Friday, April 28, 2006
So Now I'm Sitting in Groningen...
somewhere in the north of The Netherlands.
And, happily, I've been corrected in not calling the country "Holland". That, in fact, is the name of one of the seven provinces, from whence the sea farers ventured off into the vast blue unknown in days of yore, some ne'er to return having been eaten by sea dragons and the occasional cannibal...but I digress.
Switzerland was great, amazing how so many other cultures have influences there. We were subject to only two of them though. In Zurich, we had the German influence, while in Lugano we had the Italian. It's all very confusing when you're in the country. Travel from one side of the Alps to the other and you're talking a different language, expriencing a different way of working, different levels of service, and so on.
Anyway...that was then, this is now. And right now, it's 11degC and drizzling outside. Lugano was warming up quite nicely, trees blossoming everywhere. Late yesterday, when we arrived in The Netherlands, it was sunny but cool. Pleasant. As the evening wore on, while we were driving up from Amsterdam to Groningen (just over an hour at light speed, or at least, Arjan speed) it got a little cooler and some cloud moved in. But then again, as the song goes, "Always take the weather with you"...cos there's fuckall you can do about it. Luckily I bought a decent raincoat in Zurich.
I'm not quite sure what's happening over the weekend, but knowing Arjan, it'll be interesting and that's the main thing, though I'm quite happy to be bored too. We took a short walk through the town centre earlier today, and it reminded me very much of the little towns all over Europe...not too many cars, picturesque little parks with quaint old buildings, friendly people. Speaking of which, the Dutch have a quaint way of greeting each other. If you were anywhere else in the world and someone shouted "Hoi!" at you, you'd either wonder what you'd done, or punch the knob in the face. Here, though, it's a friendly way to greet someone, and it's done by everyone ranging from toddlers to geriatrics. I think it's great...
Anyway...I'm ignoring my hosts, who are great people, so I'll leave you all with a friendly "Hoi!" and speak to you soon...
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
There's been a couple of funny things on my trip...
that I forgot to mention in the previous posting.
The first one occurred on one of our many tram trips in Zurich. We were on our way back to the hotel after another pleasant night out. In the back of the tram car was (unfortunately for him as the brunt of this story) a black guy in slightly rasta clothing. He was sucking away merrily on a beer (one of the strange things about Switzerland is that they don't really fron upon public drinking) and as we settled into our standing positions (as the tram was full) he pipes up and says "Are you a racist? Are you a racist?" I was shocked at how he had picked on me to ask this question. I just ignored him, not sure if he really was talking to me, but again he piped up, "Are you a racist? I'm a racist, you know." Quietly to my colleagues, I said "That's nice. I'm glad for him" and left it at that. Not long afterward, he got off the tram, muttering away to himself, still sucking on the beer can. I said to Arjan that what I should have done was go up to the rasta and, in a quiet but menacing voice, say to him "I'm from Johannesburg.....What do you think??"
The second funny thing, perhaps insulting to some Scotsmen (though I find it funny), is that Switzerland produces their own brand of whisky, but they call it "Swissky". I shit you not... Apparently it does not have the same maltiness, or peatiness, as real Scotch, but it's a true single malt Swissky. So far, I've been scared to try it and bought it more for its entertainment value than its taste, but I guess I'll have to open it one day...
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Ich Bin in Suisse...
fur de laste week...
Or at least that's how I imagine it might be said, anyway...
On assignment in Switzerland this time, a week in Zurich and then a week in Lugano (on the Italian border), doing the same sort of thing I did in Luxembourg recently.
Things are going good, on the work side anyway. On the personal side, it's difficult to be away from home for such a long period, but each passing day brings me one day closer to coming home so I'm okay with that.
Unlike the last trip, the flight over was nice and quiet, no problems. I ended up sitting next to some South African guy who was coming over to Germany on business. I couldn't figure out what he did for a living but it sounded like it was something in the motor industry. Once he found out I worked for IBM, he automatically assumed I knew all about everything to do with computers and kept asking questions. Luckily I could answer most of them truthfully, but for others I could bullshit my way out if without any difficulty. After all, I'm a consultant and I tell lies for a living...
I didn't get much sleep on the flight, which is pretty much normal, but I reckon I got about three hours in total. Enough to keep me going when I landed, which was the main thing. The trip into Zurich on the train was boring as the scenery is just buildings on all sides, but luckily the trip wasn't very long. Actually, the taxi that I took to the hotel from the station (Hauptbahnhof, as it's called here) took me, I reckon, about half way back to the airport alongside the very tracks I'd just come in on...
I arrived at the hotel just after 8am and ended up sitting in the hotel lobby for about three hours while they got my room ready. If I'd taken it earlier, they would have charged me per hour until the check-in time....not sure IBM would have paid for that, so I didn't bother. At 3 minutes past eleven, I got my room key and went up to freshen up and unpack some clothes, after which I took off for a walk along the river which is about 500m from the hotel.
I bought a falafel (schwarma thing) for lunch, took a walk along the river and sat down on the bank to eat it. Even though I was sitting in bright sunshine, I still had a jersey on as the wind is quite cool due to the snow on the mountains (which, as you know, are not that far away).
I found a tram that was going into town, so I bought a ticket from a machine, forgetting that the traffic drives on the wrong side of the road here compared to us. It turned out that I bought a ticket for the tram going the wrong way...ah well. In the end, I thought fuckit, I've bought a ticket for the distance so I'm getting on the tram to town and if I get stopped by a conductor, I'll put on my best Scottish accent and plead ignorance. Luckily, I didn't have to and I jumped off at the hauptbahn.
