We are still awaiting a repaired camper van from our lovely friends here in Hamilton, North Island. Im pretty sure they are sick of the sight of us - nice as we. It cant be good having two travellers invade your home and spend days out while you have to work. Days out in your car....Todays day out was a trip to Tauranga and Rotorua. We set off in the drizzle with flip flops in the boot and a bunch of hope. We knew we had arrived in Rotorua by the nasty rotten egg smell emanating from the steaming and impressively large Rotorua lake. I jumped out of the tiny Roadster and immediately regretted my wardrobe decisions, shorts were really not the best idea in the cool drizzle. Having the briefest touristy walkabout i returned to the safety of the soft top. Lloyd jumped in and started the engine - his comment 'the accelerator has disappeared' made me dissolve in giggles at the sheer stupidity of it, he pointed and also began laughing, i looked down, indeed the accelerator was no more, it had literally disappeared. For some daft reason we were unable to compose ourselves for some time.
A deep breath and a good look with the torch on my phone and it appeared the pedal had completely snapped in half! Jeez this wasn't good.
I found a nearby garage on google maps and we managed to limp the car there with the use of hazard lights, lots of accelerator wiggling and some high gears. A smiley local guy said he could weld it and we went off in search of the alleged 'best pie in New Zealand'. Now don't get me wrong, best anything is good but i see such claims daily across New Zealand, and indeed Aussie. We found coffee and pies and they were indeed very good.
After a long walk the call came to say the car was fixed, a good job done at a fair price and we were back on the road to Tauranga, to meet Angry Garry. Garry was a chap we had met previously and id nicknamed him (to his face and he agreed!) as he is a permanently cross chap. His son was fun and we had a couple of drinks and a beer.
I sit here typing waiting to hear if the camper van has passed its WOF or Warrant of Fitness, same as an MOT but NZ. If so it means we can finally head to Wellington.
In other news, i have decided to take December off and have arranged a house/pet sit in Vietnam for a small dog. Yknow those fluffy white ones the Asians love to trim and use decoratively. I hope he's good, i haven't much dog experience, apparently he's super hilled and even has his own Instagram page. Eeek. December will be spent taking care of myself, reading, planning and exploring Vietnam. There's even a scooter with the job!
Quite excited.
Wednesday, 20 November 2019
North Island in a 20yr old sports car..
Ok im 51 and 3/4 and getting in and out of a sports car that is almost as low as the kerb has been great for my flexibility hehe.
Zooming around windy roads here in North Island has been great fun, although its super hard to hold a conversation as the soft top doesnt really have any sound protecting qualities (plus im deaf on the drivers side too)! So we point and gesture instead which seems to work.
Its a curious landscape here, i was expecting a million sheep - yknow, New Zealand lamb and all that but what i mostly see are a million cows. Upon research i discover that most farmers have moved over to the more profitable dairy and beef industry. Lloyd says the natural land looks 'raped' and i think i agree. Km after km of flat agricultural land is the norm, with some hills and mountains. The real beauty shows itself when we hit the coasts and you see a myriad of islands and green hills, stunning.
We travelled all the way to Cape Reinga in the tip of the north and it was majestic, then back down to Doubtless Bay to stay in a nice little self-contained apartment on a hill for a night. Dinner was overlooking the sea in a fish and chip place, veggie burger for me obvs.
Back at our hosts house we find another couple of visitors, Joy and Bruce and the six of us have a few nice eves with chatter and wine and food, Lloyd and i love cooking and entertaining for others so often commandeer a kitchen. Our hosts Glen and Liz take us to Rangariri to see where the battle happened in 1863 (where 1500 British troops defeated about 500 Maori warriors) I felt a pang of guilt for being a Brit as i learned the story. We then visited some wetlands as NZ is a major wetland area and hosts the biggest collection of seabirds in the world, there was a cool shop with tons of stuffed birds and loads of books and info. Then onto a Maori graveyard in Glens hometown, they bury their own dead rather than dealing with the local authorities and these graves were by the sea. Bruce suddenly started playing the bagpipes as we perused the headstones, strangely eerie but kind of fitting.
Sunday brought a big family gathering and there was mass cooking, the numbers went from 7 to 15 in minutes and we all pulled together, it was a great laugh We have been here a week now and we think the camper van repair may be today.....
In other news i have secured a pet sit in Vietnam during December! More on this later.
Kia koa for now!
Zooming around windy roads here in North Island has been great fun, although its super hard to hold a conversation as the soft top doesnt really have any sound protecting qualities (plus im deaf on the drivers side too)! So we point and gesture instead which seems to work.
Its a curious landscape here, i was expecting a million sheep - yknow, New Zealand lamb and all that but what i mostly see are a million cows. Upon research i discover that most farmers have moved over to the more profitable dairy and beef industry. Lloyd says the natural land looks 'raped' and i think i agree. Km after km of flat agricultural land is the norm, with some hills and mountains. The real beauty shows itself when we hit the coasts and you see a myriad of islands and green hills, stunning.
We travelled all the way to Cape Reinga in the tip of the north and it was majestic, then back down to Doubtless Bay to stay in a nice little self-contained apartment on a hill for a night. Dinner was overlooking the sea in a fish and chip place, veggie burger for me obvs.
Back at our hosts house we find another couple of visitors, Joy and Bruce and the six of us have a few nice eves with chatter and wine and food, Lloyd and i love cooking and entertaining for others so often commandeer a kitchen. Our hosts Glen and Liz take us to Rangariri to see where the battle happened in 1863 (where 1500 British troops defeated about 500 Maori warriors) I felt a pang of guilt for being a Brit as i learned the story. We then visited some wetlands as NZ is a major wetland area and hosts the biggest collection of seabirds in the world, there was a cool shop with tons of stuffed birds and loads of books and info. Then onto a Maori graveyard in Glens hometown, they bury their own dead rather than dealing with the local authorities and these graves were by the sea. Bruce suddenly started playing the bagpipes as we perused the headstones, strangely eerie but kind of fitting.
Sunday brought a big family gathering and there was mass cooking, the numbers went from 7 to 15 in minutes and we all pulled together, it was a great laugh We have been here a week now and we think the camper van repair may be today.....
In other news i have secured a pet sit in Vietnam during December! More on this later.
Kia koa for now!
New Zealand
I was hesitant to leave Aussie and knew i could have spent years exploring more but my visa was up and the flight from Melbourne to Auckand awaited.
I leanred at check in in Melbourne there was a new visa requirement for NZ, shock! i had to apply online at the last few minutes before the desk closed, it was a close call! Just three and a half hours later i was walking through the departure area and meeting Sheridan, the lady who i was volunteering for over the next five or so days (Lloyd was still back in Melbourne so i got some volunteer work while i waited for him)
Sheridan greeted me with the biggest smile and i knew straight away we would get on well. Arriving at the house in the hills above Auckland i could not believe my luck! WOW the house was incredible, perched high on the hills you could literally see everything right down to the sea and beyond. I am a lucky girl thats for sure! As soon as we walked in i met Sophie, 19 from Austria, also volunteering and had arrive a few days before, and Brian, Shers hubby who was a delight. armed with dinner and wine we sat and got accqainted.
The next few days work were so rewarding, weeding in the garden alongside alpacas in the sunshine, cooking in the incredible kitchen, scrubbing the deck and clearing the winter debris from the pool. Sunday was Brians birthday and lots of family were coming so i made a classic victoria sponge and assisted with the cooking and clearing. I was staying in a cool little camper van on the driveway which was a definate upgrade from my beloved tent in Aussie.
Lloyd arrived late a few days later into Auckland airport and my hosts kindly let me use the car to fetch him. On the return i got pulled by the cops (apparently i went through a red light!) It was 2am and i was so nervous, i gave my details and the policeman popped them into his device, within seconds he knew all my flight details and immigration status! After a word and a quick breathalyser he let me go - without so much as a stern word. Phew.
Soon Lloyd and i were on the way to Hamilton on a coach and i write this sitting in the back garden of some friends of his who have let us use their campervan for a month - except the water pump is broken so we now have a Mazda sports car for a week and then will retun for the camper when its fixed. This should be interesting!!
Family and friends
Port Lincoln
Mikkira Station, Port Lincoln
Mikira was incredible, firstly because we were the only ones there and secondly you could camp under the trees and enjoy the koalas above, we also saw emus and there were hot showers! bliss
Probably one of my favourite stops so far, arriving one morning with a dew covered tent we stopped at a friendly looking cafe and draped the flysheet over the back of the ute to dry out. We walked in to a warm welcome from the woman we now know as Megan (pronounced Meegan in Aussie!) She recognised Lloyds accent immediately and started chatting about S Africa as she'd been three times, we all got on like a house on fire and by the time we had left Megan had invited us to stay at a caravan in her garden! Such kindness from a total stranger warmed our hearts. We turned up with a cheery smile and a bottle of wine later that evening to be told we were being upgraded to a bedroom. We met Megans husband Rhidian and their two sons and had such a good time, we stayed three nights while we went to visit some tour operators
The most notable operator here was a guy called Matt who was running a shark cage diving operation with a difference, Matt had two USPs, one he was not using any form of chum or burley (operators usually use fish heads and parts to entice the shark) and two he had a submersible dry glass tank that anyone could sit in and watch proceedings whislt having a cuppa! This really opens out the experience to anyone regardless of ability, fantastic! Matt is a larger than life character who readily offered us a couple of trips out and we also swam with sea lions which i really enjoyed.
Adelaide was next on the itinerary and also the realisation that we needed to be in Hervey Bay in early October so we decided to ramp it up a bit. We arrive late in the afternoon to a warm welcome from my cousin John, his wife Sarah and their daughter Rebecca. Wonderful to see how well they are all doing and to meet them properly for the first time really (apart from when John and i were children many moons ago!)
We drank wine and had a lovely meal and were sadly on the way again the next morning.
Mikkira Station, Port Lincoln
Mikira was incredible, firstly because we were the only ones there and secondly you could camp under the trees and enjoy the koalas above, we also saw emus and there were hot showers! bliss
Probably one of my favourite stops so far, arriving one morning with a dew covered tent we stopped at a friendly looking cafe and draped the flysheet over the back of the ute to dry out. We walked in to a warm welcome from the woman we now know as Megan (pronounced Meegan in Aussie!) She recognised Lloyds accent immediately and started chatting about S Africa as she'd been three times, we all got on like a house on fire and by the time we had left Megan had invited us to stay at a caravan in her garden! Such kindness from a total stranger warmed our hearts. We turned up with a cheery smile and a bottle of wine later that evening to be told we were being upgraded to a bedroom. We met Megans husband Rhidian and their two sons and had such a good time, we stayed three nights while we went to visit some tour operators
The most notable operator here was a guy called Matt who was running a shark cage diving operation with a difference, Matt had two USPs, one he was not using any form of chum or burley (operators usually use fish heads and parts to entice the shark) and two he had a submersible dry glass tank that anyone could sit in and watch proceedings whislt having a cuppa! This really opens out the experience to anyone regardless of ability, fantastic! Matt is a larger than life character who readily offered us a couple of trips out and we also swam with sea lions which i really enjoyed.
Adelaide was next on the itinerary and also the realisation that we needed to be in Hervey Bay in early October so we decided to ramp it up a bit. We arrive late in the afternoon to a warm welcome from my cousin John, his wife Sarah and their daughter Rebecca. Wonderful to see how well they are all doing and to meet them properly for the first time really (apart from when John and i were children many moons ago!)
