After being in the city and then following the flat towpath, it was time to get back to some hills so off to the Malverns we went.
Eastnor Castle
We were staying in the huge camping fields of the Deer Park in the grounds of Eastnor Castle. The facilities are minimal with just several freshwater taps spread across several camping fields with a couple of toilet emptying points. With few other vans there it was so quiet and peaceful – our nearest neighbour was at least 50m away from us!
Our long walk for this week was to be in to the Malverns and see how far along the ridge we could get taking into account the usual #clewleysstopforcoffee. We didn’t quite follow our original route having missed a path (which on our return we realised why – someone had stepped aside to let us pass and had stood at the start of the path) and ended up following another path which led us through shoulder high stinging nettles.
Refreshed after coffee and cake we walked up to the top of the ridge for some amazing views of the surrounding countryside.
The Malverns Ridge
The return journey went more to plan and after another coffee we walked up to the British Camp Hill Fort, a huge hillfort thought to date maybe from the Bronze Age, 3,500 years ago, and which was subsequently inhabited by the Romans.
We also paid a visit to Ledbury, a pretty town with a number of timber framed buildings.
Ledbury
From here we headed back to Wiltshire to meet motorhoming friends for the weekend. Kilma Farm was another farmer’s field but electric is available if wanted. Very friendly and helpful owners.
Unfortunately the balloon festival at Bowood House was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic but it was great to sit around and catch up with old friends. We did manage one short walk to the local pub and managed to avoid the rain enough to sit outside for lunch.
The organised route planning has not really kicked in yet for various reasons so we’re jumping around a bit; it’s back up to Hay-on-Wye on the England/Wales border and not a million miles from the Malverns stop.
We’d seen the Dark Orchard CL recommended by several people via the CL group on Facebook and it certainly lived up to our expectations. A well looked after site with a friendly welcome from Linda and her dad, and ideally located for a five minute walk into the town or a walk as long as you want into the Black Mountains.
Dark Orchard
This was our first mountain walk in a long time with a route planned up Hay Bluff along to Twmpa and back home. The first part all went to plan and we again avoided the rain which we could see moving through the valley.
The Trig Point at Hay Bluff
After the second climb up to Twmpa (almost 3,000ft of ascent in total today) and our usual pork pie and mustard lunch, our luck ran out and it was on with the waterproofs as we made our way down back towards the Wye valley.
The downpour didn’t last too long but by this point the paths showing on our OS map either didn’t exist on the ground, were overgrown or just horrendous walking! After 16.5 miles, a few fly bites and scrambling through muddy hillsides, we made it back both very tired in time to watch England play the Euro semi-finals and devour a well earned fish and chip dinner.
The rain didn’t last long…
Thursday is market day in Hay so we had a wander around the various stalls. With our cupboards fully stocked we didn’t buy anything but there was a good choice of produce in addition to the local shops.
Richard Booth Book Shop
Something new for the afternoon – wild swimming! A short walk from the town along the river is a small area called The Warren which has a stony beach and easy access to the river. Armed with our new chairs and flasks of coffee, we found our spot and waded into the river. Refreshing is probably a good description! I think this was probably a gentle introduction to wild swimming as the water wasn’t as cold as expected (well by June anyway!) although the strong current made swimming quite difficult. Definitely didn’t put us off doing again though.
On the way home we popped into Hereford to see the Knife Angel, a 27ft, 3.5 ton sculpture of an angel made from 100,000 confiscated knives from police forces across the UK.
Knife Angel
The sculpture was outside Hereford Cathedral (also worth a visit) and has been touring the UK to raise awareness of knife crime and all forms of violence and aggression.
Hereford Cathedral
It was home again for a weekend to see friends for dinner (thanks Miller and Carter, Rickmansworth for allowing us to overnight in their carpark after eating there) and a day at home to see the girls and use the washing machine. We don’t just visit people to use their washing machine, we promise!
Next week the adventure truly begins…..
Eastnor Castle Campsite, Herefordshire: £12 p/n. No EHU, water and toilet emptying facilities, no rubbish/recycling bins. All grass and not level. Kilma Farm CS, near Chippenham, Wiltshire: £15 p/n. EHU (able to pitch without for £10 p/n), water and dumping facilities. Currently no rubbish/recycling (June 2021). All grass Dark Orchard CL, Hay-on-Wye: £12 p/n
Back towards home and London for a week to see family, visit the dentist (again) and meet former work friends. We tried, new to us, Home Cottage Farm CL in Iver as it was convenient for home and seeing June’s mum. We originally missed the entry to the site as it’s via a, currently closed, pick-your-own farm and the site is nothing more than a small field at the end of a narrow track through the farm but it was a great find! Despite the closeness to major roads (M25 and M40) it was very peaceful and the wildlife abundant – whilst we had family over for lunch three large deer wondered out of the woods and across the adjacent field and this was after watching a woodpecker feed as we had our breakfast and a small fox cub playing in the long grass.
Home Cottage Farm, Iver
The original purpose for this week was to catch up with old work colleagues and a slight change of plans had us heading into central London twice for drinks and dinner. It was strange to be back in town which is still under the influence of COVID with so many places still closed and too many looking permanently shut. We had previously been frequent visitors to Borough Market and despite it being a Saturday, it was so easy to move around but again some stalls had not yet reopened. We wandered around town for a while and finally managed to buy the lightweight chairs we’d been looking for. We wanted something to fold small to take out walking with us and found exactly what we wanted.
Borough Market
Mid-week we moved from Iver to the CMC site at Abbeywood, SE London. We would highly recommend this site when visiting London as the train station is less than 10 minutes walk away with trains directly into London Bridge and Charing Cross. There are various pitches available for motorhomes, campervans and caravans, a tent field and various pods/lodges plus two washing machines, all situated in well kept grounds with friendly and helpful staff. Lesnes Abbey and woods are a short walk from the site and well worth a visit.
Lesnes Abbey
Up until COVID we had both worked in central London and had enjoyed the buzz of the city but neither of us is keen to rush back again after this visit. It was great to see friends and we will always make time to do that but we think we’ve taken to the quiet life more than we thought. Time to escape again!
After leaving London we kept the link with the city by heading upstream along the Thames into Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire where we could explore more of the Thames Path
Our first stop was Newbridge Farm CL near Witney. The site is nothing more than a farmer’s field but located within easy reach of the Thames Path and a couple of pubs. We met Sharon, a friend and former colleague of Bob’s and cycling buddy to us both at the Maybush. Although we didn’t eat there due to a miscommunication, the food had been recommended to us. The campsite backs on to the A415 and was a little noisy at times but that aside, it was excellent value for money.
Newbridge Farm
Our walk from here was upstream to the nature reserve at Chimney Meadows where we found a great little bird hide from which we were able to look over the fields and the river. A lot of the path here is overgrown and we were frequently walking through grass up to our waists – not good for the hayfever! We tried to take a slight detour on the way back which involved crossing a ford which we knew could be deep at times but we thought as it was June we might be OK…. When we got there the depth was showing over 60cm deep and not being prepared for a swim we decided to walk back the way we came!
Chimney Meadows
We moved a little further upriver to Friars Court in Radcot. They have two camping areas and we were on the island CL which gave us a riverside pitch (room for all five vans to be riverside) from where we could watch the people and wildlife on the river. This was a fantastically relaxing place to stay and was also very convenient for Ye Olde Swan pub where this time we met Andy, a friend of Bob’s and his wife Debbie, to while away a few hours over a drink or two. Another hayfever inducing walk along the path heading towards Lechlade where we stopped to have our lunch at St John’s lock watching as boats went through the lock. There were several geocaches along the path but the battle with the nettles proved too much and we had to register a few as “did not find”.
Friars Court, Radcot.
Our final Thames stop was the Bridgehouse Campsite in Lechlade which is located by the bridge over the Thames just minutes walk from the high street. It was also close to Cotswold Canoe Hire from where we were renting a couple of canoes for a day’s paddling further upstream with Bob’s son Tom and June’s daughter, Chloe. And quelle surprise, it was just across the road from a pub where they conveniently opened for breakfast so that got the day off to a good start!
We paddled a total of about 14km with the return being far easier as we were going with the flow of the river. This part of the river is mostly unnavigable for anything larger than a canoe which meant we didn’t have to deal with any boats….thankfully given our skill level! We finished the day with a BBQ and two of the largest steaks we could find.
Unexpectedly one of June’s school friends was staying locally so we spent a couple of hours one afternoon with Caroline and Ashley. We hadn’t managed a reunion at home for sometime but being on the road is really helping us to catch up with family and friends across the country.
Sites used:
Home Cottage Farm CL, Iver, Bucks: £10 p/n. No EHU but water and dumping facilities. All grass. Abbey Wood, CMC Site, SE London: £27.60 p/n. EHU, water and disposal points. Laundry. Various pitches (we had hard standing). Newbridge Farm CL, Witney, Oxfordshire: £6 p/n. No EHU but water and dumping facilities. All grass. Friars Court CL, Radcot, Oxfordshire: £10 p/n. No EHU but water and dumping facilities. All grass. Bridgehouse Campsite, Lechlade, Gloucestershire: £22 p/n. EHU, water and disposal facilities. No laundry (as at end of June 2021, not all entries for this campsite appeared to have been updated with this information).
As we left Norwich to head back towards home for a second jab appointment, the weather began to change and it was rather wet as we arrived in Tring.
Balmers is a site we have used often to escape for a weekend from home especially when we’ve been to Chilfest, an 80s music festival. As we stepped out of the van on arrival the ground beneath us squelched a little but we got the mats under the tyres and had no issues moving off the next day to get to Watford for Bob’s jab. Also managed to get June’s done at the same time as they had just opened up to walk-ins for anyone eligible for a first or second jab and it was eight weeks to the day since June’s first jab so she just scraped in!
Balmers Campsite
Turned out to be a busy weekend with friends visiting on the Saturday for a BBQ and then meeting family for lunch on Sunday. The BBQ didn’t quite go to plan as the weather intervened and we all ended up sitting outside under the awning wrapped in blankets!
Despite leaving our mark on the field in the form of track marks we got to the paved driveway relatively easily and made our way to Dorset and What A View, a CL that certainly lived up to its name overlooking the rolling Dorset countryside. But boy was the ground wet! We pulled on to our pitch and were going to reposition the van but became stuck in the mud. Luckily we weren’t planning to move for a couple of days and our caravanning neighbour offered to pull us out with his 4 x 4 when we did need to move.
We spent a couple of days walking locally, one of them with a friend who took us to the Iron Age hill fort at Hambledon Hill and the Roman hill fort at Hod Hill before a leisurely lunch in a local pub.
With the sun finally making an appearance and having repositioned ourselves on our pitch we were able to leave without any further incident and headed towards the coast for the first of two seaside weeks.
Our destination was the CS at Manor Farm in the village of Burton Bradstock. Being the first school holiday after lockdown restrictions had been lifted, a bank holiday and good weather forecast, it was understandably busy and we were lucky to get in although on the overspill area, along with several other vans. We didn’t mind this as we had hardstanding and EHU and didn’t plan to be around the site too much.
From here we had easy access to the South West coastal path as well as a nice walk into the local town of Bridport (Saturday is market day). The village is all old stone buildings, as were many of the villages we passed en route, and has a village shop/post office for supplies. It also seemed well served for bus routes to explore further along the coast without the need to move the van.
We wandered into West Quay on the sunny bank holiday Monday which was maybe not the best idea but crab sandwiches were calling!
We decided to move on a day earlier and found a pitch at Stover CMC site located next to Stover Country Park. On the way though we popped into Abbotsbury Swannery. It really is a fabulous place to visit with, as you would expect, lots of swans and dozens of cygnets.
Abbotsbury Swannery
Stover is a great little site for a short stay – well maintained and spacious but no toilets or showers (not just closed due to COVID – they don’t exist!) but that’s not a problem with a self-contained motorhome. The rain had come back for a couple of days but we escaped for a few hours to walk around the lake in the country park and took a path out of the park to find a war memorial to the Canadian lumberjacks who had been resident in the area during the first world war.
The next stop was a long awaited (eight years as it turned out!) catch-up with friends as we moved towards the north coast. A lovely relaxed time enjoying their hospitality, meeting their menagerie of rescued animals and the evening sun.
Another weekend and another HOG (Hymer Owners Group) event, this time on the large campsite of Easewell Farm, near Woolacombe in North Devon. We have been spoiled at the two events we have been to with fully serviced pitches and washing machines! It’s great to meet the people you “chat” to on Facebook on all things Hymer as well as motorhoming in general, and spend a couple of evenings with a glass or two of wine sitting around swapping stories.
Although we had been to this area last year we still did two spectacular coastal walks; across country and down into a wooded valley into the village of Lee and then along the coast to Mortehoe, spotting seals on the way, and secondly, the coastal path through Woolacombe out to the headland at Baggy Point. After almost 23 miles of walking in total and over 2,500 feet of ascent, the fish and chips after the second walk were well earned!
With an empty dirty washing bag and a severely depleted food/drink cupboard, we had our longest day driving so far since staring full-timing, as our next stop was The Paddock CS, an adults only site on the south shore of Rutland Water. We needed to have the van engine serviced and had tickets to the Peterborough Motorhome Show so did both from Rutland Water, using the Intercounty Truck and Van Mercedes dealership near Peterborough for the servicing.
Having spent a lot on time in the van, we needed to get out walking and spent the best part of a day walking around the reservoir. Those 16.5 miles obviously included the obligatory #clewleysstopforcoffee and as a bonus, a #justtheone almost at the end although for one heart-stopping moment we thought the pub was closed – thankfully not!
We have a couple more days here with hopefully a warmer visit from friends this afternoon and a visit to the nearby osprey centre tomorrow before another week of meeting family and friends back in London.
Sites used: Balmers CL, Wigginton, near Tring: £7 per night. No EHU but water and dumping facilities. All grass. What A View CL, Sturminster Newton, Dorset: £12 per night. No EHU but water and dumping facilities. All grass. Manor Farm CS, Burton Bradstock, Dorset: £18 per night. EHU, water and dumping. Mixed pitches Stover Camping & Caravanning Club, Devon: £22.50 per night. EHU, water and dumping but no toilets or showers on site. Mostly hard standing. Easewell Farm Campsite, near Woolacombe, Devon: special HOG meeting rate. Large family holiday park with various pitch types available. The Paddock CS, Rutland Water: £15 per night. No EHU but it is available (extra £5 per night), water and dumping facilities. All grass.
We continued our stay in the South Downs National Park (formerly two adjoining Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) moving from Small Dole to Kingston, near Lewes a little further to the east. The campsite is nothing more than a field behind a row of houses but a great location for accessing the South Downs Way.
We managed two full days of walking 10 plus miles each time, following various paths, crossing the Greenwich Meridien on several occasions and clocking up a few thousand feet of ascent.
Where East meets West
The photos and my words cannot really do the area justice! We were lucky with the weather as our walking days seemed to be the drier ones, but the South Downs are a stunning place to go walking. We also walked from the campsite into the town of Lewes where every house seemed to have a plaque with a historical reference attached. Sadly as this was the final week of lockdown restrictions, many places were still closed but it was still worth the visit.
Lewes
From Kingston we moved a few miles east again to the village of Alfriston. We have been here several times before and, obviously (!) like the area. The village also gives easy access to the South Downs Way although beware, any walk on the ridge will begin with a long climb out of the valley!
There are three separate camping areas but all reached via the same access road and next to each other; firstly The Stables CL where we stayed, then a camping field for C&CC members and finally a general camping field. The CL is well maintained and provides EHU as well as water and dumping facilities. We were warned by the owner the CL was next to the camping field but we were not disturbed by any noise from there.
