The Incidental Tourist

Beautiful Blighty

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:23:00 +0000

A couple of months ago, The Boy, a couple of friends and I jumped in a car and headed for South Wales. The friends were going to surf but as a lifelong aquaphobe this wasn't on the agenda for me. I was happy just to be out and about, eating ice-cream, taking a few snaps. Here are a few of my favourites:

Wild ponies maintaining the turf above Rhossili Beach

Unused canoes parked in a bay by the Worm's Head. And even though I have a bizarre phobia of water and fish, something peverse in me thinks there's something wonderful about solitary fishermen:

I'm back in the UK now and staying put over the summer due to various hen do's and weddings lined up by friends more grown up than I. I'm looking forward to exploring the rest of what this beautiful little island has to offer.

Tell Me....

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Sun, 17 May 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Where's YOUR favourite getaway in the UK?

Are you potty about the Peaks, or wacko for Wales? Are you beach-front or mountain-high? Are you a small town kinda person or do you prefer bright lights, big city?

Tell me where your favourite place in the UK is, I'd love to know if I'm missing out on something!

xx

I've Laughed A Lot On This Trip

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Wed, 13 May 2009 03:27:00 +0000

I know I shouldn't laugh, because at least in China they're trying to write in English (and lord knows I couldn't write any Chinese), but you'd think they'd get any passing tourist to proofread some things first....

My favourite "Chinglish" came from the ShenZhen airport cafe menu....

Yum! Cowboy meat! Someone supersize me one of those!

My camera struggled to focus on this one, but the plat du jour is "The Onion Explodes the Distant Senate". Pardon me?!

This I papped whilst in a taxi, waiting at some lights so apologies again for the bad shot.

Yep, it's a shop selling that rare combination of wares: socks and beauties. They clearly have found a niche market! I looked in, I could see socks by the dozen. Alas, no beauties. Perhaps they had sold out.

Finally, this was propped up at the gate just before I boarded my flight. Now, I'm a bad flyer, and this did not fill me with any confidence:

I suppose at least there were no reported unnormal flights that day.

Home to London soon.

Temple Tantrums

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Mon, 11 May 2009 06:50:00 +0000

I know for most people who read this blog, a nice, simple, quiet life away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world is the ultimate dream. If that's you, I'd recommend visiting a place of worship to get a taste of that, whether you're religious or not. I've always found churches and temples to be great places to go for a bit of calm, a bit of a break from every day mania. Just make sure you check one thing.....

After experiencing my peaceful afternoon sipping tea on a sun-flooded terrace, I wanted to continue that feeling of harmony and tranquility, so I thought I'd take a trip up the road to Lingyin Temple. Lingyin Temple is one of the top ten most famous Buddhist temples in China. It's an ancient complex which stretches over a huge tract of land, with many different places of worship dotted around, with monk's residences smack bang in the centre. The perfect place for solitude and quiet meditation.

Or so I'm told. Muggins here made the schoolgirl error of going on the day of Buddha's birthday. Ooops. I really had no idea. Here are some "tranquil" scenes:

I had to laugh! I wanted some Chinese culture and I got it (just a little more than I was expecting). The crowds around the incense-burners were particularly manic, with a few arguments sparking up over pointless things. The Chinese burn incense as an offering to their Gods as a way of asking for good fortune and favours - maybe the economic downturn meant that this was more important than normal. Either way, it got a little scrappy.

Fortunately, being a lanky, gawking touristo had it's benefits - I was at least half a foot taller than everyone else so could still see. In any event, the gorgeous, ornate monuments were pretty monolithic....

The hoards of people couldn't detract from the beauty of the place and I wish I had the time to go back on a quieter day. If you're ever in China, make sure you visit a temple. Just not on Buddha's birthday...

Tackling The Toxic With Tea Therapy

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Thu, 07 May 2009 01:17:00 +0000

A few days ago I crossed the HKSAR/Mainland China border and landed myself in Shenzhen, a large industrialised city on the south coast. Things were far more frenetic there: dogs and kids play inches from roads bearing articulated lorries, people heave and swarm in a sea of bodies and music pumps out from every shop window. The worst thing was the POLLUTION, which lay so thick in the air you could practically touch it. It was disgusting and I couldn't help but get angry as our van drove past factory upon factory spluttering out the thickest, vilest toxic poison. I don't think Shenzhen has seen a blue sky in years. What a legacy they will leave.

