Knysna, South Africa to Ghana, West Africa

In the Knysna district we were lucky enough to visit an Elephant Sanctuary and a Wild Cat Rehabilitation farm where we were even allowed inside some of the enclosures (thankfully after their lunch). We were fortunate enough to see leopards, cheetahs and other wild cats of Africa - up close and personal!

We boarded our Drifters Overland truck for our final leg of the journey with our Trusty Krusty behind the wheel and we travelled south from Knysna through the Lake District and then on through the magnificent Hottentots Holland Mountains, bound for the beautiful city of Cape Town. We stopped off in the scenic coastal town of Hermanus for a couple of hours - Pat and Darrell braved the winds - cut up a pineapple and made fresh bread, butter and pineapple sandwiches for their lunch.

As we travelled on the freeway into the City past Capetown Airport we could see the thousands upon thousands of ramshackle homes in yet another Shanty Town - bricks and tyres holding down tarps and tin roofing - washing out to dry - children playing - people walking everywhere - walking many kilometres to and from work each day in order to save on bus fares. The day was bleak and cloudy so we were unable to see Table Mountain as we followed the coast around to the Drifters Inn at Sea Point.

Over the next few days we were able to do some wonderful sightseeing in and around Cape Town - I think Krusty really enjoyed showcasing his home town for us. We headed out to Stellenbosch and visited Fairview Winery and enjoyed the tasting of the wines and exotic cheeses - we then sat down to a great lunch. In the evening we visited The Waterfront and were surprised to see the Ocean Princess had arrived early and was moored alongside the wharf. Pat had to forego this trip to the Waterfront as he had become ill and needed to rest - thankfully he had fully recovered by mid morning the following day.

We travelled down to the southernmost point which consists of the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Maclear and Cape Point - this area is the junction of earth's most contrasting water masses - the cold Benguela current on the West Coast and the warm Agulhas current on the East Coast - Cape of Good Hope is popularly perceived as the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Our time had come to say goodbye to Cape Town, our fellow travellers and our special driver and guide, Krusty. Marie-Lynn will spend a couple more days in Cape Town and will then fly to Namibia for 3 days; Bruno and Michel will spend 2 more days in Cape Town and will then set off on a 24 day Overland Camping Trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg via the West Coast and Victoria Falls; Amy will fly to London for a couple of days, then to Rome and onto Venice for a Mediterranean Cruise; Krusty will have some days off before taking a bus back to Johannesburg and then will prepare for another 18 day Overland tour the same as the one we have just completed. Thanks crew, for a magnificent trip and for all the great times we shared. Wot you say???????

South Africa - what a magnificent place - our overland trip of 4,666 klms of scenery and experiences beyond expectation. I have to admit that Africa was at the bottom of my list of places I personally wanted to visit - something has changed - we are already putting thoughts and plans in place for yet another visit in the near future. Our Drifters tour was a fantastic and safe way to see this magnificent country.

Our taxi arrived at the Cape Town Drifters Inn, our bags were loaded so we headed off to the Waterfront to board the Ocean Princess for a 31 day cruise from Cape Town to Dover. Brenda and Darrell will then head into London from Dover - Pat and I will disembark in Le Havre, France. Ocean Princess is a small ship with only 617 passengers and 370 crew, so we should be well looked after.

As we sailed out of Cape Town harbour, the view of Table Mountain, the coastline and surrounding mountains was nothing short of spectacular. Our first 24 hours at sea were quite rough as we cruised north in the area where the two great oceans, the Atlantic and the Indian meet. We had expected to shed some kilos on our overland trip in readiness for the fine dining on the ship - somehow that didn't happen! Oh well - here goes - 31 days of eating out!

Luderitz, Namibia - Our first port of call was founded in 1883 on behalf of Adolf Luderitz from Germany. The Port of Luderitz was initially set up as a trading post, however in 1909 diamonds were discovered nearby so this township enjoyed a sudden surge of prosperity. Today, however, diamonds are mostly found in other areas of Namibia and offshore so the population of 20,000 has a much quieter existence.

Walvis Bay, Namibia - Walvis Bay has the best harbour on the Namibia coast - thus the British added it to their enclave in Southern Africa in 1878. It was not until 1994 that the now-Republic of South Africa returned Walvis Bay to Namibia. The port is the gateway to the vast Namib Desert, one of the oldest and harshest deserts on Earth.

We left the port area and organised a taxi into town, then took another taxi to the very nice township of Swakopmund, which was also originally a German settlement. The 33 kilometre journey from Walvis Bay to Swakopmund follows the coastline and is fringed by the orange coloured sand dunes of Namibia. Swakopmund is a very modern town with a big emphasis on Safari Tours and Tourism and the town's roadways are dotted with huge date palms. In this area of Namibia, the world's largest uranium mine can be found - there are actually three mines here. The town looks very prosperous, although our taxi driver told us that many men work a nine hour day and receive about $3.00 pay - he is fortunate that his Mother bought the taxi and he is able to make a good living for himself and his family.

We now have four days at sea before our next port of call. Days at sea are very relaxing to say the least - there is as much to do or as little to do as one wishes. Brenda and I have been enjoying games of Scrabble while Pat and Darrell have been enjoying the swimming pool, the spa and the sun. The further north we travel the warmer it becomes so card games are a great way to pass the time on deck whilst enjoying the outdoors.

There is a library on board, a card room and an internet room, not to mention the theatres, restaurants, lounges, bars, gymnasium, fitness centre, swimming pools and the casino. The entertainers, musicians and dancers on board put on great shows every evening and there are countless choices of lectures, classes and get-togethers to attend during the day. Yesterday we crossed the Equator, so several people agreed to take part in the Crossing the Equator Ceremony whereby participants faced punishments such as being washed with oil and flour before having eggs broken and poured into their clothing - I'm glad I was a spectator!

Last night we attended a concert by an amazing (and easy on the eyes) Italian Violinist, Vincenzo Gentile from Anacona in Italy. The violin he was playing was made in the 1700's and is currently insured for $200,000 - the collector/owner asked Vincenzo to take it on tour so that people around the world could see the violin and enjoy the sound of this most amazing instrument - and we did hear the most beautiful music imaginable eminate from that violin.

Cotonou, Benin - we headed ashore at Cotonou, unsure of what to expect - the Lonely Planet describes it as follows: "Benin's commercial capital is an unlovable example of urban Africa, and spending a day here is like being locked in a car with a chain-smoking speed freak. The zemi-johns (scooter taxis) swarm down the boulevards like kamikaze pilots, filling the air with fumes that only clear at night."

With our inside information as described above, we set out to explore some parts of Benin. A shuttle bus took us to the Cotonou city centre where we saw badly littered streets - streets lined with food and clothing markets manned by both Benin and Nigerian people. We made a deal with a taxi driver to take us out to visit the village of Ganvie which is a little further out in Southern Benin.

Ganvie is sometimes nicknamed The Venice of Africa. It is a village of 30,000 people built out over the shallow waters of Lake Nokoue, accessible by pirogue (flat bottomed boat) which is designed for navigating shallow waters. Ganvie's bamboo homes and huts are built on stilts three feet above the water and all these buildings are linked by canals. We pulled into the local Hotel, also built over the water, and enjoyed a cool beer and bottle of water on the deck. When I walked down the hallway across floorboards with views down to the waters below, I was lucky enough to see a Ganvie style Hotel Ensuite room .... hmmmmm very interesting ... just outside of the open back door the vision I saw of huts on stilts, children fishing and people paddling along in their dug out canoes gave me an image of the real Africa, Africa in it's very own natural environment - it was a wonderful view and one which I shall never forget.

