27/04/2007

Official Wedding Photographs

Our wedding photographer Teresa Dietrich has put up the official photographs on her website. Follow the link below to check them out and place your orders. Any problems, let us know.




22/04/2007

Honeymoon Journal Entries


Rather than writing a trip report we decided to transcribe our journal entries instead. It may be a little hickle-dee-pickle-dee, but they give an insight into what the trip was really like ( note to self: find another word instead of awesome ).

Honeymoon Journal Write-up

Wednesday 4th April

O On Kloof – Bantry Bay Cape Town

What an amazing place! I feel like they’ve made a mistake, we are not worthy! Tim and I rocked up at about 10:30pm on the worst side of dishevelled to a very luxurious house. Looking like it could win awards from the ‘Ideal Homes’ Organisers. A glass of bubbly later and we were feeling more relaxed.

Our superior room is just that. I want to remember every detail of the bathroom for when we move house! Flower petals in the (huge) bath, a private sun deck with Jacuzzi are just how I imagine my honeymoon to be. Tim has to realise that we have started our married life in a way to which I feel the need to be constantly accustomed! I am so lucky! My wonderful husband (after an amazing wedding) and a wonderful location.

A chilly swim was soon warmed up this morning with a soak in the Jacuzzi which was so much fun!!

Tim's bit

The last few days have been a bit of a blur. ‘Walking on cloud nine’ would be an appropriate cliché. After a 10 hour flight ( 3 movies, 4 meals and a episode of Red Dwarf ) the O On Kloof is outstanding. The setting, the décor and the service are simply the best I have ever encountered. Maybe married life has changed me and my years of roughing it are all behind me?? Either way it is the perfect start to the honemoon ( after a perfect wedding ). Booked in for a massage in 15 minutes and have a couple of days to look around Cape Town. Time to switch off and relax.

p.s. Vicky really like the hot tub!!

10:47pm

Had a lovely massage and a meal at the V&A Waterfront. A G&T back at the O On Kloof and a chat with a lovely lady who works here. Opened the door to our room and the lamps are on, the air conditioning is set to cool the place down, the bed has been turned down and our bath robes have been put out with a chocolate for each of us! The little touches are amazing.

Sherry and canapés were delivered this evening before we went out. Such an amazing place to stay.

I bought a top and a hat!

Good Friday ( For Thursday 5th )

Yesterday we went to the Clock Tower at the waterfront to try and get the ferry to Robben Island – no such luck, booked up until the 9th of April ( they have had lots of problems with their ferries ). So, instead we got the ‘hop on’ open top bus to town and looked around the castle and then to the District 6 museum. District 6 is an area in the centre of Cape Town which used to be home to an eclectic mix of people until the white government in 1967 decided to forcibly remove everyone ( the didn’t want ‘coloureds’ living so close to parliament ). They razed to the ground all homes and even streets, The museum has a huge map on the floor with all the old streets and families who lived there. The street name signs are displayed and the people who work there are people who were removed – but they don’t seem bitter.

It was amazing and really moving. It made me feel humble and also a little guilty for what our ancestors caused. How dare people just do this.

The residents were forced out to the Cape Flats areas which are now the Townships.

The cable car for Table Mountain was closed because of the wind, but a view from the cable station was quite satisfying ( just our luck ).

Evening – we went to Camps Bay and got some amazing pics of the beach and surf. Had a couple of nice drinks – particularly like the bar Barazza and the amazing restaurant ‘Cod Father’ – a fish and sushi bar where there is no menu. You just choose your fish from the counter. Tim had swordfish and I had king and queen prawns – HUGE! With amazing dips. One of the best meals ever!

Tim’s Bit

No tickets to Robben Island – Bad!

Red Top Bus around Town – Good!

Castle – Good!

District 6 – Bad! Museum – Good!

Cable Car closed due to wind – Bad!

Huge Swordfish Steak – Good!

Another day in the sun with Vicky – Excellent!

Good Friday

We did the winelands and Cape Tour today. A rather over-talkative guide, some fellow companions- a newly-wed couple from Norway and a lady from Brazil.

We went to the winelands, an Ostrich farm, the Cape of Good Hope ( Most South Westerly African Point ), where the Indian and African Oceans meet.

