Tuesday 6 January 2009 Aurangabad, India
No lights this morning, which now means two things ... no toast, or hot shower. Today we headed for the Ajanta Caves. This was about a 1 hour drive, and more cattle, goats, and potholes to contend with. Arriving at the visitor centre you are confronted with lots of shop owners trying to win your affection giving you 'free gifts' of small crystals and telling you their shop number and to make sure you visit on your way back. There is then a short bus ride up into the hills where you are dropped off and can make your way up the steep staircase. Along the way we were greeted with Indians carrying chairs to make your journey more comfortable, of course trying to bargain with you a price to carry you and convince you that the 4km you are about to embark is quite exhausting, and just when you think you are about to cave, you push through and then realise you are at the top and everything is down hill from here. What is down hill is some 30 temples, one after the other, after the other, all carved into a valley ... a horseshoe shaped stone valley. A guide took us through some of the carved temples, all of which are Buddhist, and it is just incredible. Once again we were gob smacked by the attention to detail and the beauty of t.he work. We spent pretty much the whole day here, having lunch, then heading back down in the bus to face the vendors. They are all good business men, and all trying to get a good deal. Funny thing was that it didn't matter if you were in their shop or their mates, they would still try and sell you something to you off the closest shelf. We all did a little bargaining and all came out happy. A little drive back to the hotel and a sleep along the way and we were ready for a lovely dinner and a few drinks ... along with a hot shower (lights were back on).
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
A Cave Hunting We Will Go
Monday 5 January 2009 Pune, India - Aurangabad, India
Vijaya had amazing organized a trip to Aurangabad for us so we could visit Ellora and Ajanta Caves. The 5 of us all went together in a Landcruiser with a driver, Karishma and I in the back on the jump seats. The drive took about 5 hours, and a little bumpy but the driver was brilliant. The traffic in India is extremely dodgey with next to no road rules, and no seatbelts. Combine that with cattle frequently crossing the road, along with potholes the size of a well and you certainly want to hand over the driving to someone a little more experienced. We stopped along the way at a road stop for breakfast, and we noticed the lights were out, this means that there is no toast. No electricity, means no toaster, but gas is still working ok, so some scrambled eggs are okay. Another 2 hours down the road and we were in Aurangabad and checked into a hotel before heading out to Ellora Caves.
The Ellora Caves would have to be one of the most magnificent demonstrations of converting natural beauty into amazing architecture we have seen so far on our travels. This is like a stone canyon with temples carved within it 3 stories high. Our time spent at Ellora was with our mouths open along with our eyes in absolute awe of this place. Within the temples are followings of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jain with Gods and Phophets. Big exhale ... just brilliant.
Next stop was Bibi Ka Maqbara which is known locally as Mini Taj, built by Prince Azam Shah in tribute to his mother who is buried within the temple. This temple is a half size scale of the Taj Mahal and even though we couldn't get to the real Taj this was a pretty good comprimise, with a mixture of marble and plaster. It even has a reflection pool similar to the Taj. It would have been wonderful to get to Delhi to see the real Taj but with situation in India at the moment we were advised not to go.
Next stop was Panchakki, which is also known as the water mill. It is an intricate web of underground water systems stemming from the mountain to generate power to move a mill to grind grain into flower. Absolute genius for its time being built in 1695.
A Royal Boat Ride
Sunday 4 January 2009 Pune, India
Today Vijaya took us to the Shaniwar Wada Fort. Built in 1732, this 6 acre plot had a beautiful palace which after fire in the 1800's is only left by the foundations and its fountains. The grounds are beautiful and it must have been amazing back when it was built. Later that night we returned to the Fort with Karishma for a sound and light show. For the show they have a narrated story about the history of the palace and its falling, matched with synchronised coloured lighting directed at different areas of the Fort. Then off in a rickshaw for dinner with Karishma and her friends at The Royal Connaught Boat Club in Pune. Once again we were spoilt by hospitality and had our dinner shouted along with drinks. Karishma's friends are really lovely people, and lots of fun. We've noticed that Indian men don't feel inhibited asking other people to dance, and Pete had a number of invitations to get up with Karishma's friends to dance and ended up getting up and having a dance. To all our Australian mates, as soon as we get home, if we are out with you, anywhere, make sure you ask Pete to dance, I'm sure he'll love it. Another late night, but all the merrier for it, and a wonderful day had.
Today Vijaya took us to the Shaniwar Wada Fort. Built in 1732, this 6 acre plot had a beautiful palace which after fire in the 1800's is only left by the foundations and its fountains. The grounds are beautiful and it must have been amazing back when it was built. Later that night we returned to the Fort with Karishma for a sound and light show. For the show they have a narrated story about the history of the palace and its falling, matched with synchronised coloured lighting directed at different areas of the Fort. Then off in a rickshaw for dinner with Karishma and her friends at The Royal Connaught Boat Club in Pune. Once again we were spoilt by hospitality and had our dinner shouted along with drinks. Karishma's friends are really lovely people, and lots of fun. We've noticed that Indian men don't feel inhibited asking other people to dance, and Pete had a number of invitations to get up with Karishma's friends to dance and ended up getting up and having a dance. To all our Australian mates, as soon as we get home, if we are out with you, anywhere, make sure you ask Pete to dance, I'm sure he'll love it. Another late night, but all the merrier for it, and a wonderful day had.
Beautiful India
Saturday 3 January 2009 Pune, India
The light of day echos the sounds of children playing in the playground near the building, with screams of laughter and delight. The temperature has picked up to a lovely 25 degrees, and we've had the best nights sleep in a long time, along with one of the best showers on our trip. We were also able to say good morning to Corbind, Karishma's Dad who had slept through our early morning arrival. We are feeling pretty lucky to be here and are already feeling very taken care of. Vijaya and Karishma had us soon in the car and we went for a drive around Pune. Our first stop was a building in honor of Mahatma Phule who was a revolutionary of his time in the mid 1800's. He and his wife 'Krantijyoti' were pioneer's in women's education, opening the first school for girls in India in August 1848. He also stood for equat rights, and was considered an important figure in Social Reform. Outside the building we saw many games of cricket being played by young boys, all running around with smiles on their faces, with dreams of becoming the next Tendulkar. They asked Pete if he wanted to join them ... I think he would have liked to but we kept on moving along. We then visited the Raja Tinkarkelkar Museum which contains one mans collection of household items, some antique and others not quite so antique but all give you a look into some amazing objects used in India. We then met up with Corbind for lunch at a lovely restaurant called Ramkrishna. It had great food, which tasted fresh, vibrant and flavorsome - I suppose India is the best place to have great Indian food isn't it!
In the afternoon we swung by home for a nap (I like India), before getting dressed up to head of to a wedding. The wedding was the daughter of a friend of Vijaya & Corbind, and they had kindly welcomed us to come along. The wedding was held at the Pune Racecourse, which one a lovely moonlit night at 20 degrees seemed the perfect setting. It wasn't a 'traditional' Indian wedding but nearly all the women were wearing beautiful sari's and the atmosphere was great. We met Karishma's boyfriend Sandib, and some of Vijaya & Corbind's other friends. We were so welcomed and felt very much part of the festivities.
The light of day echos the sounds of children playing in the playground near the building, with screams of laughter and delight. The temperature has picked up to a lovely 25 degrees, and we've had the best nights sleep in a long time, along with one of the best showers on our trip. We were also able to say good morning to Corbind, Karishma's Dad who had slept through our early morning arrival. We are feeling pretty lucky to be here and are already feeling very taken care of. Vijaya and Karishma had us soon in the car and we went for a drive around Pune. Our first stop was a building in honor of Mahatma Phule who was a revolutionary of his time in the mid 1800's. He and his wife 'Krantijyoti' were pioneer's in women's education, opening the first school for girls in India in August 1848. He also stood for equat rights, and was considered an important figure in Social Reform. Outside the building we saw many games of cricket being played by young boys, all running around with smiles on their faces, with dreams of becoming the next Tendulkar. They asked Pete if he wanted to join them ... I think he would have liked to but we kept on moving along. We then visited the Raja Tinkarkelkar Museum which contains one mans collection of household items, some antique and others not quite so antique but all give you a look into some amazing objects used in India. We then met up with Corbind for lunch at a lovely restaurant called Ramkrishna. It had great food, which tasted fresh, vibrant and flavorsome - I suppose India is the best place to have great Indian food isn't it!