Beachy Head
We continued the pattern of walking every other day and repeated a walk we had done previously (over 10 years ago when preparing for the Inca Trail) along the South Downs Way to Eastbourne, Beachy Head, the Seven Sisters and home along the Cuckmere Valley. Our longest walk for sometime at a fraction under 20 miles / 32 km (we just couldn’t find the extra yards/metres to round the numbers up!) and we were pleasantly exhausted when we got home back to the van. Our last walk of this distance has been at home on the towpath of the Grand Union Canal so none of the 2,000ft of ascent we did today.
The following day was our 10th wedding anniversary so a day of relaxing around the van and then for a change, dinner in a local restaurant, Deans Place. As we were still under lockdown rules, the menu was limited and we had to sit outside but apart from an issue with the main course, which was handled well, we had a great evening. Even better was the short walk back to the campsite!
We did a couple more walks along the South Downs Way, the second of which bought us into the Cuckmere Valley on the opposite side to the Seven Sisters and gave us great views of the chalk cliff faces.
If you want something flatter, then the Cuckmere Valley is also a great place to walk, starting at the rocky beach and then moving inland through small lakes and waterways to pasture lands. The Seven Sisters Country Park in the valley offers parking, a restaurant and a visitor centre and circular walks start just across the road from the Visitors Centre. Lots of birds and wildflowers to spot.
The Litlington Tea Rooms were recommended to us and as they were just a short walk from the campsite, it would have been wrong not to have paid them a visit. We managed to get out in the only gap in the rain and enjoyed a cream tea (although in our case, coffee replaced the tea but at no extra cost) in leafy surroundings.
We had an amazing two weeks exploring the eastern side of the South Downs and walked over 100 miles in total! It’s a beautiful area to visit and if the weather is on your side, you can’t have a bad day.
From one extreme to another, we left the rolling fields of Sussex for a quick visit to see our daughter in Norwich where she is coming to the end of her first year at Norwich University of The Arts. Being a student we knew we wouldn’t see her until after lunch so we had the morning to explore a little of the city. We didn’t go into the Castle as there was a wedding going on and we decided to keep out of the way, but the cathedral is worth a visit as is the area around it where there are many historic buildings to see as well as a riverside walk.
An afternoon’s shopping was the order of the day with Amy’s birthday coming up – that was more exhausting than hiking miles across the country! We had a great dinner at Jorges, a Portuguese restaurant in the city. If you’re looking for something different to eat then I would head there for good food and friendly, helpful staff. It’s quite small so making a reservation is advisable.
We stayed at the Norwich Camping and Caravan Club site which is located about a 25 minute walk outside the city centre (uphill from the campsite but fortunately downhill after dinner!). We didn’t have hook up although it was available on a number of pitches and didn’t use the facilities so cannot comment on them other than there was a reasonably priced washing machine and tumble dryer. We had one of the central pitches which felt a little cramped with motorhomes, caravans and tents seemingly haphazardly placed, but we were only there for two nights and the site was ideally placed for getting into the City, which also contributes to the price. Access to water and the grey dump was also awkward so as we didn’t really need either, we left the site without using either.
Sites used: Newholme CL: £8 per night, no EHU and all grass. Water and dumping facilities. Note re campsite access – it’s only from the south of the village as there is a width restriction if coming the other way. The Stables CL, Alfriston: £15 per night, EHU, water and dumping facilities. All grass pitches
Norwich CMC site: £20.65 per night, no EHU (but available). Water and dumping facilities available. Laundry.
It hasn’t taken us too long to get into a routine and so far, neither of us is missing being in a house. In fact, we spent one night back at home in between dental appointments last week and it felt a little strange!
We didn’t move too far in the first couple of weeks; from Marlborough to Bishops Canning and then on to Calne for a weekend with other members of the Hymer Owners Group. We popped into Devizes for the local market which is how we hope to be able to do more shopping going forward but as there’s no single list of markets, it’s all a bit hit and miss at the moment.
Caen Locks
The site at Bishops Canning was another CL but no EHU. It sits right alongside the Kennet and Avon Canal so plenty of (flat!) walking and we went as far as the Caen Locks. The wildlife along the canal was a little disappointing in that we didn’t see much unlike the Grand Union at home which is abundant with water birds including the occasional kingfisher despite all the human activity.
Hymer Owners Group Meeting
A first for us was a weekend meet with the Hymer Owners Group. It was great to finally be able to put some names to faces of some of the contributors to the Facebook group and we’ll catch up with them again in June. The location was a large campsite catering for all camping types but we had our own little paddock so plenty of stopping to chat with the other owners. Another location with plenty of walking but we have found that several of the footpaths we have wanted to use were either poorly maintained or in a couple of instances, blocked off. Maybe we’ve just been spoiled in Hertfordshire but it was frustrating having to reroute walks when we were planning of the latest OS maps. However, we did get to the Cherhill Monument which gave us amazing views over the Wiltshire countryside and we bagged a series of Geocaches as we walked back to the campsite along an old Roman road.
Cherhill Monument
We also walked to Bowood House but as the house was closed (COVID again) it didn’t seem worth paying the entrance fee for just the garden. We’re back here again for the balloon festival in July so maybe we’ll look again then.
Bowood House
Our touring life was briefly interrupted with a quick trip home for dental appointments and a haircut! Unfortunately, the appointments were on different days so we had to stay in the house for one night (one advantage of renting the house to family – we always have a bed!) but made the most of it by clearing all the boxes to the charity shop, taking back what we decided we didn’t need in the van and, oh, a meal out to celebrate Bob’s birthday!
We stayed closer to home for a couple of nights on a CS we have used a couple of times before, Hill Farm in Wendover. Whilst here we were able to catch up with family and have a wander through Wendover Woods where it’s bluebell season (a common thread of all the places we’ve stayed recently).
Hill Farm in Wendover
We have a few weeks before we need to be home again (Bob’s second COVID jab this time) so we drove down to West Sussex. A supermarket stop was due and we found a Morrison’s in Littlehampton. Turns out it was a good find in that as well as food and fuel, it also sold LPG (needed for heating and cooking) as well as having an outside laundry! Launderettes seems to be harder and harder to find and we had seen supermarkets with washers and dryers outside in France and Spain but this was the first time we’d found one in England. We can manage small amounts of washing on the road but need machines for bedding and towels. Little finds like this with everything in one place, make us very happy!
Farmhouse Campsite is a couple of fields just outside the village of Small Dole. The large field was full of caravans and tents when we arrived so we were directed to a smaller field with two other vans and a couple of caravans. We had some initial concerns but it hasn’t really been noisy at all.
We picked the site because of its location for walking so yesterday we went across the fields to Devil’s Dyke and then along the South Downs Way, picking up a few more Geocaches. We were lucky with the weather (the forecast was for showers most of the day) and managed to avoid one downpour by finding a pop-up coffee stop in a barn and run by a local cycling club. We couldn’t have timed it better!
Some more walking to come this week and we’re pleased to report that the footpaths are all well marked and easy to follow. Although touring the UK wasn’t our initial plan, we are loving exploring our own backyard.
Sites used:
Bishops Canning CL: £13 per night, no EHU but water and dumping facilities. All grass.
Blackland Lakes Campsite: group price for the weekend. Multiple pitch types
Hill Farm CS, Wendover: £20 per night, EHU, water and dumping facilities (showers and toilets also available but closed this visit due to COVID). 4 out of 5 pitches hard-standing.
Farmhouse Campsite: Small Dole: £17 per night, EHU, water and dumping facilities. All grass
Monday April 12th 2021 will stick in people’s minds for many reasons being it was the day many of the tighter COVID restrictions were lifted. For some it would be the first post lockdown pint, for others the first haircut in months, for many the long awaited visit to see family or friends (still only the Rule of Six though), and for a few, queueing at your favourite non-essential shop….the list goes on. For us it only meant one thing, the move to the motorhome to begin our life on the road.
After weeks of trying to whittle down the contents of the house to what we would be taking with us and the stuff we wanted to keep for when we do finally return to a house, after a couple of trips to load up the van, we were ready to go.
Our first night was not too far from home to give us the opportunity to make sure we had everything although we couldn’t get on to the campsite next to the storage facility to we had to go a few miles down the road to Hertford. It was just as well we did this as the celebratory steak we were having for dinner was still in the house fridge! We were always going back home the following day to fill the van with gas from the local boatyard so celebrations were simply put on hold for 24 hours!
Monday 19th April Can’t believe the first week has gone already! After leaving Hertford and travelling via home and June’s mums (first face to face meeting since July 2020) we headed down the M4 to Marlborough and the Savernake Forest. We’re staying on a great CL on a working farm a couple of miles south of Marlborough with views across the fields. It’s so quiet and peaceful here!
Kingstones Farm
The forest itself is well worth a visit. It is an area of ancient woodland (first reference to the woodland here was in AD934) which has passed down from father to son (or daughter, on four occasions) in an unbroken line of hereditary “forest wardens”. In 31 generations, it has never once been bought or sold in a thousand years, and today it is the only ancient forest in Britain still in private hands, although managed by Forestry England.
The forest contains a number of ancient oaks including “Big Belly Oak”, one of Fifty Great British Trees named and honoured as part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. It has a girth of 11 metres (36 ft) and is 1000–1100 years old. In 2001 it was in danger of splitting in two, a fate that had already overtaken the similarly aged Duke’s Vaunt. To prevent this, the tree was fitted with a metal corset.
Big Belly Oak
Once away from the main road the only noise is birdsong and we spent some time one morning just watching woodpeckers flying in and out of the trees.
Martinsell Hill
From the back of the farm there are multiple footpaths heading across country so we made our way to Martinsell Hill (the third highest point in Wiltshire at 289m/948 ft above sea level and the site of an Iron Age Hillfort) where there was only one thing we could do when we came to Pork Pie corner!
We were also able to access the Kennet and Avon Canal but despite our constantly scanning the banks, no kingfishers came out to play. We’ve had a great week here and will definitely come back!
It’s now February 2021 and COVID continues to dominate our lives as we’re in Lockdown 3. Since returning from our trip in November, we have been in quarantine twice, which is as many times as we’ve managed to get to the van in the same time. We have been fortunate not to have had the virus and the year of being thrown together all day, every day without driving each other mad certainly bodes well for living in the van!
One big change for 2021 is that we have now both stopped working which was the original plan to allow us to ship the van to Canada and begin our life on the road. We decided whilst in Spain that this probably wasn’t going to happen this year and currently the travel plan for this year is still very much up in the air. The trip back to northern Norway at the end of January, which was booked pre-COVID, was obviously cancelled and with no sign yet as to when we can even move out of the local area, there is currently nothing booked, something unheard of in this house!
Memories of Morocco
But….although there are no bookings and not even any maps on the wall, we have ideas and are still hoping to get to Nordkapp for the midnight sun and then down to Morocco for the Autumn/Winter. As well as dealing with COVID and ensuring we are close to home when we get the call for our vaccinations, the joy that is Brexit is limiting our time in Europe (90 days maximum in any 180) so we, probably like many UK motorhomers, will be touring closer to home. Not that that’s a problem as there’s so much of our beautiful country to see and we’ll need to incorporate a few things to be done on the van enroute. We’ll also be able to visit friends and family who we don’t get to see very often!
We are very fortunate living where we do during Lockdown
Being at home has given us the time to have a good sort out and clear all the accumulated clutter before moving full time to the motorhome. We are still surrounded by boxes waiting for the charity shops to re-open but have been able to add to the travel fund with a few online sales. June’s eldest daughter has now firmly taken residence in the house (along with numerous more boxes!) as she will be living here whilst we travel.
The Grand Union Canal
Not having the inconvenience of work and not being able to go too far has meant that we have explored the local area and found so many footpaths that we didn’t know existed. We really have come to appreciate where we live. Although we are keen walkers, we still like a challenge to keep us motivated so signed up to Walk 1000 Miles in 2021 and despite losing 10 days to January’s quarantine we are ahead of schedule. The walking is needed to keep the weight gain from home cooking at bay!
Given that we’ll be full timing in the van next year we had decided to have a big holiday this year where we stayed in brick buildings and had access to a fairly constant supply of hot water, so back in the carefree days of 2019, we settled on a month’s tour of India covering as much of the country as possible. Comfy business class flights were booked courtesy of points and everything was looking good. Then came the virus from China that would bring the World to a standstill….
Fast forward to Summer 2020 and with India close to the top of the list of countries hardest hit by the virus, the tour was cancelled so we had to decide on how we were going to spend our month off (Bob had saved and booked the leave, June’s contract extension negotiation had included the leave so we weren’t not going to do something). The thoughts went something like this:
Another long-haul destination on an Exodus tour – maybe Namibia, Botswana? Nope
Croatia – too many borders opening and closing between home and there to negotiate
UK – Wales, Scotland, Northumbria
Germany – regions starting prohibiting travel
Sweden – then Denmark closed its borders to the UK and the plan was to drive through Denmark
UK again – actually booked campsites in north and south Wales and the Lakes (including a meeting with the company who are going to do the van carpets) for the first week.
Then the UK started to suffer its second wave with areas being tiered according to infection rates. North and South Wales were one of the first areas to tighten activities (and as I type this, they are now on the second day of 17 of total lockdown) followed by the area of Scotland covering Glasgow and Edinburgh and much of the northern part of England. We knew we would have a good time wherever we could travel in the UK but the idea of going to Europe was beginning to grow. We’d be in our own bubble in the motorhome and our preference is to be in remote, mountain regions so the chances of catching COVID would be no different to at home (possibly less with no contact with children working in pubs or at university) providing we took all the necessary caution with wearing masks and carrying copious amounts of sanitiser. A new thermometer was even purchased to monitor our temperatures so we could head home at the first sign of any problems.
With the start of our leave imminent, we took the plunge and booked our Eurotunnel ticket just three days before we left and had a very loose plan of travelling through France and around the edge of Spain and Portugal. I don’t think either of us believed we were going anywhere until we actually drove on to the train at Ashford but that we did just as Spain announced restrictions in several regions, including most of those along the French border and the north coast. Still, we’d got to France and after that we didn’t really mind where we went – a month in France wouldn’t be the worst thing!
First stop was the Aire de Baie de Somme, our usual stopover when heading south through France. Great little stop on the motorway but we arrived to find most of the parking area closed – was this a sign of things to come? Looked like they were just doing some renovations so we had to park close to the main building but managed to have a decent night’s sleep.
With the news about Spain we had decided that a slow meander around the north and west coast before heading to the Pyrenees and the Alps might be a good idea as we’ve previously just passed through France on our way somewhere else. With that in mind we took a slow drive along the coast to Honfleur taking in some beautiful scenery and unexpected fun driving.
23rd October
Tonight’s stop was the aire at Honfleur, a huge car riverside car park close to the centre of the town and usually overflowing with motorhomes. We arrived about 4pm and secured a waterside pitch and although the aire got busier it was still relatively quiet. Cost for 24 hours was €11.
Whilst we are avoiding busy places, we took the short walk into town for dinner. A number of restaurants were closed and those which were open were operating a reduced capacity. It was such a good evening though that we decided to sit outside overlooking the harbour to enjoy a seafood feast!
Before going to dinner, we checked the Spanish travel websites and the map and worked out that we could go back to the original plan (well a slightly amended version of the original version of this trip – I think this is going to become a common theme!) and go to Spain but take a different route avoiding the travel restrictions in the north.
24th October
With the change in plans today was a driving day, heading south. The weather was grey with occasional showers but throughout a strong wind – Bob said he felt like he’s had a full workout by the time we got to our overnight stop. Tonight, we’re in another riverside aire at Bruère-Allichamps, a reasonable size aire with hard and grass parking plus hook up. Cost for the night was €9.79 plus €5 for the Camping-Car Park card which we can recharge as needed and use at other CCP aires.
25th October
Tonight’s destination is the town of Millau but despite it being almost all motorway we get to drive through the Massif Central and across the Millau Viaduct, a stunning piece of engineering. A first today with June finally getting behind the wheel of this van and taking a short turn at driving.