Lome, Togo - The nation of Togo is a narrow strip of country which features a full range of landscapes and cultures. Togo boasts over 40 different ethnic groups with their own traditions and rituals - interestingly this region is the home of voodoo, which migrated to Haiti as a result of the slave trade.

We were ready to explore the capital of Togo, unfortunately just before we disembarked the heavens opened and it then rained for most of the day. We took the shuttle bus into the city centre and set off into the market place. The people here dress in very bright and vibrant colours and material is available to purchase in about 10 and 12 yard lengths for approximately $10 to $20 US, which is very cheap - unfortunately these lengths of material are quite substantial in weight, thus making a purchase costly in terms of excess baggage on the journey back home. The women take their clothing down to the sea to wash as they say the salt water ensures the colour lasts in the fabric for many years - I guess that would also eliminate the need for spray starch!

Tema & Accra, Ghana - Europeans, mainly the Portuguese descended on Ghana in the 15th century in search of gold - with the wealth of the slave trade many of these early settlers decided to stay on and the region was named "The Gold Coast". Ghana is one of the most densely populated countries in West Africa and has a total population of about 20 million.

A group of us on board ship hired an eight seater wagon and set off for the day. Tema was originally a fishing village but today it is the largest and the main port for Ghana. One hour's drive north in the capital city of Accra we visited the Botanical Gardens and smelt many plants and trees growing there, some of which we use in our homes and in our cooking - eg cinnamon, bay leaf, allspice and camphor. We saw real extremes in Ghana - very wealthy people in beautiful large homes and very poor people living in shanties. The people have lovely big wide smiles and white teeth - the kids love to wave and say hello. Goats roam about the fields and streets and it was rare to catch sight of a dog.

We had a most unusual visit to a "Coffin Maker" - he makes coffins in whatever style the customer so chooses - he told me he has visitors who come from Europe - they bring their drawing/plan with them - place their particular order for a coffin and then the builder constructs it, paints it and ships it to them in Europe - virtually a door to door service! What more could one want? Completed coffins we saw today included - a chocolate topped ice cream sundae, a camera, a jet plane, a pineapple, a car, a truck, a magpie, an eagle, a bottle of beer and a lion - how bizarre!

The next three days will be at sea so there'll be some relaxation on the cards.

Dingo Beach to Knysna, South Africa

Today we set off for our next adventure - 3 months of travelling, mostly in Africa. Our good friends, Brenda and Darryl from Dingo Beach have joined us for a couple of months, so we're sure we'll have many adventures ahead.

Col & Eileen arrived in two cars and organised our transportation to Proserpine Airport. In Brisbane we headed for the Emirates counters, organised our seating and headed to our the departure gate in readiness for our 14 hour flight to Dubai.

While on the flight my breakfast was delayed and then forgotten about. When the hostess realised I had no breakfast, she was so apologetic for the oversight. Within minutes my breakfast was delivered. I was not concerned - things happen! After breakfast was over the hostess returned with a gift for me - a bottle of NZ Sauvignon Blanc, a box of Belgian chocolates and two large bags of mixed nuts! I must always remember it pays to be patient and understanding!
We arrived in Dubai - picked up our hire car and headed to our hotel which we booked online before we left home. We stayed at the Grand Flora Hotel and paid $100 for B&B in a 4 star hotel - it was excellent. Dubai lacks one major item in my opinion - a good street map. We certainly managed to get around and were able to see all the major sites, but a decent map would have been a bonus. Dubai is quite a place - lots of concrete and lots of roadways. We visited Bur Al Arab, the Palms and checked out the beaches of Jumeriah. We visited the old Spice souq and the old Gold souq, where Brenda and I both scored some beautiful jewellery.

In the evening, we visited a roof top bar and ordered some beer - at $6.50 each we decided to give the rooftop a miss, head back to our Hotel and partake of my lovely Emirates' gift. We had a great sleep that night, but very sadly I awoke to the news that my Uncle Bob had passed away in Greenville, upstate New York. Pat and I visited Auntie Bertha and Uncle Bob just last July in 2009, so I am so happy we had the opportunity to spend quality time with them both while we were there. Uncle Bob was an amazing man - at 81 years of age he embraced the latest technology and recently set up Broadband and Skype on his home computer.

In the afternoon of day two in Dubai, we set out for the desert in a Toyota Landcruiser. We had a great day - driving around the sand hills of the desert - dune bashing! It was a crazy drive and at the same time, very exciting - there were 100's of Toyotas dune bashing - all very organised of course. Following our driving extravaganza we arrived at a Bedoin camp and experienced a fantastic evening of belly dancing, twirling Dervishes, Arabian music and dancing. Our buffet dinner was out of this world - the spices and flavourings were truly amazing. Brenda and Darrell set off on a camel ride for a new experience - the look on Brenda's face told the story - they had a ball.

The eruption of the volcano in Iceland has sent airlines and airports into chaos in the northern parts of Europe. To date, approximately 16,000 flights thave been cancelled with travellers being stranded in all parts of the world. Fortunately, Dubai flights south were unaffected so we headed off to Johannesburg the capital of South Africa. We organised an 18 day overland trip in South Africa from Johannesberg to Cape Town with a travel specialist company called Drifters - this is a new way of travel for us, so we're interested to see how it will all work out. They provide the transport and a guide so then off we will go.

There is much to be said about Africa - but where do we begin to understand it? The following quotes give us food for thought.

Apartheid is exactly where it belongs - in a museum.

To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. (Nelson Mandela)

Johannesburg is a huge city with a population of 10 million. We checked into the Drifters Inn and had a great night's sleep - changing international time zones plays a bit of havoc with the body so it takes a few days to settle back into a good pattern. We decided to book onto an organised tour of Johannesburg and Soweto, in order to gain a better insight into the political situations in Africa, the abolishment of Apartheid and the lifestyles of its peoples. Our tour of 6 hours certainly opened our eyes and explained many things to us, we previously we unaware of. We visited a street in Soweto where both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu had lived - both of these amazing visionaries were also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

We lashed out at dinner and thoroughly enjoyed our meals of South African Kudu, crocodile, ostrich and fish. After dinner we headed out onto the back patio, where we commenced our briefing for our next day's early morning start on Drifters 18 Day Tour of South Africa. We met our fellow passengers: from Canada - Bruno and Michel from Montreal and Marie-Lynn from Ottawa; from New Zealand - Amy from Christchurch and our crew from Dingo Beach - ourselves, Brenda and Darrell.

After a delicious brekky of bacon and scrambled eggs we boarded our purpose built truck, met our character of a guide, Krusty and headed out to explore parts of South Africa. The truck is extremely comfortable with bucket seats, loads of leg room and floor to ceiling windows for great viewing. Highlights on today's trip included Dullstroom, Robbers' Pass and the historic town of Pilgrim's Rest. We also visited Bourke's Luck Potholes and the Blyde River Canyon, where we saw some spectacular scenery.

We wound our way down the escarpment to the Lowveld camp of Bushveld where we pulled up stumps for two nights. We were all guided to our bush cabins by our native tracker, Vusi - who coincidentally was born on 6th September 1976, the same day as our daughter Kelli. Our tent style cabins come complete with an ensuite so we have no need to venture outside during the night - Vusi told us not leave our tents during the night as lions and leopards roam freely. The evening sky lit up, the thunder clapped and the rain came down - we were to experience a Bushveld thunderstorm.

