This part of my trip has a very interesting start and ending
– I started by staying with one of my Hudson Park past pupils, Warren Tickner,
and ended by staying with one of my Selborne “boys” – Noddy Wampach! How cute
is that – and they both took great care of their “old” teacher. In fact, I am
thinking of a “hop on hop off tour around the world” visiting all the poor
kids/now adults I have taught! I am sure that could work!
My trip to the USA was fairly comfortable, but very long. I
sat with a South African couple who have lived in New Zealand for fourteen
years. They were friendly and their accents were mixed! I left Auckland at 7.30 pm and arrived in San Francisco at
around 12.30 (lunch-time) and so I arrived before I had left Auckland and
Friday 11 September (9/11) was one very, very long day. I had to get through
Customs quickly and it was really effortless with so many kind people around
helping everyone. Once I had my luggage, it was time to check in for my flight
to Portland, Oregon. There, I was met by Warren Tickner, from the Hudson Park
1994 Matric group, and taken home to meet his wife, Katie and daughters, Sadie
and Bailey. We went out for a tasty Thai supper and then I tried to catch up on
lots of missed sleep! It seems very peaceful and very open in Portland. There
are few gates and walls and no sign of burglar bars!
On the next day, we set out on a wonderful trip around the
countryside and the Tickners showed me the Columbia River and the magnificent
gorge and Cascade Mountains from a beautiful vantage point called Chanticleer
Point. We drove to some of the lovely waterfalls too – Horsetail Falls and
Bridal Veil Falls. After that, we drove to the famous Mount Hood which looked
snowy from a distance, but had very little snow on it when we got closer – more
evidence of the results of global warming. In fact, Warren and Katie said that
they had never seen it so bare in September. After lunch, we returned home. The
girls were very cute!
 |
First introduction to USA BIG - 3,75 ml milk bottle - good for weight training! |
 |
Columbia River in Oregon |
 |
With warren, Katie and Sadie Tickner |
 |
Sadie and Bailey at the water fountain |
 |
Bridal Veil Falls - I think |
 |
Warren and Sadie |
 |
I love the way number plates are personalised according to states |
 |
Mount Hood from a distance |
 |
And up close - with a tiny bit of snow |
 |
The new St John's Bridge near Portland
ON TO SEATTLE - I was up early the next day for Warren to take me back to the airport for my flight to Seattle. Arriving at the airport, I tried to do the self check-in at United Airlines – the one which had brought me to Seattle – and found I was not booked on the plane! Of course, I was at the wrong airline and when I checked one of my many books of tickets, I found I was supposed to be on Alaskan Airlines so no problem there. The flight was short and smooth and I managed to find the light rail into town. I was seated next to a lovely Mexican lady who gave me some good tips for that part of my trip. God always puts people like this in my path so that I can be prepared for what is to come! I continued my journey by taxi and arrived at my Airbnb accommodation at lunch-time to be met by my lovely host, Stephanie, and to be ushered into the lounge to watch the end of a very important American football game! I still don’t understand that game – some men in big shoulder pads and helmets crash into one another while another one throws the ball and another one runs into the back area and scores without even putting the ball down!
My room was huge and very comfortable. I spent the afternoon exploring the area and went down to the Washington River – down many steps and through a lovely wooded area. The houses are mostly wooden and double or triple-storey – again with no fences or gates and definitely, no burglar bars! Many people like to hang American flags in front of their houses too. I had supper in a tiny restaurant with lots of jazz playing and then spent the evening chatting to Stephanie and using her laptop as mine had decided to stop working! That was really kind of her. I had all my plans mapped out for me by Janalyn, my brother’s lovely girl friend and my good friend, who also very kindly sorted out my accommodation too. Seattle is her city and I would have loved to have had her there with me.
I spent the next day travelling around Seattle mostly on foot! My first stop was the computer shop where I paid $92 to be told that my computer couldn’t be fixed – ouch! The bus driver was very friendly and he told me that he had once had the honour of shaking hands with and chatting to Nelson Mandela in Washington! I then walked to Starbucks for a coffee and to see how the coffee is roasted. I visited the famous Pike Place Fish Market where the fishmongers call out and throw the fish around! There were lots of markets in the area and many lovely things on sale – but for me, only looking! I went to Ivars for lunch and had three small bowls of different clam chowder, because I couldn’t decide on one – all three were delicious. A sad thing to see is how many young and not-so-young people are sleeping under bridges in tents or lying on pavements. I suppose every city has its social problems, but these people looked quite permanent! Apparently, many end up on the west coast as they drift across the states.