We arrived in Millauearly enough to go for a short walk along the river and around the old town. We’re in another CCP aire, two minutes walk from the river which costs €11.01 for a night. After two nights parked under trees we have come to the conclusion that that’s not a good idea when it’s raining as they drip constantly all night!
26th October
From Millau we were moving on to Carcassonne to visit the old medieval fortified city. The route given by the sat-nav was again motorway all the way but we’re always keen to explore the slightly more adventurous roads and the 2-3 hour journey became a full day of winding roads and glorious autumnal forests which gradually became vineyards as we came down from the mountains.
There is an aire located next to the Cite Campsite which is about 15 minutes walk from the old city along the River Aude and costs €15 plus 22c per person per night. We were staying here for two nights to have the time to visit the city and catch up on some general house keeping.
As of today, due to the entire Basque region going into total lockdown and much of the rest of Spain under curfew we decide that we are going to spend the entire trip in France.
27th October
After the rain stopped, we had a bright and sunny morning exploring Carcassonne including paying to visit the Chateau Comtal and the city ramparts (€9.50 each for an unguided tour). It was well worth the entrance fee and pre-booking a timeslot was a good idea as we didn’t have to queue. Whilst it is sad to see so many places closed due to COVID-19 (did manage a #clewleysstopforcoffee of course) it does mean that everywhere is relatively quiet – the city is probably heaving during summer.
Carcassonne
Our biggest expenditure today was on a detailed map book of France….
Fast forward three hours and we’re going to Spain tomorrow!!! Initially we’re aiming just across the border to Santa Pau in the Parc Natural de la Zona Volcanica de la Garrotxa before coming back to France via Andorra. The Catalonia region is still open to travel through and is the only area where you can cross the border.
28th October
Left France and crossed the border into Spain as if it was business as usual and have camped for the night in a free aire in the village of Santa Pau.
Somewhere previously it was mentioned that our plans were nothing if not flexible and we awoke this morning to the news that France may now be going into lockdown with effect from tomorrow night. The President is speaking later today so we’ll wait to see what he has to say but in the meantime we’re planning a route around Spain…..
28th October – continued!
Three hours later and another change of plan as most of Spain has gone into lockdown with no inter-regional travel allowed and France has confirmed the same. It seems we are stuck in Catalonia unless we want to head back to Calais and wait around for the next available crossing. Given it is half term and a lot of people will make the immediate decision to return home, we have no idea when that crossing would be available and at what cost.
Our other option is to stay in this area and maybe find a campsite to wait out at least the next week to see what happens next. This coming weekend is a holiday weekend in Spain so many of the travel restrictions are in place to stop people travelling for this. Thankfully we have plenty of wifi (before we came away Superdrug were doing an unbelievable offer of £20 a month with unlimited data which can be used in Europe so we have been hammering that) so it’s on to the internet to find a campsite and with the help of Google Translate, Bob fired out a few emails. Off to sleep tonight not knowing what tomorrow would bring!
29th October
Awoke to a couple of emails with one campsite able to take a week’s booking so after re-stocking the cupboard with food and drink for a week we head up into the Pyrenees to Camping Rèpos del Pedraforca.
Pedraforca, the view from our van
What a little gem this place is! We’ve booked for an initial week and can stay longer if we want. We’re in the lower part of the campsite which is mostly caravans and cabins but have hook up and easy access to water. The shower block is just a few metres away and has a washing machine and drier – will be able to leave here all clean and fresh smelling!
The campsite is really quiet at the moment (the weekend may be a different story), the weather is glorious and the scenery breath-taking.
30th October
After days seemingly stuck in the van driving, today we were able to relax and explore a little of the Parc Natural del Cadi-Moixeró with a shortish (11km) return walk to the ruins of the Monastery of Sant Sebastià del Sull. It may have been a short walk by our standards but it was all downhill from the campsite to the Río de Saldes which meant the return was all uphill….
Words cannot express the beauty of the area and the trees in their autumnal colours just added to it. Spain is so much more than the Costas and the beaches.
The ruin of Sant Sebastia del Sull
We spent a short time at the site of the ruins just taking in the silence of everything except the river running just below us and watching the eagles soaring high above the valley.
June had to test the water and can confirm it was cold!
River Saldes
31st October
A quick stroll to the local Dolmen de Molers, a megalithic burial chamber dating from the Metal Ages (1800-1400 BC). Excavations had yielded a number of archaeological finds which are now in a museum and the site remains the most important prehistoric monument in the Bergueda region.
Dolmen de Molers
1st November.
Up earlyish today for a walk to the Mirador de Gresolet with views over the Saldes valley and the surrounding mountains. Again, it wasn’t going to be too far distance wise but it wasn’t going to be flat with a total ascent of almost 700m in the first 7km.
Mirador de Gresolet from our starting point
Luckily the big height gains occurred as short, sharp climbs and a lot of the walk was in the forest and protected from the sun (we have had a very hot few days). The effort though was worth it for a lunch with a view!
Home made pasties
Contrary to the previous walk, it was mostly downhill on the way back.
2nd November
An easy day after yesterday’s walk but surprisingly neither of us ached too much! One advantage of the restricted travel is that we’re getting a taste of really living in the van rather than holidaying in it and have had plenty of time to organise (and reorganise) everything we currently deem “essential”. It’s a slow process but we are getting there.
Time to tidy the shed
Van days are also needed to keep on top of the chores (cleaning and washing still needs to be done) but are also cooking days – homemade bread is becoming the norm, and it’s the opportunity to be inventive with whatever we have to keep to a minimum what gets thrown away!
3rd November
Weather has closed in a bit today so we headed down the mountain in search of the nearest LPG station which was in Puig-reig, about a 45km drive away. With the help of the app called myLPG.euThis also gave the chance to stop in Berga again to pick up a few fresh items from the supermarket.
It has been good to see that mask wearing is the norm here and even in the street, almost everyone complies with the law, far more than the number back home.
On the way back we stopped for lunch by the side of the Pantá de la Baells (more lake than bog – the literal translation of “pantá”!) with a view over the Baells dam.
4th – 7th November
The weather is a bit all over the place at the moment (probably to be expected given it is November!) one day being wet and the next being sunny and clear again, so we did a couple of shorter walks to explore more of the area and had a couple of van days getting on with the admin that life in general throws out. As more Spanish provinces seem to be tightening their COVID rules and locking down even more, we decided to stay another week at the campsite. At €18 a day for everything we need and with a stunning view, there seems little reason to move.
One of these days did throw up a record of which we should not be proud – the lowest ever daily total of steps recorded by the Fitbit! On Saturday 7th November, June managed the incredible total of just 471 steps…. It was very wet outside and in a van less than 7m long, there are only so many steps you can do!
However we are pleased that the above was an exception and we have done our best to take as many of the footpaths from the campsite as possible around the eastern side of the Pedraforca Massif. The mountain itself was created after the collision of two tectonic plates and subsequent folding of the rocks to leave two limestone peaks (the Pollegons) and inbetween, the fork (the Enforcadura) where the softer rocks have eroded away to form large scree slopes on either side of the mountain. This has given the mountain its unique profile which features on the local, regional flag.
There are a number of Romanesque churches found in small villages and there are the remains of a medieval castle just outside Saldes.
8th November
Today we got off our backside to walk to the aforementioned castle and church on the mountain above Saldes. Although none of our walks here have been that long, they have not been flat and after today’s one we certainly qualified for our mountain goat badges!
The walk to the castle involved descending part way down the valley from the campsite and then heading up hill again, into, through and beyond Saldes, zig-zagging upwards for a total of almost 200m.
After bagging our first geocache in the area (not for lack of trying with others!) we then started back down to the valley floor through the forested hillsides. Much of the track seemed to be following a dried up steam bed – a little slippery and steep in places and by the time we got to the bottom the knees were screaming!
We took a few minutes to have a snack by the river which was running faster and deeper after the previous day’s rain – when we’d been up at the castle, which was over 300m above the valley floor, the only noise was the river.
9th November
Van day just pottering and cooking. We didn’t know if we’d get bored with these quieter days but so far we’re both adjusting well to not doing much and even more so being that we are in exceptional times at the moment and can’t move freely around. Once we’re out on the road fulltime we don’t think we would ordinarily spend as long in one place.
10th November
After spending almost two weeks looking at Pedraforca and walking most of the eastern edges, it seemed right that we had to get a little closer at least once so today the plan was to drive to Gosol, about 10km from the campsite, to see how far we could get up the western side where the peaks are supposedly more accessible…. After an earlyish start we found the car park in Gosol which was very quiet (we reckon the town would be heaving in the summer) and began the long, slow climb.
Car park was a bit muddy but it had been raining hard
The first part of the walk is uphill along a farm track and is very boring – boring to the point that we both thought if the rest of the walk is going to be like this then we’re not going to enjoy it! After about 1km (and a gain of 148m) we entered the forest and our mood changed very quickly. The path continued uphill but became more challenging as we were climbing over rocks and tree roots of the pine woods on the flanks of the Serra de la Tossa. After 2.3km and 475m of climb we reached the Pla de la Serra, a flat grassy plateau with breath-taking views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. A good place for a #clewleysstopforcoffee!
#ClewleysStopForCoffee
We carried on walking for another 700m to a height of almost 2,000m which gave us a total climb of 586m. Having looked at the scree slopes we decided that this was the point at which we turn around and do the whole walk in reverse. It is possible to get to the top of Pollego Superior but this involved crossing the loose scree and then scrambling over boulders – not something we fancied. Turned out to be a good call as the weather closed in a little as we finished our descent and if we had been up at the peak, we’d have got a little wet!
The way to the top was across the scree between the peaks.
The walk back down definitely qualified us for our advanced mountain goat badges and thankfully we had walking poles with us today as they came into their own with the steep (over 40% gradient in places) and slippery path. We stopped again at the Pla de la Serra just to take it all in, and whilst not in religious way, be thankful for what we have and are able to do.
After lunch we walked around the town a little but being siesta time (plus COVID) everything was closed.
June’s home made empanadas for lunch
It did seem like it would be a good place to visit with a couple of restaurants and bars around the edge of a small square. The town also has a connection with Picasso and there is small museum dedicated to him. We walked up through the steep streets to visit the church and castle ruins from where we could over the plain to where we had walked earlier.
Gosol
11th November
Our last full day on the campsite so it was housework day. With not knowing where we’d be staying from now until we got home on 21st November, it was a day to get all the washing wash done and tanks filled and emptied as necessary.
Although this area had not been part of our original trip, we were so lucky to have found the campsite and it was the perfect place for us to stay for two weeks, especially as the alternative was to head straight back to the UK. It’s not somewhere we would stay in the summer but would be great for families with lots to do on site, but we saw few people whilst we were there and with the weather being so good, we were able to get out and explore the wider area on foot.
12th November
Moving day and having checked the travel restrictions, we’re heading to Andorra. Looking at the map, it should be a fairly straight route but that’s not our style so there was a slight detour towards the Tossa Pelada, a peak of 2,379m and a perfect place for a #clewleysstopforcoffee. It was then a journey back down to the village of Tuixen, along a few windy roads to the town of La Seu d’Urgell and on to the border with Andorra.
Tuixen
The border crossing was surprisingly easy and we parked at our glamorous overnight spot of the lower carpark of the River Commercial Centre car park in Sant Julia de Loria. Not as picturesque as the last two weeks but we needed food and at least there was a loud, fast moving river next to us which covered the traffic noise.
13th November
Time to get out of the town and make our way back into the mountains. Lots of driving today (mostly just for the sake of it!) following the marked roads to the west of the main road which runs through Andorra. It’s funny in that you can always tell the towns and villages that have hosted a major cycle race (both the Tour de France and the Vuelta de Espana regularly visit the Pyrenees) as despite the terrain and gradients and the harsh winters, the tarmac is immaculate!
First stop was the top of the valley above Pal where the road literally runs out when you reach the Spanish border
Andorra to the left and Spain to the right
From there we visited another ski resort, Arinsal and then the road out of Ordino where there is another ski resort (Ordino Arcalis) at the head of the valley. There is no snow around at the moment and very few people around so the large car parks in the skiing areas make for great overnight spots and we had two undisturbed nights here.
14th November
Another unplanned stay but worth the visit as there is plenty of good walking from the car park and with no light pollution, an amazing view of the night sky.
Orion passing by
We followed one of the footpaths which should have taken us around the lakes that have formed in the bowl below the Pic de Tristagne however we were only able to go halfway as the path disappeared under a rockfall. Instead we took the lower path around the edge of the lakes back to the van, which was still a stunning walk.
A walk around the Estany Lakes
15th November
In need of facilities we slowly inched back down the valley to an aire in the town of Massana. It’s nothing more than a roadside carpark but we’re able to empty and refill before moving to the mountains in the east of Andorra. The aire also has wifi access which we were grateful for as Andorra is not covered in any of the data packages we have and for the past two days we’ve relied on a (closed) café whose wifi became available during their usual opening hours!
16th November
Not our best night as it was noisy, there was a lot of light from outside and the wifi wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be! We did realise afterwards that we could have paid for a short stay in the car park and used the facilities before moving straight on – something to remember for next time.
Moan over and it was back to the mountains, this time to the car park of the Granelvalira ski resort in Gau-Roig. Unfortunately, weight restrictions meant we couldn’t take the winding road over the mountain but it was only a short journey and still very picturesque.
Again, we had the whole carpark to ourselves with the exception of a few workmen preparing the ski facilities for the upcoming season (although it would appear that it’s the local equivalent of a supermarket car park and there was an abundance of learner drivers practising manoeuvres!), and again we were able to connect to the wifi of a closed information office.
17th November
Last hike of the trip which like all the others wasn’t flat! This one followed a ski lift up the mountain and then back down another ski run after a short distance of picking our way downhill through a boulder field to a lake – good place for coffee and cake.
With very little light pollution, it was a good place to watch the Leonid Meteor shower and we managed to capture some footage on the GoPro.
18th -21st November
Time to start the journey home. We planned to stop tonight in the motorhome car park in El Pas de la Casa, a large “shopping resort” on the French border and only a very short distance from where we were. As Andorra is duty free (diesel was 77p a litre as opposed to around £1.12 at home) we thought we’d do a bit of shopping first but decided just to use the facilities in the car park (free for 30 mins) so the tanks were full/empty for the trip to Calais. This would also mean that we could have a slightly more relaxed drive and not have to cover 1,000km in two days and nor would we be staying in motorway aires.
A slight detour as we left Andorra led us back to almost where we started and meant that we had to use a tunnel at a cost – the plan was to avoid toll roads on the way home as we had the extra time. We managed to stick to that plan right until we got to Boulogne where we joined the motorway a junction too early so had to pay one final toll in France (one to pay for the Dart Crossing in the UK). Still we managed to save around €100 in relation to the journey down through France.
The road home took us via aires in Cahors, a quiet 3-van site riverside and surprisingly quiet for being town centre, Theillay, a small piece of ground on a bend on a road between some farm storage and a cemetery (very quiet!) and finally Berck, about an hour from Calais, in a large beachside motorhome carpark that was very windy!
Berck
The drive had been quieter than we anticipated as the French were obeying their lockdown rules and although we saw a few vehicles in supermarket car parks, most of the traffic on the road was lorries. As required, we had printed copies of the attestation document for each day of the journey and a screenshot on the phone of the French translation of “we are travelling to our home in the UK” but despite seeing plenty of Gendarme, we were not stopped. We’d also lodged our contact details with the UK Gov website as once back in the UK, we’d have to go into quarantine for 14 days.
We were up sharp on the Saturday to prep the van to drive back to the UK and directly to the storage site where it would probably stay for a couple of months. The last day’s driving was uneventful although the UK roads were far busier than France, despite the UK also being in lockdown and only “essential” travel allowed.
