tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358074956479989182013-06-11T02:58:29.806+01:00This blog is a Travel Blog. At times it is has information related to The Cabin Crew who work for Air Emirates, the routes they fly, the rotas they work and the Layovers they experience, as well as the life they live in Dubai. It is also dedicated to all independent travellers, who wish to free themselves from the confines &amp; costs imposed on them by British Travel Agents. Please feel free to leave any relevant travel tips as you enjoy the blog.Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.comBlogger163125MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSidehttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-85649420502148557242013-05-19T11:01:00.000+01:002013-05-19T11:01:42.756+01:002013-05-19T11:01:42.756+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> December 2012 rota looked good, but it was not to be. A day out at the new Wadi Adventure water park in Al Ain saw to that! &nbsp;<a href="http://www.wadiadventure.ae/">http://www.wadiadventure.ae/</a> . There was a small accident on the man made white water rafting course, a black eye was acquired...not a good look and a hand sprained. however, after a week of having a swollen, very sore hand, x-rays were taken,&nbsp; revelling a badly broken finger. </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EQX1Dy3C1d0/UY9aNtpwwrI/AAAAAAAACZk/irAxZgk1PCA/s1600/x-ray+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EQX1Dy3C1d0/UY9aNtpwwrI/AAAAAAAACZk/irAxZgk1PCA/s320/x-ray+1.jpg" width="246" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Djml2Tcyp0Y/UY9aN3hvK1I/AAAAAAAACZs/u_70ocnvv-Y/s1600/x-ray+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Djml2Tcyp0Y/UY9aN3hvK1I/AAAAAAAACZs/u_70ocnvv-Y/s320/x-ray+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K_xq1q902Co/UZifmhiCLFI/AAAAAAAACaY/66wP8RTN-hU/s1600/IMG00509-20121210-1132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K_xq1q902Co/UZifmhiCLFI/AAAAAAAACaY/66wP8RTN-hU/s320/IMG00509-20121210-1132.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The finger required specialist surgery, thankfully the hospital had a really good 'finger specialist' and she operated on it. It needed lots of metal plates and was an intense operation. <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h_QEJEdDT7w/UY9dWN7P2GI/AAAAAAAACZ8/ZMitQk8O5kg/s1600/320906_10151240367428284_1268993231_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h_QEJEdDT7w/UY9dWN7P2GI/AAAAAAAACZ8/ZMitQk8O5kg/s320/320906_10151240367428284_1268993231_n.jpg" width="194" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n59tnqk-9ok/UY9dWNa80HI/AAAAAAAACaA/BCrt00wFSLM/s1600/424334_10151240367438284_597182091_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n59tnqk-9ok/UY9dWNa80HI/AAAAAAAACaA/BCrt00wFSLM/s320/424334_10151240367438284_597182091_n.jpg" width="221" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> &nbsp;</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> I wonder now if the airport security scanners will bleep each time they are used! time will tell. </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Being 'off sick' is complicated with weekly visits to the Emirates Occupational health team at the clinic, visiting this department as well as the specialist took up a lot of time. But the main issue with sickness, is the pay!</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">Payment:</span></u></b><span style="color: black;"></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">Your salary during sickness is calculated from January – December 2012:</span><span style="color: black;"></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">15 days of sickness = full basic + utilities (no fly pay)</span><span style="color: black;"></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 7pt;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">30 days of sickness = half basic salary + utilities (no fly pay)</span><span style="color: black;"></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">Any sickness further to the 45 days = nil salary </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">Then there is the issue of Travel:</span></div> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;"><div class="MsoNormal"> <b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">''Travel:</span></u></b><span style="color: black;"></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;"><div class="MsoNormal"> Travelling whilst on sickness is not permitted unless authorised by Attendance management specialist after liaison with your Cabin Crew Manager and Vice President Medical Services or a designated doctor at the Emirates Clinic. The good news is that a<span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">ny booked leave that overlaps with the time you are off sick will remain. ''</span></div> </span><div class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;</div> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;"><div class="MsoNormal"> and worse is the fact that&nbsp;:</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">''You will be required to undergo your SEP training / refresher should your sickness exceed 90 days''.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">So the prospect of being ill over the festive period, unable to come home, no money and if it doesn't heal fast SEP to do ....again!</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;">Get well soon!</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span>&nbsp;</div> </span><div class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;"></span>&nbsp;</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial Narrow&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span>&nbsp;</div> </span><div class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;</div> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/QcHaL2UDGWE" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com2http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/air-emirates-cabin-crew-dec-2012off-sick.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-18573783630828190802013-05-06T10:15:00.002+01:002013-05-06T10:15:45.072+01:002013-05-06T10:15:45.072+01:00<table> <tbody> <tr> <td>31-WED</td> <td>XX</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Day Off</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>01-THU</td> <td>LV</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Leave</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>02-FRI</td> <td>LV</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Leave</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>03-SAT</td> <td>LV</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Leave</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>04-SUN</td> <td>LV</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Leave</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>05-MON</td> <td>LV</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Leave</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>06-TUE</td> <td>XX</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Day Off</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>07-WED</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>08-THU</td> <td>6322</td> <td></td> <td>02:00</td> <td>EK 322</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>03:30</td> <td>ICN</td> <td>16:30</td> <td>388</td> <td>17:00</td> <td>10:00</td> <td>08:00</td></tr> <tr> <td>09-FRI</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>23:10</td> <td>EK 323</td> <td>ICN</td> <td>23:55</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>05:05(+)</td> <td>388</td> <td>05:35</td> <td>11:25</td> <td>10:10</td></tr> <tr> <td>10-SAT</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>11-SUN</td> <td>XX</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Day Off</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>12-MON</td> <td>XX</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Day Off</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>13-TUE</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>14-WED</td> <td>6318</td> <td></td> <td>01:25</td> <td>EK 318</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>02:55</td> <td>NRT</td> <td>17:20</td> <td>388</td> <td>17:50</td> <td>11:25</td> <td>09:25</td></tr> <tr> <td>15-THU</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>21:15</td> <td>EK 319</td> <td>NRT</td> <td>22:00</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>05:00(+)</td> <td>388</td> <td>05:30</td> <td>13:15</td> <td>12:00</td></tr> <tr> <td>16-FRI</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>17-SAT</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>18-SUN</td> <td>6346</td> <td></td> <td>02:35</td> <td>EK 346</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>04:05</td> <td>KUL</td> <td>14:55</td> <td>388</td> <td>15:25</td> <td>08:50</td> <td>06:50</td></tr> <tr> <td>19-MON</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>18:45</td> <td>EK 347</td> <td>KUL</td> <td>19:30</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>22:30</td> <td>388</td> <td>23:00</td> <td>08:15</td> <td>07:00</td></tr> <tr> <td>20-TUE</td> <td>XX</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Day Off</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>21-WED</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>22-THU</td> <td>6007</td> <td></td> <td>01:40</td> <td>EK 007</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>03:10</td> <td>LHR</td> <td>07:10</td> <td>388</td> <td>07:40</td> <td>10:00</td> <td>08:00</td></tr> <tr> <td>23-FRI</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>08:25</td> <td>EK 008</td> <td>LHR</td> <td>09:10</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>20:00</td> <td>388</td> <td>20:30</td> <td>08:05</td> <td>06:50</td></tr> <tr> <td>24-SAT</td> <td>XX</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Day Off</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>25-SUN</td> <td>XX</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Day Off</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>26-MON</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>27-TUE</td> <td>6346</td> <td></td> <td>02:35</td> <td>EK 346</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>04:05</td> <td>KUL</td> <td>14:55</td> <td>388</td> <td>15:25</td> <td>08:50</td> <td>06:50</td></tr> <tr> <td>28-WED</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>18:45</td> <td>EK 347</td> <td>KUL</td> <td>19:30</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>22:30</td> <td>388</td> <td>23:00</td> <td>08:15</td> <td>07:00</td></tr> <tr> <td>29-THU</td> <td>XX</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td colspan="6">Day Off</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td>30-FRI</td> <td>6005</td> <td></td> <td>15:00</td> <td>EK 005</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>16:30</td> <td>LHR</td> <td>20:15</td> <td>388</td> <td>20:45</td> <td>09:45</td> <td>07:45</td></tr> <tr> <td>01-SAT</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>21:15</td> <td>EK 006</td> <td>LHR</td> <td>22:00</td> <td>DXB</td> <td>08:45(+)</td> <td>388</td> <td>09:15</td> <td>(08:00)</td> <td>(06:45)</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/8Lpfquu9SYM" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com0http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/november-2012-emirates-cabin-crew.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-9548320512554418582013-05-06T10:09:00.002+01:002013-05-06T14:55:02.489+01:002013-05-06T14:55:02.489+01:00Its late October 2012 and I am on the move again, today I am getting EK 18 from Manchester to Dubai.<br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hq4NiEKLhgo/UYdc9RAufnI/AAAAAAAACWM/DCIh7QHBa4M/s1600/IMG_0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hq4NiEKLhgo/UYdc9RAufnI/AAAAAAAACWM/DCIh7QHBa4M/s320/IMG_0152.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A380<br /> <div align="left"> <span style="font-size: small;">and as it is this lady's last shift prior to a short spell of leave, we will decide the next destination tomorrow. In the meantime I was lucky to be allowed to the bar up stairs for a few moments, to see how the other half fly, then it was back down to Economy for me to enjoy a few drinks with my meal.</span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qI1HJbEZ5Ys/UYdazBIiMTI/AAAAAAAACUI/DaNzUEz0Jc4/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qI1HJbEZ5Ys/UYdazBIiMTI/AAAAAAAACUI/DaNzUEz0Jc4/s320/IMG.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Bar!</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uPfzGoOha_4/UYddD-9_aXI/AAAAAAAACWc/rduYc7Tt2gM/s1600/IMG_9757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uPfzGoOha_4/UYddD-9_aXI/AAAAAAAACWc/rduYc7Tt2gM/s320/IMG_9757.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back downstairs in the Economy Cabin. A380</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dTZRt_A51ac/UYddEDBdd5I/AAAAAAAACWg/lRZYW2dpp68/s1600/IMG_9758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dTZRt_A51ac/UYddEDBdd5I/AAAAAAAACWg/lRZYW2dpp68/s320/IMG_9758.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emirates economy treats.<br /> <br /> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> <span style="font-size: small;">After a lot of looking at aircraft loads, the loads to Dar es Salam looked promising, so Tanzania it was. As I have been to Tanzania before and stayed at the Serena Lodge, I looked up their web page, and hidden away I found a special offer. 3 nights at a camp in the Selous Game reseve and 2 nights in Zanzibar, with flights, It was called The Selous Dream Safari, it sounded good, it got booked!</span></div> <div align="left"> <span style="font-size: small;">EK 725 was a 3 class Airbus 330 (its a 777 now) that took us to Dar, we arrived at 15.15 and a lot of people had connecting flights to camps, we were staying in Dar for the night, and just as well. It took over 2 hours to get our Visas. There was a system in place, but it was very slow. so, if you have a connecting flight I would suggest you get your Visa before you arrive, some people were very stressed!</span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_WPVM9WxnA/UYddKhSjbiI/AAAAAAAACW0/5nnN34PhoZY/s1600/IMG_9774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_WPVM9WxnA/UYddKhSjbiI/AAAAAAAACW0/5nnN34PhoZY/s320/IMG_9774.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Dar es Salam Airport waiting for the Visa</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-okD23E7Hf2o/UYddI9GaFnI/AAAAAAAACWs/gJyd4Nw1nMU/s1600/IMG_9773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-okD23E7Hf2o/UYddI9GaFnI/AAAAAAAACWs/gJyd4Nw1nMU/s320/IMG_9773.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do not go to this desk for your Visa, join the Q.</td></tr> </tbody></table> &nbsp;We stayed overnight in the Serena Hotel in Dar, it was comfortable, clean and did the job for us. next day we were back at the airport to check in for a FlightLink flight, that turned out to be on Coastal Aviation. Costal Aviation small planes fly all over Tanzania, there a lots of them and they are good value for money, you can charter your own to Zanzibar for 100US $, it seats 6 so works out better than the ferry. <br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PRVX6EXogOY/UYdcScYnnTI/AAAAAAAACUY/1tKeamrFgC0/s1600/192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PRVX6EXogOY/UYdcScYnnTI/AAAAAAAACUY/1tKeamrFgC0/s320/192.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jbEC6KjeZyA/UYdcR3nadZI/AAAAAAAACUU/c2NSpec_qZo/s1600/190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jbEC6KjeZyA/UYdcR3nadZI/AAAAAAAACUU/c2NSpec_qZo/s320/190.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Check in Desk for FlightLink <br /> <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left"> </div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Costal Aviation fly's all over Tanzania</td></tr> </tbody></table> Our flight to the Selous Game Reserve and the airstrip of Stieglers Gorge took 45 mins, it was a bumpy ride and that&nbsp;was quite long enough for me. I was pleased to get my feet on the sandy airstrip. <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WLmVefAIRHs/UYdgGs2OE9I/AAAAAAAACYY/BtLkIMUS20Y/s1600/IMG_9992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WLmVefAIRHs/UYdgGs2OE9I/AAAAAAAACYY/BtLkIMUS20Y/s320/IMG_9992.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Arrivals hall at Stieglers Gorge </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kx9Ni0uxFvk/UYdehJQ-8DI/AAAAAAAACXk/IpvrlK4l220/s1600/IMG_9796.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kx9Ni0uxFvk/UYdehJQ-8DI/AAAAAAAACXk/IpvrlK4l220/s320/IMG_9796.CR2" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As we get off it moves on to the next camp</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fJF1PuVICHY/UYdf_kIurcI/AAAAAAAACYQ/LtPJDk388ns/s1600/IMG_9991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fJF1PuVICHY/UYdf_kIurcI/AAAAAAAACYQ/LtPJDk388ns/s200/IMG_9991.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The landing strip</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wwmsz9J68No/UYddYUKjhtI/AAAAAAAACXE/xOW1zyA6jFI/s1600/IMG_9799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wwmsz9J68No/UYddYUKjhtI/AAAAAAAACXE/xOW1zyA6jFI/s320/IMG_9799.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the bathroom!</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XXyMxQokAtY/UYddRN02WAI/AAAAAAAACW8/hJ6PgX86fY8/s1600/IMG_9798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XXyMxQokAtY/UYddRN02WAI/AAAAAAAACW8/hJ6PgX86fY8/s320/IMG_9798.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beds in the tent at the Serena run camp. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3BlJXtCtnl0/UYdgQMhgVqI/AAAAAAAACYo/Kj-xSq98j3c/s1600/IMG_9928.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3BlJXtCtnl0/UYdgQMhgVqI/AAAAAAAACYo/Kj-xSq98j3c/s320/IMG_9928.CR2" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selous Luxury Camp, Selous Game Reserve.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-USLVTqWrNJQ/UYddfkjNntI/AAAAAAAACXQ/tZFmzPs6qxU/s1600/IMG_9804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-USLVTqWrNJQ/UYddfkjNntI/AAAAAAAACXQ/tZFmzPs6qxU/s320/IMG_9804.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room (tent) key<br /> <br /> <br /> <div align="left"> <span style="font-size: small;">At the airstrip we were greeted by our guide and taken to the camp. It was wonderful, there was only us in it, but we were treated like queens. You stay in 'Tents', but this is not camping! the service, food and staff were all outstanding and the danger was the camp was so good that you wanted to stay in it rather than get out into the Selous game Reserve. I had not heard of this reserve, its the largest in Southern Africa, the Rufiji River runs through it and we spent a peaceful afternoon fishing on the river, catching odd white catfish that live in the orange water of the river. Just as I pulled one out of the water, a Fish eagle swooped down and helped himself. The guide was very worried when we got to close to the edge of the water as it was full of massive crocodiles, and he said they would see your shadow and jump out of the water, it was a magical day. </span></div> <div align="left"> <span style="font-size: small;">The next day we drove into the Northern Section of the Selous, and despite a bleek, dry landscape, saw Impala, Kudu, Elephants, loads of Buffaloe and Wilderbeast, birds, and Lions, one Lioness on a Kill, and a pile of 5 young males, with their short manes that are peculiar to the Lions of this region!</span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rbxkMGjowVg/UYde5lAY0vI/AAAAAAAACX0/1fr2VilgTU0/s1600/IMG_9819.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rbxkMGjowVg/UYde5lAY0vI/AAAAAAAACX0/1fr2VilgTU0/s320/IMG_9819.CR2" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9cm460PPPmI/UYdgQTW7VSI/AAAAAAAACYs/QwD42AKlUR0/s1600/IMG_9977.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9cm460PPPmI/UYdgQTW7VSI/AAAAAAAACYs/QwD42AKlUR0/s200/IMG_9977.CR2" width="200" /></a>&nbsp;</div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AEczTtcWcI/UYdfAqrAXXI/AAAAAAAACX8/m7wSgSt2eNQ/s1600/IMG_9851.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AEczTtcWcI/UYdfAqrAXXI/AAAAAAAACX8/m7wSgSt2eNQ/s320/IMG_9851.CR2" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing with the Crocks</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> &nbsp;</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-qNdpszduo/UYdencFd1yI/AAAAAAAACXs/7CXZMb2IHYM/s1600/IMG_9903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-qNdpszduo/UYdencFd1yI/AAAAAAAACXs/7CXZMb2IHYM/s200/IMG_9903.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A light lunch</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ax650mZXUvg/UYdf5T0F0AI/AAAAAAAACYI/6kHWEEd13C0/s1600/IMG_9911.