After lunch, I caught the ferry to Bainbridge Island and wandered around there for a while. I t is very pretty and, of course, I love being on any boat! One thing I found quite disconcerting though was how loud some Americans are – especially when they are talking on speaker phones! Not all by any means, but some are incredibly loud and really love to share their conversations! This is not so pleasant when the voice is very nasal (women) or very belly-deep and growly-throat (men)! So….. the solution was to move to another place, if possible. I found Seattle very pretty and incredibly hilly! I really thought my Achilles’ tendons did well, considering what I put them through! Walking is really the best way to get a feel for a place though.
I returned to the same restaurant for supper and even ate the same meal – lamb meatballs and salad! It is very, very expensive in the USA as our exchange rate is not good at all! Where was my nice, reasonable Greek lamb?! After another lovely evening chatting to Stephanie, I packed and got ready for my flight the next morning. I think Airbnb is such a superb concept – especially for a solo traveler, because it means that I have one friend at least in a new place and I can get given excellent advice. It is often a huge challenge finding my accommodation – but I always know that I shall eventually be in my new bed. Stephanie is thinking of setting up some sort of eat and meet places for Airbnb travelers and it sounds like a good concept. I have got used to eating alone when I have to and I usually find some poor person to chat too – or I read something!
|
 |
My home in Mdrona, Seattle - my room is upstairs |
 |
Interesting tree! |
 |
Lovely cupcake and coffee shop - I only looked! |
 |
American flag flying proudly |
 |
The flower baskets are magnificent in Seattle |
 |
Luckily, Stephanie had a spare laptop to lend me! |
 |
Kind Stephanie! |
 |
You can sign your name on a tablet here - here I signed away $92 for my laptop non-repair! |
 |
Inside Starbucks roasting area. Starbucks is EVERYWHERE! |
 |
Look at the size of this flower basket~ |
 |
Agreed - this made me think of Janique and those killer heals! |
 |
Useful shop given Seattle's weather! |
 |
Who would have thought there were so many mushroom varieties? |
 |
The famous fish tosser at the Pike Fish Market |
 |
I was proud to plant the first East London pin in this board in a shop in Seattle - someone from Mthatha had already pinned his/hers! |
 |
Crab delight |
 |
Seattle cops on their bikes - good at giving directions too! |
 |
Some of the tents of the homeless under the bridge |
 |
And it's off to lunch - at Ivar's on the waterfront... |
 |
to enjoy three small bowls of different clam chowder... |
 |
Seattle skyline with the Space Needle in the middle |
 |
Another view taken from the ferry |
 |
Lovely Autumn colours on Bainbridge Island |
 |
And yachts in the basin |
 |
The unusual library building in Seattle |
 |
The fourth floor is painted red to represent an artery - quite strange walking here |
ON TO VANCOUVER - I took a taxi and the light rail back to Seattle Airport and caught my next flight – to Vancouver in Canada. The man seated next to me was returning home to Vancouver and we chatted the whole way on the plane. I arrived at lunch-time and waited in the airport for nearly three hours for the arrival of my next travel buddy, Jackie Acton! She had just travelled the USA with her husband, John, and daughter, Amy, and they were returning to East London and she was going to join me for the next twelve days of my trip – in Vancouver and on our Royal Caribbean cruise! I had orders to make a welcome sign… I did my best…it was simple, but heartfelt! Jackie arrived on time and after big hugs, we set off on the train to downtown Vancouver. We walked the last four blocks with all our luggage and found our hotel in Granville Street. That evening’s supper was a lovely Greek gyros from a little shop run by an Afghani man! We had an early night, ready for exploring Vancouver the next two days.
Vancouver is a very big city – in fact, it is called “The city of glass” and that is understandable, given the many high-rise buildings. The first thing I had to do was visit Bestbuys to look at laptops. I was very lucky to get one at an excellent price – over R2 500 discount! It is a Dell and I am using it right now! Dear Jackie has agreed to take my old one home to see if it can be fixed. We walked all the way to the Granville markets, going over a 28-metre high bridge to get there. It was quite scary looking down on the traffic below. It was full of lovely produce, tasty fish and chips and of course, those ubiquitous seagulls! We even witnessed one stealing the food from a lady’s plate – it must be related to my Brighton seagull! We then found a bus to take us back downtown – and the driver gave us a free ride! We found the famous steam clock and the Chinese Gardens.