In the afternoon we swung by home for a nap (I like India), before getting dressed up to head of to a wedding. The wedding was the daughter of a friend of Vijaya & Corbind, and they had kindly welcomed us to come along. The wedding was held at the Pune Racecourse, which one a lovely moonlit night at 20 degrees seemed the perfect setting. It wasn't a 'traditional' Indian wedding but nearly all the women were wearing beautiful sari's and the atmosphere was great. We met Karishma's boyfriend Sandib, and some of Vijaya & Corbind's other friends. We were so welcomed and felt very much part of the festivities.
Bolywood Here We Come
Friday 2 January 2009 London, England - Pune, India
4 am start with Pete very hang over after staying on Skype till all hours chatting with mates and having a few 'tubes'. Needless to say he needed a bit of kicking to get moving. Then we had our fun train journey from Watford to Baker Street, Baker Street to Piccadilly Circus, Piccadilly Circus to Heathrow, all to get there by 8am. We flew British Airways and were finally able to go into one of the clubs from our Qantas Membership. Got Pete to the airport in one piece, now it was my turn to relax, and let me say the whiskey is very good in the British Airways lounge, with a nice 15 year old Glenlevit ... did I mention it was 8 am? Few more whiskeys on the plane just to make sure we had had enough (well the flight attendant said we couldn't have any more after 6) and then a quick nap before arriving into Mumbai at 1am. My friend Karishma had organised a car to pick us up from the airport to drive us to Pune which was fantastic and we were very quickly on our way, arriving around 4am. Karishma & her Mum, Vijaya met us at their building and we were warmly greeted and ushered into a lovely bedroom, with our own ensuite, and put to bed.
4 am start with Pete very hang over after staying on Skype till all hours chatting with mates and having a few 'tubes'. Needless to say he needed a bit of kicking to get moving. Then we had our fun train journey from Watford to Baker Street, Baker Street to Piccadilly Circus, Piccadilly Circus to Heathrow, all to get there by 8am. We flew British Airways and were finally able to go into one of the clubs from our Qantas Membership. Got Pete to the airport in one piece, now it was my turn to relax, and let me say the whiskey is very good in the British Airways lounge, with a nice 15 year old Glenlevit ... did I mention it was 8 am? Few more whiskeys on the plane just to make sure we had had enough (well the flight attendant said we couldn't have any more after 6) and then a quick nap before arriving into Mumbai at 1am. My friend Karishma had organised a car to pick us up from the airport to drive us to Pune which was fantastic and we were very quickly on our way, arriving around 4am. Karishma & her Mum, Vijaya met us at their building and we were warmly greeted and ushered into a lovely bedroom, with our own ensuite, and put to bed.
Wicked Van & Congratulations Meagan
Thursday 1 January 2009 Watford, England
Priority today was to clean the van and get it back to the depot. You would think that this would be an easy task, but no, not really, particularly being on New Years Day. So we went to 4 different services stations, one did an external car wash and then we had to find one that had a vaccuum so we could do the inside, and then clean it. The last car wash we went to did everything, so we could have gone there first and have it all done, but anyway, we got to see some sights along the way, well only one real sight, which was Lords Cricket Club, but some might say that it is the only sight to be seen in London. Back to the depot, and then a stop at pub for a countery meal and a pint, then 3 trains back to the house. So unfortunately we didn't get to go back into the city, but we certainly got to see a fair bit of England, and saw some great things yesterday. While I was packing the bags to make sure we don't get excess baggaged for our early start in the morning, Pete was on Skype calling his mates and having a few drinks in between. One exciting piece of news we got was that Meagan (Pete's daughter) was proposed to on Christmas Eve by her boyfriend. We were a little shocked but glad she is happy, and she of course said yes. They plan to have a long engagement which is a good idea and really look forward to congratulating her in person when we get home.
Priority today was to clean the van and get it back to the depot. You would think that this would be an easy task, but no, not really, particularly being on New Years Day. So we went to 4 different services stations, one did an external car wash and then we had to find one that had a vaccuum so we could do the inside, and then clean it. The last car wash we went to did everything, so we could have gone there first and have it all done, but anyway, we got to see some sights along the way, well only one real sight, which was Lords Cricket Club, but some might say that it is the only sight to be seen in London. Back to the depot, and then a stop at pub for a countery meal and a pint, then 3 trains back to the house. So unfortunately we didn't get to go back into the city, but we certainly got to see a fair bit of England, and saw some great things yesterday. While I was packing the bags to make sure we don't get excess baggaged for our early start in the morning, Pete was on Skype calling his mates and having a few drinks in between. One exciting piece of news we got was that Meagan (Pete's daughter) was proposed to on Christmas Eve by her boyfriend. We were a little shocked but glad she is happy, and she of course said yes. They plan to have a long engagement which is a good idea and really look forward to congratulating her in person when we get home.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
A Phantom New Years Eve in London
Wednesday 31 December 2008 London, England
Up early to head off to the Chinese Consulate to pick up our passports and hopefully our Chinese Visas. We soon realised how far we were out of London when it took us nearly an hour to get in. Visa all fine and a cool 100+pounds for the pleasure. This is surely to make up for the cheap shopping when you get there. Then we were free. We took a train into Leicester Square and headed staight for the cheap tickets, where we got some tickets to Phantom of the Opera for 20pounds. We then went for a walk down to Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, over the Thames to the London Eye, over London Bridge, past Westminster Abbey and back to Leicester Square. The Phantom was showing at Her Majestys Theatre so we decided to hang around that area, have a bite to eat, and feel the upcoming vibe of New Years revellers. To tell you the truth it didn't seem like there were that many people about, well at that time anyway. We then went into Her Majestys which is such a beautiful theatre originally built 1705, then rebuilt 3 more times after fires over the next 2 centuries until the final rebuild in 1897. So you can imagine, its a pretty spectacular little theatre. Phantom was great, and they say Auld Lang Syne at the end of the show which was a nice touch. Upon exiting the theatre you could finally say that something was up in London. Streets were closed off and pedestrians were scattered everywhere. We walked down Whitehall as this was the only street open to head toward London Bridge, and where you can see the London Eye in a gap amongst the buildings there was a huge crowd of people. We started to think there might be 9.30 fireworks for children as they do in Australia and hang around for half an hour, only to feel the crush even more. Pete announced that he would see me later and was going to head off ... where? anywhere but here. So off we went together back toward Trafalgar Square. There were people everywhere and just to complete the 5 minute walk took us about an hour. But once we were there we found a rail to sit on, and they had big screens up so we thought they were going to show some entertainment. Nothing on the screens, but enough entertainment on the streets to keep us amused with drunks being taken off gently by police, girls wearing appropriate mini skirts in the minus 2 temperatures, and boys trying awfully hard to be intellectual to the girls in the mini skirts after the 30th pint. 5 minutes to midnight and the big screen came to life, interviewing celebrities (i think) about their thoughts on New Year. Well I assumed thats what it was because my lip reading isn't that great and neither is their sound system. But, we got to see the fireworks ... on the big screen. People were generally pretty happy, singing and dancing and having a grand old time, and we were having fun too, chatting away to people on the rail. At one stage a man threw money up in the air and everyone came flooding around to pick it up. It was 1 rupee notes from India. One of the intelligent boys started telling a mini skirt girl that is was chinese money, and almost the same as the pound so it was lots of money. One girl turned to us and gave us a note, and I said that it was really good luck as we flew out for India the next day and it was an Indian Rupee ... she then gave us 4. So really good luck for us!
After things had settled down a bit we headed for Piccadilly to get the train ... so had half of London. The amount of people surrounding the entrance was incredible and the police had sectioned the entrace into a passage so only one could pass at a time, and they were letting about 2 people in per second. We made a careful trajectory through the crowd and got through pretty quick to get into the station and then our 3 train journey ride home, arriving back at the house at 3.30am. We cracked our little bottles of Jamesons special that we had got at the distillery, toasted in the New Year, and hit the sack.
