its incredibly hot!

35'

busy, humid, sticky...but awesome. Leave for Vilenkulo soon

In Mozambique!

Its hot, sticky and slightly mad. Long bus trip and border process was irritaing but all is well. The Germans are here already. We will be heading up to Vilenkulo on wednesday - a top spot further north. The country is huge so we are trying to do a couple key spots and then whatever else we can afford or have time for.

Watch this space!

Greetings to you and your kin!

The year has started with a bang...however it was a very slow bang in comparision to the jo'burg understanding of a bang. Must be the Cape Town interpretation.

For the past two weeks I've done very little, but have been entirely content. My day normally starts at noon and then breakfast is normally accompanied by, of recent, the cricket. Lunch is merely a a snack when I realise its 16:30 and I still havent eaten, and then my day actually begins.

I have been doing plenty of shopping, sleeping (which I may have mentioned) and catching up with all the oldies. Work was limited to a couple of days of MC'ing and a few days on the beach. The work I foresee myself doing: working on the tan!

Tomorrow is the first chapter of our Mozambican adventure! A sibling and 4 Germans will be my travel companions.

We are definately roughing it!

We are all getting to Maputu in various ways - I, for instance will be boarding a fruit and jetting into OR Tambo International airport (formerly known as JHB International.) After a night on someone's lounge floor, Yvonne and I will be hopping a board a dog on wheels and entering Mozambique Saturday night. The capital city will be home for 3 nights (backpackers, of course!) until all zee germans arrive. Then its a bee-line straight to the closest beach camping spot and bob's your uncle (well, in my case another relative but then the saying doesn't fit!)

We will be making our way up North, however how far and for how long is mostly money dependent. We may need to resort to stealing bananas and avos as we progress! Also, it is said that the further North you travel the more exotic the beaches are - fear not, I will test each beach and location for "exoticacy." Whilst working on my tan will be tricky, I am the kind of responsible person willing to take the extra work of comparing beaches on my shoulders.

:)

Post Mozambique: well, the great Asian jungles are calling my name - that is A.) the urban jungles and B.) because I sent them my CV.
March on!

Otherwise I hope that pick one:Taiwan, Hong-Kong, Korea, Thailand, The UK, Botswana, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Planet Jupiter, The States, Serbia, The far east Rand, Cape Town - and areas just out side of the boerewors curtain
are treating you well!

Please keep me up to date with happenings! I hope that you will keep me up to date with the amount that I intend for you! hehe!

much love
***claire

ps: will have min internet access til beginning of Feb, please bear with me!

It seems my year of travel is requiring copious amounts of preparation. Organising, emailing, phone calls, bookings and shopping.

I did the worst part yesterday...the jabs!

I am afraid of needles. I dont even have my ears pierced. I simply dislike objects piercing skin and being inserted into my body. Why anybody thinks otherwise - I DONT KNOW! I fainted afterwards. Very graceful!

It was the first jab I've had in 20 years. If you are trying to work out how that is possible, let me lighten your mental load: I had a booster for polio when I was a baby in teh UK and not when everyone else had that funny flower jab before school. Thats right...I'm tough!

:)

So plenty of organising happening - lets hope the effort going in will reflect in the quality of the trip. Next Friday!!!!!

New Years of Note!

Normally its an evening I dislike planning for. New Years is a bit of a farce. What a mission!
But this year was different. Compliments of Damian and Abby, a house was provided and by word of mouth a great group of old and new faces arrived to party away a great 2006 and bring in the big double oh seven! A great time was had by all - the drinks were not a key ingredient but definately a helpful one!

If the party was anything to go by...

Its going to be a fantasitc year!

By the grace of the man upstairs...let it be!

Tis the season to be...

Decorative:

The Christmas Tree arrived timeously this year but decorating took longer than expected. The reason was that I was in pain and not keen on stretching, hanging and bending. Why? I hear you ask! Well, my great white British skin has not seen much of the sun for the past year on account of my diligent work ethic (and lack of beach in JHB) and so I did my first lifesaving duty of the year with little regard to my legs, as they have never been burnt before. The legs were festively decorated in red.

Merry:

The annual Mulz Christmas Party took place. It was awesome to catch up with everyone and see some old faces. Conversation was merry indeed - both with and without alcohol. In my case, it was without alcohol and yet I decided to put on a merry display and faint. A couple minutes later and I was as good as gold but a somewhat amusing event for myself!

Eating:

Far too much! The days between Christmas eve and New Years day are layden with far too much food. No one should recieve chocolate for Christmas for this reason. Correction. I should not recieve chocolate for this reason as teh temptation is far too great and I will not be able to leave it alone. It will be consumed. January is officially labeled 'diet month.'

We did all the traditions this year, although on a smaller scale.

Once again - a correction is required. Zee Germans invaded and it was awesome! A group of German volunteers joined us for dfinner during this week of over indulgence. The food once again was both too much and too tempting. Bad combination but lots of chatting helped work it off! Awesome group of girls. Looking forward to the next time...although I think it may be in a different country! (watch this space!)

Sharing:


Well, sharing my opinion! ANd I was paid to do it this year, once again at the Adderly Street Night Market 2006. A Cape Town tradition of shopping, eating and enjoying music in the middle of the Cape Town's CBD. Once again, I thouroughly enjoyed this event. There really was something for everyone.