After a great night's sleep our day commenced with traditional buttermilk rusks and coffee. We then headed out for a game walk with Krusty and Vusi - where we also learned a lot about native plants and bush medicine. Vusi also identified various animal droppings and footprints including elephant, lion, antelope, white rhinocerous and giraffe. In the late afternoon we will be going out in open vehicles to look for animals - I think there is a refreshing element of safety being in a vehicle as opposed to being on foot. Today we learnt a valuable lesson – every piece of shit tells a story! We even had a competition to see who could spit a piece of Impala dung (dried) the furtherest! We called this our SOS competition - spit or swallow! Vusi spit the furtherest and then Pat came second - that must be the bushy in him!

While at Bushveld Camp we set off on our first open-vehicle game drive in the afternoon, had sundowner drinks alongside a waterhole and then continued on our evening game drive. We had an amazing night drive and saw many animals in their natural wild state - I especially love the giraffes. At one stage we came across a herd of elephants – all was okay until we drove close to some baby elephants – that’s when the Mums and Dads started getting a bit edgy and were indicating for us to get going! One young buck walked up behind our “open” vehicle and began flapping his ears at us! Krusty and Vusi decided it was time for us to head on out – we felt they made a great decision! Our guides have never seen so many elephants in one place, so it was a great night for all!

As we were driving out of our Bushveld Camp we looked out the right hand side of our truck and we were all lucky enough to see a Lioness. The day was spent travelling through the rural Bushbuck ridge area to the sleepy settlement of Hazyview and then on to the Drifters Hazyview Inn, which is built from logs and is perched up high on stilts in the subtropical forest on the banks of the Sabie River. When we arrived, we were greeted by the resident Ostrich and Warthogs which roam freely around the property! After dinner and a few drinks we all sat around the table and spent a fabulous night playing cards. I can't remember when we laughed so much - Bruno taught us all to play "Whatever" and "Salad".

A short distance away from Hazyview is the world famous Kruger National Park, which will be our home for this night. We spent the entire day viewing animals from the high vantage point of our purpose built truck. What an amazing experience to be able to drive through this wonderful park and see the wild animals of Africa roaming around. We saw many animals including, zebras, giraffes, rhinocerous, hippopotamus, wildebeest, buffalo, elephants, monkeys, baboons, steenbok, klipspringer, impala, mongoose and many birds of the African bush. As we were driving out of the park we were lucky enough to see a Lion and Lioness sitting in the grasses close by to the road.

It certainly is a small world - unbelievably while we were in Kruger Park we ran into Vic and Leanne Barnett, and Col & Elizabeth MacBean, friends from our Middlemount days.
After our big day out viewing the animals, Pat volunteered to cook, so we all enjoyed our Spagetti Bolognaise for dinner - I know Krusty enjoyed the night off from cooking!

We travelled south from Kruger Park through Swaziland through spectacular scenery and saw many traditional homesteads built in the round shape - many are built from mud and straw. We entered an area once ruled by the famed Shaka Zulu - this area is a centre for many Game Reserves. Our first stop was the local supermarket where we stocked up for our next few days. While I was walking around the supermarket I noticed some older women smiling broadly - I stopped to say "hello" and the next minute I was dancing in the aisles with one of the Zulu women - what a hoot! After shopping, we headed onto our "rustic" campsite in a sand forest where we stayed for the next two nights.

Our cabins were small A frames which just fitted two single beds and we shared the camp amenities with the rest of our group. In the morning we set off on a game walk through some amazing vegetation and scrub. At one stage we were walking beside a little stream when Krusty jumped back and told us all to get back - he came upon a large cream and brown coloured South African Python which was in the strike position in the water beside our walking track. What a big snake! It moved slowly in the water away from us and headed toward the opposite side of the stream - they estimate it was about 3 to 4 metres in length.

In the afternoon, we headed off in our "open" game vehicle for Hluhluwe (pronounced Sha-slew-ee) National Park which ended up being a spectacular trip - we also came across a group of 7 giraffes, one of which walked right up alongside our vehicle and walked down the road in front of us. The giraffe is a very elegant animal - they look spectacular in the bush picking their leaves from the treetops. We also saw a herd of buffalos, several rhinos and even a rhino with a baby - possibly only a couple of days old.

When we stay in the camping areas we all take turns and share in the washing up and cleaning up after meals. Our group of eight (plus Krusty) gets along very well - we are blessed to have such a well balanced group of people travelling together - our ages are from 26 to 61 and our average age group is 51.

We left our Zululand campsite in the morning and visited a nearby rural Zulu school. Just beside the school, we visited the local witchdoctor and her apprentice who had a meeting with us - various questions were asked of her and she seemed to take the answers out of a pile of shells, bones and coin - Krusty told us not to believe anything she said! The Principal then took us in to meet some students and explained that this school exists and operates due to the generosity of support by Drifters and tourists. There are 900 students and 30 teachers in the school and they certainly offer many subjects. We were then taken in to meet a large group of grade 12 students who began to sing for us. Well it took our breath away - they sang so beautifully and then they started to sway and began dancing as well. To say this display was spectacular would be an understatment - it was truly amazing. The boys and the girls gave it their all and we were treated to a fantastic display of singing and dancing by these young African students.

As we headed toward the magnificent coastline of eastern Africa we could see the waves of the Indian Ocean crashing onto the shoreline of deserted beaches. About 20 klms north of Durban we wound our way down the hills to the Drifters Dolphin Coast Inn, which is amazingly located right on the beach. All the rooms come complete with white sheets on the beds and spectacular ocean views, so it was wonderful to hear the waves crashing and look out to sea after our amazing inland Safari.

Our evening meal was a traditional fish braai, which is a delicious local smoked fish called Snook. This evening was the first opportunity we had had in a while to check emails, although the internet was painfully slow, after which we had an early night.

We spent three hours in Durban the following morning before once again heading west, this time towards the Drakensberg Ranges. When we reached the foothills we all transferred into a 4WD vehicle for a 6 klm trip up to the Drifters Drakensberg Inn where we will spend the next two nights in cosy log cabins.

Our log cabins are great - each cabin has two bedrooms complete with a log fireplace and a shared bathroom. Brenda, Darrell, Pat and I were allocated Cabin #1 so we headed off to unpack. The weather had become very cold and the rain clouds were low - before long it was raining, so we bundled ourselves up and headed up to the main building for dinner. We had a beautiful dinner cooked by the inn keepers and enjoyed a few drinks before braving the outside cold and heading off to our cabins for a good night's sleep.

The following morning we awoke in our log cabin to the sun shining on the mountainside surrounding our mountain retreat. Straight after breakfast we set off on a mountain walk to see some rock paintings done by the African San people, the earlier inhabitants of this region of Africa. We stopped along the way to rest and enjoyed the crisp mountain air and the magnificent scenery. Later, back at the campsite, I took the opportunity to write up my blog. Ponies were available for anyone wishing to go riding, so in the afternoon Pat, Darrell, Amy and Marie-Lynn set off for an afternoon ride.

Once again, Bruno brought out the playing cards and taught us how to play two more card games "952" and "The Clock". Bruno has an amazing memory and I can't believe how he can play and recall the rules for all the different card games he can play - he's a marvellous teacher and we have great times playing cards with him.

We once again boarded our 4WD vehicle for the 6 klm trip back down the mountain where we loaded our gear back into our tour vehicle which Krusty affectionately calls "Sophie" and set off on a 350 klm trip. We crossed the Oliviershoek Pass and stopped to see the clear turquoise waters of Sterkfontein Dam. During our day's travel we stop along the way and pick up drinks and snacks, South Africa is very well set up for the traveller. The amenities are always very clean and well maintained - yesterday one of the rest areas even had about 20 vases of white roses in the washrooms. Our trip took us through the Golden Gate National Park which is well known for its towering sandstone cliffs and unique wildlife.