We prefer to use the tunnel for ease
22nd November
We’ve been home since yesterday afternoon; bags are unpacked and the washing machine has been going non-stop all morning. We had an amazing month away despite the challenges of COVID which, initially, made us constantly have to revise our plans. We could have just given up after the first week when France and then Spain, region by region, closed their borders but a bit of luck and some random emails led us to the campsite in Saldes which proved to be an ideal place to spend a couple of weeks. We found a beautiful area of Spain to explore which was not on our original route and it added to our thought that northern Spain is such an under-rated region. We will certainly be back.
We did weigh up the situation with staying remote in Spain and Andorra vs coming home and saw no advantage to returning to the UK until our scheduled date. The only concession we made was to do a few big supermarket shops rather than multiple visits to village shops or markets which was nothing different to what we’d do at home. In fact, it felt safer in Spain as we saw few people not wearing masks even as they walked in the street and we were actually stopped for not using hand sanitiser as we entered a supermarket (we had used our own a couple of minutes earlier when taking a trolley).
Amazon has been hit hard today with things we found missing from the van which we will need when we move in to it next year to travel full time. Maps for planning the next trip were also in the basket as we start working on Plan B for 2021, just in case COVID continues to rumble on and postpone the big Canada and Pan American Highway trip.
Whatever happens in 2021, whether it’s driven by COVID or Brexit (that’s another story!), we will be travelling – there’s still so much of this world to see!
Can we just state that at the moment we are still working! It might not look like it with all this time away and we are definitely in wind down mode to the end of the year when we both stop in anticipation of going full time, but for the time being we are fitting the travelling around work.
The van was a year old in August and as part of the warranty, it needed a check and the underneath to be sealed. As we hadn’t bought the van locally to home, we knew this would entail a trip to Norfolk and after having sorted the youngest’s move date to university (coincidentally also to Norfolk for the Norwich University of the Arts) we decided to make the trip a week and split it over two locations.
Eastwood Whelpton
First stop was a CL at Eastwood Whelpton boat yard located in the Norfolk Broads in the village of Upton. A quiet little spot with minimal facilities but with the solar panels and extra leisure batteries we can easily do a few days without hook up. If you’re into boating and sailing it’s a good base but we’re not so we stuck to walking through the multiple paths across the Broads. A large area of the wetlands here was purchased by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and managed back to its previous marsh state. There is now lots of arable farming (the marshes had previously been drained) and the area is home to some of Norfolk’s rarest wildlife.
Eastwood Whelpton
We ventured into the village a couple of times and along the way bought plums and apples from outside a house – a large bag of each for a grand total of £1! There is a community run pub, the White Horse, and adjoining community shop, both of which we used and would recommend.
After the bank holiday it was a quick trip to Becks to get the van work done and get a couple of spares which we might need for future travels (not sure of the availability of Hymer spares in the depths of Alaska!). Sadly, we couldn’t get the carpets sorted (three lots from Germany and none of them fitted!) but no problem with the refund so we can go and get some made to measure. One of the reasons we went to Becks was their reputation for aftercare and customer service and although we’ve not had any major issues with the van, they have been helpful when needed.
Van all sorted, we headed off the following day to Rutland Water where we’re staying at The Paddock campsite, although only the CL field and without any hook up. It’s a very tidy, adults only site with easy access to the reservoir and our plan was for a bit more walking and, for the first time in almost two years, getting on our bikes! The nearby village has a well stocked shop (the Edith Weston Village Store) although you have to watch the opening hours as we missed it one day – not sure if it’s because it is run by volunteers or due to COVID that the hours are limited.
The Paddock Campsite
Having explored on foot a little of the path which runs around the reservoir, the bikes were prepped for the following day.
The cycleway/footpath is a mix of paved road and some rougher off-road patches and on the whole was gently undulating although there were a couple of short steep sections where we have to admit to getting off and walking! The total distance was about 37km and considering how long it had been since our last ride, we felt remarkably good at the end.
Certainly a site that we would go back to and even more so given the short time it took us to drive home – we hadn’t realised how easy a drive it was!
After spending a night at the campsite next to where we store the van, it was back down the A303 again for another re-arranged weekend and this time with two fellow motorhome owning couples and former colleagues of Bob. After a really hot spell the weather forecast was not so good and we set off in torrential rain but luckily it brightened up as we got further from home. The early start also paid off and although it was slow in places, we kept moving all the way.
Our destination was Damage Barton Campsite near Woolacombe. Not our usual type of campsite (seaside during school holidays) but a great location and somewhere our friends knew well. The site is close to the South West Coastal path so the days would be spent walking and the then the evenings reminiscing over a beer or two!
Damage BartonHaving all arrived around the same time it was off to Lee to stretch the legs, trying to avoid the rain but that wasn’t overly successful. It definitely got the legs going though, as did all the walks this weekend, as the coastal path is known for its ups and downs! At least with the motorhome we are able to come home to central heating and a hot shower. Got our first complaint that night from the miserable couple opposite who complained we were making too much noise – it was 10.30 on a Saturday night and all we were doing was talking!
Up the following day for a walk across the headland to Woolacombe Bay and a pasty on the beach for lunch! The sun had come out and it was a glorious day with the rain only resuming when we were just five minutes away from the van on our way back. Luckily only a shower this time so BBQs were out that night resulting in complaint number two! This time it was only 6.30 and our conversation was again the target of our neighbour’s grumbling despite all the children running around and other people being outside their vans. Some people just like to moan! What was funny though is when he came over to ask “which one of you is the ex-cop?”. We didn’t have the heart to tell them that only one out of the six of us wasn’t but as our number plate includes “999” you would have thought that he might have had some clue as to who one was!
The final day’s walking was out to the Bull Point Lighthouse and then to Morte Point along the rugged coastline. We had forgotten how spectacular the area is.
The weather returned to that forecasted that evening with the wind getting up and the rain coming back in again – just as June was queueing at the fish and chip van which visits the site every Monday. Timing wasn’t so good as everyone seemed to have gone for their dinners at the same time but on the upside, we knew that it was freshly cooked!
Bit of storm damage
Despite out initial reservations it was a great campsite and although far larger than we’d usually go for, it was well spaced and overall, pretty quiet. It’s affiliated to both the CCC and MCC so has to keep to certain standards and to thrown in the COVID need for social distancing and cleanliness, it was doing a really good job!
This was originally scheduled for May but luckily, we were able to rearrange for this weekend and by this time more of the COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted.
Bob had arranged this weekend as a surprise so June had no idea where they were going other than in a westerly direction! Turned out to be Combe Saint Nicholas near Chard in Somerset and the accommodation was “The Pod”.
The Pod
Another weekend with nothing much planned and as it was the weather was so good all we did do was enjoy the weather and the beautiful surroundings. The only disturbance to the peace and quiet came when Bob decided to play with his drone and had to rescue it from the field behind us which was reached by walking through a stream and some trees. He says it was the wind that took it away and nothing to do with his flying skills…..
Chill Time
The Pod was completely self-contained with everything we needed for the weekend plus a jacuzzi on the deck (all included in the price). All we had for company were the ducks, Flopsy and Gizmo the sheep and George, the automatic lawn mower that came out of its house a few times a day!
It was a perfect weekend finished off with sitting in the jacuzzi on Saturday night with a glass of good red wine doing a bit of stargazing.
How excited are we? Lockdown restrictions are being eased so we’re off for the first proper long weekend of the year having cancelled too many previously planned trips. And our choice destination? We’re going a whole 23 miles from home to Hill Farm Campsite near Wendover. This was a new place for us as we had received no replies from our usual local hideaways but given all the uncertainty and requirements to be COVID safe it wasn’t surprising. Turned out to be a good choice and probably now our preferred local campsite!
New Favourite Local Campsite
The plan for the weekend was some walking, some relaxing and spending some time trying to bed the new van in. With no travel since a quick weekend visit to Preston in January to have air suspension fitted on the rear, we haven’t had much of a chance to get things organised as it’s going to take a while for everything to find its home.
Highest point in the Chilterns at 876ft
And that’s exactly what we did do! Wendover Woods is Forestry England land which has received significant investment in recent years and now boasts a huge café with a large outside area overlooking the countryside. Of course this was the perfect excuse for a #clewleysstopforcoffee! Apart from the café, there are plenty of well signed walking trails for all ages and abilities (the Woods contain the highest point in the Chilterns at 876ft so potential for lots having to walk uphill!), a bridle path around the edge and a couple of areas designated for off road biking. The campsite is adjacent to the woods with easy access across a field.
As well as walking within the Woods, we also took a longer walk to Coombe Hill where there is a memorial to the Boer War. This area was once part of the Chequers Estate (the UK PM’s country retreat) and from the top there are stunning views across The Vale of Aylesbury and Buckinghamshire. Coombe Hill is in the northern Chilterns and forms part of the Ridgeway National Trail which starts near by at Ivinghoe Beacon and runs south west for 87 miles to Overton Hill near Avebury in Wiltshire.
Combe Hill
This walk involved dropping down from the highest point in the Woods, crossing through the gap in the Chilterns in which Wendover sits and then climbing up to the monument and of course reversing it to come back – a total of over 1200ft in ascent. The coffee and cake on the way back at Rumsey’s Chocolaterie was certainly deserved! Wendover is, indecently, Bob’s maternal home and his mums family can be traced as living there since the 1700s.
The Ridgeway in Wendover Woods
Back to the campsite. It is a small, well maintained, family run Camping and Caravan Club CS for five motorhomes/caravans and then a separate field for tents. There are three individual shower/toilet rooms, all immaculately clean, and washing up facilities. The lack of light pollution means that it is also well positioned for watching the night sky and we were lucky enough to catch Comet Neowise as it passed over. We really enjoyed staying and will be going back (already booked for September).
The mission to see the Northern Lights continues and we find ourselves back in Iceland for a long weekend with our good friends Sarah and Colin. Having covered the Reykjavik area and the south coast during our last trip, this time we were heading north of the capital to a lodge on a hillside not too far from the town of Borganes.
The recent weather had been quite stormy (and that’s stormy by Icelandic standards!) with the airport being closed at one point but we arrived safely. First stop was for the essential supplies:
That will keep us going for at least two days
Having picked up the rental car, a 4 x 4 was essential, it was a relatively calm drive from the airport to Borganes for lunch and a trip to the supermarket to stock up on food. Iceland is very expensive so the plan was to eat at home as much as possible and keep the eating out to lunchtime only.
Although the weather was calm, there had been recent snowfall and arriving at the property we couldn’t get right to the top of the driveway to unload the car!
Not a bad location
We’d picked a remote house this time to stay away from the city lights in the hope of getting the best view should the Lights come out to play. The house had stunning views across the Borgarfjörður and we’d get to see them, or not as the case may be, in all weather conditions. The hot tub was also on the to do list.
An early start the following morning to get to Þingvellir National Park so as we could go snorkelling, yes snorkelling, in the water of the Silfra fissure, one of the cracks in the rift valley between the European and American tectonic plates. This was one of Bob’s bucket list items and with a big birthday coming up, it seemed a good time to do this. The weather was closing in again with another storm on its way and when we arrived we were told that all tours were being moved up to the morning so people could get out of the park before the storm hit. Didn’t sound good!
Before the dive
We were told to wear full thermals and thick socks which we did and were provided with a dry suit, gloves, mask, snorkel and fins. The water temperature was 2ºC but because they were trying to squeeze everyone into the morning session, we had to wait for a couple of hours before getting in the water and that was bloody freezing! Getting into the water was an actual relief and the only area of skin exposed, the face, soon goes numb.
The experience was amazing and we would highly recommend it. The water is so clear
Crystal clear water
After a quick lunch in Reykjavik we hightailed it back to the house to sit out the storm – we had intended to go snowmobiling on a glacier the following day but that had been cancelled. With nothing much else to do that day it seemed a good thing to drink red wine and watch out of the window.
The weather had cleared the following morning so it was in the car and off to explore a bit more of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula on the west coast. We stopped at an amazing cafe near Arnarstapi for a warming homemade meat soup and coffee. It was like sitting in someone’s front room from years gone by.
#ClewleysStopForCoffee
We also walked along some of the wild coastline between Stepi and Hellnar.
From there it was on to Vatnshellir where there is a 8,000 year old lava tube which lies underground. You can only go underground with a guide and whilst this wouldn’t be the only reason to visit the area, if you’re in the area it’s something different to do.
Entrance to the lava tube
Inside the lava tube
We continued driving round the perimeter of the peninsula passing Kirkjufell which would be well known to fans of Game of Thrones (not us!).
Tonight was hot tub night. Bob braved the cold (something like -8ºC with the windchill!) to fill the tub. Hot water is in plentiful supply throughout Iceland as it comes from geothermal sources in the ground. All that was needed after that was to open the Prosecco. Cheers!
Hot tub night
For our last full day we went north towards Hvitserkur, a sea stack which according to legend was a troll caught by the sunrise while attempting to destroy the monastery at Þingeyrar. Great fun getting down to the beach as well!
Hvitserkur
Driving back we had a little problem with one of the roads being closed by a landslide so Bob had to reverse back to be able to turn around. Doesn’t sound so bad but then I should add that the road had an 18% slope, was mountainside and just one vehicle wide…. A few nervous moments but it takes a lot to faze Bob!
We had to return to the airport late the following afternoon so on the way back we headed to the mighty Gullfoss which even when partially frozen is still a breathtaking sight.
GullfossOne last detour took us to Kerið, a 6,500 year old explosion crater.
Kerið
Another amazing trip to this fascinating country and we still want to come back again but probably the next trip will be a summer one and maybe a Route 1 road trip around the island. As for the Northern Lights….well they continued to evade us, or did they? When we got home we found this on one of the cameras:
Not seen by the naked eye but definitely there!
Not seen by the naked eye but definitely there! But we now have the perfect excuse for next year’s trip. Norway or Finland here we come.
For this trip we were going with Amy and Chloe, something we hadn’t done for a few years. Had to go during the half term as it was the only time we could all get together.
The day before we left the UK we had a bit of an issue when we found that you could no longer get a tourist visa at the airport. June had been to Turkey with work several times and had always paid for the visa on arrival. When checking the cost on the Friday afternoon June found that was no longer the case and you had to get a e-visa. Thankfully it was a simple online process with immediate delivery of the visa but at $36 each, slightly more expensive than the previous £10 on arrival!
This was a British Airways holiday and having arrived in Istanbul late afternoon, we had a pre-arranged transfer who took us to the Hotel Byzantium in the old City. When we got there we were told that due to planned building work going on in the hotel we would have to stay in another hotel next door for one night…. Not a good start but it got better.
We had chosen the Byzantium as it was right in the middle of everything in the Sultanahmet area and surrounded by restaurants and cafes.
The first night, somewhat spoiled for choice, we ate at the Magnaura. Really nice restaurant. The girls went back to the hotel while we had a short bimble.
Blue Mosque
Sunday 16th February
The next morning we returned to the Byzantium where the staff were very apologetic about our first night and quickly sorted us out with a family 2 room suite.
Once settled in we headed off to Hagia Sophia. As we arrived there were quite long queues for tickets. At that point Omer, (omercakircali@yahoo.com) a local guide, approached us and won us over with his patter and the fact he could by-pass the queues….
Once in Hagia Sophia Omer came into his own. His ‘bullet point’ guide style was perfect for us as he showed us around the stunning building.
Hagia Sophia
It was hard to miss the fact that there was a lot of renovation going on, not just here, but at a lot of the other tourist attractions. I guess it must be a constant job with buildings as old as these.
Omer left us for 30 minutes to look about for ourselves before we caught up with him again to visit the Basilica Cistern which at 9,800 square metres, is the largest of the cisterns that lie beneath the city. Originally fed with water from 19 kms away to the north via aqueducts
This setting was used in Dan Brown’s Inferno and other films. It is a real must go to place.
Basilica Cistern
Again this was having work carried out and once completed you will be able to walk on a glass floor looking down on fish in the water below.
Several of the columns in the cistern are recycled and include one carved with the head of Medusa and installed upside down as it was the best fit. After all when under water the fish won’t mind too much.
