3 COUNTRIES-3 CURRENCIES-3 FLIGHTS-4 AIRPORTS-21 HOURS

WEATHER: Airports and planes

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Seeing a friendly face

BUMMER OF THE DAY: 10 hours on planes and 11 hours in airports

WORD OF THE DAY:  American Airlines

DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 6,940KM

I found it hard to sleep last night.  I have a billion thoughts running through my head and when it was time to put myself to sleep, my brain just wouldn’t switch off and the last time I remember looking at the clock it was 12.15am.  My alarm was set for 3.30am; it was going to be a long day anyways-lack of sleep will just get thrown in the mix as well. 

I had 98% packed last night.  I am a pre-packer from way back and everything bar my toothbrush is all packed the night before.  I think it is just the comfort that everything fits and zips and if not I have time to work on a plan B rather than realizing at 4am the next morning that I may have an issue. 

So I made sure that I was all ready to go at 4.30am in case mystery transfer man Dwayne did turn up and had just forgotten to reconfirm, but I didn’t end up going down to reception to check out till 4.45am.  I was ready early at 4.15 and after a quick spin on Facebook I decided to call Zeme.  Yes this makes 3 calls in the one week.  They aren’t the cheapest to make from my mobile phone in Barbados, but I justified it by not having spent much money all week and the weekly calls I missed when we didn’t have phone reception in Colombia and Venezuela.  I see it as money well spent as I feel so good after hearing his voice and speaking to him.  Especially after the last few ‘downer’ days that I let myself lapse into. 

Needless to say there was no Dwayne waiting for me, but there was an Irish couple standing there and as I headed up the stairs to check-out they asked if I was heading to the airport.  I replied yes and they said that their pre-paid transfer hadn’t turned up and that they had just called a taxi and I could share that.  Why that’s so nice – thanks.  I did mention to them since they had pre-paid their transfer had they tried to call them first? To which Mrs. Irish replied no they hadn’t.  So I said you better try, so when you go home you can say you did try and contact them.  So she did call them and they confirmed a transfer would be there in 10 minutes.  In the meantime the taxi they had ordered arrived.  So I said listen I can take your taxi, it saves me having to order one, and I’ll wait until your ride gets here.  I said I would feel so bad if I took your taxi and then your car doesn’t arrive and then you have to wait for another one.  So I loaded my gear in the van and we waited a further 10 minutes and their car showed.  So with a handshake, a thank-you and a ‘see you at the airport’ we jumped into our prospective cars and made the 15 minute journey to the airport.  There was no traffic and at one stage my guy was driving 110km per hour-holy moly, hold onto your hats.  Now I didn’t confirm the price of the taxi, but it was 20USD on the way in.  Add on a few dollars for the early morning start I was thinking around 25, at a push 30USD for the return.  So when we pulled up and he said 35USD, I told he had to be kidding.  He said the early morning taxis are 30USD and then he charged me 5USD for waiting to make sure that Irish’s transfer arrived.  Geez Louise.  So I gave him 40USD and conveniently he didn’t have USD change and was going to give it to me in Barbados dollars.  I told him to keep it and that he wasn’t half bad.  That will teach me for not checking with him, or at least reception to see what the rate was before taking the service.  I mean that could be the going rates, but it was cheeky all the same.

The check-in counters remind me of Hawaii.  They are located in an open plan building, like a big stable, but modern and you have to self-check-in, you have no choice and then bag drop it to the counter.  Of course my passport wouldn’t swipe and after 2 machines and the help of the help staff I got myself checked in for all my 3 flights, all windows and my bag was checked all the way through to Ottawa, but like everyone else entering the USA from somewhere international, you need to collect your bag and then drop it at the transfer counter once clearing customs, just like you do in Los Angeles.  Irish weren’t far behind me and it was nice to have a bit if banter with people, they were really sweet.   

There were a few smaller flights to nearby Caribbean islands leaving early along with us, but there was no one at immigration as I passed through and there was no one at the security scan when I passed through that as well.  I was all checked, stamped and security screened within 20 minutes.  That is the good thing with sparrow fart departures or late at night ones that it really isn’t a busy time of day.  They had a small selection of duty free shops and 90% of them were open and a small food court and seating where a few of the food shops were open.  Considering the size and location of the airport it is pretty modern and not too much ‘tropical’ crap for sale, most of it was international brands, alcohol and perfume.  There was a souvenir shop where I was able to buy a few stickers and I also picked up 3 pirate stickers for Tippy’s boys in Las Vegas where I used the rest of my Barbados dollars and some USD for the purchase.  I was going to buy a sandwich for the flight, as food is not included in the flight, but I was tired and couldn’t be bothered and for a 3.5 hour flight, I could survive and I would just get something in Miami with my 3 hour layover. 

The flight was boarded on time and it was full.  I was sitting next to a Barbadian lady who was starting work on a Royal Caribbean ship from LA.  No I didn’t speak to hear, I just snooped during the flight as she pulled out all her information to re-read it all.  The sequined costumes she pulled out of her hand luggage during the flight to look for something was also a small give away that she was a show woman of some sort, well I had hoped.  It was a 757 aircraft with a 3 x 3 configuration.  I should Google American Airlines as it seems most of their fleet are 757’s.  After some rain this morning as we waited at the gate, the sun come out just before we took off, which was great as I was hoping to get some good photos from the air as we left the island.  Our route path was going to be over the Virgin Island, Puerto Rico, some others and over Key West into Miami.  And finally the view didn’t fail to impress.  The colour of the water was a brilliant aquamarine and with the reefs and islands thrown in for the contrast, I got some amazing photos.  This is why I LOVE my window seats!  

We arrived into Miami 20 minutes early and that was after also getting a bit if a scenic fly over of Miami Dade as we flew right past the airport and then circled back in for the landing.  It is a massive urban sprawl, flat as a tack, but lots of waterways with houses built around them and the small lakes and ponds.  It really is a busy airport and we arrived in at a busy time at 11.05am.  We had to catch the air train to get to passport control and then the shit fight starts all again on which line to choose and hurry up and wait.  I picked a line further down from the entrance and then did my usual thing picking people out of other lines to see who gets served first and just how far behind I get.  Well for once I picked a speedy line and I even beat a few of my ‘fellow’ liners to the counter.  My customs guy was nice and after having a flip through my passport he asked if I worked on a yacht!  I said no why and he said with a tan like the one you have and all these stamps in your passport I just assumed.  WOO HOO!  I told you all I had got a tan, but to hear it from the customs man- oh yeah!  How brown do I look!!!  By the time I had waited and got processed it was just after mid-day and my boarding time for my next flight was at 1.55p.  Even though a 3 hour lay-over waiting for flights is a long time, you really do need every second of it to not make it a stressful process.  This one was a little different as we also had to do passport control, but I would prefer to have 3 hours and take my time than have 45 minutes and be a stress muffin with the worry of making connections and the hassles of missing a connection, especially if you have other flights after that and then it all becomes a domino effect!!!

