Brendan's Travels

Zebula - South Africa

2012-01-07T18:29:00.000+01:00

The Place: Near Bela Bela (prev. Warmbaths) in the Limpopo province, saw the New Year in around a fire with Liz, Nick, and Karen on Zebula game reserve.
Some features: The game is plentiful, with Wildebeest, Eland, Red Hartebees, Impala, Giraffe, Waterbuck and Warthog all roaming freely around the reserve. Hired some bikes for a unique game cycle which was a great experience - came skidding to a halt when rounding a corner so as not to collide with a giraffe! Zebula also has a golf course so smacked some balls around with Liz, Nick and Karen after a game of squash and swim in the morning.Went on a game drive through the neighbouring game reserve (Mabalingwe) and were lucky to spot black backed jackal and mongeese, and many interesting trees including the euphorbia candelebrum (or naboom) and the Marula tree. Also witnessed a funny/ sad scene in which a dung beetle had built the perfect ball only to be ambushed by another who kicked him off and ran away with it at pace.

Cape Town - South Africa

2012-01-07T17:18:00.000+01:00

The Place: Arrived in Cape Town to spend Christmas with family and catch up with old friends.

Some features: Stayed in a house overlooking Fish Hoek beach, a great spot for walks and runs down to the beach. Ran a 12k circular route with Liz down to the beach then along to Glencairn and back round via Blackhill Rd. Met up with Gordon for some fish and chips at Kalkies. Lazed on the beach at Clifton and Camps Bay with Liz and Jason. Spent a day with Lauren, Mark and Jason, heading to Moyo for lunch, De Toren wine estate for a wine tasting followed by Brass Bell for a few beers. Surfed at Muizenberg before a climb up and down Platteklip gorge, Table Mountain with Liz, and then to finish the day having sunset dinner at the Red Herring in Monkey Valley, overlooking Noordhoek beach.

Knysna - South Africa

2012-01-06T21:02:00.000+01:00

The Place: After stopping off at the beach at Victoria Bay, we drove to Lake Brenton where we relaxed for 3 days at a house in Brenton Park overlooking Knysna.

Some features: The view of Knysna was really good from the house, and we were joined by the local deer which came up to the house to greet us. Spent a morning and ate lunch at the heads to soak in more views. Liz and I ran a 14k from the town , around the vlei and up and down the steep hills to Brenton Lake - a killer run - but much needed after all the Biltong and red meat we consumed in the Karoo. We were lucky enough to chance upon the Knysna Rocks Festival which was another great way to spend the day.

Knysna Rocks Festival

2012-01-06T18:31:00.001+01:00

The Event: Liz and I spent a day at the Knysna Rocks Festival on a sports field at the Waterfront. The line up included Sleep in Transit (a young local band), Die Heuwels Fantasties, Elvis Blue, Holiday Murray, Johnny Clegg and Prime Circle.
The festival started midday so had a bit of time to spend just wondering around while the pre-acts played, picking up promo items, drinking beers and playing croquet and a bit of swing bat set up by the sponsors.

Felt nostalgic when listening to Johnny Clegg belting out the old hits - O Siyeza and Impi, the type of nostalgia you feel in London hearing old iconic African songs - even if they weren't your favourite when living in SA!

Prime Circle were great as the headliner and it was good to hear a new cool band, Holiday Murray, from Cape Town - we made sure to buy their CD before heading back to London.

The Great Karoo - South Africa

2012-01-06T17:22:00.001+01:00

The Place: On a road trip through the Karoo, we stopped along the way at Karoo National Park, Klaarstroom, then through Meiringspoort pass to De Rus and Oudsthoorn.

Some Features: We took a game drive by night at the Karoo National Park and spotted a family of African Wild Cat (strangely similar to the domestic house pet!); and a game drive by day spotting the impressive Red Hartebees, Birchell and Mountain Zebra, Ostrich, Springbok and Steenbok.

Walked a 10k hike with a ranger the next morning, the ranger being required due to the presence of Lions (which unfortunately we didn't spot). We did however, see the Black Eagle, klipspringers and more Red Hartebees.

Following the National Park, we stayed over in a cozy log cabin, just outside of Klaarstroom, a town nestled within an amazingly green valley in the sparse and dry Karoo. The cabin had a balcony overlooking the valley and cool little boma where we braaied at night.

From Klaarstroom we drove through Meiringspoort pass and the town of De Rus to get to Cango (via Oudshoorn) where we toured the impressive caves.

Liz and I had a run in the morning (12ks) which was really really hot, not surprising in the Karoo, however it was 8 in the morning before breakfast, and still felt like a good 30 degrees.

After breakfast the owner took us on a short game drive, before we set off for Knysna.

Kimberley - South Africa

2012-01-06T16:58:00.000+01:00

The Place: Kimberley, the beginning of the Western Cape, when driving from Joburg.

Some features: Kimberley's Great Hole, the largest man-made open cast diamond mine - dug to a depth of 240m before being using machinery and mining to a depth of 1097m (De Beers mining company - with Barney Barnato and Cecil John Rhodes). The Star of South Africa (48carats) was found in Kimberley, not to be confused with the Cullinan I (Great Star of Africa), at 530 carats, cut from the Cullinan diamond, which was the diamond mounted in the Sceptre of the Crown Jewels.
Interesting Fact: Kimberley was the first town in South Africa to make use of electric street lamps.

