Get In the Hot Spot

My 10 Shot ‘Vitamin Me’ Boosting Dream Holiday in Queensland

Annabel Candy — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:00:00 PST

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. Mainly about where I’m going to go with the $5,000 Tourism Queensland will award one lucky blogger to spend on a lovely Queensland holiday.

You see Tourism Queensland have just announced their new competition and I want in. All you have to do is write about how a dream holiday in Queensland would boost your ‘vitamin Me’ levels.

What is Vitamin Me?

For me a vitamin Me boost means relieving all stresses and strains, restoring me to serenity then sending me home relaxed, restored and rejuvenated in body, mind and soul.

Vitamin Me is what puts a spring back in your step and the twinkle back in your eyes when the treadmill of life grinds you down.

Fortunately Queensland, with its superb scenery, wildlife, fine food and wine plus diverse culture has vitamin Me in abundance so it’s simply the best place to get your mega vitamin Me booster.

Vitamin Me Boosting Idea #1

My first vitamin Me boosting thought was Haggerstone Island (I wrote about it here) but the flights will chew up most of the budget and besides, I already live in the tropical Queensland beach paradise of Noosa.

Vitamin Me Boosting Idea #2

My second vitamin Me boosting thought was to nip back to O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat so we can do all the rainforest walks we missed last time, enjoy the spa and speed off on a Segway tour.

Vitamin Me Boosting Idea #3

Then I remembered my mum is visiting us this Easter and I really, really want to go to Carnarvon Gorge.

So my third vitamin Me boosting thought was to hire a big motor-home, load up the family and make the 10 hour drive there. But then I got real. Even a 15 minute drive with the three Candy kids can be trying. Factor in granny too and it could be the last road trip we ever make.

My Ultimate Vitamin Me Boosting Dream Holiday

So I needed to choose somewhere near or in South East Queensland which is still new and exciting. During our trip to the Granite Belt we really enjoyed our Queensland outback experience and are keen for a revisit.

I loved O’Reilly’s and the Granite Belt but I live to visit new places so, after a wee bit of travel research (I’ve awarded myself a PhD in that), I struck gold in the form of Spicers Hidden Vale, “an Australian adventure getaway offering true country hospitality” situated on a 12,000 acre cattle farm in South East Queensland.

10 Shots of Vitamin Me

Here are the 10 super shots of vitamin Me I’ll get at Spicers Hidden Vale luxury outback retreat:

Vitamin Me Shot #1. Stunning Queensland outback scenery – I love the tranquil rural environment of the outback and the star-gazing is supreme.

Vitamin Me Shot #2. New experiences – We’ll try clay target shooting and take a hot air balloon flight for a bird’s eye view of the outback because I secretly want to try them and I know the kids will love it too.

Vitamin Me Shot #3. Fresh air and healthy outdoor activities – Apart from lovely country walks there’s also mountain biking, tennis and a pool.

Vitamin Me Shot #4. Adventure activities – There’s plenty to keep us busy like archery and horse-riding.

Vitamin Me Shot #5. A bit of petting – We don’t have any pets but we love animals so I can’t wait to pet the chickens, goats, cows, alpacas and camels. Adorable.

Vitamin Me Shot #6. No cooking - The restaurant menu readers like a treat and I might have them pack a picnic hamper for us one day too.

Vitamin Me Shot #7. Easy to get to – It’s just a 60 minute drive from Brisbane and about two and a half hours from our home. I reckon if we plug the kids into their iTouches and iPads then put some decent sounds on we just might be able to get there without killing each other.

Vitamin Me Shot #8. Adult pampering – Yes, there’s a spa so I will definitely be sneaking off there for the signature treatment ‘Salt of the Earth’. I may take my mum too if she behaves.

Vitamin Me Shot #9. Exploring a new area - There are heaps of new places to explore nearby and, if they play their cards right, I might take the kids to the Darling Downs Zoo.

Vitamin Me Shot #10. Fun family time – Kindly provided by all of the above which I think will make everyone, from Kiara, aged 7, to my mum, aged 75, very happy indeed. Plus I’ll get bonus points for taking mum away. The poor woman treks from England to Australia to visit us every year only to spend her “holiday” doing the laundry for the entire Candy family so she’s going to love this and will be enjoying her own vitamin Me boost too.

So that’s my vitamin Me boosting dream Queensland holiday. Just the thought of lying here by the pool is giving me a mini vitamin Me boost so the real thing will see my vitamin Me records soar to record levels.