Up early to head off to the Chinese Consulate to pick up our passports and hopefully our Chinese Visas. We soon realised how far we were out of London when it took us nearly an hour to get in. Visa all fine and a cool 100+pounds for the pleasure. This is surely to make up for the cheap shopping when you get there. Then we were free. We took a train into Leicester Square and headed staight for the cheap tickets, where we got some tickets to Phantom of the Opera for 20pounds. We then went for a walk down to Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, over the Thames to the London Eye, over London Bridge, past Westminster Abbey and back to Leicester Square. The Phantom was showing at Her Majestys Theatre so we decided to hang around that area, have a bite to eat, and feel the upcoming vibe of New Years revellers. To tell you the truth it didn't seem like there were that many people about, well at that time anyway. We then went into Her Majestys which is such a beautiful theatre originally built 1705, then rebuilt 3 more times after fires over the next 2 centuries until the final rebuild in 1897. So you can imagine, its a pretty spectacular little theatre. Phantom was great, and they say Auld Lang Syne at the end of the show which was a nice touch. Upon exiting the theatre you could finally say that something was up in London. Streets were closed off and pedestrians were scattered everywhere. We walked down Whitehall as this was the only street open to head toward London Bridge, and where you can see the London Eye in a gap amongst the buildings there was a huge crowd of people. We started to think there might be 9.30 fireworks for children as they do in Australia and hang around for half an hour, only to feel the crush even more. Pete announced that he would see me later and was going to head off ... where? anywhere but here. So off we went together back toward Trafalgar Square. There were people everywhere and just to complete the 5 minute walk took us about an hour. But once we were there we found a rail to sit on, and they had big screens up so we thought they were going to show some entertainment. Nothing on the screens, but enough entertainment on the streets to keep us amused with drunks being taken off gently by police, girls wearing appropriate mini skirts in the minus 2 temperatures, and boys trying awfully hard to be intellectual to the girls in the mini skirts after the 30th pint. 5 minutes to midnight and the big screen came to life, interviewing celebrities (i think) about their thoughts on New Year. Well I assumed thats what it was because my lip reading isn't that great and neither is their sound system. But, we got to see the fireworks ... on the big screen. People were generally pretty happy, singing and dancing and having a grand old time, and we were having fun too, chatting away to people on the rail. At one stage a man threw money up in the air and everyone came flooding around to pick it up. It was 1 rupee notes from India. One of the intelligent boys started telling a mini skirt girl that is was chinese money, and almost the same as the pound so it was lots of money. One girl turned to us and gave us a note, and I said that it was really good luck as we flew out for India the next day and it was an Indian Rupee ... she then gave us 4. So really good luck for us!
After things had settled down a bit we headed for Piccadilly to get the train ... so had half of London. The amount of people surrounding the entrance was incredible and the police had sectioned the entrace into a passage so only one could pass at a time, and they were letting about 2 people in per second. We made a careful trajectory through the crowd and got through pretty quick to get into the station and then our 3 train journey ride home, arriving back at the house at 3.30am. We cracked our little bottles of Jamesons special that we had got at the distillery, toasted in the New Year, and hit the sack.
Is this van called Christine?
Tuesday 30 December 2008
As we the time had got so late from our departure from Kilmarnock, we ended up stopping at a truck stop at about 1am and bedded down for the night. Upon awakening we had the best of intentions of hitting the road, getting to London and checking in to a place to catch some sightseeing in the afternoon. Well those were the intentions. The car was covered in ice, and we had a flat tyre. Luckily where we had stopped there was toilet facilities and some food so we weren't exactly destitute, but still had problems. The spare tyre was under the van and the bolt to loosen it was under the sink which was bolted into the van, so it was a very slow process to try and get the spare out. Finally the spare was free, and boy was it looking a bit sad. It looked like it had just come off a combie from the 60's. Tyre on, and then taking a very steady trip down the highway, as the wheel felt like it was going to come off and start taking off ahead of us. We stopped in at the next rest stop and made a call to the car hire place - wicked campers. We said that we wanted to return the van early, that the battery was a bit dodgy and the spare tyre was pretty much the same. They said that we could but we wouldn't get a return on our money, and that if we wanted a knew battery or tyre we could buy one and they would reimburse us. Yeah sure. Hobbled our way to Watford where we found a cheap place to stay before dark. What a day!
As we the time had got so late from our departure from Kilmarnock, we ended up stopping at a truck stop at about 1am and bedded down for the night. Upon awakening we had the best of intentions of hitting the road, getting to London and checking in to a place to catch some sightseeing in the afternoon. Well those were the intentions. The car was covered in ice, and we had a flat tyre. Luckily where we had stopped there was toilet facilities and some food so we weren't exactly destitute, but still had problems. The spare tyre was under the van and the bolt to loosen it was under the sink which was bolted into the van, so it was a very slow process to try and get the spare out. Finally the spare was free, and boy was it looking a bit sad. It looked like it had just come off a combie from the 60's. Tyre on, and then taking a very steady trip down the highway, as the wheel felt like it was going to come off and start taking off ahead of us. We stopped in at the next rest stop and made a call to the car hire place - wicked campers. We said that we wanted to return the van early, that the battery was a bit dodgy and the spare tyre was pretty much the same. They said that we could but we wouldn't get a return on our money, and that if we wanted a knew battery or tyre we could buy one and they would reimburse us. Yeah sure. Hobbled our way to Watford where we found a cheap place to stay before dark. What a day!
Tatoo?
Monday 29 December 2008 Edinburgh - Kilmarnock, Scotland
Well, as nice a backpackers as it was we both had a terrible nights sleep. I ended up with crazy English woman coming back late, a bit under the weather, then had a chainsaw of a snore cranking out above me for the rest of the night. In Pete's room he had one of his room mates come back at 3am, then another get up at 4.30 to get ready to go to work. Best of intentions, but you can't control the outcome. Wearily we headed up the hill toward the Castle stopping at a few of the little shops along the way. Peru was home to Alpaca and it is clear that Scotland is home to Cashmere. Its sold everywhere, along with your family tartan in everything you can think of from socks, to teatowels, scarfs, and of course kilts. We were so close to the Castle, when we found a place called the 'The Scottish Whisky Tasting Experience'. Should we stop? Well, is the Pope Catholic? Having done a few Whiskey and Whisky tastings before it was interesting to have this new experience. This was an 'unbiased' view of whisky making and Chris White who was our very Scottish wee guide was brilliant in his explanations. But the best was yet to come. A couple of free tastings, of course, some free glasses, unexpected, and finish at the bar. This bar is like nothing you will see anywhere. Over 100 whisky's on the menu, all with prices for a wee dram. We then put Chris to the test telling him of our likes and dislikes of flavors in Whisky and he then gave us a couple to smell so we could select one. I ended up with a 12yr Glenlivit that was cask strength. Cask strength means that it hasn't been watered down to reduce the alcohol. This is a light, soft, citrus single malt which I fell in love with. It only come out 3 months ago and wasn't on the menu, so have a go if you can find it. They also had a nice cafe and we had really yummy soup for lunch before heading off to finally get to the castle.
The first thing I noticed about the castle was the parade ground. Having played in a marching brass band and pipe band, and having watched many an Edinburgh Tattoo, I was amazed to see the angle of the parade ground is really quite steep. We stood walking up to toward the entrance wondering what it might be like as a musician on a cold Scottish night playing in the Royal Military Tattoo, galloping up and down this magnificent setting. The next thing I noticed was the que to get in. This was enormous, and was our own fault for not being able to resist the Whisky Experience and now being lunch time, most people had crawled out to see the sun and were ready to do some sightseeing. So unfortunately we didn't go in to the castle otherwise we were probably not going to make it out of Edinburgh today, but we did have a look around and the bits that we did see just looked incredible. Certainly something we would love to come back to.