We drank wine and had a lovely meal and were sadly on the way again the next morning.
Sunday, 27 October 2019
One month on the road!
It’s been a while, mainly because I’ve had little connections and when I’ve had them I’ve been a guest in someone’s house so can’t really hide away and write.
Anyway, here’s a brief summary of the last month (how fast it’s gone!)
After being ripped off - and I may add too trusting) for one set of Fleetwood Mac tickets to the tune of 150aud (gutted) I didn’t let it put me off and managed to find us tickets, Mac were pretty damn good and we had a fabulous evening.
Back to serious stuff the next day and we headed to visit some SA friends of Lloyd’s in Perth - Craig and Theresa and their really cool daughter Demi, they kindly took us on their boat to Rottnest Island for a day trip but sadly the gearbox decided to play up, this resulted in a first for all of us- a sea rescue! (we were actually rescued from the island but you get my drift)
We then spent some time with some of Lloyd’s extended family Christine and her chap Jacque and soon we were ready to hit the road properly. Heading north towards Exmouth we were full of excitement and looking forward to warmer climes. We slept on beaches and in bush and built fires for cooking, watched sunsets and not so often sunrises. We saw few animals apart from the odd bird and dead roo by the roadside. The black tarmac ribbon road flagged by red soil seems endless some days.
Highlights were the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool, the incredible Pinnacles and the Pink Lake plus Coral Beach where the entire beach was made of tiny shells. We stopped at Shark Bay and saw dolphins on the beach, whales in the distance and huge pelicans.
The weather was glorious and when not driving we enjoyed sunny lunches with our feet in the sand.
Camping each night is always different- we avoid the commercial sites and usually wild camp- much more fun.
In Exmouth we met with Janine who arranged a room at a friend’s house for us, a bed really feels like luxury after a few nights on a camping mattress. Sandra - Janina’s friend has a 14mth old Dalmatian pup who was a lot of fun.
We were lucky enough to take a few boat trips and see whales and other marine life, even snorkelling with giant manta rays and turtles and seeing the colourful fish on Ningaloo reef.
After meetings with all the connections we made we headed back to Perth and regroup before the big trip east.
A night at Maria’s and more time with Craig and family were very welcome, we were back out on his boat and saw river dolphins in the centre of Perth fishing around the shoreline.
A few problems with our vehicle saw us being given a brand new one - brilliant as I can now play all my favourite music and the fuel economy is fantastic.
We began the journey east with some good experience under our belts and mindful of the cooler weather.
We stopped in Bunbury and Dunsborough and started making contacts with people. We met a fantastic few characters there Brodee a beautiful up and coming marine biologist and the bonkers Dundee and his lovely wife Dee who let us camp in their garden.
As I write we are in Albany and Lloyd is presenting his ideas to Kirsty - the local marine biologist and I’m charging everything we own and looking for a place to stay tonight and somewhere to shower!
You get used to life on the road and my mantras are ‘power and shower’ when we hit civilisation.
It’s amazing how little we have and how we manage - I’m learning so much.
The Nullabor Plains are famous in Australia, for a few reasons but primarily for being a flat endless treeless arid land in South Australia. Its supposed to be a challenging crossing where you have to be well prepared to take on 1675km of driving with little access to shops and provisions. In preparation we shopped for food and made sure we had plenty of water and fuel and approached our task with trepidaiton. Usually drivers would start the drive at Norseman, however we were near the coast in Esperance...i found a diagonal off road route that would get us on the Nullabor quicker - across land to Balladonia, 200km off road would be interesting too! We set off and it was so bumpy you had to stop to take a drink for fear of spilling it all down your front, convesations were funny and all eyes were on the parched red ground looking out for big holes and of course kangaroos.
About three hours later we arrived in Balldonia on one piece, boy was it a releif to get on a normal tarmacced road!
We camped a couple of times hitting rain and sleeping in the cab when the tent didnt quite deal with the deluge (to be fair we hadnt even pegged it down as we were so used to good weather!)
We both thought the warnings were a little over rated and found it barren but prefectly fine and no big task to cross the plains.
Arriving in Ceduna we had to rid the car of any raw fruit and vegetables for infection control from one state to another - so we sat at the roadside cooking everything we had! (I didnt want the fruit police getting us)
A good search of Wikicamps brings up 'Tozers Bush Camp' not free but in the right direction and looks interesting. We find it in the bush and i immediately recognise Tozer, a sixty-something dreadlocked ruddy-faced guy with a wry smile. He's an ex-farmer who wasn't really making any money from his farm and one night with a beer watching the sunset he was considering quitting it all when he suddenly hit upon the idea of sharing the wonderful bushland that surrounded him, so he built a camp kitchen and marked out sites and now he has one of the biggest selections of orchids and some incredible birdlife and bush vegetation hes doing well, selling orchid tours and has interested parties visiting from all over the world. We had a nice evening and made a fire outside.
Soon we were back on the road headed for another tour operator in Fowlers Bay, Fowlers is a stunning small seaside location in WA, white sands and only a handful of shops. We met up with Rod who runs whale watching tours in the bay. Rod was very welcoming and we spent some time at his lovely beachside house talking shop before going out on a whale-watching trip. The bay was like a whale nursery, everywhere you turned there were mums and calves curiously looking at us. After a fantastic day Rod offered to let us stay on the stretch of beach outside his house, invited some friends over and we had a nice big fire and some food. Bliss!
Next stop was to visit Rods father Allan in Baird Bay, not too far away. Again this was a small town with no shops or real amenities but I did find a small campsite. We met Allan briefly and he kindly offered to take us out the following day.
To kill some time we took the ute down to the beach for a drive, as we reached the end of curve we found a small boy crying by a Landcruiser which was firmly stuck in the sand by the back wheels. Unravelling the story it appeared he had permission to drive but he was seriously worried about how to get out of the mess he was in!
We drove him to find dad who was having a beer after a hard day shearing. Dad was Jack a local farmer, tall and weathered with hand slike spades he found the whole story highly amusing! Jack asked us to wait while he went and sorted the stuck 4x4 .
We nervously stood with the other farmers at the diesel heater outside the huge shed full of all sorts of kit. Jack returned and thanked us and we had a couple of beers and got chatting. We were then invited to go and see his farm and land the next day, which we gladly agreed to, its always nice to spend time with locals away from the tourist trail.
The next morning out with Allan we were extremely fortunate to see sea lions and dolphins playing with us, they each had names given to them and Allan had been the only operator there for decades, its as though they knew him!
After a fantastic morning Jack came to get us and he drove us all around his farm showing us the land and animals, then onto his shed area where there were stacks of machines and vehicles in various states of decay, his dad's old tractor, etc. Ive seen this kind of thing everywhere where as there is no. demand for scrap metal so it just gets left. Jack kindly let us camp on his beach area and joined us for a fire in the evening bringing fresh farm eggs, lamb and firewood, such a kind man! We chatted and drank beers till late - a brilliant evening.
Anyway, here’s a brief summary of the last month (how fast it’s gone!)
After being ripped off - and I may add too trusting) for one set of Fleetwood Mac tickets to the tune of 150aud (gutted) I didn’t let it put me off and managed to find us tickets, Mac were pretty damn good and we had a fabulous evening.
Back to serious stuff the next day and we headed to visit some SA friends of Lloyd’s in Perth - Craig and Theresa and their really cool daughter Demi, they kindly took us on their boat to Rottnest Island for a day trip but sadly the gearbox decided to play up, this resulted in a first for all of us- a sea rescue! (we were actually rescued from the island but you get my drift)
We then spent some time with some of Lloyd’s extended family Christine and her chap Jacque and soon we were ready to hit the road properly. Heading north towards Exmouth we were full of excitement and looking forward to warmer climes. We slept on beaches and in bush and built fires for cooking, watched sunsets and not so often sunrises. We saw few animals apart from the odd bird and dead roo by the roadside. The black tarmac ribbon road flagged by red soil seems endless some days.
Highlights were the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool, the incredible Pinnacles and the Pink Lake plus Coral Beach where the entire beach was made of tiny shells. We stopped at Shark Bay and saw dolphins on the beach, whales in the distance and huge pelicans.
The weather was glorious and when not driving we enjoyed sunny lunches with our feet in the sand.
Camping each night is always different- we avoid the commercial sites and usually wild camp- much more fun.
In Exmouth we met with Janine who arranged a room at a friend’s house for us, a bed really feels like luxury after a few nights on a camping mattress. Sandra - Janina’s friend has a 14mth old Dalmatian pup who was a lot of fun.
We were lucky enough to take a few boat trips and see whales and other marine life, even snorkelling with giant manta rays and turtles and seeing the colourful fish on Ningaloo reef.
After meetings with all the connections we made we headed back to Perth and regroup before the big trip east.
A night at Maria’s and more time with Craig and family were very welcome, we were back out on his boat and saw river dolphins in the centre of Perth fishing around the shoreline.
A few problems with our vehicle saw us being given a brand new one - brilliant as I can now play all my favourite music and the fuel economy is fantastic.
We began the journey east with some good experience under our belts and mindful of the cooler weather.
We stopped in Bunbury and Dunsborough and started making contacts with people. We met a fantastic few characters there Brodee a beautiful up and coming marine biologist and the bonkers Dundee and his lovely wife Dee who let us camp in their garden.
As I write we are in Albany and Lloyd is presenting his ideas to Kirsty - the local marine biologist and I’m charging everything we own and looking for a place to stay tonight and somewhere to shower!
You get used to life on the road and my mantras are ‘power and shower’ when we hit civilisation.
It’s amazing how little we have and how we manage - I’m learning so much.
The Nullabor Plains are famous in Australia, for a few reasons but primarily for being a flat endless treeless arid land in South Australia. Its supposed to be a challenging crossing where you have to be well prepared to take on 1675km of driving with little access to shops and provisions. In preparation we shopped for food and made sure we had plenty of water and fuel and approached our task with trepidaiton. Usually drivers would start the drive at Norseman, however we were near the coast in Esperance...i found a diagonal off road route that would get us on the Nullabor quicker - across land to Balladonia, 200km off road would be interesting too! We set off and it was so bumpy you had to stop to take a drink for fear of spilling it all down your front, convesations were funny and all eyes were on the parched red ground looking out for big holes and of course kangaroos.
About three hours later we arrived in Balldonia on one piece, boy was it a releif to get on a normal tarmacced road!
We camped a couple of times hitting rain and sleeping in the cab when the tent didnt quite deal with the deluge (to be fair we hadnt even pegged it down as we were so used to good weather!)
We both thought the warnings were a little over rated and found it barren but prefectly fine and no big task to cross the plains.
Arriving in Ceduna we had to rid the car of any raw fruit and vegetables for infection control from one state to another - so we sat at the roadside cooking everything we had! (I didnt want the fruit police getting us)
A good search of Wikicamps brings up 'Tozers Bush Camp' not free but in the right direction and looks interesting. We find it in the bush and i immediately recognise Tozer, a sixty-something dreadlocked ruddy-faced guy with a wry smile. He's an ex-farmer who wasn't really making any money from his farm and one night with a beer watching the sunset he was considering quitting it all when he suddenly hit upon the idea of sharing the wonderful bushland that surrounded him, so he built a camp kitchen and marked out sites and now he has one of the biggest selections of orchids and some incredible birdlife and bush vegetation hes doing well, selling orchid tours and has interested parties visiting from all over the world. We had a nice evening and made a fire outside.