Then, with all the brownie points accumulated after treating my mum and the kids to all that good stuff I think I can head to Spicers Tamarind Retreat in Maleny for a night with the Mucho Man while granny looks after the kids.

Oh and by the way, if Tourism Queensland are good at maths and notice I want to take six people on holiday (me, the hubby, three Candy kids plus granny) when the competition rules clearly state four people only then I’ll just get rid of a couple of my family members. No worries at all.

Or maybe I should just head up to Haggerstone Island solo. Now there’s another thought…

Dreaming of your boosting your Vitamin Me? It’s easily done. Visit Tourism Queensland’s website and start dreaming about your Queensland holiday.

Or find out how to enter the competition yourself here but hurry scurry, it ends on the 10th February.

Would you go to the Queensland coast, outback or hinterland for your vitamin Me boost? Or maybe you have another idea? Leave a comment, we’d love to know!

Is the Granite Belt Queensland’s Best Kept Secret?

Annabel Candy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:00:00 PST

Who knew that a three hour drive from Brisbane there was a region of farming, fruit growing and wine-making?

Not me, but when we got to the Granite Belt we discovered it’s chock-a-block with vineyards producing both white and red wines. It seems that stony soil makes the Granite Belt ideal for grape growing but that’s not why we went there.

We wanted to visit Giraween National Park which boasts not just stony earth but also vast mountainous rocks and massive balancing boulders which create awe-inspiring natural sculptures.

The small creek at Giraween National Park offers plenty of opportunities for exploring, walking and cooling off.

Wildlife is rampant – there were wallabies to greet us when we arrived at Giraween and Max and Kiara enjoy bug spotting on the many walks I dragged them on.

The Archway walk is an easy one hour walk through scrub land and past balancing rocks which the kids scrambled all over, exploring caves to a sound track of my reminders that they: “watching out for snakes!”

We didn’t spot a single serpent just some rather fine lizards, birds and insects.

Walking to the top of the Pyramids is a two hour outing. We set off early on a cool morning and I kept reminding myself not to look down.

A well deserved rest taking time to soak up the views from the tippy top of the Pyramids.

It was scary on top with the Candy kids running around while I shouted on repeat: “Walk! Stay away from the edge! Sit down!” No one took any notice though.

Sliding down the slippery moss-covered rocks is fun but getting out of the pools is tricky. The kids slithered around like seals while a cormorant flew overhead.

The cute cottage at Windswept Country Retreat where we stayed in country style enjoying the fresh air, scenic setting and farm experience.

The petrol station and store at the nearby village of Ballandean. There are so many vineyards round here all with tastings or wine sales and many with restaurants so the Granite Belt is perfect for a foodie getaway.

Feeding the animals at our holiday house on the Windswept Country Retreat. The cows, goats and alpacas got up to some hilarious animal antics and much fun was had by all.

We all found out what it feels like to have a large nanny goat stand on your toe and Kiara is still bragging about how she got spat at by an alpaca.

The Granite Belt rocks for a weekend away from Brisbane, either for an Aussie outback, foodie or wine-tasting experience. Now the secret’s out and we know what the Granite Belt is like we’ll definitely be up for a return visit anytime.

What’s your favorite place for a weekend getaway close to your home?

Would You Eat Chickens’ Feet?

Annabel Candy — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:00:00 PST

I didn’t notice what Mr. Chiunda was wearing on his feet the first time we met. All I could really focus on was the crunch as he bit into his meal with relish, chewing slowly, assessing the blackened remnants in his hand and chomping down again.

It took me a while to realise the bowl in front of him contained chicken’s feet and the twig in his hand, the gristle stuck between his teeth were chicken feet too. Or parts of them. Skin, bones, claws.

Mr. Chiunda tucked in with relish, barely taking the time to greet me even though we would be house mates and colleagues. He the headmaster, I the new teaching volunteer sent over from England to help him educate his students and share the load of teaching in trying circumstances in a rural area of Zimbabwe.

It didn’t take long for us to reach a mutual dislike of each other. In five seconds I pegged him as unfriendly, untrustworthy and uncaring.

I’m not sure if he assessed me likewise in those first moments or if he already knew before meeting me that I would be a thorn in his side. A disruptive influence in staff meetings, a rebel who would disobey his orders and a potential threat to his dreams of freedom…….