The scenery was stunning. Cliffs and sea with hard to grasp reality check every now and again – huge townships (city size) in the middle of nowhere, out of the way so that people are not reminded of it. There is still a long way to go to attain equality. Anyway, back to the O On Kloof for our last night – out on our sundeck with pink champagne.

Tim’s Bit

Zebra √

Antelope √

Ostrich √

Baboon √

Penguin √

Cape Point √

Wine √

Cape Salmon

Tim & Vicky √

Saturday 7th April

Left O On Kloof this morning and picked up hire car. The NZ was one straight road – 4 ½ hours later we arrived at the Palms Wilderness Guest house in Wilderness. Stunning beach – the first time we have dipped our toes in the Indian Ocean ( felt colder that we had been told ).

Colder here than in Cape Town – tomorrow will be 33˚ in Cape Town! The guest house is lovely, more rustic. Our room has a traditional thatched roof. Not as luxury or contemporary as O On Kloof, but ‘Lekker’ ( Nice ) in a different way.

Had an amazing meal at the guest house restaurant – and the food is so cheep – always about £15 per person including wine. Very stylish food for less that half what we pay in the UK.

We are just going to relax here.

Tim’s Bit

Picked up 1.4i Toyota Corolla in Cape Town. Slowest car I have ever driven. Missing the hot and comfortable O On Kloof, but Palms Wilderness should provide the chance to really chill out, take stock and get lost in a book J.

Sunday 8th April

We have been married for exactly one week! Weather was warm today and we spent the day on the beach after visiting the local craft market – I bought four African finger puppets and will put themwith my story beads to make a story box when I get home. No-one swam in the sea – The Indian Ocean due to the sharks! Consequently , we had to find a bush to wee behind.

Tim’s Bit

Started the day a little later than normal ( 08:45 ) and had a nice breakfast in the morning sun ( though they all seem to over-cook their poached eggs here? ). Checked out the craft market and headed down to the very misty beach and the Indian Ocean. The surf was like a messy day at Saunton, but sharks make it a little more intimidating!! Getting to like the chilled vibe of the place, glad we have three nights here. We have been blessed with awesome food so far but tonight we going to find some simple pasta or pizza and hopefully a beer. After all you can’t have too much of a good thing.

p.s. my book is good but strange reading about building log cabins in Alaska whilst sitting in the sun on the Southern coast of Africa-ca-ca.

Epilogue

Been for a meal at ‘Wilderness Grille’ – £12 approx for 2 large pizzas, bottle of wine and desserts, madness! How can it be so cheap!?

Monday 9th April

Had breakfast outside on the patio with all of the lovely trees and flowers. Saw a Sun Bird with a very red chest and green head – so beautiful, I know…I am getting old!

Anyway, another day of relaxation is calling – but first we must buy some sun block, I have a very red left hand from yesterday!

Tim’s Bit

Not a cloud in the sky today, headed via a slightly different route to the beach but still ended up in the same spot as yesterday. Managed to make it through lunchtime sun but then it just got hotter. Ended up ‘doning’ t-shirts and headed for a walk up the beach ( the air was cooler next to the water ). Empty beach surrounded us aas we checked out the amazing beach front properties set back on a hill. We marvelled at the super fast snail things that were messing about in the break line and then spent the rest of the day by the pool reading and relaxing. Hooked up the iPod to the speakers and chilling out in the room before dinner of grilled cape salmon mmmm mmmm

Tuesday 10th April – Lily Pond Country Lodge

We are now staying at the Lily Pond in Nature’s Valley. It is amazing! A Beautiful suite with rose petals on the bed and an open plan bathroom with Jacuzzi bath and outdoor shower. The bedroom faces a lily pond with big windows – so chic! We have a honeymoon suite – and it has 2 terraces, sound system – everything.

There are baboons in the forest around us!

Wednesday 11th April

Tim’s Bit

Wow, what an amazing day. We decided last night to spend the day at the Monkey, Bird and Elephant sanctuaries and what a great decision that was. We got up real close with spider monkeys, lemur and capucins (sp?) whilst trying to get a good photo of a solitary gibbon ( nicknamed Claude Schiffer ). Then we chilled in the forest canopy with hundreds of birds just before walking with some rescued elephants ( snotting on hands included ). Three amazing and inspiring centres provided some excellent photos and special memories. Stuck in a bit of a rainstorm at the moment but couldn’t have been stuck in a nicer place ( and of course with Vicky ). Off to P.E. tomorrow hopefully via J-Bay for some surf pressies.