Dorset - England

2011-12-04T20:27:00.001+01:00

Took a trip to Dorset on the South West coast of England for the weekend where we competed in another of the Endurancelife Coastal Trail Series. Again Liz and I piled into a big house where we stayed with 7 other friends also down for the challenge. This time we attempted the half marathon (turned out to be 14.6 miles) trailing part of the Jurrasic coastal path of Dorset, famous for Durdle Door (top), and recognised as a World Heritage site. The scenery was spectacular along the run but the hills were immense. Adding to the difficulty was the fact that it had poured the night before so it made for some really muddy, slippery running. I think my time told the story as I finished in 3h15. Liz smashed it coming in at 2h36! The scenery was so good we returned the following day to take the photos.

Zavala - Croatia

2011-10-02T21:55:00.025+02:00

The Place: Staying 80m from the sea in Zavala on the island of Hvar, Liz, Danel, Dave and I spent a good few days around the beaches and neighbouring towns of Pitve and Jelsa.
Some features: Long swims along the coast line, fishing from the rocks, cliff jumping into the ocean, and soaking up the sun on the pebble beaches was the general vibe of the holiday. Popped in to a local house one eve as they had a sign up advertising their wine, Bozji Dar (Gift from God). The couple made a variety of wines and spirits from grapes and believe it or not lavendar, or 'Lavanda'. It was like something out of the twilight zone as they offered taster after taster of their wines and spirits keeping us there for a few hours. Due to their hospitality (shrewd business skills) we were back on 2 more eve's to eat out on their tiled veranda high up on the hill overlooking their own orchards, the sea and a view of the next island. Their menu included local fish, full squids and black risotto (flavoured with the ink of the squid). On the 3rd night the couples' friends were over and we ended up joining in their party and dancing with the couples, was very weird but good fun.

Hvar - Croatia

2011-10-02T21:45:00.011+02:00

The Place: The town Hvar on the Hvar island is a great town to explore with its winding alleys and steps that head up between old houses and restaurants towards the huge Spanjola castle. It's a great little port town with the usual plaza, and church and in the intense heat it was nice to be able to head around to one of the small beaches/ anchoring point for small boats and have a swim.

Split - Croatia

2011-10-02T21:11:00.018+02:00

The Place: Split in Croatia (Hrvatska), beginning and ending point of our trip in Croatia, out to the island Hvar.
Some features: The old town sits within the ruins of the palace of Diocletian, a Roman emperor of the fourth century. It features old churches, venetian-style towers and statues, and bustling markets of fish and vegetables. The city is packed with tourists, but was still good to walk around and sight see, particularly good was hearing local singers sing their traditional Dalmatian music under one of the domed ruins. Had sundowners at a local bar overlooking the port and prominade lined with palm trees and later tried a pašticada (stewed beef and gnocci meal) at a traditional Kanoba, delicious!

Norfolk Broads - England

2011-09-18T16:46:00.010+02:00

The Place: Spent a long weekend on a narrow boat with friends in the Norfolk broads.
Some features: It was so relaxing to just wander along the tributaries at no more than 5 knots passing quaint houses, small towns and natural wilderness. We all got a good dose of reading, fishing (none caught tho), and just chilling out in general. Though we passed some cool little pubs on the river we decided it was more fun on the boat so cooked all meals on board - and had legendary cooked breakfasts on board (thanks to Tim!). All-in-all, a great British way to spend a weekend!

Cornwall - England

2011-09-12T15:32:00.000+02:00

The Place: Competed in a 4 mile endurance life swim in the Helford Estuary which starts in Gweek near Falmouth and heads out till it almost meets the sea.
Some features: Liz and I found a great campsite - we were the only tent there! There was a farm stall close by so we woke up to fresh coffee and sticky buns for breakfast. Headed in to Falmouth for a wander through the old town before heading to the swim in the afternoon. The swim was exhausting - I enjoy a good swim but felt this one stretched me beyond my comfort zone - I came in 35th (last) with a time of 2:21 but at least within minutes of the rest of the pack without falling too far behind. Despite the difficulty the surroundings were awesome. Liz and I took a trip the next morning to Lizard Point (not far from Lands End) which gave us a chance to see the rough sea and cliffsides of Cornwall and Liz got to bite into a true Cornish Pasty (the size of the plate).

South Devon - England

2011-07-22T21:02:00.014+02:00

The Place: Spent a weekend in South Devon for a bit of camping. We took a drive along the coast stopping in at Dawlish, and Paignton - and unfortunately no waves for surfing (I guess this isnt SA or Aus!). We did however manage to hire some kayaks in Babbecombe Bay, where we could explore some of the caves in the cliffsides aswell as paddling within a metres of a large resident seal.

Dart Estuary Swim - South Devon

2011-07-22T19:46:00.029+02:00

The Event: Entered an endurance swim covering 5.2miles of the Dart Estuary in Dartmouth (South Devon). It was tougher than I expected and I came in at a slow time of 2h27 (52nd out of 62) with the leader getting a time of 1h43. It was a weird experience for me to do a long swim; unlike running where you stop when tired, with swimming you just keep going but feel as though you're blacking out. Towards the end I was just swimming in a zone with eyes closed, looking up every now and then to keep my direction. Enjoyed every second though!