Read the whole post here at the Women in Focus site on my African Dreams blog where I am entering a competition to win 14 days volunteering and trekking in Tanzania.

Help Me Win the Women in Focus Tanzania Competition

The competition is partly based on social engagement so please:

visit my African Dream blog;
use the Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn buttons at the top of the posts there to share them with your friends;
leave a comment.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your time and support.

I’ll be back with more travel tips and inspiration in two shakes of a lamb’s tail!

What’s the most revolting food you’ve encountered on your travels?

Along with chickens’ feet crispy fried giant caterpillars is another delicacy I politely declined to eat in Zimbabwe.

10 Ways to Cope With Annoying Travel Partners

mydestination — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:00:00 PST

Whoever said ‘travel broadens the mind’ forgot the crucial latter half of the sentence ‘and shortens the temper’.

At the ripe old age of 29, recalling a sorry swamp of annoying travel partners, miserable trips and wasted travel funds mean I generally travel alone these days. Just me and my guide book. However, for those of you who aren’t yet ready to make that leap, I have 1o tips to help you cope with a travel buddy who is really starting to get on your nerves.

1. Earplugs, earplugs, earplugs!

Earplugs are like travel adapters; the more desperate you are for them, the more elusive they become in your travel destination. Your travel companion will swear blind that they sleep silently, meanwhile every night you share a room with a diesel freight train.

Budget accommodation pillows are notoriously lacking even to rest your head on, let alone for drowning out noise when used to smother your ears, and before long you will fantasise about smothering your roommate instead. Don’t forget your earplugs.

2. Assess your energy compatibility

A good way to test your snooze synergy with a travel buddy is asking them what they think of the statement ‘plenty of time to sleep when you’re dead’. If they’re happy with swift six hour nocturnal stints whereas you feel robbed at eight hours, frictions will result.

The sleepless will want to wake those still nodding (often by conspicuous coughing or even poking –an imprisonable offence) whilst the late risers will resent having to be up, dressed and full of beans within ten minutes of regaining consciousness.

Likewise, if you prefer to meander your way through a destination whereas your mate has an itinerary for morning, noon and night, sparks will fly. One way round this is to make it clear from the start how you both envisage the trip to be and if necessary, agree to go your separate ways occasionally.

3. Widen your circle

If you reach the stage where every little aspect of your friend (such as breathing) is torturing you slowly, then consider a group trip or a hostel dorm. This way you have at least another two people who may annoy the hell out of you, not just your friend.

On the plus side, you could meet some interesting new people who you can tag along with for excursions and drinks. The beauty of travelling is the exposure to random eccentrics you would never usually mix with.

4. Be assertive

This is written with a heavy heart and dark memories after being dragged round the 28^th temple in Bangkok. If you find yourself doing (or not doing) things on your trip, it’s very easy to blame your buddy, when really if you had just aired the fact that three temples would have sufficed, thanks very much, then you wouldn’t be writing this in the first place. Tsssk.

5. Take the lead

In a Marrakesh rickshaw, my travel compadre nearly forked out the ridiculous sum quoted by the greedy, grinning driver until I ordered him to get out (the friend, not the driver) and then dealt with him myself (the driver, not my friend). Sort out your bartering tactics beforehand!

6. Grin and bear it

This is the solution for the ‘it’s not like this back home’ travel partner. Really? Really? You know, I’d never have guessed. Solution: copious amounts of eye rolling, tongue biting and staring out of the window.

7. Never travel with your ex

Exes are dangerous territory; you will be much more familiar with them than most friends, which means there is a greater likelihood of you swearing at each other loudly in the Gambian sand, much to the amusement of locals who will then grin at you unashamedly for the rest of your stay.

If your ex really is driving you insane, then a timely stomach bug can ease tensions as you feebly wave him off onto his daytrip leaving you free to email everyone back home telling them how miserable you are.

8. Manage expectations from the start

Responding to an ad posted on an internet cafe wall, you could find yourself in a multistory car park agreeing to travel from Sydney to Cairns with three people you’ve never met before. This will dwindle to two strangers when one woman sensibly slinks off after seeing the knackered old banger meant to get you there.

When said banger splutters its last breath a mere forty miles out of the city ending in a night spent in a sweaty mechanic’s work-bed (all three of you) you could be forgiven for thinking it couldn’t get much worse. Oh but it will. The man who bought the car will now expect the three of you to foot the bill of several hundred dollars. Make sure you know what you’re agreeing to!