From there, I took a walk to the lake, jumped on a ferry like we did three years ago on our holiday (damn, but time flies) and took a short trip around the lake. Halfway through the trip it started raining and there was some small hail too, so everyone ended up indoors. As I was on my own, I ended up standing the rest of the way, freezing my butt off. Luckily I had a jersey in my bag and my beanie which kept me warm-ish.
How about this fuckin' pervert, showing his willy to an eagle, of all things?
After the boat trip, I took another tram back to the hotel, sat down on the bed and fell asleep without even knowing it. I don't even know how long I slept for, but it couldn't have been more than a half hour and I was woken by Arjan and Lex knocking on the door. 
Apparently they had tried to phone my room, but I didn't even hear it ringing. We took another trip back into town on the tram, walked around a bit but everything was closed because of Easter Monday holidays. After a while, we walked back toward the hotel (a couple of km's, which in the black shoes, gave me blisters), found a little Italian restaurant open and had some dinner, after which we walked back to the hotel and said goodnight. Needless to say, it didn't take me long to fall asleep. Even still, I woke like I hadn't slept at all.
We were up around 07h30, had breakfast and took a tram into town and the office, which is on the tram route which was nice and convenient. We had a couple of interviews, took some notes, made some initial findings and then called it a day, even thought it was already around 16h30. Back to the hotel on the tram to get changed, and back into town on the tram again for dinner. This time we found a whole sidestreet full of restaurants, across the river from the train station, with everything from local food to Italian and American diners. 
We sat in a little German Bierhalle, had some nice food and a couple of beers, then made our way back to the tram and the hotel.
Up at around 07h00 as we had an earlier interview, had breakfast and took a tram into the office. It's so easy to move around here as the public transport system is so good and easy to use. Had a couple of interviews, plenty of strong (also free) coffee, then called it a day, again around 16h00. On a tram to the hotel, changed and back on the tram into town. This time we ended up walking around the same sidestreet as the night before, trying to find a waterproof jacket for me...luckily we did, cos as we found a place, it started raining. The credit card system the shop used was excellent as the amount I bought the jacket for not only showed up in Swiss Francs, but also on the screen the amount was in SA Rands too. We need technology like that... Anyway, we ended up back at the station for the evening food market like we had a few years ago, had some curry, some bratwurst, and a couple of beers with some local smelly cheeses...yum. We ended up back at the hotel at around 10pm, had a quick beer in the pub and headed off for bed.
Again we were up around 07h00, had breakfast and jumped on the tram to the office. A busy day, even though we only had two interviews, they were intensive.
Today, we finished just after 2pm, so we walked down to the lake, had a bratwurst on a roll, then sat down to make some notes from the interviews. Back to the tram and the hotel, changed into jeans, and back into town to the food sidestreet. This time we had dinner at a little nouveau cuisine Italian restaurant... nice food, but too small with their portions for the ridiculous prices. The entire meal, with one bottle of Chianti between the three of us, came to 120 Francs...about R600!!! I literally had two medium prawns, and four or five small pieces of fish on my plate, with a side dish of spinach that I let Arjan and Lex eat...not worth the price. But we didn't know when we sat down, so it's just bad luck... Back to the hotel, a quick beer in the pub and off to bed.
Up at 07h20, a quick shower and shave and breakfast, then onto the tram into the office. Being Friday, it's quite relaxed here, but we were still in tie and jacket. It warmed up quite a bit since I arrived, so we didn't need our coats. Lex went off to Milan to meet his wife, something to do with them having met twenty years ago and celebrating an anniversary. Milan is not too far from Lugano, so he's due to arrive on Sunday evening on the train. Arjan and I went into the food sidestreet and ended up at a Dutch-themed restaurant just a door away from the Bierhalle we were at the other day. This time we both had some Kassler ribs, boiled potatos and sauerkraut... really nice...and a couple of beers to round it off. After that, we ended up back at the hotel, a quick beer in the pub to discuss the strategy for Saturday's roadtrip to Lugano and then went off to bed.
Got up around 07h30, showered, had breakfast by which time the rental car had arrived, finished packing and climbed into the car for the couple of hours to Lugano.
We stopped off at a little place called Altdorf that Arjan had visited a couple of years ago with the family, took the cable car up to the top and sat and had a coffee at the little restaurant. I thought we were going to take the cable car back down again, but then Arjan said we should walk. Looking at the road, I thought it wasn't a bad idea and that maybe I'd see some snow.
It took us around 5mins to get to the top in the cable car, and the walk was expected to take (according to the information boards) about 2hrs to walk down. In reality, it took us two and a half hours, through some of the most scenic, but demanding (sometimes almost vertical), trails I have ever seen. At times, we had to stop cos Arjan, as fit as he is, also felt the strain and a couple of times my legs were vibrating due to the protesting muscles.
And today, I'm paying for it...I can hardly move my legs without feeling like I'd just had a 50km run. Going up and down stairs (of which there are plenty in Lugano) is absolute hell and I jokingly curse Arjan every step I take.
Lex has just arrived from Milan, says he had a great time. We've just been chilling out for a couple of hours, having been for a walk around the town to see some of the sights. Today was a nice chillout day, as we only had breakfast around 9am, then we walked around a bit, sat at our favourite pub on the piazza (we found the favourite pub as the first thing we did when we got here) and tonight we'll go and have some dinner somewhere.
Lugano is so different from Zurich as it has a very strong Italian influence whereas Zurich has a German culture. Everything here is said and advertised in Italian, so it doesn't feel like we're in Switzerland anymore.
Anyway...just thought I'd give you an update as to what I've been up to, and attach a couple of photos so you could see a piece of the place.