Medusa column
After a tasty lunch at the Karadeniz we returned to the hotel for an afternoon kip….. Well it had been a busy day 🙂
That evening we ate at the Turkuaz gurme Restaura just a few metres from the hotel, again really nice food…. This was going to be the theme of the stay to be honest.
Monday 17th February
At the hotel we had bought a ticket for a IBO boat trip on the Bosphorus, a short cable car ride and coach ride around the old city walls.
We were collected from the hotel at 10.30 and headed off to the moorings and then headed off along the Golden Horn and into the Bosphorus. The day was beautiful with clear blue skies. There were no more that 30 of us on the boat, but we can imagine in full season it would be crowded and you wouldn’t have the space that we did.
We passed many palaces and beautiful buildings as we headed north towards the Black Sea. After about an hour we moored up at Bebek where we jumped off the boat and grabbed a coffee at the best Starbucks in Istanbul. Well the view across the Bosphorus was stunning.
The return was along the eastern side of the channel and passing Maiden’s Tower before returning to the starting point.
Once moored we jumped on to the coach and headed off to Pierre Loti a cafe with a bit of a view across the Golden Horn
View from Pierre Loti Cafe
The cable car was a little disappointing but I guess it was never going to compare with those in the Alps.
The coach then took us on a short trip around the City walls where the guide explained that it actually consisted of 3 walls and that is why it was quite a secure city ‘in the day’
Beautiful meal and wonderful location. Thank you Amy and Chloe.
Tuesday 18th February
Today was a wandering day.
First we headed to the stunning Blue Mosque where like many of the places we visited there was restoration work going on. It remains a functioning mosque and was built between 1609 and 1616. It constantly amazes us how these huge building were built without today’s construction equipment.
Blue Mosque
Next on the list was the Galata Bridge. One of the bridges over the Golden Horn.
On the bridge there are dozens of fishermen catching small to medium size fish that they then sell to commuters on their way home.
#ClewleysStopForCoffee
After a coffee, of course, we continued over the bridge to the Galata Tower where you can get a great view over the city. This nine story tower is almost 67 metres high and was built in medieval times.
Galata Tower
From the tower we meandered back to the Galata Bridge where we had fish for lunch. When I say fish, they brought out a whole Sea Bass weighing 1.4 kilos for us to inspect. Off it went to the kitchen to be cooked coming back very tasty.
That night we ate at the Babylonia Garden Terrace Restaurant. Again very good food.
Wednesday the 19th February
Topkapı Palace was the first place on the list today… This is a large museum and previously the main palace for the Ottoman Sultans.
Topkapı Palace
After dropping into Hafiz Mustafa for coffee and sweets, great recommendation Imran) we headed off to the spice bizarre and what is regarded as one of the first ‘shopping malls’ in the world, the Grand Bizarre.
We could have wandered around here for days on end. Much like a calmer version of the Souks in Marrakesh it has stalls for everything you could think of. Amy came away with a silver chain and pendant…. the rest of us came away with wallets intact.
Grand Bazaar
Grand Bazaar
Thursday the 20th February
Today was going to be a little different. One of June’s former work colleagues is Turkish and lives in Istanbul and they hadn’t met for over 20 years.
The tube system in the city is clean and, from what we saw, very efficient. Fortunately we met a German guy, who is now living in Istanbul, who seemed to pick up that we hadn’t a clue where to get the tickets ( apparently the Oyster card from London doesn’t work 🙂 ). He took pity on us and led us to the platform where we bought 4 tickets and off we headed to Haciosman at the end of the line.
A few minutes later we were picked up by Ozge and we taken for coffee of course. It was great to meet her and hear about the real Istanbul life.
Ozge took us to Emek Mantı for lunch which was was great. We had some great recommendations including, Cig Borek, a deep-fried turnover with a filling of ground or minced meat and onions and Manti, dumplings with spiced ground meat and onion, is one of the all time favourite dishes in Turkey.
Mantı
After lunch June and the girls headed off to the hotel spa for a bit of pampering – you can’t come to Istanbul and not have some sort of scrub down and massage!
That evening we ate at the Şiva Cafe Restaurant which was almost next to the hotel we were staying at. The food was really good. June and I having a kebab that was cooked in a clay type pot which was then set alight before serving… Lots of show 🙂
Friday the 21st February
This afternoon we would catch the flight home but not before more food and coffee at Hakki Zadc where Bob tried Tavuk Gogsu. Ozge had recommended this the day before but even for me there is a limit to how much I can eat in one day.
This sweet dish is milk pudding made from shredded chicken. Yes you read that right shredded chicken. It is one of the signature dishes of Turkey and sprinkled with cinnamon it is beautiful. Like a think white blancmange in texture and no chicken taste at all. However as milk causes Bob to cough it did cause a few irritations for a few days.
It also rained a little today, which was the first we had seen. We had been very fortunate with the weather with blue skies.
Oh how we laughed
This was a great trip and we would really recommend Istanbul. The hotel we used was in a perfect location for us and what we did.
June had travelled to Tel Aviv many times for work but never really had time to explore too much. As this looked like being her last trip (redundancy imminent) we decided to tag on a few days so as Bob could join her and see some of the sites.
Tel Aviv is a city of contrasts and probably not what a lot of people expect. The beachfront is no different to many European resorts and there are plenty of good bars, cafes and restaurants to be found. Recent years have also seen the growth of small boutique hotels which are great alternatives to big (and expensive chains) which have typically dominated the market. We stayed in the Hotel 22 Rothschild which is centrally located and just a short 10 minute walk to the beach.
Once work was over we took a late afternoon stroll along the beach to the old port of Jaffa to watch the sun go down and enjoy dinner at The Old Man and The Sea restaurant – great place where you choose your fish main course and they bring 20+ bowls (small bowls!) of various salads which are constantly replaced. The fresh bread is to die for but be careful not to fill up on bread and humus before the main arrives!
With the public transport system being mostly buses and Tel Aviv often paralysed by traffic jams, we booked two coach tours so we could get out of the city. On the first trip we headed north along the coast as far as the Lebanon border with stops at the following:
Caesarea – ancient Roman ruins of Herod’s Harbour and the amphitheatre, one of the biggest built during the Roman era.
Haifa – a quick stop to see the terraced Baha’i Gardens, the headquarters of the Baha’i faith
Rosh Hanrika – limestone grottos carved out of the white cliffs and right on the border with Lebanon
Acre – a UNESCO World Heritage Site of fortified city walls and underground Crusader passageways used by the Knights of St John
No trip to Israel is complete without a visit to Jerusalem which we combined with also visiting Bethlehem.
Our first stop of the day was dedicated to another “king” – the Elvis diner. This was certainly more of our more unique #clewleystopsforcoffee!
From there it was onto the outskirts of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives for views across the city.
We then left the coach and walked into the old town via the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall). As it was a Saturday and the Sabbath we were unable to take photos of those in prayer at the Wall but from a small distance you can see why this is such a troubled area with the Dome of The Rock and the Al-Aqua Mosque sitting right on top of it, all highly significant places in their respective religions.
In the old city we walked along part of the Via Delorosa along which Jesus is said to have carried his cross, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre built on the site where he is believed to have been crucified and the location of his empty tomb. Whatever your religious beliefs, it is difficult not to feel something in this place.
In order to go on to Bethlehem we had to cross through a check point in the controversial wall being built by Israel to enter an area of the Palestinian West Bank. Here we visited the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square.
Back to Tel Aviv and tonight’s dinner was off the beaten track at a recommended Ethiopian restaurant called Balinjera. There is a large population of Ethiopians in Israel after two waves of mass immigration assisted by the Israel government between 1984 and 1991. The food was totally new to us but delicious!
We spent our last morning around Tel Aviv with, finally- June had never managed more than a paddle previously, a swim in the Med followed by a stroll around Carmel market.
We really enjoyed a few days in Israel and would highly recommend a visit – don’t be put off by what you see in the press. It’s a bit on the pricey side but as more places open it is getting cheaper and there are more choices with flights including EasyJet.
Our Honeymoon was 2011 however this was previously hosted on Blogger
A great trip
Friday, 20 May 2011
Almost ready to go.
Well we have the house sitter arranged ( well can’t let the grass and plants die can we?) and almost packed. Did Paddington really have this much stuff when he left deepest darkest Peru? I somehow doubt it. Early start tomorrow and we aim to update this as often as we can. Which bearing in mind we are on the Inca Trail and in the Amazon for part of the trip… May not be as often as we would like.
First day
A long flight, total of 14 hours, but we managed to get emergency exit seats to Madrid then over the wing exit to Peru. Loads of room;-)
Total of 17 in the group of all kinds I feel:-). Leader is Alex a local from Cuzco. He will be with us all the trip. Only one of the group is not doing the Inca Trail. First hotel in Lima very nice. Much better than we expected. Even free Wi-Fi. We had a short walk towards the local mall that over looks the sea. Coach leaves at 8.00 tomorrow. Off down the coast.
Sunday, 22 May 2011
First night of the honeymoon
I knew that would get some of you reading this…I would like to thank whoever put out the sign in front of our hotel saying ‘ toot the honeymoon couple as you drive past all night ‘…. Or is that normal in Deepest darkest Peru ?
Lima to Paracas
Left the hotel at 8.00 to travel south out of Lima. We passed a lot of poverty along the way. It appears in Peru a lot of people move to Lima from other part looking for a ‘better life’. Typically, like all of these type of hopes, it never materialises. However in Peru the folks can just find a plot of open land and put up a temporary building for 12 months or so. Then they approach / demonstrate to the government and they get the basic services…. Water, albeit via a bowser and electric. The result is still very basic by UK standards but at least a part way to their wish of a better life.
We stopped at Pachacamac which is a very large site that appears to have hosted many early civilisations. The area has, over many years, been excavated by various archaeologists from a few nations.
The museum is small and only had a few exhibits on display but explained the chronology of the area really well. After a trip around the ruins we managed to grab a quick coffee…..ah…The geology of the area is fascinating. On one side of the road we saw conglomerate from really heavy floods moving tonnes of rock while on the other side of the road was solid rock. The whole area was desert and the dunes stretched for miles.
Once we arrived in Paracas we went straight to a restaurant and a plate of Ceviche and beer.
Hotel not quite up to last nights Best Western but still very comfortable and probably quieter.
Later in the afternoon we visited the National Park at Paracas. To get to it we were driven across more desert landscape. The sand dunes here were yellows and redish.
At the second stop we watched the sun go down. The redish glow across the sandy desertscape was beautiful.
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Paracas to Nazca
Sign in hotel… In case of earthquake escape.
Before leaving Paracas we took a boat trip to Islas Ballestas. Fast boat to the islands which was the home to seals, Peruvian Boobies and cormorants. One or two pictures taken here as you can imagine!
Most of this part of Peru is desert but we had lunch at a beautiful oasis.
There were massive sand dunes and several restaurants. We shared our lunch with another couple on the tour and with a very loud Australian. Well she was several tables away but talking to someone on skype and clearly didn’t see the need to lower the volume of her voice. Still it was beautiful and reminded us of Meski oasis in Morocco.
After lunch we drove for miles and miles across desert. We hadn’t realised there was so much desert in Peru but nothing like the Sahara – in fact like nothing like we’ve seen before.
Then to the Nazca lines. Due to bad safety records with flying trips over the lines this option wasn’t open to us. Instead we climbed a viewing tower… Well I say a viewing tower I think it was an old water tower that had been moved. The Nazca lines were seriously underwhelming. We both expected a little more. The Peruvian government had also chopped one in half when it built the highway.
However the scenery was fabulous …. Stunning !!!!!
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
From Nazca To Inca Pueto
Several stops today starting with a burial site, just outside Nazca where all the bodies had been removed by those looking for ‘treasure’. From there it was on to the ancient underground aqueduct which still provides water to the town today (both for drinking and crop irrigation) and then the Antonini Museum which had all kinds of artefacts on display ranging from disformed skulls to cactus needles used for sowing / tapestry. After that we stopped at Taller de Artesania, a local pottery using traditional methods and designs. We then hit the Pan American Highway again heading south towards tonight’s hotel. 170km through some of the bleakest but constantly changing desert scenery. Hotel Puerto Inka is a bit of a find being nestled in a small cove on sandy beach with nothing else around it.
Tonight we will sleep not with the sounds of lorries thundering past but with the waves of the Pacific crashing on the rocks below.
June has only picked up 3 ( no 5 now) small pieces of rock so far……although she is contemplating a rock cabinet solely for Peru!! Today, maybe, we’ll manage to bag our first geocache by the Inca Ruins near to the hotel
Yes we did manage to bag a geocache as we visited the Ruins
Thursday, 26 May 2011
A day in Arequipa
Nice lay in today as we are not leaving the hotel until 9.00 for a short walk to Monasterio D Santa Catalina. Before leaving though Alex, our guide, tells us there may be problems ahead at Puno. There are strikes by the miners there (no not the children but the people who work below the ground) that are bringing the city to a grinding halt. Apparently there are 3,500 tourists trying to get but all the roads are blocked. Hey hoe… It will be what it will be but even if we have to miss Puno hopefully we’ll find a way to Lake Titicaca. We as I am sure all our readers are keen to know, Inca Belly is taking a hold of the group and desperate times call for desperate measures….
Fortunately the facilities are a little better than those of the old mother superior at the convent!
We guess it is not surprising as we even have to use bottled water to clean our teeth. We take TOO much for granted in the UK
From there it was on to the Cathedral on the main square which was very simple yet beautiful. We were also taken up to the bell towers (one of which had to be restored after the last big earthquake in 2001).
Despite not having done much other than sit on a coach for the past four days a siesta was required this afternoon! The altitude is noticeable even at this level (2,335m) but we should acclimatise albeit slowly after drinking plenty of coca tea.
From Inca Pueto to Arequipa
We have never seen so much desert. This was our fourth day of driving through desert scenery. Having said that the view is often breath taking. It was our longest day in the coach and ended up in Peru’s second city Arequipa. The hotel was formerly a colonial palace, I doubt though in colonial times they had Wi-Fi. Bob is suffering with Inca belly. Not good when you have to spend 7 hours on the coach and arrive in a city that is famous for it’s chocolate.
Saturday, 28 May 2011
And on to Chivay
Today we made a way to Chivay via …. The highest point we will reach this trip 4800m which is 3 miles high!! Highest either of us have ever been. On the way to the 4800m mark we stopped quite a few times. The guide said it was to see the llamas and alpacas. I think it was more to get us used to the height. At that height even walking a few hundred yards can take your breath away. June suffered a little with soroche ( altitude sickness) but recovered very quickly once the guide rubbed her down with some alcohol. He explained that they had forgotten the oxygen so if go had got any worse it was going to be ‘mouth to mouth’!!The scenery was stunning again. Volcanoes all around us. We stopped at the summit and even there the local had stall out selling their goods.
There was a geocache only a couple of hundred feet away but we didn’t manage to get it …. Maybe tomorrow when we return that way.
The hotel in Chivay is very nice with free Wi-Fi again!!
The latest news about the next leg to Puno is that it has been cancelled. So we won’t be getting to see lake Titicaca or Puno. We will, however, be spending more time in Cuzco which will help us acclimatise for the Inca Trail.
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Only a small flame….
An even earlier start today but managed to get the flight OK…. despite the coach driver’s attempt to stall us by turning up at the airport at 6.00am rather than the hotel. Fantastic views as we flew to Cuzco.
A little excitement as we were taxiing after landing at Cuzco. June looked out of the window to see 5 foot of flame coming out of one of the engines that started licking around the edge of the wing. This lasted for a few seconds before the pilot shut everything down PDQ. We were joined by two airport fire engines faster than a pilot can walk to the loo when it’s his round.
After a short while we were moved and allowed to disembark.
So on to the city of Cuzco. The hotel is a renovated colonial building with all mod cons. Much of the accommodation we have stayed in was described in the brochure as basic but we’ve had no complaints so far.