Helsinki - Finland

2011-06-01T21:34:00.022+02:00

The Place: Our first trip to Scandanavia, Liz and I spent a long weekend in Helsinki, Finland.
Some features: Helsinki is a small port city and the sight of its massive oceanliners which cross the Baltic sea are very impressive. Nesting slightly above the skyline of the city is a simple but beautiful cathedral which stands behind a large square with Alexander II (from when Finland was part of the Russian Empire) standing in the middle. Quite a few of the statues are unique in that the people wear bear skins with the head of the bear above their own.
We had a good night out on the Saturday night and were surprised as it was still light at 23:45! Met some Fins in one of the bars, one of whom mentioned that she was from further north in the lapland regions where there are days in mid summer with 24hrs of sunlight and conversely in winter, 24 hrs darkness.
There were loads of musicians walking round the city, partly because of a music festival taking place, but it seemed quite a few were just happy to strum a guitar in the park. Definitely a lot of heavy metal! In one of the more chilled out pubs they were playing a bit of death metal softly in the background.
We both really liked the old markets set up on the esplanade, where they sell alot of hand made wooden crafts, some using reindeer antlers as handles, or decoration. Also in abundance were mink coats, blue fox skins and reindeer pelts.
Took a ferry trip to the island Suonmenlinna which is an old fortress and an important part of Helsinki's history and is now a UNESCO Heritage sight. It stood through Finlands Russian and Swedish eras to when Finland became independent in 1917.
The Finnish language looks seriously complicated or in Finnish "Suomen kieli näyttää vakavasti monimutkainen!" but it was easy to get around as everyone seemed fluent in English. The nordic names are also really cool; coincidentally I was reading one of the Nordic authors books (Kon-tiki by Thor Heyerdahl (OK, he's norwegian)) but the names that came up included Bengst, Otto, Knut, Torstein to name a few.
Would love to return to scandanavia and experience life in the laplands, with a bit of husky dog sledging, reindeer spotting, snow saunas and northern lights. Maybe next time!

Plymouth - England

2011-05-14T15:32:00.022+02:00

The Place: Headed down to Plymouth, in South Devon to take part in the Endurancelife festival, for a weekend of running, cycling and swimming events. It took place on the Flete Estate, the only privately owned estuary in the UK, which has been used for its beautiful scenery in movies including Sense and Sensibility.
The races: On Saturday, Liz had a great run in the final of the Coastal Trail series, where she was the 5th female finishing, coming 26th overall in the 10k trail run. That night we listened to a few talks held by adventurers who have taken part in major expeditions such as running the great wall of China, rowing around the circumference of the UK, running the mountains of the UK spanning the length of the country, and other inspirational talks. On the Sunday I took part in a mile swim along the estuary followed by a 1 hour cyclo cross, which was a gruelling moutain bike trail up muddy hills, through thick bogs and across the beach sand of the estuary(see 5th pic - I'm in front). I managed to come 3rd (out of 8 doing the 1 hr course). I think the hardcore bikers all chose the 2hr, and 4hr courses though!

Cambridge - England

2011-04-24T15:28:00.024+02:00

The Place: Had an amazing day of sunshine and strolling in and around the college town of Cambridge.
She Said Yes!: Went punting along the river Cam which was really fun, and harder than it looks! The views from the river were the best we saw of Cambridge. It meanders under old bridges and between the different colleges of the university. We stopped for a few minutes in the punt at a quiet spot by the banks of Kings College Chapel where I surprised Liz by getting on one knee and proposing, to which she said Yes! Some other passers by saw what was happening and cheered for us from their boats.
We spent the rest of the day strolling around the beautiful old town, checking out some of the college campuses, having some quiet drinks while dangling our feet in the canal, and chilling in the shade of a tree by the river.

Anglesey - North Wales

2011-02-27T21:08:00.015+01:00

The Place: Travelled to Anglesey - which is almost an island lying in the northern most part of Wales and popular as a ferry-link to Dublin - for the endurance life 10km trail run up and around Holyhead.

Some highlights: The run was tough but very scenic taking us around the cliffsides of the island, climbing up to the top of Holyhead mountain and then scrambling down to the finish line. It was a fun race and the steep hills made it tough.

We stayed in a sea side cottage with 9 people which made for a lot of fun when we got back from the race. On the morning after a party on the Saturday night (where a few of our neighbours joined us- friends of some of ours) we took to the freezing sea water and then ran back into the house for a sauna - 3 times. Very invigorating and actually seemed to help quite a bit with the sore muscles after the race. Definitely made me keen to continue the weekend races!

Edinburgh - Scotland

2011-01-04T22:43:00.020+01:00

The Place: Spent the long weekend in the beautiful city of Edinburgh in a big group of 11, including Liz, old res friends, Tim, Trev and Nic, and girlfriends and Tim and Cristina and some of their friends.

Some features: Brought in 2011 at the Hogmanay street party followed by a day at the South Queensferry for the Loony Dook. Took a ghost tour that led into vaults under the old town. The tour included stories of murders, tortures, hangings, body snatchers and their ghosts who haunted the Royal Mile for years following. Some of the Ghosts that remain haunting the vaults are little Jake who sometimes takes tourists by the hand, and the Watcher who shows aggression to those passing by. It was a good tour to get a feeling of the history and stories that a city so old can tell.

Tried some haggis, tatties and neeps which I really enjoyed.

Spent a day walking around Hollyrood park and up to the top of Arthur's seat which overlooks the city. The views from there are spectacular, not only because of the rugged landscape but because you get a great view of Edinburgh castle which sits high above the city. Went for a whiskey tour on the Royal mile and learnt a bit about Scotch whiskey - sadly it was more talk less taste! Ate a delicious meal at the Stac Polly after meeting up with the rest of the 11, which led to a good night out. Spent our last day wondering (exhausted from the long weekend) up to the Castle and around the Royal mile passing the beautiful St Giles church, seeing the occasional Scotsman playing a bagpipe, popping into some of the many cashmere and kilt making shops, eating in the cafes watching people go by and soaking in whatever else our hangovers would let us before heading back to the airport that night.