As time was getting on we headed for Kilmarnock, just south of Glasgow, birth place of Pete's mum and home until she was in her teens. The town seems smallish, but feels like it could have been industrial at some stage. We had a bit of a look around, stopped for dinner at a Nepalese Restaurant and then headed to Maccas to use their free wi-fi to book some accommodation online for the next couple of days in London so we have somewhere to shower and park etc. The www.visitlondon.com site is great, but unfortunately the accommodation bookings system didn't work and did our heads in as we finally found what we wanted but then couldn't book anything. Then the laptop crashed as it was out of battery and there were no points to plug into at Maccas, so headed back to the car to get on our way. Car Dead. The dashboard lights came up, then as Pete turned the key everything stopped dead. We tried a couple more times and it was even more dead. No lights, no turning engine, nothing. The lights hadn't been left on so we had no idea what could have caused it. By this stage the weather had turned to minus freeze your bloody hands off, and we shivered our way to a phone booth to call the AA. Two and half hour wait. So back to the car to sit and wait. Every so often I'd check the internal light so see if the power had come back a little, but she was still dead. Pete & I got to talking about his mum and how I'm sure she would have been happy that we were visiting her home town. We opened a little bottle of whisky that Gerard & Jan had given Pete for Christmas and made a toast to her. Then I had an idea to find a stone and take it back to her grave in Australia, so that she could be connected with her homeland in Scotland. As the words finished coming out of my mouth, the AA show up. We looked at each other ... freaky. They open the hood, he says, can you try and start it for me so I can see what it does, Pete gets in and the car starts straight up like nothing was wrong. Unbelievable. This was a car that wouldn't even turn over. It was that dead that the clock had reset itself. So we picked up a stone and promised to visit her grave when we get home.
Well, as nice a backpackers as it was we both had a terrible nights sleep. I ended up with crazy English woman coming back late, a bit under the weather, then had a chainsaw of a snore cranking out above me for the rest of the night. In Pete's room he had one of his room mates come back at 3am, then another get up at 4.30 to get ready to go to work. Best of intentions, but you can't control the outcome. Wearily we headed up the hill toward the Castle stopping at a few of the little shops along the way. Peru was home to Alpaca and it is clear that Scotland is home to Cashmere. Its sold everywhere, along with your family tartan in everything you can think of from socks, to teatowels, scarfs, and of course kilts. We were so close to the Castle, when we found a place called the 'The Scottish Whisky Tasting Experience'. Should we stop? Well, is the Pope Catholic? Having done a few Whiskey and Whisky tastings before it was interesting to have this new experience. This was an 'unbiased' view of whisky making and Chris White who was our very Scottish wee guide was brilliant in his explanations. But the best was yet to come. A couple of free tastings, of course, some free glasses, unexpected, and finish at the bar. This bar is like nothing you will see anywhere. Over 100 whisky's on the menu, all with prices for a wee dram. We then put Chris to the test telling him of our likes and dislikes of flavors in Whisky and he then gave us a couple to smell so we could select one. I ended up with a 12yr Glenlivit that was cask strength. Cask strength means that it hasn't been watered down to reduce the alcohol. This is a light, soft, citrus single malt which I fell in love with. It only come out 3 months ago and wasn't on the menu, so have a go if you can find it. They also had a nice cafe and we had really yummy soup for lunch before heading off to finally get to the castle.
The first thing I noticed about the castle was the parade ground. Having played in a marching brass band and pipe band, and having watched many an Edinburgh Tattoo, I was amazed to see the angle of the parade ground is really quite steep. We stood walking up to toward the entrance wondering what it might be like as a musician on a cold Scottish night playing in the Royal Military Tattoo, galloping up and down this magnificent setting. The next thing I noticed was the que to get in. This was enormous, and was our own fault for not being able to resist the Whisky Experience and now being lunch time, most people had crawled out to see the sun and were ready to do some sightseeing. So unfortunately we didn't go in to the castle otherwise we were probably not going to make it out of Edinburgh today, but we did have a look around and the bits that we did see just looked incredible. Certainly something we would love to come back to.
As time was getting on we headed for Kilmarnock, just south of Glasgow, birth place of Pete's mum and home until she was in her teens. The town seems smallish, but feels like it could have been industrial at some stage. We had a bit of a look around, stopped for dinner at a Nepalese Restaurant and then headed to Maccas to use their free wi-fi to book some accommodation online for the next couple of days in London so we have somewhere to shower and park etc. The www.visitlondon.com site is great, but unfortunately the accommodation bookings system didn't work and did our heads in as we finally found what we wanted but then couldn't book anything. Then the laptop crashed as it was out of battery and there were no points to plug into at Maccas, so headed back to the car to get on our way. Car Dead. The dashboard lights came up, then as Pete turned the key everything stopped dead. We tried a couple more times and it was even more dead. No lights, no turning engine, nothing. The lights hadn't been left on so we had no idea what could have caused it. By this stage the weather had turned to minus freeze your bloody hands off, and we shivered our way to a phone booth to call the AA. Two and half hour wait. So back to the car to sit and wait. Every so often I'd check the internal light so see if the power had come back a little, but she was still dead. Pete & I got to talking about his mum and how I'm sure she would have been happy that we were visiting her home town. We opened a little bottle of whisky that Gerard & Jan had given Pete for Christmas and made a toast to her. Then I had an idea to find a stone and take it back to her grave in Australia, so that she could be connected with her homeland in Scotland. As the words finished coming out of my mouth, the AA show up. We looked at each other ... freaky. They open the hood, he says, can you try and start it for me so I can see what it does, Pete gets in and the car starts straight up like nothing was wrong. Unbelievable. This was a car that wouldn't even turn over. It was that dead that the clock had reset itself. So we picked up a stone and promised to visit her grave when we get home.
Crossing Boundaries
Sunday 28 December 2008 Wallsend on Tyne, Newcastle, England - Edinburgh, Scotland
So this is where my Grandfather was born, so it was nice to have this quick stop here and have a little drive around the streets that he and his family would have once knew well. Turns out the Pete's Dad was also from Newcastle before moving to Corby, which I didn't know and that is why he followed Newcastle Football Club. Wouldn't it have been amazing if the families knew each other! The Tyne of course is the Tyne River, so Wallsend is a suburb that sits on the river. Newcastle (where Wallsend is) is filled with bridges that cross the Tyne, and some are now pretty famous for how they can open up to let ships through including a swivel bridge. From Wallsend we headed for Edinburgh. Without even knowing we had crossed the border and were in the Lowlands of Scotland and soon found signs to the Glenkinichie Whisky Distillery. Since we didn't have time to get to the Highlands this seemed like a great opportunity to at least see one Scottish Distillery. Well we followed these signs for a good 30 minutes getting more excited as each mile passed, until we finally came to the car park where a sign said, 'Open All Year' then underneath it said 'Closed for December, reopening 5 January'. Please, Glenkinichie people, if you're out there, this is called misleading advertising! Another 30 minutes back to the highway, and even though it was not as long a drive as yesterday, we were now looking for a place where we might be able to have a shower and set up camp for the night. We tried 3 caravan parks and were duly informed that we wouldn't find one open at this time of year (winter) and most will re-open in April. So then we tried to find some backpackers, and really by this stage was tired of driving around looking for a place and decided to check into the YHA in a cheap dorm room. Being a Youth Hostel it meant that Pete & I couldn't actually be in the same room, but that was okay, long hot shower, clean comfy bed, and a warm quiet room just for one night all worth it. Went for a walk before dinner finding that Edinburgh feels very old world charm. Cobblestone streets, tall Victorian Terraces and the elusive Edinburgh Castle at the top of the hill. All the sales are on at the moment so people are very much into the buy everything they can get their hands on mode. While I was walking through one department store I noticed that Dame Edna has brought out her very own cosmetics label in fashionable bright red lipstick and purple eye shadow. This was set up beside the Chanel counter ... yin / yang maybe?
