with Kulula was only 65 mins and as straight forward as could be. It was 32C when we landed and up to 36C by the time we had picked up our car and driven the 20km to our beachfront apartment in Salt Rock.

Very comfortable place – if a little warm to start with! We are in a first-floor annex above the garage with a view from each of the rooms over the roof of the main house to the Indian Ocean. The beach is about 50m away with a natural rock swimming pool so probably won’t need to check the efficacy of the shark nets which run along the whole coast

Still in Jozi but still no Uber

Being woken early by the Glossy Ibis on Sunday morning meant that I was ready for Sue's message at 6.30 to ask if we wanted to go to a yoga class with her - I may have overstated my interest in the class after the second bucket of wine the night before.
Decided that it would be the ideal opportunity for Sue and Linda to have some time together so I woke Linda, gave her the phone and suggested that she could reply for us both.
As they headed off to their 9.00 class I settled down on my own to a 'designer breakfast' prepared by our host - not sure that the overcooked scrambled egg, crispy bacon and cheese stuffed sausage was worthy of the description but at least the coffee was good.
With a couple of hours to relax, I made the mistake of trying to resolve the Uber issue again. While my credit card survived unscathed I discovered that I am now a 'banned rider' so I guess the feeling is mutual.The good news is that the nearest Uber driver to Moyhill is nearly 3 hours away in Dublin so I can happily tell them to feck off!
By the time the girls returned we were ready for some gentle sightseeing at Constitution Hill followed by a late lunch in Rosebank and an excellent Chenin Blanc from Babylonstoren.
A very pleasant afternoon rounded off with a light supper and a drop of Delheim Chardonnay sur Lie brought an almost perfect weekend to an end and not a thought to having to pack up in the morning and find a way to the airport without an Uber account.

A weekend in Jozi with Sue

Dinner in Parkhurst started with a pitcher of Margarita's in a Mexican restaurant - although Sue was being good - in  preparation for a 60 Km cycle ride the next morning - followed by some very spicy food and a few beers (for me at least).
Uber account still not letting me book anything - have to try again in the morning
Saturday was a very leisurely day - a gentle stroll around some of the shops in Parkhurst - managed to pick up 3 pairs of crystal glasses in an antique shop which is probably not the smartest purchase since we will now have to cart them round for 6 weeks - but they were quite unique.
After coffee and a sandwich we headed back to sit by the pool for the afternoon - took the opportunity to reset the Uber account for one last try which resulted in a message from  the security team at the bank telling me that my credit card was blocked because of an attempt by Uber to verify the account. So not only have they failed to provide any transport but they have also managed to block my credit card which needed an 8 minute call to the UK to resolve. Don't think I will bother any more.
By then it was time for drinks with Sue before dinner with a group of her friends - great meal but a little too much wine and I definitely didn't need the large Talisker nightcap!
Still I slept well - until the noise of the Glossy Ibis in the tree next to our room woke me at 5.00am - isn't nature wonderful - I'd have been reaching for the shotgun if there had been one handy.

Another long haul flight

Our departure from  Heathrow was delayed because they had to call for de-icing of the aircraft  before we taxied out. Otherwise it was an uneventful flight which Linda attributed to the Scottish First Officer who provided all the flight info.
It was clear and 25C as we landed and up to 32C by the time we finally got picked up. First attempt to use Linda's Uber account was unsuccessful - some problem with the payment system - so very grateful to Sue for booking the car for us on her account. Hope that we have now resolved the problem - guess we will find out when we try our next booking!
By the time we were settled in to our room at Bridge House in Parkhurst, we could hear the rumble of thunder shortly followed by a torrential downpour.
After the rain passed by - and the temperature had dropped to a more comfortable level - we took a walk into Parkhurst but got caught by the next storm and had to take shelter in a local wine bar.
An hour and a bottle of Chenin Blanc later we managed to make it home in the dry, just in time to get ready for dinner with Sue.

Today We'll Fly Away

As we sit with the last glass of the Tio Pepe waiting for our taxi to Shannon, I was wondering about an appropriate flying song - think we have had John Denver and/or Joni Mitchell a few times over the years and Merle Haggard's song was ok last year but not one to repeat - given the sentiment in the lyrics.

I didn't realise that there were so many songs to choose from - even in my limited music library - but as I sat pondering this and other weighty issues what should pop up on the radio but Randy Crawford singing  'Some day I'll fly away'

Seems appropriate!

and of course - just for Jim - a photo of our baggage - expanded a little this year to accommodate the spotting scope, tripod and a couple of yoga mats!

That time again

As the middle of January arrives, the clothes are laid out, the luggage has been dusted off and all that remains is the small matter of packing it all in - oh! and the slight hiccup of a 72 hr strike by BA cabin crew.

We are heading to South Africa this year - a weekend in Joburg to see Sue and then a couple of weeks travelling around the East coast north of Durban which will probably include some beach time and some wildlife and bird-watching. After this we plan to spend a few weeks around Cape Town and the Western Cape which will definitely include time in the winelands and at Cape Agulhas.

As usual, we expect a few stories along the way, perhaps an eccentric individual or two, one or two wildlife encounters and of course some excellent wines.

And the good news is that we have just heard from BA that despite the strike going ahead, our flights will not be affected.