Again with the time you wait in the immigration line, by the time you get to the baggage carousel your bags are sitting there, like small children, waiting to be collected by their owners.  The trolleys are free, so after locating my bag, which had been pulled off the carousel by this stage, passed through customs and to the transfer counter time was starting to tick.  There are 2 drop points, one is for passengers continuing through to other USA cities or like me continuing onto an international destination we have to drop our bags a little further around to the TSA bag drop where they have the authority to check open and check the contents of your bags before sending then through.  This isn’t done while you wait though, you just leave your bag with a guy with a trolley and some crime scene tape (well the airport equivalent) separating them from passengers, and you just leave your bag there with them.  It somehow just feels wrong as you walk if, but that system has been in effect for as long as I can remember with all my travel to the US and it obviously works. 

At least I knew where to find the American Airline counters after getting lost here last week.  It is quite cool to know where you are in an airport, for once, and as I already had my boarding pass I just needed to get to a departures screen to see what concourse my flight was leaving from to go through the right security control.  There is always a long line to get through security, but I do have to say that people are on the ball, they start taking off belts and jewelry before getting to their turn in line, and once they are there to unpack all their stuff, passports away, shoes off, laptops out along with liquids and gels, jackets and scarves off you would think, times that by the hundreds of people processed it would take forever, but we are like little travel machines, we know what to do, we get it done as quick as we can and when through the other side, we pack up in 10 seconds flat as peoples bags just keep coming out of the scanning machine and then we are finally through and another security process passed with no issues.  I was in the scanning queue again for what they call the millimeter machine.  You walk into what looks like a round phone box sized shape, you have to place your feet exactly on the pre-painted yellow feet on the floor and when instructed you have to life your arms up over your head and then the machine does a since rotation scan of you and then you are free to step out.  There was a man about 20 people in front of me that refused to step into the ‘machine’ and was told to wait as they called someone to manually search him.  He waited, and waited and waited……. And he was getting really cranky standing there, and I know that the security people were just being difficult, making him wait, but he was being pretty rude, so I rekon I would have done the same thing as well.  Anyway he was just getting frisked as I collected my stuff on the ‘other side’ and he was still mouthing off as he had his arms outstretched sideways and he was standing in one leg as they checked the soles of his other foot that was in the air.  He looked ridiculous and you have to wonder what his reason was for not wanting to go through the machine in the first place.  He really was a twat that was for sure and you would think, besides passport control, that security would be the last people you would want to piss off!!!      

I had just over an hour before I had to board my flight to Chicago and I was ravenous.  So heading towards my gate, I passed all these food outlets and shops, so I stopped at a burger joint and got a burger, drinks and fries that I got ‘to go’ and would consume at my gate.  Well I arrived at D16 and there was hardly anyone there.  I wasn’t too concerned as I was a little early, so I ate and enjoyed my meal and then I thought I better check the departure gate hadn’t changed and low and behold it had, so I then located my new gate and it was busy.  It looked like it was going to be a full flight.  But at least I had a belly full of food now and I was happy to just read and listen to my music.

Our aircraft was late arriving by 15 minutes, but it is pretty amazing how quickly they can turn the aircrafts around and get them back in the air.  I am now super paranoid that I have a wheelie bag and my backpack that when I get to my seat on the plane there is no room left to store in the overheads.  My backpack I can handle as that can go at my feet, but the rolly bag is my concern and so far all my flights since purchasing it, I have been the last section allowed to board, so I get even more panicky.  American Airlines permit you to have a rolly bag and another piece of personal item such as a handbag or laptop, I am sure I am possibly pushing the rules a little far with the size of the ‘additional’ piece, but so far so good and I even after they called section 4 (that’s the last one and me) I was able to find space for both my bags in the overheads.   I have small bag that I now have for my flights that houses my book, camera, IPod, some cash and my passport that fits into the red backpack and I just pull that out as I get to my seat.  I am back on a 757 aircraft, 3 x 3 configurations and the flight was full again for the 2 hour and 40 minute flight to Chicago.  Again drinks are included, food is not, but after my feed in Miami I was happy to take a coke and then I shit my eyes and drifted off to sleep for most of the flight.  By this time I had been on the go just under 12 hours and I still had the flight, another layover and flight before getting to my final destination.  I must say that these 4 hour flights are a walk in the park to the last few flights I have done that have been 8-12 hours in length, but they still zap your energy all the same.    

We landed into Chicago at 5.45pm Miami time, 4.45pm Chicago time, winding our watches back an hour upon landing.  I had 3 hours here for my connecting flight to Ottawa but as I already had my boarding pass and my bag was checked all the way though, I just had to work out where my departure gate and then find somewhere to settle down for the remaining time.  I always like to find my gate before I do anything else, as some of these gates are quite a fair way away and require air trains to get to them.  Once I know where they are then I am happy to shop, get food etc.  So after walking what felt like 10km, Chicago O’Hare Airport is massive and finding my gate, I grabbed 20 nuggets from McDonalds (I know it sounds a lot but they only came in 10 or 20 and for an extra 1USD you got the extra 10, why not?) and then I set up my computer, paid 3.95USD for a 24 hour internet connection and then sat on my computer for 2 hours on Facebook chat catching up with people who were online.  Thanks Anna for helping fill in my time.   At 7.30pm, I packed up and then went to sit at my actual gate and the gate had changed again for the 3^rd time, so it is lucky I keep checking this as it would be terrible to miss a flight sitting at the wrong departure lounge!!! 

