today

- is the last day of winter in Botswana
- I took a combi for the first time
- I bought a sewing machine

Buschbewohner

A few of the animals we saw on yesterday's game drive in Mokolodi. It is getting hot again and its very dry, so it's easier to spot the animals in the bush. I'm glad its getting warmer, but a little bit of humidity would also be nice (I can't believe I'm actually saying this because I didn't really like the humid climate in Singapore). But these days, it is so dry you can watch the water evaporate from the pool...

Sunset Saturday XXVI

Sunset in Old Havana. I was walking around town on one of my last evenings in Cuba and just happened to be in the right spot to see the sun going down behind a cigar factory. The moment I looked over there the sun was exactly shining through a round hole on top of the facade of the building. I loved this little feature - it was a perfect moment. Ahh, Cuba...

house guest

We have a little guest at our house at the moment. Our friends' dog, Bobby, is staying with us and the two dogs are having quite some fun together. He is a cute little fellow and feels right at home, occupying the comfy chair in our living room or the sofa on the terrace outside. Apparently, the two like each other, but they are also watching each other jealously for attention (and food, of course ;).

in the village...

During the weekend we went to stay with some friends near Molepolole. The days are getting warm, but it is very dry and so we went for some sundowners to a nearby dam, watching the cattle in the reed and the birds on the water.

In the evening we sat around the fire, listened to some stories and then even got to see a porcupine that was coming down the hill for a night stroll.
Life is quite different outside Gabs and the city felt very far away....

Thanks to Jes and Kelone for having us!
p.s. that empty bottle was mine and she was just goofing around with it!

Sunset Saturday XXV

The evening light on the Altiplano near Cusco was incredible. I've never seen such a mix of sunlight, clouds, and green hills with the dramatic backdrop of the snow-capped mountain peaks - it was really amazing!

monkey business

There are cheeky baboons living on Kgale Hill. They like to come to the office buildings and rummage through the bins or simply scaring people. Their favorite spot seems to be the car park, where they sit around or climb on the sunroofs, and jump over walls when someone comes close. It's quite a sight when you drive into an office car park that's full of monkeys...and a good reminder that this is, after all, Africa! :)

dog on top

Yesterday we took the dog with us and climbed Kgale Hill, overlooking Gaborone.
She went up with us over all the rocks and through the herd of cows without any problems, and I was really proud.
Only the last bit was difficult, but Björn decided to simply carry her over the large stones so that we could all be on the top together and enjoy the view.

Sunset Saturday XXIV

Evening atmosphere in Durban. While I was there last week, I caught the sunset from the pier at Ushaka. The view of the skyline and the ocean was beautiful, and at some point, the sun came right through a little space between the buildings, making the ocean and the air sparkle from the sun rays.

difficult day

Sometimes days are just not working the way I want and everything is difficult. Friday was such a day and I didn't like it at all. But then, even difficult days can come to a good end, and the evening turned out to be a lot better than the rest of the day.
This art exhibition and the performance saved my day, and the party afterwards was fun with everyone dancing the night away. And now a full, free, weekend lies ahead!

a warm place to be

I was lucky and got to see the beach again when I flew to Durban for a couple of days to attend some meetings. The temperature forecast shocked me with lows of -5°, but while I was there it was actually quite nice and warm. From my hotel room on the 19th floor I could see the harbour, and I even managed to get down to the beachfront for a little stroll.

I didn't have time to visit the Moses Mabhida stadium and go on top of the arch, and I also didn't manage to have a sundowner on the beach, but it was nice anyway to be in a city by the sea.Maybe next time I will have some more time and get to do a few of the fun things Durban has to offer...

Sunset Saturday XXIII

The sunset during our last evening in Jambiani. It was low tide and so we were able to walk out quite a bit on the beach. Turning back, we caught the sunset behind the village with lots of people enjoying the evening atmosphere, women wading through the little pools of water and a bunch of children playing football on the beach. It was such a nice, calm atmosphere and a perfect ending to our holiday...

little italy

We spent some time on the East coast of Zanzibar, in a wind-swept place called Uroa.
All the locals (and the "Massai") spoke Italian, as most of the tourists coming there are from Italy.

Our hotel was a nice little place, owned by an Italian (of course), who had trained the chef to serve Italian-inspired food such as Risotto, Spaghetti al Frutti di Mare and Prosciutto. It was delish!
The beach was nice, too, and we went for long walks, collecting shells and watching the water come and go.
But the best place was the hammock under the trees by the pool, where I spent hours just reading and taking some naps in between.

rooftop rally

We spent a lot of time in Stonetown climbing stairs in various buildings to enjoy the stunning views on the many open rooftop spaces the city has to offer.

For breakfast at our hotel, we sat down to this view.
The House of Wonders offered these fantastic views over the city and the water.
From the tower-like space on top of another house you could clearly see all the patched, corrugated iron roofs as well as the spread out city.
Sundowners were enjoyed on this rooftop and so the days in Stonetown went by quite fast.
I am still dreaming of living in one of these houses so I could enjoy these views every day. Imagine what a great party space these rooftops would make....

looking at doors

Apparently, Stonetown is quite famous for its doors as houses traditionally had very precious and beautifully carved wooden doors. Today, some of them have been restored or probably replaced, but many also remain in their original, often somewhat derelict, state. I think I actually preferred the old ones - showing signs of time and history.