Just before I came down to update the blog on the hotel wireless network, I got my laundry back, and for 5 undies, 6 socks, 1 jeans, 1 jersey and 3 t-shirts, it cost 168 Francs...if my calculation is correct, about R1,008!!!!!! IBM is going to shit itself when I put in the claim for this...but then again, how do they expect us to exist on the shitty per diem allowance they give us?
Stay well, y'all...
I bought a falafel (schwarma thing) for lunch, took a walk along the river and sat down on the bank to eat it. Even though I was sitting in bright sunshine, I still had a jersey on as the wind is quite cool due to the snow on the mountains (which, as you know, are not that far away).
I found a tram that was going into town, so I bought a ticket from a machine, forgetting that the traffic drives on the wrong side of the road here compared to us. It turned out that I bought a ticket for the tram going the wrong way...ah well. In the end, I thought fuckit, I've bought a ticket for the distance so I'm getting on the tram to town and if I get stopped by a conductor, I'll put on my best Scottish accent and plead ignorance. Luckily, I didn't have to and I jumped off at the hauptbahn.
From there, I took a walk to the lake, jumped on a ferry like we did three years ago on our holiday (damn, but time flies) and took a short trip around the lake. Halfway through the trip it started raining and there was some small hail too, so everyone ended up indoors. As I was on my own, I ended up standing the rest of the way, freezing my butt off. Luckily I had a jersey in my bag and my beanie which kept me warm-ish.
How about this fuckin' pervert, showing his willy to an eagle, of all things?
After the boat trip, I took another tram back to the hotel, sat down on the bed and fell asleep without even knowing it. I don't even know how long I slept for, but it couldn't have been more than a half hour and I was woken by Arjan and Lex knocking on the door. 
Apparently they had tried to phone my room, but I didn't even hear it ringing. We took another trip back into town on the tram, walked around a bit but everything was closed because of Easter Monday holidays. After a while, we walked back toward the hotel (a couple of km's, which in the black shoes, gave me blisters), found a little Italian restaurant open and had some dinner, after which we walked back to the hotel and said goodnight. Needless to say, it didn't take me long to fall asleep. Even still, I woke like I hadn't slept at all.
We were up around 07h30, had breakfast and took a tram into town and the office, which is on the tram route which was nice and convenient. We had a couple of interviews, took some notes, made some initial findings and then called it a day, even thought it was already around 16h30. Back to the hotel on the tram to get changed, and back into town on the tram again for dinner. This time we found a whole sidestreet full of restaurants, across the river from the train station, with everything from local food to Italian and American diners. 
We sat in a little German Bierhalle, had some nice food and a couple of beers, then made our way back to the tram and the hotel.
Up at around 07h00 as we had an earlier interview, had breakfast and took a tram into the office. It's so easy to move around here as the public transport system is so good and easy to use. Had a couple of interviews, plenty of strong (also free) coffee, then called it a day, again around 16h00. On a tram to the hotel, changed and back on the tram into town. This time we ended up walking around the same sidestreet as the night before, trying to find a waterproof jacket for me...luckily we did, cos as we found a place, it started raining. The credit card system the shop used was excellent as the amount I bought the jacket for not only showed up in Swiss Francs, but also on the screen the amount was in SA Rands too. We need technology like that... Anyway, we ended up back at the station for the evening food market like we had a few years ago, had some curry, some bratwurst, and a couple of beers with some local smelly cheeses...yum. We ended up back at the hotel at around 10pm, had a quick beer in the pub and headed off for bed.
Again we were up around 07h00, had breakfast and jumped on the tram to the office. A busy day, even though we only had two interviews, they were intensive.
Today, we finished just after 2pm, so we walked down to the lake, had a bratwurst on a roll, then sat down to make some notes from the interviews. Back to the tram and the hotel, changed into jeans, and back into town to the food sidestreet. This time we had dinner at a little nouveau cuisine Italian restaurant... nice food, but too small with their portions for the ridiculous prices. The entire meal, with one bottle of Chianti between the three of us, came to 120 Francs...about R600!!! I literally had two medium prawns, and four or five small pieces of fish on my plate, with a side dish of spinach that I let Arjan and Lex eat...not worth the price. But we didn't know when we sat down, so it's just bad luck... Back to the hotel, a quick beer in the pub and off to bed.
Up at 07h20, a quick shower and shave and breakfast, then onto the tram into the office. Being Friday, it's quite relaxed here, but we were still in tie and jacket. It warmed up quite a bit since I arrived, so we didn't need our coats. Lex went off to Milan to meet his wife, something to do with them having met twenty years ago and celebrating an anniversary. Milan is not too far from Lugano, so he's due to arrive on Sunday evening on the train. Arjan and I went into the food sidestreet and ended up at a Dutch-themed restaurant just a door away from the Bierhalle we were at the other day. This time we both had some Kassler ribs, boiled potatos and sauerkraut... really nice...and a couple of beers to round it off. After that, we ended up back at the hotel, a quick beer in the pub to discuss the strategy for Saturday's roadtrip to Lugano and then went off to bed.
Got up around 07h30, showered, had breakfast by which time the rental car had arrived, finished packing and climbed into the car for the couple of hours to Lugano.
We stopped off at a little place called Altdorf that Arjan had visited a couple of years ago with the family, took the cable car up to the top and sat and had a coffee at the little restaurant. I thought we were going to take the cable car back down again, but then Arjan said we should walk. Looking at the road, I thought it wasn't a bad idea and that maybe I'd see some snow.
It took us around 5mins to get to the top in the cable car, and the walk was expected to take (according to the information boards) about 2hrs to walk down. In reality, it took us two and a half hours, through some of the most scenic, but demanding (sometimes almost vertical), trails I have ever seen. At times, we had to stop cos Arjan, as fit as he is, also felt the strain and a couple of times my legs were vibrating due to the protesting muscles.