It was at this point I found out I was on an American Eagle flight and I know from past experience that these flights are generally little feeder planes and they aren’t that big.  I started to panic that I was going to have too much cabin baggage and it wasn’t going to fit in the smaller plane.  But I looked around the rest of the lounge and there were people with bigger bags than me so this made me feel instantly better and would just roll with the punches.  We were called on time and as we had out boarding passes scanned, our rolly bags were tagged and we were to leave them on the cart located on the aerobridge and we would be given them back on the aerobridge when we landed in Ottawa.  I was fine with this as there was nothing I needed from the bag and it saves me having to worry about overhead storage.  Well this plane was tiny.  You had to duck your head to get onto the aircraft and it is run by a one woman hostee show.  The plane was an EMB jet with a configuration of 1 x 2 seats.  I felt like I was on a Tonka version of a plane after all the massive aircrafts I have travelled on in recent months.  Looking out over the wing, it felt like a baby it looked so small and that I was just in a normal car as we taxied off.  I finally didn’t have anyone sitting next to me for the 1 hour and 34 minute flight to Canada and my final destination of this long day in Ottawa.  I am getting excited as I have people I know waiting for me on the other side.  This hasn’t happened since my last trip to Ethiopia and before that NEVER.  There is something comforting about having someone waiting for you on the other end and it made me smile.  This is going to be the start of a great 5 weeks with friends and laughs and reminiscing about our respective trips which are something I really haven’t had a chance to do on any trip I have done on my Odyssey and I can’t wait!!!!

We got great views of Chicago lit up at night as my flight took off on time at 8.50pm.  I will be back in Chicago in 12 days where I am spending a week with my United Hostees and this I really can’t wait for as Cheryl put it a stay-cation for her and David and to show me their city.

I arrived into Ottawa at 12.40am Chicago time, 11.40pm Ottawa time.  We wound out watches back an hour and it was funny that after 2 time changes I am back to the original time of Barbados where I left 19 hours earlier today!!!!  We were the only flight arrival, so I only had to wait 10 minutes in the queue at passport control where I did get a bit of a grilling from the officer as he flipped through my passport and sounded cynical that I had been travelling for 12 months and that I had no job until I had to show him my out-going ticket as proof I wasn’t going to abscond in Canada and he was very impressed with my e-ticket that had my 17 flights on it starting in South America and then wished me a pleasant stay in Canada and with a wink as well!!!!!!!  Sly dog.  I think this must be the first time I have had to wait for my bag and as I waited I checked to see if Ottawa has free Wi-Fi and low and behold it did, so I was able to load my status, check-in and perfect timing my bag popped out and with it scooped up into the trolley I headed for the exit and hoped that Marc was there waiting for me.

It was so good to see his face as the doors opened and he was there.  A friendly face and a massive bear hug.  It is good to be here!!!!!  He hasn’t changed a bit.  It has been nearly 12 months since our Contiki Spanish Spree and the first thing he said was ‘how bloody brown’ did I look!!!!  Love ya Marc!!!  We had to catch the car park bus to his car, that we only had to wait 5 minutes for and then we were on the road to his bachelor pad and my hone for the next 4 nights!  He only moved into his apartment 3 weeks ago, so my timing was great and he has a pretty amazing little home.  I am on the spring coil futon for the next 4 nights and Contiki Husband no.2 arrives tomorrow afternoon.  My first reunion from a past trip and I am 100% happier than when I left Barbados this morning.  I need this and I am glad I decided to visit friends on this section and not do the 44 day Intrepid tour.  I needed a break.  So happy days ahead for the next 38 days…….

So after 2 beers, a 2 hour chinwag, we went to bed at 3am.  Marc had a half day at work tomorrow and we were picking Andy up at 3pm from the airport for the final piece of the Contiki Husband Reunion.  Good night from Ottawa and from Marc’s Bachelor Pad Somewhere in Ottawa.   

IT’S TIME TO LEAVE – BARBADOS

WEATHER: Hot 29C

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: My packing is getting back into shape

BUMMER OF THE DAY: Realizing what else fell out of my bag at the airport

WORD OF THE DAY:The Island.....

It’s my last day today in Barbados.  I’m now ready to leave and get social again.

Breakfast wasn’t that great yesterday morning and I just couldn’t be bothered to go down there for another one.  So I started packing, which I am getting back into the swing of things again and everything again has a place in my bag.  It was then that I realized what else had fallen out of my bag at the airport when I arrived.  The bottom zip of my backpack was undone and a pair of my shoes and a pair of my gloves were going around on the carousel when I arrived a week ago.  Thank goodness it wasn’t dirty laundry or something more embarrassing (not that I have anything embarrassing packed).  When I looked in the bag I couldn’t for the life of me think what else was I had packed in there.  Well my travel umbrella is a missing item and also my little purse that had my Swiss army knife, scissors and some little bits and pieces from my trip.  The umbrella was no loss, but losing that pouch is a real bummer.  Damn the airlines for making me check that stuff in.  So far that is all I have discovered.  I am hesitant now to put anything of value in the bottom in case it happens again, but it must have just been unlucky with that being my 52^nd flight and the only time that it has happened.  I could by some padlocks I guess, but I haven’t travelled with them the whole trip, not one lock on one bag and I have been fine.  I’ll see how it goes on the flights tomorrow.

I have a BIG travel day tomorrow.  I fly from Barbados to Ottawa via Miami and Chicago.  It doesn’t sound or look that far but:

My flight leaves Barbados at 7.25am – 4 hour flight – 3 hours layover in Miami

My flight leaves Miami at 2.25pm – 3.5 hour flight – 3 hour layover in Chicago

My flight leaves Chicago at 8.50pm – 2 hour flight – arriving into Ottawa 16 hours later…….

This is one thing I won’t miss is the airline travel and the next 8 flights will be trying to say the least as I pass through American airports.  They really are the toughest I know, for reasons I know.  And I just HATE going through Miami Customs.  Their line system sucks and I always pick the wrong one, the slowest, and the one that has more couples or a problem. I’m going to have to go through there again tomorrow, but hopefully as I am flying American Airlines they will be able to check my bag all the way through.  I have a feeling Miami works like LA, even if your bags are checked all the way I will still need to collect them and drop them at the transfer desk located outside the baggage claim hall.  I’ll let you know.

I spoke to Zeme this morning till I ran out of credit.  I hate being cut off without getting to say goodbye.  He is back to the Australian Consulate again tomorrow, so fingers crossed he now has everything he needs.  It really is great to hear his voice.  I am now thinking worse-case scenario and he doesn’t get his visa then it will only be an additional 6 weeks till I get to Ethiopia, but hopefully it won’t come to that.

Geez I hope it doesn’t come to that. Really……..