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ax650mZXUvg/UYdf5T0F0AI/AAAAAAAACYI/6kHWEEd13C0/s320/IMG_9911.CR2" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afternoon tea with the lions<br /> <br /> <div align="left"> <span style="font-size: small;">We were served a magnificent picnic and afternoon tea, then back at the camp it was more five star gourmet cooking. On Trip Advisor The Selous Luxury Camp is listed a 3 Star, as far as I am concerned it was 10 Star fantastic in every way, and at the price we paid, not to be missed.</span></div> <div align="left"> <span style="font-size: small;">It was time to move on and we were taken back to the Stieglers Gorge airstrip to fly the 45 mins&nbsp;back to Dar, then swap planes and flown to Zanzibar, a very nice South African pilot took us on this short &nbsp;20 min flight.</span> </div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--JL3jaomyJk/UYdcZI1EQyI/AAAAAAAACUk/sifE22GhDEY/s1600/IMG_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--JL3jaomyJk/UYdcZI1EQyI/AAAAAAAACUk/sifE22GhDEY/s320/IMG_0026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zanzibar</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dmPL3BrE7CU/UYddeLes0wI/AAAAAAAACXM/bh2vU4zzzPY/s1600/IMG_0002.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dmPL3BrE7CU/UYddeLes0wI/AAAAAAAACXM/bh2vU4zzzPY/s320/IMG_0002.CR2" width="213" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stone Town Door</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9rTs-BCmdrI/UYdcaYyPqUI/AAAAAAAACUs/zRljV11jJ-I/s1600/IMG_0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9rTs-BCmdrI/UYdcaYyPqUI/AAAAAAAACUs/zRljV11jJ-I/s320/IMG_0060.JPG" width="236" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stone Town </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ExjNCApnnD4/UYdchn1XsrI/AAAAAAAACU8/CcBHJD-Dias/s1600/IMG_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ExjNCApnnD4/UYdchn1XsrI/AAAAAAAACU8/CcBHJD-Dias/s320/IMG_0061.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stone Town </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OrJjMk0q5eY/UYdcgiuljSI/AAAAAAAACU0/xVBkFYWKQDs/s1600/IMG_0074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OrJjMk0q5eY/UYdcgiuljSI/AAAAAAAACU0/xVBkFYWKQDs/s320/IMG_0074.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serena Hotel Stone Town </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yn-AGRK5Qjc/UYdckKf217I/AAAAAAAACVE/K8K0LG7q4wY/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yn-AGRK5Qjc/UYdckKf217I/AAAAAAAACVE/K8K0LG7q4wY/s320/IMG_0075.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room 3, Serena Hotel Stone Town </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1HHtp1a0T28/UYdcnZZe2AI/AAAAAAAACVM/tr55_sXBNQ4/s1600/IMG_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1HHtp1a0T28/UYdcnZZe2AI/AAAAAAAACVM/tr55_sXBNQ4/s320/IMG_0077.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zanzibar</td></tr> </tbody></table> &nbsp;In Zanzibar we stayed 2 nights at the Zanzibar Serena Inn, it was nice but our room, room 3 on the ground floor was very <u>noisy</u> so we moved the next day, to a room on the first floor. We explored Stone Town, getting lost in the narrow cobbled, winding streets, visiting the Slave Monument and Anglican Cathedral, the Old Fort and house of Wonder. It was an interesting and thought provoking place.<br /> We moved on, over to the coast and the town of Pongwe, the beach here was windy and busy with Kite surfers. The beach itself can not be recommended, as apart from the wind, the tide goes out very far and there is a lot of seaweed, I liked it as local women collected the seaweed and the beach was good to walk on, but if you are a beach person. looking to chill out on your lounger, I don't think you would do it here!<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vJ1WYBv4wT8/UYdcnZcjHfI/AAAAAAAACVQ/1V5QdYv-syQ/s1600/IMG_0083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vJ1WYBv4wT8/UYdcnZcjHfI/AAAAAAAACVQ/1V5QdYv-syQ/s320/IMG_0083.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Photo! Photo!'</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1xKx9bYIgc/UYdcr-dTQCI/AAAAAAAACVc/jGnGNq47Ylw/s1600/IMG_0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1xKx9bYIgc/UYdcr-dTQCI/AAAAAAAACVc/jGnGNq47Ylw/s320/IMG_0085.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach at Hukuna Matata Hotel</td></tr> </tbody></table> &nbsp;All to soon, it was time to fly back to Dar, same plane and driver!<br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JblthhB4U4k/UYdc3-I5JHI/AAAAAAAACWE/bfDDcZMUNCI/s1600/IMG_0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JblthhB4U4k/UYdc3-I5JHI/AAAAAAAACWE/bfDDcZMUNCI/s320/IMG_0139.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Zanzibar to Dar with Costal Aviation or Flight Link. </td></tr> </tbody></table> &nbsp;At Zanzibar Airport, a far larger place than I had imagined, you could get flight to many places with a multitude of airlines. Including TUI to Amsterdam!<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pXtmrE8Hv2k/UYdctN46bYI/AAAAAAAACVk/ErJiHjIHPgI/s1600/IMG_0132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pXtmrE8Hv2k/UYdctN46bYI/AAAAAAAACVk/ErJiHjIHPgI/s320/IMG_0132.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zanzibar Airport</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gxQ5SC5uVUU/UYdcxQ0ItlI/AAAAAAAACVs/VQcpeWRMXWU/s1600/IMG_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gxQ5SC5uVUU/UYdcxQ0ItlI/AAAAAAAACVs/VQcpeWRMXWU/s320/IMG_0133.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zanzibar Airport</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-slAEAC8IT_c/UYdc3MzhTpI/AAAAAAAACV8/3F1KZIApWhE/s1600/IMG_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-slAEAC8IT_c/UYdc3MzhTpI/AAAAAAAACV8/3F1KZIApWhE/s320/IMG_0135.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zanzibar Airport</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pjgTCFqMuDo/UYdcyNaw7iI/AAAAAAAACV0/v1ImPMxriJE/s1600/IMG_0134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pjgTCFqMuDo/UYdcyNaw7iI/AAAAAAAACV0/v1ImPMxriJE/s320/IMG_0134.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zanzibar Airport</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_V2jXJ-n56I/UYdgLVdVOWI/AAAAAAAACYg/4GWaHvqHVHA/s1600/IMG_9998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_V2jXJ-n56I/UYdgLVdVOWI/AAAAAAAACYg/4GWaHvqHVHA/s320/IMG_9998.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zanzibar</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oKpIeuj3BQQ/UYdc9mlmVXI/AAAAAAAACWQ/r2ts0L3x5dE/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oKpIeuj3BQQ/UYdc9mlmVXI/AAAAAAAACWQ/r2ts0L3x5dE/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dar Airport<br /> <div align="left"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="left"> <span style="font-size: small;">For us, it was a quick hop back to Dar, than a walk from terminal to terminal to check in for the flight back to Dubai. It was a great week and we packed a lot in, we also discovered another wonderful part of the country and its people, thanks Tanzania, I don't thinks its goodbye ?</span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/Yio3sQ9NXG4" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com0http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/selous-game-reserve-zanzibar-tanzania.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-59976517021385931692013-05-05T14:42:00.000+01:002013-05-05T14:42:41.251+01:002013-05-05T14:42:41.251+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2N6A95BaE0Q/UYYvDhHWlII/AAAAAAAACRs/xbKKP4uZTiY/s1600/IMG_9724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2N6A95BaE0Q/UYYvDhHWlII/AAAAAAAACRs/xbKKP4uZTiY/s320/IMG_9724.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g7XHBCbxRtQ/UYYv6C1n1nI/AAAAAAAACT4/ZFyF1mtilDo/s1600/P1040401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g7XHBCbxRtQ/UYYv6C1n1nI/AAAAAAAACT4/ZFyF1mtilDo/s1600/P1040401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">&nbsp;</a></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g7XHBCbxRtQ/UYYv6C1n1nI/AAAAAAAACT4/ZFyF1mtilDo/s1600/P1040401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g7XHBCbxRtQ/UYYv6C1n1nI/AAAAAAAACT4/ZFyF1mtilDo/s320/P1040401.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hotel Neorion. Istanbul 10 star service!</td></tr> </tbody></table> &nbsp;I cant begin to tell you all just how good this 5 days in Istanbul was!<br /> The reason for the trip was Air Miles, acquired through the credit card. the tour to NZ all paid for by plastic (!) meant that a spending target was hit and that equated to one free air ticket and a free ticket <br /> for a 'companion'. it had to be booked with the dreaded BA, but its free so who's complaining? Me that's who. And this is why what ever you do you need to avoid BA.<br /> The journey was MAN-LHR-IST. we arrive at the BA terminal 3 at MAN, on time. the queue was long and slow, the check in desk as unhelpful and rude as always!&nbsp;And guess what? the plane broke down. An electrical fault, so we sat &amp; sat &amp; sat with absolutely NO information for the BA counter. Some passengers who had very tight connections to the USA were very stressed at the lack of information. Eventually after a 4 hour wait we departed to LHR, to be herded to the 'transfer' desk. this was another very long wait of over 3 hours to sort out all the connecting flights for the delayed passengers. The passengers sorted themselves into priority, letting the people who may have a chance of getting on a flight go to the fount of the Q. One couple heading to Texas was being routed through Nigeria with Air Nigeria...to say they were not happy is an understatement. For us, we knew we had missed our connecting&nbsp;morning flight, (booked especially as it was a Boeing) and flight stats told me the next BA flight to Istanbul, so I had worked out that we would&nbsp;wait till 19.00 for the Airbus, I was correct. BA gave us a £20.00 voucher to use during our day a terminal 5, after I asked for it!&nbsp;We used it on a salmon &amp; champers snack to keep our spirits up.<br /> The flight was full and uneventful, and the visa process at IST was easy. Our hotel was sending a taxi for us, we had let them know about the delay. The taxi was waiting for us and it was in the early hours of the morning that we checked into the fabulous Hotel Neorion, this small, independent hotel is No 1 on Trip Advisor and the service we received is the reason why. the staff at this establishment were outstanding, to say they went the extra mile is a cliché, but they&nbsp;arranged a taxi to pick up a non gest at very short notice, let her sleep in our room for the morning she arrived, gave her breakfast and snacks all day(no charge) and even gave her a gift when we left.&nbsp;&nbsp;Apart from the outstanding service, the hotel is well situated, just a short walk from all the attractions.<br /> Up early the next day we headed for the&nbsp;ferry to take us up the Bosphorus. We got the ferry at the main Ferry terminal of Eminonu, very easy to find just opposite the 'New Mosque' with its fascinating spice Bazaar, it is this Bazaar that is used in the filming of James Bond Skyfall and Taken 2. The boarding point is by the Galata bridge. The ferry stops at 13 stops as it makes its way up the Bosphorus, so gives you plenty of time to look at the houses and palaces that line the river. we stayed on until the ferry reached the 'fishing village' of Anadolu Kavagr on the Asian side of the river. Here we walked up to the ruined 14th centaury fort &nbsp;to take in the views of the straights where the river meets the Black Sea. Following the short but very steep climb, we sat at one of the many small restaurants and enjoyed a freshly cooked fish lunch.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hyiol6wx2A8/UYYvIA0JGaI/AAAAAAAACR8/Xi6tSdwsRvY/s1600/IMG_9828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hyiol6wx2A8/UYYvIA0JGaI/AAAAAAAACR8/Xi6tSdwsRvY/s320/IMG_9828.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5iv0DFqdk4E/UYYvFF9n87I/AAAAAAAACR0/zrOT6H0whBo/s1600/IMG_9769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5iv0DFqdk4E/UYYvFF9n87I/AAAAAAAACR0/zrOT6H0whBo/s320/IMG_9769.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> View from the Fort of the Black Sea.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Late in the afternoon we got the last ferry back to Istanbul, arriving in time to have our complimentary sun downers on the roof of our hotel.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M5dPa7n2hAk/UYYv5FZmatI/AAAAAAAACTs/1KVXbMrEsQo/s1600/P1040398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M5dPa7n2hAk/UYYv5FZmatI/AAAAAAAACTs/1KVXbMrEsQo/s320/P1040398.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--wTCVoWZLtk/UYYv47ek5EI/AAAAAAAACTo/r2ZHVWWmS94/s1600/IMG_9757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--wTCVoWZLtk/UYYv47ek5EI/AAAAAAAACTo/r2ZHVWWmS94/s320/IMG_9757.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> The next day we were joined by our lovely daughter, fresh from Dubai. And set off exploring the Spice Bazaar and streets next to the Galata bridge, I was fascinated by the Leaches for sale in the Pet Market part of the spice bazaar!We then walked up to the Blue Mosque got the open top bus and&nbsp;drove round Istanbul seeing the whole city and its walls. Istanbul is so easy to get around, I think the bus is not needed and would not recommend it in this city.&nbsp;</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuWKg4gw-1o/UYYv2_FEyRI/AAAAAAAACTg/V8daHnojAag/s1600/IMG_0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuWKg4gw-1o/UYYv2_FEyRI/AAAAAAAACTg/V8daHnojAag/s320/IMG_0053.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M5dPa7n2hAk/UYYv5FZmatI/AAAAAAAACTs/1KVXbMrEsQo/s1600/P1040398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M5dPa7n2hAk/UYYv5FZmatI/AAAAAAAACTs/1KVXbMrEsQo/s1600/P1040398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">&nbsp;</a><br /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M5dPa7n2hAk/UYYv5FZmatI/AAAAAAAACTs/1KVXbMrEsQo/s1600/P1040398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">&nbsp;</a><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-85Y2ky7ggGk/UYYvzhCh37I/AAAAAAAACTQ/ou4KqbBT25E/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-85Y2ky7ggGk/UYYvzhCh37I/AAAAAAAACTQ/ou4KqbBT25E/s320/IMG_0051.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EeI9NvpFeSM/UYYv13rKTeI/AAAAAAAACTY/NZTlZA3kffU/s1600/IMG_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EeI9NvpFeSM/UYYv13rKTeI/AAAAAAAACTY/NZTlZA3kffU/s320/IMG_0055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3FhLQU-6rYA/UYYvIn-tfZI/AAAAAAAACSI/o0q_9ZqATy8/s1600/IMG_9833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3FhLQU-6rYA/UYYvIn-tfZI/AAAAAAAACSI/o0q_9ZqATy8/s320/IMG_9833.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ypfBSyQ6iCs/UYYvIu37pMI/AAAAAAAACSE/SSzydQmUoJA/s1600/IMG_9835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ypfBSyQ6iCs/UYYvIu37pMI/AAAAAAAACSE/SSzydQmUoJA/s320/IMG_9835.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uKFPxp6-hBQ/UYYvKIRfzVI/AAAAAAAACSU/MLQiXqXlYrY/s1600/IMG_9841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uKFPxp6-hBQ/UYYvKIRfzVI/AAAAAAAACSU/MLQiXqXlYrY/s320/IMG_9841.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> This advertising was seen from the bus. <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4A9zR4Ziirw/UYYvMwMLP9I/AAAAAAAACSo/ZTiKuzMyLJw/s1600/IMG_9862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4A9zR4Ziirw/UYYvMwMLP9I/AAAAAAAACSo/ZTiKuzMyLJw/s320/IMG_9862.JPG" width="213" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1N81o18ijnY/UYYvMH9uP4I/AAAAAAAACSg/juoBTM_k0As/s1600/IMG_9898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1N81o18ijnY/UYYvMH9uP4I/AAAAAAAACSg/juoBTM_k0As/s320/IMG_9898.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oNUXdAKXDdo/UYYvP9iAUlI/AAAAAAAACS4/Lt5P9sVlTSg/s1600/P1040257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oNUXdAKXDdo/UYYvP9iAUlI/AAAAAAAACS4/Lt5P9sVlTSg/s320/P1040257.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TCqFKZPRtGQ/UYYvOoESeaI/AAAAAAAACSw/Vc3hCpw_fbk/s1600/P1040329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TCqFKZPRtGQ/UYYvOoESeaI/AAAAAAAACSw/Vc3hCpw_fbk/s320/P1040329.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-937EQLyibrA/UYYvQ1QiznI/AAAAAAAACS8/yLnffA64KDI/s1600/P1040334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-937EQLyibrA/UYYvQ1QiznI/AAAAAAAACS8/yLnffA64KDI/s320/P1040334.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pFtMf2ompJE/UYYvRTtlDoI/AAAAAAAACTI/KCQCdf5r0xk/s1600/P1040354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pFtMf2ompJE/UYYvRTtlDoI/AAAAAAAACTI/KCQCdf5r0xk/s320/P1040354.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Over the next 4 days we explored much of Istanbul going to Topkapi Palace with its Harem. The Blue Mosque, The Hipperdrome, The Basilica Cistern, that was my personal Favourite DO NOT MISS IT! The Haghia Sophia with the splendid byzantine mosaics. I experienced a Turkish Bath at the Cagaloglu Baths, if this is 'touristy' then I don't know what the genuine one is like as this was wonderful, almost brought a diamond necklace at a bargain price in the Grand Bazaar!&nbsp;Climbed up the Galata Tower in the Beyoglu district, went to a folk evening of Turkish dancing and this was not just belly dancing, a lot of the music and dance resembled Bulgarian / Slavic Dance. All in all Istanbul was a fantastic 'city break' destination, in the very short time I was in the city I learned much about history that I did not understand before, totally changed my opinion on Turkey. So&nbsp;now ask me if Turkey should be in the EU, its a very loud yes as its a European city with an exotic slant, and a city that should be visited &amp; experienced by everyone before they die. </div> <img height="61" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuWKg4gw-1o/UYYv2_FEyRI/AAAAAAAACTg/V8daHnojAag/s320/IMG_0053.JPG" style="left: 373px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 2590px;" width="96" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/94QBZ8j6fno" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com0http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/istanbul-october-2012.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-44545834252156452852013-04-28T18:48:00.000+01:002013-04-28T18:48:13.145+01:002013-04-28T18:48:13.145+01:00Well I have to say that the rosters the Dolly with the Trolly has been getting have been getting worse and worse. Endless turnarounds, more night flights. The Augusts roster was so bad I have not botherd to publish it here! <br /> Thia is in the news:<br /> ‘When the Emirates’ A380 entered into service almost four years ago it was set up as a separate fleet. However in the past few months there have been issues that have affected our operation in a way that could not have been anticipated. The decision has therefore been taken that A380 crew will be given additional training so that they will be able to operate on both the A380 and the B777 aircraft. Cross qualifying A380 crew will provide a greater degree of flexibility and enable crew to be fully utilised on either aircraft type. Cross qualifying A380 crew will involve 5 days training. Once training is completed A380 crew will be available to be rostered duties on B777 aircraft.’ So was the ‘Cross Qualifing to be a one way street. A380 crew to fly 777/380 only? No, within days EK announced applications were open to all crew to apply to convert to the A380 but there is Lots to think about.......Not flying the A330/40 so no Africa’s like Entebbe, and I like it there. Limited routes...think, think think! Should she stay or should she change now?<br /> <br /> What would you do??? Comments as usual. x<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/CI4KD3mXipA" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com2http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/to-crew-emirates-a380-or-not-to-crew.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-86345086033161330652012-09-08T14:16:00.002+01:002012-09-08T14:16:36.349+01:002012-09-08T14:16:36.349+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1t6BDScoPHg/UEtAyCFMTcI/AAAAAAAACQ8/Yc_OKI6xncY/s1600/IMG_0029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1t6BDScoPHg/UEtAyCFMTcI/AAAAAAAACQ8/Yc_OKI6xncY/s320/IMG_0029.jpg" width="151" /></a></div> <br /><u><strong>Menu on EK 761 Dubai to Johannesburg.</strong></u><br /><u>Savoury Snack;<br /></u>Honey Roasted Chicken.<br /><br />Blueberry Muffin.<br /><br />Tea &amp; Coffee.<br /><br /><u>Breakfast;</u><br />Arabic Cold Breakfast; Edam cheese, minted labneh balls, olive and crudites. <br /><br />Fresh Fruit Salad. <br /><br />A choice of either Plain Omelet with lamb sausage, sauteed potatoes with onions and herbs, mushrooms and tomato<br /><br />or Scrambled egg, turkey bacon, hash brown potatoes and mushrooms. <br /><br />Croissant and Tea or Coffee. <br /> <br /> <u><strong>Menu on EK 764&nbsp;Johannesburg to Dubai. </strong></u><br /> <br /> <u>Dinner;</u><br /> Beef Pastrami, with three bean salad.