And today, I'm paying for it...I can hardly move my legs without feeling like I'd just had a 50km run. Going up and down stairs (of which there are plenty in Lugano) is absolute hell and I jokingly curse Arjan every step I take.
Lex has just arrived from Milan, says he had a great time. We've just been chilling out for a couple of hours, having been for a walk around the town to see some of the sights. Today was a nice chillout day, as we only had breakfast around 9am, then we walked around a bit, sat at our favourite pub on the piazza (we found the favourite pub as the first thing we did when we got here) and tonight we'll go and have some dinner somewhere.
Lugano is so different from Zurich as it has a very strong Italian influence whereas Zurich has a German culture. Everything here is said and advertised in Italian, so it doesn't feel like we're in Switzerland anymore.
Anyway...just thought I'd give you an update as to what I've been up to, and attach a couple of photos so you could see a piece of the place.
Just before I came down to update the blog on the hotel wireless network, I got my laundry back, and for 5 undies, 6 socks, 1 jeans, 1 jersey and 3 t-shirts, it cost 168 Francs...if my calculation is correct, about R1,008!!!!!! IBM is going to shit itself when I put in the claim for this...but then again, how do they expect us to exist on the shitty per diem allowance they give us?
Stay well, y'all...
I just realised I hadn't finished boring you all...
with our holiday happenings...so here's more to keep you enthralled.
Saturday 4th March
==================
Up at about 09h00, there's still power so there was no need for us to have kept hot coffee in the flask before bedtime. Ah well, you can never tell when it's going to go off...
I slept on my back the whole night as it is really uncomfortable to lie on my sides. When the skin creases, it's like fire through the folds. And as I was on my back, I must have been sleeping with my mouth open as I have a sore, dry throat to boot. Gittin' auld be a terrrribal thang, ah tell ya...
We go for a walk through a part of the Knysna forest, called Diepkloof Forest (Deep Cliff). Some of the trees here are hundreds of years old, and some of the rarest species in the country. A large number of Outeniqua Yellowwoods, as well as Real Yellowwoods (I don't know the difference either) and Ironwood trees are found on the walk, which is on a raised boardwalk so that you don't fall on your arse and sue the nice people running the place. It's all over in about 20 minutes though, as the village idiot on the front gate didn't tell us that they had blocked off part of the walk for maintenance on the boards. It must have cut out about two thirds of the total distance that could normally be walked. Ah well, it was nice and cool in the forest and I took some nice pictures of a brown stream flowing through it (caused by the natural pigments in the leaves and tree bark leeching into the water, and not by erosion, pollution or a township for a change).
We wanted to stop off at a local crafts market on the way back, but didn't make it in time as, unbeknownst to us, the market is only held between 8am and 12 noon. We got there at 12h15, just as everyone is packing away.
Instead, we go down into a little arts and crafts village on the outskirts of town, where Steph wants a look around a place called "Old Nick's". It is a real, old time jailhouse, converted to a house, then converted to a crafts shop. Right alongside it is a weaving mill, with a working old-time loom going full pelt. It's amazing to see how those old mechanical things could make something as fine as a cotton sheet, but it does. This one has been adapted slightly in that it now runs on an electric motor instead of people-power. The little spool that holds the cotton that is literally chucked back and forth by steel arms, I learned, is called a shuttle. Both ends of it are even shaped like the cockpit of that big steel thing the Americans throw up into the sky every now and then too, so I guess that may be where they got the name from.
After buying a few bits and pieces, we head in towards town and pick up a steak for a braai (barbecue) tonight, just the two of us on the verandah and another bottle of wine presumably.
Passing by a signboard showing the way to the beach, I remark to Steph that we should go and try "The Lookout" pub down there sometime for lunch. She says "why not now?" and with a swift ninety degree turn of the steering wheel, I think "why the hell not?" Between us we order a bluecheese salad, and a basket of calamari and chips, and two sideplates to share the fare between us. Yum...
Back in the flat by 16h00, it's time to just chill out a bit, do some reading and listen to some more "new" music.
Due to the long lunch, we have a later than usual dinner. Rump steak, mash, veg and gravy...yum.
We sit and read our books until about 23h00, and I turn on the telly for the first time since we got here. There's an Eddie Murphy movie on, The Distinguished Gentleman, which we sit and watch for something else to do for a change. At least, I watch it, Steph carries on reading. Eddie's not my favourite actor and, if I could, I'd shove that stupid laugh of his up his arse. Maybe then it would sound funny.
Bed time around 01h30, our latest night yet.
Sunday 5th March
================
I check my watch on the bedside table and...Wow...it's after 10h30. A solid 9 hours sleep, sunburn and all. The sunburn is still tight to the touch and having a shower is like having 40 grain sandpaper scrubbed all over your wiggly bits (I imagine). Steph has to dry my back off as I still can't reach around there.
We have a tasty "Bubble and Squeak" brunch and I settle down to copy more music and watch the cricket in the background. SABC3 is showing the one day game between SA and the Aussies (not "Ozzies" as I was originally going to write - can you imagine 11 Ozzy Osbourne's running around on a big field?). So far, it's a split game, but SA still have to bat.
Ok, so I've just finished copying the last of the 56 of Stan's CD's that I fancied. Do I feel bad about pirate-ing so many albums? Lemme think about it a second...no. Why not? Cos the record companies are the ones really ripping off the artists, not the guys that occasionally copy a CD. It's not often I do it anyway, it's more of a case of opportunity knocks. In any case, I have over 500 original titles in my collection at home, so it's not as though I don't do my bit for buying original titles as well.