We had both been shocked and saddened at how many young people were lying in doorways, surrounded by what looked like all their worldly possessions and obviously feeling the effects of drugs. We had been warned by the computer salesman to avoid what he called Hastings – by mistake, we ended up in Hastings Avenue and were shocked to see young and again not-so-young people injecting themselves in full public view! There is even a safe needle bank such people can use! To us it seems as though condoning and aiding and abetting this behaviour is never going to help these people. There are states in the USA in which marijuana is legal and it seems Vancouver is turning a blind eye to its drug problem. We even passed a young girl who was barely covered in the cold weather and whose pet rat (I hope it was a pet!) was crawling over her while she sat in a doorway looking dazed. The saddest thing is to realise that these people are some mother’s daughters or sons….and that what they are doing is tolerated – perhaps even encouraged in a way. Both Jackie and I felt very depressed and couldn’t forget these sad images.
On to brighter things, we spent our next day taking a bus to Horseshoe Bay which is very pretty – this is the only time we were actually charged for our bus ride! We walked around and had some great calamari – I really should write a food blog – I seem to be talking too much about food! We chatted to some friendly Canadians with a large poodle called Thelma – when I asked where Louise was – the lady replied that she was Louise! We then went to the lovely Stanley Park and had a good walk – mainly looking for the famous totem poles. We were very lucky to see some cheeky racoons who appeared just as we walked past. Supper was sushi from a Korean take-away and it was good and really inexpensive - about R60 for 22 pieces.
 |
Two suitcases ready for a holiday! Sadly, Jackie's brand new case limped home broken by United Airlines!! Hopefully, it can be repaired! |
 |
The view from the bridge - (not Arthur Miller's!) |
 |
Cleverly decorated silos in the harbour |
 |
Jackie likes her Eurotour jacket! |
 |
Now a view from under the bridge! |
 |
And the whole bridge from a distance |
 |
I love the white hydrangeas in the flower market |
 |
The tarts enjoyed the tarts! |
 |
Real toffee apples - as we used to know them |
 |
And now the Canadian flag takes pride of place! Granville Market |
 |
The steam clock at Gastown |
 |
In the Chinese Garden - clever Jackie and her camera timer |
 |
Relaxing in the Chinese Gardens |
 |
Trolley cables in the sky |
 |
These people were dancing in the street to one of my favourites - "It was September" |
 |
I found a dolphin in Horseshoe Bay... |
 |
And Jackie found a totem pole! |
 |
Love seeing the ferries come in... |
 |
One of my "friends".... different colouring this time - or maybe a different species? |
 |
Horseshoe Bay |
 |
Waiting for my calamari |
 |
Waiting for another free bus ride - and we got it! |
 |
Vancouver from Stanley Park |
 |
More gorgeous Autumn colours |
 |
The second one from the top looks like Daffy Duck! |
 |
Cute racoons |
 |
A tiny lighthouse and an atmospheric sky! |
 |
Spot the seagull! |
 |
Vancouver skyline reflected in the water |
 |
This chandelier in our hotel reminds me of the Adams Family! |
CRUISE TIME - We sorted out our packing on Friday morning, called a taxi and headed for the cruise terminal. This is the fifth time Jackie and I have cruised together and we both realise how very fortunate we are – to be able to enjoy the absolute luxury of being treated like queens, to see such beautiful sights and to get on so well. An added bonus is that neither of us snores and we are both very good at reminding each-other about how nice the other one is – so we are ideal cruise buddies! The check-in was very smooth and we soon found our cabin – right in the nose of the ship! In fact, the second port-hole was ours so we had a good walk to get anywhere – and it was fine, except when the ship dropped anchor literally just past our window. What a grinding noise!
The ship set sail from Vancouver at 5 pm and we went to supper at 6pm. We met Jackie (number 2) and her husband, John, (same name as Jackie Acton’s husband!) from Colorado and Judie and her daughter, Tara, from Philadelphia. We had supper together most evenings with another four different people each night joining our table. Our waiters, Amal from India and Edney, from Goa/India proved to be charming and so attentive. Amal learned our names immediately and even said mine perfectly! He would even call us by name from the queue in the evening and take us straight to his table. Of course, all the meals were superb. Cruising is the ideal way to relax – you are in a giant floating hotel, food is always there, you wake up in a new destination every day, you get entertained every night and you get to meet super people! AND, there is no housework!