<br /> <br /> Roast Chicken Breast. Penang sauce, new potato wedges, broccoli and peppers.<br /> or<br /> Baked Hake, with Cape Malay sauce, basmati Rice, brinjal and marrow ragout.<br /> or<br /> Lasagna al Forno, with grilled vegetables.<br /> <br /> Coconut and Pineapple Cake.<br /> <br /> Cheese &amp; Biscuits and Tea &amp; Coffee.<br /> <br /> <u>Continental Breakfast.</u><br /> Orange Juice.<br /> Fresh Seasonal Fruit.<br /> Croissant<br /> Muffin.<br /> Tea &amp; Coffee. <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/VlZ4PcvPwcc" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com25http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/air-emirates-economy-class-menu-dubai.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-19859992110221503852012-08-26T10:23:00.000+01:002012-08-26T10:23:07.846+01:002012-08-26T10:23:07.846+01:00July 2012, Crew Roster. Cut &amp; Pasted.<br /> 30-SAT Day Off <br /> 01-SUN&nbsp; 06:15 EK 855 DXB 07:45 KWI 08:25 77W 01:39 <br /> 01-SUN EK 856 KWI 09:40 DXB 12:15 77W 12:45 06:30 01:34 <br /> 02-MON <br /> 03-TUE&nbsp; 00:35 EK 705 DXB 02:05 SEZ 06:45 345 07:15 06:40 04:40 <br /> 04-WED 07:30 EK 706 SEZ 08:15 DXB 12:45 345 13:15 05:45 04:30 <br /> 05-THU XX Day Off <br /> 06-FRI XX Day Off <br /> 07-SAT 12:45 EK 843 DXB 14:15 DOH 14:15 332 01:00 <br /> 07-SAT EK 844 DOH 15:15 DXB 17:05 332 17:35 04:50 00:49 <br /> 08-SUN&nbsp; 13:40 EK 923 DXB 15:10 CAI 17:00 772 03:50 <br /> 08-SUN EK 924 CAI 18:30 DXB 00:10(+) 772 00:40 11:00 03:40 <br /> 09-MON <br /> 10-TUE&nbsp; 07:00 EK 837 DXB 08:30 BAH 08:45 332 01:14 <br /> 10-TUE EK 838 BAH 09:50 DXB 12:00 332 12:30 05:30 01:09 <br /> 11-WED&nbsp; 13:20 EK 025 DXB 14:50 GLA 20:00 343 20:30 10:10 08:10 <br /> 12-THU 20:45 EK 026 GLA 21:30 DXB 08:00(+) 343 08:30 08:45 07:30 <br /> 13-FRI <br /> 14-SAT XX Day Off <br /> 15-SUN&nbsp; 09:20 EK 725 DXB 10:50 DAR 15:15 345 15:45 07:25 05:25 <br /> 16-MON 16:00 EK 726 DAR 16:45 DXB 23:20 345 23:50 06:50 05:35 <br /> 17-TUE <br /> 18-WED XX Day Off <br /> 19-THU XX Day Off <br /> 20-FRI XX Day Off <br /> 21-SAT&nbsp; 07:35 EK 211 DXB 09:05 IAH 16:25 77W 16:55 18:20 16:20 <br /> 22-SUN <br /> 23-MON 18:05 EK 212 IAH 18:50 DXB 18:45(+) 77W 19:15 16:10 14:55 <br /> 24-TUE <br /> 25-WED XX Day Off <br /> 26-THU XX Day Off <br /> 27-FRI 13:10 EK 765 DXB 14:40 JNB 20:50 77W 21:20 10:10 08:10 <br /> 28-SAT 21:35 EK 766 JNB 22:20 DXB 08:20(+) 77W 08:50 09:15 08:00 <br /> 29-SUN <br /> 30-MON XX Day Off <br /> 31-TUE 20:40 EK 512 DXB 22:10 DEL 02:45(+) 773 03:05 <br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/7ed_tpwt_IQ" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com0http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/air-emirates-crew-rota-roster-july-2012.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-40584261159614877752012-08-26T10:14:00.000+01:002012-08-26T10:14:07.986+01:002012-08-26T10:14:07.986+01:00May 2012, Emirates Rota /Roster.<br /> May was a case of Sickness and Holidays!<br /> 1 May= DXB- Jakarta-DXB. no one would swap!<br /> 3/4/5/6 May =DO, and horrid days off as not feeling well.<br /> 7 May, DXB-SFO, but had to call in sick as very unwell with an ear infection!<br /> I was then off sick untill 17 May 2012. and even then on the DXB-DAC-DXB flight on 17 May my ears were painful.<br /> 20 May = DXB-KWI-DXB.<br /> 23 May = DXB-MAA-DXB.<br /> then I was on holiday, but did not go away, had a 'staycation', that makes a change.<br /> <br /><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">When the Emirates A380 started flying ,&nbsp;almost four years ago now! It was set up as a separate fleet, and the crew worked only on the A380. In June we were informed that A380 crew would start to work on the B777. This has been called 'Cross Qualifing'. This may effect my Rotas in the future? will have to see.....</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times;">June 2012.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times;">4th June, was down to go to Dallas, but swapped and went to Seattle instead! it was great and I visited the Boeing factory. </span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times;">11 June =DXB-KHI-DXB.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times;">12 June = DXB-MAA-DXB.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times;">15/16 June= DXB-MAN-DXB</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times;">18/19 June =DXB-LGW-DXB.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times;">23/24/ &amp; 27/28 June= DXB-GLA-DXB. </span><br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/UeH0eBC-Ohk" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com3http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/air-emirates-cabin-crew-rotaroster-for.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-52448163500676108032012-08-26T09:49:00.000+01:002012-08-26T09:49:17.125+01:002012-08-26T09:49:17.125+01:00Rota / Roster for April 2012.<br /> London calling....3 Londons in a row so swapped one for a Manchester. <br /> 31-SAT 7015 06:30 EK 015 DXB 08:00 LGW 12:30 77W 13:00 (09:30) (07:30)<br /> <br /> <br /> 01-SUN 13:40 EK 016 LGW 14:25 DXB 00:25(+) 77W 00:55 08:15 07:00<br /> <br /> 02-MON <br /> <br /> 03-TUE XX Day Off <br /> <br /> 04-WED XX Day Off <br /> <br /> 05-THU 7015 06:30 EK 015 DXB 08:00 LGW 12:30 77W 13:00 09:30 07:30<br /> <br /> 06-FRI 13:40 EK 016 LGW 14:25 DXB 00:25(+) 77W 00:55 08:15 07:00<br /> <br /> 07-SAT <br /> <br /> 08-SUN XX Day Off <br /> <br /> 09-MON 7015 DXB MAN <br /> <br /> 10-TUE MAN DXB <br /> <br /> 11-WED <br /> <br /> 12-THU XX Day Off <br /> <br /> 13-FRI <br /> <br /> 14-SAT 6161 05:30 EK 161 DXB 07:00 DUB 21:15 332 21:45 10:15 08:15<br /> <br /> 15-SUN 22:05 EK 162 DUB 22:50 DXB 00:25(+) 332 00:55 08:50 07:35<br /> <br /> 16-MON <br /> <br /> 17-TUE XX Day Off <br /> <br /> 18-WED XX Day Off <br /> <br /> 19-THU XX Day Off <br /> <br /> 20-FRI XX Day Off <br /> <br /> 21-SAT 7211 07:35 EK 211 DXB 09:05 IAH 16:25 77W 16:55 18:20 16:20<br /> <br /> 22-SUN <br /> <br /> 23-MON 18:05 EK 212 IAH 18:50 DXB 18:45(+) 77W 19:15 16:10 14:55<br /> <br /> 24-TUE <br /> <br /> 25-WED XX Day Off <br /> <br /> 26-THU XX Day Off <br /> <br /> 27-FRI XX Day Off <br /> <br /> 28-SAT 7512 20:40 EK 512 DXB 22:10 DEL 02:45(+) 772 10:00 03:05<br /> <br /> 29-SUN EK 513 DEL 04:15 DXB 06:10 772 06:40 10:00 03:25<br /> <br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/Jh_5Q0PYr8c" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com0http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/air-emirates-roster-for-april-2012.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-62319512396292847152012-08-26T09:39:00.000+01:002012-08-26T10:25:01.271+01:002012-08-26T10:25:01.271+01:00<span style="font-size: large;">“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Cut and pasted is March 2012 Rota / Roster,</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">01-THU XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">02-FRI 12:05 EK 572 DXB 13:35 Kolkata 19:15 332 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">02-FRI EK 573 CCU 20:30 DXB 00:30(+) 332 01:00 12:55 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">03-SAT </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">04-SUN 13:50 EK 923 DXB 15:20 Cairo 17:25 772 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">04-SUN EK 924 CAI 19:00 DXB 00:30(+) 772 01:00 11:10 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">05-MON </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">06-TUE&nbsp; 08:55 EK 775 DXB 10:25 Durban 17:10 332 17:40 10:45 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">07-WED 17:55 EK 776 DUR 18:40 DXB 05:20(+) 332 05:50 09:55 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">08-THU </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">09-FRI XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">10-SAT XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">11-SUN XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">12-MON 08:55 EK 434 DXB 10:25 Brisbane 06:40(+) 77W 07:10 16:15 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">13-TUE </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">14-WED 07:40 EK 434 BNE 08:25 AKL 14:35 77W 15:05 04:25 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">15-THU 17:30 EK 435 AKL 18:15 BNE 19:00 77W 19:30 05:00 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">16-FRI 20:00 EK 435 BNE 20:45 DXB 05:25(+) 77W 05:55 15:55 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">17-SAT </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">18-SUN XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">19-MON XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">20-TUE&nbsp; 06:55 EK 841 DXB 08:25 DOH 08:30 773 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">20-TUE EK 842 DOH 09:45 DXB 11:45 773 12:15 05:20 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">21-WED 6725 09:20 EK 725 DXB 10:50 DAR 15:20 345 15:50 07:30 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">22-THU 16:05 EK 726 DAR 16:50 DXB 23:20 345 23:50 06:45 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">23-FRI </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">24-SAT XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">25-SUN&nbsp; 08:20 EK 606 DXB 09:50 KHI 12:50 77W </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">25-SUN EK 607 KHI 14:15 DXB 15:10 77W 15:40 07:20 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">26-MON 08:05 EK 747 DXB 09:35 TUN 12:50 345 13:20 08:15 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">27-TUE 14:20 EK 748 TUN 15:05 DXB 23:55 345 00:25 07:05 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">28-WED </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">29-THU XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">30-FRI XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">31-SAT&nbsp; 06:30 EK 015 DXB 08:00 LGW 12:30 77W 13:00 09:30 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">01-SUN 13:40 EK 016 LGW 14:25 DXB 00:25(+) 77W 00:55 (08:15) </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/0ZPJHoVfB2A" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com0http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/emirates-cabin-crew-roster-for-march.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-58756768526099761202012-08-19T18:37:00.001+01:002012-08-19T18:37:38.500+01:002012-08-19T18:37:38.500+01:00<span style="font-size: large;">June 20th -24th 2012.<br />Today we had a short drive from Eiland Spa to The Kruger National Park entering at Phalborwa Gate. Driving through the park we made our way down to Satara Camp planning to arrive at 15.00. This was because I had booked us onto one of the Wilderness Walking Trails that are run by the South African Parks Board. This would be the second time I have participated in one of the trails, in 2005 I did the Metsi-Metsi Trail and had such a wonderful time I was really looking forward to the most popular walking trail in the park, The Sweni Trail. Driving through the park, the first thing I notice was the scarcity of game. We hardly saw a thing, not even Impala, but I was not worried about the lack of Game as we had days yet?</span> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Drp2cazj08/UCqCvylBebI/AAAAAAAACP0/azZIenJY3RU/s1600/Nick%2527s+Africa+June+2012+1339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Drp2cazj08/UCqCvylBebI/AAAAAAAACP0/azZIenJY3RU/s320/Nick%2527s+Africa+June+2012+1339.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lm1itXzPUOE/UCqC5eTi5_I/AAAAAAAACP8/CXhZzI50mtI/s1600/Nick%2527s+Africa+June+2012+1343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lm1itXzPUOE/UCqC5eTi5_I/AAAAAAAACP8/CXhZzI50mtI/s320/Nick%2527s+Africa+June+2012+1343.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gate into The Kruger National Park. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-size: large;"><u><strong>The Wilderness Trails. </strong></u><br />There are currently 7 wilderness trails in the Kruger National Park. The first trail was Wolhuter, this was established in July 1978 in the south western part of the KNP. The trails were so popular that almost immediately two others were opened namely the Olifants, and the Nyalaland. Bushmans started in 1983 this is situated in the south western corner of the KNP and neighbours Wolhuter trail. Metsi Metsi was built north of Orpen dam on the eastern side of the well-known Tshokwane picnic site. The Sweni Trail was started in 1990, it is situated near Nwanetsi and it is one of the most popular of the trails.<br /><strong><u>Booking the Trail.</u></strong><br />Booking your chosen trail is easy, if you know what to do! On the South African Parks web page, find the Kruger Park, follow this link http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/tourism/activities/wilderness/default.php<br />You can book on line or by telephone. The trails can be booked 11 months in advance and that was what I had done. There is always competition for the popular trails are they are very good value for money. Be careful when searching on Google etc as many South African Tour companies who sell the trails come up on the search and this works out a lot more expensive than booking direct with ‘SAN Parks’. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">The Wilderness trails start on either a Wednesday afternoon to a Saturday morning or a Sunday afternoon to a Wednesday morning. Ours was starting on the Wednesday. The Trails are three-nights, with the two days in between spent walking. When you get your booking confirmation you are advised the starting point for the trail, it will be at one of the rest camps. It is at the designated rest camp that you book into the reception where the trail departs. So we had booked into Satara Camp Reception, then went to find our trail ranger and the rest of our group. The booking in at Satara was quite unpleasant with the reception staff rather surly and not welcoming, just demanding a massive sum of money from me! ( I was not expecting it), It turned out to be park entry fees and a ‘Wildcard’ fee, all in all it came to over £200.00. No money left for the curio shop when we had finished the trail then!</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">Our Rangers were called Tambourine and Job, they were waiting for us in Satara Camp Car Park. The trails have a maximum of 8 walkers and I think the minimum age is 12 years old. You need to take all your drink (alcohol &amp; soft drinks) with you and any other food that you specifically like, for example if you want a particular breakfast cereal then it is best to take it with you. This is because the food that is provided at the camp is simple and wholesome. The meals are prepared by a cook in the camp on either an open fire or a gas stove. As the camps do not have electricity. </span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LTqqhlL3SIA/UCp9XxGESGI/AAAAAAAACOo/7nyFnp1Wkjw/s1600/P1040020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LTqqhlL3SIA/UCp9XxGESGI/AAAAAAAACOo/7nyFnp1Wkjw/s320/P1040020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A2xuS-T_WIc/UCp4lPClNGI/AAAAAAAACMU/FrirGyOGDho/s1600/P1030988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" mda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A2xuS-T_WIc/UCp4lPClNGI/AAAAAAAACMU/FrirGyOGDho/s320/P1030988.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Huts on The Sweni Trail. Kruger Park. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8pAmMIUvYNI/UCp4wnUVyjI/AAAAAAAACMc/MLcLoH8GWcA/s1600/P1030992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8pAmMIUvYNI/UCp4wnUVyjI/AAAAAAAACMc/MLcLoH8GWcA/s320/P1030992.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <span style="font-size: large;">Once the 8 of us had assembled we set of in the KNP open safari vehicle to the camp. Located, as are all of the wilderness camps, within a wilderness trail area and far away from normal tourist activities. It was late afternoon when we arrive and met the Camp Manger/ Cook and Bottle washer, Jack.<br />The trail camps are rustic and spartan. There are four huts at Sweni. As expected our huts were basic A-frame thatched buildings, with a single bed on each side, linen and towels are provided. With net and wooden shutters, each hut had a small veranda. There are no electricity or power generators. The ablution facilities are communal. The good thing is that the bathrooms consist of flush toilets and gas geyser showers, (the old Rhodesian style wood burners have been replaced). The camp is lit at night by the paraffin lamps are there is not electricity or generators. The best bit about Sweni camp is that it is located in a beautiful position, with the communal social area (lapa) with its thatched roof and open campfire area overlooking a watering hole, today the watering hole was taken up by a very noisy Hippo. This area made for great game viewing during our three day stay. When we arrived at the camp we were given time to unpack and settle in then our trail leader, Tamborine gave us our full briefing on the camp rules, general routine for the next couple of days, what to expect, safety aspects and answered questions from our small group. It was then nice to tuck into our first meal prepared by Jack, have a few beers and sit round the camp fire and chat. When it was time to go to the huts, I had forgotten about the lack of electricity and took ages digging around in my case for stuff, reminding myself to be more organised in the morning!</span> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UOmXOSLx1Io/UCp6EGZeefI/AAAAAAAACNs/Ll7ZxXTIesU/s1600/P1040014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UOmXOSLx1Io/UCp6EGZeefI/AAAAAAAACNs/Ll7ZxXTIesU/s320/P1040014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B8PDcD4kyWY/UCp-flp2S2I/AAAAAAAACO4/S4DAfI79f4g/s1600/P1040028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B8PDcD4kyWY/UCp-flp2S2I/AAAAAAAACO4/S4DAfI79f4g/s320/P1040028.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">inside the hut</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-FrtOT9AI4/UCp-TcEDn7I/AAAAAAAACOw/PW4yTD0oTIk/s1600/P1040026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-FrtOT9AI4/UCp-TcEDn7I/AAAAAAAACOw/PW4yTD0oTIk/s320/P1040026.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8eoE4_XIbXs/UCp4PKiL5sI/AAAAAAAACME/U8E9AGzWYSU/s1600/P1030986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8eoE4_XIbXs/UCp4PKiL5sI/AAAAAAAACME/U8E9AGzWYSU/s320/P1030986.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fHdqeBx0hkw/UCp4aw8MVgI/AAAAAAAACMM/NEMNMfGIrWw/s1600/P1030987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fHdqeBx0hkw/UCp4aw8MVgI/AAAAAAAACMM/NEMNMfGIrWw/s320/P1030987.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: large;">The next day it was an early wakeup call from Jack at the crack of dawn with hot water put into the bowl outside your hut. There was also a cup of tea and a rusk on the Lapa if you wanted. Then it was into the vehicle for a drive out to where our walk would commence. We walked at quite a good pace across the flat savannah, only stopping for the simple breakfast that was in our backpacks. We did not see any animals, not during the drive or on the walk. Also the guides did not talk to us, or rather only spoke to us in a condescending abrupt manner, trying to make fools of us by pointing out how little we knew about the Bush and animals! It was as if we were out for a humiliating Army style march through the bush. It was not what I was expecting, or what I had experienced before when I did the Metsi-Metsi Trail. At late morning we returned to the camp for our Brunch and a rest. Enjoying seeing the animals come down to the waterhole to drink, this time seem to pass very quickly and soon it was time to get back into the vehicle and drive out to a spot for a sundowners. Then on the way back to the camp, we had an odd experience. Out guides said we had a puncture, they said we had to rush back to the camp to repair the tyre. There was a lot of stopping and kicking the left wheel. Back in camp, it was dark by then, we offered to help mend the puncture....but there was no need as the tyre was not punctured! It was all very odd.&nbsp;</span>&nbsp; <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CNqrhBkDUKs/UCp5NqpxyRI/AAAAAAAACM8/RMPG0b7QGRU/s1600/P1040006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CNqrhBkDUKs/UCp5NqpxyRI/AAAAAAAACM8/RMPG0b7QGRU/s320/P1040006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking in The Bush</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iBAIiLI8JeQ/UCp5XayVhUI/AAAAAAAACNE/xOgQHfW7Ww4/s1600/P1040007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iBAIiLI8JeQ/UCp5XayVhUI/AAAAAAAACNE/xOgQHfW7Ww4/s320/P1040007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qld8g70ZC60/UCp5GaqUI8I/AAAAAAAACM0/OonhFdW6CkQ/s1600/P1040003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qld8g70ZC60/UCp5GaqUI8I/AAAAAAAACM0/OonhFdW6CkQ/s320/P1040003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our snack from the day packs</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h6_QhRytJxs/UCp4HVGdKKI/AAAAAAAACL8/ZbK-7IAYVVs/s1600/P1030972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h6_QhRytJxs/UCp4HVGdKKI/AAAAAAAACL8/ZbK-7IAYVVs/s320/P1030972.