SA lost the cricket by 24 runs. While it may sound like a close game, it was pretty one-sided as the Aussies knew the SA tail-enders couldn't keep up the slog they were on. The 5-game series is now 2-1 in favour of SA.
The rest of the day passes by uneventfully, reading and listening to music. We also watch a bit of telly, a nature program about a local guy who rehabilitates leopards, lions, and now Tigers, back into the wild. Some of it you can see is staged, but most of the footage is unrehearsed.
We also watch an episode of "My Family"...British humour at its best, I think. And with not much else on the idiot-box, we decide to go beddie-byes and read a while. About ten minutes is all I can handle and I start nodding off, so it's time for shut-eye.
Monday 6th March
================
Awake at 08h00, expecting the maid to ring the doorbell like a Swiss Cowbell concerto at any moment, but she only arrives around 08h30.
It's a magnificent day and, as it's to be our last in Plett before we move on up the coast, we get dressed and at about 09h30 go for a walk on the beach.
As the sunburn is still a bit painful, I kept my shirt on and draped a beachtowel over my shoulders to keep the rays off my tender, pink, body.
This time we walk left as we hit the beach, towards the Beacon Isle Hotel, which is a 5-star square block built on a chunk of rock right on the sea's edge. Any closer to the sea and your feet would be wet. It must have taken about a half hour to get down there and we found a nice shady spot to sit and watch the sea. We were so close to the water that spray would get blown across us now and then, keeping us nice and cool, as the ambient temperature must have been around the +30deg C mark.
Watching the sea, we can see a Cape Fur Seal at play, about 200m offshore. He's having a ball, wallowing around, turning his belly skyward and then diving, probably on the hunt for a meal. There's also a few noisy seagulls close to us, screeching (or whatever it's called that seagulls do) at us to throw them a morsel of the subs that Steph prepared before we left the flat.
We're back at the flat at around 12h00 and after a nice cold shower, I go and sit on the verandah lounger to read a bit. At the moment I'm reading a book I picked up in Edinburgh at the Rosslyn Chapel, called "Twisting The Hiram Key". In short, it's by the co-author of the earlier book, "The Hiram Key", who joins the Freemasons and subsequently writes this book exploring the spirituality side of the Craft. After about 10 minutes, I'm nodding off again, not that it's a boring book, but due to the fresh air from the walk. I don't sleep long though, as the maid's done with her work and out the door with a "Byeeeeeeee medem".
I read a few more pages and Steph says it's lunchtime. A good, tasty, salad of chickpeas, celery, sliced smoked chicken, peppers, tomatoes, cheese and some spices. Always a good meal...
Later on we might take a walk on another part of the beach, but we'll wait for the temperature to drop a bit first. Tonight we'll eat out somewhere so that we don't have the dishes to contend with on our last night in Plett, and we have to pack too...
And at this point, is where the power supply to my laptop decides to pack in. I came back to find the laptop strangely dead, even the battery had run out when the AC adapter went on the frizz. So I didn't even have enough time to shut the machine down properly. Luckily I'd saved the text file I was creating with the story of the holiday so I could still copy it to the blog.
What I can leave you with, is that we went up to Port Alfred the following day to investigate a business opportunity (which we've subsequently decided not to go for as it required a lot of investment with not much return to live on). We stayed at the resort where the opportunity was, for free, even though we insisted on paying for the night. Nice people, are Rob and Frieda, self-made millionaires...no wonder he could afford to buy that farm (fuckin' massive, it was).
The following day we drove up to my folks in Mtwalume, in the Kwa Zulu Natal province (about 70km south of Durban), stayed a few days there so that we could catch up. Dad and I went out for a deep sea fishing excursion and caught quite a few fish with me catching the largest, a 4kg Rock Cod (great to eat). With us was also the brother of a friend of the folks, an Englishman who was used to fishing for pike with a large chunk of metal in place of bait, so I don't think he was too impressed with the smelly squid and sardine bait we were using. 
He even got the girlfriend of the boat skipper to put his bait on the hooks for him, believe it or not!! Anyway, it was a great day out for Dad and I, one I enjoyed thoroughly. Dad is a great fisherman, and it was good to rub it in that I'd caught more than he did...for a change.
After a few days, we drove back to Johannesburg, settled back in at the house with a Sunday to spare, before going back to work on the Monday morning. Sadly, I believe, two weeks is not sufficient for a decent holiday and in the future we'll take at least three weeks. At least it was good to get out of Jo'burg for a bit.
We go for a walk through a part of the Knysna forest, called Diepkloof Forest (Deep Cliff). Some of the trees here are hundreds of years old, and some of the rarest species in the country. A large number of Outeniqua Yellowwoods, as well as Real Yellowwoods (I don't know the difference either) and Ironwood trees are found on the walk, which is on a raised boardwalk so that you don't fall on your arse and sue the nice people running the place. It's all over in about 20 minutes though, as the village idiot on the front gate didn't tell us that they had blocked off part of the walk for maintenance on the boards. It must have cut out about two thirds of the total distance that could normally be walked. Ah well, it was nice and cool in the forest and I took some nice pictures of a brown stream flowing through it (caused by the natural pigments in the leaves and tree bark leeching into the water, and not by erosion, pollution or a township for a change).
We wanted to stop off at a local crafts market on the way back, but didn't make it in time as, unbeknownst to us, the market is only held between 8am and 12 noon. We got there at 12h15, just as everyone is packing away.
