Ice cream on flight in winter

I flew back from Johannesburg to Cape Town on a BA flight yesterday afternoon after spending a week in Johannesburg.  How do people stand that cold .. I will rather take the wet in Cape Town than that cold in Jhb .. I almost froze to death.

On to the ice cream.  Instead of peanuts and whatnot, we got dished out icecream.  You know those Magnum ice cream on a stick,  only small versions of it.  These ice creams were frozen rock solid and it was a laugh watching the people trying to eat these.  Trying to bite pieces of was just impossible except for the chocolate coating on the outside.  This was the first time that I was given ice cream on a flight and it was actually very nice.  Just a pity it was such a small one.  What I find interesting is that they serve ice cream in the midst of a cold winter and come summer these ice creams are nowhere to be seen.  Will never understand that thinking.

Overall the flight was a very pleasant and fun flight .. very friendly lady between myself and Andre on the flight and was not offended by the jokes we cracked about the woman pilot.  Yes, we had a woman pilot and obviously all the woman pilot jokes and comments came out.  Must say that she, the woman pilot, was actually good.  The landing was not to bumpy and she missed most of the air tirbulance.

I am just happy to be back home in good ol Cape Town .. Jhb really sucks.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

Drives of a Lifetime

National Geographic put together a list of what they reckon is drives one should take. Quoting from them:

 Sometimes it’s the journey, sometimes it’s the destination—and sometimes, it’s both. National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world’s most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get drive directions, quizzes, photos, and more.

They included drives in Italy, Canada, Hawai, America and much more.  However I could not find any from South Africa.  Here I immediately think of paces like the Sani Pass.  Are there any that you think should be on this list?

Technorati Tags: , ,

DTP #13: Roadtrip – Cape Town to Hermanus and back

As I am still on holiday, my son and I decided to explore some of the Western Cape’s beauty. It was an overcast day and a perfect day for a road trip. We decided to explore the area up to Hermanus.  We drove through the Strand and Gordonsbay.

After Gordonsbay, it was onto Rooiels, PringleBay, Bettysbay and Kleinmond. At Kleimond we stopped and grabbed some cooldrinks and strolled through the town.  Then it was onto Hermanus, past Arrabella Golf Estate and Onrus onto Hermanus.

We again stopped in Hermanus and strolled through the town.  It was packed and we battled to get parking.  This must be one of the restaurants that is the closest I have ever seen to the water edge.

For all you Harley lovers,

This was one of about 15 Harleys and all of them exactly the same.

On the way back from Hermanus we took the N2 and turned off at Grabou.  Just before Velliersdorp we took the Franschoek turnoff and got this view of Franschoek.

Now tell me that we do not have some of the most beautyful countryside here in the Cape.  This view is just amazing.

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Travel, travel and more travel.

OWSunrise 4

This amazing sunrise was taken one morning about 2 weeks ago.  It looks like the whole sky was burning and had all these shades of orange and red.

image Pity about the Stormers that only managed a draw last night but taking the weather into account I think we should take what we got and move onto the next game against the Lions.

The Stormers is 4th on the log and still in the running for the semi’s. They would probably battle to get a home semi.  It would be good if the Sharks can also move up to the semi’s.

 

So back to the title of this post.  About a month ago I started working on a big new assignment with a company based in Johannesburg.  I am still with IBM and are working on the outsourcing deal between MTN and IBM.  This basically mean that I stay in Cape Town and work in Johannesburg.  I travel up beginning of week and then back to Cape Town towards the end of week.  I use to stay in hotels but that just got to me.  Now I use a guesthouse and go back to the same one each time and try to stay in the same room.  Now at least it feels like home away from home.

The travelling in airports and airplanes  is really tiring.  We have estimated that a round trip can take anything up to 10 hours if you take into account time from home to airport, picking up car and then trip from airport to destination.  On my next trip which starts 20 May I will stay longer which mean a weekend in Gauteng.  This will be a new experience since I have not really spend leisure time in Gauteng yet, so will need to find things to do.  Anyone in the area that knows me and want to meet for coffee or drinks, just let me know and we can make a plan.

Last week Thursday evening we had the Welcome event for all new IBMers that joined us from MTN.   Welcome to all the new IBMers, trust that you will enjoy your stay and work with us here at IBM.  Now some of my colleagues really let their hair down.

Next week I am off to Sun City with over 200 of my colleagues for a well deserved break and to have some fun in the sun.  Thanks to IBM GTS which had a great year last year.

I did it !!! weekend without TV and laptop.

I went away for the longweekend to Plett and had a very relaxing weekend.  Will post some photos later.