Fun times! And this, is what life should be about. Someone once said (this i found in a Christmas Cracker)

"If you're not having fun you're doing something wrong!"

And so, on that, I bid you well until next year! I trust that it will be fun!

Four Provinces. Four Seasons. One Trip.

I am home!

Cape Town is still the same – everything and nothing has changed.

Over the last two weeks I had had drinks and meals with as many friends as possible. Whilst it was great, such meetings did require a fair bit of recovery time the following day! My last couple of days were busy and tiring. It is amazing how much rubbish one accumulates over the period of a year. This had to be sorted and rated. Loads was left behind as my poor little car looked like a stuffed turkey – struggling to take off. Non the less the car and I started on our journey and made it home safely!

The trip started 17 December, 03:30 – alarm goes off. 03:50 I finally get up. The car was mostly packed, minus a few valuables that could not be left over night, and so these were packed in the early morning. I eventually got going at 04:30. The car was heavy and for once this could not be blamed on my weight.

Province 1: Gauteng – cool, overcast, autumn

First stop: Bloemfontein. Pumping place. Actually, so ‘pumping’ that the petrol pumps were packed. I had flash backs of the news showing petrol pumps in Zimbabwe – queues! Instead of waiting at the one-stop on the N1, I decided to venture in to this ‘major city’ to find petrol. Not that exciting. I think I should work there next time J

Province 2: Free State – warm, sunny, spring

The second stop was required in Colesberg. Clearly this town revolves around the petrol station. I’m not sure why else it exists!?!?

Then the N1 takes you through a very dull part of the country. The Free State blurs into the Northern Cape (there is a border between some of the shrubs and rocks I’m told.) It was at this point that I decided to load my CD player with some of the greatest Christmas music of all time. I should sing carols more often – I know all the words and all the tunes, more so than any other genre of music (look out for my forth coming CD!)

Province 3: Norther Cape – hot, humid, summer

It was here that one could play ‘spot’ the radar. There was one unfortunate soul who had been positioned on the side of a hill with radar and speed-trapping devices. He was not a traffic officer and was there was no town in the near vicinity – 100kms either side. He smiled at me as I drove past. This is either because I had donated to his Christmas bonus or because he was delirious from heat. I will let you know in the next month (see if he sends me a letter in the post or not.)

The first town in the Western Cape is Beaufort West. I’m not sure the town is where it is. It’s is nowhere! Nice petrol station but in the middle of nowhere!

I drove slap-bang, right into a hail storm upon entering the western cape. A blatant reminder of where I had just come from. There was nowhere to hide, but sit and pray the marbles hitting my car don’t pierce the windscreen. They didn’t. Now, whilst I do live in the Western Cape, and I always thought it to be an awesome province it is incredibly boring!

Province 4: Western Cape – hail, rain, wind, winter

The last bit of the karoo is mind-numbingly dull. The Christmas carols where no longer good enough and I started rapping along to the sounds of Eve, P Diddy (or whatever his name is now) and even some 50. Yes, I was that bored.

It is at times like this that I am greatful for driving alone. Some singing secrets should follow one to the grave (in case you are thinking I just let the cat out of the bag, nope, I did not. It was much worse!)

The Cape does get lovely from the Hex River valley and I was sure to take lots of pictures whilst I was driving (another interesting habit of mine.) I’m thinking of publishing a book: Photos from behind the wheel.
In all naff book stores soon!

And before long, I was home. Long would be 15 hours. It took me 14!
14 hours in a cramped little, over packed car without aircon was not how I intended on spending a Sunday, but I am now home and its good to be back!

And so, it is now imperative I spend no more time with myself – a social life is now required! Give me a call, lets go out tonight!

The showdown

*definition:

a show of downing

A group of girls got together on Sunday afternoon, all with one thing in common: a mad drink-pouring, pool-pushing, fire-starting, trouble-starting coach.

And this was very much how the day started and ended. If you didn't have drink, it was soon to be remedied in 3 fold. Jose whipped out the nastiest alcoholic beverages and when the bottles were finished, the creative side of this particular Spaniard came to the fore.

No one really knows how much and what specifically was consumed, but lots of it was consumed.

2006/2007 summer fashion:

Yes, denim is back! If you expect you might be swimming, full length jeans are the way to go. According to SFC Ladies' coach (as well as many of their husbands) jeans are best worn under water. Sure, they stick, are incredibly heavy and take ages to dry but this is simply the price of fashion this year.

The fights. The swimwear. The throwing. The Team!

Thank you Springs FC!

I've had a blast!

My Final 93.9 Breakfast Show

Thanks Mr van der Sandt for all the good times!

Its been an awesome 9 months. I dont believe many women have been able to put up with you for that length of time, and come out unscathed (or at least still single!) I've given it thought and I've put it down to the fact that I was generally half asleep during the show. You have a talent...you have the ability to get up when need be (something not all men of your age can do!)

May you find fulfilment in all your endevours. I hope you learn to behave one day but hang on to that youthful spirit of yours. If not, dont worry...I'll be standing by with the Zimmer frame

:-)

Stand by for the Asian report...

The After Party

Claire and Yolande

Edward (sporting a George Michael Earing) and Claire