I could practically feel my lungs tarring up, and I just wanted out. The next day I jumped on a rickety old Dragon Airlines plane and headed up along China's east coast to Hang Zou. From there it took me oooh, about 0.3 seconds to find the dinky rural village of Meijawu. Here's why:

Meijawu's main industry is tea. Specifically, green tea. I'd imagine 95% of it's residents (which can't be more than a few hundred) either grow the stuff, hand roast it, or serve it up in teahouses to locals and passing tourists. For a tea-phile like me, it's nirvana! The village is caught deep in a valley, and the scent of the plantations lingers everywhere. Unlike most of China that I've seen, the residents if Meijawu work in a lower gear. After the filthy mania of Shenzhen, it was pure, peaceful bliss.

I spent an afternoon sat in a teahouse, perched right on top of one of the many hills, so that I could get a good view of the terraced tea fields around. Oh if I only had my decent camera, you would have been able to see the plantations stretch for miles and miles, covering the horizon with a deep, fuzzy green.

The tea itself is served a bit differently to what you might be used to. A handful of fresh, roasted leaves are chucked into the bottom of a small glass, which is then flooded with hot water from a really cute oversized thermos.

The teahouse lady then re-fills your glass so that you keep drinking until the flavour is too weak.

When it's too weak, you just order another batch of leaves, because who would ever want to leave?

100 Things About Me

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:00:00 +0000

So it's silly hour and I'm still super jetlagged. I've tried to read my book, I've surfed the internet, I've even de-cluttered my inbox...I'm still at a loose end so I'm going to attempt this 100 random facts about me done by FT, Laura and Caroline.

Here goes!

Kat is short for Katharine.
The name Katharine is orignially from Katharos, a Greek word meaning pure and clean.
I wouldn't say I was particularly pure or clean.
Though I'm a lot better since we moved into a flat with a dishwasher.
I really hate my middle name.
Nope, I'm not telling you what it is. Sorry.
I used to be a compulsive shopaholic. I shopped. A lot. I scare myself when I think about it
My other half regularly had a go about how many clothes I had
Last year I de-cluttered, cut back on my shopping, and now my other half has more clothes than me.
That makes me really smug. Tee hee.
I'm pretty sure I'm annyoing as hell when I'm smug.
I'm a huge rugby fan (watching, not playing)
I spotted Jonny Wilkinson before he was a World Cup hero and before most people jumped on the Jonny bandwagon (gerroff!).
I joined the "I would give up my left arm to be in a scrum with Jonny Wilkinson" group on Facebook...
...which is not entirely true, as I value the use of my limbs.
I also support Wasps RFC and own various supporters scarves and hats which did NOT get thrown out in the clothing cull referred to in 9 above.
I'm a total geek
No, really. I used to watch Star Trek and studied Computer Science at A-Level. And passed with flying colours.
Which is hilarious as I am HOPELESS with computers (if you follow my blog you'll know all about "technical glitches")
I have a really bad memory. It scares me sometimes how bad it is. But then I forget, and then I'm fine...
I remember one or two things though. My first memory is of nursery school. There was a plastic wheelie toy in the shape of a chicken, and underneath the chicken's wing there was a secret compartment (go figure, we had weird toys in HK). One lunchtime I hid a little flower in the secret compartment. By the next break, when I went back to retrieve it, it was gone.
That still is one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of my life.
Another is how I managed to pass Computer Science A-Level.
Speaking of nursery, I went to nursery with Bruce Lee's nephew. Here we are:

I remember being totally WOWED by the Wonder Woman costume (see over my right shoulder), how cool is her mum to make that?!
Beth dying didn't upset me as much as Jo rebuffing Laurie and getting together with the German professor
I was doubly upset by this when I watched the adaptation where Laurie was played by Christian Bale.
I have no idea why but I love WW1 and WW2 literature.
My paternal grandparents worked in the Woolwich Arsenal during the war, making bombs.
I wish I'd asked them about it, but I've now missed my chance.
I really miss my grandparents!
I discovered today that my Grandad never supported Arsenal (the football team) but he was a Charlton Athletic supporter
I want to know why.
My Nan made the most awesome cakes.
When I'm hungry I get GRUMPY
It gets so bad my ex-colleagues knew not to speak to me before I had my cereal.
I'm quite pleasant when I'm not hungry...I think.
My favourite travel destination was either Belize or Brazil. I loved them both.
I want to go to Nepal next.
I want to go back to Tokyo one day.
I WILL go back to Tokyo one day.
I love how everything's just so in Japan. It's hard to explain.
I love cherry blossoms, the Japanese national flower.
I love how the Japanese national rugby team are called the Cherry Blossoms.
I'm an aspiring writer, and am writing a book.
I fear it's not very good, but I'll keep going.
Sometimes there'll be a sentence in a book so well-written I just plain wish I'd written it.
Now that I'm a lady of leisure I read about 2 books a week. It's the biggest perk of being unemployed.
I own over half of all the detective novels Agatha Christie ever wrote (she wrote over 80).
Poirot over Marple any day.
But I have a soft spot for Hastings.
I've always maintained that when I grow up I want to be a Bond Girl.
I might have missed that boat.
I'm 28.
Though people think I look about 20.
I would be annoyed and tell them off but I sound like I'm 7, especially on the phone.
But it's okay I guess, because I act like I'm 4.
I love people who don't take things too seriously
I can't bear people who can't laugh at themselves
I'm not very good at maths
I've forgotten my seven times tables
Swimming is also something I'm totally rubbish at.
Maybe it's because I'm aquaphobic
I nearly drowned as a kid.
I'm also fish-phobic
Most people laugh when I tell them that one but hey, it's true
I HAVE had a lot of bad fish-related experiences
Most people laugh even harder when I follow up with that
I then sniff and say that no phobia is rational, or else it wouldn't be a phobia.
I'm really rubbish at faking accents, everything turns out West Indian.
I'm not very consistent in punctuating these sentences with full stops...
I love music and am plugged into my i-Pod most of the time.
I'm one of these annoying people who listens to a song on repeat until they get sick of it.
The other half is currently being annoyed by my incessant playing of The Noisette's Don't Upset The Rhythm
Kings of Leon were the band of 2008. I still can't stop listening to their album Only By the Night.
I love watching the reality TV show, Step It Up & Dance (Mondays 9pm on Fiver)
I think one of the contestants on Step It Up & Dance is pretty hot
I can't dance
That doesn't stop me
I can't sing
That doesn't stop me either
It probably should.
Last year I walked 26.2 miles for charity
It bloody hurt.
But I raised over £2,000 for Medecins Sans Frontieres' Haiti campaign
I really hope it helps
My favourite drink is milk
I once heard that it was Nietzche's favourite drink too
I'm totally impressed that spell checker recognised Nietzche!
I would often, after a heavy night out in HK, go home via a 7-11 to buy a pint of milk that I could swig on the way home.
I'm not very classy, me.
Though I did see the Queen a month or so ago!
She was being driven down the street. I was so busy oggling at her I walked into a lamppost.
It wasn't my finest hour, but I like to think that One was amused.
I want more than anything to have a pet dog or cat.
But I live in London. By a main road. Without a garden. Which we leave quite frequently to go abroad.
If I had a dog, he'd wear a bandana.
I appreciate this is unnecessary, stupid and probably cruel...so it's just as well I don't have one I guess.
My family had pet fish, despite #62.
Yes, I was constantly in a state of fear as a result.

On Mexican Swine Flu and How We Are Reacting To The Pigdemic

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:30:00 +0000

Understandably, Hong Kong is a little jittery about animal-borne influenza since the horror of bird flu swept through this part of the world several years ago.

At the time of writing however, there are no known or suspected cases in this part of the world...yet face masks have already appeared in the streets. Face masks just like these:

In fact, I've heard of people already struggling to buy them, as shops sell out due to panic buying. Not to be outdone by a scrabbling mob, my family bought a box yesterday.

Though on closer inspection I spot a potential flaw in their cunning plan. Doh.

CALLING ALL LITERARY TYPES!

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:43:00 +0000

We need you!