Soon we were back on the road headed for another tour operator in Fowlers Bay, Fowlers is a stunning small seaside location in WA, white sands and only a handful of shops. We met up with Rod who runs whale watching tours in the bay. Rod was very welcoming and we spent some time at his lovely beachside house talking shop before going out on a whale-watching trip. The bay was like a whale nursery, everywhere you turned there were mums and calves curiously looking at us. After a fantastic day Rod offered to let us stay on the stretch of beach outside his house, invited some friends over and we had a nice big fire and some food. Bliss!
Next stop was to visit Rods father Allan in Baird Bay, not too far away. Again this was a small town with no shops or real amenities but I did find a small campsite. We met Allan briefly and he kindly offered to take us out the following day.
To kill some time we took the ute down to the beach for a drive, as we reached the end of curve we found a small boy crying by a Landcruiser which was firmly stuck in the sand by the back wheels. Unravelling the story it appeared he had permission to drive but he was seriously worried about how to get out of the mess he was in!
We drove him to find dad who was having a beer after a hard day shearing. Dad was Jack a local farmer, tall and weathered with hand slike spades he found the whole story highly amusing! Jack asked us to wait while he went and sorted the stuck 4x4 .
We nervously stood with the other farmers at the diesel heater outside the huge shed full of all sorts of kit. Jack returned and thanked us and we had a couple of beers and got chatting. We were then invited to go and see his farm and land the next day, which we gladly agreed to, its always nice to spend time with locals away from the tourist trail.
The next morning out with Allan we were extremely fortunate to see sea lions and dolphins playing with us, they each had names given to them and Allan had been the only operator there for decades, its as though they knew him!
After a fantastic morning Jack came to get us and he drove us all around his farm showing us the land and animals, then onto his shed area where there were stacks of machines and vehicles in various states of decay, his dad's old tractor, etc. Ive seen this kind of thing everywhere where as there is no. demand for scrap metal so it just gets left. Jack kindly let us camp on his beach area and joined us for a fire in the evening bringing fresh farm eggs, lamb and firewood, such a kind man! We chatted and drank beers till late - a brilliant evening.
An African man and an Englishwoman
I left Marias and headed to Scarboro to collect the ute. They gave me the keys and didnt even check my identity! Strange driving here, not unlike home and i am enjoying automatic gears, been a while!
I collected a very weary Lloyd from Perth airport at 11pm and headed to a nearby hotel. Two nights here was enough and Lloyd started making connections with potential people in the trade and i began searching for camping gear and anything needed to kit us out for a long road trip. Facebook marketplace and Gumtree Australia was awesome. I managed to find nearly everything we needed within the area so we did a big loop and collected it all, even meeting four French people on a car park to pick some gear up, dodgy as it sounds it worked like a charm! About 220 AUD later and we had more than we needed. Id also heard Fleetwood Mac were playing in town and we both adore them so i was looking out for tickets too.
I collected a very weary Lloyd from Perth airport at 11pm and headed to a nearby hotel. Two nights here was enough and Lloyd started making connections with potential people in the trade and i began searching for camping gear and anything needed to kit us out for a long road trip. Facebook marketplace and Gumtree Australia was awesome. I managed to find nearly everything we needed within the area so we did a big loop and collected it all, even meeting four French people on a car park to pick some gear up, dodgy as it sounds it worked like a charm! About 220 AUD later and we had more than we needed. Id also heard Fleetwood Mac were playing in town and we both adore them so i was looking out for tickets too.
Oz o'clock!
My last night in Legian with lots of new freinds ended up with dinner in a ladyboy bar followed by espresso Martinins and a live band, i swear the guys and gals were trying to get me plastered - finally went to sleep at 1am and had to be up at 4.30! The 7am flight from Bali Densapaur to Perth was a welcome rest slot in my day and i slept most of it in the cramped Air Asia plane.
I was super excited to arrive as i was being met by Maria, my ex boss and good friend i havent seen for 12 years! Maria and her hubby Nigel kindly offered me a bed for a few nights.
We didnt stop talking for hours and it was like we'd never parted, and she looked just the same, i think life here in Perth suits them.
Weve been on long beach walks, had some great food and wine and chatted and laughed so much. Its been really nice to be in a home instead of a hostel/hotel/homestay for a while. I didnt realise how much calmer and more restful it is and how much easier it is day to day. Ill be forever grateful for these few days downtime because i think its about to get a whole lot more intense!
Ill be here in Oz for three months and then off to New Zealand for a month. Thats the plan anway.
The guy i worked with in S Africa (Lloyd from Raggy Charters Eco Tours) is on his way over to tour West to East coast talking about whales etc and asked me to join him. Im picking up our vehicle kindly donated for the trip tomorrow. eeeek
I was super excited to arrive as i was being met by Maria, my ex boss and good friend i havent seen for 12 years! Maria and her hubby Nigel kindly offered me a bed for a few nights.
We didnt stop talking for hours and it was like we'd never parted, and she looked just the same, i think life here in Perth suits them.
Weve been on long beach walks, had some great food and wine and chatted and laughed so much. Its been really nice to be in a home instead of a hostel/hotel/homestay for a while. I didnt realise how much calmer and more restful it is and how much easier it is day to day. Ill be forever grateful for these few days downtime because i think its about to get a whole lot more intense!
Ill be here in Oz for three months and then off to New Zealand for a month. Thats the plan anway.
The guy i worked with in S Africa (Lloyd from Raggy Charters Eco Tours) is on his way over to tour West to East coast talking about whales etc and asked me to join him. Im picking up our vehicle kindly donated for the trip tomorrow. eeeek
Canggu and Uluwatu
Uluwatu was divine - the Homestay was minimal but very clean and the breakfast of fresh fruit toast and coffee a welcome extra for such budget accommodation. I’d found a temple a walk away so headed there for a visit, it wasn’t so special but the location was beautiful, Uluwatu Temple or Pura was on the edge of a cliff. I walked around and enjoyed the views and the monkeys. Heading to the beach afterwards was a lesson learned- another long and arduous hike down and up again.
Suppose it’s good for me. I’m getting quite used to the heat now and the nice thing is it doesn’t really fluctuate much, you adjust easily and learn to hydrate more by listening to your body.
Im also bossing the flip flop wearing - I can walk miles in them whereas before it was super painful on the soles of my feet after just a few miles.
There is a Portuguese restaurant next to my homestay and i pop in each evening for a beer (happy hour 5-7 so i can get two small beers for the price of one, plus the chef always brings me a small vegan appetiser for free as hes interested in vegan cookery, bonus!)
Most mornings the air is filled with Hindu chants and songs as its a really important religous holiday at the moment.
Next stop ive decided is Nusa Dua
Uluwatu was divine - the Homestay was minimal but very clean and the breakfast of fresh fruit toast and coffee a welcome extra for such budget accommodation. I’d found a temple a walk away so headed there for a visit, it wasn’t so special but the location was beautiful, Uluwatu Temple or Pura was on the edge of a cliff. I walked around and enjoyed the views and the monkeys. Heading to the beach afterwards was a lesson learned- another long and arduous hike down and up again.
Suppose it’s good for me. I’m getting quite used to the heat now and the nice thing is it doesn’t really fluctuate much, you adjust easily and learn to hydrate more by listening to your body.
Im also bossing the flip flop wearing - I can walk miles in them whereas before it was super painful on the soles of my feet after just a few miles.
There is a Portuguese restaurant next to my homestay and i pop in each evening for a beer (happy hour 5-7 so i can get two small beers for the price of one, plus the chef always brings me a small vegan appetiser for free as hes interested in vegan cookery, bonus!)
Most mornings the air is filled with Hindu chants and songs as its a really important religous holiday at the moment.
Next stop ive decided is Nusa Dua
me
This voyage of discovery isn't just about travelling, meeting people and discovering new exciting things, it's also a voyage of self-discovery which is only just beginning.
As I turned a corner on the side of a mountain here in South Africa today i looked back at the path and as I did I thought about the path id taken to get here.
Its been a rocky few months lately, deaths of friends, end of a long career, going it alone. I'm beginning to see a few things more clearly.
Firstly - Im a people pleaser, this is both a good and bad trait. When i meet someone new that ill be spending time with it always begins with me moulding myself to fit them, i change my ways to mimic theirs, I try to 'fit in' this isn't really a conscious thing, i want them to like me, i want to be the person they approve of, admire and enjoy being with. Ive no idea at the time I'm doing this. As i step back i see it now, I'm the same in romantic relationships too, im the agreeable girlfriend who will say yes even when she's not overly keen, im the girl who is astounded when a guy shows interest and will readily go on a date even if im not that into him - i guess this is classic low self-esteem?
I need to learn
to say no occasionally
to be myself
to learn who i am
and not to be who i think everyone else wants me to be
or maybe that is who i am - some kinda shapeshifter who was put here to have fun and enhance others lives... if thats so then that needs to be a thing i can make right and ok?
Ugh
As I turned a corner on the side of a mountain here in South Africa today i looked back at the path and as I did I thought about the path id taken to get here.
Its been a rocky few months lately, deaths of friends, end of a long career, going it alone. I'm beginning to see a few things more clearly.
Firstly - Im a people pleaser, this is both a good and bad trait. When i meet someone new that ill be spending time with it always begins with me moulding myself to fit them, i change my ways to mimic theirs, I try to 'fit in' this isn't really a conscious thing, i want them to like me, i want to be the person they approve of, admire and enjoy being with. Ive no idea at the time I'm doing this. As i step back i see it now, I'm the same in romantic relationships too, im the agreeable girlfriend who will say yes even when she's not overly keen, im the girl who is astounded when a guy shows interest and will readily go on a date even if im not that into him - i guess this is classic low self-esteem?
I need to learn
to say no occasionally
to be myself
to learn who i am
and not to be who i think everyone else wants me to be
or maybe that is who i am - some kinda shapeshifter who was put here to have fun and enhance others lives... if thats so then that needs to be a thing i can make right and ok?
Ugh
Monday, 22 July 2019
Sanur cookery and a meeting!
Today i met up with Franzi again as we had booked a Balinese cookery course. We were whisked off to the morning market and spent an hour discovering some amazing (and not so) foodstuffs. The market was a mix of indoor and outdoor stalls selling everything from dragonfruit to sandals. Butchers deftly chopped chicken hardly even looking as they chatted to their neighbours, mums with babies strapped to them sold their spices and treats in the morning sun. We discovered many new things, snake fruit, mangosteen (i knew this one) and a load of fresh leaves, spinach and bay leaves different to ours, galangal, sweet ginger, snake beans, long green cucumber like veg and many more. After the shop, we headed a few streets away to the cookery school. There were four of us so it was nice and friendly, we were taught how to roast spices and combine ingredients using a huge pestle and mortar to make wonderful smelling pastes ready for a vegetable curry, mushroom satay griddled on sticks, a wonderful peanut sauce and veggie spring rolls. Making the spring roll casing was an education in itself i never knew it was so simple! We laughed and learned a heap of interesting skills and ended up with a wonderful plate of food. I loved the use of banana leaves as plates too. Dessert was a coconut mil and banana vanilla pudding.