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dOqVnPurxbc/UCp-uDMmSZI/AAAAAAAACPI/RzwgqpWvjYI/s1600/P1040038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dOqVnPurxbc/UCp-uDMmSZI/AAAAAAAACPI/RzwgqpWvjYI/s320/P1040038.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sundowners on the second night</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tCT2QpHcTxw/UCp48cpsWhI/AAAAAAAACMs/Aa1KFuoa0fo/s1600/P1030999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tCT2QpHcTxw/UCp48cpsWhI/AAAAAAAACMs/Aa1KFuoa0fo/s320/P1030999.JPG" width="239" /></a></div> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YOIG4xM3l2U/UCp57Qp9cII/AAAAAAAACNk/xu5lR2H54Gs/s1600/P1040013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" mda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YOIG4xM3l2U/UCp57Qp9cII/AAAAAAAACNk/xu5lR2H54Gs/s320/P1040013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweni Camp</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GLh0w73Yg5w/UCp50a3iOCI/AAAAAAAACNc/w-k8BXIqmFY/s1600/P1040011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" mda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GLh0w73Yg5w/UCp50a3iOCI/AAAAAAAACNc/w-k8BXIqmFY/s320/P1040011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweni Camp</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dzou0RysvIA/UCp5sqCynAI/AAAAAAAACNU/f8c5YQOwGhk/s1600/P1040010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" mda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dzou0RysvIA/UCp5sqCynAI/AAAAAAAACNU/f8c5YQOwGhk/s320/P1040010.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweni Camp</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DrKLV0J6Gsg/UCp5kO1PhdI/AAAAAAAACNM/pPO0F1Kp87c/s1600/P1040009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DrKLV0J6Gsg/UCp5kO1PhdI/AAAAAAAACNM/pPO0F1Kp87c/s320/P1040009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweni Camp</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-efIso0WXJLc/UCp9O3zBIUI/AAAAAAAACOg/c4E-IujngCE/s1600/P1040019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-efIso0WXJLc/UCp9O3zBIUI/AAAAAAAACOg/c4E-IujngCE/s320/P1040019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pK8bKe7FPOs/UCp43b8RTHI/AAAAAAAACMk/iUl4sYZipf8/s1600/P1030995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pK8bKe7FPOs/UCp43b8RTHI/AAAAAAAACMk/iUl4sYZipf8/s320/P1030995.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sundowners the first night</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XMG3GgngP1k/UCp-lojBO2I/AAAAAAAACPA/vH2zzulwz-E/s1600/P1040033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XMG3GgngP1k/UCp-lojBO2I/AAAAAAAACPA/vH2zzulwz-E/s320/P1040033.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ready for tea</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGUnzy2JHeY/UCqDFXKooJI/AAAAAAAACQE/isNLbZQsl2A/s1600/Nick%2527s+Africa+June+2012+1428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGUnzy2JHeY/UCqDFXKooJI/AAAAAAAACQE/isNLbZQsl2A/s320/Nick%2527s+Africa+June+2012+1428.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o7aO2TLad_M/UCp9Cvnne3I/AAAAAAAACOY/N9N5QExUhXk/s1600/P1040018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o7aO2TLad_M/UCp9Cvnne3I/AAAAAAAACOY/N9N5QExUhXk/s320/P1040018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the bathroom at Sweni Camp</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <span style="font-size: large;">Once again, Jack had cooked a meal for us and we sat down to enjoy his cooking. But Job and Tambourine helped themselves to so much food that there was very little left for the guests. Then to top that Tambourine started to shout, and I mean SHOUT at me to pass him the ‘Greek Salad Dressing’. Remember it was dark the only light coming from the paraffin lamps. I passed one of the many salad dressings to him, unfortunately it seemed that it was the wrong one. Once again he shouted at me to pass the correct one. How I managed to pass him the salad dressing and not through it all over him I don’t know! But I told him very firmly not to talk to me in that manner, he seemed a little taken back, he needed to be....his tip had been getting smaller all day, now it disappeared! <br />The second day was basically a repeat of the first day’s activities. Again we drove out to a spot from which we walked. The guides seemed a little more pleasant today, actually asking us what we were interested in and answering questions in a positive manner. Chatting to the family of four who were with us on the trail it appeared that prior to us leaving camp that morning, they had had a word with Tambourine about his attitude. <br />We enjoyed another afternoon of game spotting from the camp before driving out to a dam for our sundowners. Here a loan Hippo did his best to frighten us away opening his mouth as wide as he could, slapping the water and grunting at us. Just as the sun set a Rhino and her calf came down to drink, at that moment we could see Hippo, Rhino and Elephant, but it was to dark to get a good photo, so such magical occasions have to be committed to memory.<br />We enjoyed our last night in camp knowing we could have a lie-in in the morning, well until 0700, as on the last day you do not walk but prepare to be taken back to your pick up point. On the drive back to Satara we saw Hyena, with pups and a Lioness. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><strong><u>Reflecting on Sweni Trail.</u></strong> The main thing about the Kruger Park Walking trails is the solitude and opportunity to experience the Bush, I am sure all the trails in the KNP fulfill this requirement. We saw very little game whilst driving through the Park, and whilst out on the walking trail, I found this concerning. It may have been bad luck, after all the animals are wild. However I do have concerns about the numbers of animals in the Park, as I do feel that they had visibly reduced since 2005. The park is under threat, Human population growth, Poaching, the controversial removal of the fence between RSA and Mozambique all playing a part. I do have to say that I was very disappointed in my experience this time, it seemed to have lost something. Our guides were not the best Job was pleasant enough but Tamborine cannot be recommended, he was a very unpleasant individual. I think it was his attitude that has coloured my experience of this trail and I would recommend the trails to anyone who enjoys nature and the outdoors, I just hope that you get a good guide as they really do make or break your experience.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: large;">For us, that was it, holiday over! So now it was a mad dash drive from Satara in the KNP to Johannesburg airport to get the flight home. (we did it in 4 hours). Bushlore must have been tracking us all the way as their rep was at the airport to meet us and take the car from us! Well done Bushlore! So Africa, till we meet again.....good bye and THANKS! </span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/VXhrbj3vrQI" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com0http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/our-journey-through-limpopo-province_19.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-68181137906402523642012-08-13T14:25:00.000+01:002012-08-13T14:25:23.266+01:002012-08-13T14:25:23.266+01:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: large;">After the rest, relaxation and indulgence of the past week, it was time to hit the road for a long drive from Victoria Falls to Tzaneen in South Africa. After much studying of maps and discussion with local experts, the decision was taken to go back via Botswana crossing at Kazungula, then into South Africa at Martins Drift. We left the hotel at dawn meeting our first road block: an enormous herd of buffalo as soon as we left the hotel grounds. The Kazungula Boarder opens at 06.00 and we arrived at 07.00. The customs officer was sleepy but efficient and the crossing took about 25 minutes. Once in Botswana the Veterinary dips started again and we were in and out of the car to dip our feet and any shoes you had in your possession. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4RmrGQMi1G8/UCfLtrUI8WI/AAAAAAAACGk/Iuu_7EHCzzo/s1600/IMG_9237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4RmrGQMi1G8/UCfLtrUI8WI/AAAAAAAACGk/Iuu_7EHCzzo/s320/IMG_9237.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CGud681b1UU/UCfMJ9ALeeI/AAAAAAAACG8/AgEnTxhoqVM/s1600/Nick's+Africa+June+2012+1194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CGud681b1UU/UCfMJ9ALeeI/AAAAAAAACG8/AgEnTxhoqVM/s320/Nick's+Africa+June+2012+1194.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m9tOKddQKjg/UCfMVbrxLoI/AAAAAAAACHE/_cvBSiu_BO8/s1600/Nick's+Africa+June+2012+1193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m9tOKddQKjg/UCfMVbrxLoI/AAAAAAAACHE/_cvBSiu_BO8/s320/Nick's+Africa+June+2012+1193.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: large;">We stopped at Nata Lodge for breakfast and noted the large new lodge being built on the other side of the road; it was just being thatched and looked good. We arrived in Palapye by about 16.00. The town of Palapye was a lot larger than I had imagined it would be and had a large selection of hotels, lodges, B &amp; Bs and guest houses. We followed the signs to Camp Itumela, there were a lot of signs and just as well as after crossing the railway tracks I was beginning to feel lost! Upon arrival at Camp Itumela it turned out to be a leafy oasis in the dust bowl that is Palapye. We did not have a reservation, but that was not a problem, when we arrived there was plenty of room. The camp has camping facilities and a lot of these plots were in use by ‘Overland’ companies. It also has cabin type accommodation with en suite facilities, that’s what we had. The room was basic, but warm, comfortable and clean. The shower was fantastic! The bar was good with a lively atmosphere and the food, a set meal was good. All in all it was very good value for money. </span><br /> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_fCBbfZlGDw/UCfL-27xaOI/AAAAAAAACG0/9yAz0q4SYGM/s1600/P1030949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_fCBbfZlGDw/UCfL-27xaOI/AAAAAAAACG0/9yAz0q4SYGM/s320/P1030949.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqPcECeO1pE/UCj8StPFvZI/AAAAAAAACIo/UUjM4073UL0/s1600/P1030948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqPcECeO1pE/UCj8StPFvZI/AAAAAAAACIo/UUjM4073UL0/s320/P1030948.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ap6r9drxY5U/UCfMeDw20SI/AAAAAAAACHM/5XWdObz57fc/s1600/P1030944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" kda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ap6r9drxY5U/UCfMeDw20SI/AAAAAAAACHM/5XWdObz57fc/s320/P1030944.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rooms at Camp Itumela. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hpw0YvMvBM0/UCfMk_Hf9sI/AAAAAAAACHU/j_RVbURGfos/s1600/P1030945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" kda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hpw0YvMvBM0/UCfMk_Hf9sI/AAAAAAAACHU/j_RVbURGfos/s320/P1030945.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bar / eating area at camp itumele.<br /> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">The next day it was another early start and we arrived at the Botswana / South Africa border crossing at Martins Drift. The service was quick and efficient on both sides of the boarder and once again we crossed the Limpopo River, this time it had water in it, back into Limpopo Province, South Africa. <o:p></o:p></span></span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8hvbZgroxCQ/UCfL2rH6lNI/AAAAAAAACGs/ASR3gmO0JQU/s1600/P1030950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" kda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8hvbZgroxCQ/UCfL2rH6lNI/AAAAAAAACGs/ASR3gmO0JQU/s320/P1030950.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Limpopo River from Botswana to South Africa</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KtFNjX9mqaI/UCj5Zu72yVI/AAAAAAAACHw/A50ZurhAdUA/s1600/P1030961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KtFNjX9mqaI/UCj5Zu72yVI/AAAAAAAACHw/A50ZurhAdUA/s320/P1030961.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ATKV Eiland Spa From the Road. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-size: large;">Driving to Polokwane, we went to the big Pick n Pay to get shopping for the next couple of nights. Then headed along the R71 to Tzaneen. We went through some beautiful scenery on this route but did not call into the town of Tzaneen its self as we were making for The Hans Merensky Nature Reserve.<br />When planning the route, I needed a place close to the Phalaborwa Gate of The Kruger Park for a couple of night’s relaxation. I noted The Hans Merensky Nature Reserve on the map and saw that it was listed as ‘hot springs’. I really struggled to find any further information and the Google search brought up The H M Hotel &amp; Spa in Phalaborwa, it looked good but it was not what I had in mind. Then under the information listed about the nature reserve I saw there was a Spa there and after more searching found the ATKV Holiday Resort of Eiland Spa. <br /><a href="http://www.eilandspa.co.za/">http://www.eilandspa.co.za</a><br />Located on the banks of The Letaba River, Eiland Spa was perfect, because of its location it is sunny and warm all year. It is a large resort with lots of different accommodation options, including camping. The accommodation is in round self catering huts. I booked a ‘RD 2’, we had a fully equipped kitchen on the veranda with a cooker and fridge, twin beds in the bedroom, with TV and AC, and a bathroom. Outside was a sitting area with table chairs and a BBQ. On the resort its self there was lots to do. There a few naturally warm mineral pools, one with a slide and a very hot indoor hydrotherapy pool, with steam room and sauna. A Mini golf course, bowling green, fishing lake, rugby pitch, tennis courts, horse riding. There is an onsite shop, and it was not overpriced but did have limited supplies, a restaurant, ice cream parlour/ fast food outlet as well as what looked like conference facilities. <br />The accommodation its self is basic but it was comfortable and clean. The resort did look at little run down, there were a few chipped tiles in the pool and the decor was stuck in the 1980s, but at £15.00 per person per night, it was fantastic value for money. It was a good choice for a few nights to stop and rest and do very little. </span><br /> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v96stQTrGuU/UCj5rNi5omI/AAAAAAAACH4/tWe-lQEqzMQ/s1600/P1030962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v96stQTrGuU/UCj5rNi5omI/AAAAAAAACH4/tWe-lQEqzMQ/s320/P1030962.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RD 2 Hut at the ATKV Eiland Spa</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TnB_eOfAvSE/UCj58hhAySI/AAAAAAAACIA/uY2ALI_-SKk/s1600/IMG_9243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" mda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TnB_eOfAvSE/UCj58hhAySI/AAAAAAAACIA/uY2ALI_-SKk/s320/IMG_9243.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DXrlhAn5SyE/UCj6_TP5CYI/AAAAAAAACIQ/69XGO6ZQ3LE/s1600/P1030958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DXrlhAn5SyE/UCj6_TP5CYI/AAAAAAAACIQ/69XGO6ZQ3LE/s320/P1030958.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot mineral pool, Eiland Spa</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ajf4dPkJWv4/UCj7H8E6BtI/AAAAAAAACIY/8gMVyZU0F0M/s1600/P1030964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ajf4dPkJWv4/UCj7H8E6BtI/AAAAAAAACIY/8gMVyZU0F0M/s320/P1030964.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1RUY1r8LDJ0/UCj7R0duYII/AAAAAAAACIg/WhkCl-as3vw/s1600/P1030956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1RUY1r8LDJ0/UCj7R0duYII/AAAAAAAACIg/WhkCl-as3vw/s320/P1030956.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the fishing Lake?</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/etC1FXBPvQg" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com1http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/our-journey-through-limpopo-province_13.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-152876498395422362012-08-12T15:34:00.000+01:002012-08-12T15:34:40.344+01:002012-08-12T15:34:40.344+01:00<span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Today it was a case of crossing borders. It was very cold on the river as we travelled by speedboat back to the Namibian Boarder post at 08.00 to be stamped out of Namibia. Then crossed the Chobe River to enter Botswana at Kasane. It was then a very short dive to the Botswana / Zimbabwe Boarder. Now we left Botswana for the second time today and prepared to enter into Zimbabwe. </span><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rjEpMsf4Eec/UCaJKl8VlpI/AAAAAAAACDU/0nQR6hXasvw/s1600/IMG_9039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" kda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rjEpMsf4Eec/UCaJKl8VlpI/AAAAAAAACDU/0nQR6hXasvw/s320/IMG_9039.JPG" width="222" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Where to today????</td></tr> </tbody></table>    <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m0w5ykCtx6o/UCaZpkeNXZI/AAAAAAAACGA/oUit2gewV_I/s1600/IMG_9042.JPG"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m0w5ykCtx6o/UCaZpkeNXZI/AAAAAAAACGA/oUit2gewV_I/s320/IMG_9042.JPG" /></a><br /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bCl7jbiTexU/UCaZd4JvsxI/AAAAAAAACF4/Xck7_xrt9RA/s1600/IMG_9041.JPG"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bCl7jbiTexU/UCaZd4JvsxI/AAAAAAAACF4/Xck7_xrt9RA/s400/IMG_9041.JPG" /></a>Botswana Boarder<br />   <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YRtuKVYrQ9I/UCaZv25ES1I/AAAAAAAACGI/08eAbfyjHq8/s1600/IMG_9227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YRtuKVYrQ9I/UCaZv25ES1I/AAAAAAAACGI/08eAbfyjHq8/s400/IMG_9227.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Zimbabwe Boarder from Zimbabwe. </td></tr> </tbody></table>  <br /> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br /></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Taking any car into Zimbabwe needs a little preparation, as I stated earlier if you are <u>hiring</u> a Car and then want to cross a boarder out of South Africa, you will have to organise this with the hire car company BEFORE YOU TRY TO CROSS as you will have to show the customs officer the following;</span><br /> <ul> <li><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">A letter of confirmation from the hire car company, with your name on it, allowing you to cross boarders.</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">The Certificate of Registration in respect of the vehicle you have hired, make sure you check that it is the certificate for the car you have hired and has the correct Registration number, engine number ect on it BEFORE you leave the car hire office!</span></li> <li><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">A letter of Authority from the bank / financial services if the vehicle is still under finance. </span></li> <li><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Also to go into Zimbabwe you have to have two reflective warning triangles that conform to the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) placed at the front and rear of a vehicle in the event of a breakdown. According to the published guideline, the triangles must bear a serial number, name of the manufacturer and year of manufacture. All vehicles must carry an SAZ-approved fire extinguisher in a visible and accessible place in the cab of the vehicle as well as red and white reflectors. White reflectors are to be used at the front of the vehicle and red reflectors are to be used at the back of the vehicle.