Vicky’s Bit

I second what my husband (!) said – the monkeys, birds and elephants were amazing. I had an elephant hold onto my hand with it’s trunk whilst we walked along – very snotty and stinky, but awesome.

Torrential rain tonight, but got another lovely meal at Lily Pond to look forward too – ‘Kingklip’ fish is lovely.

Friday 13th April

We stayed last night in Port Elizabeth and had to stay in an everyday hotel – we are used to country lodges and boutiques! It was ok just for one night. Anyway, we are now at Kariega Main Lodge for our game drives. It is an amazing place, we have our own little wooden lodge and two monkeys have already climbed over the roof and looked in! Saw Zebras an Impalas on the way in and a Wildebeast stood in the road looking at us. It Is all inclusive and we have had a big lunch ( we arrived just in time ) and then we have our first game drive at 4pm! Very exciting.

Later….

After lunch, spent an hour at the pool and then at 4pm we were picked up for our game drive in a land cruiser with our guide Natasha, a family of four and a German couple. Wow, we saw a herd of elephants; 2 male lions ( separately ); 2 female lions together; impala; wildebeast; black backed jackal; eland; blesbuck; genet. It was amazing – seeing them all made me want to cry. We continued on until it got dark and stopped for a drink in the pitch blackness, scaring ourselves as the wildebeast went by. We could see the stars so brilliantly in the sky – the Milky Way is so clear.

Up at 6am tomorrow for our morning game drive, how will we cope?!!

Tim’s Bit

After an average night in Port Elizabeth ( most memorable for Vicky seeing ‘Days of our Lives’ for the first time on TV ), we dropped off the hire car and got our transfer to Kariega Main Lodge. It is everything you could want…pine cabins, good tucker, plenty of beer and lots of mad things with pointy teeth! Almost got jumped by the first lion we saw ( though I think they were more spooked by Vicky shouting ‘Lions’! ) but failed to see the famous ‘Rock Dassie’. The quest continues tomorrow ( with a 6am start euuurrgghh ) Should have some good pictures and amazing memories of this place. Now where can I buy a long-wheel based Toyota Land Cruiser??

Saturday 14th April

Well we got up at 5:30am, I had that awful sinking feeling of having to go to work until I remembered that I was about to go and watch the sun rise over a South African landscape. It was freezing, but the sight of zebra, rhino and various antelope warmed our spirits. Seriously – where can I buy one of those fleece blanket ponchos?

I am armed and ready for the cold tonight – bought a Kariega fleece hat; got t-shirt, jumper; jacket; down gilet with fur hood and found some ski socks which I’d forgotten about.

Weird how cold in the morning and boiling in the day ( sat in shorts and vest as a write this ). Went to pool earlier and I came back to the chalet to go to the loo and at the bottom of the steps to our room stood an impala doe very quietly. When I froze; we stared at each other for a few seconds and she ran off when I moved. Tim thinks I’m making her up “was she a unicorn?”.

Tim’s Bit

Slowly ticking off the list of amazing animals we have seen on this trip. This morning as the sun rose over the hills we watched Impala, wildebeast and zebra grazing. Then we caught up with some White Rhino chomping away before seeing some giraffe and their weird eating habits ( swallowing an regurgitating constantly ). Out again tonight, but have more clothes this time. Still no rock dassies though! ( maybe tomorrow on the river cruise? )

Later….

Evening game drive saw elephants again – all around us – pretty amazing. We also saw rock dassie from far off, zebras and various antelope.

Tomorrow – we have got a morning drive, then out bags collected at 10:30 and us collected at 1:30pm to begin our 24hr journey home.

…….

So that is it, our journal entries from our Honeymoon. Needless to say the 24hour journey home went without any hitches, though we wouldn’t recommend flying in a 747, they may be big, but they are not comfortable!

Thank You to everyone who contributed to our Honeymoon fund via Trailfinders. We will forever be grateful.

Honeymoon Pictures from South Africa



Transcription of our travel journal coming soon....