9. Anticipate their complaints

When travelling through developing countries, it becomes obvious when polite but curt rudeness is called for. That place is never a restaurant.

If your travel companion is likely to complain about the food or talk to staff in a patronising manner in a restaurant, you need to chat extensively about unscrupulous kitchen workers and bodily fluids beforehand and suggest they write a letter of complaint instead once they are home.

10. Create a food and drink fund

Agreeing to a trip with a woman I knew loved spending money as long as it wasn’t hers, was not the brightest of moves. Imagine my shock when she suggested early evening cocktails on the harbour, the prices of which looked like the decimal point was in the wrong place.

Imagine my secondary shock, then, when this friend ordered her cocktail, nipped strategically to the ladies leaving me to pay and then announced that she’d had enough after one. There is a very simple solution to this, ditch the leeching friend or pool some money between you which will pay for food and drinks.

If the above reads like a catalogue of travel partner disasters believe me, I have plenty more. But hopefully my litany of wanderlust misery will avert disaster for your own trip, leaving you free to do what you are ultimately there for, to explore and enjoy yourself! With or without a travel partner.

This is a featured blog post for My Destination written by Scarlett Redman.

Scarlett Redman is a postgraduate social researcher with a heavily stamped passport. She is a regular content writer for My Destination Phuket and a massive fan of reviewing Phuket restaurants when she can…it’s a hard life!

72 Hours on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia

Annabel Candy — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:00 PST

The Gold Coast is known for its theme parks and we hadn’t visited them for a couple of years so it was time to load the family in the car, drive down the mountain from O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat and load the Candy kids up on adrenaline.

Day One – Dreamworld

I didn’t take many photos at Dreamworld as we were too busy admiring the animals, laughing at the snoring wombat and enjoying the rides.

Thunder River Rapids Ride was my favorite with its “moderate excitement” but I was also wrestled onto the “extreme excitement” of the Wipeout. Yes I was squealing. Lots. Check the Wipeout out on video here. I think you’ll be impressed.

Dreamworld is fun because as well as a huge range of rides from tame to terrifying to suit every type of thrill seeker, you can also enjoy shows, catch a 3D movie and interact with the animals.

Then there are the silly activities like the giant cage where you can shoot spongy balls at your family and at complete strangers for far longer than you ever intended to. I liked that one.

Expect to get wet on Thunder River Rapids. It will feel great.

The dogems or bumper cars are always fun aren't they?

Posing opportunities abound for Kiara

But Max and Kiara bothwant their photo taken with Puss in Boots. Fiona gets in on the action too after an energetic Shrek show.

Kiara's favourite ride, the vintage cars - she drove us round the bend - I mean track - twice.

Day Two – Lamington National Park

We rented a holiday home, the Bavarian Hut, a 30 minute drive from the theme parks so we took a day to explore the Binna Burra side of Lamington National Park 30 minutes higher up the mountain and enjoyed a long walk down through the rainforest to the Kweenbari caves.

The rest of the day was spent chilling out at the Bavarian Hut eating, drinking and playing table football.

Max learning about the original owners of the land

Kiara enjoying a natural swing

Day Three – White Water World

White Water World is probably even more fun that Dreamworld on a hot day. White Water World is a blast because the whole family can enjoy most of the rides together.

We ran around carrying huge blow up rings up hundreds of stairs then whizzing down them squealing.

Wear a rash top and pile on the suncream for a day of family fun and lots of happy memories.

The Bro or Blue Ringed Octopus ride - you'll want to whoosh down it again, and again and again. Well, we did anyway.

Many thanks to Gold Coast Tourism and Dreamworld for kindly treating me and the Mucho Man to go to Dreamworld and White Water World. It was mega fun and the Candy kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves too.

24 Hours at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park

Annabel Candy — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:00:00 PST

It’s a long, steep, windy road up to O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park but it’s worth the trip.

These school holidays my oldest son went to visit family and friends in New Zealand while the rest of the Candy family hung out in Australia and visited the Gold Coast or the Goldie as everyone calls it.

I’d been wanting to visit O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat and when Gold Coast Tourism invited us to stay there we were excited.

There’s no rest for the wicked though and rather than a retreat we had an action-packed 24 hours.

10 am – Check in, settle in and take in the scenery

O’Reilly’s is an old family business and a classic old building. We had a huge room with cosy beds and mountain views.