</span></li> </ul> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the Zimbabwe boarder we had fees to pay; </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">First the basic Visa Fee, $30 for a single entry visa, each. Then the fees for the car, the Tempory Import Permit, The Carbon tax, 3rd party insurance, and something on a blue Express Cargo Clearing Services (Zimbabwe Revenue Authority) paper , it all came to US$ 305.00. So dully fleeced of all our US Dollar we entered Zimbabwe. We were stopped at our first road block about one mile past the border, where a plain clothed police man checked all the paperwork that had cost us $305.00 then nodded and waved us on! Welcome to Zimbabwe. </span></span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">The road to Victoria Falls was a straight tar road and it was in a good state of repair. In less than an hour we arrived at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. This lodge is located a little way oou of the twom of Victoria Falls. Prior to my visit, I found all of the hotels in Victoria Falls to be quite expensive. On arriving in Victoria Falls it was apparent that I need not have pre booked as there was a lot of accommodation available, ranging from a basic campsite and back packers lodges to the grand Victoria Falls Hotel. However, Check in at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge was easy and they let us check in early. The room was fantastic, it was over two floors with a sitting area and balcony looking out over the watering hole and small bathroom downstairs. Then a large bedroom with 4 poster bed and full bathroom with Jacuzzi bath on the top floor! We had been up graded to a suite, and it was very nice. </span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">I was in Victoria Falls to visit one of the seven natural wonders of the world, The Victoria Falls and to meet friends. One of whom was doing a bungee jump from the bridge that separates Vic Falls from Zambia. </span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">From the hotel we drove the short distance to The Victoria Falls National Park, as we were tourists we paid the tourist rate in US $ to go to the park. Once through the gates you follow the path and walk to the falls. We followed the route that starts at the statue of Davis Livingstone, then made our way along the path, seeing the falls from all the view points. We had hired large rain coats and an umbrella and although they looked ridiculous, with the volume of water that was cascading over the ridge and the spray that was produced, we would have been soaked to the skin without the garments. With my feeble writing skills I am not going to describe the falls, plenty of authors have done that. All I will say is that it is a sight every one of us should see before we depart from the earth, so just go! (it’s what credit cards are for!). </span></span><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ii5eX0yKR8/UCaJWyVZWPI/AAAAAAAACDc/BLpilJarINE/s1600/IMG_9058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" kda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ii5eX0yKR8/UCaJWyVZWPI/AAAAAAAACDc/BLpilJarINE/s320/IMG_9058.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victoria Falls</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv2zEKvzMMI/UCaJjZhANSI/AAAAAAAACDk/z4y8D7ErRZo/s1600/IMG_9054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv2zEKvzMMI/UCaJjZhANSI/AAAAAAAACDk/z4y8D7ErRZo/s320/IMG_9054.JPG" width="213" /></a></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">  </div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br /></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DBVVhBSSgkM/UCaJzLGV5KI/AAAAAAAACD0/WZc0O7yC6KQ/s1600/IMG_9086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DBVVhBSSgkM/UCaJzLGV5KI/AAAAAAAACD0/WZc0O7yC6KQ/s320/IMG_9086.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The reason you go to Zimbabwe?</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">I stood at the view point overlooking the bridge whilst my friend did her bungee jump. If your want to do a Bungee then this has to be one of the most spectacular paces in the world to do it. Above the Zambezi River, with the falls behind you. Then we walked round on over the bridge to congratulate her on her fantastic achievement achievement. No visa fee was charged to cross the bridge, in face we did not have our passports but it was not a problem. From the bridge we had a good view of our next destination, The Victoria Falls Hotel.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">This Edwardian-style five-star hotel, was built in 1904, it is fantastic and the buildings are almost as iconic as the Falls that are visible from its veranda. </span><span style="font-size: large;">It is set in lush tropical gardens with lily ponds, palm trees and semi-tropical shrubs, with Warthogs trimming the green lawns. It provides the most tranquil of places to have Afternoon Tea, or rather ‘High Tea’ as it is called here. Best of all is that the falls or “Mosi-O-Tunya” in the local dialect, are clearly audible and visible from the hotel as you tuck into your sandwiches, scones and cream. </span></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HEV0BWhqsN0/UCaRwtV_BVI/AAAAAAAACEQ/I4ZUuEFkhiA/s1600/IMG_9168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" kda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HEV0BWhqsN0/UCaRwtV_BVI/AAAAAAAACEQ/I4ZUuEFkhiA/s320/IMG_9168.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Victoria Falls Hotel </td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">The ambience of the hotel is steeped in that history with the interior decorated in the gracious Edwardian style of Zimbabwe’s colonial era. The artefacts and paintings on the walls reflect and tell the history of this unique part of Africa, with particular reference to the building of the railway from Cape Town to what is now Zambia. It is very much part of the unrealised “Cape to Cairo” dream of Cecil John Rhodes. I loved the crockery with its symbol of the Cape to Cairo on it.</span> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lwUBobOh9s8/UCaR3yKOwJI/AAAAAAAACEY/GAgFoX5dHiA/s1600/IMG_9182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" kda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lwUBobOh9s8/UCaR3yKOwJI/AAAAAAAACEY/GAgFoX5dHiA/s320/IMG_9182.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape to Cairo Milk Jug <br /> It is not clear, but this one is a Sphinx, a bridge and a Lion. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-size: large;">The Tea was as traditional as if you were in London! But the setting was 100% better than even the best London establishment. We got through the selection of sandwiches and had more, all delicious. The Scone layer, with clotted cream and jam, then the deliciously sweet cake selection. All served with a Zimbabwean Tea and a glass of bubbly stuff. Absolute heaven! The ambiance of the setting cannot be under estimated, and all for $15.00 per person. </span> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6CxLsdlDbs/UCaR_n-uYSI/AAAAAAAACEg/SZZqUKaHAKI/s1600/IMG_9180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" kda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6CxLsdlDbs/UCaR_n-uYSI/AAAAAAAACEg/SZZqUKaHAKI/s640/IMG_9180.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afternoon Tea at the Victoria Falls Hotel </td></tr> </tbody></table>  <br />  <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R04Syt-jInk/UCaSHlnZK7I/AAAAAAAACEo/fTsf-s66dtQ/s1600/IMG_9161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" kda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R04Syt-jInk/UCaSHlnZK7I/AAAAAAAACEo/fTsf-s66dtQ/s400/IMG_9161.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bTe2oiAtjIs/UCaV8XgVinI/AAAAAAAACFc/D3VargnTU9w/s1600/IMG_9186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" kda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bTe2oiAtjIs/UCaV8XgVinI/AAAAAAAACFc/D3VargnTU9w/s400/IMG_9186.JPG" width="400" /></a>The falls as seen from The Victoria Falls Hotel </td></tr> </tbody></table>  <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-13fwd1k3Luk/UCaVyH3adpI/AAAAAAAACFU/z8-tOjpjtbE/s1600/IMG_9218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" kda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-13fwd1k3Luk/UCaVyH3adpI/AAAAAAAACFU/z8-tOjpjtbE/s640/IMG_9218.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape to Cairo by Train???</td></tr> </tbody></table>  <br /> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xsuExPwDFso/UCaVotxfVDI/AAAAAAAACFM/_1EERwoFb2k/s1600/IMG_9165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xsuExPwDFso/UCaVotxfVDI/AAAAAAAACFM/_1EERwoFb2k/s320/IMG_9165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br /> </div>  <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mGVx1omAt6w/UCaJrEGtxiI/AAAAAAAACDs/IctwgsnPAxc/s1600/IMG_9047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" kda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mGVx1omAt6w/UCaJrEGtxiI/AAAAAAAACDs/IctwgsnPAxc/s640/IMG_9047.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or flying Boat from Southampton, BOAC.....</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: large;">Reluctantly it was time to leave and go back to our hotel for a few G and Ts as the sun set over the watering hole. Basically the end to a perfect day in a perfect place, I will be back!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/X08f45fSi2c" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com2http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/our-journey-through-limpopo-province_12.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-89281411885992911912012-08-11T16:43:00.001+01:002012-08-11T16:45:01.127+01:002012-08-11T16:45:01.127+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">13th June 2012 to 16th June 2012. </span></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Up early to see the African&nbsp;dawn, it was on the dot of 07.00 we left the small village of Gweta and drove back towards Nata. I had been told that the road from Nata to Kasane was in a very poor state of repair, with large pot holes just one of the hazards to be avoided. In reality, the road has undergone extensive repairs; in fact it looks like a new road is being built. Where the roadworks are still ongoing you drive on a service road, this temporary road is tar and not busy. So to put the record straight, the road from Nata to Kasane was good , and will be excellent when it is finished. The drive from Gweta to Kasane took less than 4 hours.</span></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kasane is a busy town, located next to the Chobe River at the entrance to the Chobe National Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>We had to make our way to ‘Customs and Immigration’. After driving up and down the main street in Kasane a few times, narrowly missing the Warthogs on the road, we finally spotted located the Botswana Immigration building on the river bank. </span></span></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VxFKgf0UzIA/UBGF-IELO_I/AAAAAAAAB_g/yU6qZTS7Uuw/s1600/IMG_8815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" sda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VxFKgf0UzIA/UBGF-IELO_I/AAAAAAAAB_g/yU6qZTS7Uuw/s320/IMG_8815.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Botswana Immigration, Kasane. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-weNm9mKYzY0/UBGGLgp-CbI/AAAAAAAAB_o/JBh6T2BgNjI/s1600/IMG_8816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" sda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-weNm9mKYzY0/UBGGLgp-CbI/AAAAAAAAB_o/JBh6T2BgNjI/s320/IMG_8816.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Border Post. Kasane. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wNRkLomVS6E/UBGGU6f4eeI/AAAAAAAAB_w/mTDVPvT2XqQ/s1600/IMG_8817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" sda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wNRkLomVS6E/UBGGU6f4eeI/AAAAAAAAB_w/mTDVPvT2XqQ/s320/IMG_8817.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here we were met by Robert from Ichingo Chobe River Lodge. He parked the car in a secure site then led us to a small speed boat. This was our transport out of Botswana via the Chobe River to Namibia. Once on the Namibian side, Robert stopped to boat and instructed us to walk up the dirt track and find the Namibian customs office located ‘just left at the Baobab Tree’, whilst he stay with our bags. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Once the formalities of the border crossings were over, we got back into the boat for the very short ride<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>to Ichingo Chobe River Lodge.</span><br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LYaopCsBqfs/UBGMIcEUKPI/AAAAAAAACAE/CNgijKjs810/s1600/IMG_8833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" sda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LYaopCsBqfs/UBGMIcEUKPI/AAAAAAAACAE/CNgijKjs810/s320/IMG_8833.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn Left At The Baobab to find the Namibian Customs Office. </td></tr> </tbody></table>  <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-juJ_AYQoDgk/UBGL2XcJUPI/AAAAAAAAB_8/ns6qDj6goQE/s1600/IMG_8831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" sda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-juJ_AYQoDgk/UBGL2XcJUPI/AAAAAAAAB_8/ns6qDj6goQE/s320/IMG_8831.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T<span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">he local Lozi people of Impalila Island traditionally use the mokoro on the rivers, </span></td></tr> </tbody></table>  <br /> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Ichingo Chobe River Lodge<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> is situated on Impalila Island, Namibia. The Island is </span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">billed as a unique and beautiful island located at the convergence of two mighty African rivers, the Zambezi and the Chobe. It is the only place in the world where four countries are joined at one point. Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana all converge here. As t</span><span style="color: black;">he largest island in this area, Impalila Island, gained notoriety during the 1980s when it was as a military base for the South African Defence Forces (SADF), due to its strategic position within sight of Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Evidence of the SADF presence is visible with a military bridge and 1,300m-long runway of compressed gravel;&nbsp;The old <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>barracks are now a secondary school, serving most of the older children in the area.&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0f4LU1pf7IU/UBGMUdTLZFI/AAAAAAAACAM/WInceqLwWAU/s1600/IMG_8842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" sda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0f4LU1pf7IU/UBGMUdTLZFI/AAAAAAAACAM/WInceqLwWAU/s320/IMG_8842.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">If you are looking for information about Ichingo Chobe River Lodge, note that on Trip Advisor, it is listed as; ‘Ichingo Chobe River Lodge, Caprivi Strip, Namibia’ and ‘ Ichingo River lodge, Impalila Isalnd, Kasane, Botswana’. This is correct as the lodge is located on Impalila Island, Namibia. On the banks of the Chobe River. You can see the main road into Kasane, Botswana from the main deck at Ichingo Lodge. The lodge consists of a plunge pool, a main deck with bar, sitting area and dining room. The guest rooms are well equipped tents with a permanent ensuite bathroom. The bedrooms are very comfortable. With extra large King sized beds that are very cosy. </span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Once settled in and after a delicious hot lunch we walked across the 4 KM Island, passing over the bridge and passed the landing strip constructed by the South African Defence Force during the Namibian War of independence that ended in 1988. The conflict ran from 1966, aided, in part by Cuban money and troops on the Namibian side. The walk took us to a giant Baobab located on a small hill, the Baobab is tall and this was once used as a look out, and Gun post by the SADF. You can climb to the top of it from where you can see the four counties that are located in this region. </span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">That evening supper was served on the teak deck. It was a three course meal starting with soup, then meat with rice and veg, then a pudding. The drinks are included in the price at Ichingo and the owner Ralph joined us for the meal, providing good company and a very good bottle of red wine. </span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Who would have thought you could catch a Tiger in Africa? The Tiger Fish that is. Following breakfast, I had my first go a fishing. The small fishing boat was in the fast flowing water of the Zambezi, just above the rapids. So following the family dramas of The Kwai River in Thialand and my escapade on the Kai Tuna River in New Zealand, I did request a life jacket. Though having seen the speed of the water and the very large Crocodiles on the banks of the river, I really don’t think it would have done very much. The guide Robert was very patient as he baited the hook and taught me how to use the Rod and Tackle. Not long after casting my line I had a bite, then reeling in what felt like a Marlin....I had caught a 2KG Cat Fish. Then my partner also caught his first fish a 2KG Tiger Fish, so Catfish v Tiger... I think he won the extreme fishing competition!</span></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J3tVtQj4oTQ/UCZ0sHLCjUI/AAAAAAAACB8/6NQcOb56_s8/s1600/IMG_8898+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" kda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J3tVtQj4oTQ/UCZ0sHLCjUI/AAAAAAAACB8/6NQcOb56_s8/s320/IMG_8898+-+Copy.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">2KG Tiger Fish<br /> <div align="left"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Just before lunch, Robert took us a little upstream to the Houseboat ‘The Molli’. This boat has 4 bedrooms and sleeps 8 with a crew of 5. Tonight there was just 4 of us aboard. The houseboat is a Namibian registered vessel so is able to stay overnight in the Chobe National Park. This was a really wonderful way to experience The Chobe National Park, for the next two nights we were taken Game and Bird watching in our own small boat, enjoyed the delicious home cooked meals prepared for us by the chef and basically just relaxed on the houseboat.</span> </div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l5hLSIdXDOk/UCZ4AjYVJqI/AAAAAAAACCc/SzWNYEXZGYA/s1600/P1030935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l5hLSIdXDOk/UCZ4AjYVJqI/AAAAAAAACCc/SzWNYEXZGYA/s320/P1030935.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_pIYKQS5N-4/UCZ4LtYXIaI/AAAAAAAACCk/1v7BjxWzYt8/s1600/IMG_9019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" kda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_pIYKQS5N-4/UCZ4LtYXIaI/AAAAAAAACCk/1v7BjxWzYt8/s320/IMG_9019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nyydbWK_-ko/UCZ4hc5AiHI/AAAAAAAACCs/_YwGjdLBh_8/s1600/IMG_8966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" kda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nyydbWK_-ko/UCZ4hc5AiHI/AAAAAAAACCs/_YwGjdLBh_8/s320/IMG_8966.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iy0kWR_PCuw/UCZ6yeyCdMI/AAAAAAAACC8/37er22OI86k/s1600/IMG_8770+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" kda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iy0kWR_PCuw/UCZ6yeyCdMI/AAAAAAAACC8/37er22OI86k/s400/IMG_8770+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <br /></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br />  <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OjNAE_spkc0/UCZ33kkxvVI/AAAAAAAACCU/2OlsdnUaads/s1600/IMG_8910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" kda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OjNAE_spkc0/UCZ33kkxvVI/AAAAAAAACCU/2OlsdnUaads/s400/IMG_8910.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">On the Molli with second safai boat in background. </td></tr> </tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/bFGwlFOthvc" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com1http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/our-journey-through-limpopo-province.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-17367785908978072732012-06-29T16:11:00.000+01:002012-07-26T18:45:12.129+01:002012-07-26T18:45:12.129+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">11th June 2012 -13th June 2012. </span></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Mashatu gave us the option of a morning game drive, then Brunch with a check out at 11.00. But knowing that we had over 450 Miles to cover today we opted to have breakfast at 08.30 and check out at 09.00. Mashatu were fantastic and prepared just the two of us the full Brunch that would be served at 11.00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Kaiser then drove us back to the Airstrip to collect our car and gave us full instructions to find our way to the town of Bobonong.</span> </span></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wLtB6LbBqd0/T-1w3r7bjsI/AAAAAAAAB98/Bw4oqVBdjNY/s1600/IMG_8736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wLtB6LbBqd0/T-1w3r7bjsI/AAAAAAAAB98/Bw4oqVBdjNY/s320/IMG_8736.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Limpopo Valley Airfield </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iY7xJnPi3aY/T-1w_kay_NI/AAAAAAAAB-E/z5zF6lbbsoE/s1600/IMG_8738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iY7xJnPi3aY/T-1w_kay_NI/AAAAAAAAB-E/z5zF6lbbsoE/s320/IMG_8738.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CqjaAl0q0e8/T-1xN3mVKoI/AAAAAAAAB-M/bWw7N4T-0yc/s1600/IMG_8739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CqjaAl0q0e8/T-1xN3mVKoI/AAAAAAAAB-M/bWw7N4T-0yc/s320/IMG_8739.