After this i visited Bottle for Botol, id approached this NGO before i left UK as i wanted to find out about single-use plastic and what some Indonesians were doing about trying to solve the ever growing problem. They talked about their schools project where they try to show better ways to avoid using plastics and also measures they are taking to help provide simple yet effective de-salination equipment on the many islands to try to curtail all the plastic-encased water that is shipped in at an alarming rate. Very interesting stuff.
I decided to walk the 5k back to my digs after the meeting, this was about rush hour time, the ornate home temples at every corner decorated with small trays of offering, kites flying so high seemingly ownerless in the warm blue skies and the roads ohh they are chaotic with masked riders scooters mainly Toyota cars and small trucks all trying to get somewhere, if they get stuck they simply drive on the pavement areas (when there is a pavement!) the traffic is always bad in main areas and you can easily escape it by dashing down a side street and relaxing in warung with a Balinese coffee, iced tea or Bintang beer.
After this i visited Bottle for Botol, id approached this NGO before i left UK as i wanted to find out about single-use plastic and what some Indonesians were doing about trying to solve the ever growing problem. They talked about their schools project where they try to show better ways to avoid using plastics and also measures they are taking to help provide simple yet effective de-salination equipment on the many islands to try to curtail all the plastic-encased water that is shipped in at an alarming rate. Very interesting stuff.
I decided to walk the 5k back to my digs after the meeting, this was about rush hour time, the ornate home temples at every corner decorated with small trays of offering, kites flying so high seemingly ownerless in the warm blue skies and the roads ohh they are chaotic with masked riders scooters mainly Toyota cars and small trucks all trying to get somewhere, if they get stuck they simply drive on the pavement areas (when there is a pavement!) the traffic is always bad in main areas and you can easily escape it by dashing down a side street and relaxing in warung with a Balinese coffee, iced tea or Bintang beer.
The Balinese people are generally smiley entrepreneurs and kind humans, I see no displays of testosterone, anger and shouting. The ladies are graceful and the children love to wave at us b.... or rich tourists as we are known.
Wednesday, 17 July 2019
solo travel ponderings
Not sure if im going to post this or not, but i needed a head spill so here goes. This was written in early May 2019
I mostly thought that id manage fine with the 'being solo' part of the travel but, those who know me well will also know that id rather wing it than ask a stranger for help. Those that dont know me well think im Miss Confident, well yes i am with my friends and people i know, or if ive had a few too many vinos of course. Also ive never truly travelled alone, Tenerife was always to see Alys, and all the lother breaks ive taken outside the UK were with friends or on business etc.
Travelling half way across the world to a place youve never been ... alone.... well thats quite different.
Ive been here a week now and i have to reluctantly admit its been difficult, arriving, finding my way, talking to and being surrounded by total strangers, starting a new job and being 'the new girl' and spending time in my own company. Ive been feckin terrified.
I do consider myself so fortunate though, ive landed in a great hostel where the owners instantly became friends and welcomed my with open arms, it could have been so different!
As the days move on and the surroundings and people become more familiar and i learn to spend time in my own company without always feeling the need to be somewhere or do something its getting easier. I dont think ill ever be fully at ease, but then i wouldnt be throwing myself into this way of travelling if it didnt scare me a bit!
Im learning its ok to ask, its ok to get things wrong, nobody really cares about being wrong, only you! Chatting to people and finding out about them is fascinating and can be a real eye opener. Its ok to be the new girl in the new place doing new things. Maybe ill never be as confident as some people - i know for sure im one of lifes 'people pleasers' and thats fine this is me.
Alot of people think ive got balls doing this travel - let me tell you - i dont, i just have a need to explore, to step out there and see all the things that i can, to meets new people and to explore new surroundings and foods.
A tour of west Nusa Pernida
It's my last day hanging with Franzi, we have booked a tour and are up early and ready for our driver. For around 500,00 IDR or £30 you can have ten hours of driving. The driver arrived and seemed friendly, we communicated by smiles and google translate - its fun! We zoomed off in his SUV towards the West of Nusa as there is much to see.
About ten minutes in our driver showed me a message from his friend asking him to pop over to see his new place, I then by telepathy or something realised the driver wanted to take us there too, i shrugged and smiled and soon we were in a tiny village somewhere pulling up to what looked like a new build set of tourist bungalows. I was curious and when beckoned followed him in. In the courtyard the whole family were having their morning Hindu ceremony, it was lovely, the children and adults all crouched round and the air was thick with incense. They looked around and smiled and our driver took us into one of the guest houses, it was nice and i enthusiastically ooohed and ahhhed at the appropriate moments, to which he seemed thrilled. We were then asked to pose by the apartment for pictures...and here's where the penny dropped. Looks like his mate said 'oi Dave, bring us some western tourists so we can make the place look lived in on our Booking.com profile' I smiled and posed as requested, then we were invited to view and play with some of the ceremonial musical instruments which was nice. Yes they took advantage but it was nice to be involved in typical Indonesian family life for a while.
Onwards with the tour two hours in i look at the map to see where we are, there is only really one road on Nusa Penida and my god its bumpy, its like driving up Snowdon the whole time, i even wish id worn my sports bra!
We arrived a Kelingking beach and given 45 mins to explore with no idea what to expect - we were directed up a hill and left to our own devices. I looked over the tip of the hill and saw a beautiful clear blue sea and a t-rex shaped island with a very inviting beach...a few pictures and we headed towards the edge, i saw some steps, lots of steps, lots of very steep steps. Game on, lets do this. There were hardwood handrails and it didnt look too far. Who was i kidding, halfway down i was exhausted, its sheer and not sure footed rockface took every ounce of concentration, sweat was dripping off me as i proceeded determined to make it to that damn beach. About 4/5 of the way down and a good 30 mins in the handrails halted and turned to bamboo pieces tied together with blue string, sod this i thought, ive got this far and its not going to beat me. The last ten minutes were terrifying, clinging to rockfaces and ropes and searching for holes in the rock to fit my feet into (i was so glad i was in my boots and not flip flops like many who turned back). The last little bits was a cobbled-together ladder down to the sandy beach. I threw my boots off and waded into the water, wow it was like no beach ive ever seen, huge white-crested waves crashed onto sugar-white sand, green lush cliffs surrounded me and only the noise of a few others who made the trek down was evident. This was indeed paradise. I sat on a rock and watched as more daring fellas ran into the huge waves laughing as they were toppled over like bowling pins.
Soon it was time to make the return journey, boots back on i started the climb, in some ways mentally it was easier as you can see every little foothold ahead but physically it was draining in the 30 degrees sunshine. I would take a few steps and rest, sweat dripping down my legs, it seemed never-ending and a few times i had to have a little word with myself. Finally, i was on the last few steps and i reached the top victorious, legs of jelly and gasping for a cold drink. Wow, that was some experience!
Back in the car we then headed towards two further areas of interest 'Angels Billabong' and 'Broken Beach'
Angels Billabong was a natural tidal fed infinity pool - a really beautiful sight to see but sadly we weren't allowed in as the waves were too large, just a few metres away was Broken Beach which was a huge natural rock formation with a hole which looked like a bridge and you could walk over the top, really stunning.
Our last destination and one where we could spend longer was Crystal Beach, a long white sandy beach with some lovely rock formations, warm water and lots of little beach huts with locals selling grilled fish, ice-cold beer, corn on the cob and noodle and rice dishes, a little piece of heaven for two hours. We relaxed and had a well-earned snooze after our antics !
About ten minutes in our driver showed me a message from his friend asking him to pop over to see his new place, I then by telepathy or something realised the driver wanted to take us there too, i shrugged and smiled and soon we were in a tiny village somewhere pulling up to what looked like a new build set of tourist bungalows. I was curious and when beckoned followed him in. In the courtyard the whole family were having their morning Hindu ceremony, it was lovely, the children and adults all crouched round and the air was thick with incense. They looked around and smiled and our driver took us into one of the guest houses, it was nice and i enthusiastically ooohed and ahhhed at the appropriate moments, to which he seemed thrilled. We were then asked to pose by the apartment for pictures...and here's where the penny dropped. Looks like his mate said 'oi Dave, bring us some western tourists so we can make the place look lived in on our Booking.com profile' I smiled and posed as requested, then we were invited to view and play with some of the ceremonial musical instruments which was nice. Yes they took advantage but it was nice to be involved in typical Indonesian family life for a while.
Onwards with the tour two hours in i look at the map to see where we are, there is only really one road on Nusa Penida and my god its bumpy, its like driving up Snowdon the whole time, i even wish id worn my sports bra!
We arrived a Kelingking beach and given 45 mins to explore with no idea what to expect - we were directed up a hill and left to our own devices. I looked over the tip of the hill and saw a beautiful clear blue sea and a t-rex shaped island with a very inviting beach...a few pictures and we headed towards the edge, i saw some steps, lots of steps, lots of very steep steps. Game on, lets do this. There were hardwood handrails and it didnt look too far. Who was i kidding, halfway down i was exhausted, its sheer and not sure footed rockface took every ounce of concentration, sweat was dripping off me as i proceeded determined to make it to that damn beach. About 4/5 of the way down and a good 30 mins in the handrails halted and turned to bamboo pieces tied together with blue string, sod this i thought, ive got this far and its not going to beat me. The last ten minutes were terrifying, clinging to rockfaces and ropes and searching for holes in the rock to fit my feet into (i was so glad i was in my boots and not flip flops like many who turned back). The last little bits was a cobbled-together ladder down to the sandy beach. I threw my boots off and waded into the water, wow it was like no beach ive ever seen, huge white-crested waves crashed onto sugar-white sand, green lush cliffs surrounded me and only the noise of a few others who made the trek down was evident. This was indeed paradise. I sat on a rock and watched as more daring fellas ran into the huge waves laughing as they were toppled over like bowling pins.
Soon it was time to make the return journey, boots back on i started the climb, in some ways mentally it was easier as you can see every little foothold ahead but physically it was draining in the 30 degrees sunshine. I would take a few steps and rest, sweat dripping down my legs, it seemed never-ending and a few times i had to have a little word with myself. Finally, i was on the last few steps and i reached the top victorious, legs of jelly and gasping for a cold drink. Wow, that was some experience!
Back in the car we then headed towards two further areas of interest 'Angels Billabong' and 'Broken Beach'
Angels Billabong was a natural tidal fed infinity pool - a really beautiful sight to see but sadly we weren't allowed in as the waves were too large, just a few metres away was Broken Beach which was a huge natural rock formation with a hole which looked like a bridge and you could walk over the top, really stunning.
Our last destination and one where we could spend longer was Crystal Beach, a long white sandy beach with some lovely rock formations, warm water and lots of little beach huts with locals selling grilled fish, ice-cold beer, corn on the cob and noodle and rice dishes, a little piece of heaven for two hours. We relaxed and had a well-earned snooze after our antics !
Monday, 15 July 2019
Nusa Penida Island
Chatting with Franzi i discovered she was heading to Nusa Penida Island, i had a google and it looked beautiful. She had a hotel booked already and was short of funds so we cleverly contacted the hotel and asked for a twin room instead of her double and i paid half the three-night bill, a whopping £7 a night inc breakfast! We took a cab from Ubud to Sanur and then i bartered hard for a ferry to Nusa island, im actually starting to enjoy the barter!