The Loony Dook - Edinburgh

2011-01-04T22:17:00.012+01:00

The Event: In South Queensferry on the outskirts of Edinburgh, participated in the Loony Dook which is a New Years day procession through the streets of the town ending in a plunge in the icy waters overlooked by the landmark Forth bridge. Loads of people dress up in crazy gear to take a dip. Needless to say it was freezing but we didnt anticipate how agonisingly cold our feet would get from walking on the iced cobblestones of the streets, only to be relieved by the numbness caused from taking a swim! Very fun though. (Ps That's Trev at the bottom raising his arms). By chance Liz and I are in this video on youtube - from 1:05 to 1:20 - see if you can spot us!

New Years Eve - Edinburgh

2011-01-04T21:52:00.017+01:00

The Event: Travelled to Scotland with Liz and good friends for the famous Hogmanay street party in Edinburgh. In what is already an amazing city, the combination of the count down, fireworks and singing of Auld Lang Syne was a great way to bring in the New Year.

Christmas 2010 - London

2010-12-25T19:52:00.003+01:00

The Place: Spent Christmas at home in London cozy and and warm indoors. We unwrapped presents, listened to Boney M Christmas carols, watched Christmas movies, and skyped family. Liz made a delicious chicken roast and I made us some gluhwein for later. Good times.

Berlin - Germany

2010-11-30T22:26:00.016+01:00

The Place: Made a great weekend out of a work trip to attend the 17th International Energy Accounting Forum in Berlin with a work colleague and one of his friends.
Some features: Took a cycle round the city to see some of the sights including the Brandonberg Gate and Reichstag.
Spent a while walking through the vast and isolating holocaust memorial which is an area of 19000 square feet covered with 2711 concrete slabs. As you walk between the blocks which are knee and waist height on the outskirts you realise the ground slopes steadily downwards as you go further in, resulting in you ending up completely swallowed by the the surrounding concrete.
Wandered around the war museum at Checkpoint Charlie (the American checkpoint at the Berlin Wall) which was a fascinating museum showing many of the inventive ways in which the Germans would try to escape the East, history of the start and end of the Berlin Wall, as well as great pieces of art.
Had two great nights going out in some of the good spots in Berlin which included the 'Lucia' bar in Kreuzberg, some streets close to our hostel in Warschauer platz and the surrounding area of Lyschener-,Shliemann- and Dunkerstraße.
The Berliner Dom is an amazing domed church to see, and on the right, set behind it you can see the Berlin television tower (Fernsehturm) which is one of the popular icons of the city (apparently built by the East to impress the West during their separation).
Also saw the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church which was bombed in 1943 but still stands. It was unfortunately under restoration so we could only see the top of it.
Enjoyed sipping gluhwein and eating currywurst while perusing the Christmas markets that light up the streets at night.

Noosa - Australia

2010-10-31T02:11:00.015+02:00

The Place: On the sunshine coast about 2 hrs north of Brisbane, we spent a relaxing 4 days in Noosa.

Some features: We were pleasantly surprised on the first morning by someone calling out my name. It turned out to be Trent and Caryn dropping in for a visit. We spent the day with them visiting three of the beaches around the Noosa Heads and having a picnic on the bank of the laguna. Also took a walk through the National Park which follows the coastline for some good sunset watching where we saw a koala wedged peacefully in a fork of a tree, and watched dolphins out at sea.

Spent the next three days winding down completely, going for swims, beach and nature walks, reads on the beach and wondering through the town which felt like an excellent way to finish off our holiday. Spotted turtles off the cliffs of 'Hell's Point', rare black cockatoos, and another koala.

Great Barrier Reef - Australia

2010-10-31T02:10:00.017+02:00

The Place: Off the coast of Cairns, took a ride on a catamaran out to Michaelmas Cay, one of the outer reefs.

Some features: The tiny reef, about a 3 hour ride out to see is a bird sanctuary as well as a brilliant spot for diving. Took an introductory dive which was amazing - we spotted amongst the amazing corals and fish life, an eagle ray, turtle, and numerous giant clams. Spent some more time snorkeling after the dive which was a great experience!

Cape Tribulation - Australia

2010-10-31T02:08:00.020+02:00

The Place: Stayed a night in the Daintree Forrest at Cape Trib Beach house, about 2 hrs north of Cairns.

Some features: Had to cross a ferry and drive for about an hour through dense forest to arrive at the accommodation. The place we stayed was right on the beach so we could walk out onto it first thing with a cup of coffee. Signs warn not to swim in the summer months due to the stingers (jellyfish). Had a shallow swim (though it was hot, it wasn't yet summer) and spotted a turtle popping his head out the water about 20m out from me. Later we visited a few beaches close by which warn against the Estuarine crocodiles which live in surrounding waters and mangroves. Kayaked to coconut beach, a pristine beach where as its name says, hundreds of coconuts lie on the beach amongst the palms, some already sprouting new trees. Liz while on her kayak got bumped by a big turtle which gave her a scare while our guide told us stories of the crocodiles which live in the creeks, the males of which swim out to sea to find a mate in nearby creeks sometimes kicking out the local males. Apparently, according to our guide, 9 times out of a 10 a shark will kill a croc if they meet out at sea. The shark will go for the crocs tail leaving it defenseless. Not sure if true but made for some interesting listening!