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Air Botswana Office at LVA. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">This first 39 Km was dirt and sand roads and we soon hit a ‘Veterinary Check Point’, I do not know the purpose of these stops but think it must be to do with preventing the spread of animal diseases. We had to get out of the car and walk on a cloth impregnated with chemicals, then drive the car through a dip of chemicals. </span></span></span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-59vH5j1vIP4/T-1xZNM1gWI/AAAAAAAAB-U/cir_vQpv3kE/s1600/IMG_8741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-59vH5j1vIP4/T-1xZNM1gWI/AAAAAAAAB-U/cir_vQpv3kE/s320/IMG_8741.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIADbDbmSok/T-1xooo8eyI/AAAAAAAAB-c/GnTeEau9ou0/s1600/IMG_8742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIADbDbmSok/T-1xooo8eyI/AAAAAAAAB-c/GnTeEau9ou0/s320/IMG_8742.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Once clean we were allowed to proceed driving towards the towns of Sefophe and Selebi Phinkwe. This was on a very good tar road, that looked new and I think it has been built to help with the building of a new Dikgatlhong Dam that is under construction on the Lower Shashe River. Just down-stream of the Shashe/ Tati confluence and approximately 55 kilometres north-east of Selebi Phikwe by the Botswana’s Department of Water Affairs. Even though the roads were good, it took us a long time to get from Mashatu to Serule. Once on the A1 we made good time to Francistown arriving at around 14.00. Unfortunately, the signposting for the road to Nata in Francistown is very poor! And we ended up heading to Bulawayo and loosing precious time! Once rectified and on the correct A3 it was 17.00 when we got to Nata. Now the dilemma do we carry on and risk driving at night, the sun was setting very fast, or stay in Nata? We decided to stay in Nata and choose the Northgate Lodge in Nata.</span></div> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">The check in at the Northgate Lodge was fast and efficient and we were shown to a double room. The room was large, and very clean with a comfortable King size bed, a full bathroom with bath, the room also had a TV, fridge and a small outside sitting area. I think the use of the term ‘Lodge’ is a bit misleading as it is more of a Motel / Truck stop place, but the grounds are pleasant with a swimming pool, bar area and a restaurant. The photos on their web site are an accurate reflection of the Motel. <a href="http://www.northgate.co.bw/">http://www.northgate.co.bw/</a></span><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">We had a power cut soon after arriving but fortunately the kitchen is gas powered so still got to have the very good value 3 course meal from the menu. The owners were really nice and chatty, and gave us a map of the area with directions as to how to find birds and hippos in the river if we wanted. The main A3 road is next to the Motel and woke us up early, so we got off, going in the direction of Gweta.</span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9MSczGYfO4/T-s4UcJuXmI/AAAAAAAAB9g/Lue4CiusuGY/s1600/IMG_8743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9MSczGYfO4/T-s4UcJuXmI/AAAAAAAAB9g/Lue4CiusuGY/s320/IMG_8743.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Again the road from Nata to Gweta was tar, straight and virtually empty, and after a one hour’s drive we saw the giant Aardvark that denotes the Hotel called ‘Planet Baobab’ that is just outside Gweta. We went on a few more Km into Gweta village and booked into The Gweta Lodge. Our reason for stopping in this area was a desire to visit The Makgadikadi Pans.&nbsp;</span></span></span></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tvwSfARa6Hg/T-1x0bB7uZI/AAAAAAAAB-k/MyBQJZ5iDR4/s1600/IMG_8744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tvwSfARa6Hg/T-1x0bB7uZI/AAAAAAAAB-k/MyBQJZ5iDR4/s320/IMG_8744.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">&nbsp;Our reason for stopping in this area was a desire to visit The Makgadikadi Pans. As far as value for money goes Gweta Lodge should&nbsp;be your first choice. Accommodation is limited on The Pans and other camps such as Jacks Camp are very exclusive and very expensive, you can get the same experience at Gweta Lodge for a fraction of the cost.</span><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Gweta lodge is located in the small village of Gweta and was a delightfull place. It has a variety of accommodation options from twin rooms located in round buildings to family rooms. We had a large room with twin beds and a bathroom. There were small outside sitting areas dotted around the grounds as well as a large bar and sitting area, swimming pool, boma, BBQ area, TV lounge and dining area. The room we had was very clean and had Mosquito nets over the beds. The lodge also offers many activities, such as Quad biking &amp; horse riding to the Makgadikadi Pans, sleeping out on the pans. Despite the fact that it was early, we were given a family room, a delicious breakfast and a guide who would take us out onto the pans in our own vehicle. </span><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are all that remains of a prehistoric super lake, that were fed by great rivers from the North. The inland lake was said to be the biggest in Africa. When the lake last held water is uncertain, what is known is that the water levels fluctuated; this can be seen by the varying ancient shoreline at places like Kubu Island, now a rugged outcrop of granite with fossil beaches and shells on its ‘beach’. The Pans cover a large; over 12000km2 area, and are flat and almost featureless. I wanted to see the Pans, but to also visit Chapman’s Baobab. With our guide we drove on a sand road South of Gweta through Mopani bush that was dotted with small cattle Kraals. We drove out onto the vast white pans heading to Kubu Island, but turned back onto land to find the famous Baobab.&nbsp;</span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAEKl-_lTmM/T-1yC0CYi2I/AAAAAAAAB-s/ry3vTNSFTyc/s1600/IMG_8750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAEKl-_lTmM/T-1yC0CYi2I/AAAAAAAAB-s/ry3vTNSFTyc/s320/IMG_8750.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tfBzAW8jNOY/T-1yJnQBnsI/AAAAAAAAB-0/RDY1w2ecGqg/s1600/IMG_8753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tfBzAW8jNOY/T-1yJnQBnsI/AAAAAAAAB-0/RDY1w2ecGqg/s320/IMG_8753.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UdMqFrU6ASM/T-1ySiO8XqI/AAAAAAAAB-8/V7jos_rZb0A/s1600/IMG_8766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UdMqFrU6ASM/T-1ySiO8XqI/AAAAAAAAB-8/V7jos_rZb0A/s320/IMG_8766.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Chapman’s Baobab, also called ‘The Seven Sisters’ was magnificent and it is said that it was used by explorers such as Livingstone to navigate their way across the pans. We were also told that the inside of the tree had been used as a post office. There are many names carved on the tree, but despite all the folk law attached to it I thought just the presence of such a large tree was just exceptional and I am glad we took a day out to relax and see The Pans.&nbsp;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DS60bRhdE2U/T-1yeTWl2rI/AAAAAAAAB_E/zzsVXocVfvo/s1600/IMG_8767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DS60bRhdE2U/T-1yeTWl2rI/AAAAAAAAB_E/zzsVXocVfvo/s320/IMG_8767.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chapman's Baobab, Gweta, Botswana. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EDeJbua2cag/T-1yp-_zbEI/AAAAAAAAB_M/X07QmnyaM5I/s1600/IMG_8776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EDeJbua2cag/T-1yp-_zbEI/AAAAAAAAB_M/X07QmnyaM5I/s320/IMG_8776.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We look like ants on the tree.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">We had a comfortable and relaxing evening at Gweta Lodge and enjoyed a few drinks in the bar and a filling supper from a set menu. </span><br /> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">The next day we were up early and left Gweta at 07.00 as we had to get to Kasane and the Chobe River for 12.30. </span><br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NoCHKMQFHnQ/T-1yylAVPYI/AAAAAAAAB_U/15QwzumUzcQ/s1600/IMG_8749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NoCHKMQFHnQ/T-1yylAVPYI/AAAAAAAAB_U/15QwzumUzcQ/s320/IMG_8749.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room at Gweta Lodge. </td></tr> </tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/pEBfjDplsWs" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com1http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/our-journey-through-limpopo-province_29.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-86143240152555147312012-06-28T09:57:00.002+01:002012-06-28T09:57:23.820+01:002012-06-28T09:57:23.820+01:00<br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">7th June 2012 to 11th June 2012. </span></span><br /> <span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Polokwane is set out like many South African cities, on a grid system.&nbsp;This makes it&nbsp;easy to find things like a&nbsp;Bank. First National Bank in this case where&nbsp;English Pounds were converted into&nbsp;South African Rand, at a far better rate then offered in the UK, and a Telecoms shop to purchase (yet another) dongle for the PC.&nbsp;</span></span><br /> <span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">Polokwane was a Host Town for the Football World Cup in 2010, so we went to have a look at the new sports grounds and stadium that were built for the occasion....very impressive.</span></span></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lMKTu9E5EoU/T-mJBtRW-DI/AAAAAAAAB7U/NYdA4mr5R9M/s1600/IMG_8506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lMKTu9E5EoU/T-mJBtRW-DI/AAAAAAAAB7U/NYdA4mr5R9M/s320/IMG_8506.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Football Stadium, Polokwane. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> &nbsp;<span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then it was time to hit the R521 leaving Polokwane and heading North towards the town of Alldays. Then, on a further 60 KM to the Pont Drift Boarder crossing where we were scheduled to meet with the staff from Mashatu Game Lodge at 13.00. It was a distance of 206 Km and took almost 2 hours from Polokwane to Pont Drift.</span></span> </span></div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pont Drift Boarder Crossing. (I was not allowed to take photos from the South African side of the boarder looking towards Botswana.) </span></span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5GcuYp8vcZQ/T-mJP0W5RpI/AAAAAAAAB7c/cwYDkwZLjw4/s1600/IMG_8510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5GcuYp8vcZQ/T-mJP0W5RpI/AAAAAAAAB7c/cwYDkwZLjw4/s320/IMG_8510.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> </div> </td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div align="left" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">The Pont Drift Boarder Post is located on the Limpopo River, this is&nbsp;the border with South Africa and Botswana. It is open from 08.00 to 16.00. In order to use this crossing you need a 4x4 vehicle as there is no bridge or pontoon to use and even in a 4x4, you cannot cross if the river is in flood. </span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div> <div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">If the Limpopo this river is in flood you cannot cross in ANY vehicle, in this situation only foot passengers can cross useing the cable car, this will cost Pula 30 per passenger. </span></div> <span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qUcUpAKGEHc/T-mPTtVluUI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/BRdmW77W7YI/s1600/IMG_8532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qUcUpAKGEHc/T-mPTtVluUI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/BRdmW77W7YI/s320/IMG_8532.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S63-53I2Wpw/T-mPjuFS64I/AAAAAAAAB8g/c_Mc1gRb5aU/s1600/IMG_8526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S63-53I2Wpw/T-mPjuFS64I/AAAAAAAAB8g/c_Mc1gRb5aU/s320/IMG_8526.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Point Drift Cable Car used to cross The Limpopo River. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div align="left"> <span style="font-size: large;">If like today, the river is dry, then you can cross in a 4X4 vehicle. I was almost disappointed as we drove through the dry river bed and the Limpopo looked like a small muddy puddle as opposed to Rudyard Kiplings description in The Elephants Child. 'Go to the banks of the <u>great</u> grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees'.</span></div> <div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br /></div> <div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWvAe6ljdug/T-mJw8TgGsI/AAAAAAAAB70/Nz8q3KR6P2E/s1600/IMG_8516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" rca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWvAe6ljdug/T-mJw8TgGsI/AAAAAAAAB70/Nz8q3KR6P2E/s200/IMG_8516.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p7nOg_kMqbA/T-mJoGHF0zI/AAAAAAAAB7s/wWBdBsf0Wms/s1600/IMG_8515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p7nOg_kMqbA/T-mJoGHF0zI/AAAAAAAAB7s/wWBdBsf0Wms/s320/IMG_8515.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br /></div> <span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /> <div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">If you are hiring a Car and then want to cross a boarder out of</span> South Africa, you will have to organise this with the hire car company BEFORE YOU TRY TO CROSS as you will have to show the customs officer the following;</span></span></span></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <ul> <li><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">A letter of confirmation from the hire car company, with your name on it, allowing you to cross boarders.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size: large;">The Certificate of Registration in respect of the vehicle you have hired, make sure you check that it is the certificate for the car you have hired and has the correct Registration number, engine number ect on it BEFORE you leave the car hire office!&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">A letter of Authority from the bank / financial services if the vehicle is still under finance. </span></li> </ul> <span style="font-size: large;">For visitors from the UK, there are no Visa fees when you enter Botswana, if you are bringing a vehicle in this is a little different. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">At the Botswana Border we had to pay;</span><br /> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: large;">RTP Road Permit, Pula 40.00&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: large;">Road Safety Levy, Pula 20.00&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: large;">Insurance, Pula 50.00&nbsp;</span></li> </ul> <span style="font-size: large;">We did not have any Pula, so paid in US $ at a very poor exchange rate!</span><br /> <br /> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div> <div> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dvukkDP0Wvs/T-mKMcUsEZI/AAAAAAAAB8M/o8xdwbvof5g/s1600/IMG_8535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dvukkDP0Wvs/T-mKMcUsEZI/AAAAAAAAB8M/o8xdwbvof5g/s320/IMG_8535.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pont Drift Boarder Crossing, into Botswana.</span> </span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">  <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z3tWF--_kMc/T-mfk6lqKdI/AAAAAAAAB88/HSaSV0MxlfY/s1600/IMG_8736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" rca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z3tWF--_kMc/T-mfk6lqKdI/AAAAAAAAB88/HSaSV0MxlfY/s320/IMG_8736.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We left the car at the Limpopo Valley Airstrip...its a real airport!</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The arrangement with Mashatu was to meet at Point Drift and if the Limpopo was in flood, leave the car in a secure no man’s land and cross the river by cable car or if the river was dry, cross in the Mashatu Landover. Our Guides were at the boarder post waiting for us and on hearing that our next stop was Nata, and that we were in a 4x4, our guides advised us to follow them across the almost dry river bed and leave the car at the Tuli Block airstrip or Limpopo Valley Airfield. So this is what we did. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The Northern Tuli Game Reserve or Tuli Block is located North of the Limpopo river, but West of Zimbabwe. It is in Botswana. The Tuli Block is generally referred to as ‘hardveld’, consisting of rocky outcrops and network of dry river beds. Much of the area is occupied by private game reserves and game farms. The Tuli Game Reserve is not open to self drivers, so to fully enjoy the area you have to book into one of the private game lodges, Mashatu, Botswana is one of these. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Mashatu Game Reserve, bills its self as ‘Land of Giants’. It is an area at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers, its landscape changes from savannah, riverine forest, marshland, plains and sandstone outcrops.&nbsp;</span> </div> </div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hAe5MHJhlgg/T-mJ7bl1mmI/AAAAAAAAB78/u1ZLG687F0o/s1600/IMG_8448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hAe5MHJhlgg/T-mJ7bl1mmI/AAAAAAAAB78/u1ZLG687F0o/s320/IMG_8448.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> </div> </td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mashatu Landscape, Botswana. </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Mashatu takes its name from the locally revered Mashatu tree. It is the largest privately owned game reserve in Southern Africa at 33 000 ha. Elephant, Giraffe, Eland, Ostrich, Kudu, Impala as well as all the Cats are just some of the species found here. </span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div> </div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The entrance to The Main Camp at Mashatu is built of local stones and the camp style is rustic, but don’t be fooled, it is luxury rustic. It is very comfortable. The rooms are extremely large, can accommodate 3 and have a day bed. An en suite bathroom with bath, a separate second toilet and a large walk in wardrobe.&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</div> </div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--zoD9HB79Dk/T-mKDcm9JuI/AAAAAAAAB8E/HowxbeGBLb0/s1600/IMG_8556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--zoD9HB79Dk/T-mKDcm9JuI/AAAAAAAAB8E/HowxbeGBLb0/s320/IMG_8556.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> </td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room, Outside. </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lVyWo84QMQk/T-mJfuartBI/AAAAAAAAB7k/p6Iu7eQjPnQ/s1600/IMG_8675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lVyWo84QMQk/T-mJfuartBI/AAAAAAAAB7k/p6Iu7eQjPnQ/s320/IMG_8675.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">We had been&nbsp;greeted at the boarder by our guide, Kaiser. Upon arrival he showed us to our house and informed us that high tea was to be served at 15.00, following this we went out for our first game drive, meeting our tracker, Morgan. </span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The land was dry and dusty, it is the second year the summer rains have failed and the drought conditions are obvious. A strong wind was blowing causing thick dust storms. </span></div> </div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uhqnfhGhDUM/T-mf5cRzmMI/AAAAAAAAB9M/spMiu-A2UAE/s1600/IMG_8283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uhqnfhGhDUM/T-mf5cRzmMI/AAAAAAAAB9M/spMiu-A2UAE/s320/IMG_8283.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> </td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Elephant and Dust. </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once back into camp at 19.00, we had a short time to wash the dust off and get ready for supper. Kaiser was our host during&nbsp;our stay and met us in the Gin Trap Bar prior to taking us into The Boma for a fine supper complete with South African wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This set the pattern for our three night stay at this high end, luxury lodge. The game viewing was spectacular and despite the dry conditions we saw many species. A family of six Cheetah, eating a scrub hair on day one. With a young Kudu and a Steenbok on day two. Then finally devouring fully grown impala male on day three! </span></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwPs5MLf7Lw/T-mPy4Qt7TI/AAAAAAAAB8o/dZvRMH7U4JE/s1600/IMG_8524+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwPs5MLf7Lw/T-mPy4Qt7TI/AAAAAAAAB8o/dZvRMH7U4JE/s320/IMG_8524+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Other highlights were tracking <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Leopard through the bush in the safari vehicle. The skillfull driving of the Toyota Land Cruiser by Kaiser was like a live lesson in 4x4 driving and at times outstripped any Roller Coaster Ride you may go on, and Morgan’s tracking skills were outstanding, leading us each time to Cats hidden away in the bush. Such as a Lioness with an adult Kudu kill all to herself. </span></span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QOsCPCmHOCQ/T-mfzOLaubI/AAAAAAAAB9E/p8ZqvZzov3E/s1600/IMG_8637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QOsCPCmHOCQ/T-mfzOLaubI/AAAAAAAAB9E/p8ZqvZzov3E/s320/IMG_8637.