The boat trip was great, i chatted with Hilary from Tasmania who offered me free accom if i went her way (people are ace!) and we saw a few dolphins playing en route. Dropping a few passengers off at Lembogon island we then soon arrived at Nusa. Then a taxi to the hotel which was on a hill, we checked in and surveyed our new home. Fab views from the small pool on our terrace and friendly staff it was great!
Both short of hard cash we set off for a stroll to the shops to find an ATM...or that was what we thought. The stroll ended up a frustrating 17km dusty sore flip flop footed unsuccessful hike. There are three cash machines here and they were all not working. Most businesses only deal in cash.
Today we woke with renewed vigour and very blistered feet and set off again. Luckily we found a machine and took out a few million rupiah each, phew - i really thought i was going to have to take the boat back to Bali!
Today we decided to relax a bit and headed to the beach. We met an Egyptian girl called Menna who was sitting by the road alone, she was trying to walk to all of the islands best spots in little slip-on shoes in the searing heat. We chatted and she joined us in the beach bar. I found a tour and the three of us will spend the day looking at the west of the island and share the cost of the car.
Although Nusa is stunning it upsetting to see cages full of young chicks and ducks in carrier bags quacking away, small rabbits in cages by the road and sad looking street dogs and pups. I guess that is the way it is. The amount of plastic waste on the roadside and in the sea is horrifying, but these guys have no bin men, they have no recycling facilities. Often i see householders make small fires to burn their plastic waste. I also note the street art actually includes the plastic pollution. The awareness is here, the solution is not. How can you tell people to dispose of rubbish properly when they have no way to do so?
The boat trip was great, i chatted with Hilary from Tasmania who offered me free accom if i went her way (people are ace!) and we saw a few dolphins playing en route. Dropping a few passengers off at Lembogon island we then soon arrived at Nusa. Then a taxi to the hotel which was on a hill, we checked in and surveyed our new home. Fab views from the small pool on our terrace and friendly staff it was great!
Both short of hard cash we set off for a stroll to the shops to find an ATM...or that was what we thought. The stroll ended up a frustrating 17km dusty sore flip flop footed unsuccessful hike. There are three cash machines here and they were all not working. Most businesses only deal in cash.
Today we woke with renewed vigour and very blistered feet and set off again. Luckily we found a machine and took out a few million rupiah each, phew - i really thought i was going to have to take the boat back to Bali!
Today we decided to relax a bit and headed to the beach. We met an Egyptian girl called Menna who was sitting by the road alone, she was trying to walk to all of the islands best spots in little slip-on shoes in the searing heat. We chatted and she joined us in the beach bar. I found a tour and the three of us will spend the day looking at the west of the island and share the cost of the car.
Although Nusa is stunning it upsetting to see cages full of young chicks and ducks in carrier bags quacking away, small rabbits in cages by the road and sad looking street dogs and pups. I guess that is the way it is. The amount of plastic waste on the roadside and in the sea is horrifying, but these guys have no bin men, they have no recycling facilities. Often i see householders make small fires to burn their plastic waste. I also note the street art actually includes the plastic pollution. The awareness is here, the solution is not. How can you tell people to dispose of rubbish properly when they have no way to do so?
Bali and Beyond
Bali and Beyond
Wow what a journey, I left London on Monday evening and arrived at 3am on Weds in my Bali hostel. The journey was via Brunei - no alcohol is served on Royal Brunei airlines, probably a good thing. I also had a 5 hour layover in Brunei - I tried to sleep but never been very good at it in transit. The passport queue at Densapar was insane, it took me 2.5 hours to get out of the airport but I used this time to download an app similar to Uber where you can order a driver and a local SIM card. 1.5 hr journey and a 6gb sim for £17! Bargain. Soon I met my driver and faced a barrage of questions, where are you from, where are you going, are you married etc etc. Im getting wiser now and always say I’m married and my husband is joining me in a few days. Saves any uncomfortable situations.
Arriving in my hostel shattered I quietly crept around the three other sleeping girls and tried to get some sleep. About an hour into this a cockerel decided he wanted tomato a noise, this went on for hours until the girls got up, put the main light on and started chatting away - how rude! In the end they went and I fitfully dozed for a few more hours.
I love arriving to new places in the dark, the morning is and exciting blend of new sights, smells and smiles!
Soon I was out exploring and looking for breakfast. Downtown Ubud isn’t for the fainthearted, I was immediately floored by the noise and chaos of mopeds, cockerels local chatter and dogs barking. I leanred that rather than attend the big temples, Indonesians have cleverly brought the temple home! Many Indonesian homes are mini versions of the temples, lavish stonework with ornate swirls and mini gates to heaven adorned by yellow black and white silky fabric, long bamboo poles decorated with ribbons and flowers and little offerings in the entrance to most homes, its certainly colourful!
I joined a Bali Backpackers group on Facebook and connected with Jasmine, a young solo traveller and we met up and went for a long walk through the rice fields, its was so beautiful, little coffee shops yoga shacks and art sellers along the way, chickens and ducks chattering in the sunlight, the waft of incense - wow this place has everything just a step away from the main road. As soon as we stopped I booked a three night stay in some nice accommodation in the rice paddies and out of town. Its so so cheap here, especially if you eat in the warungs in the side streets. The money takes some getting used to 100,000 Rupia is about £5,80! Healthy food and vegan options are everywhere.
Jasmin and I had a great day and soon I found another solo last, Franzis from Germany. We decided to join forces and pay for a private driver for a day and tour some of the best bits of Bali.
We set off early for the tour, hours and hours of driving produced a beautiful temple, with the ‘gate to heaven’ it was truly spectacular however as its been on instagram so many times there were HUGE queues of ladies in flow dresses and straw hats trying to emulate what they had seen on gram… kind took the beauty of it away. Then on to the water garden palace, a beautiful sacred palace full of more floaty dressed ladies crouching to feed koi for that ultimate shot…. We had lunch there, and then on to the Bali swings, large swings high over the jungle for people to , you guessed it, get that photo, they even had floaty dress hire! I sat in the nearby rice field and watched as girls pouted and posed. Not for me.
The next day I was shattered so Franzi and I decided to have a day of self care. This began with a three hour spa. You get naked and have a full body massage, then a body scrub, then mud rub followed by a rose petal bath, this was bliss on my tired shoulders - I finished off with a leg wax and left feeling the cleanest I have in ages! Hehe
To make me feel a little feminine because quite frankly i currently feel hobo I bought a silk dress at a very good price and then had a buddha bowl before returning to my room for a rest. Delicate little flower that i am i had a fab sleep despite the cockerel in my garden! Saturday, 13 July 2019
FOMO
FOMO
A flying (literally!) visit to the UK this week and i literally used every hour of every day up.
After 24hours of travelling Leigh picked me up early one morning from Gatwick. IT was so nice to see a familiar face, as always she rocked up fully equipped with nibbles and even a can of cider to get the Galstonbury prep going.
We chatted away as she drove u back to her place in Margate.
I stayed for three nights in her gin shed down the end of the garden and explored Margate during the day whilst she was at work - even managing to catch up with Malcolm and ex-colleague in the process. The weather was delightful and I walked a good few miles.
Soon we were on the road to Glasto. This was my fifth year and 4th working for them. As I managed to get a last minute place I didn’t have the same shift or job as the girls. This year I was in the big mysterious building on site known as the recycling facility. Ive passed it many times and always wondered what went on in there.
We met up with Kim (woohoo) at Tom and Emmas house and excitedly made our way onto Worthy Farm. It was set to be some of the hottest weather on record so we were fully equipped with loads of drinks and sparkly shorts!
Tents up we ventured out onto site and had a look about, even the long drop toilets didn’t smell bad. Life was good! I did my first shift in the recycling centre, boy that was an eye-opener. People are mainly good but some are …well gross quite frankly!
Highlights were, Keane, The Killers, dare I say it…Stormzy (he was a good entertainer)
Massively surprised at the lack of rubbish this time, never seen it so clean and best of all most of the tents were taken away. Im assuming this was due to the great weather and of course the Attenborough effect! The only downside was I was working opposite shifts to Kim and Leigh, but we made the most of it and a good time was had by all.
A couple of nights on my little sisters sofa and a few visits to friends and family, then back up to Coventry and another small festival with Donna and Kim and Ian, Godiva - I’ve been a couple of times before and this year it was excellent, Reef rocked my world and I was right at the front! Brilliant night. Donna then kindly took me down to Surbiton to Rias place and we had a fin night with dinner and a live band. Ria then took me to work at Sky HQ in London for the day, wow it was enlightening, the employee perks are incredible and I saw all the good work Sky Ocean rescue are doing. Inspiring stuff despite my slight hangover! Soon it was time to head off and Ria dropped me at T4 Heathrow, we said goodbye and I promised not to return this time!!!
Wednesday, 12 June 2019
Moving on - Eastern Cape
After a couple of days relaxation here in Plettenberg (read walking by the beach, reading, and showering as many times as I can without it being strange OCD type behaviour)and dodging the cockroaches in my room - they were only babies and somehow that didnt seem so bad. im ready to move on. Ive just walked 1km up a hill so steep i thought my backpack would drag me back down and now relaxing in a quaint coffee shop at the top, they have something called a 'harvest table' here, ive not seen this before. The idea is, you pick what you want to eat and are charged R19 per 100g, i wonder if this is a good answer to food waste? (19 rand is about a £1) Im going to hole up here as long as i can on the free wifi (it's 11.30 now and my bus is 1.4km away at 2pm so i reckon ive at least and hour or two) How long can you reasonably make a latte last? I cant have another else ill be on the ceiling!
As i walked away from the last job ive got the luxury of ten days or so free until my next masterplan (more about that later) Ive spent a stupid amount of time online trying to figure out where to go and what to do. The next big town is Port Elizabeth so ive booked the Intercape bus to go there this afternoon and a backpackers in town called The Hippo for four nights.
I can see that the Addo National Elephant Park is nearby and theres a good chance of seeing lots of native animals in their natural environment which i really fancy doing cost permitting.
Workaway isnt giving me much choice for the next few weeks in the area and im not quite ready to leave SA just yet - my visa has a few more weeks on it so ill see what i can do before i leave.
Ive booked a backpackers called Hippo in Port Elizabeth and am hoping its nice, a female shared dorm was £10 a night.
Major annoyances thus far are my kit failing, i spent out on what i assumed to be decent stuff as i wanted it to last the distance and its been wholly disappointing, North Face hoody, zip broken, Montane trousers and shorts - really bobbly fabric now, and worst of all my beloved Vibram Fivefinger trek shoes have holes in them, at three months old this really isnt acceptable. Its hard to make any kind of complaint when you are 9000 miles away but im having a go! So im a few items down and getting quite sick of the same clothes all the time after six weeks, first world problems huh?
Right, time to see what fun things there are to do in Port Liz.....
In a later post ill tell you about my next big plans, but i can't reveal it just yet (otherwise ill have to kill you etc etc)
As i walked away from the last job ive got the luxury of ten days or so free until my next masterplan (more about that later) Ive spent a stupid amount of time online trying to figure out where to go and what to do. The next big town is Port Elizabeth so ive booked the Intercape bus to go there this afternoon and a backpackers in town called The Hippo for four nights.
I can see that the Addo National Elephant Park is nearby and theres a good chance of seeing lots of native animals in their natural environment which i really fancy doing cost permitting.
