Seaplane & Government House

Yesterday I travelled to the city of Victoria the capital of British Colombia. Although I was in Victoria many times, this was the first time that I travelled via a Seaplane.
I regard myself as a seasoned traveller, however, departing from the water surface compared to departing from steady mother earth are two different things. At first I was a bit apprehensive, especially as it was raining when we left, but when we took off I was in awe with the waves, made by the small aircraft, and forgot about my ‘fear’. The flight took us over Vancouver and it was an amazing view from the Sky.
An invitation to make a presentation at the Annual meeting of the Royal Commonwealth Society took me to Victoria. The program included a visit to Government House where we were invited to join the Honorable Steven L Point, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, for lunch. We formed a receiving line and each of us was introduced to the Lieutenant Governor as we arrived at the door.


Government House contains the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, the representative of Her Majesty the Queen of Canada. The house has an aura of royalty decorated with pictures of the Queen and her family complemented by beautiful flower arrangements. I took time to ‘drink it in’. Our scrumptious three course lunch was served using the finest china .Each course was complemented with an excellent wine. Unfortunately we did not have time to visit the gardens, which I am told, are beautiful!


My visit to Victoria reminded me (again) how fortunate and blessed I am. As this Blog is my way of informing my beloved family of my travels, be assured that I am immensely appreciative of your love and support.

Chrysopylae," ........"golden gate”.

The last week of March I had the privilege to visit Fort Baker, CA when I attended a meeting of the William &and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Fort Baker is rich in history and a former US army base located in the Marin Headlands. I have visited some of the wonders of the world such as the Taj Mahal, The Great wall in China and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, but every time when I travel I am in awe with the many “other wonders “in this world. I always wish to have my loved ones with me to share my experiences, it is unfortunately not possible. However, this time I invited my husband to join me on this journey. We had a blast in between the meetings, and I am so happy that he could join me We stayed in the Cavallo Point Lodge which is a scenic place with a view of the historic Golden Gate Bridge We arrived late at night in San Francisco and took the Air porter Bus to Sausalito from where we were picked up by the Cavallo Lodge shuttle. The days were beautiful. As we were coming from Vancouver where it was still cold, the weather in Fort Baker was a feast, to say the least and we could spoil ourselves to a lovely breakfast on the veranda of the hotel restaurant. True to ourselves to make the best of a beautiful day, we set the day out to hike and explore the Golden Gate Bridge. It was easier said than done, but it was a hike worth doing, the pictures speak for itself The first name of the Golden Gate bridge was Chrysopylae," meaning "golden gate”. The Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world for many years. It is 1.7 miles and you can walk or cycle the entire bridge. After hiking uphill and cognizant of the fact that we had to walk down and all the way to Fort Baker, we decided not the walk the entire bridge. The bridge was completed on May 28, 1937 Joseph P. Strauss who was the Chief Engineer wrote the following: At last the mighty task is done; Resplendent in the western sun The Bridge looms mountain high; its titan piers grip ocean floor, its great steel arms link shore with shore, its towers pierce the sky. High overhead its lights shall gleam, Far, far below life’s restless stream, Unceasingly shall flow; For this was spun its lithe fine form, To fear not war, nor time, nor storm, For fate had meant it so.

Queen of the Arabic Sea

It has been a while since I have written about my travels. Although it happened a few months ago, my travel to India in November 2010 is worth sharing .
When I arrived in Delhi I was pleasantly surprised by the new look of the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The artwork left me breathless and the service at the arrivals counters was first class.I attended a workshop in Delhi at the Habitat center and enjoyed the hospitality of the Indian people and the wonderful Indian cuisine.
From Delhi I travelled to the South West Coast of the Indian Peninsula to the State of Kerala also known as the Queen of the Arabic Sea where I attended the 6th Pan Commonwealth Forum with more than 600 participants from across the globe.The conference was held in Kochi, which is referred to as the Gateway to Kerala, in the beautiful Le Meridien hotel. I enjoyed my morning boat rides to the conference venue as it was a wonderful way to start the day while enjoying the scenic beauty around the hotel. Unfortunately I could not stay on a while after the conference to explore the Queen of the Arabic Sea, and I hope to return to Kerala one day.