Instead, we go down into a little arts and crafts village on the outskirts of town, where Steph wants a look around a place called "Old Nick's". It is a real, old time jailhouse, converted to a house, then converted to a crafts shop. Right alongside it is a weaving mill, with a working old-time loom going full pelt. It's amazing to see how those old mechanical things could make something as fine as a cotton sheet, but it does. This one has been adapted slightly in that it now runs on an electric motor instead of people-power. The little spool that holds the cotton that is literally chucked back and forth by steel arms, I learned, is called a shuttle. Both ends of it are even shaped like the cockpit of that big steel thing the Americans throw up into the sky every now and then too, so I guess that may be where they got the name from.
After buying a few bits and pieces, we head in towards town and pick up a steak for a braai (barbecue) tonight, just the two of us on the verandah and another bottle of wine presumably.
Passing by a signboard showing the way to the beach, I remark to Steph that we should go and try "The Lookout" pub down there sometime for lunch. She says "why not now?" and with a swift ninety degree turn of the steering wheel, I think "why the hell not?" Between us we order a bluecheese salad, and a basket of calamari and chips, and two sideplates to share the fare between us. Yum...
Back in the flat by 16h00, it's time to just chill out a bit, do some reading and listen to some more "new" music.
Due to the long lunch, we have a later than usual dinner. Rump steak, mash, veg and gravy...yum.
We sit and read our books until about 23h00, and I turn on the telly for the first time since we got here. There's an Eddie Murphy movie on, The Distinguished Gentleman, which we sit and watch for something else to do for a change. At least, I watch it, Steph carries on reading. Eddie's not my favourite actor and, if I could, I'd shove that stupid laugh of his up his arse. Maybe then it would sound funny.
Bed time around 01h30, our latest night yet.
Sunday 5th March
================
I check my watch on the bedside table and...Wow...it's after 10h30. A solid 9 hours sleep, sunburn and all. The sunburn is still tight to the touch and having a shower is like having 40 grain sandpaper scrubbed all over your wiggly bits (I imagine). Steph has to dry my back off as I still can't reach around there.
We have a tasty "Bubble and Squeak" brunch and I settle down to copy more music and watch the cricket in the background. SABC3 is showing the one day game between SA and the Aussies (not "Ozzies" as I was originally going to write - can you imagine 11 Ozzy Osbourne's running around on a big field?). So far, it's a split game, but SA still have to bat.
Ok, so I've just finished copying the last of the 56 of Stan's CD's that I fancied. Do I feel bad about pirate-ing so many albums? Lemme think about it a second...no. Why not? Cos the record companies are the ones really ripping off the artists, not the guys that occasionally copy a CD. It's not often I do it anyway, it's more of a case of opportunity knocks. In any case, I have over 500 original titles in my collection at home, so it's not as though I don't do my bit for buying original titles as well.
SA lost the cricket by 24 runs. While it may sound like a close game, it was pretty one-sided as the Aussies knew the SA tail-enders couldn't keep up the slog they were on. The 5-game series is now 2-1 in favour of SA.
The rest of the day passes by uneventfully, reading and listening to music. We also watch a bit of telly, a nature program about a local guy who rehabilitates leopards, lions, and now Tigers, back into the wild. Some of it you can see is staged, but most of the footage is unrehearsed.
We also watch an episode of "My Family"...British humour at its best, I think. And with not much else on the idiot-box, we decide to go beddie-byes and read a while. About ten minutes is all I can handle and I start nodding off, so it's time for shut-eye.
Monday 6th March
================
Awake at 08h00, expecting the maid to ring the doorbell like a Swiss Cowbell concerto at any moment, but she only arrives around 08h30.
It's a magnificent day and, as it's to be our last in Plett before we move on up the coast, we get dressed and at about 09h30 go for a walk on the beach.
As the sunburn is still a bit painful, I kept my shirt on and draped a beachtowel over my shoulders to keep the rays off my tender, pink, body.
This time we walk left as we hit the beach, towards the Beacon Isle Hotel, which is a 5-star square block built on a chunk of rock right on the sea's edge. Any closer to the sea and your feet would be wet. It must have taken about a half hour to get down there and we found a nice shady spot to sit and watch the sea. We were so close to the water that spray would get blown across us now and then, keeping us nice and cool, as the ambient temperature must have been around the +30deg C mark.
Watching the sea, we can see a Cape Fur Seal at play, about 200m offshore. He's having a ball, wallowing around, turning his belly skyward and then diving, probably on the hunt for a meal. There's also a few noisy seagulls close to us, screeching (or whatever it's called that seagulls do) at us to throw them a morsel of the subs that Steph prepared before we left the flat.
We're back at the flat at around 12h00 and after a nice cold shower, I go and sit on the verandah lounger to read a bit. At the moment I'm reading a book I picked up in Edinburgh at the Rosslyn Chapel, called "Twisting The Hiram Key". In short, it's by the co-author of the earlier book, "The Hiram Key", who joins the Freemasons and subsequently writes this book exploring the spirituality side of the Craft. After about 10 minutes, I'm nodding off again, not that it's a boring book, but due to the fresh air from the walk. I don't sleep long though, as the maid's done with her work and out the door with a "Byeeeeeeee medem".
I read a few more pages and Steph says it's lunchtime. A good, tasty, salad of chickpeas, celery, sliced smoked chicken, peppers, tomatoes, cheese and some spices. Always a good meal...
Later on we might take a walk on another part of the beach, but we'll wait for the temperature to drop a bit first. Tonight we'll eat out somewhere so that we don't have the dishes to contend with on our last night in Plett, and we have to pack too...
And at this point, is where the power supply to my laptop decides to pack in. I came back to find the laptop strangely dead, even the battery had run out when the AC adapter went on the frizz. So I didn't even have enough time to shut the machine down properly. Luckily I'd saved the text file I was creating with the story of the holiday so I could still copy it to the blog.
