very weird here

I don't know if it has made the news at home, but we are in a very weird Singapore right now.

I remember experiencing weather last year sometimes where the air was acrid with smoke. A little in the air might be the Chinese burning paper tributes to their ancestors in the incinerators outside each building.

But when we came home from South Africa, the air was thick with smoke. I have sent pictures of the view off our balcony. I would take a photo to show you what it is like now, but you wouldn't see anything! I see only the apartment across the way, no water, no ships, no downtown skyline. It is like a thick London fog.

 I usually have all the windows wide open and only close the bedroom at night and put on the air con. I now have the whole place closed up and the main air con on. The air should not read higher than 100 something. 100 is high and uncomfortable, and aged and pregnant are told to stay indoors or wear masks. The reading here is 200 whatevers.

Tim, at Tiger, has been advised to wear some kind of mask when he does the walk around on the airplane, before take off. The Singapore tv station has had a special all day long on the haze.

The cause is the slash/burning of the Indonesian farmers. They ready their fields for planting by burning off the field. Singapore and Malaysia are in the down wind of Indonesia. The Singaporean and Malaysian governments are trying to negotiate with the farmers of Indonesia.

This haze happens every year, but this is the worst in 16 years. The whole city is under a pall. There is quite a strong wind, but it does nothing to move the smoke away.

You know like in a fog, cars come silently and people seem to appear out of nowhere. It is strange, mysterious, and unpleasant. I even went to the gym twice today because it has air con and there is no way I want to go for a walk in this air. Tim just came in on his bicycle wearing a mask!

We are thinking of going to Taiwan for his days off this weekend, to get fresh air! HA Now that is a laugh! (China having terrible air quality- but anything is better than what is here!)

This is the man I fell in love with thirty years ago.
More to the point I have stayed in love with him.
He is a stinker for having his eyes closed in a photo and he never smiles full on.
He has assured me that in this photo he is wide-eyed and grinning!

safari episode two

So here I go again, trying to describe something that was so huge, so unbelievable, so wonderful. Good luck.

Phinda is a private game reserve. It has three focusses- give back to the land, give back to the wildlife, give back to the community. It does all three, masterfully.

We went on game drives 6 a.m. - 10 a.m., and 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.. You start in darkness and end in darkness. So you start in cold and end in cold. South Africa's winter is now and the temperatures dropped to probably 10'. And out in the Land Cruiser, with no windshield it was colder. In the dark and particularly in the rain!

We had cold mornings, a delicious bite to the air (a Singaporean talking here) and by sunrise, the sun started to heat the day. We had a hot August day (actually stinking hot- I would not want to be there doing a safari in their summer!) a perfect September day (brilliant blue sky, and a warm sun that you can smell), perfect October day (brilliant sky, but a wind to make it a little on the fresh side), a grey November day (overcast and cold) and an awful November day (cold, grey, pissing rain, and blowing wind). We had it all.

The nights were cold driving back to camp, but cosy on arrival. Our very glamorous cabin with the turn down was toasty. All except the night of the "November rain". We needed a hot shower to get the appendages to move. The one very warm "August" day, we sat the afternoon at our plunge pool, saying hello to the impala that visited us, they seeking a little saline refresher. The pool was too cold to plunge into, because of the very cold nights. But I did yoga on the deck, with monkeys as audience! And we had an outdoor shower that was lovely that day. Monkeys at the shower too!

We would get a call at 5:30, come to the lodge at 6 a.m. for coffee and a bun. On our return at 10ish we would have a very full breakfast. Home baked bread, croissants, wonderful in season fruit, yogurt that must be 30%bf, and they even had delicious decaf coffee for me. Roughing it in the bush! We would loll around till 2, trying to think hungry, so we could face a fantastic lunch, on the deck, watching baboons playing in the trees, and be ready for a 3 o'clock drive. Till 8, and in to darkness. To arrive back to a wonderful dinner. The food was first class, and it was hard to think we were off in the bush.