The farm - Australia

2010-10-31T02:05:00.010+02:00

The Place: Liz and I were treated to a day at Armand and Marcia's farm close by in Marnoo where we spent the day yabbying (setting traps in the farm dams for fresh water crayfish).
Some features: We set around 15 yabby traps and pulled in around five per trap, +-75. I got to try my hand at sheering a sheep under Armand's guidance -or at least I sheered one of its sides. Was very interesting to see how it's done properly with the sheep pinned down in the right holds without moving a muscle while it's entire fleece is taken off in minutes. Liz the roustabout showed me how the fleece is gathered up and spread out on the table in one swoop.
Went wine tasting that arvo at Taltarni and Warrenmang, 2 wine farms set in the nearby Pyrenees hillsides followed by dinner at the best (and only) pub in town (Moonambel). Got that real small country town feeling chilling with a beer while Marcia, Liz and Armand were offering the bartender advice on how to keep his 2 new lambs from becoming flyblown. Good times.

St Arnaud - Australia

2010-10-31T02:03:00.013+02:00

The Place: Spent just over a week with Liz' family in her home town of St Arnaud, in country Victoria.

Some features: Attended Janine's (Liz' sister's) wedding which was held at a beautiful spot at one of their farms lakes which is positioned between some of the indigenous gum trees, frequently visited by kangaroos, and has recently seen eagles move in and make a nest for their chicks.

Had a few trips out to the farm and got to ride around the paddocks and woods on their 250CC scrambler and ended up chasing kangaroos through the trees while Liz, her dad and Marcia mended fences.

Muse Live at Wembley - London

2010-09-19T21:54:00.006+02:00

The Event: Muse live at Wembley stadium on Sep 10. The gig was incredible. We were lucky enough to get really close to the front of the stadium which seats 75000 people, definitely for the biggest performance I've ever witnessed.
Some highlights: They pulled out loads of classics like New born, Undisclosed Desires - during which the stage extended out into the crowd and rose up and rotated while the band played - and some of their new hits including Uprising. A UFO appeared for one of the tracks and descended onto the crowd while an acrobat dropped out from its centre to perform while suspended in the air.

Battersea Power Centre - London

2010-08-16T22:25:00.010+02:00

The event: Went to watch the Redbull x fighters freestyle motocross with Tim, Stuart and Sean. This year the event has moved from Mexico, Egypt, Russia, Spain, to the old decommissioned Battersea Park Power station in London, and moves on to the final in Rome, Italy. The tricks these guys pull out are insane, had a great time.

Benicàssim - Spain

2010-07-20T21:27:00.017+02:00

The Place: Benicàssim on the east coast of Spain is home to Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, without a doubt the best festival I've been to so far.

Some features: The festival brings a lot of British revellers and mainly English bands so was definitely not a 'cultural' Spanish experience but the bands, venue, party vibe, beaches and aquapark were absolutely awesome!

A typical day begins with waking up involuntarly in the searing heat of the tent early in the morning with little choice but to head straight to the beach. With the first bands only kicking off at about 6 there is no rush so after a light desayuno y cafe solo in town we would just head straight to the beach and veg there for the day. Later we'd pick up some drinks and groceries and head to the campsite where we'd sit around (about 10 of us) joking, eating, drinking, jamming with musical egg and make shift water bottle drum till about 9 to head down to the stages. With the headliner on at 1am and the music continuing 'till the early hours of the morning we were set for a big night out, followed by little sleep and an early sun wake up call to start it up all over again.

Really enjoyed the music of Mumford & Sons and Vampire Weekend, the stage performance of Goldfrapp, and the mixes of The Scratch Perverts, but by far the most intense was The Prodigy which had everyone jumping & moshing for an hour and a half non-stop belting out all of their hits one after the other.

Another great feature was the nearby waterpark (Aquarama) which is a typical super tube, racing slides and wave pool type waterpark but after feeling dirty, hot and tired from the night before with sleeping late in the tent not being an option, it was great to lie in the shade on some grass, go for a dip whenever, be close to food and water and act like a kid again on the slides.

Best of all, the 10 of us, most not knowing more than 2 of the others, all got along famously and had an wikid time.

Valencia - Spain

2010-07-20T21:27:00.016+02:00

The Place: Due to our easy jet flights being cancelled, Sarj and I had an extra day to spend some time chilling in Valencia before catching the next scheduled flight back to London.

Paris - France

2010-05-29T14:22:00.017+02:00

The event: Attended the 16th International Energy Accounting Forum in Paris along with a few colleagues.
Some features: Took some time out to rent a bike and cycle along the Sienne passed a few of the sights including Notre Dame. Enjoyed some fine dining at Le Fines Gueules on rue Croix-des-Petit-Champs near the Louvre. Before returning to London, stopped off to see the Moulin Rouge before enjoying a beer at Sacre Coeur.

Fishing in Horsley - England

2010-05-29T14:22:00.016+02:00

The Place: Spent a weekend in Horsley, not far out of London for a weekend of camping, braaiing, fishing and snacking.

Some features: Caught 16 fish on the Sat and ate 16 packets of crisps between us. Liz and I tried out our new tent while Karen and Jamie camped in Reggie, their bright and shiny red VW campervan. Jamie's knowhow had a lot to do with the rate we pulled in the fish - all carp, which we threw back in the lake after catching.

Taghazout - Morocco

2010-05-04T22:13:00.022+02:00

The Place: Just outside the town of Agadir, Taghazout sits on the coast between some cool surf spots. We stayed 6 days at 'Surf Maroc' villa where we met other travellers, some surfers, some first timers, and some just there to soak up the sun and the good vibes!
Some features: Started with some nice clean and easy surfing at 'Panoramas' close by, a popular beach for soccer, surfing and camel rides. Stronger waves the next day at 'Onze', next to a local surf competition taking place on the adjacent beach. 3rd day (excl. 1st day travelling in), a long beautiful beach drive out to 'Tamri' then 'Boilers', known for its big reef break, where we watched the some of the surfing but didnt attempt to brave it, then back to Panoramas for the afternoon. Last day before heading back went out to some great waves at La Dalle, where we surfed, chilled out on the beach, surfed some more, then stayed till the tide came up and forced us to move - so back to the villa and Panoramas for a last surf. Great food daily at surf maroc, cooked each day by a local chef, and one night ordered some good food topped off with mint tea. Experienced the town closing on friday at lunch for noon prayers, where loud speakers bellowed out from the local mosque for all to hear.