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> </div> </td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">The best Guides and Hoast&nbsp;in Mashatu, Kaiser &amp; Morgan. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">At Mashatu you can also go on game walks, ride mountain bikes and horse riding through the reserve. All in all it is a perfect place to get away from it all and chill out. It is about a 5 ½ hour drive from Johannesburg airport make it all the more attractive. </span></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">With the exception of Lesotho and Swaziland. The countries that make up Southern Africa are large. At 600,373 km2, Botswana is a big place. </span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The roads of Southern Africa are generally good. this makes self driving in the region easy. &nbsp;In South Africa the roads they are very good, be the roads tar, or graded dirt roads.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></div> </div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z-z9YB8ttb0/T-s35yRvBkI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/QgnakBlfQF0/s1600/IMG_8497+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z-z9YB8ttb0/T-s35yRvBkI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/QgnakBlfQF0/s320/IMG_8497+(2).JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div> </div> </td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road from JoBurgh to Polokwane. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">In Namibia the roads are very good. <a href="http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/namibia-holiday-june-2008.html">http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/namibia-holiday-june-2008.html</a></span></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WnSRLGl9kRo/T-s5AO8PHlI/AAAAAAAAB9w/nEw44ikCMrk/s1600/IMG_8809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WnSRLGl9kRo/T-s5AO8PHlI/AAAAAAAAB9w/nEw44ikCMrk/s320/IMG_8809.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div> </td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cows on the road, Botswana. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">In Botswana it varies from good tar roads&nbsp;to impassable sand tracks that require experienced 4x4 drivers, in a convoy to tackle them. The other problem with the Botswana roads are animals; both livestock and wild game roam onto the roads this is dangerous in the day, but good visibility gives you time to spot the offender and react appropriately, but at night, without street lights, cats eyes or road markings this is a different matter. Driving in Botswana at night is very dangerous and you are warned by all and sundry not to drive at night. </span></span></div> </div> </div> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9MSczGYfO4/T-s4UcJuXmI/AAAAAAAAB9g/Lue4CiusuGY/s1600/IMG_8743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9MSczGYfO4/T-s4UcJuXmI/AAAAAAAAB9g/Lue4CiusuGY/s320/IMG_8743.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Road from Babanong to Nata. Botswana. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E024fG5Uo3I/T-s41PMVGOI/AAAAAAAAB9o/FnNR0ftEjyw/s1600/IMG_8812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E024fG5Uo3I/T-s41PMVGOI/AAAAAAAAB9o/FnNR0ftEjyw/s320/IMG_8812.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a></div> </div> </td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road block in Botswana. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: large;">There is another issue with road signs, or rather lack of them as we found out when we left the Tuli Block and drove to the Salt Pans of the Makgadikgad, and that will be the subject of my next post.</span></div> </div> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/jUKUHAts-rs" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com2http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/our-journey-through-limpopo-province_28.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-4452013625875193392012-06-25T20:10:00.000+01:002012-06-29T09:34:08.766+01:002012-06-29T09:34:08.766+01:00<br /> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">After months of planning, dreaming, research and saving it was time to visit Southern Africa. I have put a lot of detail into the information to assist anyone planning an independent self drive holiday to the Southern African region...so here goes!</span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;"></span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">6th June 2012, Air Emirates flight EK 18 left a very grey, dull and wet Manchester at British Summer Time 14.40. This was 30 minutes late as its scheduled time was 14.10. On the lower, economy deck, the A380 was almost full. The seats we had been allocated; row 81, seat A and 81C were a disappointment. The window seat was Ok’ish.......the leg room was good, as there is not a seat in front of you, but the seat back TV is stored at the side of the seat and in this case it did not work. Seat C, the aisle seat, has very little leg room, and is very close to the busy galley. The journey was made bearable by the fact that the B seat was free, but when booking an Economy class ticket on Emirates A380, my advice would be to avoid these seats if you can.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">On landing in Dubai, the airport was extremely busy for the first hour of our arrival, then the crowds slowly dissipated as the various long haul flights departed. We found some of the lounger style seats in the departure lounge to be vacant and managed to have a sleep during our 3 ½ hour wait.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Soon it was time to take on the second leg of our journey, this time from Dubai to Johannesburg. Flight EK761 was scheduled to be an A380 when I booked the flights, but due to the ongoing ‘cracks in the wings’ saga, http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=435807495647998918#editor/target=post;postID=5945445597879539696 the aircraft had been changed to a Boeing 777-300 and I have to say I am pleased about this change as I prefer the 777 to the A380. On this leg I was in seat 40 A. The flight was only ½ full in Economy and I had the row to myself...Bliss. We took off just prior to dawn at 04.50. The aircraft flew out over the artificial island representing ‘The World’, then turned back over Dubai, I had a good view of the Sheik Zayed Road and The Burj Khalifa – The tallest building in the world- before we reached cruising level. I asked for some eye shades, stuck my ‘Do Not Disturb’ sticker on my seat, stretched out across the row and slept. I awoke when we were over Lake Malawi, and what a magnificent sight that was. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">A very tasty breakfast menu of Arabic Cold Breakfast; Edam cheese, minted labneh balls, olive and crudités. Fresh Fruit Salad. A choice of either Plain Omelette with lamb sausage, sautéed potatoes with onions and herbs, mushrooms and tomato or Scrambled egg, turkey bacon, hash brown potatoes and mushrooms. Croissant and Tea or Coffee was served. As soon as this service was cleared it was time to commence the decent into the City of Gold, Johannesburg.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">7 June 2012 @ 10,55. Clearing customs and baggage was very fast at Johannesburg airport and we made our way into the airport arrivals hall, searching the line of meter and greeters for our name from the many pieces of paper held up as you exited into the large circular arrivals hall at Oliver Tambo Airport.</span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">We were expecting a pick up from the company we had hired a 4X4 from, ‘Bushlore Africa’. Bushlore specialise in 4 x 4 vehicle hire, fully equipped vehicles come with Rooftents, fridges and full camping equipment. As we were not camping on this holiday we had opted for an unequipped vehicle. Bushlore have offices in JoBurg and Cape Town, and depots in Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. On arrival at the airport the rep was not in attendance, so we went and changed some money, still no Bushlore? I asked the very helpful man at the information desk if he would phone the company for me, and he tried for a long time on his own mobile, but did not get through. I asked why he did not use the desk phone and it was because the telephone provided by his employers was for internal calls only! He did not have the credit on his own phone to place the call for me, but was too shy to say so! I thanked him for his efforts and went to the telephone box in the airport, very soon after contacting the Bushlore office the rep appeared at the Information desk looking for me.</span><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-INZuIk4QA/T-iqb5_JTRI/AAAAAAAAB6A/_ig9QikuAks/s1600/IMG_8492+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-INZuIk4QA/T-iqb5_JTRI/AAAAAAAAB6A/_ig9QikuAks/s320/IMG_8492+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bushlore Africa HQ in Johannesburg. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yV4_G_CPrC8/T-it85PRUFI/AAAAAAAAB6U/nmty_3NlD18/s1600/IMG_8493+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yV4_G_CPrC8/T-it85PRUFI/AAAAAAAAB6U/nmty_3NlD18/s320/IMG_8493+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The New Toyota</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br /></div> <br />  <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vu4cUvSd-zk/T-iuLsEF7JI/AAAAAAAAB6c/UyavH_4FQWg/s1600/IMG_8495+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" rca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vu4cUvSd-zk/T-iuLsEF7JI/AAAAAAAAB6c/UyavH_4FQWg/s320/IMG_8495+%25282%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Rooftent</td></tr> </tbody></table>  <br /> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MX3753n8yxU/T-iuTwr_F-I/AAAAAAAAB6k/nCTDjZSKCSE/s1600/IMG_8496+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MX3753n8yxU/T-iuTwr_F-I/AAAAAAAAB6k/nCTDjZSKCSE/s320/IMG_8496+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bushlore Africa Office</td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-size: large;">We left Bushlore at around 14.00 and our goal was the town of Polokwane, a distance of 320 Km. Polokwane is the capital town of the Limpopo Province and was once known as Pietersburg. It took a long time to negotiate ourselves out of the metropolitan area of Pretoria as we got lost! Somehow ending up on the R101? But once back on the N1 Toll road the kilometres started to flash past. The landscape was flat and orange, interrupted but the occasional Kopije and lots of Toll Booths! The Tolls were small amounts such as 31.00 Rand, but so frequent that the final sum was 102 Rand, the AA of South Africa has good information about Toll fees on its web site. http://www.aa.co.za/content/61/toll-fees The road was also FULL of speeding traps..............</span><br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SNDJkhWHEc8/T-ixcPJTP_I/AAAAAAAAB6w/PWfUCzPNyUw/s1600/IMG_8499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SNDJkhWHEc8/T-ixcPJTP_I/AAAAAAAAB6w/PWfUCzPNyUw/s320/IMG_8499.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The sun was setting very quickly and it was getting dark when 4 hours later we drove into Polokwane so we did not have a lot of time to find accommodation. The choice of the Pietersburg Lodge turned out to be a good one, located just off the N 1 as you enter the town, for Rand 65.00 we had a room with 2 double beds, fridge, tea making facilities, TV, ensuite bathroom. The decor was a tad dated, but it was very clean and comfortable. The facilities included a bar and restaurant but we chose to go out to eat. In Polokwane town centre there was a plethora of fast food outlets, from fish &amp; chips, pizza, chicken to a take away steak house called Steers. But we wanted at sit down meal, after asking a local man to recommend us a restaurant, he directed us to Savannah Mall, a shopping Mall located on the outskirts of the town and here we enjoyed a meal prior to a much needed night’s sleep.</span></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fNQIW65u9Ls/T-iy2b9ayqI/AAAAAAAAB7I/c8j1yOK1tLE/s1600/IMG_8502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fNQIW65u9Ls/T-iy2b9ayqI/AAAAAAAAB7I/c8j1yOK1tLE/s320/IMG_8502.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rooms at Pietersburg Lodge in Polokwane</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NpRsFfyeIN0/T-iyuuiHdnI/AAAAAAAAB7A/K6Nx815pLnE/s1600/IMG_8500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" rca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NpRsFfyeIN0/T-iyuuiHdnI/AAAAAAAAB7A/K6Nx815pLnE/s320/IMG_8500.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pietersburg Lodge as seen from the road. </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> When I had booked the Car hire, it was an additional 60 Rand to have the airport transfer included, now as we settled back to be chauffeured the 45 minutes it took to get to the main office I felt this was very good value for money and essential if you are going to use this company.<br /> On arrival at Bushlores depot, in a suburb on Johannesburg called Randburgh, we filled in all the relevant paper work. Receiving the documents we needed to take the vehicle out of South African and into Botswana and Zimbabwe. We then were shown round a Bran spanking new, out the box, Toyota Hilux.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/8kVPbW4OEuA" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com1Limpopo, South Africa-23.4012946 29.4179324-25.2664391 26.8910769 -21.5361501 31.9447879http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/our-journey-through-limpopo-province.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-51391430330132754242012-06-01T14:17:00.001+01:002012-06-01T14:17:04.951+01:002012-06-01T14:17:04.951+01:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"> <span lang="EN" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, &quot;serif&quot;; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">In response to The European Aviation Safety Agencies directive, requiring inspections for all 68 of the Airbus A380 aircraft <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>currently in service. Emirates are having to swap its A380 super jumbos for other aircraft as it checks for wing cracks. The first wing cracks were discovered in a Qantas A380 that experienced engine problems flying over Indonesia in 2010. But the EASA said last month that cracking had been discovered in other planes. The problem relates to brackets that link the A380's wing ribs to the wing's skin.</span></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--tI031J5zTM/T7KIrYn4HvI/AAAAAAAAB5c/48sz-WR8E_U/s1600/IMG_6191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" kba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--tI031J5zTM/T7KIrYn4HvI/AAAAAAAAB5c/48sz-WR8E_U/s400/IMG_6191.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Emirates is Airbuses largest global customer of the 525-seater A380 jet, with 20 of the aircraft in its fleet. The airline said it was fully complying with the new rules and flights were still operating as scheduled. It would replace its A380 planes with other aircraft types as they were inspected. The airline uses its A380s to connect Dubai with London, Sydney, New York, Bangkok and other big cities, including Johannesburg.</span></div> <span style="font-size: large;">"To date, we have inspected four aircraft," said a spokesman in response to the directive. "The directive poses no impact on Emirates operations. The aircraft remain fully airworthy and pose no risk to flight safety as affirmed by EASA and Airbus. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority."</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">This is disappointing if you are planning a First Class Flight and are expecting to use the shower, or the Bar in business class, otherwise you should not notice any difference. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">My advice, check on the Emirates web page to see what aircraft is to be used on your route. </span><br /> <br /> <div align="left"> <span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/SK1vBWumeIA" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com0http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/due-to-a380-wing-cracks-you-may-end-up.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-63230112768207312562012-05-11T10:07:00.000+01:002012-05-11T10:07:08.563+01:002012-05-11T10:07:08.563+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">I have said it before, but will say it again...when&nbsp;I want winter sun from the UK&nbsp;I always&nbsp;seem to end up looking at the Long Haul, and ever increasingly exotic and expensive&nbsp;destinations! With only one week off, I really did not want to spend&nbsp;a lot of my time&nbsp;getting to the destination, and I had a very limited budget. So once again, I opted for Egypt, this time as 100 % relaxation was needed (not dashing around monuments!) Sharm El Sheikh&nbsp;was the choice, the reasons = only a 5 hour flight, the price was good and once there, its not just a sitting in the sun destination thanks to the coral. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">After a few hours of Internet research, the holiday was booked as a package via Sunshine.co.uk. This option worked out a lot cheaper than booking the hotel, flights, parking&nbsp;and transfers separately.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">We flew with Monarch from Manchester on an&nbsp;Airbus 320-200, the aircraft seats 174 passengers in a 3-3 format. Monarch claim a seat pitch of 28'' in the regular seats.The seats on the aircraft seemed&nbsp;closer together than that and at 17'' wide were to narrow for some passengers, the&nbsp;seat also felt very hard. But, on the dot of 09.00 the flight left Manchester and&nbsp;the crew were very good. The flight was just over 5 hours long, just about long enough on that plane! </span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The transfer to the Hyatt Regency was swift and check in at the hotel very smooth, so by 19.00 we were sat on the balcony of the bar, admiring the view over the Red Sea and the relatively warm evening. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1osvOPnOrHQ/T5U29W0-JcI/AAAAAAAAB40/gdXboJeDQwA/s1600/IMG_6443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" qda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1osvOPnOrHQ/T5U29W0-JcI/AAAAAAAAB40/gdXboJeDQwA/s320/IMG_6443.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /><span style="font-size: large;">Upon check in we were informed that we had been upgraded to a sea view room, the resort was very quiet and I think all the guests were put in this block of the hotel. The Hotel is stunning,&nbsp; a low level resort, set in beautiful gardens. it is a beach side resort located between some&nbsp;of the top dive sites in Sharm. The Near Garden and Far Garden. This can save you a lot of money as you can get to these popular Reefs from the beach as opposed to a boat trip each day. &nbsp;</span><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T1MRhSvsJ4s/T5U3FW614DI/AAAAAAAAB48/xBTGs4R6YK4/s1600/IMG_6436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" qda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T1MRhSvsJ4s/T5U3FW614DI/AAAAAAAAB48/xBTGs4R6YK4/s320/IMG_6436.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standard Room at the Hyatt Regency, Sharm El Sheikh</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I5VitItp6eY/T5U3PjlDEcI/AAAAAAAAB5E/OWeJXfNc7TQ/s1600/IMG_6502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" qda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I5VitItp6eY/T5U3PjlDEcI/AAAAAAAAB5E/OWeJXfNc7TQ/s320/IMG_6502.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beach. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-size: large;">The hotel has good facilities and has six restaurants </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">• Souk, • Sala Thai, • Cafe Fresco, </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">• Stars Music Bar, • Beach House Bar &amp; Grill, </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">• Cascades Pool Restaurant &amp; Bar, • Azure Lounge</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">the Souk is the most fun once you get used to the concept! It is an out door eating courtyard. The Choices are The Pasta Bar, The Meat Bar, Sweet Counter, The Bar!! The Asian Bar, The Arabic Bar and the Seafood Counter. As you arrive you are given a bag of 'Coins' each with a value, all the food in the souk&nbsp;is priced in this currency. I loved this place as the choice was good, the food was a high standard and all freshly cooked and the Arabic Metze delicious. </span><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R6ekgE7km8g/T5U3X_PMjSI/AAAAAAAAB5M/te5h7Ctsjqk/s1600/IMG_6478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" qda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R6ekgE7km8g/T5U3X_PMjSI/AAAAAAAAB5M/te5h7Ctsjqk/s320/IMG_6478.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Souk</td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-size: large;">The resort is good for families as it has a few pools, a water slide and a lazy river, but best of all the Coral. </span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xZjI-x7SFqc/T5U3hDTGncI/AAAAAAAAB5U/fB_UbBmvwcg/s1600/IMG_6472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xZjI-x7SFqc/T5U3hDTGncI/AAAAAAAAB5U/fB_UbBmvwcg/s320/IMG_6472.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">After a relaxing 7 days it was time to go home, we had our room until 15.00 at no extra charge. All in all it was a fantastic stress free stay and I would recommend it to anyone. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The company Sunshine.co.uk were very slick, on line once I booked the package, parking &amp; transfers, the email I recived included every voucher needed ,as well as an ATOL declaration of your purchase. I did not deal with the customer service part of the company as I did not have any problems. I was very happy wiht my transaction and would use this service again. </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/pbQy1Q0xYMc" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com2http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/sharm-and-hyatt-in-march-2012-great.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-85525591967545240352012-04-22T18:57:00.000+01:002012-04-22T19:01:08.622+01:002012-04-22T19:01:08.622+01:00<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Manchester to Dubai on the A380.</span></u></strong></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">When you fly with Emirates, either First Class or Business Class, you are picked up from hone by a Chauffeur Driven Car. As planned the Car arrived for us at 10.00 in the morning. it was a large black Mercedes.&nbsp;it was a very comfortable drive to Manchester Airport where we were dropped off at Terminal One and made our way to the check in desk. Check in was smooth...no chance of an upgrade when your going first class! and we received our passes to the Lounge. Again this facility is for both&nbsp;First Class or Business Class passengers. It was just after 11.30 when we arrived in the&nbsp; Emirates Lounge at Manchester Airport. The lounge is situated on the second floor of terminal one. It is bright, the windows along its length overlook the runway so you have a good view of the incoming and outgoing aircraft. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKuiXRLCBYo/T1ovw9hC7AI/AAAAAAAAB2k/90OZEPH28N0/s1600/IMG_3868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKuiXRLCBYo/T1ovw9hC7AI/AAAAAAAAB2k/90OZEPH28N0/s320/IMG_3868.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">It was very busy, but retained a quiet and relaxed atmosphere. The interior decor is in true Emirates Style, a lot of gold, beige and brown tones. It is not old fashioned looking, but verges on it! At one end there is a large screen TV, with 24 hour news on. I do not know if you could change the channel. </span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The leather chairs and sofas are set out in small cosy groups, but most people bag the ones facing the windows to plane spot. The business centres with its computers was, busy with clients accessing Facebook and MSN. The lounge had free Wi-Fi. There are drinks stations all around offering all beverages from tea , coffee, and soft drinks to beer, spirits &amp; champagne. Most people were having champagne. Magazine racks were well stocked with newspapers and magazines to help yourself to. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_-FEpaENdbk/T1ovoEogOaI/AAAAAAAAB2c/S7tQW4rQq64/s1600/IMG_3858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_-FEpaENdbk/T1ovoEogOaI/AAAAAAAAB2c/S7tQW4rQq64/s320/IMG_3858.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Food is served in a restaurant type area, however many people were eating in the more casual seating areas. Lunch was the choice, I don’t know why but because it was&nbsp;morning I had expected breakfast to be on offer! </span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The selection of cold starters looked very tempting; the soup was a Butternut one. The main courses were Fillet of Beef, A curry, Lancashire Hot Pot, a prawn dish, pasta and a vegetarian offering. I had the individual hot pot, and it would have been a good hot pot had it not been very salty. The desserts and cheese board were sensational. The toilets were clean and had shower facilities: dressing gowns and slippers included. All in all, fantastic! I have to say that the lounge was a real experience for me and I would recommend this to anyone, it really is a relaxing start to your travels. The choice and quality of food was good, and it saves you struggling trying to eat in a confined space offered in Economy class. It was the fastest 2 ½ hours I have ever spent at an Airport.</span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Then it was time to board the A380, due to the Skywalks we did not have to go up the stairs, but entered the First Class Cabin from the Sky Bridge. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--SVViaC-euI/T1ov3XU16yI/AAAAAAAAB2s/jD6cg9zQpWE/s1600/IMG_6190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--SVViaC-euI/T1ov3XU16yI/AAAAAAAAB2s/jD6cg9zQpWE/s320/IMG_6190.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The first thing I noticed was the space, no over head lockers here, so that makes the cabin look very roomy. There was only the two of us in the First Class cabin! We were offered Champagne as soon as we sat down. then we were shown how to work the seats, the TV and the doors to the Suite, the control is quite complicated and I appreciated the tutorial. we were offered Canapes, both hot and cold ( I was full from the food in the lounge!). </span></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I6iLfooFqn8/T1owFkEmBoI/AAAAAAAAB28/ZxLrWjHObQc/s1600/IMG_6193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I6iLfooFqn8/T1owFkEmBoI/AAAAAAAAB28/ZxLrWjHObQc/s320/IMG_6193.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The Flight is the 13.30 out of Manchester arriving in Dubai at just after midnight. We were given the slippers, eye shades, a writing set, and a leather amenity kit. But best of all was the basket of goodies, Toblerone, Pringles, Mars Bar etc. I also loved the large TV, I had a window seat but due to the curve of the aircraft couldn't really see out, but, with the large TV screen&nbsp;and 3 cameras to choose from this was not a problem .</span></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnbyDMcGEhE/T1ovD6Nda9I/AAAAAAAAB18/qc8mneuiooc/s1600/P1020791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BnbyDMcGEhE/T1ovD6Nda9I/AAAAAAAAB18/qc8mneuiooc/s320/P1020791.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e2_0j8Fh9UU/T1ovNkx2XiI/AAAAAAAAB2E/18Z98z1JUos/s1600/P1020794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e2_0j8Fh9UU/T1ovNkx2XiI/AAAAAAAAB2E/18Z98z1JUos/s320/P1020794.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mK1aUxSnpPA/T1ou5ZBM1YI/AAAAAAAAB10/go1g3W_kTio/s1600/P1020787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mK1aUxSnpPA/T1ou5ZBM1YI/AAAAAAAAB10/go1g3W_kTio/s320/P1020787.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Once airborne we were informed that it was 'Dining on Demand', so we were handed a large menu and told we could have what we wanted, when we wanted it! Now, having only ever been in economy before this is really odd! But, I soon opted to try the Iranian Caviar, just to go with the Champers!! &nbsp;and it was just as good as it looked.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2OH7yTkq68/T1ovXtsnzHI/AAAAAAAAB2M/NKu46yG5lHs/s1600/P1020797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2OH7yTkq68/T1ovXtsnzHI/AAAAAAAAB2M/NKu46yG5lHs/s320/P1020797.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9aEP87g79tg/T5Q7X4P9YyI/AAAAAAAAB4s/rKCStm-Fh4Y/s1600/P1020798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9aEP87g79tg/T5Q7X4P9YyI/AAAAAAAAB4s/rKCStm-Fh4Y/s320/P1020798.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Then it was time to go and have a shower. There are two shower rooms on the A380, both have underfloor heating.&nbsp;You have to book your time slot to use the shower. but as we were the only ones in First Class,&nbsp;we could go when&nbsp;we wanted to. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tOZVbuHHGsA/T1ovf_N0kXI/AAAAAAAAB2U/Ljzww9qbKHQ/s1600/P1020799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tOZVbuHHGsA/T1ovf_N0kXI/AAAAAAAAB2U/Ljzww9qbKHQ/s320/P1020799.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></span></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">All the toiletries and towels are provided, as is a hair dryer.&nbsp;You get water for a five minuet shower and this is OK. You can watch your time count down on a timer. By this time it was time to land, and all to soon the flight was over.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">We waited in the lounge at Dubai airport, again the food and drinks provided were good and there was also a Spa facility to use, I had a very good manicure as part of my package. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Boeing 777 First Class. Dubai-Bangkok-Sydney-Christchurch.</span></u></strong></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Boarding the Boeing at Dubai Airport was rather haphazard with no special boarding for different classes of passengers, just a free for all. But, once on board, the aircraft looked the same as the A380.&nbsp; A very spacious First Class area. On this leg we were given Emirates Pyjamas as well as the slippers etc. The goodies basket was the same, as was the layout of the first class suite. I now had got the hang of the 'Dine on Demand', and choose my&nbsp;meals from the large menu. I loved the fact I could just have a nice soup, with fresh bread and a salad, all served on fine white china, it was great!</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8EIl6PqVpjg/T1ov-Rk1tBI/AAAAAAAAB20/meeOMpH8UjE/s1600/IMG_6192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8EIl6PqVpjg/T1ov-Rk1tBI/AAAAAAAAB20/meeOMpH8UjE/s320/IMG_6192.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_fagV31rRfY/T1owLP-lLWI/AAAAAAAAB3E/CK-0SfBGwDk/s1600/IMG_6200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_fagV31rRfY/T1owLP-lLWI/AAAAAAAAB3E/CK-0SfBGwDk/s320/IMG_6200.JPG" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">I made my seat into a bed once we left Bangkok, there was a seat liner, real pillows and a duvet to ensure comfort and I slept until woken as we approached Sydney. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Coming home we were on the A380 all the way from Auckland -Sydney-Dubai-Manchester. This flight was full all the way home. As well as the usual goodies we were given an Emirates bag to hold the towel, PJ's, slippers, amenity bag etc. &nbsp;I had the best breakfast I have ever had on a flight as we came into Dubai. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;">So! to compare the aircraft, well in First Class the cabins and seats of both&nbsp;are fitted out in the same way, with First Class Suites in both aircraft, you really can not tell the difference. The A380 has more seats than the 777. On the A380 you do have the use of the bar and the Bathroom with the shower. But the experience was fantastic on both aircraft and what I liked best was having a china mug of real tea whenever I wanted it! Now its back in Economy for me!</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/D7aBk8i3pGI" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com24http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/emirates-a380-v-boeing-777-first-class.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-56593668883704489962012-03-26T09:34:00.001+01:002012-04-22T19:02:05.944+01:002012-04-22T19:02:05.944+01:00<span style="font-size: large;">Feb 2012. This month is a Holiday month!</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">so the month started with:</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">31 Jan-TUE&nbsp;Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">01 Feb- WED EK 514 DXB 15:20 DEL 19:50. 01-WED EK 515 DEL 21:20 DXB 23:45 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">02-THU </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">03-FRI&nbsp;&nbsp; EK 733 DXB 15:00 KRT 18:25 ,03-FRI EK 734 KRT 19:55 DXB 00:45(+) </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">04-SAT </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">05-SUN EK 763 DXB 10:15 JNB 16:25 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">06-MON 18:30 EK 764 JNB 19:15 DXB 05:15(+) </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">07-TUE </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">08-WED XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">09-THU XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">10-FRI XX Day Off </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">then the obligatory long hall flight prior to going on any leave!</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">11-SAT&nbsp; 06:50 EK 215 DXB 08:20 LAX 12:50 </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">12-SUN </span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">13-MON LAX 16:00 DXB 19:45(+)  </span><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S0EsPj5Hlp8/T5QVKjJ-gDI/AAAAAAAAB30/SPaeBnGZAag/s1600/IMG_7557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" qda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S0EsPj5Hlp8/T5QVKjJ-gDI/AAAAAAAAB30/SPaeBnGZAag/s320/IMG_7557.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where did I go for my Holiday?</span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">So, where to go on holiday when there are&nbsp;so many destinations to&nbsp;choose from! This time, and a bit out of character,&nbsp;it was well planned. The planning started in November when a group of 8&nbsp;Emirates Cabin crew decided that they would go to&nbsp;Rio for the Carnival!!!</span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Since the 3rd January 2012 Emirates has operated a daily flights to Rio de Janeiro, departing from Dubai. A&nbsp;777 operates the route, and&nbsp;on the&nbsp;15th of Feb 2012 it was a 'party flight' to Rio as quite a few Crew boarded this plane to Rio. I believe the bar ran dry! All Emirates flights to Rio de Janeiro land at Antonio Carlos Jobim Airport (also known as Galeão Airport). The airport is approximately 20 km from the Central Business District, and is easily reached via taxis and buses. We got a Taxi, to an apartment close to the Copacabana beach. This had been&nbsp;booked through a Brazilian Crew contact one of us had. When we reached the apartment, we were a bit short of beds, but that was soon sorted and the apartment was perfect. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KWJFk_3AW4s/T5QQNxSg8jI/AAAAAAAAB3U/Btulz_kS9gQ/s1600/IMG_7475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KWJFk_3AW4s/T5QQNxSg8jI/AAAAAAAAB3U/Btulz_kS9gQ/s320/IMG_7475.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iBHrqDe9ngw/T5QV2idFAZI/AAAAAAAAB4U/xXCRrG0ThtA/s1600/rio+2012+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iBHrqDe9ngw/T5QV2idFAZI/AAAAAAAAB4U/xXCRrG0ThtA/s320/rio+2012+039.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b9-J5AAXKIg/T5QU1rOATpI/AAAAAAAAB3k/flMueyzTAM8/s1600/IMG_7505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b9-J5AAXKIg/T5QU1rOATpI/AAAAAAAAB3k/flMueyzTAM8/s320/IMG_7505.JPG" width="213" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UF8B19jVBvA/T5QV9w0XD-I/AAAAAAAAB4c/ZCF7YzrUiL4/s1600/rio+2012+160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UF8B19jVBvA/T5QV9w0XD-I/AAAAAAAAB4c/ZCF7YzrUiL4/s320/rio+2012+160.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The next day we were joined by another person who flew with BA from the UK and now our party was complete. It was time to hit the sights Rio has to offer. Like most visitors to Rio, we started with Rio’s main attraction, Christ the Redeemer. Inaugurated on October 12, 1931, at the top of Mount Corcovado. Christ the Redeemer attracts around one million tourists per year, it was busy on the day we went. To get to the top we took the red train. Then for the rest of the week we enjoyed the Beaches, Restaurants, Bars and Carnival. The night at the Samberdrome, cost a lot, but it&nbsp;was great. </span></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gNu-TYnwnmk/T5QWFSO7xAI/AAAAAAAAB4k/skRi8pL3TLw/s1600/rio+2012+169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gNu-TYnwnmk/T5QWFSO7xAI/AAAAAAAAB4k/skRi8pL3TLw/s320/rio+2012+169.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nkDcj5Za82w/T5QVC8jGytI/AAAAAAAAB3s/-vJa-geYGK4/s1600/IMG_7507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nkDcj5Za82w/T5QVC8jGytI/AAAAAAAAB3s/-vJa-geYGK4/s320/IMG_7507.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CL9_Z9PUOPA/T5QVWIoV01I/AAAAAAAAB38/bGzEX_cnz7I/s1600/IMG_7559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CL9_Z9PUOPA/T5QVWIoV01I/AAAAAAAAB38/bGzEX_cnz7I/s320/IMG_7559.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ylk93WM1f0U/T5QVkR_JAII/AAAAAAAAB4E/t_7yCGZ9d_Q/s1600/IMG_7683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ylk93WM1f0U/T5QVkR_JAII/AAAAAAAAB4E/t_7yCGZ9d_Q/s320/IMG_7683.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-znxFyZMDMKw/T5QVvO1VNoI/AAAAAAAAB4M/LVu3NHjpzTk/s1600/IMG_7824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-znxFyZMDMKw/T5QVvO1VNoI/AAAAAAAAB4M/LVu3NHjpzTk/s320/IMG_7824.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br /></div> <span style="font-size: large;">Then all to soon the fun was over and it was time to get back to Dubai and start work again with a Dubai to Athens turnaround.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/k_Xm7yA-F_4" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com2http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/emirates-cabin-crew-roster-feb-2012.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-12872893248479794342012-01-29T17:53:00.000Z2012-02-25T05:25:19.453Z2012-02-25T05:25:19.453ZHappy New Year !, and to start 2012 its straight into SEP, Safety and Emergency Procedures. This annual event is always a stressful time for Emirates Cabin Crew, if you fail you wont have a job!&nbsp;To prepare for this&nbsp;the days off on the 1st and 2nd of Jan were spent studding the new and upgraded Safety Manual, that's what the Crew have in the small bag they have with them. Also attending an Emirates CPR 'drop in' session&nbsp;to be ready for the exams on 3rd and 4th January 2012. <br /> Duly, Jan 3 and 4th 2012 were spent in the Emirates training college and thankfully all the tests were passed, so it was back to work on 5th Jan with a turnround to Tehran,&nbsp;one to Bahrain on the 6th Jan and one to Trivandrum on the 8th Jan. then off to a very cold Moscow on the 10th and 11th of Jan. The 11th of&nbsp;January 2012 also marked the 4th anniversary of working for Emirates and living in Dubai.<br /> 12/13/14/ Jan 2012 = Days Off.<br /> 15th, Dubai to the Seychelles. then back to Dubai on the 16th.<br /> 18th/19th a trip to Frankfurt. this was swapped for a Manchester. <br /> 21st a Turnaround to India.<br /> 24th Dubai to Newcastle where it would have been nice&nbsp;to see the Northern Lights that had been visible in Durham the night before, but it was raining. <br /> 25th Newcastle to Dubai.<br /> 26th / 27th/ 28th = Days Off.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-toFTHo98RXQ/TyWHOBSosYI/AAAAAAAAB1s/pbEyXl5G5Ik/s1600/IMG_4457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-toFTHo98RXQ/TyWHOBSosYI/AAAAAAAAB1s/pbEyXl5G5Ik/s320/IMG_4457.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> and now this blog is up to date. <br /> <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-4061429-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MoirasTravelBlogWithEmiratesCabinCrewOnTheSide/~4/2sLihuTC5SI" height="1" width="1"/>Moiras Travel Blognoreply@blogger.com9http://moira-moirasdailyblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/air-emirates-crew-roster-jan-2012.html