Please visit The Book-It List

x

Weird & Wonderful HK - Monsoon Wedding Menu

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Whilst here I attended the wedding of an old schoolfriend. The skies were characteristically dramatic, the tropics do Weather with a capital W. When it rains, it hurts. The roads were probably flooded knee-high in water at one point. That didn't put a dampener on things though. My dear friend looked so beautiful, everyone couldn't help but reach for the Kleenex...but of course I'm not going to show you that. I wanted to draw your attention to this, part of the 12-course menu:

LIVING garoupa? Sharks Fin Soup? Mashed shrimp? Ahhhh....I could only be back in HK.

I also felt compelled to take a snap of this little fella, aka the first course, Mr Suckling Pig:

It's okay, the trotters akimbo and look of utter surprise on his little face made me laugh too. What you can't see properly is that those aren't cherries, but LED lights shoved in it's eye sockets which flashed bright red as they brought him in. That level of HK-crazy is a new one, even on me.

Poor thing. Tasty though.

There Are Places I Remember, In My Life, Though Some Have Changed....

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Welcome to my hometown.

The view is from Victoria Peak, looking across Hong Kong harbour. In fact, I was born some 500m up the road, though the view was slightly less overwhelming 28 years ago. One of the things I love about Hong Kong is how it's a complete bundle of contradictions in every way. Here's the view if you walk for 2 minutes round the other side of Victoria Peak:

I bet you didn't know 70% of Hong Kong is country park. If you don't believe me, check it out on Google Earth.

It's a truly schizophrenic city. There's a weird mix of crazy, humid, populated bustle - the tiny drones, the towering megoliths....

and spiritual peace - lazy tea rituals, buddhist temples, early morning tai chi....

I think, but I'm not sure, this is where my obsession with the sky came from.

Yep, it's a pretty schizophrenic place, with many sides, many faces.

In my life, I've loved them all.

Plane Crazy - Tips for Surviving Air Travel

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:40:00 +0000

Flying long haul makes me question my sanity sometimes. Genuinely. It's such a horrific ordeal to put yourself through I sometimes wonder why I bother. If only some brainbox boffin could invent, say, the uber-fast jet-propelled sonic pedalo for example, well you can bet your bottom air mile that I would be all over it like a rash.

My aggravations can be distilled down to the main 5 contributory factors:

1. Other annoying passengers
2. The food that can only be made out of that rarely used food group : plastic
3. The please-shoot-me-between-the-eyes boredom
4. The lack of space
5. Fear of flying

All of these can be easily remedied if you're one of these lucky, lucky people who can fall asleep in any given space at any given time (truly, it's a gift! Feel special!). Most of these can also be remedied if you get to fly first class, but if you're like me who has only ever been bumped up twice in her life and therefore felt like a pauvre fish out of water, you'll only manage to add 6. Fear of not knowing how any of the magic buttons/levers/switches work and being too scared of the toothy, tanned air stewardesses to ask. You do however, get better food and nicer toiletries, I'll give them that.

So, I try to do as much damage limitation as I can by being prepared. My top tips:

1 Avoiding Annoying Passengers

It's a great paradox of life, but chances are you will be sitting next to someone with that annoying habit. Hey, I'm sure we've all got a few of our own. The worst I've ever had to endure were the antics of a clumsy Frenchman. No, no, no, please don't for a minute think that sounds charming. By the end of the flight, my seat, my bags, my trousers were all covered in a thin layer of red wine. And red wine infused jeans stink.

- I always try to reserve my seat in advance, if I can. A lot of airlines allow you to do this online months ahead of the actual flight. Not many people have cottoned on to this so it's good to get in there quick to nab your aisle/window seat. Oddly, I always go for aisle at the back of the plane. Seats on the back of the plane are usually the ones that fill up last so chances are you won't have anyone sitting next to you.

- As you board, keep your eyes peeled for empty rows of seats. Your plane might not be that full or it may be that someone's missed their flight - it's amazing how many people do. Once the cabin crew shut those doors, if those seats are still free, move. Like the clappers. If you don't, I guarantee someone else will. Some people choose to ask the air stewardesses whether they can, but I don't bother (a) in case they say no and (b) because they don't really care where you sit.

- Take an iPod/ear plugs. Because lots of people are really rather loud.

2 Bad Food

Yeah, I know you know what I'm talking about.

Mmmmnnn, appetising eh? Let's just say I don't think those little paper bags are just for travel sickness. What to do?