Clarens is a small village well known for its art work. We explored the streets and shops and enjoyed a lovely lunch in an outdoor restaurant. Pat and Darrell sussed out a Brewery and spent some time enjoying the samples of beer. Last night at dinner we found out that Brad Pitt was in town but none of us were lucky enough to see him. In the afternoon we travelled on past the township of Ladybrand to Oldenburg property where we had a farm stay for the evening. Our group managed to fill the whole homestead and we enjoyed a lovely lamb stew for dinner in front of the fireplace.

We set off from Oldenburg and headed into the dry Karoo interior. Our journey took us through dry flat lands, much like what I had expected to see in Africa. I must admit I have been blown away by the spectacular scenery we have seen so far - it truly has been amazing. Before arriving at our destination we visited a little township Nieu Bethesda which was established in the late 1800's and checked out the one man band brewery. The samples of the three different types of beer went down very well with the locally made cheeses, breads, olives and kudu salami - a nice little snack before dinner.

After driving along rough dirt roads we finally arrived at Drifters Karoo Inn out in the middle of nowhere! Peter and Christine welcomed us with the most amazing dinner of Springbok in Red Wine, vegetable medley and maize followed by a baked milk pudding and custard - yummo! Peter has worked for Drifters for eight years and Christine came from Switzerland just eight months ago to join him - they originally met a couple of years ago when Peter was a guide on a tour in Kenya and Christine was a passenger.

After a hearty breakfast we set off on a walk to explore the plants and animals of the Karoo. We saw ostriches, tortoise, zebras, springboks, elands, oryx, wilderbeest, boltebok and other smaller animals. Relaxation is the name of the game in the afternoon following the walk so it was great to kick back for a few hours. In the evening Brenda volunteered to cook dinner, so we all enjoyed a beautiful chicken pie, mashed potato, mashed pumpkin and peas. After a few drinks in the bar, we joined in for some card games of "Whatever". By 10:30pm our eyes were getting pretty tired so we set off for our cabin for our last night in the Karoo.

The following morning after an early start we headed out for the coast once again to follow the famous Garden Route of South Africa. The historical town of Graaf-Reinet was our first port of call where we explored the town's famous buildings. Unfortunately there was a power outage, so we were a little restricted in what we were able to see. Our journey took us through the mighty Outeniqua Mountains and through the Outeniqua Pass, the barrier between the dry interior and the lush coastal area. We travelled to the town of Knysna (pronounced Nei-sna) and headed off into the forest to our accommodation at the Drifters Knysna Inn, where we will spend the next three nights in a cosy log cabin hidden deep in the heart of the forest.

Our first day in Knysna began with a visit to the world's highest Bungy Jump - a height of 216 metres. Amy from NZ has previously done 2 bungy jumps and was anxious to notch up a third jump. She was cool, calm and collected as she was strapped up in her safety harness and headed off to the highest bridge in Africa which spans the Groot River. We as spectators had butterflies in our stomachs as she jumped off this perfectly good bridge! She came back very exhilarated and would have even gone for a second jump! We then headed up the coast where we walked along the seashore and crossed over three suspension bridges - visited a Wildlife Rehabilitation centre which specialises in the treatment of wild cats eg leopard, cheetahs etc and then on our way home visited the Elephant Sanctuary. Once back home at our log cabins, Bruno and Michel organised a sumptuous dinner - entree of Mediterannean salad with feta and French stick with goat's cheese, followed by a main of pork fillets with Mediterranean style vegetables. All in all, yet another great day in Africa.

Hello from Istabul, Turkey

In the morning Chris took us to St Elloro train station where we boarded a train for Florence. We went to Platform 10 at Florence station and were pretty happy that we were quite early ... but ... the train went from Platform 9 and we did not hear the change being announced ... so unknowingly we watched our train head out from the Platform beside us! Suddenly we were the only ones left at the platform and there were no more trains! The next train to Verona was in 2 hours time, so we settled back for a bit of a wait. Finally 2 hours later we were on our way and heading to Verona.

When we were on a ferry from the Greek Island of Samos to Kusadasi in Turkey we met a very nice Italian couple, Valero and Ernesta who gave us some good tips on places to visit when we head into Italy, especially Siena and Verona. They said if we do manage to visit Verona to give them a call and they will take us on a tour of their city.

Valero & Ernesta were there at the station to meet us, so we headed out to see the sights of the beautiful City of Verona. It was great to have our own private guide, Valero gave us a great commentary as we walked around the city streets to see the sights. Among the places we visited was the balcony where Shakespere's Juliet was wooed by Romeo - what a popular site that was - scores of people were in the courtyard. Valero then took us to Romeo's house but there were only about 4 visitors there - somehow it just doesn't draw the crowds, like Juliet's house does. We went to the 1st Century Roman Amphitheatre which is known as the Arena, where open air Operas and Rock Concerts are held - this arena can hold 20,000 people. The medieval Town Hall is the former residence of the Della Scala family - they even had their own Church and graveyard. There are so many sights in Verona that it really needs a few days to do it justice - so we'll put a visit to Verona on our To Do List when we next visit Italy.

We made arrangements to meet later for dinner. Valero & Ernesta took us to their local Pizzeria which was just great. This little restaurant has been in the same family for 4 generations and it is run by the family themselves. We ordered pizzas - but it's not so many slices - it's one full pizza each! They were fantastic - really delicious. After our dinner the owner of the restaurant shouted us all coffees and some special liquers - one in particular was from the island of Sardinia, his family home. After dinner, we headed up to the top of the hill and had great views of the city by night.

The following morning it was pouring rain - not the best sightseeing weather so we set off for the station and booked our tickets to Venice for a brief visit. Venice is famous for masquerades - so here it is possible to buy all types, sizes and colours of masks. Our plan was to take the route of the old Orient Express train from Venice to Istanbul. We travelled via Trieze and Koper to Ljubljana the Capital of Slovenia. Slovenia is a beautiful country and reminded us of Bavaria in Germany and Tirol in Austria as we travelled through the mountains.

In Ljubljana we checked into the Cecilia Hostel which is actually an old prison which has been renovated and converted into a Hostel. We managed to get the last "cell" in the place which is famously known as "The Eye". Our room #116 was blue in colour and had a circular bed with 2 ladders attached to the sides. The cell comes complete with the original steel grill windows and door! A bit weird but quite interesting! There was a 5 Euro all you can eat barbeque on the night we arrived, so Pat was pretty happy with that. We met Matt from Sydney, currently based in London, and enjoyed his company for a few after dinner drinks.

The following day was dull and wet as we headed to Belgrade in Serbia. We had a lovely young lady in our carriage - Claudia is from Venezuela but her family now live in Chile. She is studying Environmental Economics and is attending University in Belfast. She was surprised to know I was born in Belfast, so we then had some great chats about Ireland.

A Serbian lady and her Croatian husband came into our carriage later in the day - they were about 5 years older than us. We had no common language but we managed to find out quite a bit about each other and each other's family. They produced a bag of plums and apples from their farm which they insisted we keep. The man stood up and took a bottle of alcohol from his bag - he makes it himself from apples - he took Pat's water bottle from his backpack and proceeded to fill the bottle with the alcohol! There was no chance to decline their hospitality - they just would not take "no" for an answer. We had hand shakes, kisses and cuddles when they left the train.