The views and the pools

10.30 am – Rainforest Tree Top Walk

Exploring a hollow strangler fig tree which has grown around a long gone host tree

Walking on the suspended bridge

Climbing the 30 meter (98 foot) ladder to the rainforest canopy

1 pm – Bird of Prey Show

Featuring rescued and rehabilitated birds trained by Carmen pictured here with a clever sulfur-crested cockatoo

3 pm – Flying Fox

Kiara and the Mucho Man getting kitted up

Kiara flying hands free

Me coming in for a smooth landing

Max scaring his mother. A lot.

A little lizard lurking by the track

5 pm – Spa Time

I enjoyed the sauna too. It was too hot for the kids so I had a lovely peaceful lie down.

5.30 pm – Happy Hour in the Bar while the kids go to the Eco-Rangers for supper and games!

Half price drinks for happy hour - we had mohitos while this lady waited for her husband to reappear

6.30 pm – Supper

I had ocean trout, a buffalo mozarella pizza and this chocolate indulgence desert.No idea what the Mucho Man at but I shared some desert with him. The food was fantastic and best of all we got to eat in peace with the Candy kids entertained royally elsewhere.

8 pm – Glow Worm Tour

In which I learn it’s impossible to take photos of glow worms. The kids were very tired by this time as we got up at 4am to get our oldest son Luke on the plane to New Zealand but the glow worms were beautiful and we all slept super soundly that night.

6.45 am – Bird Walk

Because the early bird catches the worm we had an early start with expert nature guide Duncan who recognizes all the bird of the forest by sight and sound. The cat bird sounds just like a cat but we couldn’t see it as cat birds are green and well disguised in the rainforest.

Golden Bowerbird

Has anyone spotted any birds yet?

We spotted heaps of birds and snapped this handsome yellow-breasted Robin.

So is O’Reilly’s worth the trip up the mountain?

Definitely, I’d love to go back and stay longer next time so we can do some retreating as well as adventuring.

O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat has a spa too and gorgeous walks in Lamingtom National Park we didn’t have time to take with wishing trees and waterfalls so I’d make the trip up the mountain again any day and stay longer next time too.

O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat is an utter treat for all the senses.

Many thanks to Gold Coast Tourism and O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat for kindly hosting the Candy family for stay and all our adventures.

10 Funny Travel and Personal Stories

Annabel Candy — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:07:42 PST

Here’s a round up of my top 10 funny travel stories and blog posts from the last two years.

Hopefully you find a few stories you haven’t read and some laughs. I’ll be back with more hot travel tips and stories soon.

1. Funny Search Engine Terms
What are some people thinking when they google these?

2. Naked In Greece
Sleep paralysis leads to embarrassing over exposure on a Greek island.

3. The Problem With Aussie Birds
In which I try to capture the sound of a Kookaburra’s call in my suburb in Queensland, Australia.

4. Heard the Joke About the Kiwis and the Sheep?
My daughter surprises me with her inability to recognise common farm animals after returning from 18 months living in the jungles of Costa Rica.

5. Moving to Australia From Costa Rica and New Zealand and Online Shopping
How we ended up with more salami sticks than we could ever eat.

6. What Looks Like French Bread But Isn’t?
A case of mistaken identity while waiting to be picked up hitchhiking in Paris.

7. Lessons From an African Witchdoctor
But you have to read this post all the way through to find the funny bit and it’s more funny peculiar than funny ha ha.

8. Puberty Bite: Talking About Puberty With Kids
A surprising talk on a sticky topic.

9. Daylight Robbery in Australia
In which I get robbed and stranded at the beach wearing a bikini a couple of sizes to small.

10. Funny Family Portraits
My siblings and I strike a pose with our parents in the early seventies.

Photo: Liquene

The Year That Was: 2011

Annabel Candy — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:00:00 PST

Do you often wish you could get more done? Or feel that time is being wasted?

I can never decide if I’m an under-achiever or an over-achiever which probably means I’m stuck in the middle somewhere.

But here’s what I actually did in 2011 as opposed to what I wrote.

1. Set up my new blog Successful Blogging.

2. Joined Toastmasters to practice and overcome my fear of public speaking. I spoke at workshops, business groups and conferences including the prestigious Walkleys Media Conference and to over 200 people at the Sunshine Coast Creative Collective.

3. Broke my toe. I really wish I’d broken it falling off a bar while dancing but sadly I just stubbed it on the sofa exceedingly hard. Ouch. I was limping for weeks.