- Pre-order your food preference online. Okay, I don't mean that you can specify "non-plastickky" cuisine, but with Virgin Atlantic for example, you can choose things like reduced salt dinners, which I figure must be at least a bit better than the stuff above which I often find desperately high in the old sodium.

- Bring your own food. Takes a little preparation but hey, why not? As long as it's not liquid, like a thermos of soup, there's no law against it.

- Don't eat (much). Travel experts actually recommend that you don't eat a heavy meal when you fly, as it stops you from sleeping and makes sitting in one place for an extended period of time uncomfortable.

3 Boredom

Well, this one's simple: books, magazines, in-flight films, i-pods, hand games consoles - whatever floats your boat. Just come prepared. You could even strike up a conversation with your fellow passengers, but just make sure it's welcome or else you'll find yourself being an annoying passenger (see above).

Incidentally, on my flight on Monday I watched Seven Pounds - well worth seeing! I won't blab the ending but suffice it to say I sobbed like a baby. Rather embarrassing as the air stewardess was at that very minute trying to ask me whether I wanted tea or coffee and I had to point because I was too choked to speak. Anyways, I digress....

4 Lack of Space

Well, there's not a lot you can do about this I'm afraid. If you fly cattle class you're going to feel like livestock on your way to market.

- When you check in, if the nice lady/man behind the desk is looking particularly amenable, ask if you can have the bulk head seats. These are the seats by the side exits with extra legroom. They're usually allocated to families with babies or those poor folks with broken legs etc but if there aren't any on your flight, if you ask nicely, you may well get to sit there. Works for me half the time. Don't forget to smile and say please and thank you!

- Once you're on the go, walk round lots. Not only does that get the all-important circulation going in your legs but it helps the claustrophobia a little. It also means you get to swipe a drink of water or a few of those snacks they leave out on the kitchen galleys.

5 Fear of Flying

It's really odd, but the more I fly, the more I get THE FEAR about turbulence. When I was a kid, I remember I used to LOVE the stomach churning ups and downs - who needed fairground rides? These days I get quite anxious about it (maybe I watch too much Lost) and it makes my flight a LOT more horrific than it needs to be. And judging by the occasional squeaks and squeals emitted by fellow passengers over the years, I'm not the only one who suffers from this (I do think I'm the only person who suffers from icthyophobia though - fear of fish, weird I know - but please let me know if any one else suffers from it, I've yet to hear of a fellow fishphobic!).

- Arm yourself with statistics. Apparently it's one of the safest ways to travel (though I would like to think jet-powered pedalo would be infinitely safer). I'm told that you're more likely to be involved in a car accident on the way to the airport (I hope I've just reassured you about your flight, as opposed to add to your fears...).

- Meditate. I have a stress-relieving meditation podcast downloaded on to my iPod. Sometimes it works...sometimes it doesn't.

- Go on a Fear of Flying course. I've never done this myself but I hear it works wonders. Try a free online course here.

- If all else fails, medicate.

Other Tips

There are a number of things you should have about your person when you fly, to make those long hours just that little bit more comfortable:

- Water - because they never give you enough onboard, though remember to buy this AFTER security checks or you'll have it confiscated, you naughty schoolchild you.
- Moisturiser. It gets dry 30,000 ft up!
- Extra layer of clothing if you're coming from a warm climate. It also gets cold 30,000 ft up!
- Inflatable pillow. I can't imagine they wash the standard issue ones, do they? I don't know but I don't fancy chancing it.
- Hairbrush. Stepping off the plane with a static-induced 'fro ain't a good look.
- Chocolate - because everything's always better with chocolate.

If you have any other tips on any of the above I'd love to hear from you!

Happy travels!

'Cos I'm Leaving, On A Jetplane...

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 06:00:00 +0000

...tomorrow!

Destination HK!

Yay!

Give Me An Awww, Everybody...

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Did I ever mention when I was in South Africa I didn't just laze around a beach the whole time, but was actually volunteering at a conservation project? No? Well, I was looking after these little fellas:

Bottle feeding them, cleaning up poop, playing with them...

(Pat if you're reading, see what I mean about the frizzy hair. No eleccy at the project = no hair straighteners - argh!).

