Perry Sand Hills, Australia

During my time visiting my friend in Australia, we did a 3 day road trip from Melbourne up to the border of Victoria and New South Wales, to a small town called Mildura.  So small town in fact, that it had not even registered on our GPS.  Because of this, we really struggled to find our motel, we were not even sure which state it was in!  Turns out it was in New South Wales, right next to the Murray River!  Once we got to the motel, we were greeted in our room by a delightful lizzard and a frog!  Being the girls that we are, we got the manager to come and remove them :)

The next morning we were not too sure what to do with our day and so headed down to the tourist information centre who gave us a brochure about a small town nearby called Wentworth.  Whilst paging through the brochure, I spotted a picture of some beautiful sand hills so I asked about them and the assistant said they were only about 10 minutes drive out of the town, literally in the middle of no where.  We decided to head down there and well, WOW!!!

Literally in the middle of a wide open field are these huge high sand dunes, made of amazing orange sand.  We quickly parked and headed off to climb them.  I had to try and climb the sand dunes with summer shoes on (a bit of a challenge) because of the snake risk in Australia.  There were random (very random!!) watermelons growing in the sand at some parts.  The views from the top of the sand dunes were just breathtaking and climbing these dunes and looking out from the top was definately one of those ''Aaaah, I cannot believe I'm actually experiencing this'' travel moments.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow....

With my entire life's experience of snow having been everyone freaking out ''its snowing in Cape Town'' and the whole city jumping in their cars and driving 2 hours away to Ceres, where it had in fact only snowed on the very tips of the mountains and you couldn't get to with a car, I was rather excited to be in a country where it does in fact SNOW.

My first experience of snow was in 2009, about two weeks before I was meant to go to South Africa on a holiday.  It had started snowing very heavily up north, to the point that they had closed some of the airports, and they were expecting it to hit London at any moment.  The first bit of 'snow' we got, I did in fact freak out and think it was amazing, but it was actually only sleet!! Check out these pics

About a week later though, I came out of my tube station at work to find Leytonstone (the part of London where I lived) completely submerged in snow!  Whilst all my housemates were huddled around the radiators, I put on my gloves and jacket to go build a snow man!  I was sooooo excited!!  Check these pics out :)

I was pretty lucky, as the week I was actually meant to fly to SA for holidays, most flights out of Heathrow were cancelled because of the snow.  Mine was one of the first to take off on time, so that was really lucky!

In 2010, the snow started very early in the year and this time posed some issues in getting to work as I took an overground train to get to my job, not the tube.  I was still very excited though and we even took all the children to the park to play in the snow, which was amazing!!  Another day we took them snow sledging, and since they were little, we had to go in the sledge with them, no complaints here!!  What a fantastic experience, snow sledging for the first time ever!!

I got quite emotional at the possibility of having an actual white Christmas, how lucky would I be!!

Here are some great shots of the 2010 snow.

Here is an interesting comparison of the exact same park....

Soooooo, all I can say from sunny South Africa this year is....I'm dreaming of a white Christmas!!

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Every year around Christmas time, Hyde Park hosts a month long family fair called the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.  I went to it at the end of 2009 with a friend from work, Rico, and had a great time, so I made plans to go again in 2010 with my friend Lisa.  We decided to make it an all day thing so we met up at 2pm.  It was freezing cold (at least minus 6 degrees) but we arrived with our layers on and braved the cold. 

The first thing we did was buy some gluwyn, a warm red wine with spiced, which did the trick in warming us up!!  We then looked at what all there was to go and we decided to go on a ride called The Black Hole, which was pretty much a cart that you sit in which goes into a huge dome which is pitch dark inside.  As the cart went up the ramp, you could see an amazing view of London which was pretty special.  The ride was fun and different from any other I had done before.  After that we went to look at some of the shops and another friend joined us for some more drinks.  We then went on another ride which was a seat which hung from a rollercoaster, also quite fun.

I can remember sitting on the bench by the stalls in the freezing cold and just feeling so unbelievably grateful to be there.  The atmosphere of a winter Christmas with all the carols playing and everyone walking around so happy cannot possibly be described, but there was nowhere else in the world that I would rather have been at that time.  I said to Lisa, ‘’if it starts to snow now, my life will be complete.‘’  (I had to wait until the next day for the snow)

Lisa completed her shopping by buying a big Banksy panda with the pistols, or as she called it the ‘’£35 pandaaaaa’’.  Afterwards we went for a drink at The Bell and Compass in Trafalgar Square before heading home.  The journey home took about 2 hours, as I had completely forgotten that a tube strike had started at 6pm and so I ended up taking a bus home (well several buses) and getting home just before 1am.  But it was so worth it!!!

My First English Footy Match

So I am not into sports at all, and definitely not football.  But I figured since I am in England and am passionate about the country, as may as well give them some support on their matches.  So my friend from work Giulia and I decided to go watch the England vs USA game.  We met up in Leicester Square and walked around to a few pubs to see who was showing it and eventually ended up at Leicester Square O’Neills.  There was a great crowd and they had set up a big screen for us to watch on.  Giulia and I managed to get a spot to sit right at the front and once we had our ciders and my England flag which I had brought along, we were all set for the game.