Upon arrival, we were assigned to a ranger for our 5 days. Ranger Barry was a Zulu, trained for 7 years, lived just off the reserve with his family. The Toyota Land Cruiser sat 8. Six guests, and Ranger Barry and his spotter Chris, also a Zulu. Chris sat up front in the spotter seat, which was  a single seat that stuck out front of the front of the vehicle. He would leave his "office" and join us when we were near animals. His coming in the vehicle kept the integrity of the outline of the vehicle, which was what the animals were comfortable with. He also would be back with us, and the two rangers had a "guitar" on which they put "strings". (a rifle with bullets.)

These two were amazing. A big part of the safari is educating us city folk. They would stop and show us prints. Know when they were made, where they had come from, and where they were headed. These guys know all the animals. Know the ages, family lineage, and know their activities. When we had a spotting, Barry would phone it in so all the other rangers could update their info.

He asked us the first drive what we hoped for. I said I wanted to see "the big five" My friend Kate had referred to "the big five" I had no idea what they were. They are not the biggest of the animals, but they are the most difficult to track and "hunt". Well, by drive #3 we had seen 4 of the 5. The five are elephants, lions, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, buffalo, cheetah. Now we saw these giants at close range. Calm, curious, comfortable, and they were awesome. A bull elephant was coming down the sand path we were on, so Barry pulled to the side and this magnificent 4 meter tall bull walked past us 2 meters away. Also a mature male lion. On the path, we pulled over, he looked at us and walked on, meters away. That, my friends, is breath taking.

We tracked four 4 year old lions, two female, two male (ruff just starting), for two days. They were hungry and looking for food. The third day we saw them just finishing off a wildebeest, and were licking their chops, and lolling. Full bellied, meters from us (the two males "spooning, with one's paws around the other).

We watched a bull elephant cross our path. Then one crossed behind us. So Barry reversed quickly, not wanting to be between the pack. And a good thing he did. We watched about 30 elephants cross, with one little baby. Where they were all about 3 meters tall, this baby wasn't one meter tall, and dancing, and skipping along. It was gorgeous!

We tracked a male mature lion for several days, looking for his two females. He was hungry, lost, and tired. Then we were there when he found them, nuzzling them, batting them, grooming them.

The cheetahs were eluding Barry (and all the other rangers). We had been tracking them in the bush in the vehicle. Tracks but no cheetah.  So Barry and Chris set off on foot, with their guitar with strings on it, and they told us to STAY in the vehicle. They did ask if one of the guys could drive the Land Cruiser. With an affirmative, they set off on foot. After a hour, they called on the walkie talkie to come, gave directions, and we found them. Then, with Chris out of his office and sitting with guitar on his lap we found them. Cheetahs are magnificent. It was so worth the hunt. ( leopards have no stripe down their face, cheetahs do.)

I will continue this another post. I will attach a few of my photos this time. But Tim's photos will be coming along soon.


King of the Jungle

They look like they are related to camels!

Major BIG and a matter of feet away!

He was feet away too!

Zebras are gorgeous!

Pretty magnificent!

Chris in his office, and Ranger Barry at the wheel.

Buffalo. Sure doesn't look like North American buffalo

Well worth the hunt! AMAZING!!!!!!

My pictures of rhino and hippo are not very good. The animals are so well camouflaged that you can't see them in the pics!

More to follow!

Oh, my, my, my

We just had an experience of a lifetime.

I had mentioned that our South Africa trip was getting bigger ($$$) than usual. Worth every penny. By changing our thinking, and making this our 30th anniversary trip (seeing as on our day I will be in Canada, and Tim will be in Singapore- it was an easy sell!) it was very special. And it was in spades!

Firstly, because we said we were celebrating our 30th,  to our agent, we had champagne every place we stayed!

But it just was breath taking. I can not do it justice in one post, so I am going to do several.

I mentioned that my dear friend Kate said we HAD to do a safari, and had to go to Phinda (silent "h"), stay at Vlei Lodge, and to do so, contact &Beyond, their agent. Well, they put together our 10 days in SA, and it was fabulous.