So self-pity day all now done and dusted. I’m putting it down to Mother’s Day and being on my own. I’d like to thank Dave, who had a shoulder to cry on and a pat and virtual hug ready for me.  Facebook chat can be a lifesaver at time.  I am living the dream, so I toughened up today, picked myself up and am now ready to move on.  I can’t tell you how excited I am too see friends for the next 5 weeks.  Airport pick-ups, drinks with mates, home cooked meals.  There is just one section where Aimes and I are driving to Montreal for 4 nights, so that is a hotel-stay otherwise homes and friends.  Homes and Friends.  I did get a Happy God-Mothers text message from Shelly and the girls which were super sweet and I also got a message from Sandy Anne that we have tickets for the George Michael concert in November.  AWESOME!!!!  The last concert that I went to with Shelly was Kenny Rogers or Bon Jovi in November 2010.  We love concerts and I understand that the girls are off to Prince (Symbol) this week, now he would be awesome to have seen live.

My Ethiopian Blog is looking great.  I think I am going to stick with the name Bernie’s Ethiopian Odyssey.  Just to keep the theme of this blog and the new one.  I really did like Expat in Ethiopia as well and I just couldn’t decide so I ran with the matching theme.  If you want to have a bo-peep at it, go ahead.  I won’t be blogging in it till I get back to OZ with the preparations of getting my stuff ready for the move, but there is a lot of information on there so happy for people to have a look.  www.berniesethiopianodyssey.blogspot.com  Feedback is always appreciated.

Dinner has been a hodge podge of what I had left in the fridge.  A packet of beef 2 minute noodles, 2 chicken hotdogs zapped in the microwave, 3 pieces of chocolate, a vanilla popper and around 300ml of Mt Gay Rum which that won’t all be consumed tonight.  I’ll leave it for the cleaning staff.  I have just about everything packed and my alarm set for 3.30am.  The drive that bought me from the airport a week ago said he would come and get me to take me back and that he would ring and reconfirm today.  Hence to say there was no phone call.  The flight is leaving 45 minutes later than what I told him anyway, so I will get ready for 4.30am as that was the time he said he would come, just to do the right thing, I’ll wait 15 minutes and then get reception to call a taxi.  Either way I’m not to concerned, I know I will get a ride in the morning and the airport is only a 15 minute drive at that time of the morning I am sure I won’t have a problem.

The computer was used for last minute confirmations with Marc re: picking me up from the airport tomorrow night, duty free allowances for Canada, washing machine facilities and address and contact numbers should I need them for him.  The last message I received was from a family friend in Darwin, they were my ‘family’ when I was growing up in the Territory and they were at the cemetery visiting their mum who passed away last year and she said that they stopped by mum’s grave site and placed some flowers on there for me and said hi.  It really made my day, especially this year; I seemed to have been hit harder than previous mother’s days.  So it was a great way to turn off the computer and head to bed to get 4 hours sleep before I had to get up for my travel day.      

QUICK ……GRAB THE TOWEL AND SUNSCREEN THE SUN’S OUT

WEATHER: Hot and 29C

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: THE SUN IS OUT

BUMMER OF THE DAY: I got too much sun – go figure

WORD OF THE DAY:  SUNSHINE

It’s my second last day on the island today and with the curtains opened the SUN WAS OUT!!!  It was a little cloudy, but the sun was definitely there as well.  Maybe, just maybe I’ll get my wish today and grab some last minute rays.  It would be no good to head to Canada pasty white.  Well I’m not pasty, but you know what I mean. 

I don’t know how people can sit out there when the sun isn’t in full force.  I know you can still get burnt when it is cloudy, and it is probably better to be outside when the sun isn’t at its hottest.  I went down at 12.30pm to get my share of the rays, pulled up ‘my’ seat near the pool armed with my IPod and book and kicked back.  I did remember again to out sunscreen on my nose and then sat there for 3 hours.  Now it sounds like a long time, well I guess it is and I could feel my legs burning at one point, but clouds came and went to give a little respite.  I gave up the goat at 3.45pm when the rain clouds blew over and started to drop some rain.  It wasn’t very heavy but the clouds coming through were quite dark and I figured 3 hours of Caribbean sun was probably enough anyways.  I was right; I was lobster red when I got back to the room.  Um I mean brown.  I pulled the shoulder off my bathers so I didn’t get tan marks and I have been sunburnt in place that hasn’t seen the sun in a long long time.  That’s okay, after a few days it will settle down, I got my wish and thanks travel gods for supplying some sun.  Even if the sun does come out tomorrow, there is no way I could go back out there again with what I have now. 

I’ve had a lot of time to think about things this week.  This can be a good thing at the start of the week, as the week wears on it can sometimes not be.  With it being Mother’s Day in Australia today my thoughts strayed to her, her life and what she has done for me.  In life and in death.  I have a special blog entry for my mum and to celebrate her but Geez I still miss her and hope that she is proud of what I am doing.    

Which makes me wonder where was I this time last year.  I am so glad that I have been so committed and determined to keep my daily dairy and of course this blog as I always have this information at my fingertips.  The days and trips I hate to say all blends into each other, but certainly the people I meet never fade.  I know I have said it many times, but I really can’t wait to have time to reread my incredible experiences all over again.  Maybe I will have time in my first 3 months in Ethiopia.  I can edit the entries in preparation for me getting them printed into hard copy.  I know that would certainly keep me busy with over 433 posts.  Yikes, maybe I would need more than 3 months to proof read all that!!!  For the record I was on my Irish Contiki tour and we were on our way from Dublin to Belfast and the sight for the day was the Giants Causeway.  It was the 49th day of my World Odyssey.  Today I am on day 412. 

Which brings me to the countdown list I made when I left Zeme in March.  I found this great app that I entered all my next mile stones to pass before I was home, before Zeme came to visit and when my new life starts in Africa.  I had decided to stop checking the countdown every day.  As much as I want for these things to happen, I still have a trip to finish and there is no point wishing I was somewhere else and not making the most of my time on my Odyssey.  In saying that I hadn’t checked the countdown for nearly 2 weeks so I took a look today.

412 days I’ve been on the road

2 days till I see my Contiki Husbands

7 days till I catch up with Amies and Shauna-Contiki Scandi 2007

14 days till I am reunited with my United Hostees

21 days till I see Teegs from my Tucan Central America trip 2009

25 days till I see my best mate from Squash days Miss Tippett in Las Vegas**cough cough 20 years**

32 days till I see The Browns who I met on my Trans Mongolian last year

41 days and I AM HOME.  For 7 weeks.  A busy 7 weeks at that!!!