What I found rather amazing is that I went the whole weekend without ever switching on the TV and opening my laptop.  Yes I missed the rugby between SA and Tonga (believe it was not a good game) and the semi’s and final off the Twenty20 cricket.  I do now know that India won, congrats to India.

The bad thing of a weekend like this is that email build up (although most of that is SPAM) and have an RSS reader with almost 2300 entries.

It was good just to break away with good company and just have a great weekend.  Thanks to those that spend the weekend with me, you know who you are :).

Today is back to the grindstone and trying to do 5 days work in 4 days.

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Wikimania, Rugby World Cup 2007, Twenty20 and RSS update

Currently there is a bid on the go to host Wikimania 2008 in Cape Town and it is driven by Ian.  Ian needs all the support he can get so please contact him if you can help in any way.  Ian, please contact me should you need any assistance.

How good was it to see the Boks kick the Poms ass on Friday evening.  I am sure that today the same will happen in the Twenty20.

A while ago I commented about the spy saga in F1.  This past week McLaren was found guilty and stripped of all their constructors points and fined $100 million dollars.  Why Alonso was not punished, I do not know since I believe he had a hand in all this?

Onto my RSS feed update:

Today, instead of a picture I am including the famous Youtube video shot in Kruger Park of the Buffalos, Lions and crocodile.

Back home ….

After a week away in sunny warm Denmark, I arrived back in South Africa early Saturday morning.  It only happens in South Africa when they have to delay the take-off of a flight to make sure that the airplane does not arrive early in Cape Town.  You see, they were working on the run-way overnight and the flight was not allowed to land before 5am.  They delayed the flight by 40 minutes in Frankfurt just for this. 

It was my first visit to Copenhagen and what an eye-opener.  No crime to talk off, actually I almost never saw the police or heard any sirens.  Once an alarm went off in a shop and within a blink of the eye a policeman arrived. 

Bicycles, this is everywhere.  No wonder since Denmark is very flat.  The highest point in Denmark is a pilar on a bridge that goes from one island to another. Since they ride on the wrong side of the road I almost took out some bicycle riders a couple of times. Getting out of the bus I always looked in the wrong direction and then just started walking just to hear some calls from my right from a couple of bicycle riders pedalling down on me. 

And nobody lock their bicycles when they get off it.  Hours later that bicycle will be just where they left it.

Talking of busses.  It is always on time, clean and get you on time where you need to be.  And cars do not drive in bus lanes.  It just does not happen.  Also if a pedestrain crossing is red nobody walks, even if there is no cars and/or  bicycles. It just does not happen.

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Copenhagen- photo report

As promised, here are some photos from my visit in Copenhagen.

Views from my hotel, not my room but the room of a colleague of mine who is here with me. Had dinner yesterday evening on the benches you see. Burger King burger and chips — and that cost 55 Danish Krone, about R72 .. yes you read correctly, R72 for a burger and chips.

While we are talking about my colleague, here is he (Andre) lying on his bed.  We have this joke about him staying in a real pimp room.  I am staying in the new renovated part of the hotel where the rooms are ultra luxury. Last night while beer drinking from pub to pub we came across this traffic light — The small green light on the right is a traffic light for bicycles.  Yes, they have their own lanes with their own traffic lights. 

We also met this “alien” that was dancing every time  somebody threw some coins in her tin .. she was actually very entertaining.  When she was not dancing then she was standing dead still like a statue and would not move even if people tried to make her move. The moment some coins was thrown she started dancing with her flags.

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

Copenhagen, Denmark

Arrived in Copenhagen at the Palace Hotel very late yesterday evening after 18 hours on airplanes and in airports.  Was touch and go in Frankfurt when I had to get from one airplane to the next one in under 30 minutes.  Assisted by a security guard through some back allies we eventually made it.  The fact that my luggage arrived with me in Copenhagen was a miracle.

Also the take-off in Cape Town in that stormy weather is not something I want to experience soon again.  Talking of the weather, it is a great sunny 22 degrees here in Copenhagen.  Eat your heart out, Cape Town 🙂

I have taken some photos and will upload as soon as I have some time.  It is beer drinking time so until later.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

Denmark trip – Update

I have eventually received my Visa this morning after the 3rd try and it is valid and correct.  Luckily it has now been issued for a whole year so any travel to Europe over the next year will be a bit easier.  The travel agent did manage to screw up my travel date so now I will be traveling a day earlier (Sunday, 20th) and stay one day longer in Copenhagen.  Will have to work in some sightseeing.

I have to be at the airport at some un-godly hour on Sunday morning — 7am flight out of Cape Town.  And I am landing back in Cape Town at just an un-godly hour.  Saturday morning at 5am.

Technorati Tags: , , ,