What I can leave you with, is that we went up to Port Alfred the following day to investigate a business opportunity (which we've subsequently decided not to go for as it required a lot of investment with not much return to live on). We stayed at the resort where the opportunity was, for free, even though we insisted on paying for the night. Nice people, are Rob and Frieda, self-made millionaires...no wonder he could afford to buy that farm (fuckin' massive, it was).
The following day we drove up to my folks in Mtwalume, in the Kwa Zulu Natal province (about 70km south of Durban), stayed a few days there so that we could catch up. Dad and I went out for a deep sea fishing excursion and caught quite a few fish with me catching the largest, a 4kg Rock Cod (great to eat). With us was also the brother of a friend of the folks, an Englishman who was used to fishing for pike with a large chunk of metal in place of bait, so I don't think he was too impressed with the smelly squid and sardine bait we were using. 
He even got the girlfriend of the boat skipper to put his bait on the hooks for him, believe it or not!! Anyway, it was a great day out for Dad and I, one I enjoyed thoroughly. Dad is a great fisherman, and it was good to rub it in that I'd caught more than he did...for a change.
After a few days, we drove back to Johannesburg, settled back in at the house with a Sunday to spare, before going back to work on the Monday morning. Sadly, I believe, two weeks is not sufficient for a decent holiday and in the future we'll take at least three weeks. At least it was good to get out of Jo'burg for a bit.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Luxembourg Trip Photos...
Here's a select few of the photos to give you an idea of the place...
Luxembourg Cathedral by night
The only decent thing I could find to photograph in Lisboa
Sushi Dinner
One of the Luxembourg bridges by night
One of the best beersin the world...drank a few, I tell you
Hey man, how 'bout a curry, an' all?
House built into the cliff
View from a bridge, of another bridge
If I ever got lost, I would ask for one of these places as a reference point...strip bars
View across the valley
The train station across the road from the hotel (taken from my room window)
Memorial to the Luxembourg war dead
It's well worth a visit to this place. The only down side was the weather, but then there's nothing you can do about that, is there?
Luxembourg Cathedral by night
The only decent thing I could find to photograph in Lisboa
Sushi Dinner
One of the Luxembourg bridges by night
One of the best beersin the world...drank a few, I tell you
Hey man, how 'bout a curry, an' all?
House built into the cliff
View from a bridge, of another bridge
If I ever got lost, I would ask for one of these places as a reference point...strip bars
View across the valley
The train station across the road from the hotel (taken from my room window)
Memorial to the Luxembourg war dead
It's well worth a visit to this place. The only down side was the weather, but then there's nothing you can do about that, is there?
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
It's been a long time coming...
and it's Wednesday already, but this is the first chance I've had to post something to let all my peeps out there know that I'm safely back in SA, a little frazzled at the edges due to Air Porra, but nonetheless glad to be home again.
My trip started off on Saturday morning, the 25th March. I was at Joburg airport at 10h00, eager to get to see what Luxembourg was all about. Pick up some Euro's and check in at the counter, grab the new Bike SA magazine and head for the lounge and a good strong cup of coffee.
Typical of airports, the check-in gate was supposed to be Number 6, but ended up being Number 30, right on the other side of departures.
The flight to Lisboa was uneventful, except that just after check-in I find out we're going via Maputo (an hour east of Joburg) and we end up leaving there with a full load at just after 14h30. To put it in perspective, I could just about drive to Maputo from Joburg in the time it took us to get there, get the new passengers on board and for the cleaning staff to haul the trash out.
I find I'm sitting next to a SA Porra called Franco who is on his way to Madeira to settle a land claim (sounds like SA, doesn't it?). Apparently he bought a piece of land a while back which was supposed to be 1500sqm larger than his title deed now shows it as. He's confident that it'll be sorted out this time though, as this is his third trip in this matter.
The airline food, as usual, is crap but it's that or starve and we're arriving in Lisboa at 23h00 so there's not much chance of getting anything better at that time of night, as I find out later. I watch Zorro on the "big screen" and read some project documents, then catch about an hour's sleep.
We arrived in Lisboa at a little after 22h00, I breeze through customs on my EU passport and my long wait begins. I have an 11hr stopover before the connecting flight to Luxembourg.
After a half hour or so of TV which I don't understand, but can clearly see that it's The shopping Channel dubbed into Porra, I decide to strap my laptop and hand luggage to my suitcase, stretch out on the chairs and try and get some sleep. I manage about 2hrs until I snore myself awake, which in itself is unusual unless I'm sleeping on my back which I hadn't been (ever try and sleep on airport chairs...?)
Anyway...I sit up and wander about the terminal until about 06h30 when I decide to go and check myself in. As I'd picked up my suitcase on the way into Lisboa, instead of going through the transit area, I had to go through normal departures. And guess what? The fuckin' place is packed... I eventually get checked in and end up back in the same terminal area that I'd just spent the last 10hrs in...
I decide to grab a McDonalds breakfast and, if anyone knows SA McDonalds, you'll know it's shite, but Porra McDonalds is shiter than shite...believe me.
We arrive in Luxembourg at around 16h00 after another Air Porra flight which AGAIN had a stopover, this time in Porto.
I take a taxi to the hotel (for which the fare was 27 Euro's), the Meridien on the Place de la Gare (which, translated, basically means the hotel on the street in front of the train station). A reasonable room, but then I'm here on business and not pleasure so I can't really complain.
The temperature is about 14degC, which isn't too bad and I decide to go for a walk. It's a nice enough little city, with some really nice architecture and buildings, as you'll see by the photos which I'll attach later when I can get some better upload speed.