We took an apartment in the centre of Belgrade and walked into the City Centre in the evening. What a place - hundreds of people out enjoying the nightlife . The City Centre is very attractive - it has obviously come a long way since the days of communism. We bought our train tickets for the following day - a long haul ahead - 24 hours by train from Belgrade to Istanbul in Turkey.
Of course things have to go wrong sometimes.....firstly we were told we were in the wrong carriage as the section of the train we were in would be separated from the rest of the train in a few hours time and would then be heading to Thessaloniki in Greece. We walked back a couple of carriages and chose the best of the worst carriages with the least amount of graffiti on the windows so we could at least see out! Next we were told the carriage we had chosen was 1st class (uuuugggghhhh) and that we should go back to 2nd class - but the conductor must have felt sorry for us and told us we could stay put. The next conductor told us, because of flood damage in Turkey there was no train from Sophia, Bulgaria to Istanbul & that we would have to go by bus (even though we had paid the full train fare).

The next drama was the train broke down just after we had left Serbia and entered Bulgaria so after 1.5 hours wait, a second engine turned up and we were pushed back into Serbia. Of course, this meant customs and immigration all over again! Eventually all was clear and we headed for Sophia. Finally we boarded a bus in Sophia for Istanbul - the bus was brilliant - comfortable and clean - the best part was that we managed to sleep for most of the trip. This was probably the most disruptive day we have had in 4.5 months! However, there is always a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and we are now in Istanbul. Brilliant! What a magnificent place.

A very friendly young Turk showed us how to get out of the biggest bus station I have ever seen in my life and into the Metro, where we headed for the Sultanamet district. Our tram stopped near the magnificent Blue Mosque from where we checked out some Hotels and found a great little place for the next couple of days. It was great to check into our accommodation, wash our clothes and get into a shower to wash off all the grit!

The Blue Mosque is the World's largest mosque and truly a sight to behold. It was built by Sultan Ahmet 1 between 1603 and 1617 - it was built to surpass the nearby Aya Sofya in grandeur and beauty. We removed our shoes and walked inside the mosque - or should I say - sunk into the thick carpet which covers the floor. It is certainly an amazing Istanbul landmark. After leaving the mosque we headed for the magnificent Grand Bazaar to do a bit of retail therapy - this Bazaar has 4,500 shops in all - something to suit everyone.

In the evening we went out for dinner to a restaurant with a group playing traditional music and a display by a Dervish Dancer. When we returned to our Hotel we headed for the rooftop terrace where we had the most magnificent views of Istanbul by night and the Blue Mosque which is beautifully lit up.

This morning we decided to take an open-top doubledecker bus city tour to have a good look around the city of Istanbul. In the afternoon we visited Topkapi Palace and its 400 room Harem - we also visited the Basilica Cistern which is an underground water reservoir for the Palace and surrounds originally built in the 7th century. We called PJ this afternoon and he advised that Pat should not leave Istanbul without experiencing a Turkish Bath and Massage. He took PJ's advice and visited the Old Istanbul Turkish Bath, which he would now thoroughly recommend.

This morning we must pack our bags and begin to head home. We fly out of Istanbul at 1:35pm and will visit Dubai for one night then Singapore for 2 nights before heading into Brisbane on 23rd September.

Hello from Villa Pitiana, Tuscany, Italy

The following morning after breakfast, we headed up the street to catch a taxi to the bus station. Our next destination was Ohrid on the banks of Lake Ohrid. This must be Macedonia's holiday playground. The lake borders both countries of Macedonia and Albania. We found a Hotel along the waterfront and did a bit of bargaining - we managed to then get a suite on the 3rd floor overlooking the lake - just gorgeous! The city has a lovely centre and of course the usual many shops and shopping opportunities. We've been hanging out for some good vegies so we ordered vegetable soup and vegetables for dinner which was pretty good. Our balcony gave us some lovely views out across the lake both during the day and at night.

In the morning we booked a boat cruise up the lake to the Monastery of St Narm, which is right on the border with Albania. The lake surface was like glass as we cruised along enjoying the beautiful scenery. We visited the old Monastery and walked along a crystal clear stream which ran straight into the lake. Apparently there are 31 springs which feed the steam and the lake. The lakeside beaches are beautiful - of course Pat found a lovely spot to relax and enjoy the sun for a couple of hours.

We had to organise our transport into Albania the following morning. We took a taxi to the town of Struga on the border and from there a bus to Durres on the Adriatic Coast. Albania is full of small domed concrete and steel bunkers, with rectangular slits to see out of - they are located along the highways, on hilltops, front gardens and just about anywhere - the countryside is dotted with them. They were built between 1950 and 1985 and weigh about 5 tons. When we left the bus in Durres we had to walk about 2 klms before we arrived at the coastal area where we found plenty of accommodation and checked into a hotel with great views out across the Adriatic Sea.

In the morning we took a taxi to the bus station and checked onto the bus to Skodra - from there we took a mini bus to the border of Montenegro - the world's newest country. Our bus took us onto Bar on the Adriatic coast, from there we headed 2 hours further north to Kotor. The country is very mountainous with magnificent coastal scenery and the city of Kotor is located on Europe's southernmost fiord. We walked down into the Old City bypassing the touts trying to sell rooms at "their" place.

We priced some Hotels in the area - the first one we checked out was priced at 155 euros and the second one was 120 euros, which were far too expensive. As we were discussing where to stay, a lovely elderly gentleman approached us to see if we would like to stay at his home as he had a couple of rooms he rents out. We went to have a look - his home was centuries old and was once the home of a President - we thought that should be okay for us - and the price was only 25 euros! It sure pays to shop around. To top it off, we had a great night's sleep in a very comfortable room.

The city of Kotor is an ancient maritime and cultural centre. Right behind the city are high mountains which protect the city and the coastline area from the severe northern climate. The walls of the city zig zag their way up to the top of the mountain, across the top and down the other side - quite a sight to behold. The old city is full of narrow streets and squares and has many valuable monuments of medieval architecture thus allowing it to be included in the UNESCO list of World Natural and Cultural Heritage.

The following morning we took the bus to Dubrovnic, Croatia. The scenery out of Kotor through the fiord was spectacular as we headed northward to Dubrovnic. This city is considered Croatia's Jewel in the Crown. This old city is even more spectacular than Kotor but each is different and both great to see. We were checking out the Tourist Office in Dubrovnic when Nicolai approached us to see if we would like to take an apartment at his place - we had a few laughs with him and decided to go with him and check it out. Well we took the apartment for 2 days and had a great time there with both Nicolai and his wife Marija who are both 75 years of age. Nothing was too much trouble and Nicolai offered to take us to the Old City later in the afternoon. Seeing we had out own cooking facilities we decided to go to the markets, buy some fresh produce and cook our own dinner, for a change. Well we had a ball buying our fresh vegetables and chicken for dinner that night - we actually bought enough for 2 night's meals which was a great change.

Nicolai makes his own red and white wines and brandy - of course he insisted we sample them all. Another young couple from Manchester, Paul and Hetal, were also staying there, so we all enjoyed a few drinks out on the terrace overlooking the beautiful bay.

Marija and Nicolai came out to say goodnight and I had a kiss and cuddle from both. They are lovely people and being at their place is like being at home. Nicolai was telling us their family home was bombed in the 1991 war and he rebuilt here a couple of hundred metres down the road. He showed us his family's land which has been in his family for over 700 years - now that's a bit of family history! Sadly they told us about 2 little boys who had been killed in the bombing of Dubrovnic - their young nephews.