53 days till my Africa Intrepid Reunion with Lisa, Dave, Louise, Emma, Emily and Christina

63 days till I head to Darwin to see mum’s grave and catch up with my half-brothers for the first time

65 days till I head to Melbourne for my Greek Contiki Reunion with my gals

73 days till ZEME ARRIVES (all going to plan with the visa)

88 days till I am in London and spending time with Paps and Em from my Africa Intrepid trip

95 days till I head to Brighton to catch up with Paul and Lizzie from my South America trip

And last but not least 118 days till I arrive in Ethiopia and start my new life………..

As you can see I love my Countdown app.  But the immediate numbers are I am home in 41 days. 

FORTY ONE DAYS.  That’s just over 5.5 weeks.  Holy smokes!!!!!  FORTY ONE DAYS.

It is hard to get used to English speaking people again after so long.  After 5 months in Africa, a quick 3 nights in London and then the last 6 months in South America it is weird to now say something to some-one and firstly they understand and secondly reply back!  It hasn’t taken me long to lose what tiny little Spanish I had left.  Which on a daily basis was Gracias.  Yep that’s pretty much it.  It’s sad really that after 6 months that was all I took away in the language department.  I was keen to learn Spanish before I left home, and now I am more concentrated on gearing myself up to learning Amharic.  That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

So they were some of my thoughts on my second last day in paradise.  I am glad I got some rays and I am also glad that it is nearly time for me to move on.  I can’t wait to spend time with friends in the next 5 weeks.  I don’t have to worry about joining new groups of people, wondering if they will like me, merging your way, telling your story all over again.  These guys know me and it will make a nice change.  It really is stressful each and every new tour and I am glad that I don’t have to worry about that for the rest of my trip.   

RAIN OR NO RAIN ITS STILL PARADISE

WEATHER: Rain and overcast all day 28C

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: I’m in paradise?

BUMMER OF THE DAY: I’m in paradise and it’s raining

WORD OF THE DAY:  CSI marathon

I could hear the rain on the roof as I woke to the sound of my alarm this morning.  The skies were grey and it looked like it was going to stay all day.  The weather matches my mood today, what’s the saying; misery loves company (or something like that).  So it was just going to be one of those days and a run on from yesterday’s mood.  Having all this time to myself, mother’s day on Sunday, missing Zeme, the massive future ahead, the end of my Odyssey, missing people that I spent so much time with blah, blah, blah….  Has for some reason manifested today.  We all can have a self-pity days, today is mine.

So with not much on the cards I may as well tell you a little about Barbados which I haven’t done yet.

Barbados is an island nation located between the sea Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean . One of the Lesser Antilles . It stands out as the fifth most developed country in America , only after the United States , Canada , Chile and Uruguay , plus the first country of majority black to average a human development index high.  The earliest inhabitants of Barbados were Amerindians nomads.  In 1536 the explorer Portuguese Pedro Carmpos called this land Os Barbados ("the Barbados"), due to the abundance of fig trees with aerial roots hanging like a beard, which exist on the island. From the Field observations in 1536 and 1550 , Spanish conquistadors seized many Caribs using them as slaves on plantations. Other Caribs fled the island with different destinations.  The sailors Englishmen who came to Barbados in the 1620's , landing in the current Holetown found the island uninhabited. Since the arrival of the first British settlers between 1627 and 1628 until its independence in 1966 , Barbados was under uninterrupted British control. 

As soon as the industry of sugar took place in Barbados, the island was divided into large plantations that replaced the smallholdings of the early British settlers. Some of the farmers displaced by the regrouping of lands founded new English colonies in North America , especially in South Carolina . To work the plantations, slaves from West Africa were shipped to Barbados and other Caribbean islands. The slave trade ceased in 1804 . In 1834 slavery was abolished in the British Empire , but in Barbados and other colonies of the British West Indies, there was a moratorium of six years.

Local politicians were dominated by landowners and merchants of British descent. It was not until the 1930's , a political rights movement began to take root among the descendants of emancipated slaves. 

From 1958 to 1962 , Barbados was one of the ten members of the West Indies Federation and Sir Grantley Adams served as its first and only Prime Minister. When the federation was dissolved, he returned to his status as a self-governing colony. This situation followed by several attempts to form another federation between the islands of Barbados and Windward and Leeward that culminated, so Barbados negotiated its own independence from the United Kingdom in a constitutional conference in June 1966 , reaching its independence as a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations on November 30 of 1966.

Elizabeth II is recognized as the Queen of Barbados, and its head of state , being represented by a Governor General . In Barbados the title that bears the Queen is to: "By the Grace of God, Queen of Barbados and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth of Nations." The current government is proposing that Barbados is constituted as a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations with an honorary president replacing the Queen.  Executive power rests with the Prime Minister and his cabinet. The Prime Minister is normally the leader of the party that wins the Assembly elections, which is the lower house of Parliament and has 28 seats, are renewed every five years. The Senate has 21 members appointed by the Governor General.  Barbados is an island of 34 km long and 23 km wide, with little relief and gentle slopes toward the central region, higher. The highest point is Mount Hillaby of 336m . It is located at a point slightly away from the axis of the other islands, and in the Atlantic Ocean .

Barbados has a population of 280,946(2007), of which 80% are black, 4% are white and the remaining 16% consists of other ethnic groups such as Asians and mestizos. The official language is English. Life expectancy is 73 years.  99.7% of the population is literate.  Most of the inhabitants are Protestants (especially of the Anglican Church), and there are minorities of Roman Catholics, Hindus and Muslims.  The British influence is most evident in Barbados than in the other Caribbean islands. A good example is the national sport is cricket , having made ​​the island famous players in the game as Garfield Sobers and Frank Worrell .  Its inhabitants refer to themselves as Bajan. This term seems to come from a mispronunciation of the English adjective Barbadian asBar-down finally staying Bajan.  The most prominent Barbadian personality at international level is the singer Rihanna , the songwriter Des'ree and the group Cover Drive.