Being there for them when they got scared, learning to read their body language and even make noises that they would understand and respond to. They're so intelligent and gorgeous.

No, no point to this post really but I just love and miss those little guys and wanted to share how wonderful they were.

An Open Letter To Wacko Jacko

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Dear Mr Jackson,

I write to you today having read the latest news about your forthcoming concerts in the 02. I applaud you for making a comeback. Indeed, not many people could have attracted as much negative publicity as you have and still come out the other side...well, not quite smelling of roses, but with an inexplicably large fanbase intact. Perhaps your plastic surgeon has given you sufficiently thick skin. You are a modern day media miracle.

I do however have a bone to pick with your very porcelain self. You may think that as a resurgent King of Pop you have carte blanche to do whatever the damn hell you like, but please, please, PLEASE can you just this once curb your grandiose acts of self-indulgent fancy. Enslaving elephants for your own pleasure is not cool. Please don't take the term "media circus" literally. Leave the animals out of your freakshow.

They belong in the wild....

...not performing for squealing fans in the 02 (the fans have you and your handsomely paid entourage for that).

Many thanks.

Tourist In My Own Backyard - Enjoying Spring (and Clementines)

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Tourist in My Own Backyard - Kew Gardens, Richmond

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:30:00 +0000

Freedom is being able to enjoy the delights of London without negotiating the horror of heaving crowds. Last Tuesday morning I pottered down to Kew Gardens with a friend - the absence of the masses was glorious. Yes, I know, I'm evidently quite selfish, I don't like to share.

Armed with my point-and-shoot camera, I managed to take a few snaps. It's not a particularly good camera but it has a wonderful macro function. You really need to go visit yourself, if you can, but here are a few of my highlights:

South African Skies : A Lazy Study

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:30:00 +0000

Can you do me a favour? If you're near enough, can you take a look out of your window and have a look upward? What do you see? Gainsborough blue mixed in with a swirl of marshmallow? Or pure three colours blue? A fading fireplace red glow? Perhaps it is now inky jet with golden bullet holes?

I have a very adolescent obsession with sky watching. It is quite an indulgent past time, isn't it? There isn't much time (or perhaps inclination) for it these days. It's always straight ahead! Tout droit! No loitering! Focus on where you're going, what you're doing.

My best sky was in 2000. It was the jet black, starry kind. The kind that reminds you of eternities and diamonds. I'm gutted that I didn't have the presence of mind to grab my camera and take a snapshot of it, though it probably would have never done it justice. It was in the middle of Morocco, it was 3am (train connections there aren't always at people-friendly hours) and we had an hour wait on a little platform in the middle of two railway tracks. Most people had just curled up to nap, resting their heads on their luggage, but that star-speckled sky was the most breathtaking thing I've ever seen. I was captivated.

Skies in South Africa are quite something too. Not just "nice". No, they're dramatic and perfect. Let me take you on an incredibly brief guided tour of some of the more special ones I saw. Please accept my apologies in advance, but my camera and photography skills could never do them justice.

1. The "Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret" Sky

Okay, this doesn't really have anything to do with the book by Judy Blume (and no, I haven't read it since I was about 13), but hopefully you know what I'm getting at. Whatever your religious beliefs, I'm sure you can almost picture the Big Fella sitting up there watching over everything and everyone. Incidentally this was just taken when I was sitting in an outdoor cafe in Cape Town. Rooibos tea, waffles with honey, sun on your back and a heavenly view. Perfect.

2. The Houdini Sky

You know, when it just kinda...disappears...

(The view is from the top of Table Mountain)

3. The Armageddon Sky

I can't take the credit for this amazing photo, it was taken by a lovely American couple who we went on safari with to Kruger National Park. Yes, this is Kruger - incredible huh? If you look at the little bare tree in the middle of the photo you might just be able to make out a vulture perched on top. I love the contrast between the dark, brooding silhouettes and the golden, sun-flecked clouds. It has a touch of something fearsome, something foreboding, doesn't it?

4. The Minimalist Sky

I always think this looks thoroughly modern, doesn't it? Simple, clean, lines. Primary colours. A Zen sky. It's not a sky that belongs in classical texts or on a renaissance canvas. Bloody battles wouldn't have been fought underneath this tarpaulin of yellow and blue, nor would this have caught Juliette's gaze as she simpered on a balcony. I'm not entirely sure where this sky belongs.