There has been a lot of hype in Briton about the latest Bond flick 'Quantum of Solace' and since we were driving a car that had 007 - Licensed To Thrill written on it, with people waving at us on the freeway thought we might catch the flick to see what all the fuss was about. Good movie, not as good as the last one in my humble opinion but Daniel Craig still does a smashing job as James Bond. Had a drink after the movie at the Walkabout Pub. This place has a bit of an Australiana theme and you can't help but want to check it out to see if they do Australia justice. So there was VB and Toohies in stubbies, corrogated iron placed throughout, and no Fosters in sight - all good so far, but they also didn't have Bundy Rum, and there was Soccer and Gridiron on the tele. So good effort but not quite there.
Back to the Hostel to see if we get an early night for an early start. I'm sharing with a girl from Hong Kong, and a crazy woman from England. They seem nice, as long as they don't snore I'll love ém.
So this is where my Grandfather was born, so it was nice to have this quick stop here and have a little drive around the streets that he and his family would have once knew well. Turns out the Pete's Dad was also from Newcastle before moving to Corby, which I didn't know and that is why he followed Newcastle Football Club. Wouldn't it have been amazing if the families knew each other! The Tyne of course is the Tyne River, so Wallsend is a suburb that sits on the river. Newcastle (where Wallsend is) is filled with bridges that cross the Tyne, and some are now pretty famous for how they can open up to let ships through including a swivel bridge. From Wallsend we headed for Edinburgh. Without even knowing we had crossed the border and were in the Lowlands of Scotland and soon found signs to the Glenkinichie Whisky Distillery. Since we didn't have time to get to the Highlands this seemed like a great opportunity to at least see one Scottish Distillery. Well we followed these signs for a good 30 minutes getting more excited as each mile passed, until we finally came to the car park where a sign said, 'Open All Year' then underneath it said 'Closed for December, reopening 5 January'. Please, Glenkinichie people, if you're out there, this is called misleading advertising! Another 30 minutes back to the highway, and even though it was not as long a drive as yesterday, we were now looking for a place where we might be able to have a shower and set up camp for the night. We tried 3 caravan parks and were duly informed that we wouldn't find one open at this time of year (winter) and most will re-open in April. So then we tried to find some backpackers, and really by this stage was tired of driving around looking for a place and decided to check into the YHA in a cheap dorm room. Being a Youth Hostel it meant that Pete & I couldn't actually be in the same room, but that was okay, long hot shower, clean comfy bed, and a warm quiet room just for one night all worth it. Went for a walk before dinner finding that Edinburgh feels very old world charm. Cobblestone streets, tall Victorian Terraces and the elusive Edinburgh Castle at the top of the hill. All the sales are on at the moment so people are very much into the buy everything they can get their hands on mode. While I was walking through one department store I noticed that Dame Edna has brought out her very own cosmetics label in fashionable bright red lipstick and purple eye shadow. This was set up beside the Chanel counter ... yin / yang maybe?
There has been a lot of hype in Briton about the latest Bond flick 'Quantum of Solace' and since we were driving a car that had 007 - Licensed To Thrill written on it, with people waving at us on the freeway thought we might catch the flick to see what all the fuss was about. Good movie, not as good as the last one in my humble opinion but Daniel Craig still does a smashing job as James Bond. Had a drink after the movie at the Walkabout Pub. This place has a bit of an Australiana theme and you can't help but want to check it out to see if they do Australia justice. So there was VB and Toohies in stubbies, corrogated iron placed throughout, and no Fosters in sight - all good so far, but they also didn't have Bundy Rum, and there was Soccer and Gridiron on the tele. So good effort but not quite there.
Back to the Hostel to see if we get an early night for an early start. I'm sharing with a girl from Hong Kong, and a crazy woman from England. They seem nice, as long as they don't snore I'll love ém.
On the road again
Saturday 27 December 2008 Hayle - Newcastle, England
Our time in Hayle had come to an end and as we packed our van we were sad to say goodbye. Jan & Olivia were off to London by train, and we were hitting the road to Newcastle via Corby. Pete had left his boots there, probably from too much to think about with his hangover when we were there, so we had to redirect our travels so we could pick them up. It was a long day of driving and unfortunately we missed Bill & Tange, but they left the boots at the front door for us. By 11pm we were in Newcastle and once again found a little quiet street to pull up stumps for the night.
Our time in Hayle had come to an end and as we packed our van we were sad to say goodbye. Jan & Olivia were off to London by train, and we were hitting the road to Newcastle via Corby. Pete had left his boots there, probably from too much to think about with his hangover when we were there, so we had to redirect our travels so we could pick them up. It was a long day of driving and unfortunately we missed Bill & Tange, but they left the boots at the front door for us. By 11pm we were in Newcastle and once again found a little quiet street to pull up stumps for the night.
Christmas Lights of Cornwall
Friday 26 December 2008 Hayle, England
Another beautiful day in Hayle, or should I say The Towans as it is probably better to describe. Pete & I went for a little drive around the area. Not much at all was open, but the scenery down this way is just so beautiful. We picked up some ice-cream on the way home, and settled in to watch 'PS I Love You' with Jan & Allanah before heading out to the headlands to see a beautiful sunset, with the seals playing on the rocks way down below. Jan then took us on a drive through to Penzance and to Mousehole (pronounced Mouzall), to see all the Christmas lights in the towns. Some of these little streets are so tiny that Jan's little car even had trouble getting around them. Then home again so have some more yummy Christmas dinner, and then a game of celebrity head. I was Shane Warne, and with some lucky questioning was first out. Pete was Rod Laver, and with some unlucky questioning and a brain freeze was last out. It was lots of fun, and then followed up with a game of Charades.
Another beautiful day in Hayle, or should I say The Towans as it is probably better to describe. Pete & I went for a little drive around the area. Not much at all was open, but the scenery down this way is just so beautiful. We picked up some ice-cream on the way home, and settled in to watch 'PS I Love You' with Jan & Allanah before heading out to the headlands to see a beautiful sunset, with the seals playing on the rocks way down below. Jan then took us on a drive through to Penzance and to Mousehole (pronounced Mouzall), to see all the Christmas lights in the towns. Some of these little streets are so tiny that Jan's little car even had trouble getting around them. Then home again so have some more yummy Christmas dinner, and then a game of celebrity head. I was Shane Warne, and with some lucky questioning was first out. Pete was Rod Laver, and with some unlucky questioning and a brain freeze was last out. It was lots of fun, and then followed up with a game of Charades.
Merry Christmas
Thursday 25 December 2008, Hayle, England
Merry Christmas Everybody. With a beautiful relaxed start to the morning, we wandered upstairs to start unwrapping presents. Pete & I didn't give each other any presents as we are planning to see a show when we get to London which will be our gift to each other. But we were surprised with unexpected gifts from Gerard & Jan and the Girls of whisky's, body creams and lotions, tree ornaments, and little books on the history of st ives, along with my cousin Lisa from Australia who had posted us a gift also of a little picutre frame. It was a lovely morning as we watched as presents were opened one by one, and the joy on everyones faces, with Christmas Carols playing in the background. Lisa had given Gerard some ugg boots and a trendy bright shirt, and he wanted to put them on immediately. It was such a funny sight to watch Gerard cooking in the kitchen, singing away to Christmas Carols, dancing in his boots and shirt (he was wearing shorts too). Allanah, Olivia, Pete & I then went for a walk along the headlands down the dunes to the beach with Wax the dog (named after surfboard wax) who loved having a play in the water. We then walked back to the house to a scene that was out of a fairytale, with the lounge room rearranged so the table was up near the window with the best view of the beach, and the table all set ready for a traditional Christmas dinner. Baked Turkey, Baked Ham, Homemade Cranberry sauce, Celeriac, Baked Vege's, Yorkshire Puddings with Gravy. Amazing meal, with wonderful company, what a great Christmas! The afternoon drifted by and soon it was dark and one of Gerard's presents was a gift box set of Hitchcock movies so we sat and watched Rear Window and There's Something About Harry.