Prague - Czech Republic

2010-04-05T22:40:00.016+02:00

The Views: Apart from the joys of wandering around the city (as mentioned below) I was particularly impressed by the city's beauty. We took most opportunities to find a tower or hill to climb from which to view the city. The castle with its St Vitus cathedral sitting in the middle is a great sight from the opposite side of the Vltava river. Crossing the Charles bridge (the world's largest open air statue exhibition) there is a tower offering more great views including the dome topped library and many red roofs and churches (giving Prague the nickname - city of a hundred steeples).

Old Town - Prague

2010-04-05T22:21:00.021+02:00

The Place: Spent four days in and around the bohemian city of Prague in the Czech Republic.
Some Features: We arrived a week before Easter so the old town square was filled with food stalls containing lots of a meat and some interesting baked goods including 'trdelniks' (pronunciation??), which is a pastry baked while wrapped around a wooden bar resembling a rolling pin. In the middle of the square was a stage with various Easter performances, some traditional Czech and some from around the globe. Every hour on the hour a skeleton rings the bell forming part of the astronomical clock which tells both the time and indicates the relative positions of the sun, moon and various zodiacal constellations. Wandering around the town it became clear they love their colourful glass art, madryoshkas (3rd pic from top), classical music (Mozart spent allot of time in Prague), marionettes, beer (cheaper than coffee or bottled water), and absinthe! (it burns). We watched a marionette opera which was very entertaining though very long (which did make me respect the puppeteers considering they had a movement for every note of the opera that brought the puppets alive). We went out at night and got to experience a few old traditional pubs, some live blues music and jazz, as well as some dance clubs. Also visited the Franz Kafka museum which was well equipped with Kafkaesque props which gave some insightful background into his books such as 'The Castle', ' The Trial', and 'The Metamorphosis' which are written before the Austro-Hungarian empire became the communist Czechoslovakia.

Sedlec - Czech Republic

2010-04-05T21:51:00.012+02:00

The Place: Close to Kutna Hora, and an hour and a half outside of Prague lies the tiny town of Sedlec.

The Feature: Sedlec is known for its Ossuary, a chapel decorated using thousands of human skeletons. The story behind it is that one of the abbots was sent to Palestine in 1278. He brought back with him 'holy' soil from Golgotha and placed it in the cemetery. Believing that the soil was blessed it became a popular burial ground for europeans and was enlarged through the burial of over 30000 people. Between 1400 and 1500 a new church was built on the spot and the bones were dug up and kept. Much later, around 1870, a woodcarver was commissioned to put the heaps of bones in some order and resulted in him making artworks including a chandelier containing all the types of bones of the human body, big cups made out of skulls and bones, a coat of arms including a persons eye being pecked out by a rook, and in all four corners of the chapel tall pyramids of human bones bound together loosely.

Cape Town - South Africa

2010-01-13T22:33:00.008+01:00

The Place: Spent four days in Cape Town staying on the beach in Muizenberg.

Highlights: Our busy agenda was as follows with everyday beginning with a surf at surfer's corner. 1st day: Morning surf after a breakfast at the Empire. Hanging out at Rob's with some beers and then going out on the town in Cape Town's long street (Neighbourhood and Zula bar) with Liz, Rob, Grant, Jo and Tiz. 2nd day: Morning hangover surf at Muizenberg, a quick stop at UCT's campus (to reminisce and take some photos), a quick browse through green market square in Town, and then an afternoon at the beautiful Clifton 4th beach followed by a dinner with Colin, Caryn, Ryan, Jenna and Gran. 3rd day: A day out at the wine farms of Stellenbosch with Gordon, Jason, and Liz after the mandatory morning surf, followed by sundowners at Cape to Cuba, an amazing fish braai meal at 'The Outspan' near Kalk bay, and ending with a night out in Obs for old times sake (Scrumpy Jacks and then the Roots (previously Cool Runnings)). 4th day: The last day was spent chilling at Muizenberg beach after our late morning surf and then taking the very very scenic drive back to the airport - via none other than the incredible Chapmans Peak.

Rhenosterpoort - South Africa

2010-01-03T19:59:00.025+01:00

The Place: Near Ryman's pass in Limpopo, spent an active 8 days in the relaxing game farm Rhenosterpoort.
Some Highlights: Day hikes through the waterberg, so named because of how the water seeps through the hillside rocks. Spending time at the waterfall which is great for swimming, cliff-jumping, swinging into the rock pool and bird watching. Game drives to see the wildlife as shown below. Hot sun and plenty of natural swimming spots. Helping Anton on the farm, one day with his sheep and the other herding the bramen cattle to get their tick spray. New years around a camp fire. Potjiekos, corn on the cob, biltong, potbrood, braaied lamb, boerewors and ribs! Spectacular sunsets, night walks to spot bushbabies, playing card games at night (up and down the river) and brilliant company!