We flew to Johannesberg (10 Hours, 5 hour time change) and on to Durban, a short flight east to the east coast of South Africa. We stayed overnight at a lovely inn in a residential area. A short walk to the beach, and in a huge wind, a walk on the beach in to a little town on the outskirts of Durban. We were made very aware of the security in SA. Barbed wire every where. A panic button on the bed table for in the night! Otherwise it seemed like Victoria, BC. We found the SA Rand very favourable. We had been told SA was expensive, but the Rand has suffered, and that worked to our advantage. To eat out was very reasonable, beer cheap cheap, wine even cheaper, and good SA wine.

The next morning we were picked up and transferred to a small airport nearby, and in a small (Cessna 172? 4 seater) airplane, took a 1 1/2 hour flight to Phinda's airstrip. Up the coast 30 minutes, a beach lined, huge wave shoreline. Inland over miles of sugar plantations, beautiful green waving in the wind, like wheat. To Phinda.

We were met by a Phinda ranger, of course in Khaki, in to a Toyota Land Cruiser, of course, and a 30 minute drive to the camp. On the way we saw beautiful zebras, maybe 10 meters from us.
The lodge is simple but beautifully done. I hope some photos will do it justice.

Phinda sits between Lesotho and Swaziland (if you know where they are!) south of Kruger Park, and is Zulu land. They have managed to give back to ancestral owners 9,500 acres dispossessed in Apartheid. It was derelict farmland and is now a conservation reserve in perpetuity. Phinda is a not for profit Game Reserve. It made money only 2 years ($22,000) and strives to work with a zero balance, putting back in to the land, the animals, and the people." Phinda "means "return". They are living up to their name.

It has 56,000 acres of land acquired in 1991, land which was being farmed very uneconomically, and starving the land of resources. An "against all odds" project. The land is unique in that it has seven different habitats: savanna, bush veld, coastal grassland, mountain range ( Lemombo), marsh, forest,

We stayed at Vlei Lodge, vlei meaning meadow. A central lodge with 6 out cabins, along sand paths in light forest. We were maybe 50 meters from the lodge. We signed a very wordy release of liability form, and they did have some very strict rules. No way go out at night in the dark unaccompanied. Call for a ranger escort. The cabins are not fenced and have night visitors. The night before we arrived a lion had got in to a fight between two cabins. Our first night we had elephants at our cabin. Big huge foot prints in the sand. Like snow shoes. One morning as we left our cabin at 6 in the morning (in darkness still) there were 2 rangers in conversation on the path at our door. I thought "oh what a coincidence". It was no coincidence. They had tracked a leopard to our steps in to our cabin, and could not find where they went from there. So we had a flashlight escort to the main lodge!

At our first safari we were given the drill. No standing up when animals are in sight. They are comfortable with the presence of the vehicle, but if the outline of the vehicle  changes shape, that would alarm them. The rangers were incredible at driving up and around to give us good photo ops.

On that, oy. I bought a new camera, my old one died. I even practiced with it before going. Bought an extra card for lots of photos, and then forgot to take the charger for the battery. So guess what? I became very reliant on Tim for photos. I will post some but his are super. We will give you  drop box address and you can go see them all.

Another oy. I forgot my coat. Very hard in 80' weather to grab your winter coat as you head to the airport. I knew it would be cold, but it was freezing. I think my blood is thinner. It was see your breath cold in the early morning. Then in to the open jeep and get colder. I wore layers and the same layers every day. The very coldest day it rained and we were driving home. They handed out ponchos, and I pulled the hood right around tight, and was happy I wore glasses because it was pelting. There is no windshield in a jeep, so...

I will attach some photos but more to come. I have to do this safari in a few blogs. So stay tuned.

Not many of getting there. JUST WAIT!!!
This is the coastline of gorgeous South Africa, from our little plane on the way to Phinda.

This is sugar plantations inland. I don't know what I was expecting, but not lush green plantations.

This was from the drive in to Phinda. Hadn't even dropped our bags. He was maybe 3 meters away. GORGEOUS.