Merry Christmas Everybody. With a beautiful relaxed start to the morning, we wandered upstairs to start unwrapping presents. Pete & I didn't give each other any presents as we are planning to see a show when we get to London which will be our gift to each other. But we were surprised with unexpected gifts from Gerard & Jan and the Girls of whisky's, body creams and lotions, tree ornaments, and little books on the history of st ives, along with my cousin Lisa from Australia who had posted us a gift also of a little picutre frame. It was a lovely morning as we watched as presents were opened one by one, and the joy on everyones faces, with Christmas Carols playing in the background. Lisa had given Gerard some ugg boots and a trendy bright shirt, and he wanted to put them on immediately. It was such a funny sight to watch Gerard cooking in the kitchen, singing away to Christmas Carols, dancing in his boots and shirt (he was wearing shorts too). Allanah, Olivia, Pete & I then went for a walk along the headlands down the dunes to the beach with Wax the dog (named after surfboard wax) who loved having a play in the water. We then walked back to the house to a scene that was out of a fairytale, with the lounge room rearranged so the table was up near the window with the best view of the beach, and the table all set ready for a traditional Christmas dinner. Baked Turkey, Baked Ham, Homemade Cranberry sauce, Celeriac, Baked Vege's, Yorkshire Puddings with Gravy. Amazing meal, with wonderful company, what a great Christmas! The afternoon drifted by and soon it was dark and one of Gerard's presents was a gift box set of Hitchcock movies so we sat and watched Rear Window and There's Something About Harry.
Everyone Wants To Be A Pirate
Wednesday 24 December 2008 Hayle, England
Well its wonderful to be in Hayle. I haven't seen my cousins for so long, 'round 20 years, and it feels really special to be with them for Christmas. They have a wonderful view from their house of the beach, and waking up looking out at the beautiful ocean is all part of their every day, and a view that we certainly appreciate too. Today is Christmas Eve, and Gerard, my cousin, is a wonderful cook as is his beautiful assistant and wife, Jan, and they had been gathering food for Christmas Day lunch for what seems forever. Today we went on a little excursion with Gerard to pick up his last ingredients of an enormous fresh turkey and a huge fresh ham from 'The Farm'. The Farm is a great little place that has free range and organic produce. It even has an orchard out the back and you can go pick your own fruit, and bring it back to the register for payment. That's what I call fresh. After this, Pete & I had our own little excursion back down to St Ives. I've fallen in love with this place, and I can see why my cousins wanted to move here. More window shopping, along with last minute Christmas shopping, some small bites to eat, and then head back home. As it turned out, we were to return to 'The Bucket of Blood' for Christmas Eve drinks. We met some of their lovely friends and had a wonderful time. While sitting there I spotted a gentleman sitting beside himself at the bar, I went up and started talking to him. He was so facinating. His name was George (my grandfathers name), and he was from Ghana. I heard all about his life, and how he came to England on scholarship and fell in love with his wife at Oxford University where she is now a professor in medicine, how he is friends with Kofi Annan, and his wife and the Clintons are also friends. Amazing.
Well its wonderful to be in Hayle. I haven't seen my cousins for so long, 'round 20 years, and it feels really special to be with them for Christmas. They have a wonderful view from their house of the beach, and waking up looking out at the beautiful ocean is all part of their every day, and a view that we certainly appreciate too. Today is Christmas Eve, and Gerard, my cousin, is a wonderful cook as is his beautiful assistant and wife, Jan, and they had been gathering food for Christmas Day lunch for what seems forever. Today we went on a little excursion with Gerard to pick up his last ingredients of an enormous fresh turkey and a huge fresh ham from 'The Farm'. The Farm is a great little place that has free range and organic produce. It even has an orchard out the back and you can go pick your own fruit, and bring it back to the register for payment. That's what I call fresh. After this, Pete & I had our own little excursion back down to St Ives. I've fallen in love with this place, and I can see why my cousins wanted to move here. More window shopping, along with last minute Christmas shopping, some small bites to eat, and then head back home. As it turned out, we were to return to 'The Bucket of Blood' for Christmas Eve drinks. We met some of their lovely friends and had a wonderful time. While sitting there I spotted a gentleman sitting beside himself at the bar, I went up and started talking to him. He was so facinating. His name was George (my grandfathers name), and he was from Ghana. I heard all about his life, and how he came to England on scholarship and fell in love with his wife at Oxford University where she is now a professor in medicine, how he is friends with Kofi Annan, and his wife and the Clintons are also friends. Amazing.
Hayle-luiah
Tuesday 23 December 2008 Torcross - Hayle, England
Woke up at 1am in the van peering out the window to aliens. That's what it appeared to be. There was a light hovering over the ocean about 10m from the shore line and about 10m in the air. The light kept bobbing up and down and moving about. Then the light came towards the van, closer and closer, then out it went. Then a car started up, headlights on, and the car drove off. So don't know what people were doing out there at that time of the night but it was enough to wake me up, and continue with a restless nights sleep. Waking up to the ocean is always lovely, and particularly when the whole beach is yours. Hit the road and our SatNav, we have nicknamed Gertrude, starting taking us on some serious backroads and we ended up having to turn her off, as we seemed to be bypassing some nice safe roads that could actually allow 2 cars to pass each other safely. Was going to stop in Plymouth, but really, at this time of the year it was impossible to find a car space just to stop and have a look around. I will say that the entrance to the city is rather grand with the ruins of a church backed by some modern architecture of shops actually works and complements each other. Turned Gertie back on to get us out of Plymouth and on our way to Hayle, but then it looked like she was trying to take us the long way round so once again turned her off, and navigated ourselves.
We got into Hayle around 2pm and then tried to find where we had to go. My cousins live here, and we were able to give them a call to navigate our way to their place. The Bucket of Blood was our reference point. This is a pub who's name was founded by the fact there was a well on the site and in pulling up a pale of water one morning they found blood in it ... along with a dead body at the bottom. Rather morbid, but classic name, as are a lot of these great little English pubs.
We settled in for a cuppa, and long chats, then for a drive down to St Ives, where we met a man with 7 wives.... no, only joking, but we did go to St Ives to this lovely restaurant where Gerard recommended the Monk Fish. It was fantastic. It was served wrapped in thinly sliced ham on mashed potato with asparagus. Devine. Afterwards we went through a lovely walk through the streets of St Ives, peering through the windows of quaint little shops, filled with village charm.
Woke up at 1am in the van peering out the window to aliens. That's what it appeared to be. There was a light hovering over the ocean about 10m from the shore line and about 10m in the air. The light kept bobbing up and down and moving about. Then the light came towards the van, closer and closer, then out it went. Then a car started up, headlights on, and the car drove off. So don't know what people were doing out there at that time of the night but it was enough to wake me up, and continue with a restless nights sleep. Waking up to the ocean is always lovely, and particularly when the whole beach is yours. Hit the road and our SatNav, we have nicknamed Gertrude, starting taking us on some serious backroads and we ended up having to turn her off, as we seemed to be bypassing some nice safe roads that could actually allow 2 cars to pass each other safely. Was going to stop in Plymouth, but really, at this time of the year it was impossible to find a car space just to stop and have a look around. I will say that the entrance to the city is rather grand with the ruins of a church backed by some modern architecture of shops actually works and complements each other. Turned Gertie back on to get us out of Plymouth and on our way to Hayle, but then it looked like she was trying to take us the long way round so once again turned her off, and navigated ourselves.
We got into Hayle around 2pm and then tried to find where we had to go. My cousins live here, and we were able to give them a call to navigate our way to their place. The Bucket of Blood was our reference point. This is a pub who's name was founded by the fact there was a well on the site and in pulling up a pale of water one morning they found blood in it ... along with a dead body at the bottom. Rather morbid, but classic name, as are a lot of these great little English pubs.
We settled in for a cuppa, and long chats, then for a drive down to St Ives, where we met a man with 7 wives.... no, only joking, but we did go to St Ives to this lovely restaurant where Gerard recommended the Monk Fish. It was fantastic. It was served wrapped in thinly sliced ham on mashed potato with asparagus. Devine. Afterwards we went through a lovely walk through the streets of St Ives, peering through the windows of quaint little shops, filled with village charm.