5. The Twilight Sky

This is one of my favourite photos, taken at the conservation project about two hours outside of Kruger. There's absolutely no re-touching here (or on any of these photos for that matter!), this is exactly what the sky looked like at dinnertime one February evening. There's something cartoonish about it. Is it Henri Rosseau that springs to mind? I love the solitary star, the almost sinister silhouettes, the crazy sunset colours lurking between the branches. If you were there you would have heard an orchestra of crickets and frogs as the heat of the day slipped away with the sun.

If you have any snaps that you particularly enjoy or are proud of, I would love to see them!

Gonna Run, Baby Run, Like A Stream Down A Mountainside...With The Wind On My Back I Don't Ever Even Bat An Eye....

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:47:00 +0000

I couldn't stop humming those lyrics by Kings of Leon as I sat, stuffed like an unlucky sardine in the back of a transport van amongst a random assembly of travellers and baggage. We were on a 7 hour trip along South Africa's Wild Coast: desolate and barren, save for the occasional sprinkling of colourful round huts known as rondavels. The birthplace of Nelson Mandela is the poorest state in South Africa.

My legs were cramped, throat parched, eyes heavy from a 5am start and the constant irritation of red dust that seems to pervade the country. Breakfast was a hasty slice of toast at a hostel, whipped into something edible by a dab of margarine and a cup of tea. Lunch was whatever you could cobble together from the few ingredients at the service station. Usually a slice or two of bread scraped (for there were no knives) with peanut butter and a carton of juice. But you know what, I wouldn't have had it any other way. With the sea your constant companion, there's a wonderful serenity that takes over as you journey through a desolate wilderness. Travelling forwards into the unknown, carving your way through an expanse. The joy of velocity.

Rondavels lined the solitary road, and every so often you would catch the gaze of a local. Sometimes a farmer, sometimes a child, sometimes a woman carrying a load on her head - snapshots of those who try to scrape an existence in this world. Poverty scars the beauty of the Wild Coast. The children invariably waved - what is it, this universal childhood desire to make yourself known to the strangers speeding through your world? Do you always wave back at those kids at the side of the road? I do.

At the end of a long day's journeying, we were unceremoniously coughed out at our destination: Cintsa. Boy was it worth it. Cintsa is a small town that stares out at the Indian Ocean, forever buffeted by the ocean winds. Compared to a lot of tourist hotspots, most people would say there isn't a lot there, but I think the inhabitants have found a wonderful recipe for happiness. I couldn't get my head around it for a while, it is ingenious in it's simplicity, but now I think I've figured it out.

All you need is a couple of loungers outside a sun-dappled cabana...

...and a perfect view.

Voila!

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Budgies in an aviary in Cape Town - viewed through the wire cage wall.

I Know A Place Where The Sun Hits The Sky...

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:25:00 +0000

I can't quite work out what makes Cape Town such an amazing place....

Maybe it's how it is nestled between an infinite sea...

and the majestic Table Mountain...

Maybe it's the colourful neighbourhoods....

Maybe it's the "colourful" history....

Or maybe it's the inhabitants....

I'm Einstein, Me....

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:17:00 +0000

What. A. Palaver. Is all I can say about this blog so far. I will, however, persevere!

First of all, a thank you to all of you who came up with suggestions as to how to get snaps on here. Because I am an absolute genius, I managed not to see any of your comments until now due to that wonderful thing that decided to kick into action (somehow) on my page known as comment moderation. Egads, I am thick as. I have taken your Picasa comments on board and will make sure I get my act together for leg 2 of the travels which is HK and Southern China in about 4 weeks time (with a wee walking mini-break to the Gower Peninsula over Easter).

Anyways, in apology, in the meantime I'll be posting a few snaps of South Africa. I hope you enjoy!

(A very sheepish and technologically challenged) Kat

F.R.U.S.T.R.A.T.I.O.N!

correspondwithkat@gmail.com (Kat) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:06:00 +0000

I am here!
I am having an incredible time!
I have internet connection!
I have written posts!
...but Blogger won't upload any photos for some inexplicable reason!

I have no idea why, I can get them all on to Facebook and the like. Argh! What to do? Any suggestions?

xx