Friday, May 31, 2013

Lion encounters and cuddling :-)


Since I was not fortunate enough to see lions roaming in the wild (although I did about five game drives in different national parks), I conceded to drive out to the Lion Park Johannesburg and cuddle a few lion cubs over there....it was a good change to all the violence and crime I experienced at the hospital anyway. 
So there we went, cuddling lion cubs and playing with the giraffe!
And this can´t go unnoticed, David even French-kissed the giraffe!!!!!!












Thursday, May 30, 2013

Bits and pieces of Johannesburg

A random selection of pics of my incredible time in Johannesburg - my house, my car, my dogs, wonderful new friends, cheap cocktails, excellent food, great markets, a pool party and more food....

I can´t even say how much I miss you, South Africa!!!!!




















Thursday, May 23, 2013

A beautiful surprise on my last morning in Mozambique...

Sometimes, you see the most beautiful things by chance, when you don´t expect it at all....on my last day in Mozambique, just before taking a flight back to Johannesburg (which saved me a two-day bus ride in those horrible minibus taxis), I had to run back into town to get some cash...

( I know this doesn´t sound too exciting, but given that I spent most of my time hanging out on the beach and at the pool, the prospect of walking into town seemed like an impossible task in the heat, which is also why I had put it off until the very last moment....;-))

Anyways, eventually, I walked into town on that scorching hot morning to find a working ATM (not an easy task)...finally, after three unsuccessful attempts, I found a cash machine that worked, so I turned down to the coastal road and was completely taken by surprise of what I saw....so beautiful!

(and funnily, I wouldn´t have walked down there if the first ATM had actually been working...:-))

This was the only time on my four-day stay in Vilanculos that I witnessed low tide...the sea withdrew to the horizon, forming little channels of crystal blue or darker shades of blue, interspersed by white sand banks....children were playing on the sand banks, while their families were enjoying cooled drinks in the shadow of the palm trees....
















Monday, May 13, 2013

Living the beach life - surfer´s paradise in Mozambique

With the rainy and windy days in London, I can´t help but think of the splendid beach days in Mozambique. 

Sailing, snorkeling, surfing and barbecues with freshly-caught fish!








Thursday, May 9, 2013

A stroll around the markets of Mozambique...and a lot of seafood!

After three weeks of daily braais (barbecue) in Namibia and Botswana, I was more than happy to cross the border over to Mozambique with its tropical coast and all the seafood it had to offer. I promised myself to have fresh seafood everyday throughout my time in Mozambique and the fish markets in Maputo were just the best place to start.
In the early afternoon, I passed by Mercado Central and ran into a few Vietnamese sailors who had just bought a few crayfish and had them cooked right on the spot. With a few bits of English we figured out that I had been to their hometown on my trip to Vietnam, so they invited me to share some crayfish and some beers with them. Good times! And so random!
In the evening, a few people from the hostel and me took a tuktuk ride out of own to have dinner at the local fish market. We got to choose from the catch of the day - prawns, squid and other fish like tuna and then took our bags full of fish over to one of the little restaurant places where they prepared the fish along with fries and salad and we had a simple but excellent meal out there!
I immediately knew I was going to love my time in Mozambique!