Heading for the Beach
Monday 22 December 2008 Bath - Torcross, England
Finally found a laundry mat in Bath, our first in our British Isle travels. I'm sure there are plenty of others out there, we just hadn't come across any. After the washing was done, we did a drive around and the Great Circle ... it looked really familiar and I thing this was actually used in the movie 'Oliver' when he is adopted by that rich family. Anyway, left Bath and headed toward Dawlish. We had heard that there was some pretty nice coastline south of there and just thought we would see where the car took us. Went through the towns of Dawlish, Teignmouth, Babbacombe, Torquay, Brixham, Darmouth before stopping finally at Torcross. Torcross has this beautiful stretch of quiet beach and gentle sounding waves. We stopped at the local pub for dinner which served great meals. Torcross we gathered was a pretty small village and not the same as the other Torbay villages filled with amusement parlors and tourists. At 6pm all the locals pilled in for their evening fish n chips and the like. The local Otter Ale was a pretty good drop too. For the night we found a car park in the middle of the beach strip that had toilet facilities and absolutely no-one there. Drifted off to sleep listening to the sound of the waves. Nice.
Finally found a laundry mat in Bath, our first in our British Isle travels. I'm sure there are plenty of others out there, we just hadn't come across any. After the washing was done, we did a drive around and the Great Circle ... it looked really familiar and I thing this was actually used in the movie 'Oliver' when he is adopted by that rich family. Anyway, left Bath and headed toward Dawlish. We had heard that there was some pretty nice coastline south of there and just thought we would see where the car took us. Went through the towns of Dawlish, Teignmouth, Babbacombe, Torquay, Brixham, Darmouth before stopping finally at Torcross. Torcross has this beautiful stretch of quiet beach and gentle sounding waves. We stopped at the local pub for dinner which served great meals. Torcross we gathered was a pretty small village and not the same as the other Torbay villages filled with amusement parlors and tourists. At 6pm all the locals pilled in for their evening fish n chips and the like. The local Otter Ale was a pretty good drop too. For the night we found a car park in the middle of the beach strip that had toilet facilities and absolutely no-one there. Drifted off to sleep listening to the sound of the waves. Nice.
Winter Solstice at Stonehenge
Sunday 21 December 2008 Stonehenge - Bath, England
Headed off to Stonehenge at 7.30am trying to see if we could catch sunrise for the solstice. We weren't able to get on the net, so had no idea if there were special arrangements at the solstice or we simply had to pear over the fence and wait until the opening time of 9am. As we were driving down the highway we could see the 'henge' in the distance, along with a stream of cars and campers as far as the eye could see in all directions. We quickly pulled over and found a place to park on the grass and walked to the visitor centre. Arriving we found that the entrance was free up until 9am when all visitors had to leave the area. Also, that people were allowed inside the circle and to touch the monument. It was simply an amazing experience. People were everywhere, chanting, singing, praying, meditating, dancing, herbal smoking ... we had been transported to Woodstock! I must admit we did a little touching the monument ourselves and it was interesting when you cut out everything that was going on around you and focused on what you were sensing, what you could sense. First of all it was a feeling of anxiety, then as time went on it was a heaviness in your chest like someone pressing on it (or was that actually the pagan in his cloak with his elbow dug in me?). Anyway, it was a wonderful experience and it would be interesting to be there during the summer solstice.
After Stonehenge we headed off to Avebury, the largest stone circle in the Isles, if not the world. So big is the town it is actually inside the circle, including a church, a pub, a chapel, along with other modern conveniences. The weather had got colder and the wind had picked up so we didn't walk the whole of the circle but did enough to wonder in amazement how these people brought these stones together. We were there about an hour and had decided to head off toward Bath when we realized we had a flat battery. The car lights had been left on and while Pete stressed about it, I door knocked and found a lovely local who was able to give us a jump start. We've found along our travels that people are simply wonderful and generous. There maybe some folk in the world who aren't so nice but as it happens we haven't met any of them.
Along the way to Bath we stopped at the Barge Inn. This pub is located along a canal and is dedicated to the crop circle phenomena which is renown in the Wessex area in July & August when the crops are at their peak. Well it is very interesting looking at these pictures and reading the stories and evidence behind them along with eye witness accounts including some from scientists who have seen them 'appear' within a matter of a minute. Basically, the crop circle phenomena, has been going on for years. What happens is a farmer wakes up in the morning and finds a huge pattern in his crop that you can see clearly from the air. The plants themselves are not damaged or broken, they are bent at 90 degrees, but commonly return upright within a couple of days. Witnesses claim to hear a whizzing, buzzing sound when the phenomena takes place, and they are particularly apparent after heavy rain. There are many theories about how they are formed, from alien visitations, to earth emitting energy through the water trapped in the lay lines, along with the hoax theory. Bottom line, it has scientists miffed, and is pretty cool.
Arrived in Bath, and ready for a Bath, but the Roman Spa there costs 22pounds for a session. So we snuck into a backpackers instead and had a great shower for nothing. Had our van parked between a train station and the central post office. Not the best environment for a good nights sleep, but to find a parking spot in Bath is like finding a pot of gold.
Headed off to Stonehenge at 7.30am trying to see if we could catch sunrise for the solstice. We weren't able to get on the net, so had no idea if there were special arrangements at the solstice or we simply had to pear over the fence and wait until the opening time of 9am. As we were driving down the highway we could see the 'henge' in the distance, along with a stream of cars and campers as far as the eye could see in all directions. We quickly pulled over and found a place to park on the grass and walked to the visitor centre. Arriving we found that the entrance was free up until 9am when all visitors had to leave the area. Also, that people were allowed inside the circle and to touch the monument. It was simply an amazing experience. People were everywhere, chanting, singing, praying, meditating, dancing, herbal smoking ... we had been transported to Woodstock! I must admit we did a little touching the monument ourselves and it was interesting when you cut out everything that was going on around you and focused on what you were sensing, what you could sense. First of all it was a feeling of anxiety, then as time went on it was a heaviness in your chest like someone pressing on it (or was that actually the pagan in his cloak with his elbow dug in me?). Anyway, it was a wonderful experience and it would be interesting to be there during the summer solstice.
After Stonehenge we headed off to Avebury, the largest stone circle in the Isles, if not the world. So big is the town it is actually inside the circle, including a church, a pub, a chapel, along with other modern conveniences. The weather had got colder and the wind had picked up so we didn't walk the whole of the circle but did enough to wonder in amazement how these people brought these stones together. We were there about an hour and had decided to head off toward Bath when we realized we had a flat battery. The car lights had been left on and while Pete stressed about it, I door knocked and found a lovely local who was able to give us a jump start. We've found along our travels that people are simply wonderful and generous. There maybe some folk in the world who aren't so nice but as it happens we haven't met any of them.
Along the way to Bath we stopped at the Barge Inn. This pub is located along a canal and is dedicated to the crop circle phenomena which is renown in the Wessex area in July & August when the crops are at their peak. Well it is very interesting looking at these pictures and reading the stories and evidence behind them along with eye witness accounts including some from scientists who have seen them 'appear' within a matter of a minute. Basically, the crop circle phenomena, has been going on for years. What happens is a farmer wakes up in the morning and finds a huge pattern in his crop that you can see clearly from the air. The plants themselves are not damaged or broken, they are bent at 90 degrees, but commonly return upright within a couple of days. Witnesses claim to hear a whizzing, buzzing sound when the phenomena takes place, and they are particularly apparent after heavy rain. There are many theories about how they are formed, from alien visitations, to earth emitting energy through the water trapped in the lay lines, along with the hoax theory. Bottom line, it has scientists miffed, and is pretty cool.
Arrived in Bath, and ready for a Bath, but the Roman Spa there costs 22pounds for a session. So we snuck into a backpackers instead and had a great shower for nothing. Had our van parked between a train station and the central post office. Not the best environment for a good nights sleep, but to find a parking spot in Bath is like finding a pot of gold.
Bye Corby
Saturday 20 December 2008, Corby - Amesbury, England
Carrying a bit of a sore head and big sleep in, we had a late start to head to Stonehenge to catch the solstice for tomorrow. A plate of fatty fish and chips we thought might help our start, but no, not really. Basically our day was getting from A to B. As we passed Stonehenge the sun had already gone down, but the barracades were going up. Obviously it was going to be a big morning. We then found a spot in the backstreets of Amesbury, and parked for the night.