The ship was full of Americans – the vast majority of a certain age! Let’s say, the pool and the climbing wall were free all the time! The ones we met were all so friendly and interesting. Many have been on many cruises, but they seem to have a fear of going over the Atlantic to Europe. We did our best to sell South Africa too! There were shows every night after dinner – some better than others. One excellent singer/impersonator was a guy called Finis Henderson – he was spectacular at impersonating so many famous singers. Jackie enjoyed bingo, but didn’t win the free cruise! A Canadian lady named Karen Granger also entertained us with her singing and her impersonations of other singers. There were also other dancing and singing shows and an excellent Canadian comedian. I often sat next to a lady from California, Shirley Centra, who was on her fiftieth cruise with her husband!
The ports of call were very different to others we have visited – largely because USA is still such a new country and because we have visited Europe so often and come to love its architecture, history and many cultures. However, we enjoyed our stops – for various reasons. Victoria, still in Canada, is very pretty and rather Victorian, as its name suggest! And there is a statue of Captain Cook in Victoria – he seems to have been wherever I go! Jilly Gooud tells us she worked at the Empress Hotel for a year after she left school – very swank! High tea is $40 Canadian (about R420) per person – for tiny cakes and miniature cucumber sandwiches! We went on a bus trip to the exquisite Butchart Gardens – very clean and so much was in flower! Walking back to the ship along the coast, we were amazed to see two otters with a huge crab they had just caught. They were whacking the poor thing on the rocks and eating it leg by leg! There are many lovely hanging flower baskets in Victoria – all under five large white balls. Apparently, when soldiers returned from World War Two, they used to hang their helmets in the trees and the lights/balls symbolize these helmets.
Our next stop was in Astoria, USA. The Immigration officials came on board the ship to stamp our passports and this was so smoothly done. There were so many very helpful volunteers around – all retired and enjoying their job and promoting their town. In Astoria, we went to a street market which was interesting and then spent some time in the Maritime Museum which was absolutely fascinating. So many ships have sunk in this area. The display on the American/Japanese war was really moving as it presented views on the war from both sides – and yet again, we realized how stupid war is! Apparently, young Japanese soldiers took Japanese flags with them to the war and friends and family wrote good luck wishes on their flags. We watched a moving video of a Japanese man having his dead son’s flag returned by an American war veteran who had taken it as “bounty”.
The bridge over the Columbia River at the mouth of the Pacific is 6,5 kilometres long and it spans two states – Washington and California! We went aboard the Columbia, a light ship which floated five miles off the coast as a sort of floating lighthouse. A man there asked me if I was British because he heard me say tomarto, not tomayto. At a motel near the ship, we asked nicely and were allowed to use the free Wi-Fi – it costs nearly R420 a day on the ship so that was not an option!
After a relaxing day at sea, we docked in San Francisco for two days. The first day was cold and windy and rather apt for a visit to Alcatraz Prison. It must have been such a torment for those inmates to see that San Francisco was so close but so far! Apparently, only three men ever escaped and were never seen again! I think they made it! And Al Capone was imprisoned for tax evasion – not for his other crimes. We had an interesting coach tour and stopped in Sausalito which was very quaint. The next day was bright and sunny and we spent most of it strolling on Pier 39, watching the seals and doing a bit of shopping – Jackie bought a new carry-on suitcase and I bought Natalie a psychedelic hoodie! There was free Wi-Fi in the terminal building, but being so far forward in the ship, we were able to hack in from our room – bonus! It’s always good to get some news from home. We set sail at 5pm and went under the Golden Gate Bridge. I think the ship must have just made it to fit under the bridge! It was a beautiful sight.
The next stop was in Monterey and we took a coach tour from the port along the coast to Pebble Beach Golf Course. I remarked to Jackie that it looked South African – and then our tour guide told us that many of the plants had been brought form South Africa to keep the sand there! We stopped at the world famous golf course and apparently, Mark O’ Meara was there. We were too busy looking for refreshments! We stopped in a cute little town called Carmel whose main claim to fame seems to be that Clint Eastwood was its mayor in the ‘80s. A lovely lady, Joanie from Florida, also a retired teacher – of Home Economics and Interior Design – joined us for the day. She is from Florida and it was lovely to make another friend. In fact, she visited us in our cabin with some champagne before supper! That was such a fortuitous meeting! Joanie mentioned that she and her husband, Joe, a pro-golfer, were going to San Diego after the cruise – just where I was going. More about this later….