Marija booked a hairdresser's appointment for me the following morning and all went well - which was great when I think back to my hair colouring episode in western China when my hair turned out a golden yellow colour! Our second day in Dubrovnic was a miserable day - it stormed and poured rain - quite a change for us as we hadn't seen rain since Canada. We walked down to the bus station and booked our tickets for the following day, but the rest of the day was very relaxing. We enjoyed a couple of drinks with Paul and Hetel after dinner. The following day they were heading back to work in Manchester and we were heading onto Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina.

We took the bus to Bosnia and Hercegovina and checked into our accommodation. In Mostar we booked a driver to take us to Medugorje about 40 klms away where 6 children in the 1980's began having apparitions and hearing messages from Our Lady, Mary. We walked to the foot of the hill where the apparations began but I knew I wouldn't be able to climb to the top and back down in time to meet our driver - so Pat headed up the hill and I went back to the Church where I met up with our driver. He and I waited a little while and then drove towards the hill, where we met Pat along the way. I would have liked to climb to the top, so I'll put that one down for a future trip. Pat said the climb was rugged and the rock path is sharp and quite treacherous. Many people come here on a pilgrimage and this climb has been done by about 20 million visitors to Medugorje over the past 25 years.

Mostar is home of the Stari Most a UNESCO World Heritage bridge. Mostar was badly bombed during the war in the 90's and the bridge was destroyed - it has since been rebuilt and is open to visitors. At the top of the bridge is a Divers' Club, from where men and boys will dive into the river below - of course, for a fee. We walked many kilometres this day and on our way home called into a little restaurant and had the greatest pizza - the first one we've had on this trip.
In Bosnia and Hercegovina evidence is everywhere of the war in the 90's - bullet riddled and bombed buildings stand alongside new and restored buildings. There are restrictions on where to go and where to walk because of unexploded ordanances and mines - especially off the beaten track. It is suggested to tiptoe lightly in the countryside - we were happy to follow the well beaten routes.

We have been in several countries over the past couple of weeks, including Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina - many of these countries are small in area and so close together that it only take a matter of hours to travel through.

Our bus driver from Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina to Split in Croatia was one of the best drivers we have encountered on this trip - he was very pleasant, didn't smoke under the "no smoking" sign and was a great driver. The high mountains and scenery on this narrow strip of Croatia's Adriatic coast is nothing short of spectacular - it would have to be among the most beautiful scenic drives in the world. The coastline has little villages all along the way with homes and apartments built along the seashore and high up the hills. Of course, every little hamlet has beautiful bays and beaches and accommodation is plentiful - the colour scheme for buildings here is white, beige and terracotta. What a day - what a spectacular drive!

Split is a main shipping port for Croatia with ferries heading out into the Adriatic at all hours of the day. We booked a cabin on the evening ferry to Ancona, Italy - checked our bags in and headed off into yet another Old City. Yes another beautiful city and another beautiful place. After exploring the narrow walkways and squares we bought ice creams and sat on the seafront boulevard to enjoy the scenery and soak up the atmosphere in this wonderful place. Croatia - yes I would certainly recommend it - it is a wonderful place to visit.

At 6:30pm we checked into our spacious cabin on the Blue Line Ferry just below the Captain and the bridge and sat down to enjoy some local ham, cheese and fresh bread, washed down with a nice cold Croatian beer! We had a good crossing overnight and arrived in Ancona, Italy the following morning at 7:30am.

We walked up out of the Port and boarded a bus heading to the train station. In 10 minutes the next train arrived for Rimini our check in point for the Republic of San Marino. There are no trains in San Marino access is by car or bus. We took the bus from Rimini and headed to San Marina. The Republic of San Marino is an enclave within Italy. Ahead of the bus we could see a mountain and on the very top a castle - yes that was our destination. The bus climbed up the mountain - and up - and up!

The territory of San Marino is 61 sq klm and is mostly hill country with Mt Titano in the centre. The Republic is independent, democratic and neutral - although it continues to remain faithful to its ancient traditions, it is becoming more progressive. We watched the Changing of the Guards at the Palace and watched a great demonstration with flag bearers in traditional costume in front of the Palace. We stayed inside the fortress in a Hotel but noticed that once the last tourist bus leaves at 7pm the the shops and restaurants close and the town becomes quiet. Our Hotel room was right next door to the bell tower of a Church so we heard the bell tolling every hour and at every 15 minute interval - fortunately we were very tired and did not hear the bells toll until 6:00am.

The morning bus took us back to Rimini, from where we took trains to Bologna, Florence and then onto Siena in Central Italy. Siena is considered a Gothic gem and is said to be one of Italy's most enchanting towns. In the centre of the walled centre, the medieval Piazza del Campo is a sloping square where people come to sit, watch, eat, drink, kick back and just plain enjoy the sunshine. We walked many kilometres within the city and checked out the churches, buildings and piazzas. In the evening we went to a supermarket and bought up local produce for a great dinner back at our Hotel.

Siena is famous for the annual event called the Palio held in July and August, whereby a bareback horse race is held round Il Campo. The city is divided into 17 districts of which 10 are chosen annually to compete for the silk banner. The only rule in the three lap race is that jockeys cannot tug the reins of other horses. We were awoken in the early hours of the morning by the banging of drums and singing as they passed by our window - the celebrations go on into September, but we were told this is the now the finale.

We were a bit unsure of the logistics of our next day's travel to Victor & Heather's Wedding in Tuscany. We had an address and directions but many Italians shook their heads and were as unsure of the location as we were. All eventually worked out and we made out way by local bus from Florence to a little village in Tuscany, called Tosi. Tosi has no public transport so we headed off on foot down through the Tuscan hills to Villa Pitiana about 3 klms past Tosi. When we had walked about 2 klms a lovely man stopped, bundled us and our bags into his car and took us right to the door of Villa Pitiani.

Victor & Heather's Wedding Celebration was the commencement of three fabulous days at Villa Pitiana in Tuscany. We met Heather in Scotland 2 years ago and told Victor we certainly give her the thumbs up! It was a wonderful get together with family and friends travelling from all parts of the World - to mention a selection - Australia, Scotland, Italy, Ireland, Russia, France, Spain, England, South America, USA, Switzerland and Libya.

A Wedding in Tuscany is considered to be one of the most romantic destinations in the World and I would have to agree. The Wedding Ceremony was held in the Cloisters within the Villa - the bride was radiant and her matron of honour was brilliant; the groom and attendants were resplendant in their tartan Kilts; as was Heather's Dad, Hugh. There was so much attention to detail and everything went off perfectly. The Italian food and wine is something else and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. It was great to catch up with friends from home and to make new friends. It was especially great to catch up with Sandy and Santina from Ayr, who we first met in Mackay several years ago. Pat used to work with their son Chris at Burton Coal - he also used to work with Victor at Burton Coal. It was great to meet Chris's wife, Pauline and hear that they are expecting their first baby in March of 2010.

Tomorrow we will travel through to Verona. We will have one more week of travel from Italy to Istanbul in Turkey, from where we will begin our trip home.

Hello from Skopje, Macedonia

We spent some time visiting with Meni in her office before we headed off on the morning ferry for the Island of Kos. We went to an outdoor restaurant for dinner and walked around the town square enjoying the sights and atmosphere. We decided we would to do a bit of an island crawl for the next few days up through the Greek Islands on our way back to Turkey.