Only at around 10pm does the rest of the team arrive. They all drove in, one from Belgium and two from the Netherlands. I greet the two dutchmen in Afrikaans who are surprised to hear that they can actually understand what I said, and vice versa. We have a quick "getting to know you" drink and retire for the night, agenda set for the following morning.
The project is basically a series of fact-finding interviews, followed by the drafting of a report detailing areas of concern in the recovery status of the bank. We have a gruelling schedule of three, hour and a half, sessions daily and believe me, by the time the end of the day comes, you're knackered. We finish off at about 19h00 after consolidating the findings each day.
We decide to try a different meal each suppertime, seeing as there's four of us and four nights in town. The first night we have Italian (Frans's choice), the second seafood (Mark's), the third Indian (Nanette's) and I choose sushi as the last night's fare. Each of the meals had its own special tastes and overall the food was quite good. Mark and Frans decided to have "ink-vis paella" at the seafood night, and if anyone doesn't know what that is, it's a paella cooked in the ink from an octopus (apparently it's one of the most expensive ingredients in cooking). I had a taste once I'd finished my meal as the black paella didn't take my fancy. It actually tastes a little like Scottish black pudding, which surprised me, though I don't think I could have a full meal of it.
Best of all was probably the Indian. There ws so much food on the table that, by the time we'd finished, it didn't look like we'd even started. And the naan bread that I had was the sive of a X-large pizza.
The sushi was also good, though a little on the expensive side from what I'm used to here in SA. It was also Mark and Nanette's first time eating sushi and they were a little hesitant but they professed to enjoying it.
I managed to get some nice photos of the city by night, with some of the buildings and bridges lit up in different colours.
On Friday morning, I was due at the airport at 12h00 so Mark and I leave the office at just after 11h00, after saying our goodbyes. A nice bunch of people they were and I'm sure we'll work together again at some point.
Needless to say, the flight home was not to be without its problems. The flight to Lisboa was an hour late in taking off and also returned via Porto. Another lengthy stopover there, where we were forced to get off the plane with all our hand luggage and come back 40mins later to the same plane, with additional passengers on board. I didn't mind it too much as it gave me some time to do some shopping and I brought back some Swarowski crystal earrings for Steph, who'd been home alone with the dogs for the past week.
We get into Lisboa and I think there's just over two hours to departure to SA which will give me some more time in the duty-free. HA, FUCKIN' HA...I find out that the flight to SA has been CANCELLED!! Not even delayed, just cancelled.
Standing in the queue with 50-odd (or is that "50, odd,") other passengers en route to Maputo and SA (yes, we're going back via fuckin' Maputo too) I find out through the hostess who's giving us hotel vouchers that the control tower staff is on strike and they're only pushing through 20 planes an hour instead of the usual 100.
So we pile into a bus, get bussed to the Hotel Barcelona (why not the Hotel Lisboa, that's the capital, Barcelona's in Spain??) and checked in. As the kitchen is already closed, we have to walk around the block (about 300m) to the Hotel Zurich who were good enough to keep their kitchen open for us. The meal was so-so, typical of three star hotels, but at least it's a decent meal and not Porra McDonalds. I was tempted to go to the Pizza Hut right next to the Barcelona, but thought I'd rather save my Euro's (everything is multiplied by seven to get to the SA Rand equivalent). Back at the hotel, I grab a shower, but not until after I'd pulled on the SOS string hanging in the bath, wondering what it was for (we don't have such things in our hotels in SA). As I'd pulled it a number of times wondering when the light was coming on, thinking it was broken, the desk staff thought it must be really urgent, so they sent someone up to see if I was okay. Apologies in broken porra, and all was okay. I went for a shower and hit the sack, knackered.
In the morning I had another shower and dressed in the same clothes I'd had on the day before. My suitcase, with toiletries bag, had been checked straight through to Joburg. Damn these airport regulations that say you can't take an aerosol deoderant with you in hand luggage.
The flight to Joburg, instead of leaving at 11h45, flew off at 13h05 after yet another delay, this time caused by a flight to Luanda leaving late through the same gate we were leaving by.
Damned if I wasn't sitting next to a Porra granny with a brat that moaned the entire way from Lisboa to Maputo. But I got my revenge...by the time we got somewhere over Africa the airconditioning in the plane wasn't working effectively and me, in my clothes of two days, started smelling somewhat putrid.
In the end though, I couldn't handle the smell of myself so I went into the closet which doubles as a toilet on a plane and did the Superman-rip-your-shirt-open thing, washed under my arms and put on some of that pleasant coconut-smelling hand lotion to try and not be so odorous. It worked for a while but a couple of thousand kilometres later, and it was the same all over again. This time I thought "fuckit" and sat and stank the rest of the way.
The hour and a half stopover in Maputo was, to say the least, unpleasant, as we had cleaning crew through the plane at midnight trying to vaccuum under our feet when all we wanted to do was get going again. Some of us really wanted to get home. We also had a hoarde of new passengers come aboard, who were all en route to Lisboa. Our plane was only stopping to refuel and then it was off again, which would make it an alomst non-stop flight of nearly 24hrs for the engines... Take my advice...stay away from Air Porra.
As soon as we landed, literally as soon as the wheels hit the ground and we couldn't fall any further, I sms'd Steph to let her know we were in at last. By the time I got through customs and collected my luggage, which to my great surprise had actually arrived with me, she was waiting for me.
At home, after saying hello to the dogs, Steph asked if I wanted a cup of tea. "Not me, thanks, I'm going to have a nice big 15yr single malt...I think I deserve it after what I've just been through", was my answer.
After that, a good long scrub in the shower and off to bed where I eventually woke in the same position I'd fallen asleep in, 9hrs earlier. It's real good to be home...
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