That evening, we joined by two French Canadian ladies from Quebec – Louise and Glenna. Of course, show off had to speak French and we became such good buddies that Louise invited me to Quebec – and I am going there for three days after my visit to Toronto!
Our next stop was beautiful Santa Barbara – remember the soapie so long ago? It is very pretty and the weather was gorgeous. We strolled around and stopped here and there. We found the Alhambra Theatre and tried to get in, but it was locked. The manager heard us and let us in for a private tour! It was built in 1924 and the great miracle was that it was so well built that it withstood the 1925 earthquake – all nine storeys! The architect apparently erected a huge banner with his name and contact details on it afterwards and was rewarded with lots of work – good for him! We sailed fairly late in the afternoon and sadly had our last supper with our new American friends before we had to pack for disembarkation the next day! The cruise really rushed by, but we were both super relaxed. Jackie had to contemplate the long journey home and I had to get ready for San Diego and then…. Mexico!
 |
The Jewel of the Seas - that's our porthole in the bottom row second from the front! |
 |
Butchart Gardens sunken garden |
 |
Had to find some Canadian maple leaves |
 |
Splendid dahlias |
 |
And more hanging baskets - huge and colourful |
 |
A Paris Hilton dog in a bag! |
 |
More amazing orchids |
 |
All the houses are made of wood and plasterboard - and probably something else - but I don't know if I'd trust this! |
 |
The five helmeted lights and yet again... lovely flower baskets |
 |
The Empress Hotel - Jilly's old stomping ground...we saw lots of the cruise oldies enjoying high tea there! |
 |
There he is again - good old captain Cook |
 |
Charming architecture at Gatsby's |
 |
The otters with their crab dinner |
 |
Dancing on the ship - the cruise director had a beautiful voice |
 |
Next stop Astoria - back in the USA |
 |
We found this man braaing in a hole in the wall! (Part of his restaurant probably) |
 |
Cute idea at the flea market |
 |
With Susan, one of the friendly volunteers |
 |
Japanese dad receiving his lost son's war flag |
 |
This says a lot about the horror and stupidity of war |
 |
Aboard the light ship - it floated out to sea to guide ships |
 |
Showtime on the ship |
 |
And how's this for an apple pie?! |
 |
Spot the SA flag....there were three crew members from South Africa on board |
 |
And here's our Norwegian captain |
 |
It's good to have a porthole - although at times, the waves were wild! |
 |
Chilling in the solarium |
 |
And i found a girl from Zimbabwe - I recognised her straightaway! |
 |
Novel USA map - and a good way to learn the names of the states if you buy this piece of art |
 |
Sausalito, near San Francisco |
 |
Alcatraz |
 |
Cells were three storeys high and prisoners got moved around from time to time... |
 |
Only looking - excellent commentary on headphones |
 |
What prisoners saw from Alcatraz |
 |
And from inside the building |
 |
Alcatraz aka the Rock |
 |
San Francisco at night |
 |
One of the many RVs we saw - retirees seem to like hiring these recreational vehicles and travelling around the States - sounds good! |
 |
Pier 39 - San Francisco |
 |
And this combie reminded me of Pat Henchie! |
 |
THe seals on the pier - with their feeding trough under them! |
 |
They love crowding together |
 |
I found a new trick on my phone - two years after I got the phone! |
 |
The famous bridge in the background |
 |
Sourdough bread - not crabs! |
 |
Jackie in front of one of the famous trolleys |
 |
I hope Natalie likes this - a bit retro! |
 |
The Bay Bridge seen from inside the ship |
 |
San Francisco skyline |
 |
Going under the Golden Gate Bridge - Jackie's excellent photo |
 |
Monterey - looks like Eastward Ho near Gonubie! |
 |
With my friend from Florida, Joanie |
 |
I've seen this before..... on Rarotonga, Cook Islands! Not a good one to see anywhere. |
 |
Seals on Seal Island which used to be called Bird Island until someone realised that there were seals on it and that the birds were on Seal Island - so simple solution - swap the names of the islands (rather than relocate the seals and the birds!) |
 |
THE Cypress Tree |
 |
Four porches in a row - not too shabby! |
 |
Pebble Beach Golf Club - $500 for a round! |
 |
I couldn't find Mark O'Meara, but Bing Crosby was in the house! |
 |
Coffee shop in Carmel |
 |
Mount Carmel |
 |
Back to the ship on the tender boat |
 |
Joanie arrives with the champagne! |
 |