Workaway isnt giving me much choice for the next few weeks in the area and im not quite ready to leave SA just yet - my visa has a few more weeks on it so ill see what i can do before i leave.
Ive booked a backpackers called Hippo in Port Elizabeth and am hoping its nice, a female shared dorm was £10 a night.
Major annoyances thus far are my kit failing, i spent out on what i assumed to be decent stuff as i wanted it to last the distance and its been wholly disappointing, North Face hoody, zip broken, Montane trousers and shorts - really bobbly fabric now, and worst of all my beloved Vibram Fivefinger trek shoes have holes in them, at three months old this really isnt acceptable. Its hard to make any kind of complaint when you are 9000 miles away but im having a go! So im a few items down and getting quite sick of the same clothes all the time after six weeks, first world problems huh?
Right, time to see what fun things there are to do in Port Liz.....
In a later post ill tell you about my next big plans, but i can't reveal it just yet (otherwise ill have to kill you etc etc)
Monday, 10 June 2019
Run Away not Workaway!
Ok so this place is strange, harmless strange but wow. Essentially the animals run the house, and the weeds, you need to know about these.
Seven dachshunds, four cats, four goats and four cockerels
Its a massive plot of land with a large wooden house on it, Kelly who runs it is a 58 yr old woman whose husband is away working (read, they have split up 1-2 year ago) She has a bad back and also Fibromyalgia in her upper back and severe other health problems.
She sleeps downstairs because the seven dachshunds struggle to get upstairs - there are steps by the sofa and her bed so the dogs can get on them, being that their legs are 2 inches tall.
Downstairs is sofas and dog beds and a kitchen, the kitchen is also dedicated to dogs and the feeding regime. They all must have room temp food and there is an order, They each have a cocktail of tablets both homoeopathic and vet prescribed. They all eat raw meat.
The washing up is piled up and is done once a week apparently, in one of the two dishwashers in the meantime it adorns all the work surfaces. There's a water shortage here. Hence its piled up and there are flies everywhere.
Upstairs is my area, nice big room with veranda and bathroom, tidy but the underlying smell of something and the bedding stinks like it's not seen a washing machine for months - this will be the first time I use my sleeping bag liner!
Heres the strange thing, The garden is massive, with amazing views, but she has a weed fixation, so once I've fed the animals my job is to pull weeds from the lawn. However, there are millions of weeds. We went out this afternoon to do a few. There are two people from Malawi living in a caravan in the garden - their job is also to pull weeds. When we get a big one she is very happy, but then we are supposed to leave them upside down on the grass to die/dry out. This is a job that you can do for eternity.
Dogs and weeds. Its harmless I suppose.
I desperately want to clean the kitchen and clear the cooker which hasn’t been used in a while. She’s v thrifty with water and power so im not sure how this will work.
Also, the dogs wee at will in the house and I found a petrified dead bird in a dark corner inside!
Ok after last night in the smelly bed and watching her put all our breakfast dishes on the floor for the dogs to lick clean ive decided I can’t stay, honesty is the best policy so I said I wasn’t happy with these hygiene levels etc but really enjoyed her and the animals company, (true) and she was really nice about it.
I was in a cab before you could spell DACHSHUND and outta there.
The cab driver was. Fab and im now in modern apartment with a Seaview, for £18 a night inc breakfast back in Plettenberg Bay. Hmmmm what to do next??
Monday, 27 May 2019
Western Cape capers, a month in
Bonjour!
Its 28th May, ive been here a month already, and what a month its been!
Looking back i arrived a little weary and wide-eyed and more than a little wary (so many friends warned me about staying after dark and not wearing jewelry in public)
Ive been shocked by the divides here, ive been delighted by the warm welcome and all the wonderful people from far-flung places ive met whilst working here, from the inspiring world travellers to the workers in transit passing through while on a job. Working in a backpackers has been a perfect start as it meant I got a good feel for hostel life (although I've been spoilt in this one)
Inside a month I've sea kayaked, township toured, been to Cape Town twice, experienced numerous wine tastings, boat tripped to see southern right whales, rode a horse through wine valleys, played drinking games till the early hours, walked Jock for miles along the coastal path, taught American Kevin how to drive with gears, learnt new cooking skills from Austrian Mel, hiked many times in the local Fernkloof Nature Reserve, seen animals and plants i never knew existed, climbed in caves on the seashore, and walked miles of white sands, ive visited the most southern tip of Africa and also the most South Westerly and ive watched in awe at big cats enjoying comfortable free lives in a sanctuary.
It's fair to say ive done lots but really its only a speck of whats to see and do here i this beautiful country.
Its time to move on and ive a couple of weeks in Capetown planned as ive kindly been offered a free bed there, so here's to city life for a little while.
Current daily spend for May was about £20 a day but i think i may struggle in town!
Im not feeling too home sock as i have everyone at my fingertips most of the mornings and evenings with good wifi but am aware it won't always be this way.
So, June im coming atcha, what have you got for me?
S
Its 28th May, ive been here a month already, and what a month its been!
Looking back i arrived a little weary and wide-eyed and more than a little wary (so many friends warned me about staying after dark and not wearing jewelry in public)
Ive been shocked by the divides here, ive been delighted by the warm welcome and all the wonderful people from far-flung places ive met whilst working here, from the inspiring world travellers to the workers in transit passing through while on a job. Working in a backpackers has been a perfect start as it meant I got a good feel for hostel life (although I've been spoilt in this one)
Inside a month I've sea kayaked, township toured, been to Cape Town twice, experienced numerous wine tastings, boat tripped to see southern right whales, rode a horse through wine valleys, played drinking games till the early hours, walked Jock for miles along the coastal path, taught American Kevin how to drive with gears, learnt new cooking skills from Austrian Mel, hiked many times in the local Fernkloof Nature Reserve, seen animals and plants i never knew existed, climbed in caves on the seashore, and walked miles of white sands, ive visited the most southern tip of Africa and also the most South Westerly and ive watched in awe at big cats enjoying comfortable free lives in a sanctuary.
It's fair to say ive done lots but really its only a speck of whats to see and do here i this beautiful country.
Its time to move on and ive a couple of weeks in Capetown planned as ive kindly been offered a free bed there, so here's to city life for a little while.
Current daily spend for May was about £20 a day but i think i may struggle in town!
Im not feeling too home sock as i have everyone at my fingertips most of the mornings and evenings with good wifi but am aware it won't always be this way.
So, June im coming atcha, what have you got for me?
S
Friday, 10 May 2019
Kayak supreme
Today i went on one of the local excursions, sea kayaking. Ive kayaked many times on river and once or twic on the sea so i wasnt scared or super excited but fancied seeing a seal or two.
Met the lovely guys down in Hermanus Old Harbour who run Walker Bay Adventures and got my lifejacket, we discussed taking phones etc and i stood my ground as im a dangerous risk taker etc etc. I shared a kayak with a guy called Michael from Berlin who hadnt been kayaking before, and we were off. It was a beautiful morning, mist still on the bay as we paddled hugging the coastline. We saw seals playing on the rocks and they saw us and dived into the water to show off a bit. Out into open sea we got some great info about marine life and even tried some seaweed called 'sea olives' and it was actually quite nice.
Suddenyl the mood changed and our guide told us to look up 'dolphins!' he said, i squinted into the distance and could only see a minor disturbance in the water. We all stopped paddling and waited, i grabbed my phone in readiness. Soon we were aware of a huge pod of dolphins heading straight towards us, you could hear the sound of the waves they made as they leapt into the air steadily making progress. I felt my heart soar - they didnt even seem to be bothered by our prescence. We sat still as they approached , no-one could speak, its was the most incredible moment as they passed through the very water we were sitting in and onwards into the distance, we were literally in amongst them. Im so glad i took my phone!
We watched them fade into the distance and stayed a while in the hope they might return, but i think id used up all my luck points for the day, week or even year!
On the way back to shore we watched a sea lion who had got himself an octopus for breakfast, he was flinging it in the air and i think showing off a little too.
Back on dry land with a soggy bum and a big smile i was in seventh heaven.
Hermanus and indeed South Africa just keeps on giving, what a wonderful country.
Wonder what ill try next!
Met the lovely guys down in Hermanus Old Harbour who run Walker Bay Adventures and got my lifejacket, we discussed taking phones etc and i stood my ground as im a dangerous risk taker etc etc. I shared a kayak with a guy called Michael from Berlin who hadnt been kayaking before, and we were off. It was a beautiful morning, mist still on the bay as we paddled hugging the coastline. We saw seals playing on the rocks and they saw us and dived into the water to show off a bit. Out into open sea we got some great info about marine life and even tried some seaweed called 'sea olives' and it was actually quite nice.
Suddenyl the mood changed and our guide told us to look up 'dolphins!' he said, i squinted into the distance and could only see a minor disturbance in the water. We all stopped paddling and waited, i grabbed my phone in readiness. Soon we were aware of a huge pod of dolphins heading straight towards us, you could hear the sound of the waves they made as they leapt into the air steadily making progress. I felt my heart soar - they didnt even seem to be bothered by our prescence. We sat still as they approached , no-one could speak, its was the most incredible moment as they passed through the very water we were sitting in and onwards into the distance, we were literally in amongst them. Im so glad i took my phone!
We watched them fade into the distance and stayed a while in the hope they might return, but i think id used up all my luck points for the day, week or even year!
On the way back to shore we watched a sea lion who had got himself an octopus for breakfast, he was flinging it in the air and i think showing off a little too.
Back on dry land with a soggy bum and a big smile i was in seventh heaven.
Hermanus and indeed South Africa just keeps on giving, what a wonderful country.
Wonder what ill try next!
Saturday, 4 May 2019
The coastal path
Today our bosses went off on holiday for the month leaving us here to manage things. Strangely I dont feel nervous really, but i do want to do a good job.
I work five hours a day, five days a week and the work is pretty simple once youve been shown the ropes, check people in and out, meet and greet and make sure you are always available.
Today im working 5-10 so this morning i took myself off on the coastal path to explore.
Hermanus has a path about 11km long, starting at the New Harbour and finishing in the East on the stunning Grotto Beach, handily theres also a really cool bar/restaurant called Dutchies at the end too.
The pathway meanders through thick hedgrows and there are many many benches if you fancy a break. You are never really out of sight of the big skies and seas im becoming familiar with.
I spotted birds, lizards, some kind of locust, a couple of seals and numerous plants I wasn't familiar with. The path is so well made its accessible to all and every couple of km there were staff looking after the area.
Its a fantastic walk and the sea is really the superstar here, big rolling waves crashing into rocks, kelp lazily swinging to and fro and seabirds in abundance. Despite a warm day there is a refreshing mist in the air to enjoy. My hair isnt totally keen on the atmos but hey ho, you cant have it all!
I work five hours a day, five days a week and the work is pretty simple once youve been shown the ropes, check people in and out, meet and greet and make sure you are always available.
Today im working 5-10 so this morning i took myself off on the coastal path to explore.
Hermanus has a path about 11km long, starting at the New Harbour and finishing in the East on the stunning Grotto Beach, handily theres also a really cool bar/restaurant called Dutchies at the end too.
The pathway meanders through thick hedgrows and there are many many benches if you fancy a break. You are never really out of sight of the big skies and seas im becoming familiar with.