Alex the guide took us for an orientational walk to the main square before we had lunch and the second decent cup of coffee since we’ve been here (well for June anyway as all the milk so far has been evaporated).
The extra days in Cuzco mean that we have time to have some rest and hopefully recover from all our ailments before heading off on the trail. Also allows us to get some laundry done properly – one pair of Bob’s underpants hanging out of the window to dry is probably enough for the locals!
Canyon and Condors
On the road at 06.30!!! To go to Colca Canyon.Colca is the second deepest canyon in the world, the deepest one being Cotahuasi Canyon also in Peru. The early start was so we could see condors at Mirador Cruz del Condor. What a show they put on for us too. There must have been at least 12 condors soaring on the thermals at the cliffs edge.
As far as the canyon is concerned we both agree it is one of the most beautiful places either of us have ever seen (apart from the inside of a pilots wallet of course). It is more than 1km from cliff’s edge to river below. The photos we took will not do it justice I feel.
Along the 35 km dirt track to the viewing point we had spectacular views of Inca and Pre Inca terracing
From there, and via last nights hotel to collect one very poorly member of our group who had spent the morning in bed, we made our way back to Arequipa.
Latest Puno news is that we all catch the 8.00 flight out of Arequipa to Cuzco tomorrow and spend 2 extra days there.
Could be a lot worse we could stuck in Puno, which has been under effective siege for quite a few days now.
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Weaving, terraces and salt.
After a more respectable start of 9.00am it was off to see some of the sights surrounding Cuzco.
Our first stop was the village of Chinchero where they produce textiles using traditional Inca methods. We were given a demonstration of how the wool, sheep and alpaca, was spun, dyed and woven before being let loose in the shop. It was fascinating. From there to Moray where the Incas farmed on terraces in a bowl on the side of the mountain. This means it had it’s own micro-climate which acted like a greenhouse and a different crop grew on each level.
Our last stop was the salt pans near Maras an almost deserted former colonial town. There are approx. 3,000 pools and a person would own 5 or 6. The source of the water is deep inside the mountain where the water passes over a very large block of salt before exiting out into the valley and the pools.
On the health front we both seem to be almost back to normal and are at least eating again…..
Our favourite coffee shop so far… Trotamundos in Plaza De Armas, Cuzco.
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Spending, walking and drinking.
Today we went to the Sacred Valley. As we see more and more of this area we are growing more and more fond if it. It is truly beautiful. On the way to Pisac Market we stopped to take photos of the valley ( we will publish a link to our best shots once back in the UK and we have uploaded them to our Google Photos).Once at the Market we visited a local Silver jewellers that actually make the items on site. We managed to find each other a ‘special’ little pressie and the bank account only gave a little sigh.
From there we went to Ollantaytambo – almost a mini warm up for Machu Picchu, where we climbed 240 steps to the top. This is the site of an Inca Fortress and Terraces.
While most of the terraces have been reconstructed the main section at the top is original. It is amazing how the Inca managed to build walls without using mortar and getting the blocks to fit so flush.
There is no gap at all in between the blocks and the ones at the top are about 10 feet high by 4 feet wide. These blocks were quarried from a hill side 12 kms away the other side of the very steep valley.
On the way back to Cuzco we stopped at a house to try some Chicha.
This is a natural alcoholic drink made from maize. I think we were all expecting something a little rank but were pleasantly surprised. The girlies had a special version made by adding strawberries.
Thursday, 2 June 2011
A bimble before the storm
Today was our last day before the 48 km hike starts. First place on the tour was Sacsayhuaman. This is a large Inca ruin above the city of Cuzco. Typical Incan stone work but some massive blocks. Including one at 30 feet.
We then walked down into the old town part of Cuzco and saw where the Spanish destroyed the Incan temples but then built over them. You can see clearly the remains of the Incan building at the base. Still after the 1650 and 1950 earthquakes it was the Inca buildings which were still standing. We also saw the 12 angled stone which when you consider what tools they had is quite a feat.
About midday we had a briefing from ‘Hector’ our guide for the Inca trail. Few of the group are starting to get a bit anxious about the climb on the second day and about what bag to take
Lunch at our, now, favourite coffee bar…. Well now is not the time to experiment with food. It seemed most of the group felt the same way as they slowly joined us.
We spent the rest of the afternoon continuing our cultural tour of Cuzco finishing off as the sun went down with a large Cuzquena beer, sitting in one of the numerous small squares. Here we met Angela. A 12 year old who, like many adults and children, try to sell the tourists various craft items. She was a real character. She knew who our PM was and the name of our queen and the capital of England was London. Her English was better and clearer than some teenagers we have met in the UK. Yes we did fall for hers sales patter and spent a whole 5 soles ( £1.25). She left us with a smile and moved on to the next table of Brits who were not so easy to charm.
After a quick stop at the supermarket for essentials for the trek (chocolate, energy bars and toilet paper) it was back to the hotel to pack again. A small bag of essentials to last 5 days weighing no more than 7kg and the rest stays locked up in the hotel until our return.
The adventure begins…..
08.30 start and all our kit loaded in the bus that was going to take us to the start of the trail. Stopped at Ollantaytambo to take a look in a typical Incan style house. It was here too we first saw our porters who were loading our kit into a truck that was to take them to the start point. It was very reassuring to see our sleeping bags being thrown on board. We were then taken a few Km to where we were to start from but first we were fed with rice, mince and lupins.
As we ate we watched the porters weigh and pack the kit they were to carry. It appeared that no one really wanted to carry 3 dozen eggs though.
Through the start check point and at last onto the trail. To be honest we only did about 4 miles but at this altitude, 2600m, it was a little harder that back in the UK.
As we approached the edge of a down hill section we stopped and could see our campsite below. The porters had raced ahead and almost had finished sorting out the whole site…. erecting 9 x 2 man tents, a mess tent and a cooking tent.
The honeymoon suite.
The tents are 2 birth and somewhat compact. Not too sure Bob can lay full out, but, you can’t beat the location at the foot of some Inca ruins and next to the Urubamba River.
The second day…challenge
Top advice. If you intend doing the Inca Trail do your utmost to avoid getting Inca Belly on the first night!!Up at 6.00 for tea and breakfast. Then we all introduced ourselves to the porters and them to us. Left about 8.30 to pass almost straight away another Inca ruin.
This was a long day walking ending up at 3850m with a total climb of over 1100m (3600 ft), which does not sound too much but at this altitude is hard work. The last 2 hours was 500m continuous climbing up stone steps.
To be honest Bob does not remember too much of it in detail. The night before it was touch and go if he could even carry on.
The scenery continues to be stunning. Every corner you turn gives you a more and more spectacular view. The climbing uphill was tough but we did it.
2nd day camp site
The porters are amazing. They leave after us having packed all the tents etc up and over take us on the trail, often running, to get to the next stop be it lunch or overnight camp site. The food is plentiful and we have certainly not been hungry.
Dead Woman’s Pass and beyond.
Thankfully Bob is feeling better to day. Still not eating fully but much better.5.00 wake up call!!!! With snow falling. Breakfast and Coca Tea, which helps with altitude sickness they say. Left the campsite at 6.30 for a 400m climb to Dead Woman’s Pass, the highest point on the trail at 4200m, so called because of the rock formation. Personally I think they have been drinking too much Coca Tea. The rock formation left a lot to the imagination :-).
Dead Woman’s Pass
As the saying goes, whatever goes up must go down… And so did we. More steps. As the Incans were very small people why oh why did they think it necessary to build such high steps?
The scenery still manages to impress us all the time.
We continued to a second pass where we had an Incan Ceremony to bring us luck.
Then another steep descent and short climb to our lunch site. By this time the porters had overtaken us, erected a mess tent and cooked us a 2 course lunch!
After lunch the climbing and descent was less severe. After just over an hour we reached our third campsite.
The last day….
Up at 5.00 again today but mainly due to voting in Peru and the Porters need to be back in their village in order to vote. If they don’t the get fined 150 soles ( just under £40 which is a huge amount to these guys)Still it was a great start to an easier day. The route took us past several Inca ruins.
Hector our trail guide. A really great bloke…. With a great sense of humourIncan terraces where they grew foodView from the sun gate to MP… This is what we had walked 48km for… Wonderful
4 days, 3 nights, 48 kms, lost count of no of steps but in excess of 2000 and highest point reached 4200m ( just under 14,000 feet).
Over all the best outdoor experience either of us have ever had. The guides were brill. Good sense of humour, vast knowledge of the area, they were there when you needed them and not when you didn’t. A good pace bearing in mind we were a mixed group with some not maybe at full fitness ( including Bob on day two).
Certainly if you’re thinking of doing this trek DO IT !! And on our experience we would have no hesitation in recommending Explore Worldwide, who use local guides with lots of local knowledge.
The porters were great. As you arrived at the camp site we were greeted with Coca tea and bowls of water to take a wash. Same in the morning. Such service at such remoteness.
Machu Picchu
Up for an 8.00 start and caught the bus to Machu Picchu. It is walkable but as it takes 30 minutes by bus zig zagging up the mountainside we thought as the ticket was paid for we would use it:-)The site itself if massive. There are no words we can find that would do it justice. Even the photos we have taken will only get part of it over.
We had another guided walk around the site by Hector our guide. He has such a deep knowledge about the area including the geology, botany, history, there wasn’t a question he couldn’t answer. Back to the village and a coffee or two and a bit more shopping for June.
Will be sad to leave here but tomorrow we are white water rafting and then on to the Amazon for a couple of days.
This trip is just wonderful. We are both very lucky (bit of an understatement really).
Later we take the train back to Cuzco. To give an idea of the terrain the 90km (about 60 miles) or so journey takes 3.5 hours as it weaves around the mountains following the course of the Urubamba River.
Easy peasy lemons a squeezy. ( sorry in phrase for the group. )
White water rafting.
Back to the Sacred Valley for a session of rafting on the Urubamba river. Just eight if us and two boats. Great fun. It was a level 3 for those in the know, I’m not!!, and the first time either of us had ever done it. Probably not the last. Part way along we had the chance to jump off a bridge into the river if we wanted… Well it would be rude not to wouldn’t it? After 11 km we came to a spot where the organisers had set up lunch. So after getting the boats out and getting changed we ate in a summer house somewhere in the Sacred Valley.
All this for $35 each and that included transport (1 1/2 hours each way)
Tonight we had the last supper. Some of us tomorrow will be off to the Amazon while others will be leaving to Lima and then home. Just a question now of working out what we need to pack for the next three days and what can go into storage…
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
It just gets better and better.
Today was the day when the group split up. Out of the 17 only 10 were taking the ‘ Amazon Extension’. Having said our farewells we were taken to the airport at Cuzco and then flew to Peuto Maldonado. From there, having left any kit we didn’t need in lock up storage, we were taken by bus along a dusty track for 45 minutes to a river port to catch a boat.
The boat trip lasted 3 hours and we managed to see caiman, turtles, humming birds and the worlds largest rodent, Capybara.
We pulled up at a small dock and walked into the forest for about 10 minutes. Then we saw the lodge!! Bob was expecting a posh shed :-)… But it was a little more than that.
It was a pucker lodge which even has electricity, albeit only between 5.30 and 9.30pm. It even has a bar :-). After a short introduction by the manager we were shown to our room. Double bed, hammock, shower, and open one side to the forest. Heaven – not sure I will be saying that at 03.00 with the night sounds of the forest and mosquitoes trying to attack through the Deet, citronella and mosi nets, but time will tell! You do have to be a little careful as it is so open, sound wise, you can hear what people nearby are up to.
Nice cold shower, well it is about 27C at the moment and now we are thinking of having a beer. Even that it not bad value at £4.00 a large bottle when you consider the transportation costs:-).
A walk in the woods.
June got a bit of a shock when she went to the bathroom in the night there was large frog ‘suckered’ onto the clear plastic shower curtain. Needless to say she didn’t have her camera with her. And we thought we had left the early starts on the Inca trail….Up at 04.30 for breakfast at 05.00. Then off for a walk in the forest. After about 10 minutes we came to a 30m high observation tower.
From here we could see parrots, toucans, weaver birds and even caught a glimpse of a howler monkey.
Then we continued into the forest stopping now and again for Frank, our guide, to point things out or to tell us what the latest sound we had heard was.
The track led to a lake where we all got on board a canoe for Frank to row us about on whilst spotting the wildlife – birds, bats and fish including piranha (needless to say we kept our hands inside the boat!).
It was then back to the lodge for a few hours r & r including lunch (no skimping on the food again!).
Later we went for a walk to a hide near to some clay where animals visited….or so we were told. Sadly nothing popped up while we were there:-)
After tea, and the food is wonderful, we had agreed to go on a boat in the dark looking for caiman. While we were waiting Frank our guide said’ so Bob what do you do?’ Bob, ’I am retired’ Frank, ‘ what did you do?’ Bob, ‘ I was a cop’ Frank,’ A cop?’ Bob,’ A policeman’ Frank, ’Ah a cowboy!’ So my reputation had arrived before me.
The boat trip was a little more successful that the afternoons walk. We did see 1 caiman on the river bank. We also saw a line of leaf cutter ants on the way to the boat plus a few scorpions and spiders. Amazing.
So that’s why they call it the RAIN forest
Up at 6.00 ( I thought this was meant to be a holiday! ) and after breakfast down to the boat and upstream for a few minutes. Then back into the forest. At this point it was drizzling a little…. The aim was to see some parrots and macaws ( yes we know you can see them at the local zoo but not quite the same ) licking clay!!!! Yes these birds eat a fruit diet and need to lick clay to balance their diet ( how on earth did they find that… Did they start with tree bark moving onto bamboo maybe give a dead caiman a go before they found out clay was the answer?).It took about an hour to get to the hide and just as we were on the home stretch the rain began big time. And it didn’t stop… In fact it still hasn’t stopped. But this is the rain forest after all. Frank our guide said that we had been the hardest ‘rained’ on customers he had ever had….. Thanks Frank knowing I am first at something helps a little.We managed to see a few macaws getting their fix of clay and they are quite impressive birds in their natural habitat.
The walk home was ….. Wet and fast. The short boat trip was like a scene from Perfect Storm with a local Peruvian taking the role of George Clooney.
Still we are back at the lodge now and a little dryer. But there is a little mound of wet cloths now that I guess won’t dry before we leave for Lima tomorrow first thing.
After the rain
It appeared to rain all night… And the river Tambopata had risen by at least 2m, and this is a river that is over 100m wide for most of the way.
Early river trip back to the airport but nearly foiled by the bus driver who collected us at the river port when he decided to go off road a little on the dirt track. We were well and truly stuck in the mud! We were all asked to get of the bus as the guides pushed and dug. As is normal in situations like this half the coach became instant experts about getting stuck in the mud, comments like ‘ well he should have backed up and taken a run at it’ and ‘ he should have got us all out before he tried to drive out of the mud’ flew thick and fast. I am sure it was all this hot air that helped dry the mud a little and help the crew eventually launch forward out of the gloop and get us back on the road.
Sat at the airport just comparing it with Heathrow…. Well it’s just got a little better in that the air con has just kicked in… Someone switched on the 6 ceiling fans
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Last bit of culture.
No real lay in today. We are so used to getting up a silly o’clock we were both up at 7.30…. On a Sunday too. Still managed to visit Huaca Pucllana in the Miraflores area of Lima. This is a pre Inca pyramid type structure made up of adobe bricks stood on their ends with small gaps In-between. This made it earthquake resistant. Managed to bag a geocache on the way too. From there to the markets…. Last chance for June to get shopping :-). Then to Starbucks before we wend our way to the seafront to grab some food.
Our bus leaves just after 4. Then home to the UK, a big bed and a little rain I fear.
Thursday 22 August – starting the holiday in style!