By the time I’ve had breakfast and lounged around with my tea it is well after 11am.  Half the day has just disappeared.  This is the way all my days have been since arriving and I have to say I like it.  Nowhere to be, no one to meet.  There really isn’t a lot of stuff to do on the island, well that I am interested in anyway, so I don’t feel bad that I am not sightseeing.  With the rain well and truly settled in I headed back to the room where there was a channel showing a Will and Grace marathon and then that turned into a CSI Marathon.  This is where I spent the rest of the day, plus on the internet it was totally a veg day and I loved it.  My Ethiopian blog is coming along in leaps and bounds and at least I have used my time wisely.  It’s just about ready to go.

I did make a trip to the corner shop later in the afternoon and I bought some snacks/lunch/dinners for the remaining few days I have here.  You know some more 2 minute noodles, tin of corn, 2 tins of tuna, 2 bottles of coke, an ice cream, a chocolate bar, 3 milk poppers, a large packet of Doritos and some lime juice.  Dinner was a tuna affair with the onion, lime juice and corn added heating it all up in the microwave.  Yes more cooking for me, that now that’s twice in one week - lookout Masterchef Bern is back in town. Bah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha …….

So the sun didn’t shine in paradise yet again, but I am okay with that.  It would be nice to be able to go for a walk on the beach to just get out of the room, but with 2 days left to go let’s hope I get at least one more nice sunny day here.    

  

THE RUM THAT INVENTED RUM-MT GAY

WEATHER: Hot and 29C-sunny….

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Getting to some of the island

BUMMER OF THE DAY: One too many rumbos?

WORD OF THE DAY:  Mt Gay of course

The sun was out in full force today!  That would be right when I would be gone most of the day on my Mt Gay Rum tour.  I was to be collected from the hotel between 11-11.15am.  As I was going for a buffet lunch I thought about bypassing breakfast all together, but I had paid for that additionally on top of my room rate, it wasn’t automatically included, so I’s hate to waste 20 bucks, so I went down at my usual time with the plan of not eating as much as I normally do.  Well that was taken out of my hands as most of the food was already gone!  It was only 9.55am…where’s the food? Lucky for me, unlucky for the cooks, a lady with a clip board walked in 5 minutes after me, checking the baymarie and then headed into the kitchen.  It wasn’t long till there was food piping hot back where it should be.

It was nice to don a dress, pop on a necklace and I was nearly going to put on some makeup, but it was pretty humid and decided t I didn’t want to go over the top.  The transfer turned up at 11.30am and we were on our way.  We had a few more hotel stops, as usual, but I was okay with this as it gave me a chance to see some of the island and the different areas as we drove.  The road basically runs along the coast of the island, so you always got snippets of the beautiful blue ocean on our drive.  Even though it is such a beautiful setting, once you are out of resort-land, the ‘everyday’ living is island living.  Run down houses, double enforced security gates on shops and I would have to say that it isn’t a well-developed country from what I saw on the drive.  I remember Jamaica being like that as well.  Paradise in the resorts and then poverty on the ‘outside’.  There are a lot of ‘Rasta’s’ on the streets and they look so cool.  Long dreadlocked hair, some of them wearing the Bob Marley style hats over the dreads, it reminds me of our driver we had in Africa, Ben.  Every time I see someone with dreads, I think they look just like him.  It was also good to see where some of the resorts I had looked at online were located as we drive past them and I do have to say that where the Bougainvillea Beach Resort is located is in a pretty good location.  There aren’t a lot of shops or anything near us, but the beach and the actual resort look good comparing to the others.   

The drive to Mt Gay including 2 other stops took us 30 minutes.  The factory is located just 5 minutes’ drive through the city, so it was also good to see the capital, Bridgetown.  I was going to make a trip into town in the next few days, but after driving through, it doesn’t look like there is much to see, just shops and it looks like any other city to me, so I won’t bother.            

Once we arrived at Mt Gay, we check-in and paid the difference of the final payment and given a lunch ticket and then we had time to look around as we waited for the other transfers to arrive from the other hotels.  While we waited we were given a welcome drink and allowed to get another drink from the bar and the gift shop was also there.  They had a lot of shirts, clothes, bags and of course the 5 different types of Mt Gay Rum that you could buy at cost price and also in the miniature version as well.  There wasn’t a lot of small knick knack stuff with Mt Gay, so at that time I didn’t buy anything and just waited in the garden till the tour started. 

The tour started in a wonderfully air conditioned room where our guide for the tour explained about the history from their vivid and compelling presentation we discovered the rich history of this renowned rum as there were able to view antiquities and replicas from the past, learn of current triumphs and adventures, and be introduced to the Mount Gay portfolio of brands.  Mount Gay Rum is produced by Mount Gay Distilleries Ltd. of Barbados, the easternmost island of the West Indies. The oldest surviving deed for the company is from 1703, making Mount Gay Rum the oldest existing brand of rum in the world.  The current parent company of Mount Gay Distilleries (since 1989) is Rémy Cointreau.  Mount Gay Rum is sold in 80 countries across the world, with 85% of its sales exported to the United States.

Mount Gay Rum has been closely associated with sailing and a popular rum preference among sailors over the many years of its existence. Barbados, the most deeply British of the West Indian cultures, is often the first landfall for ships following the prevailing trade winds from Europe to the Caribbean. Despite Mount Gay being favored by sailors worldwide, the island of Barbados, rather ironically, is not considered to be an ideal cruising area for sailing yachts due to its open exposure to the frequent swells of both the northern and equatorial Atlantic, and to the lack of generally calmer seas or the true natural harbors one finds throughout the rest of the Antilles to the west (i.e. Antigua's English Harbour, or St. Georges in Grenada).

Mount Gay Rum is named for Sir John Gay Alleyne, 1st Baronet of Four Hill. Sir John Gay Alleyne was a trusted friend of John Sober, who inherited the Mount Gilboa Plantation/Distilleries from his father William Sandiford in 1747. Sir John Gay Alleyne agreed to become the manager of the company at John Sober's request. Sir John Gay Alleyne was so effective at leading the company, and earned such a widely-respected reputation internationally as a business manager and community leader, that the company was renamed in his honor after his death in 1801 at the proposal of his longtime friend John Sober, whose estate benefited greatly over the years under Sir John Gay Alleyne's effective management. As there was already a Mount Alleyne in existence on the island of Barbados, the company was renamed Mount Gay Distilleries, incorporating the beloved Sir John Gay Alleyne's middle name.  The little red star on the image of the island on Mount Gay Rum's famous bottle label represents the capital of Barbados, Bridgetown, not the location of the distilleries, which are actually in the northern part of the island. In the Bridgetown area, Mount Gay maintains the Mount Gay Rum Visitors Centre.  The company throughout the 20th century was in the hands of the Ward family in the parish of St. Peter. The Ward family resides in the northernmost parish of St. Lucy, where they have extensive agricultural holdings, and where the best of the sugarcane on the island originates.