The team spirit in the place was amazing and everyone was singing war cries which I had to learn pretty quickly!!  Quite early into the game, England scored their first goal and the crowd went nuts!!  Was such a great feeling to be a part of that.  Not quite as much as when USA scored!!

Afterwards, Giulia and I were pretty hungry so we headed off to KFC and for some reason we still haven’t figured out, we decided to order a Family Bucket, thinking that we could finish it all!!  Needless to see we didn’t even get through half of the food! 

It was a great night out and really amazing to be part of the English team spirit!!

Travelling North England

Since getting to England, I have tried to do as much travelling around the UK as possible but for some reason, most of that seemed to happen around the South of England.  So I decided when I had some time off, to head up to the north a little and travel around Liverpool, Manchester and Wigan.  I went online and booked my train tickets and hostels, and off I went!!  The first stop was Liverpool, which I instantly liked.  There was a lot to see, and some very cheap shopping to be done!!  I got myself 2 new pairs of pumps (which I still have to this day) for less than an tenner.  I also headed down to their waterfront, but I didn’t spend long as it was raining.

The hostel I was staying at was really nice and that evening when I was sitting in their internet cafe, I decided on the spur of the moment that I would spend the following day going up to Wigan which was just a 40 minute train ride away.  I have a friend from there and have always wanted to see it.  So I booked my train ticket for £3!! 

The next morning I got the train at 11am and headed off to Wigan.  It felt like stepping back a good couple of years, it was the ultimate in small town vibes!!  It had amazing little cobbled streets and tiny shops!  It even had a tourist bureau, which I went to but they kindly told me that there was nothing to do there J  i stopped in at a couple of their shops and then had some lunch at their local pub, before hoping back on the train back to Liverpool. 

The next day, I booked a tour to do the Magical Mystery Beatles tour.  As Liverpool is where the Beatles are from, after paying a visit to the amazing Beatles Museum, I left for my tour.  On the tour we got to see some of the houses where the various members of the Beatles grew up, we saw the ‘’strawberry fields’’ and the actually Penny Lane.  It truly was a magical tour and whilst I may not be the biggest Beatles fan, it was still an amazing opportunity to get to see these places.

I continued on to Manchester, which wasn’t the most fantastic place I have been to, but good none the less.  It had a MASSIVE shopping mall as well with great shops, and a really nice outdoor park area.  I also took the bus to Old Trafford to see the Manchester United Stadium.  And yes, I am not the ultimate footy fan but it was pretty cool to see this.  It is just huge!!

The next day I headed home to London on the train and can honestly say it was a great getaway trip and wonderful chance to see more of beautiful England.

Christmas in Bournemouth

Being away from my family for Christmas was probably the only time I have even slightly missed being in South Africa.  But on the other hand, I was more than excited about having a white Christmas so I wasn’t complaining too much about being away! 

A friend of mine from Montessori training college, Ali lives with her boyfriend Simon in Bournemouth, a coastal town in south England and his parents had been kind enough to let me stay over on a few occasions when I was visiting Ali.  So when they heard I was going to be alone for Christmas they were kind enough to offer to have me join them for their Christmas dinner.  London’s public transport completely shuts down on Christmas Day and cabs double their prices, so its not really where you want to be on the actual day.

When I got to Victoria Coach Station to catch my bus, the weather was very cold and snowy and I was worried my bus wouldn’t be able to leave.  But, after an hour and a half delay, we finally got on the road and I was on my way to Bournemouth J

When I got there, Alana and Simon picked me up and we went to join his parents at a Chinese restaurant for Christmas Eve dinner, where I tasted duck for the first time, delicious!!

We had all decided to buy a present for each other, so Christmas morning we woke up and swopped presents, which was really fun.  I called my family in South Africa to wish them Merry Christmas and then we headed off to church.  Only once we got there did we realise it was a Catholic Church, which none of us had ever been to!!  Anyways the people were really friendly and welcoming and it was an enjoyable service, though we were the only ones who didn’t know the que’s for sitting down and standing up when singing the carols!

Once we left, we headed to Simon’s familys’ house.  We spent most of the afternoon chilling by the TV and opening gifts.  There were so many delicious snacks that by the time dinner came I was almost full!  It was my first time having a turkey instead of gammon for Christmas dinner, but it was amazing!!  And served with brussel sprouts, my favourite veggie!  It was great to feel a part of this English tradition.

Once we had had dessert and were ready to head off home, we discovered that it was minus 12 degrees outside and had to scrape the ice off Simon’s car and let the engine run for a while before we could even drive.

Even though I wasn’t with my family, this was definitely one of my favourite Christmases!

Why I Love London

People in South Africa often ask me what it is that I love so much about London.  Well I thought I'd make a list to explain myself better.

1.  The People:  I met the most amazing of friends whilst in London, people that I know, no matter how many years it is since I've last seen them, we will be friends forever.  Friends that I could call in the middle of the night if there was a problem and they would be okay with that.  Friends that did not judge each other.  Friends that make an equal amount of effort to stay on contact now that I am back.