  More tomorrow.

oops

I did it again. I should have said that Durban is on the east coast of South Africa. I made the same mistake one other time. I think to myself it is west of here.

Duh!  That makes it west right? So anyway, Durban is on the east cast of South Africa.

getting excited

Next Wednesday we are going to South Africa to Cape Town and to a safari. It is going to be our 30th wedding anniversary trip. (I have designated that because it is so expensive!) (And I will be in Canada and Tim in Singapore for our actual anniversary.)

I know safaris are expensive, and we have been spoiled with these little long-weekend excursions. But this looks like it will be fantastic.

I once again had to go to google map to see where we were going. Of course the southern tip of Africa. We fly to Johannesburg then to Durban. So we fly to the northern end of S.A. inland to Jburg. Then out to the west coast about halfway down to the tip to Durban. That will take all day. 10 hours to Jburg, but 5 hour time change. Then on to Durban. We will be met at the airport and have a hotel on the coast. The next morning we will be picked up and taken to the airport again, for a little (1 1/2 hr)  flight, in a little plane  to our safari. Google &beyond Phinda Vlei. Then you will know as much as me about what we will be doing. We will be there 4 nights. They have a safari early morning (cold) back for breakfast, and another safari at dusk (cool again) and back for dinner. Mid day warms up considerably. We have our own plunge pool at our private house. (Apparently elephants are known to come and drink!) There are only 6 villas on the property so a small group for the outings. I believe they have afternoon science stuff to do.

We will then fly to Durban and fly to Port Elizabeth, about 1/3 the way down to Cape Town. 2 nights there, with lots to see. Wine country, gorgeous orchards, and the rest I will know better in a few days. Then we drive to Cape Town and snoop around there. They say it is a great city, and the wine country is fabulous. I will let you know.

It is exciting to think we will wear socks and sweater, and be cool. We even have a fireplace in our cabin! The simple pleasures!

We have a friend of Elizabeth's visiting with us- Askan. A friend from Children's Aid Foundation days. He is a lovely guy. We took him to the new aquarium. It is huge and fantastic. As only Singapore can do. Biggest in the world. But of course. It just opened a few weeks ago.

The aquarium has over 100,000 marine animals. The glass walls are vast (again they have one that is the biggest piece of glass in the world. It was breathtaking. The colours, the mesmerizing movement, the coral dancing, They have a touching pool, where children, supervised, can touch. I will attach way too many photos, some videos that I hope open for you. I was blown away. It was gorgeous.

There was a brochure there from Mother's Day. I guess they don't get the significance of some things in English, but an ad for something for Mommy Dearest. All I can see is that movie with Bette Davis.
In the brochure was an article on Susur Lee. He has a restaurant here, but it was a charming article about him, about in Toronto, (He credits his long ponytail to his mother. She had the adage hair is money.

The SSO sent out their brochure for next year. I have never seen such a luxurious brochure. 80 pages of glossy photos. Even lots of the musicians. Their programming looks fantastic. Mahler 1, Verdi Te Deum, Bach St John Passion, R Strauss Heldenleben, Don Juan, Symphonia Domestica, Schumann 1st and 2nd Symphonies, Shostakovich 5. I could go on and on. I simply want to go to them all. But I want to keep myself free to travel.

Oh such difficult decisions. Like is tough sometimes.

a bit of calm

I had such a fling for a few weeks. Things are quieter now. In fact I have some kind of bug which laid me low for 2 days and 6 days later I am still coughing a lot, and blowing a lot, and my ears are blocked. I called the dr but found out it is a national holiday today. I have no idea what holiday, but it makes a long weekend for the country.

So I am back to my routine; yoga, gym, osteo, swimming and massage. Life is tough. It really is a life of living in a resort. Pretty darn nice. I just found out our little store downstairs, like a corner store, which amazes me at all the stuff they carry, will be closing for 3 weeks reno. It sure could use a paint job. But it is so convenient. If I need something I will have to take a bus, or cab to a big grocery store. Maybe the two other condo properties have a little handy store I can use.