The distributors of Mount Gay rum company are today among the main sponsors of the United States Sailing Association.  They also sponsor over 110 regatta events worldwide, with approximately 50 of those based in the United States. Of these the Newport Beach to Ensenada, Mexico race is one of the largest private yacht races in the world. Also, Mount Gay gives away distinctive red hats to top competitors at its sponsored regattas. These hats are prized amongst top sailors and cannot be purchased, anywhere. 

After this we were walked around the factory side to where we would see the factory floor.  This location is actually only the visitor’s center and it is also the location where the rum is blended and then bottled ready to be shipped.  We weren’t permitted to take photos of the factory floor and as it was so hot, our guide have us 10 minutes to observe the floor and then she went through what was happening when we went to the main bar where we were escorted to a Barbadian "rum shop style" theatre to view a 12 minute informative and entertaining audio-visual show on the making of Mount Gay Rum.  We learnt about the whole process from growing and cutting the cane to the final product through their time-honored processes of refining, ageing and blending that makes Mount Gay Rum so uniquely special.  Mount Gay Rum, the finest, oldest brand of rum in existence, has been produced on Barbados with passion and unparalleled excellence since 1703.  The year 1637 witnessed the birth of Barbadian rum distillation, heralded by the arrival of the first small scale distilleries to the island.  By mid-century planters had settled on what would become the Mount Gay plantation, putting stills to use as early as 1667. 1703 marked the appearance of the oldest written evidence of regular distillation on the site.  Only the finest sugar cane, most aromatic molasses and the purest, coral-filtered water are used to receive the extended ageing and artful blending that are the pride and hallmark of Mount Gay.  However, the inimitable quality is achieved not only by the meticulous selection of the finest ingredients, but by the remarkable talent of the generations of master blenders and their passion for the art of blending; a unique craftsmanship conserved and respected since 1703. Mount Gay Rum's current Master Blender Allen Smith ensures that every bottle delivers the superlative appearance, aroma and taste for which Mount Gay has always been known.  What a job huh!  Drinking rum all day.  Well I am sure it isn’t all day, but still what a job.

Once the film had stopped we went back into the bar area and this is where we got to taste 3 of the 5 brands.  The guide was very liberal in her pour of the first drink of the tour, the 43% Eclipse, the second drink of the day.  Not mixed with anything it was so rough, but I’m not a rum drinker at the nest of times as well, but I think any alcohol not mixed, raw is rough.  The second taste test was poured by ourselves, the 43% Extra Old and she said you could knock yourself out with the size of the nips and as this one had been stilled longer and wouldn’t be as rough.  The third and final taste was the 50% proof Eclipse Black.  Man this stuff would knock the socks off…. well I’m not sure but man that stuff was strong and after having 3 large nips within 20 minutes, I felt the effects straight away.  Not rolling drunk, but certainly a little tipsy.  The 5 flavors they still have are:

Mount Gay Rum Eclipse Silver: The Taste of Purity.  The Eclipse Silver is the white rum counterpart to Eclipse Rum. 

Mount Gay Rum Eclipse: The Barbadian Emblem.  In 1910, the twin phenomena of a total solar eclipse and the passage of Halley's Comet inspired the creation of Eclipse. 

Mount Gay Rum Eclipse Black: A Powerhouse of Flavor.  A selection of single distilled rums aged from 2 to 7 years old in charred oak barrels and the addition of a higher proportion of double distilled rums in traditional pot stills, aged up to 7 years that bring exceptional rum character. Released at 100 proof (50% Alc.Vol) in order to enhance the wonderful palette of aromas and the superb intensity of the blend. 

Mount Gay Rum Extra Old: With Age Comes Perfection.  From Mount Gay Rum's precious reserves comes Extra Old, an opulent blend of the finest aged spirits. Slowly matured in Kentucky oak, this artfully crafted rum is the fruit of a unique, centuries-old distillation process. The result is one of the most award-winning rums in the world, a spirit for the most demanding of connoisseurs. 

Mount Gay Rum 1703 Old Cask Selection: The Superlative of Rum.  Born of the golden sugar cane and pristine water of Barbados, 1703 Old Cask Selection is a true symbol of the unique, centuries-old excellence of Mount Gay Rum. Blended entirely from the treasures of Mount Gay's prized reserve, each aged for 10 to 30 years; it is a masterpiece of perfect sumptuousness, deliciously complex nectar created by the oldest producer of refined rum in the world. 

After the tastings we then made our way to the restaurant for our buffet lunch.  We were all allocated a table and you guessed it I had a table for 1.  I was fine with this till I had my 3^rd rum with lunch, making that the 7^th of the day and I knew if I had one more, it would be one too many.  It’s funny how responsible I become drinking when I am on my own.  The lunch was a feast of themed Bajan food washed down with rum, the last one for the day. 

The transfer to take us back to our hotels left at 2.30pm.  I hadn’t quite finished my last drink, so they popped it into a take away cup for me, alcoholic much?  40 minutes later had me **hiccup** dropping me off back to the hotel.  I really wasn’t that drunk, tipsy, but not drunk.  I have heard rum can make people mad or sad and I got the sad gene from my consumption of Mt Gay and had an afternoon in tears.  Thinking about mum, Zeme, everyone back home, being on my own-pouring another drink from the ‘Bernie’ bar.  But I am happy to report after I finished that drink I had an afternoon sleep, woke up feeling okay, but like I had lost my best friend.  Nothing like self -inflicted self- sorrow.  I normally at that point have Marky Mark to talk all this through with and then I launched into fresh tears.  I think it may be time to now move on and out of my own company.  I have 4 more nights on the island and then off to Canada for 2 weeks.  This can’t come fast enough.  I thought about that lady that I met on the plane from Santiago and told myself to snap out of it and I know tomorrow will be a brighter day.