Manzini

After Namibia I travelled to Swaziland. It was so good to go back to Manzini after 5years.Not much have changed, especially not the warm and friendly spirit of the people whom I work with.
This time I did not stay in a hotel but in a Guest house nearby the airport. This is one of the most exquisite guest houses, beautiful, and the Butternut squash soup was nearly as good as my Edda’s.
What I valued most of my stay in Swaziland was to wake up to the sounds of running water, birds and most significantly, people talking to each other far away
When I met the young children with the big smiles on their faces, despite the life’s challenges, I felt so blessed!
Going to Africa is a tonic to my soul!

Namibia Land of the Brave

Namibia, Land of the Brave!
It has been a while since I last travelled  and I realized that I did not update my blog on my travels to Africa! I travelled to my motherland in August 2010 and it was absolutely wonderful to be home after a year. As I was on business I did not have much time to travel around in the country, but I was fortunate enough to spend time with my family after hours and part of the weekend.
After having travelled to so many countries I now look at my own country with a renewed interest and appreciation. Namibia is beautiful, a rare gem in the South Western Part of Africa. Her people are friendly, hardworking and very proud of their achievements.
The most memorable time spent home was the evening my husband and I spent out of the city on my brother’s farm. It was so peaceful with the sounds of animals far away in the dark night. I woke up refreshed and wished that I could stay longer.
My brother took us on a short sightseeing and I was in awe with the Springboks and other game on the farm. I will forever treasure this short visit to the farm, it was awesome.
The Namibian cuisine is something special, and it is not always possible to prepare it in Canada. What I love most is ‘Vars rugstring’...very difficult to explain, but I’ll try.It is the freshly cut spine of the goat, cooked just with onions and potatoes, salt, pepper and a dash of vinegar! Prepared by my mother made it more special, because she has a very special way of combining all the ingredients with her love into a perfect meal!

The best part was just sitting and listening to all the updates by my family. Cracking jokes and laughing a lot! But the cherry on the cake was when my brother-in-law introduced me to JagerBombs.Not sure if it is a Namibian invention or something he brought from his time in the USA, but it was a Bomb!
Family is very special, we do not always realize it, but the special times we have with each other should always be treasured and when we are far away from each other, the memories will make us strong. I am so thankful for a loving and caring family.

Mystical Magical India….
From Turkey I travelled to India on Turkish Airlines. This was my second trip on Turkish Airlines and I must congratulate them with their in-flight menu and service
India is a mystical country and it always pleasures me when I visit India. This was my 5th visit to India since I was there in May 2007 for the first time.The first time was very special as I made a special effort to visit one of the EIGHT wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal. I was sure that this time will be special but different from any of the other visits, especially as I was heading for Nainital, a city 352 Kilometers NW of Delhi.
When I arrived in Delhi, just after 5am, on Sunday, I walked into, what felt like a “warm blanket which covered me’”, it was so hot, I cannot explain it I was met by the hotel driver who took me to the hotel where I had just enough time to refresh myself before our journey to Nainital started. Some advise, never visit India during the summer, if you have a choice!
The most important thing which always distinguishes Indian hotels from all the others in the rest of the world (in the 31 countries which I visited) is their friendliness and caring for their guests! It’s just something which I cannot explain to anyone, you have to experience it for yourself.
Our road trip to Nainiatal was wonderful and at times nerve wrecking. The roads were very busy, and this has to be understood in the context of India’s population which 1.15Billion.However, despite the hectic traffic, I always found that the drivers are very considerate, and I must say, I admire them for their skillful driving and patience. Smaller countries with less traffic have a lot to learn from road users in India.
My host and his colleagues were no different from the pleasant hotel staff, they were even more concerned about their guests and we had a road trip which included stops for lunch and teas. Yes, in India you are always treated to lovely Chai, Coconut water, Cookies and fruit! I love the Chai and cookiesI have so much respect for the Indian culture of care and I am trying very hard to apply what I have learnt from them.