The following day we pulled into Kalamos Island briefly on our way to Leros Island. A
retired fisherman started up his own restaurant on Leros, where we headed for dinner in the evening. He chatted to us quite a bit and told Pat to come back in the morning and he'd teach him how to splice rope, We went back to his restaurant before lunch and Pat had a great lesson - he has now shipped his splicing ropes back home for later reference.

Our next island was Lipsi - a beautiful little island that is not overrun with tourists - very laid back and enjoyable. The months of July and August are very busy with swarms of visitors on school holidays from many parts of Europe, so the end of August and the month of September are brilliant times to visit the Greek Islands. The crowds have gone home, the prices are cheaper, the weather is glorious and the sun is not as hot. The people on the islands are very friendly - even our Pansione owner Marina, kissed and cuddled us every time she saw us.
We met a couple, Chris & Maryanne, from Tasmania and they told us this is the twelfth year they have visited Lipsi for holidays. They love coming here because the sea is wonderful for swimming in and it is possible to swim quite far without encountering any dangers that might lurk below the surface. I find the smaller islands very enjoyable also - I'm not too keen on huge crowds - I guess Dingo Beach has rubbed off on me.

At Lipsi, our room was was right on the bay - the water was about 20 metres from our front door. Pat decided to bus out to the beach for a little while before the ferry arrived - I decided to stay at home and type up my blog. What happened? He fell asleep on the beach - missed the bus - and had to hitch hike back! No dramas as I was all packed up and ready to go. The next day we visited the island of Patmos, where we spent a few hours before heading to Samos.

Samos Island is also a great little place - the bay is full of boats - all shapes and sizes from the tiny little fishing boats to multi million dollar super yachts. Outdoor restaurants hug the bay and the waiters are out on the walkways trying to entice passers-by into their establishments. The atmosphere is great and the competition between the restaurants keep the prices very reasonable.

The ferry headed out of Samos onto Kusadasi on the Turkish coast, from where we headed north by bus to Canakkale which is just across the water from the Gallipoli Peninsula. On the bus, we met up with a young Canadian couple from Edmonton, Tara and Robin who were travelling around Turkey for their honeymoon. To make the most of our time, we decided to take the ferry at 9pm across the Dardannelle Strait to Eceabat. The Dardannelle Strait connects the Mediterranean to the Black Sea - a very strategic wartime area which connects directly into Istanbul.

Tara and Robin were also maximising their time before heading back to Istanbul, so we were lucky enough to be able to organise a tour of Gallipoli Peninsula with our own guide and in an air conditioned taxi. Our guide was great and he made our trip very enjoyable - he has been a guide here for 24 years and is so passionate about what he does. He was able to tell us wonderful stories we otherwise would not have heard. Gallipoli is a truly beautiful place yet very tragic.
We heard the stories about the badly planned decision to land our troops on the beautiful beach at Brighton Beach - the sea current was not taken into account - therefore pushing the landing barges and the troops 2 klm further north to Anzac Cove and the base of the mountainside - from above the Turks had clear vision of the troops below.

Anzac Day - 25th April 1915 is forever etched into the memories of Australians and New Zealanders. We toured some of the gravesites where headstones are marked out with the names and particulars of those who lost their lives. The headstones are tokens only - the bodies are buried all over the peninsula - many buried where they fell. In the Gallipoli campaign around 500,000 lives were lost, one of the the worst wartime blunders of all time.

Our travel from Eceabat through to Greece was a bit disjointed, but all eventually worked out. We took a bus to Kesan - a taxi to the Turkey / Greece border - hitchiked across no mans' land (as it is a Military Zone and no one is permitted to walk) - our driver then took us onto Alexandroupolis from where we took a train to Thessaloniki on the Greek coast.

The following day, we booked a train through to Skopje the capital of Macedonia. We shared our 6 seater cabin with 2 lovely young girls and their Mum who were travelling home to Skopje. Boyana (15 yrs) Yvona (13 yrs) and their Mum, Stefka were delightful company on the journey through Macedonia. Both girls could speak English quite well and their Mum could understand a lot of English but was not as vocal as the girls. The country is quite mountainous but with lots of good farming land. Vegetables of all kinds are grown here in Macedonia - as with other Mediterranean countries, the tomatoes are sensational - naturally red and vine ripened.

After checking into our great little hotel we headed out to the Old Bazaar, but being Sunday, many of the shops were closed. At the markets Pat bought 2 klgs of muscatel grapes for the equivalent of $1.25 Australian - he was in his element. We also bought 1 klg of peaches for about 80 cents.

The little restaurant nextdoor to our Hotel cooked our dinner even though it had reached closing time. We had great spareribs, salad and the most beautiful freshly baked cob of bread - the Macedonian beer and wine were also very good. In the morning we headed into the City Centre to visit the Blessed Mother Teresa centre. Mother Teresa was born in Skopje and the City is very proud to call her one of their own. What a magnificent lady she was - her legacy lives on.

Hello from Rhodes, Greece

The 12 hour bus trip to Olympus set off from Goreme as scheduled at 9.30am. The bus was luxurious and very comfortable - leather reclining seats - headsets - huge windows and even seat belts. During the day we travelled through the magnificent Taurus Mountains as we wound our way down to the Mediterranean coast. As soon as we arrived at the Saban Pension in Olympus we were greeted by Aussies, Adam, Jayne and Mark who we had originally met in Egypt. Adam and Jayne had joined up with Mark's overland tour and were gearing up for an early morning departure. I was really exhausted after our long bus trip, so after dinner I was ready for a good night's sleep.


Olympus is the site of an ancient city and a 10 minute walk from our accommodation took us through the ruins and onto the beach. The water is crystal clear although the beach is a pebble beach and quite rocky. Word was out - there were hundreds on the beach enjoying the sun and the sea. Our second day at Olympos is a rest day as the Turkey Trots have caught up with us - have started antibiotics so should be spot on in about 24 hours.


The following morning we took the little bus to the highway 11 klms away and waited for the bus to Kas further north on the Mediterannean Coast. Our bus climbed up over the mountains and down into Kas (pronounced Cash). As we came down the mountain the views out to sea were quite spectacular. Mark had recommended the Ates Pension as a great place to stay so we checked in and were given a room on the 3rd floor with a balcony and views out over the bay - just gorgeous. The rooftop is the restaurant and living area - all open air and with great views.


We had bought the kids some t-shirts so headed into town and posted a parcel off to home. About 3 klm across the strait from Kas is one of the Greek Islands called Kastellorizo. Pat's mate Mick "Wombat" often chats about this island, where his descendants came from, so we decided to book a trip out there for the following day. That night we had dinner up on the Terrace and watched the sun set over the Mediterranean.


What a wonderful place we have arrived in - Kas - this part of the Mediterranean Coast is special - there's probably not enough superlatives to describe it. The little town is spread out around the bay and is dotted with an abundance of beautiful little restaurants - no shortage of eating places here.


Our ferry headed over to Kastellorizo on time and we sat up the front on the foredeck enjoying the scenery and the sea breeze. We cruised into the main Harbour on the island quite a picture perfect location. Many original buildings have been rebuilt and restored - the buildings are brightly coloured and skirt the clear aqua blue waters. Kastellorizo was used as a refuelling point for Air France's sea planes on their way to the Middle East and Egypt - it was also a major Mediterranean shipping port.


Historical Note: It concerns the prosperous past of Kastellorizo, when it was one of the more important shipping centres of the Mediterranean, with a population of over 10,000 and its decline, brought about by emigration and a series of disputes linked to international politics and war. Key dates in this sequence are the 1913 uprising; the French occupation 1915 - 1921; the Italian occupation 1921 - 1945; the earthquake of 1926; the systematic bombings and fires of 1943 - 1945; the evacuation of the island and the horrific return journey of the refugees in 1945, when transport caught fire.