REST, RELAXATION AND ……SUN

WEATHER: Overcast in the morning with a sunshine break for 4 hours 29C

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Getting some Caribbean rays

BUMMER OF THE DAY: I have a cough that I caught in Easter Island **cough cough cough**

WORD OF THE DAY:  CARIBBEAN

So when I pulled back the curtains this morning the skies were a little cloudy, but I could see patches of blue poking through.  My weather app had a sun with some showers, so I am hoping I can catch some rays today.  I am loving my wakeup time.  Breakfast is served till 10.30am, so I have set my alarm for 9am each morning so far and with the exception of a wakeup in the wee hours for a …well a wee, I am a little embarrassed to and totally content to report that I sleep till 9am each morning with the alarm waking me up.  Now this is what I call a holiday right?  I can even hear the waves from the ocean as I lie in bed and there are a lot of birds here, so you can hear them chirping each morning.  I generally don’t have a ‘stay a week on a beach’ kind of holiday.  It makes a nice change but I couldn’t have all my holidays like this.  Maybe because I am on my own as well, you tend to not to go out as much, but I’m okay with that for a short while.  I see no issue spending time in one’s own company, but not for too long.  There’s no way I could have done this whole Odyssey just backpacking and doing my own thing.  I am sure I would have saved a crap load of money, but I am just not that type of traveler. 

Breakfast is an open style restaurant directly on the beach.  It is truly beautiful here.  When the sun comes out and hits the ocean, the colour of the water is a stunning aqua and turquoise mixed with the crystal white beaches it certainly makes for a spectacular view.  There are some tiny small birds that come to land on the chairs just waiting to attack the crumbs on your pate the second you leave the table for a refill of the buffet breakfast.  The eggs are cooked to order and when I came back to the table, there was a cheeky bird having a peck at one of my eggs. Uggggghhhhhhhhh I hear you say, but they really are cute.  Lucky there is no bird flu concerns here.  It is funny that I am down at breakfast generally between 9.45 and 10.00am and there are people pulling up sun chairs on the beach, getting umbrellas from the activities desk and look like they have been up for hours and I have just gotten out of bed ready to start my day.   

I headed to the tour desk after breakfast to book in the Mt Gay Rum tour for tomorrow.  There is also a Malibu tour, but it’s not called Malibu anymore it’s called Cockspur and from reading up in it, it is just a day at the beach drinking all kinds of drinks made from Cockspur rum.  So I decided to just stick with the classic and historical rum and I upgraded from the normal tour to the lunch tour that runs only on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  They also pick you up from the hotel with this option which was perfect for me.  I stopped in at the resort store and bought some postcards and stamps and I will get those wrote on in the next few days.  I still have my Easter Island postcards that I have to send, even after I had them stamped and all.  The hotel on EI wouldn’t take the cards and after I had passed immigration in Santiago there was no post box to drop them in so I have bought an extra 2 stamps for them and will post them from here.  They better make it with a double postage now paid on them. 

After a little work on the Ethiopian blog, the sun came out in full force at 1.30pm.  So I whipped on my bathing suit, packed my book, my IPod and I also remembered to apply sunscreen to my nose on my way out the door.  THE SUN WAS OUT….Get your butts out there…….  I decided to set up beside the pool.  I can still see the ocean from there, but the beach was packed and I really just wanted to catch some rays for a few hours.  I also remembered to grab my free cocktail voucher I was given when I checked in, so with my tropical rum punch cocktail in my hand, my book and my IPod plugged in, I settled in on my sun chair for the next 2 hours.  The sun felt so good and I was so glad that I put cream on my nose as I could feel my skin getting a little colour.  The sun passed behind the building at 4pm and I figured I had got enough rays for one day.  When I got back to the room and looked into a mirror, I was certainly right I was a little red; um I mean brown and was glad I didn’t get any more sun.  And here I was poking fun only yesterday at the red lobsters walking around.  I am lucky I still have some of my Colombian tan, so I wasn’t starting from scratch, I would hate to think how red I would be if I didn’t and who’s the sucker now?

I heard from Z about his application and he needed one more form, so he has another appointment made for Monday with the Australian Consulate.  I decided to call him as it was so good to hear from him yesterday and we had a great chinwag for 10 minutes.  It is not that cheap to make the calls, so I will take what I can get and it is the best $$ spent to hear his voice.  Only 75 days to go till his arrival in Brisbane, all going to plan, and I can’t wait to introduce him to everyone.      

With so much time on my hands and after speaking to Z, I have decided once I have finished my trip in Scotland with Shaz that I will go straight to Ethiopia and Zeme after that trip.  I was going to stay another 2 weeks in Europe, but by that time I am sure I will just be ready to get back to him and starting my new life.  I can always go back to Europe with Zeme as we both are going to need visas anyway for the countries I was looking at.  I was texting Shellbell tonight and she mentioned that George Michael was coming to Brisbane and playing on my birthday in November!!!!  I was looking at coming home for Christmas (with Z) and had picked the 29^th November to leave Addis.  Well for George Michael I could bring that day forward by 3 days to make the concert.  Why not and I grew up with his music, it would be AWESOME!!!  I have to leave Ethiopia around that time anyway based on visa regulations, so it all works in perfectly.  I told Shelly if she can get tickets for me and Z, then lock it in!  It feels good to have a plan for the rest of the year all set out.  As mentioned before I have a further plan that I still need to run past Z, but I am thinking to use my first 3 months to just adjust, set up home, have fairly regular language courses (like school) and just adjust to the new environment.  My visa will expire, so we will leave just in my 3 month deadline and then head back to OZ for Christmas, renew my visa and then decide what I will do with all my stuff in storage.  We will then need to work to either sell off my stuff that I have in storage or decide to ship it all to Ethiopia, depending on the cost, and then donate a lot of my stuff.  Maybe keep some stuff in Oz, like mums things and things I don't want to toss or take and just reduce the size of the container so it isn't costing me as much.  I am lucky I don’t have to rush to get a job but I will start looking in my first 3 months that I will be a lady of leisure.  A great way to ease myself getting back to the work force and I am happy with that decision that I won’t be working till 2013!!!!    

I had room service for dinner again tonight.  I couldn’t be bothered turning up to the restaurant on my own with all the lovey couples having romantic dinners.  It makes it uncomfortable for them and uncomfortable for me.  They make a killer room service chicken Caesar salad that I get bacon and onion added to, so I am happy to have them run around after me anyways.  I also have been mixing my own rum and passionfruit cocktails in the room.  There is an ice tray so plenty of ice and I have to say, not being a rim drinker I am enjoying my own made cocktails each night.  Why not!!!

So my second day in paradise wasn’t so bad. At least the sun came out to play in the afternoon and my Ethiopian blog is coming along just nicely.