Thanks to our Amex credit card and June’s previous work travel we get to use the BA Lounge at Heathrow and travel business class on the upper deck of the plane to Nairobi. Champagne and gin cocktails – don’t mind if we do!
We arrived a couple of days before the organised trip started so carrying on the theme, we were booked into the Sarova Stanley Hotel for two nights. This is one of the oldest hotels in Nairobi with a lot of history and still very colonial in style.
Friday 23 August – Nairobi
A day to ourselves so we walked a little to Uhuru Park and Central Park in the morning and headed back to the hotel to make the most of the facilities – coffee in the lounge with the butler (I kid you not!) telling us all about the hotel, and then a splash in the pool.
Good choice of food and places to eat in the hotel too. Fridays include a Swahili breakfast (alongside the usual hotel buffet) which is in the restaurant containing the “Post Tree”. People used to exchange letters here by attaching letters to the tree. Dinner was in the Thai restaurant with friends living in Nairobi who had recommended it.
Post tree
Saturday 24 August – Nairobi
With the morning to pass we visited the Gallery Museum which is very small but crammed with artefacts and history. Good coffee too!
Always time for #Clewleystopsforcoffee
In the afternoon we transferred hotels to join the tour at the Kenya Comfort Hotel and what a difference! Possibly one of the worst hotels we have ever stayed in although the bedroom itself was clean, which is what really counts, and the staff friendly.
An evening meeting with the Tucan Tour leader, Arthur, and an introduction to our fellow travellers – one of the things about group travel is never knowing who you will be with for two or three weeks but this time round we were very lucky. Due to it being census weekend very little was open so we were forced to eat in the hotel who didn’t really seem to know how to cope with more than two customers!
Sunday 25 August – Nairobi to Kigali
An afternoon flight meant we had another morning in Nairobi so we visited the National Museum of Kenya. We should really have visited here on a day when we had more time as we had to fly round the exhibits and there was so much to see!
After a late, but uneventful flight, we arrived at our hotel in Kigali in the early evening and checked into the Steptown Hotel, another small basic hotel but such a contrast to the Kenya Comfort! Being a little outside the city centre we ate the hotel which provided a limited menu but the food was delicious.
Steptown Hotel
Monday 26 August – Kigali to Lake Bunyoni, Uganda
Rwanda hasn’t tried to hide it’s recent history, instead learning from it and moving on. As we drove out to the Nyamata Church Genocide Memorial, you can’t but notice how clean the city and surrounding countryside is. The country has banned plastic bags and one day a month everybody goes litter picking and that includes the PM!
The church was the site of a particular massacre with bullet holes and shrapnel damage still visible on the outer walls. Inside the church the pews are covered in the dirty, torn clothes of the victims and the grounds contain three mass graves for the 10,000+ bodies. The coffins in the graves are filled with bones as there were just so many victims.
We also visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, the country’s main memorial and a really interesting place to spend time at. What man can do to his fellow man is horrific and the European colonisation of many countries has a lot to answer for. Now though, tribes are not detailed on ID cards and everyone is Rwandan, not Tutsi or Hutu.
We left Kigali for a long drive to Lake Bunyoni involving a border crossing into Uganda – road crossing are always a fun experience! Here we had to get off the bus to officially exit Rwanda (not helped with the power going out with half of us still to complete this!), walk 50 metres or so across no-man’s land and check in at the next booth to be allowed into Uganda.
Chaos that is a border crossing
It was then another couple of hours to the campsite including a supermarket stop so we arrived late. We were in tents at this site and we were allocated a lakeside pitch but with it being dark we didn’t really appreciate it!
Tuesday 27 August – Lake Bunyoni and gorilla trekking
The first of our really early starts (4am alarm) to get to the trekking place in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – the roads don’t really allow for much speed so all the journeys take two or three times longer than back at home. It was still dark when we left so we still hadn’t seen the campsite properly but as we drove we caught a spectacular sunrise in the rolling hills.
SunRise
Gorilla trekking is big business in Rwanda and Uganda with numbers limited and one of the reasons for our booking this tour was that Tucan arranged the permits for us. After the briefing we headed off with our guide full of excitement at what we might see. The spotters were already out ahead of us and after only about 45 minutes of walking we were told to stop and wait. After a break of half an hour or so we got the location of a nearby group and it was full speed into the undergrowth following the guides as they slashed at the vegetation with their machetes.
We came across a small family group and spent an hour just watching them – they didn’t seem to bothered by us.
The Main Silverback
Little one playing, like all kids do
Having found the gorillas so quickly (our other group came back a few hours after us!) we headed back to the campsite and were finally able to take in its beauty. A few beers on the terrace bar also went down well!
Lake Bunyoni
Wednesday 28 August – Lake Bunyoni
A slightly more relaxed morning with a walk around the surrounding area to meet some local families and see part of the lake from viewpoint above the campsite.
Our tent on Lake Bunyoni
Lake Bunyoni
After lunch it was into a boat to travel across the lake to visit the Batwa Pygmy village and school. As we came to the lakeside we were met by a group of children all eager to help us up the hillside by giving us sticks and holding our hands (all for a small donation as we were to find out at the end of the visit – learning to make a living starts at a very young age!). The school was set up by an ex-tour leader and the company has continued to support him by bringing tour groups to visit who donate supplies and money to the school. Sadly the visit was somewhat impeded by the rain coming sideways at us as the children were preparing to sing and dance but it didn’t curb their enthusiasm.
It did stop raining for a few seconds
Thursday 29 August – Lake Bunyoni to Kampala
To be honest we were feeling a little sad at leaving this campsite. It wasn’t perfect by any means (some of the facilities just needed the attention of a good handyman so nothing major) but definitely our sort of place, surrounded by beautiful scenery and so tranquil.
This morning we met “Sail” our Tucan truck which would be our transport for most of the next week or so including today’s 14 hour journey to Kampala, and our driver Timan. We crossed the Equator for the first time today and discover Ugandan Rolexes which are actually an omelette wrapped in a chapati and are delicious!
Equator
Sail the Truck
Kampala is chaotic – more motorbikes than people apparently and most of them are a form of taxi.
Kampala is chaotic
Tonight’s hotel is the Red Chilli Hideaway, on the edge of the city and close to Lake Victoria (first mosquito warning from Arthur!). After intermittent hot water at Bunyoni, we upgraded our room for a princely sum of USD20 to one with en-suite facilities just so June could actually wash her hair properly!
Friday 30 August – Kampala to Jinja
Breakfast this morning was at the truck cooked by Arthur and Timan – the first of a few meals taken this way. Good food and communal washing up to get us on our way to Jinja at the source of the Nile. Second truck meal was a BBQ and definitely not one for the vegetarians (although they did cater perfectly for Shelly) with a huge piece of steak for all of us.
Another campsite with large military style tents and we were lucky to be allocated one on the river view terraces. Good facilities too – large (well stocked) bar area and lots of hot showers. The campsite also offered activities including white-water rafting and kayaking. We opted for the white-water rafting the following day.
Not really camping
Tonight we did the Nile Sunset Cruise which provided plenty of food and drink but no real sunset sadly. A good evening though.
Saturday 31 August – Jinja and drowning in the Nile, well almost!
We had originally signed up for level 3 white-water rafting but when we got to the Nile River Explorers base we (that means June) were talked into upgrading to level five. The route was the same but on the lower level you walked around the more “aggressive” rapids. After collecting helmets, life jackets and paddles we were bussed a short distance and entered the river – June via the steps down and Bob via the 40m slide!
Fastest way to get into the Nile
Before heading on to the river proper we were given a short briefing and practised getting back on to the raft should we capsize….
Great fun
What can we say about the day? Thunder, lightening and six rapids graded one to five plus paddle boarding at one of the rapids if you wanted it (we didn’t preferring to sit in the river as it was warmer than in the raft!). Exhilarating barely begins to describe it and so pleased that we actually did the level 5 trip. And yes we did capsize……
Seconds before the capsize
Saturday night and one of the locals just outside the campsite was throwing a party (we weren’t invited) and the music stopped just as we left the site at 4.45am!
Sunday 1 September – Jinja to Lake Naivasha, Kenya
Another 14 hour driving day as we travelled back to Kenya but at least a chance to catch up on last night’s missed sleep in the comfort of the truck. A slightly more orderly border crossing this time, although our first with a brief test for Ebola (!) and a roadside truck lunch including freshly made guacamole.
Making Guacamole
Tonight’s hotel was the Fisherman’s Inn on the edge of the lake. Another late arrival meant that we didn’t see much but a good hotel with decent food.
Monday 2 September – Lake Naivasha
Our first real wildlife encounter today as we did a nature walk in the morning and saw, up close, monkeys, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, impala, gazelles and buffaloes plus many species of birds.
Warthog
Flamingos
A boat trip, after a lunch at a floating restaurant, on Lake Naivasha led us to hippos, flamingos and sea eagles who were diving for fish.
Sea Eagles with a fish in its talons
We were due to do a gorge walk in Hell’s Gate National Park but after a deadly flash flood the previous day, that part of the park was closed. The park had been the inspiration for the Disney film The Lion King and we got to see the gorge from a viewpoint.
The area around Lake Naivasha also supplies much of the world with roses with greenhouses lining the roadside for miles.
The park is in an area of geothermal activity and we passed a large power plant harnessing the power to generate electricity.
Tuesday 3 September – Lake Naivsha to the Masai Mara
Transferred this morning from the truck to small minivans to explore the Masai Mara as the roads to the park are almost non-existent! Just after we checked in to the Miti Mingi Eco Camp (back in tents again but this time with en-suite shower and toilet) and as we were about to head out on our first game drive the heaven’s opened for 20 minutes or so of torrential rain which sadly meant that we didn’t see too many animals.
Oh how we laughed in the rain
Wednesday 4 September – Masai Mara bucket list day
Up, up and away my beautiful, my beautiful balloon…. Another very early start to watch the dawn rise over the Masai Mara followed by a champagne breakfast. Expensive but worth every penny!
Early Morning Balloon Flight
Spent most of the day on game drives and saw four of the “big five”, just missing any rhinos but to make up for that we did get to experience the “migration” – the crossing of the Mara river by wildebeest and zebras closely watched by crocodiles on the hunt for their next meal. The photos say so much more than any words I can type.
After returning to the hotel we visited a local
Masai
camp to see their way of life. It was very touristy and a full on sales pitch to buy their wares – we were strong enough to walk away empty handed but others had felt pressurised into buying things they didn’t want.
Yesterday’s lunch at a roadside cafe started to catch up with people and a number of the group started to fall ill with stomach upsets including Bob.
Thursday 5 September – Masai Mara to Nairobi
Spent the morning on the road and the afternoon in the hotel room after arriving back at the Kenya Comfort Hotel in Nairobi. We had requested a room change this time so at least it was a little quieter but the maintenance of the room still left a lot to be desired.
This evening was our last meal as this group as some were leaving today and tomorrow we were being joined by new people doing the second part of the trip. Bob was still unwell so stayed in the hotel. As mentioned before this had been a good group to travel with and those leaving would be missed. We also had in the group the CEO of Tucan Travel and his partner, who held another senior position in the company and it was great to be able to feed back to them directly. We’re sure there’ll be a few changes to this trip now!
Friday 6 September – Nairobi
Leaving Bob still in bed, June carried on with the itinerary. First visit was to a giraffe centre where you can hand feed the animals and from there on to the David Sheldrake Elephant Orphanage. The orphan elephants are hand reared then moved to another site before gradually being returned to the wild. It takes years but has lead to the increase in the wild elephant population in Kenya.
Giraffe Centre
Saturday 7 September – Nairobi to Arusha, Tanzania
With Bob thankfully starting to feel better we checked out of the Kenya Comfort Hotel, joined up with Sail again and hit the road to Arusha. Another border crossing and the most orderly of the three road crossings we did.
We arrived at the Lush Garden Hotel to find three wedding receptions and a party taking place. It seems the hotel took pity on us and put us in rooms as far away from the noise as possible, which really wasn’t that bad. We had the biggest hotel room ever but with only a couple of bits of mismatched furniture and what felt like a single sized quilt on a king size bed, it was all a little bizarre! The food wasn’t much to write about either! Oh and June’s phone had a bit of a meltdown today resulting in it being wiped and losing everything on it….
Sunday 8 September – Arusha to the Serengeti
We were picked up this morning in 4WD vehicles to head to the Serengeti via the edge of the Ngorongoro crater. Lunch was on the top of the crater trying to avoid our food being pinched by a resident kite!
Sandwich Thief
After completing the formalities to enter the Serengeti, the vehicle roofs were popped and it was straight into a game drive. A very different setting to the Masai Mara but still amazing and still no rhino!
When we arrived at tonight’s hotel, the Seronera Wildlife Lodge, we genuinely thought we were at the wrong place. After tented camps and basic hotels, the level of accommodation suddenly rocketed! This lodge is built around a rocky outcrop and the rooms had a window wall on to the Serengeti. Sadly no animals spotted overnight but an amazing place to stay. Surprisingly we were the only group there so basically had the run of the hotel!
Stunning location
Monday 9 September – Serengeti
A morning game drive but still no rhino. Seems they were going to evade us on this visit.
Lunch was back at the lodge before we returned back along the edge of the crater to tonight’s hotel just outside the park, Farm of Dreams Lodge. We were greeted by the staff singing and our rooms were individual thatched huts.
Farm of Dreams Lodge
Tuesday 10 September – Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha
Back along the same road to the crater but this time we drove down into it. Technically, it is a caldera (and the largest unbroken caldera in the world at that at 260 square kilometres!) and formed two to three million years ago, but whatever you call it, it is a breathtaking place to visit and teaming with wildlife.
Ngorongoro Crater
Almost a full day of game driving but the rhino continued to elude us – just means we have to try again some day.
It was truly a stunning day. Mixing geology and wildlife on such a huge scale it was always one of the big attractions to this tour. Finding ourselves at the bottom it really does show how small humans are in the grand scheme of things. No Europeans were known to set foot in the crater until 1892.
The Lively Lady
Back to the Lush Garden Hotel for the night and this time no parties and rooms within the main part of the hotel. On the recommendation of a friend we opted to go out to try a local restaurant and dragged a few others along with us. The nerves kicked in as the taxi headed down ever darker back streets but no need to have worried as “The Lively Lady” lived up to Felicity’s recommendation! The food in Tanzania has a strong Indian influence and this was a great choice. She had also said that if we were there then we should look out for Ali and Bob found him. Unfortunately with the taxis waiting we couldn’t stay so just the one shot downed before heading back to the hotel.
(Thanks for the recommendation Flic x )
Wednesday 11 September – Arusha to Zanzibar
The final stages of the trip were spent in Zanzibar which always sounds so exotic and we boarded a Tropicair flight with our hand written boarding passes for the flight. Having been given a bit of local knowledge we all sat on the left hand side of the plane to get a view of Kilimanjaro peaking out from above the clouds – probably the closest we’ll ever get.
Kilimanjaro
It was a quick transfer to the Safari Lodge Hotel in Stone Town. June had been lucky enough to visit Stone Town previously when on a work trip to Tanzania and had always wanted to come back thinking Bob would like it as much as she did. Luckily she was right!
That evening, after watching the sunset on the Indian Ocean from a bar, quelle surprise (!), we ate at the night market where they BBQ the most amazing choice of seafood.
Stunning Stone Town Sunset
The Night Market
Thursday 12 September – Stone Town to Nungwi Beach
In the morning we had the opportunity to do a walking tour of Stone Town, one of the most fascinating places to visit. It’s now a UNESCO listed town and is a crumbling mishmash of Arabic (Omani) , Indian and European styles. The meat and fish markets are not for the faint-hearted and nor possibly the former slave trading areas but like Rwanda, they acknowledge the history and highlight the forms of modern slavery to try to raise awareness.
Stone Town
Stone Town Of course, no visit to Stone Town is complete without a visit to the home where one of their most famous citizens was born, a certain Mr Farrokh Bulsara, aka Freddie Mercury!