The island has had its fair share of tragedy and sadly it succumbed to invasions, fires and earthquakes. The residents were finally evacuated to the mainland and other countries, especially the Middle East, in 1926. There seems to have been a big emigration to Australia around this time - which would explain why Mick "Wombat" is over there, and such a valued Australian at that! We spent a lovely day on Kastellorizo and returned to Kas in the afternoon. In the evening we walked into town to enjoy the local cuisine and the atmosphere.


The following morning, we said goodbye to Kas and headed to Fethiye further north along the Turkish coast. We took the shuttle bus from town to our accommodation, but on arrival found out that ferries to the Greek Island of Rhodes wouldn't be leaving for 3 days, so we made a quick change to our plans. We headed back into town and caught the next bus further on to Marmaris where ferries do leave regularly for the Greek Islands.


Marmaris does not have the appeal that Kas does. It is a major centre for package holiday tours from Britian and other places so the town is jam packed full of holidaymakers. Developers have put up major buildings with little or no town planning in place. After dinner we headed back to our hotel and relaxed around the pool in the cool of the evening. The days here are hot and muggy - nothing like the heat we have already experienced, but it is very humid.


The fast ferry left for Rhodes at 9am so we headed off to visit another Greek Island for a couple of days. Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese group and due to the group's close proximity to the coast of Turkey, this group of islands has also suffered a turbulent past. The island of Rhodes is famous for producing the most flowers and sunny days in the Greek Islands.
Rhodes has a World Heritage listed Old Town and is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe. Most places seem to have their own little claim to fame and they love to let visitors know what it is. It's a great Old Town to explore, but like many other places with rough cobble-stoned streets a few hours walking around takes its toll.



In the late afternoon we hired a little Hyundai and headed south-west out of the city to the coastal down of Lindos where we stayed the night and went out for some Greek dinner - a nice little change after Middle Eastern food.


The island is very mountainous with beautiful scenery and coastal views from high up in the mountains. I think Pat forgot he wasn't in our 4WD at one stage, as he took a fork in a road which took us down the mountainside and through pine forests to the coast. At times the road resembled a bit of a goat track. The maps are quite hard to read and many of the roads are not marked, so it's a bit of a guessing game at times working out the best route.


We had a couple of hours spare before we had to return the hire car, so we found a lovely little beach and spent the time relaxing. Once again, the Mediterranean has very rocky beaches, but the water is crystal clear. Pat loves lying in the sun but I much prefer a shady tree.


Pat's cousin Terri, has a very close friend who she grew up with in Bundaberg - she lives here on Rhodes, so tomorrow morning after breakfast we're heading off to catch up with her.

Hello from Goreme, Turkey

The 6:30am bus left Palmyra bound for Homs, from where we organised a taxi to Crac des Chevaliers. This amazingly well preserved Castle has been built up on a mountain top overlooking the countryside. Before we set off to explore the Castle, we had a wonderful Mediterranean / Arabic breakfast in the restaurant overlooking the valley. The castle was first built in 1031 and was completed in the 12th century by the Crusader knights. It was open to attack many times but it was built to be impenetrable and remained so until it was eventually handed over to the armies of Islam.

It was then on to Tartus and the city of Lattika on the Mediterranean Sea. We were getting our bearings to head into the city centre, when a lovely young man came up and asked if he could help us. His car was being detailed so he suggested we wait a few minutes and then he would take us into the city centre. He actually lives and works in Dubai as a gold jewellery merchant and gave us his card to come and see him when we plan to visit Dubai in September. Hmmmm.....

We checked into the Lattika Hotel in the City, set out to explore the area and then went out for dinner. The following morning we headed for Kassab on the Syrian border to organise visas for Turkey. No problems - it was all done in about 15 minutes. At Antalya 60 klms inside the Turkish border we organised some Turkey Lirer and U.S. dollars which we like to keep on hand as a standby.

Since travelling in Turkey we've noticed that the streets are cleaner and people seem to take more pride in their homes and gardens. We are hardly seeing any of the strict muslim black robes and face veils for women and the full traditional robes for men. Turkey seems to be very modern and more westernised than some of the other Middle Eastern countries we have visited. The bus fleet in Turkey is very modern - we haven't seen any clapped out old buses which is a refreshing change.

Adana was just another big city so we decided to take an evening bus on to Goreme in Cappadocia. The beautiful countryside of southern Turkey has been a lovely change from the vast deserts areas we have been visiting. Our bus seats were right in the front row so we sat back and enjoyed this documentary which was being played out for us as we travelled along. The worst part of an evening bus trip is that as soon as nightfall arrives the scenery is out of sight. All buses here in Turkey have one or two stewards or stewardesses onboard - serving tea, coffee, water and snacks for the trip. We are also noticing women in the workforce since arriving in Turkey - up until now men have been dominating the work scene in places such as reception, hotels, restaurants, kitchen, shops and the like.

As we were travelling into Cappodocia we could see strange cone-like hills around us and wondered what sights morning would bring. We walked up the cobbled streets of Goreme to The Panoramic Terrace Pension and booked in for 3 nights. Our room was an original cave room in one of these strange little hills - again what will it look like in the morning? It's quite neat to sleep in a cave.

To quote the Lonely Planet: Cappadocia's heavenly backdrop consists of soft volcanic tuff that has been sculpted over millennia into fantastic shapes by water and erosion. The end result is fascinating: huge stone mushrooms (dubbed "fairy chimneys" by locals), soft ridges and deep valleys, acute edges and mild undulations. Early Christians carved chambers, vaults and labyrinths into the chimneys for use as churches, stables and homes.

To see Goreme for the first time in the daylight is amazing - it's hard to believe we are actually in such an amazing place. We went out onto the terrace for brekky and sat and enjoyed the views that had unfolded before us. Our day's tour was booked for an hour's time so we were able to sit and enjoy our leisurely breakfast on the terrace.

What a day we had ahead of us. Our bus trip was made up of Australians, Koreans, Taiwanese, Italian, French, Brazilian and Spanish. Anthony was an Aussie from Sydney and presently working as a teacher in London and his girlfriend Barbara is from Brazil. We climbed many fairy chimneys and could see the homes that were carved out of these hills; we visited dug out churches and chapels; we even visited a full Underground City. We visited Ihlara Valley where lunch was served in a restaurant beside a stream in the bottom of a canyon following a 4 klm walk. All along the walk we could see homes which had been dug out of caves in the walls of the canyon. On the return trip we stopped at Pigeon Valley and saw the beautiful views across Goreme. After dinner that evening we sat out on the deck chatting with Anthony and Barbara until quite late.

In the morning I awoke to an odd noise - I said to Pat it sounded like the gas and flame in a hot air balloon. I went to our window in our little cave and floating just outside our window was a massive hot air balloon with about 15 people on board waving and calling out good morning in the direction of our little window - what a hoot! It was amazing to see the balloon so close to our building (cave) - we went outside and couldn't believe our eyes - we counted 27 hot air balloons floating above the little village of Goreme! What a sight to behold! PJ visited Goreme about 10 years ago on his 3 month backpacking trip - we had often heard of Goreme but had not imagined it to be the spectacular place that it really is.

The following day we walked with Anthony and Barbara to the Goreme Open Air Museum to see more of the little fairy chimneys. We headed back into town for lunch before they set off on the late afternoon bus. Our next stop will be Olympus, so we booked our seats and tickets for the following morning at 9.30.