At least for part of it we are away. Tim has 5 days holidays  and we put it with his days off and we have 12 days for a bigger trip.

And if $$$ means bigger, that it is. We are going to go to South Africa. I am pulling my "It's a chance of a life time. We will never be back here and we should bite the bullet and maybe draw on some $$ back home, to do this". So it will be pricey. Not a cheap Asian escape. It seems that we are making a triangle with home. It is 20 hours (I think) to Durban SA from here. And 20 hours to Canada.

We will only do Cape Town and a safari out of Durban. The safari looks amazing and has come very recommended by my friend Kate. (She is from Durban and went to this one, Vlei, for her honeymoon).
If you want to google &beyond, then safaris in South Africa, Phinda, and then Vlei or Rock. We may go to both. They have a 4 nights for the cost  of 3 so will still have to work it out. But it will be amazing.

You get yourself to Durban and they fly you out on a little airplane. Just like in the movies! And novels! Cape Town is supposed to be fabulous and we are by-passing Joburg. So just the two destinations. Very exciting. June 5-15.

The downer is there is no Tilleys here, so I haven't got the safari outfits! Yoga stuff will  have to do. I googled the weather and it looks that it goes up to high 20"s 30 in the afternoon, but down to maybe 10 at night. And we are in tents! And have our private pool. Wonder if the animals know it is private!

A lovely very non-Singaporean vignette. We were coming home from a movie, and on the MRT, and this fellow asked me if I wanted his seat. This happens all the time- only because of my grey hair!. I said no thank you. and in a full voice asked me how old I was. Smiles around us. I think the guy had had a few, but he continued a conversation at full voice. About my age!

I was at Fair Price the other day. My grocery store. And in the check out line a young Asian boy, maybe 5, on this mother's hip, asked me if the man in front checking out, was my friend. I said no, so he asked if I had any friends. I assured him yes, . Well where are they!

My yoga studio does classes for kids. To see these little 3-6 year olds doing hand stands, shoulder stands. It is wonderful. And very entertaining.

We have gone to two HD 3D movies. Iron Man 3 and Star Trek. Not my kind of movie, but I bank the brownie points for when I want Tim to come to a chick flick with me. I have a nice balance in the bank!

Do you know that one day last week there were 48 hits on my post? WOW

You gotta love synchronicity

The high continues.

I invited some friends over for a glass of wine. These wonderful yoga teachers who have been so supportive and kind and instructive. I wanted to say thank you. I sent out an email invitation to "Jane's Team" 3 yoga teachers and a fellow yoga student whom I met on the retreat last October, and who lives around the corner.

They all four live within  a few blocks of here.

I wanted to ask my massage therapist, Suzi, who works downstairs at the spa in our complex, but doesn't live close by. I wanted to ask her, but Monday is her day off, and she would have had a trek to get here.

I went downstairs to the back gate to let Kate in, and on our way back, there was Suzi! Back for the evening to the little bar we have downstairs. I grabbed her and said you have to come up stairs for a glass. So Suzi, who is definitely a part of "my team" was there to meet the other women.

And what a group of women! Wonderful, and wonderful to me. And short. They are all around 5', the tallest 5'3". Now I am only 5'7" but felt very tall that evening. The hilarious laughter in the photos is because they were all on their tip toes, and I scrunched down!


Karen, Suzi, Kate, me

 Marion, Karen, Kate, me , Anita

The wonderful week continues. Last night went to Ironman 3, in 3D and HD. $38 for the 2 of us. Amazing what technology they have. Marvel characters are not my style (more the Paris Opera, Also Sprach Zarathustra type!!) but  it was amazing.

Singapore does movie "gold class" where you spend about $50 a ticket, but only 12 in the theatre, you are served complimentary food and drink throughout the screening. In a reclining lounge chair. It is like flying first class (I think- I wouldn't know) I want to do it once before we go. When doing big, glitzy , and posh posh nobody does it like Singapore.