I spotted birds, lizards, some kind of locust, a couple of seals and numerous plants I wasn't familiar with. The path is so well made its accessible to all and every couple of km there were staff looking after the area.
Its a fantastic walk and the sea is really the superstar here, big rolling waves crashing into rocks, kelp lazily swinging to and fro and seabirds in abundance. Despite a warm day there is a refreshing mist in the air to enjoy. My hair isnt totally keen on the atmos but hey ho, you cant have it all!
Tuesday, 30 April 2019
Its Workaway time
I’m spending lots of time with Cherine who is full time permanent and pretty much the back bone of the hostel. Lucky for me she's relaxed and i enjoy working with her .
One of the hostel old cats Felix, has been unwell with a tumour in his tummy and he’s lost a lot of weight. Sadly today was the day Felix was due to be put down.
I accompanied Cherine to the vets so she wasn’t alone, she was so upset - and we stayed with Felix and said our goodbyes whilst he slipped away.
Felix was 14 and a legend - a sad day
Glad I got to meet him though .
Hayley and Braam - the hostel owners invited me out to a local tapas bar for its closing party, which was so much fun, and i met a lot of local people. We really got on well - its a shame they are off on holiday tomorrow so i wont see them for a month.
Im learning to find my way around here, the house is huge and also consists of a couple of other properties across the road. Max occupation is 70 - it makes me quake to think what it would be like if it was full!
As its winter here we have open fires burning and sunshine outside, the best of both worlds.
The resident animals, Jock and Ellie are great company and the whole vibe is very realxed here. Its more than a hostel, the rooms are beautifully decorated and much though has gone into making it a more of a home, lots of pictures, books, fire pit, braai, and friendly faces.
Tonight im doing my first eveing alone here, im a little nervous but hey, what could really go wrong?
Once im a little more settled theres plenty of activities and walks to do, its such a vibrant area and i cant wait to explore it more.
Touchdown SA
After a very early morning drive to Stansted (thanks Kim and Ian) a short hop over to Frankfurt where I enjoyed a ten hour layover (anything for a cheap flight!) I was almost looking forward to the 11hr 45 min flight to Capetown by the time we boarded!
The flight went smoothly and I arrived in Capetown at 8am, grabbed some cash and met my pickup driver. The weather was misty and overcast but warm. The driver was wonderfully informative even stopping to show me viewpoints along the way. Soon the skies were blue and the sun shone.
Arriving at Hermanus Backpackers I was welcomed warmly and soon settled in my room.
I spent the day wandering around town. I’ve had so many warnings from friends about danger so I was a little wary but heeded advice to stay to the main areas and take good care of my possessions.
Hermanus is an incredibly beautiful place with rolling blue seas, majestic mountains and a strong arts vibe - quaint bookshops, sculptures overlooking the sea and fantastic foods. Prices are cheap and people are friendly. I think I’m going to like it here.
reflections and reset time
Today is the first day ive started looking up, away from the melee and brain funk the last few months have got me in. Im back in 'Sarah' mode a little and starting to plan.
Its time to start thinking about packing and resetting ready for my big trip. Ive spent so many nights wondering of it will be a month, a year or three years till i start that now ive only a few weeks it all seems a bit surreal.
Ive sorted and tidied and cleaned the apartment - this will massively help the family when they clear it.
Ive had some wonderful memories whilst doing this - and some amazing help from my friends too.
Soooooo Suth Africa, what have you got for me
Its time to start thinking about packing and resetting ready for my big trip. Ive spent so many nights wondering of it will be a month, a year or three years till i start that now ive only a few weeks it all seems a bit surreal.
Ive sorted and tidied and cleaned the apartment - this will massively help the family when they clear it.
Ive had some wonderful memories whilst doing this - and some amazing help from my friends too.
Soooooo Suth Africa, what have you got for me
Monday, 11 February 2019
When you are glad you didn’t make the headlines ..
Usually when i go walking alone here I always choose a route where you can mostly see the sea. This is because I have a terrible sense of direction and fear i may be that person in the headlines 'British woman found in Tenerife barranco surviving solely on cactus juice and dehydrated gecko toes' but, after some good advice and a little read on the interweb i decided to attempt the inland Ruta del Almandre en flor. This is The Almond Blossom walk, very popular locally and with visitors in the know, and also very short lived as is blossom, only for a few weeks in February each year. Almonds (together with dinky Canarian bananas - and now also avocados its seems) are grown widely on the island.
The wonderful Viewfinder app gave me a route of around five miles with a time of 3 hours. Perfect! I packed some food and water and headed north on the TF-1 (The only motorway i think we have on the island) for 30 mins to Santiago Del Tiede, I parked by the side of the road, it was already in the low 20's and the village seemed quite busy for 10am, something was going on in the church square, music, and people setting up bar-b-ques at the base on a nice looking mountain. The Spanish certainly know how to do family weekends!
I followed a few people with backpacks headed in the general direction the app pointed me in and we soon turned off the road onto a rocky well-defined trail.
With the sun on my back i headed off with a slight incline for quite a few kms, the beautiful almond trees didn't disappoint but also there were lots of other plants and even a few herbs. After about an hour I spotted behind me a gap between the mountains and the neighboring island of La Gomera rising silently out of the mist. Further on I had a choice, a steep hill in front or an intriguing slightly obscure left turn, after consulting the map it was clear I was supposed to go left, and I'm glad I did! Around the corner was some impressive still famred terracing, and a valley full of little allotment like areas still also clearly in use. In front of me were the remains of a narrowgaugee railtrack which i traced into a nearby cave. Im told they mine water from the mountains. I did find a lot of fresh water in channels nearby too - brilliant.
Onwards and the day really began to heat up, i was glad of the litres of water i was carrying. Geckos darted across the path in front of me and i was aware of the slightly sulphorous smell of the sun warming the lava rock trail which crunched under each footstep. Eventually i came to a road and trekked the last km back into town where i began. Scouting out a bar opposite the church square i sat in the shade enjoying a thirst quenching lemon beer (alcohol-free - apparently 15% of the local beer trade is alcohol-free as the spanish see beer more as a thirst quencher than an alcoholic beverage!)
In the church square there were stalls selling local honey, jewlerry, almond cakes and turon (google it!)
Feeling a little hot and bothered i decided to head down fromt he mountains to the beach. Playa San Juan - a small beach and port where nearby so i headed there. What a joy, black sand, loads of space, and a real relaxed vibe. This was a world away from the very touristy beaches i am used to. After a couple of hours rest i had a wander, caught the sunset from a great little spot and headed home for dinner. Not bad for a Sunday, and glad ididn'tt make that headline.
The wonderful Viewfinder app gave me a route of around five miles with a time of 3 hours. Perfect! I packed some food and water and headed north on the TF-1 (The only motorway i think we have on the island) for 30 mins to Santiago Del Tiede, I parked by the side of the road, it was already in the low 20's and the village seemed quite busy for 10am, something was going on in the church square, music, and people setting up bar-b-ques at the base on a nice looking mountain. The Spanish certainly know how to do family weekends!
I followed a few people with backpacks headed in the general direction the app pointed me in and we soon turned off the road onto a rocky well-defined trail.
With the sun on my back i headed off with a slight incline for quite a few kms, the beautiful almond trees didn't disappoint but also there were lots of other plants and even a few herbs. After about an hour I spotted behind me a gap between the mountains and the neighboring island of La Gomera rising silently out of the mist. Further on I had a choice, a steep hill in front or an intriguing slightly obscure left turn, after consulting the map it was clear I was supposed to go left, and I'm glad I did! Around the corner was some impressive still famred terracing, and a valley full of little allotment like areas still also clearly in use. In front of me were the remains of a narrowgaugee railtrack which i traced into a nearby cave. Im told they mine water from the mountains. I did find a lot of fresh water in channels nearby too - brilliant.
Onwards and the day really began to heat up, i was glad of the litres of water i was carrying. Geckos darted across the path in front of me and i was aware of the slightly sulphorous smell of the sun warming the lava rock trail which crunched under each footstep. Eventually i came to a road and trekked the last km back into town where i began. Scouting out a bar opposite the church square i sat in the shade enjoying a thirst quenching lemon beer (alcohol-free - apparently 15% of the local beer trade is alcohol-free as the spanish see beer more as a thirst quencher than an alcoholic beverage!)
In the church square there were stalls selling local honey, jewlerry, almond cakes and turon (google it!)
Feeling a little hot and bothered i decided to head down fromt he mountains to the beach. Playa San Juan - a small beach and port where nearby so i headed there. What a joy, black sand, loads of space, and a real relaxed vibe. This was a world away from the very touristy beaches i am used to. After a couple of hours rest i had a wander, caught the sunset from a great little spot and headed home for dinner. Not bad for a Sunday, and glad ididn'tt make that headline.
Friday, 18 January 2019
How I got my NIE Number in Tenerife.
Hola,
As im going to be here a while ive decided to apply for my NIE number (its required I believe after 90 days) Its for fiscal reasons and a requirement for longer stays and residences 'Numero de identidad de extranjero'
Ive done some research online and some of it appears out of date, so, here's my journey in the hope it may help others. (If I also go for residency ill document that too)
Firstly there are two forms you need
1 - the Modelo 790
2 - The EX-15
These forms are both in Spanish so thanks to the internet and some very helpful sites I managed to complete them, sites listed here:
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/HELSINKI/EN/Embajada/Documents/Instrucciones%20Modelo%20790%20English.pdf
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/es/ServiciosAlCiudadano/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Documents/MODELO%20EX%2015.%20Solicitud%20NIE%20Inglés.pdf
I then saved them and emailed them to myself so they were on my iPhone.
As ive no printer I went to the Copyshop next to Ofipapel in Los Cristianos and they allow you to WhatsApp documents over to them and they print for a small fee. Fantastic!
It costs just 9.64 Euro to get your NIE (from the police station, there are two - one in Santa Cruz and one in Playa De Las Americas) BUT they don't take money there so you need to go to the bank with a completed Modelo 790 form and your payment.
I went to the Caixa bank in Los Cristianos and asked for assistance, where I was directed to an extremely modern cash machine.
Once id selected 'English' and 'make payment' the machine talked me through the process.
Helpfully you can scan the barcode on the Modelo 790 so it knows what you are paying. There are a few fields to fill in
Value - 9.64
NIE number - obviously you don't have one so you enter 000000001
First name
last name
Once completed the machine give two receipts, one for the Police and one for yourself.
The next step is a visit to the National Police Station either in Las Americas or Santa Cruz. Im going to Las Americas as its closer.
Ive heard they open at 08.30 and give out 95 numbers for queuing and that it each day so id better arrive early!
Will report back shortly:
Is 06.30 on Monday, this is the middle of the night for 95% of the island populous. I get a coffee and check on the map where the central police station is, hmm not far but its still dark so I decide to drive.
I leave at 7.45.
I parked at the free car park right next to the station, and joined a reasonable sized queue of people eagerly grasping paperwork, yes, am definatly in the right place.
At 8am a policeman appears and calls all Spanish people in, they get seen to first, fair enough!
Next, at about 8am the rest of the world enters.
I hear that they only accept 95 applications a day but I saw no evidence of this, the visitors just kept on coming.
When I reach the front of the queue im issued with a small piece of paper containing a number, and the approximate time im going to be seen, 10.21. As its so early I head back out to get a coffee. Luckily I find a nice coffee shop and order avocado on toast and an americano.