A cute creation from our cabin steward |
 |
Santa Barbara Beach |
 |
How's that for a flag of allegiance? |
 |
Very pretty place.. |
 |
This alley way could easily be in Franschoek |
 |
The gaol/jail and Town Hall |
 |
This takes me back to the real Alhambra Palace which Jenny and I visited in June.... |
 |
And here is the one which withstood the 1925 earthquake! |
 |
Outside a church in Santa Barbara |
 |
Time for a good salad |
 |
Edney and Amal - we couldn't have asked for better! |
 |
Jackie and John - the chocolate ice cream man! |
 |
Tara and Judie |
 |
And the two cruise buddies at the last supper on the ship |
 |
with Jill and Philip from Belfast - such lovely Maeve Binchey accents.. such a strange selfie - one held the camera and another one pressed the button! |
 |
Bye bye to the Jewel of the Seas in Los Angeles |
Dear Noddy Wampach booked a bus and Amtrack train trip for me to get from Los Angeles to San Diego at the end of the cruise. But… some of his text messages didn’t come through when the ship got moving and Wi-Fi was off. I went to the Guest Relations desk to ask about the trip and who was in the queue exactly in front of me? It was Joanie with the same questions. We were given free time on the internet to try to make some plans, but we got even more confused. We bumped into each-other again at supper – exactly into each-other at the door. And then, the next morning at breakfast, I walked straight into Joe who told me that they were going to hire a car and who invited me to join them! This is beyond amazing, given that there were nearly 3 000 people on the ship and I could have stayed at my table around the corner for ten more seconds and missed him! I can really attest to God’s provision in my life! Three co-incidences is too many! The journey was smooth and easy and Noddy fetched me from their hotel. What a lovely couple!
I had a gorgeous weekend with the Wampachs – Noddy made sure that he drove me everywhere, he found me new walking sandals – my English ones are kaput – and he even went on the superb trolley ride through San Diego with me – and took me out for lunch in Little Italy – more food blog material! Butternut pasta!!! His wife, Rose, fed me and fed me – and their two little boys, Matthew and Noah, were charming. It is very rewarding for a teacher to catch up with her former pupils and see them doing so well. I was amazed how many Selbornians I still remembered and even more pleased to hear how superbly well so many have done. We really do something good and right in little old East London! I was very touched when Noddy told me he felt as though he were in East London – I think east London was visiting him in the form of me!
I went to bed late – Noddy and Rose were talking too much! I know nobody will believe that, but I thought I’d mention it! The next morning was early wake up for a 6.15 flight to Los Angeles connecting to my next country and two weeks doing it alone – in Mexico (Cancun and Mexico City) and New Orleans, before my next pit stop with another dear friend, last seen well over twenty years ago – the inimitable Linda Moody in North Carolina. I’m so looking forward to catching up with her and Duncan again. By then, it will be time for another hair appointment and a thorough washing of my few clothes!
 |
Posing with Joanie and Joe |
 |
And here's Noddy (Andrew) whom I taught in 1983 and 1984! |
 |
With Noah and Matthew |
 |
Noah and his mom, Rose Wampach from Ficksburg! |
 |
At the Old Market near the trolley station |
 |
San Diego |
 |
Typical vegetation |
 |
What an amazing bridge - the Coronado Bridge |
 |
It has a nice tropical feel |
 |
San Diego street |
 |
Coronado Hotel |
 |
I just liked the name of this shop! |
 |
Balboa Park |
 |
I had to find a typical white picket fence somewhere! |
 |
Mormon Temple |
 |
Down to the beach |
 |
Strange cypresss trees - all because of the wind |
 |
Surf boards for decoration! |
I wish I looked like this! But no..... I do have a bigger purpler suitcase though! I have completed 17 weeks now, so that means 9 and a half to go… time is rushing by, but I can honestly say I am having the time of my life! i have to keep my wits about me - even though not always sure where they are! I am so lucky to be able to just jump on planes, land somewhere, explore, chat… move on! And I am so happy that so many of you are coming with me as you read my blog. I always think of things I should have or could have said once I have posted, but I think it is good that some is left for when we see one another again…..
No comments:
Post a Comment