Carrying a bit of a sore head and big sleep in, we had a late start to head to Stonehenge to catch the solstice for tomorrow. A plate of fatty fish and chips we thought might help our start, but no, not really. Basically our day was getting from A to B. As we passed Stonehenge the sun had already gone down, but the barracades were going up. Obviously it was going to be a big morning. We then found a spot in the backstreets of Amesbury, and parked for the night.
Should auld acquantaince be forgot?
Friday 19 December 2008, Corby, England
As our visit with Bill & Tange (short for Andreen) wasn't until 2pm we headed off to see Kirby Hall, which was built to inspire a visit by Elizabeth I. It has beautiful gardens which have been restored thanks to the design of the garden being layed out in stone. Half of the Hall has actually turned to ruin, but the other half has been restored, right down to the handmade wallpaper on the walls. Do a google search to find out more info on Kirby Hall, as it is too much to add here.
We then headed back to Corby to finally meet Bill & Tange. Bill was friends with Pete's Dad when he worked in the local Steel Factory, and Tange was friends with Pete's Mum after she moved as a girl to Corby from Kilmarnock in Scotland. Bill & Tange married, as did Pete's Mum and Dad and they all became good friends. We were greeted with open arms, along with wine and beer, and we sat and chatted about Pete's parents. Both have passed from cancer, Pete's Dad in 2002, and his mum 10 years earlier. The time went fast, and Bill & Tange let us know that they had organised a bit of a gathering down the pub. Pete wanted to catch up with his cousin Pauline before going, so we went down the road and met with her and her husband. Very exciting time, as this was the first time Pete had met her. It was a shame that we weren't here for a month. We then headed off to the pub, and were surprised to find Pete's uncle, and 2 of his other cousins, along with one of his Dad's other close friends, and his wife who was close with his Mum. It was a night to remember. This pub, is a pretty old fashioned pub, none of those pokies, or jukeboxes ... in fact, no music at all. So there was just talking, laughing, and lots of beer.
Pete was pretty overwhelmed with excitment and emotion, as you could imagine, it is like connecting with your parents again.
We got home around 1am, and Bill was in fine form to keep up the party and brouht out a bottle of 15yr Balvennie. This is a very nice drop! Did I mention he is a Scot? Well, Tange was singing along to the dancing santa in the corner, Bill was singing some sort of Scottish song that I couldn't understand, Pete is asleep on the couch, and I'm pouring myself another whisky. I helped Pete sleep walk up the stairs and put him to bed. Then Bill insisted that we have more. We kept on, until the whole bottle was gone. Finally we were able to go to bed, and hopefully sleep it all off.
As our visit with Bill & Tange (short for Andreen) wasn't until 2pm we headed off to see Kirby Hall, which was built to inspire a visit by Elizabeth I. It has beautiful gardens which have been restored thanks to the design of the garden being layed out in stone. Half of the Hall has actually turned to ruin, but the other half has been restored, right down to the handmade wallpaper on the walls. Do a google search to find out more info on Kirby Hall, as it is too much to add here.
We then headed back to Corby to finally meet Bill & Tange. Bill was friends with Pete's Dad when he worked in the local Steel Factory, and Tange was friends with Pete's Mum after she moved as a girl to Corby from Kilmarnock in Scotland. Bill & Tange married, as did Pete's Mum and Dad and they all became good friends. We were greeted with open arms, along with wine and beer, and we sat and chatted about Pete's parents. Both have passed from cancer, Pete's Dad in 2002, and his mum 10 years earlier. The time went fast, and Bill & Tange let us know that they had organised a bit of a gathering down the pub. Pete wanted to catch up with his cousin Pauline before going, so we went down the road and met with her and her husband. Very exciting time, as this was the first time Pete had met her. It was a shame that we weren't here for a month. We then headed off to the pub, and were surprised to find Pete's uncle, and 2 of his other cousins, along with one of his Dad's other close friends, and his wife who was close with his Mum. It was a night to remember. This pub, is a pretty old fashioned pub, none of those pokies, or jukeboxes ... in fact, no music at all. So there was just talking, laughing, and lots of beer.
Pete was pretty overwhelmed with excitment and emotion, as you could imagine, it is like connecting with your parents again.
We got home around 1am, and Bill was in fine form to keep up the party and brouht out a bottle of 15yr Balvennie. This is a very nice drop! Did I mention he is a Scot? Well, Tange was singing along to the dancing santa in the corner, Bill was singing some sort of Scottish song that I couldn't understand, Pete is asleep on the couch, and I'm pouring myself another whisky. I helped Pete sleep walk up the stairs and put him to bed. Then Bill insisted that we have more. We kept on, until the whole bottle was gone. Finally we were able to go to bed, and hopefully sleep it all off.
Chocolate Chinese Visa
Thursday 18 December 2008, London - Corby, England
Well the Bond Mobile did a good job and we had a good nights sleep in the suburbs. Then we were off to Macca's to use their ablutions and wi-fi and find out where we had to go to get our Chinese Visa. We had tried to apply for it in August when we were in Australia, but they had just changed the Visa application processing to a one month visa from time of application, which meant that it would have been out of date by the time we got to China in January, so we were advised by our travel agent to wait until we got to London and apply for it there. So checking the address of the embassy and the unthinkable happened... you now have to log your application on the net, and register for your appointment online (at least one day waiting), and need to have a medical exam as a foreigner. So we pretended we didn't read it, and planned our way to get some parking near a station and get the tube to Chancery Lane. While waiting at the station a couple of trains went by that were absolutely flying. It seemed like they were going 200km/hr+. It really takes the wind out of you when your standing on the platform and not expecting a rocket to creep up behind you. I'm sure the Egyptians would really get a kick out of it. Getting off at Chancery Lane we were finally able to see the black cabs and red double deckers around the streets and actually feel like we were in London. At the embassy we were greeted with a polite how do you do, along with a what is your registration number and appointment time. Said we were from Australia and that when we had started our travels in September we were advised to come straight to the embassy. Didn't seem to be a problem at all and 5 minutes later our application form was accepted and we were told we could come back in 3 days and pick up our passports. All seemed too easy so hopefully it is and everything goes to plan. Picked up a campervan guide on our way back and hit the road heading to Birmingham then onto Corby to see Pete's long lost family. We got into town about 10.30pm, and were so tired from driving that we found a quiet street, pulled up, and went to sleep in the back of the van.
Well the Bond Mobile did a good job and we had a good nights sleep in the suburbs. Then we were off to Macca's to use their ablutions and wi-fi and find out where we had to go to get our Chinese Visa. We had tried to apply for it in August when we were in Australia, but they had just changed the Visa application processing to a one month visa from time of application, which meant that it would have been out of date by the time we got to China in January, so we were advised by our travel agent to wait until we got to London and apply for it there. So checking the address of the embassy and the unthinkable happened... you now have to log your application on the net, and register for your appointment online (at least one day waiting), and need to have a medical exam as a foreigner. So we pretended we didn't read it, and planned our way to get some parking near a station and get the tube to Chancery Lane. While waiting at the station a couple of trains went by that were absolutely flying. It seemed like they were going 200km/hr+. It really takes the wind out of you when your standing on the platform and not expecting a rocket to creep up behind you. I'm sure the Egyptians would really get a kick out of it. Getting off at Chancery Lane we were finally able to see the black cabs and red double deckers around the streets and actually feel like we were in London. At the embassy we were greeted with a polite how do you do, along with a what is your registration number and appointment time. Said we were from Australia and that when we had started our travels in September we were advised to come straight to the embassy. Didn't seem to be a problem at all and 5 minutes later our application form was accepted and we were told we could come back in 3 days and pick up our passports. All seemed too easy so hopefully it is and everything goes to plan. Picked up a campervan guide on our way back and hit the road heading to Birmingham then onto Corby to see Pete's long lost family. We got into town about 10.30pm, and were so tired from driving that we found a quiet street, pulled up, and went to sleep in the back of the van.
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