Freddies Birth Place
Although we could have spent longer in Stone Town, it was on the trip and we were heading to the north of the island for the beach via a spice plantation which was more interesting than it sounds, and lunch in a local house.
People usually associate Indian Ocean islands with white sandy beaches and Zanzibar is no exception. Our hotel, the Nungwi Beach Inn was right on the beach and provided comfortable, clean accommodation.
We had a group dinner at a nearby restaurant, dining under a canopy on the beach. Seafood of course!
Sunset at Nungwi Beach
Friday 13 September – Nungwi Beach
A morning boat trip out to Mnemba Island to seemingly walk on water along a barely submerged sand bar which stretches for miles and snorkel in the clear turquoise waters. The dolphins hadn’t really come out to play during the trip to Mnemba but we did at least see them. The snorkelling was good and on the way back the one of the crew dived to pick up various starfish to show us.
Snorkelling in beautifully clear water
Another sunset cruise in the early evening but this time we got the full spectacular to a soundtrack of the drummers on the boat. The boat crew were attentive with the gin, wine and beer – maybe too attentive…..hic! Dinner again at the next door restaurant but no objections from us for our final dinner of the trip.
Saturday 14 September – Zanzibar to Nairobi to London
A bit of a subdued morning as most of the group were leaving that day, although not all were heading home.We spent the morning hanging round the hotel awaiting our transfer to the airport for the flight to Nairobi. More luck thank anything else, we were on the right side of the aircraft so see Kilimanjaro again but no luck in finding the BA desk to try to blag (or even pay for) an upgrade on the overnight flight home. Back of the plane for us it was going to be.
We had the most amazing three and a bit weeks. It really wasn’t a holiday and as Arthur often said, the holiday doesn’t begin until we get to Zanzibar! But we did and saw so much it was worth every early morning and long day spent on the road.
Tucan Travel are not known for using luxury hotels but on the whole, everywhere we stayed was perfectly fine. Whilst the basic holiday cost is cheap, once you add in the local payment, flights and optional excursions the costs can add up but we have factored all that in when we booked the trip. We are one of the few that do study and digest the trip notes before we go! We would use the company again if they offered the trip we wanted.
We never went hungry but food on the whole was very samey with every meal having both rice and potatoes. Meat was generally beef or goat and the seafood once we got to Zanzibar was worth waiting for. Alcohol was available everywhere except the food market in Zanzibar but as the population there is 95% Muslim that is to be expected. Prices vary but certainly cheaper than home. Most of the wine we drunk was South African so no objection there.
This year I booked a Shepherd’s Hut near Wells in Somerset.
It didn’t have mains electricity but did have USB charging sockets. Well we would need to charge our phones at least 🙂
On the edge of a field it came with all you needed for a few days away. Log burner inside along with gas fridge and a 2 burner hob. In the bathroom it had a conventional toilet and a shower with hot and cold water.
Outside, along with table and chairs, was a wood fired hot tub! Perfect size for 2 people.
For once not a stupidly early start for our annual jaunt with the Woods as late morning we headed to Gatwick for our flight to Tromso in northern Norway. Yes, northern Norway in late February! This is our continued hunt for the Northern Lights which have so far eluded us. This trip has been planned to optimise our chances as we’ll be above the Arctic Circle for a week, so fingers crossed.
We arrived without issue, picked up the hire car (a 4×4 was in order for this trip) and headed into Tromso and our hotel for two nights, the Smarthotel which is in the city and a great location from which to walk around. Buffet breakfast was included which given the price of food was a good option.
Wall art in the hotel
First stop the pub and as expected it wasn’t cheap – two beers and two glasses of wine came in at around £40 so get over the shock we had another round.
Not cheap, even by London prices
Dinner was a local pizza restaurant, Casa Inferno, at which we thankfully got discount through the hotel. Quirky place though.
3rd February
A day to explore Tromso. It was cold….no not just cold, it was bloody freezing especially when we crossed the fjord to take the Fjellheisen cable car from where at the top there are great views over Tromso town and the surrounding area.
It was a little cold
Given the constantly changing light we ended up spending most of the day up there with a few visits to the cafe for a much needed warming hot chocolate or hot wine. Given the location the sunset was early but stunning.
June dancing in the SunSet
A slightly more traditional dinner tonight at Kaia with Bob tucking into a reindeer burger (no real difference to venison) before heading back to the hotel to pack as the next day we were heading to Bo in the Vesteralen Islands.
4th February
Not being sure of the road conditions and with driving time being estimated at 5-6 hours plus a supermarket stop and maybe one or two photo stops on the way, it was a reasonably early start.
Everywhere you looked was beautiful
Lunch was hot dogs from a petrol station – like our previous trip to Iceland, we found a few petrol stations that also cook fresh food. Nothing spectacular but good enough to top up an empty stomach!
We’d booked a property in the southern Vesterlan Islands via AirBnB and yet again we were not disappointed. A great location with windows on all side of the property overlooking fjords and despite there being a substantial amount of snow around the house was warm and cosy.
Our AirBnB
5th– 7th February
A few days exploring the region with Bob in his element driving through anything Mother Nature could throw at us! It’s a beautiful area and maybe even more so covered in snow and with the light making it almost impossible to take a bad photograph.
Stunning snowscape
On our way back from Andenes there were times we thought we weren’t going to get back to the house as each time we turned a corner in the road the weather changed and at times closed in to very limited visibility. Obviously the locals are used to lots of snow and every house seemed to have a snow plough or blower and even the remote round the house was on was cleared a couple of times every day. What we didn’t expect was the snow plough coming up our drive and the man clearing the front porch – an extra touch from the house owners.
8th February
Today was our last day before heading back to Tromso so we decided to stay around the house and use the hot tub – it was a wood fired one so once lit we couldn’t leave. The instructions were to fill the tub the night before which we did so the first thing that had to be done was to remove the layer of ice that had formed overnight! It was then six hours of refilling the log burner and waiting for the water to come up to a decent temperature.
Hot tubbing it in the cold
After a quick run through the snow in swimming costumes and walking boots, it was into the tub with a G & T (fresh ice of course) to watch the sun set. Amazingly the water even got too hot at one point!
9th February
The drive back to Tromso for our evening flight back to Gatwick was uneventful although there were many stops to take more photos as the light had changed from the previous journeys! And it was the coldest day we experienced with the external car temperature heading down until it reached -23°C!
-23 degrees C
Northern Lights
Although it’s not something you can guarantee we really hoped that this time the Lights would come out to play for us and we weren’t disappointed as the displays got stronger as the week went on. We had all downloaded various apps to help spot the Lights but they really didn’t help too much as despite the forecasts not being that good we still got some strong displays.
Top tip for taking photos of the Lights – use a tripod or even better, a GoPro on a tripod but don’t forget just watch and enjoy them.
All in all an amazing week away – Norway is stunning. The only downside was the cost once we were there but we knew it would be expensive before booking so were well prepared!
[wpanchor id=”Barbados”]Week 2 – the not so cold bit!
Previously it had been June that travelled for business but out of the blue Bob had the opportunity to go to Barbados (yes Barbados in the Caribbean) to help deliver some training for Princes Trust International. And with June having been made redundant a few weeks earlier there was no way she was going to sit at home and miss out!
9th February
Having arrived back from snowy Norway around 10.30 pm and needing to be back at Gatwick around 8 am the following morning, we spent the night at a nearby hotel with just enough time to grab a few hours sleep and switch the bags over – out with the thermals and in with the beachwear!
10th February
Breakfast care of the BA Lounge followed by an eight hour flight and although flying economy we got the emergency exit seats so plenty of legroom and entertainment as we watched people trying to open the toilet door which, believe us, is more fun than it sounds!
And it was 27°C on arrival – a temperature swing of 50°C in 24 hours.
Hotel for a couple of nights was the Blue Horizon at Rockley Beach, a well located small hotel sadly let down by the quality of its food.
11th – 14th February
With Bob now working, June was left in a strange situation – absolutely nothing to do! A few walks along the beach were called for and the occasional dip in the pool ensured the days passed without any boredom, along with, for once, reading all her magazines and a couple of books.
Pool side
All along this part of the coast are beach bars and restaurants so we were spoilt for choice on where to go for cocktails and seafood.
Due to some confusion when the original booking was made, and due to the England cricket team being in town to play a test match, we had to move hotels to the Palm Gardens Hotel, Worthing Beach, but luckily it was only a few minutes away. After one night in the hotel annex, our second room was fine and also had a small self-contained kitchen so we could at least store some food and drink and not rely on restaurants for all our meals.
We were in walking distance of the St Lawrence Gap, a great area for restaurants so visited there a couple of nights.
Sunset
15th-17th February
We had decided to stay on when the training course finished it seemed a shame to come all this way and not see some of the island. The extra days made the flights considerably cheaper as well as we would be staying over the weekend. Beach holidays are not our normal type of holiday so we signed up for a couple of day trips to see as much as possible.
Trip 1 was the Natural Wonders of Barbados tour and the first stop was Harrison’s Cave, a complex of limestone caves and tunnels in the centre of the island. A special train takes you underground for a fascinating trip to view the caverns and pools awash with stalactites and stalagmites.
Lets go Caving
From there it was on to Hunte’s Gardens, a stunning tropical garden set inside a collapsed cavern. Small paths take you from one area to another and there are lots of hidden chairs from where you can just sit and take in the beautiful plants. A few quirky statues and ornaments along the way too!
We had lunch (included in the tour price) at Chill ‘n Breeze on the east coast of the island where the beaches are pounded by the Atlantic and a short stop at Bathsheba Beach to get a little closer to the waves. In contrast to the calm Caribbean Sea, this part of the island is popular with surfers.
Our last stop was the Barbados Wildlife Reserve home to peacocks, iguanas, tortoises, red brocket deer, a couple of Patagonian maras (look like a bit like a rabbit) and the Barbados green monkey. Our arrival coincided with feeding time and the monkeys, which are free to come and go as they please, came in from all sides to feast on the buckets of fruit and vegetables!
Showing off
The tour bought us back along the more genteel west coast where all the large (and expensive!) resorts are located plus a few golf courses and the home of probably one of most famous locals, Rihanna.
That night we jumped on a local bus to Oistins, the place to be on a Friday night in Barbados. Every week there’s an outdoor fish BBQ with dozens of stalls trying to attract your attention and such a great atmosphere. Later in the evening there’s live music but we didn’t stay for that.
Oistins
No visit to the Caribbean is complete without a boat trip so the next day we joined a catamaran cruise for some snorkelling and general lazing around on the water! We opted for Elegance Catamaran Cruises rather than one of the larger boats and the dozen or so passengers were well looked after by the crew.
The first part of the day saw us heading the south west part of the island for some snorkelling above shipwrecks and with turtles.
Once the “active” part of the day was done, the bar opened as we sailed along the west coast past the big hotels and celebrity houses with the attentive crew ensuring that our glasses were never empty. A delicious lunch was again included and served on board as we sat off-shore in a small bay.
#JustTheOne
It’s not normally our choice to sit around doing nothing and be waited on but just sometimes it has to be done!
We spent our final morning soaking up the sun as there was going to be too much of that when we got home. It was then an overnight flight back with poor Bob having to head straight into the office on Monday morning!
We fancied doing something different so booked a week’s cycling trip covering the highlights of Jordan through Explore holidays. Being November it wasn’t go to be too hot and having done a 90 mile charity ride in October the cycling didn’t look too strenuous so a gentle week of mixing two of our hobbies seemed a great idea……
We didn’t get off to the best of starts as having boarded the plane we heard lots of screaming and shouting from the back coming from a man who was being deported. That calmed down once we took off but after landing and collecting our bags, we appeared to be forgotten by the local agency who were picking us up from the airport. We eventually arrived at our first hotel in Madaba some 90 minutes late around 2am after a bouncy journey in a hastily arranged local taxi.
A bit of sightseeing in Madaba visiting Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics before collecting our bikes and heading to Mount Nebo, reputedly the burial place of Moses. From there it was around 30km all downhill to the Dead Sea – easy! The Dead Sea is a bizarre experience as all you can do is float with swimming being nigh on impossible and getting any water in your eyes or mouth is painful and disgusting! There was also the chance for a slathering your body with mud full of minerals and we had a few giggles doing that.
Dead Sea
Throughout the trip we were accompanied by a coach and when cycling, a small van carrying the maintenance crew and spares, plus a local police escort! The latter was mostly for our protection from the madcap local drivers.
After a couple of hour coach journey to our second hotel we were again bussed the next morning to Shobak Castle, the first of the Crusader Castles built in Jordan (cue the dressing of guards at the castle in Crudaser uniforms) and dating from 1115. Today’s destination was Petra so it was to be around 45km of cycling through “undulating” countryside but including 10km straight of gentle uphill along the King’s Highway. After that though it was another long downhill section before the final short and very sharp uphill section into Petra. June took the easy route by jumping on the coach for this section – dodgy gears being the excuse!
Petra had long been close to the top of places to visit and we now had three nights here. One of the optional excursions had been Petra by night where the walk in and the area in front of the Treasury is lit by candles. Everyone is seated on the floor in lines whilst waiting for the night’s event to begin and given a hot drink. I think it’s fair to say that the level of anticipation far exceeded the content of the evening which consisted of what seemed no more than 15 minutes of music and “entertainment” followed by the front of the Treasury building being lit in different colours.
The Treasury Petra
The following day we got to explore Petra properly and this certainly lived up to our expectations. The rock carvings are stunning and after we walking through the main area we carried on to the Monastery – well worth the extra walking. A first tonight with camel kebabs but to be honest they tasted like any other kofta we had eaten!
The Monastery Petra
Back on the bikes today for a short ride (20km) to Little Petra and then back for a visit to the hammam for a good scrub and massage. Wasn’t the best one but at least we came out feeling clean! And tonight was our first taste of Mansaf, a delicious lamb and rice dish which has been recreated a few times at home.
Mansaf
Today was to be our longest cycling day but still we thought, an easily manageable 58km having again been bussed to the top of a large hill. “Undulating” here should really be reworded and a long constant climb and today’s route included 20km of undulating constantly upwards!
We had stopped halfway through the uphill section for coffee (always an important part of our cycling!) and where just mounting the bikes to continue when the accident happened. At less than 5km, so very slow walking pace, in the car park of the cafe Bob’s chain slipped and he crashed to the tarmac and was knocked out when his head hit the floor. Luckily we had an intensive care nurse with us and the tour company called an ambulance which considering we were in the middle of nowhere was there in minutes. Fortunately other than a cracked helmet, no long term damage was done (some may beg to differ!) and with a replacement helmet Bob was back on the bike within 30 mins digging in and getting up the rest of that climb although being “monitored” by TT, our nurse, the whole way. June, on the other hand was a complete wreck who couldn’t get back on the bike that day although the terrain later that day made cycling almost impossible – unmade roads and sand.
Always wear your helmet folks
One of the other highlights for us was the overnight stay in Wadi Rum. We arrived at the tented camp on the back of trucks, bumping over the sand as the sun was setting. After an evening spent around the campfire it was up early the next morning for the sunrise which was well worth the 5am alarm call!
Our last day of cycling was around Wadi Rum across the Jelada, the hard dried mud. Good fun, all flat and no further incidents!
Wadi Rum
It was then back on the coach for the trip along the King’s Highway to Aqaba. We arrived in time to have dinner and do a little shopping (luckily plenty of luggage space to accommodate the spices June bought!) with a late evening visit to a sweet shop to eat our way through trays of baclava.
Spicy Lady
The weather wasn’t great so we didn’t get to fully experience Aqaba. The sea had been rough so the visibility for snorkelling wasn’t good (although some of us did wonder if by this point the guide had given up as we’d had one particularly troublesome member of the group). So after a coffee, what else, and a quick trip on a glass bottomed boat it was off in the coach for a long journey back to Amman for just the one night, and sadly no time to visit anything in the capital.