Wildlife - Rhenosterpoort South Africa

2010-01-03T19:00:00.017+01:00

The Wildlife that we spotted: Antelope on the farm include Nyala, Kudu, Blesbok, Klipspringers, Impala and Eland. Other wildlife include Zebra, Bramen cattle, Baboons, Blou Ape, bush babies (we could spot only their eyes shining in torchlight at night), chameleons, rock monitors, dassies, and warthogs. Insects of interest were various interesting types of dragon flies, wasps and spiders including the parachute spiders. The types of birds spotted at rhenosterpoort count up to 143 of which we spotted Kites, Paradise fly catchers, European bee-eaters, Fish Eagles, various types of Kingfisher including pygmy, half collar, woodland.

What we missed: The farm has numerous predators including leopard, rooikat, serval, and jackals. Bush pigs, porcupines, and aardvarks come out at night and their burrows and holes can be seen on the day hikes.

Stellenbosch - South Africa

2010-01-03T18:27:00.005+01:00

The Place: Together with Liz, Gordon and Jason visited the 3 wine farms Avontuur, Muratie and Delheim out on the Stellenbosch wine route.

Some highlights: Love the old cob-webbed cellar of Muratie which looks like its been left as is for decades! Muratie is the first place where South Africa's own pinotage was made. Delheim, a family run farm is a great spot to sit and taste some wines and not feel rushed. They have a great selection of wines and an interesting bottle of sweet wine called Spatzendrek (Sparrow droppings) - tasty.

Pembrokeshire - South Wales

2009-10-22T22:11:00.015+02:00

The Place: In the South of Wales took a road trip over a long weekend to Newgale, Manorbier, Freshwater East, Tenby and Laugharne.

Some highlights: Fresh sea air with great views, walks on the beach (we were hoping for some surfing as Pembrokeshire is meant to be one of the best surf spots in the UK - however I think we missed the season as it was glassy at all beaches), rock pools, freaky animals (including a couple walking a miniature pony the size of a dog, and steriod bull above), camping, lighting a fire on the beach in Tenby and playing djembe drums in the evening, impressive castles - which you can't miss as they're everywhere, and visiting the boathouse and grave of Dylan Thomas, famous welsh poet.

South Downs Cycle - England

2009-07-15T23:02:00.013+02:00

The event: Together with 6 work colleagues set out on a 100 mile+ cycle along the South Downs from Winchester to Eastborne with the aim of completing in 3 days, camping along the way.

Some features: The first day was a gruelling 40 miles, taking us 12 and a half hours of cycling in the rain up and down steep hills. We arrived at our campsite in the dark at 10:30 in the evening to set up our tents in a downpour with a total of 7 punctures and 2 broken chains.

The severe conditions saw 3 of our team pack it in and go home. Luckily the rest of us had awesome weather for day 2 (35 miles) and day 3 (28 miles), which enabled us to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the South Downs. The days were very challenging and we managed another puncture and 2 broken chains but we were in fantastic spirits as we approached Eastbourne.

The highlight: Arriving in Eastbourne we descended the most amazing downhill. Green velvety grass from heaven paved the way for about ten minutes of downward flight. Awesome.

Köln - Germany

2009-06-21T17:43:00.009+02:00

The Place: Spent a day and night in Cologne based along the river Rhine.

Some features: The city has a spectacular cathedral. The pictures don't do it justice, as it is just massive and very eerily gothic, standing out in contrast amongst and dwarfing the modern high rise shopping streets. Went out in the old town which was overrun by stag and hen do's but very festive. Clearly a popular place to come before getting married, the bridge's sides are lined with locks engraved mostly with newly wed couples' names otherwise dedications to passed away loved ones or other memories.

Dusseldorf - Germany

2009-06-21T16:03:00.008+02:00

The Place: Went to Essen with a colleague for the International Energy Accounting Forum, so took the opportunity to check out some of the surrounding German cities on the weekend. Started by spending a day and night in Dusseldorf.

Some features: In Essen tried a german meal called knauserhaxe, pork knuckles, which was a massive bone with a lump of pork at the end, covered in crackling - very tasty though kind of resembled something out of an Asterix comic. The walkway along the Rhine is full of activity and has a few good views. Restaurants line the river afterwhich follows a string of Boules courts where locals old and young challenge each other to throw heavy metal balls as close to the jack as possible. Went out in the Altstadt where there is a thriving nightlife, watched an old oom-pah band playing some traditional german folk.

Lisbon - Portugal

2009-05-10T23:21:00.016+02:00

The Place: Spent two days in the city of Lisbon, a very beautiful city with a mix of old and new.

Some features: Walked up to the cities castle which dates back to the 6th century BC. Ate out in a traditional restaurant playing fado music before partying in the Bairro Alto district. It's a network of tiny streets high up on a hill, where people roam, sangria or grinja in hand, enjoying the live music.

Peniche - Portugal

2009-05-10T23:19:00.013+02:00

The Place: Host to world champ surfing because of it's high speed 'super tubos' wave, rated the best in Europe, Peniche is a great little beach town with cool people.

Highlights: Went surfing on Praia de Peniche, made friends with some of the surfers at Peniche Beach House Hostel and partied with some of the students at a small spot on the beach.

Porto - Portugal

2009-05-10T23:18:00.009+02:00

The Place: Was taken from Paris to Porto as a birthday surprise. Crossing the bridge at the Ribeiro over the Douro river takes you to Vila Nova De Gaia famous for it's many Port Cellars.

Features: The town is full of history and character, and most of our time was spent roaming the narrow streets finding new places of interest. The trams, tiled churches, tightly packed houses, old markets and riverside cafe's were all very impressive. Visited two Port cellars, Calem and Kopke to taste what the town is famous for.

Paris - France

2009-05-10T23:17:00.017+02:00

The Place: Spent a weekend in Paris cycling around the city, joining french protests, and seeing the sights.