Nainiatl is also called Lakescity.It is a beautiful, Idyllic city on the top of hills founded by the British in 1841. Nainital, at 1,934 m above sea level, is a popular resort in the Shivalik Range. Surrounded by forested hills, the town is set around the Naini Lake. “Nainital is a glittering jewel in the Himalyan necklace, blessed with scenic natural spledour and varied natural resources. Dotted with lakes, Nainital has earned the epithet of ’Lake District' of India. The most prominent of the lakes is Naini Lake ringed by hills. Nainital has a varied topography” (http://nainital.nic.in/)
Nainital is a popular vacation resort during summer. The weather is very pleasant in Nainital, reaching the highest of 27degrees C compared to Delhi where it ranges from 25-46degrees Celsius.
Driving into Nainital the last 30 kilometers or so ascended into dangerous narrow turns, but yet spectacular views! Only a skillful driver can take his/ her passengers safely into Lakecity.We arrived in Nainiatl at around 9pm in the evening and I was in awe with the lovely people and beautiful place!!!
Every day after the workshop (yes I was on a business trip) we explored the beauty of the Lake city .It was an amazing experience, and it felt like we were on an exotic island. It was so serene and people were so happy all around. It is not always possible to express myself in words and I will therefore include some pictures to give you a taste of what I experienced in Nainital.Enjoy the reading and add Nainital to your list of “Cities which I want to visit!!!
When we travelled back from Nainital after our three day workshop I was content and grateful for the opportunity to visit such an extraordinary place full of special people. We stopped to buy fruit and did I enjoy the King of fruits? Mango….I did not know there are so many variations of Mango...I will not spoil your fun...you have to go to India to see for yourself
India is an extraordinary country with extraordinary people, I have great admiration for them.

Last thoughts on Istanbul

Turkish Delights, Ice cream and “Geroosterde Mielies”.

There is so much to tell about Turkey, but I have to finish this, as my next stop is fast approaching. The food in Turkey is yummy…I was not in Italy to taste their ice cream and was told that it is good. Well, the ice cream in Turkey is the best ever! It is absolutely fantastic! When I was in my first year in Port Elizabeth I was introduced to Turkish Delights! My mother sent me a parcel, through the post office and one of the items in the box was a beautiful tin with these pink sweets in some sort of powder. I fell in love with it and it always brings fond memories of my college days and my mother.Needless to say, I indulge in all the different types of Turkish delights.(see the picture)
After the conference I decided to find the famous Spice Bazaar. However, as I was also interested to see the Chora museum, I decided to go there first and then return to the Spice Bazaar. Walking towards the busses, at the harbor side which is called Kabatas landing, I bought ‘Geroosterde Mielies” or Corn on the street market. It was so nice and I remembered the first time I ate it. It was in 1997 when I visited Grenada in the Caribbean. It is a delicacy which you have to taste when in Turkey or in any of these countries where it is a practice to sell it on the street.

From there I walked in an effort to find the bus to take me to the Chora museum before returning to the spice bazaar. I was lured into taking a taxi which I refused because I wanted to see the city. I think because I did not want to take the taxi, the guy whom I asked misdirected me or pretended he did not understand me. So, I walked up and down and later decided to eat my stress away.”Kebabs” whether chicken or lamb, forms part of the Turkish Cuisine. So, I bought chicken kebabs mixed with ‘slap chips and tomatoes “inside square bread! It was okay, as those of you who know me closely, know that I am not into burger and pizza type of foods.


I finally found the bus and left for the Chora museum (I made an earlier post about it) on my return from the Chora museum I stopped at the Spice bazaar and found that there are not many herbalists, as they are called, left and that there are also many jewelers in the spice bazaar. The Spice Bazaar was built in 1663-1664 and was first called the New Bazaar or in Turkish Valide Bazaar. It was renamed as the spices came from Egypt. The bazaar burnt twice and it was renewed in 1994.
This is where I bought the “evil eye” anklet requested by one of my daughters. From there I sat outside on the stairs of the new Mosque to finish off my kebab bread!
My highlight in Turkey was to be on a cruise on the Bosphorus Strait. I cannot explain to you how it felt when we sailed under the bridge which connects Europe with Asia. It is something! I will forever treasure my visit to Turkey and wish that one day it will be possible for our children and my beloved husband to visit the historic places in Turkey.