4. Went to England to revisit my family, see Stonehenge and feast my eyes on the beautiful spring flowers including the purple wisteria vines that clung to so many old buildings.

5. Got paid to have a massage. By my local tourism board Sunshine Coast Destination Limited which was a lovely job.

6. Learnt how to make a podcast with much needed help from the Podcast Guy.

7. Ate black squid ink risotto for the first time and loved it.

8. Wrote my first sponsored blog post for InsureandGo.

9. Spotted a wild koala walking along the ground which was exciting. Normally they’re up a gum tree not doing much but this fine specimen was lolloping along the ground.

10. Moved house – only about 200 meters to the next road but it was still extremely time-consuming and rather painful. We’re here now though and we have a much bigger house with five bedrooms, an office for the Mucho Man and two spare rooms!

11. Hung out in Melbourne and stayed in a luxury hotel before, during and after a blogging conference.

12. Became the mother of a teenager. Not a teenaged mum. My oldest son turned 13.

13. Cried because all my children got such good school reports.

14. Splashed out on a pair of J Brand skinny jeans. I’m not much of a fashionista but I had to have a pair of these in cobalt blue. Love them.

15. Improved my writing and focus by practicing them daily. Still lots of room for improvement but I’m working on it.

16. Picked up hitchhikers at night even though I know I shouldn’t and I’m never going to do it again.

17. Slept under canvas on our camping holiday.

18. Drank 1,780 cups of chai. That’s a rough estimate but it’s probably about right. Call it five cups a day. I rarely drink water. Just decaffeinated chai. I’m a bit of a hippy like that.

19. Experimented with writing techniques, styles and tones.

20. Played cards with my kids and poker with my friends.

21. Transformed myself into a giant blue jelly fish on halloween.

22. Read a lot of fiction, personal development, ebooks and of course blog posts.

23. Took my son busking. He plays the guitar. You have to get a busking license and if it’s for a child a parent has to supervise. I try to hide behind a tree.

24. Felt mortal and sad as more friends battled cancer or were diagnosed with it for the first time.

25. Forgave myself for being imperfect and impatient.

How about you? What did you eat, do, experience or learn in 2011? Leave a one word answer in the comments or write a whole blog post about it. I’ll be reading.

In My Shoes: Me, Aged 23

Annabel Candy — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:58:45 PST

I packed three pairs of shoes for my year in Zimbabwe:

1. Sensible sandals to wear at the school where I’d be teaching.

2. Trainers to walk the seven kilometer dirt track from school to the tarred road with buses to the capital city Harare.

3. Black platform shoes to go out dancing in once I got there.

I mostly wore the sensible sandals and the trainers that year, both pairs quickly becoming engrained with the red dust that surrounded Mupfure School.

What shocked me most about my year in Africa, the environment and the people, were my student’s living conditions. A few people lived in small houses built of breeze blocks but they were rare. The villages and houses were mostly made of mud, wood and leaves.

The children I taught were bitterly poor, living in round mud huts with thatched roofs. Inside a fire burned, the atmosphere thick with smoke and so dingy you could hardly see the people until the whites of their eyes and their smile through the gloom.

Read the whole post here at the Women in Focus site on my African Dreams blog where I am entering a competition to win 14 days volunteering and trekking in Tanzania.

Please Help Me Win the Competition!

One of my lovely readers told me about the Global Blogger Search competition because they know I’m dreaming of visiting Tanzania.

If I win this competition it includes flights and accommodation for two people so that just means I’d have to cough up for the three Candy kids because it would be wrong to leave them behind. Visiting Tanzania would be an incredible experience and one I’d like to share with the whole family.

The competition is based on writing, blog name – I called my blog African Dreams – and social engagement so please read my blog post, use the Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin buttons at the top to share it and leave a comment. Thank you. I’d really appreciate that.

I’ll be adding more African Dreams: In My Shoes blog posts sharing stories about some of the diverse people I lived with or met during my time in Zimbabwe.

Best of Get In the Hot Spot 2011

Annabel Candy — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:00:00 PST

I may or may not be taking the rest of the year off but I wanted to slip in this “Best of Get In the Hot Spot” post before New Year’s to give you some holiday reading and help you find all the hot posts you might have missed over the past year.

So here are the best Get In the Hot Spot articles from 2011, based on your fantastic enthusiasm via comments, links and social sharing. Thank you for that!

In chronological order:

Happy New Year and happy travels!