I’m sure I slept last night, but no sooner had I turned off the light and got under the mosquito net than it was morning. The little alarm clock was screaming at me to get up, its volume disproportionately large for its size. After a (very) hot shower, I made my way down the sandy paths to breakfast. Both Brian and Jill were there before me and were waiting patiently for their cooked meal. I took a couple of mugs of fresh black coffee and ordered a pair of fried eggs (with bacon, mushroom and beans on the side). Being Tuesday, my repast was topped by my weekly mosquito tablet and, for the journey ahead, a couple of travel tablets. Alfred was making the most of his few days alone and joined us late for breakfast. ... read more

Dawn broke - but was fixed in time for my alarm to go off at 06h45. I’d slept well, my sleep punctuated by the constant singing of the grasshoppers. After a hot shower, I donned the same set of clothes worn yesterday and headed to breakfast. Never having been to Namibia before, I wasn’t sure what to expect and was rather surprised by the sumptuous feast laid on. Unfortunately, after several days of eating a very odd times, I really wasn’t hungry and simply had two pots of coffee, a bread roll and two fried eggs and some bacon. Alfred was already waiting for me at the table and commented on the shirt I was wearing; well, it was his! My two fellow travellers arrived, completed their breakfast and we all headed back to our rooms ... read more

ManchesterSome five months after returning from the Southern Hemisphere, I once again find myself leaving the house at some awful hour and heading to the airport. I’m off to the Southern Hemisphere again and, despite the fact that it’s 03h30, I really am looking forward to a long trip almost due south to Johannesburg and beyond. In typical Manchester fashion, the balmy 5 Centigrade was offset by the light breeze driving the local drizzle into a frenzy! Standing in the rain resulted in a slight dampness, but moving forwards at any speed whatsoever resulted in a thorough soaking. As so it was that I drove to the airport, windscreen wipers beating their rhythm in an effort to clear the apparent wall of water. I’d reserved a space at 04h30 and, on time, pulled into the car ... read more

Having just returned from 3 weeks in New Zealand, I flew to the Isle of Man for the weekend - but it was shut.... read more

I was woken by the sound of the ducks quacking their way around the campsite trying to cadge breakfast off anyone. Ignoring them, I slept for a further hour and then, peering out of the curtains, noticed that the goat had been moved. Unfortunately, it seemed I was going to have to make alternative arrangements for breakfast. It was a little overcast so I resorted to breakfast thoroughly indoors. However, it wasn’t raining but, having washed up all the dishes and venturing outside to pack the cables away, it was clearly time to put a jumper on! The next problem was working out how to get back onto my route north, as the campsite was some 9km east of the city. A quick study of the map indicated a solution via a housing estate. So, memorising ... read more