Trip to Middle East and Africa 2005-2006 ... and what happened next
Title thanks to The Clash's song off the London Calling album - Lost in the Supermarket - which can be heard here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsrEAWcAvRg
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 17:37
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Some images here of people in Cape Town yesterday. This was more of a trip for taking photos of landscapes, buildings, flowers and animals than people.
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 17:36
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Here we were in South Africa six years ago, in 2006. Although there has been much progress here in the past six years, certainly with the building of modern houses in the townships, internet does not seem to have become any faster meaning that it has been impossible to upload any pics for the last few days, not that we haven't taken very many.
So, here we are on our last evening here, back at the Big Blue Backpackers Guesthouse in Cape Town, having just had a delicious ,meal at Mano's just down the road surrounded by pencil-thing local models. They must have been eating the green salad, by the looks of it.
Since we last posted on here, we have made it across the Karoo from Graaff-Reinet to the Karoo National Park near Beaufort-West. down to ostrich farming territory in Oudtshoorn, across to Calitzdorp, for a quick look in at De Dorpshuis as well as De Krans port winery, the further along to Montagu, McGregor and through another major storm around Worcester to Cape Town.
Today, we did the normal Cape thingies, such as breakfasting (late) in Camps Bay, paying a visit to the beautiful Sandy Bay before seeing the penguins in Simonstowm and watching the waves crashing in at Scarborough and the mist rising at Misty Cliffs.
Tomorrow a late flight straight back to Amsterdam, so we intend to visit the new football stadium, the Bo-Kaap area and the city centre before driving off for a late lunch in the Winlelands of Stellenbosch, all going well...
Saturday noontime back in Amsterdam and another temperature difference of minus 20 degrees. It has been a short visit, especially for Fred, but it has been fun and South Africa really is a very beautiful country with very many friendly people.
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 21:44
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Fred looking down onto the town of Graff-Reinet, the fourth oldest in South Africa, a real gem.
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 07:08
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840 kms and 8 hours on the road with onetank of petrol - and we only JUST made it, we travelled down south from Joghannesburg to the old town of Graaff-Reinet in the Karoo. Already more than half way to Cape Town we can relax a bit from now on.
Staying at the lovely Andries Stockenstrom Huest House, about to start a delicious Karoo meal.
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 18:21
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An enchanting sight on the way up from the Dead Sea to Kerak.
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 08:16
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I found this in the woods recently. I originally said F loves L, but I changed the L to a C!
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 21:10
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Albert, from Lusaka in Zambia.
Just arrived in Africa to watch the end of the African Cup of Nations Final, to see Zambia win on penalties. What a great triumph, after the disaster of 1993. Well done, Zambia!
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 23:45
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Yesterday was much like last Saturday, cold with a bright sun shining down on the snow and ice. The snow is still sticking around from the fall of a week ago while the ice has become a few cms thicker.
This seems to be the last day of the big freeze here in Holland as warmer air is due to push in from the north-west later today, bringing rain and treacherous conditions to teh country.
I will be sitting/sleeping in an aeroplane all day as I swap hemispheres for a couple of weeks.
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 07:41
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The Bastard of Istanbul, by Elif Shafak, a masterpiece. All the photos uploaded today have some connection with that magical book.
In terms of being stuck, Turkish Airlines cancelled my flight back to Amsterdam so I have to wait to catch a later one. Strange because before there was no snow and now it is snowing quite hard... hope not get back some time today.
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 07:34
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I seem to be quite well known around Balad, after all my visits over the apst two years. I am the man from Hargeisa!
So, with it being minus 20 on Saturday morning, plus 10 in Istanbul last night, it is now plus 30 degrees here in Jeddah. Not sure which I like the best, certainly not the steamy dusty weather here, so I think I will go for that beautiful sunny cold Saturday morning back in Amsterdam.
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 17:18
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Fred on the ice in one of our local parks, Flevopark. Missing out on the blue sky today, although it does seem to be brightening up outside.
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 10:36
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In the ice under bright sunny skies! We hardly ever get days like this in Amsterdam, maybe once in every five to ten years, so glad I am not on business trip right now. Last night the temperature tipped under minus 20 for the first time that I have been living in Amsterdam and today we were treated to thsi beautiful spectacle. Nature is so wonderful.
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 18:41
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My favourite photo from this year so far,a younger brother and elder sister bringing some chickens to the side of the road to sell to passers by (and the road is not at all busy). They were so shy, it was beautiful.
I don't usually give money to people for taking their photos, preferring to give them a copy of the photo if I can, but I gave them each a JD, which the driver told me later would be as much as they would have asked for a whole chicken. It was my lucky day, it was their lucky day.
posted by Charles Roffey and Fred O at 09:23
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