Theres a couple of very confused Brits on the table next to me who don't have all the forms they need so I assist them - that's my good deed done for the day.
At 9.30 I return to the station and the counter is on number 25 so I sit and read for a while. The numbers then go from 27-34 in one swift movement and I stumble up to the counter.
For some reason im really nervous, police do that to me, must have been guilty in a previous life... no comments please.
Im asked a few questions like 'why are you here' and in wing it successfully, after just 5 minutes or so I leave clutching my freshly printed NIE. Im officially here now so must behave!
As im going to be here a while ive decided to apply for my NIE number (its required I believe after 90 days) Its for fiscal reasons and a requirement for longer stays and residences 'Numero de identidad de extranjero'
Ive done some research online and some of it appears out of date, so, here's my journey in the hope it may help others. (If I also go for residency ill document that too)
Firstly there are two forms you need
1 - the Modelo 790
2 - The EX-15
These forms are both in Spanish so thanks to the internet and some very helpful sites I managed to complete them, sites listed here:
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/HELSINKI/EN/Embajada/Documents/Instrucciones%20Modelo%20790%20English.pdf
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/es/ServiciosAlCiudadano/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Documents/MODELO%20EX%2015.%20Solicitud%20NIE%20Inglés.pdf
I then saved them and emailed them to myself so they were on my iPhone.
As ive no printer I went to the Copyshop next to Ofipapel in Los Cristianos and they allow you to WhatsApp documents over to them and they print for a small fee. Fantastic!
It costs just 9.64 Euro to get your NIE (from the police station, there are two - one in Santa Cruz and one in Playa De Las Americas) BUT they don't take money there so you need to go to the bank with a completed Modelo 790 form and your payment.
I went to the Caixa bank in Los Cristianos and asked for assistance, where I was directed to an extremely modern cash machine.
Once id selected 'English' and 'make payment' the machine talked me through the process.
Helpfully you can scan the barcode on the Modelo 790 so it knows what you are paying. There are a few fields to fill in
Value - 9.64
NIE number - obviously you don't have one so you enter 000000001
First name
last name
Once completed the machine give two receipts, one for the Police and one for yourself.
The next step is a visit to the National Police Station either in Las Americas or Santa Cruz. Im going to Las Americas as its closer.
Ive heard they open at 08.30 and give out 95 numbers for queuing and that it each day so id better arrive early!
Will report back shortly:
Is 06.30 on Monday, this is the middle of the night for 95% of the island populous. I get a coffee and check on the map where the central police station is, hmm not far but its still dark so I decide to drive.
I leave at 7.45.
I parked at the free car park right next to the station, and joined a reasonable sized queue of people eagerly grasping paperwork, yes, am definatly in the right place.
At 8am a policeman appears and calls all Spanish people in, they get seen to first, fair enough!
Next, at about 8am the rest of the world enters.
I hear that they only accept 95 applications a day but I saw no evidence of this, the visitors just kept on coming.
When I reach the front of the queue im issued with a small piece of paper containing a number, and the approximate time im going to be seen, 10.21. As its so early I head back out to get a coffee. Luckily I find a nice coffee shop and order avocado on toast and an americano.
Theres a couple of very confused Brits on the table next to me who don't have all the forms they need so I assist them - that's my good deed done for the day.
At 9.30 I return to the station and the counter is on number 25 so I sit and read for a while. The numbers then go from 27-34 in one swift movement and I stumble up to the counter.
For some reason im really nervous, police do that to me, must have been guilty in a previous life... no comments please.
Im asked a few questions like 'why are you here' and in wing it successfully, after just 5 minutes or so I leave clutching my freshly printed NIE. Im officially here now so must behave!
Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Montana Roja
As much as I enjoy Tenerife its time to explore further than the beach, so today I took myself off to El Medano, its about a half hour drive so not too adventurous but lets not run before we can walk.
I followed the TF-1 (like the M1 but sunnier, warmer and far more mental) Living so close to the sea its not too bad finding your way around. My sat-nav is the sea - going north? Sea on right, going South ? Sea on left easy, inland ill conquer another day.
Heading off in the trusty Panda I enjoyed the wind in my hair and the frustrated honks of locals as I pooled my way up to 100km p/h - curly hair don't care, you can wait for me whilst I get to full throttle!
Arriving in El Medano its was just like everywhere else on the island, no where to park nearby, but that I declare is good! I need to get my 10k steps in so I parked half a mile away happily.
Walking toward the beach I turned a corner and it almost took my breath away, the brilliant blue sky and sea was awash with wind surfers and kite surfers, it was a riot of colour and action yet all you could hear where the waves, incredible.
I whipped off my trusty Teva sandals and picked my way through the beach, careful not to get myself tangled in a kite.
There were loads of little coves of lava on the beach to sit and read or sunbathe but I ploughed on as I had by then focused my sites on the small mountain in the distance - Montana Roja. Roja means red, and yes its red, its a small volcanic mass and the red rock is iron deposits, its quite resplendent - anyone who has landed in Tenerife can see it, by the airport.
There was a clear path up, I chucked my sandals back on and headed towards it. After about half an hour I reached the top, the views were stunning, the windsurfers now tiny coloured dots below me and the wind was brisk to say the least.
I enjoyed a cerveza sin alcohol (cracked open a can of alcohol free beer!) and headed back down.
Then to the beach for a couple of hours to watch the sails swirl and the holidaymakers pass by, I may have had a short nap...
I followed the TF-1 (like the M1 but sunnier, warmer and far more mental) Living so close to the sea its not too bad finding your way around. My sat-nav is the sea - going north? Sea on right, going South ? Sea on left easy, inland ill conquer another day.
Heading off in the trusty Panda I enjoyed the wind in my hair and the frustrated honks of locals as I pooled my way up to 100km p/h - curly hair don't care, you can wait for me whilst I get to full throttle!
Arriving in El Medano its was just like everywhere else on the island, no where to park nearby, but that I declare is good! I need to get my 10k steps in so I parked half a mile away happily.
Walking toward the beach I turned a corner and it almost took my breath away, the brilliant blue sky and sea was awash with wind surfers and kite surfers, it was a riot of colour and action yet all you could hear where the waves, incredible.
I whipped off my trusty Teva sandals and picked my way through the beach, careful not to get myself tangled in a kite.
There were loads of little coves of lava on the beach to sit and read or sunbathe but I ploughed on as I had by then focused my sites on the small mountain in the distance - Montana Roja. Roja means red, and yes its red, its a small volcanic mass and the red rock is iron deposits, its quite resplendent - anyone who has landed in Tenerife can see it, by the airport.
There was a clear path up, I chucked my sandals back on and headed towards it. After about half an hour I reached the top, the views were stunning, the windsurfers now tiny coloured dots below me and the wind was brisk to say the least.
I enjoyed a cerveza sin alcohol (cracked open a can of alcohol free beer!) and headed back down.
Then to the beach for a couple of hours to watch the sails swirl and the holidaymakers pass by, I may have had a short nap...
Thursday, 10 January 2019
Tenerife musings
My days are taking shape and having a little structure. Even without work its strange how easily you fall into a pattern.
The day begins any time between 445-630 – whenever my menopausal body decides its time. I don’t mind as I enjoy the solace of early mornings. What were suspicious glances from the two ginger cats, Ronnie and Ricky are now more, ‘oh hi its you, can you feed me or can I go out?’ which is easily fixable.
Then coffee – those that know me know I love a decent coffee. With recent events I haven’t progressed past instant (yuck) but luckily Roma (in the apartment downstairs) brought up a coffee press today I could have kissed her! tomorrow will be all about getting some decent ground coffee. Ive sourced oat milk so an instant coffee with milk followed by a social media catch up. Then reading – ive got a couple of books on the go and am enjoying having the time to enjoy them. Then a few housework jobs, want to keep the place nice for my friend and then to tame the mane. Thos of you with unruly hair will feel my pain in warm climes. As I abandoned hairdryer, straighteners and any form of comb or brush I am at the utter mercy of the hot sun and dry winds here. So my choices are thus – large mop of homeless looking hair or high bun type thing which actually gives me a smile face lift if I do it tight enough – believe me at my age you need all the help you can get.
Im becoming fond of my friends little blue Fiat Panda, its nippy and dented in all the right places, which means you can wizz about with gay abandon on the other side of the road, unlike all the tourists I their pristine rental cars! Hell im practically a local.
Off to the hospital to see my friend and check on any progress with treatment etc plus of course any local gossip and what’s happening in the world etc. not sure which is most important but equally interesting. The hospital is fantastic, there are no visiting hours, the parking is free and they even offer you a meal if you are there at dinner time! I do have to add at this point that its not NHS.
After visiting I scoot to the local supermarket Mercadonna to pick up any supplies. Im loving the fresh veg on offer, peppers the size of your head, huge nets of fragrant oranges and tomatoes that smell divine. Im determined to cook fresh and often and find the prices aren’t unlike UK.
Afternoons are spent reading, writing and enjoying the sun on the balcony. Its very strange here without my friend but I know shell be back very soon.
Evenings are cooking, more reading and local radio ‘Atlantis FM’ There is a TV here and UK programmes available but im not the type to sit and watch so im not about to begin.
The day begins any time between 445-630 – whenever my menopausal body decides its time. I don’t mind as I enjoy the solace of early mornings. What were suspicious glances from the two ginger cats, Ronnie and Ricky are now more, ‘oh hi its you, can you feed me or can I go out?’ which is easily fixable.
Then coffee – those that know me know I love a decent coffee. With recent events I haven’t progressed past instant (yuck) but luckily Roma (in the apartment downstairs) brought up a coffee press today I could have kissed her! tomorrow will be all about getting some decent ground coffee. Ive sourced oat milk so an instant coffee with milk followed by a social media catch up. Then reading – ive got a couple of books on the go and am enjoying having the time to enjoy them. Then a few housework jobs, want to keep the place nice for my friend and then to tame the mane. Thos of you with unruly hair will feel my pain in warm climes. As I abandoned hairdryer, straighteners and any form of comb or brush I am at the utter mercy of the hot sun and dry winds here. So my choices are thus – large mop of homeless looking hair or high bun type thing which actually gives me a smile face lift if I do it tight enough – believe me at my age you need all the help you can get.
Im becoming fond of my friends little blue Fiat Panda, its nippy and dented in all the right places, which means you can wizz about with gay abandon on the other side of the road, unlike all the tourists I their pristine rental cars! Hell im practically a local.
Off to the hospital to see my friend and check on any progress with treatment etc plus of course any local gossip and what’s happening in the world etc. not sure which is most important but equally interesting. The hospital is fantastic, there are no visiting hours, the parking is free and they even offer you a meal if you are there at dinner time! I do have to add at this point that its not NHS.
After visiting I scoot to the local supermarket Mercadonna to pick up any supplies. Im loving the fresh veg on offer, peppers the size of your head, huge nets of fragrant oranges and tomatoes that smell divine. Im determined to cook fresh and often and find the prices aren’t unlike UK.
Afternoons are spent reading, writing and enjoying the sun on the balcony. Its very strange here without my friend but I know shell be back very soon.
Evenings are cooking, more reading and local radio ‘Atlantis FM’ There is a TV here and UK programmes available but im not the type to sit and watch so im not about to begin.
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