2.  The Amount of Things That There Are To Do:  there was never enough time to see and do all that London has to offer.  There is always another attraction to explore, another restaurant that you haven't eaten at, another pub you haven't been to.  Another experience you haven't tried.

3.  The Daily Excitement of Living in London:  There wasn't a day I didn't wake up and smile because I was so excited to be in this amazing city.  It is hard to explain how amazing it is to live in a place which you feel this way about.

4.  The Work:  It is so great to have a job where you jump out of bed in the morning to get there, and you get paid properly to do so.  Its like the best of both worlds!!  

5.  People Are Opening To Meeting New People:  Everyone is so open to meeting new friends, if you go to a party there only knowing one person, you will never leave not having met lots of new people.

6.  One Big City But So Different:  Take South London for example the Clapham area (one of my favourites in London).  It has such a great vibe, a great common, lots of great bars and restaurants and great events all year round.  Then take East London with Brick Lane and all the Indian shops on the high street.  So different but great in their own ways, and all within a maximum of 45 minutes commute from each other.

7.  So non-judgemental:  If you were a person with purple hair, a pink dress and green shoes and you got onto the tube, no one would even bother looking up, no one cares about how others choose to live.

8.  Public transport:  There was never a day that the fact that I didn't have a car became an issue for me.  The tube is amazing, and the night buses are great for getting home late.  The factor of not having to worry about drinking and driving is amazing.

9.  The Safety:  Walking home alone from my night bus stop to my house at 3am with my iPod on was just a great feeling after being scared to drive in my own car after 8pm.

10.  The Liveliness at Night:  there are stacks of people on the street no matter what time of the day or night it was.  You could never tell the time of the night but seeing the number of people decrease, the city never slept.

11.  The Markets:  Brick Lane Market, Spitalfields Market, Borough Markets, Portobello Road Markets.....what more can you ask for.  I once got an amazing top for a pound!!

12.  The Shopping:  Primark....what more can I say!!  I could spend just £20 and walk out with 5 shopping bags of anazing stuff.  And hey, if I didn't find what I wanted in there, I could just cross the road to Matalan, or hop on the tube 2 stations to Stratford Mall and go to heaps of other places like New Look or Peacock.

13.  Up-to-date technology: One word...WI-FI!!! Uncapped wireless internet at a very cheap price was the norm in most households.  A 'cap' on your internet is almost unheard of and so downloading movies and series is as easy pie.

14.  Quorn!!!!!  Vegetarian or not, Quorn is amazing!!!!

15.  Online shopping:  Order anything you could possibly think of online and have it delivered, free of charge  to your doorstep within 2 or 3 days.

16.  Things Being Cheap and Affordable:  DVD's costing £3, my weekly groceries costing a maximum of £20 and a travelcard which was half the price of what I spend on petrol, and allowed an unlimited amount of travel in your selected zones.

17.  Things To Do All The Time:  When I felt like going out after work but none of my friends were about, I could take a stroll on London Bridge, head down to Piccadilly Circus and take in the sights....there was always something to do no matter what.

18.  The Free Mayor of London Events:  From the Thames Festival, to Chinese New Year, to the Guy Fawkes Night displays, there was always something going on and it was for free!

19.  Annual Pride Parade:  Such an amazing event with amazing people and just an amazing party!!

20.  A 30 Minute Flight from Europe:  Get to Amsterdam or Paris in less than an hour, and on flights that cost as little as £20!!

21.  The Rest of England and the U.K.  There was so much to explore in the rest of the UK and it was so affordable to do!!  My personal favourites being Bournemouth, Liverpool, Glasgow, Dublin, Dolgellau and Brecon Beacons.

22.  The Festivals:  whilst I didn't get to go to many, there were so much to choose from all summer!

23.  The Constant Flow of Concerts by International Artists:  who ever your favourite singer is, it was just a matter of time before they would be doing a show in London.

24.  The co-incidence of Famous People:  Only in London do you step out of a budget restaurant with a friend only to be greated with a red carpet with Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo on it!!  Or get to plan a trip to the Harry Potter Primere at the last minute and get to see all the characters as well as J.K. Rowling.

25.  The Parks:  Hyde Park, Green Park, St. James Park, Greenwich Park, etc etc they are all just so massive and green and amazing.

26.  Westminister and Buckingham Palace:  such a privelage to get to see these amazing places.

27.  Non-Corrupt Police:  I remember a friend of mine's phone getting pickpocketed at a pub and the police took it so seriously and were so caring.

28.  Un-predictable Elections:  the politians have no guarantee of winning, they have to actually fight for your vote and no one knows how it is going to turn out.

29.  Free Newspaper Everyday:  Metro, Evening Standard, London Lite....all yours for the taking for free, and good reads too!!

30.  Free GOOD Healthcare:  Being on the NHS was not something bad, their healthcare was fantastic.  I even got 6 free pilates classes to help with my backpain.

31.  The Good Old English Fryups:  Unbeatable on a Sunday morning!!

I could carry on and on and on but DAM I miss the place I still consider home.  I love you London!!!!