Highlights: Bicycles were a really cool way to get around. Paris have a system which allows you to collect a bike from any of the allocated bays in the city. You then have the freedom to park your bike at any bay, go and do something, then pick up another bike from another bay.

Joined a May day protest not really sure of what we were protesting, but had fun wandering among the different festivities of the day. We ended up climbing up onto the Column of the Bastille in the centre of the square where we had a good view of activities going on below. The march went by the name of 'Rêve générale' (General Dream) as a pun on 'Grêve générale' (General Strike), and found out afterwards it was organised by the eight biggest unions against Nicolas Sarkozy's reforms against the public sector - jobs, health care, universities, etc. Though the issues may have been serious, the march was a lot of fun including jazz bands performing on the back of moving vehicles, walking samba bands, street meats and mojitos!

Snowdonia - Wales

2009-03-29T16:14:00.016+02:00

The Place: In Northern Wales, Snowdonia, went camping close by to the small town of Betws y Coed.

Some features: Walked the very scenic Llyn Elsi trail ("llwybr" in Welsch - what the?) which took us high up in the hills passed old grown over house ruins to a small lake in the mountains.

Spent the next day cycling in Coed y Brenin, which opened my eyes to the world of mountain biking. The trail was about 18 kms and technically challenging, featuring steps and drop-offs and steep declines. While Nic, Trev and Kath took the "Dragon's Back" route, Liz, Tim and I rode the 'Mbr' trail which saw all three of us flying head over handlebars at one stage or another. Liz's fall was spectacular as she somehow managed to turn off the road down a sheer drop (about the height of a person) and dived thru the air ahead of her bike which came following close behind her. Apart from some bruises and scrapes she was uninjured. Good times.

Stonehenge - England

2008-12-30T19:04:00.012+01:00

The Place: Stopped in Salisbury to visit this world heritage site dating back over 5000 years.

Some features: Built in phases spanning over a thousand years and ending around 1600BC, the monument contains many mysteries. The massive rocks or Sarsens were carried over from Wales over water and land and it is estimated that it would have taken more than 500 men to pull a stone using ropes and sledges as it is believed they did. It is thought that Stonehenge was used mainly for religious reasons with the sun and moon being it's main focus. A heal stone similar in size to the Sarsen stones lies separate from the main circles and when the sun rises it directs the rays between different pillars during different months acting as a calender. Dotted around the shrine are a few mounds or barrows which were communal burial sights where some people were buried together with some of their possessions including pottery, and sometimes even a beloved horse or dog.

The New Forest - England

2008-12-30T18:35:00.016+01:00

The Place: Spent a Christmas with family in the New Forest in South East England.

Some features: Many ponies! Together with cows they have free reign of the quaint streets of Burley. A fifteen minute trip takes you to a coastline of pebbles. Looking towards the needles of the Isle of Wight, you can watch the sun set across the Solent. A walk to Boldrewood offers an opportunity to spot the wild deer of the forest.

The Twelve Apostles - Australia

2008-10-27T07:54:00.010+01:00

The Place: The Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park along the Great Ocean road, Victoria.

Great Ocean Road - Australia

2008-10-27T07:18:00.011+01:00

The Place: On a journey in Victoria to see the 12 apostles, we took a road trip along the Great Ocean Road taking us from Geelong just outside Melbourne to Port Campbell National Park where we decided to turn around after seeing the 12 Apostles.

Some features: Stopped at a surfer town Torquay for a barbeque on the beach. Later I tried surfing some waves on a stand-up paddle board which was good fun. Popped down to the famous Bells beach, drove through to Lorne and Apollo Bay. The drive and the small towns along the way are all beautiful with an ocean alongside as turquoise as the picture above shows. Turned around after seeing the 12 Apostles featured above.

Byron Bay - Australia

2008-10-27T06:23:00.012+01:00

The Place: On the coast of New South Wales, nearing the border to Queensland, Byron Bay is a super chilled out surfing town.
Some features: Stayed in a cool backpackers called the Arts Factory which has numerous types of accomodation including teepee's and island retreats (canvas shelters with platforms overlooking a small lake). We were lucky enough to be there over whale watching season and were able to spot about five or six whales, two being mother and calf, as well as two dolphins making their way along the coastline. Cruised around town on hired bikes and found more beaches to visit. Went surfing at cosy corner on Tallow beach. Took wine, cheese and biscuits down to the beach for sundowners.

The Races - Melbourne

2008-10-27T06:00:00.011+01:00

The Event: Attended the Caulfield Cup for a day at the races. Lots of sun, big hats, beautiful people, champaigne and of course horses. Tried my hand at betting and was lucky enough to win on Mimi Lebrock who came first in the Group Two Tristarc Stakes, my only bet for the day - pity it was only $5.

Melbourne - Australia

2008-10-27T05:29:00.014+01:00

The Place: Down under in the state of Victoria, Melbourne is a funky city loaded with sport, art, and architecture.

Some features: Took a tram down to federation square to have a look at the city which features buildings and bridges of all shapes and sizes, old and modern in design. Looking down alleyways you can discover original and interesting cafe's and bars. Got a view of the city and Yarra river from the 88th floor of the Eureka tower, which features the highest viewing platform in the southern hemisphere and 10 floors of 24 carat gold plated glass windows making the golden block which can be seen in the photo above. From the platform you can see Melbourne's many sporting grounds including the Australian Open tennis grounds, the MCG, and Flemington race course.

The Great Gorilla Run - London

2008-10-10T00:50:00.009+02:00

The event: Competed in a team of six (guys from work) in the great gorilla run in London. The 7km run is geared as a fundraising event for the mountain gorillas in Africa and this year saw 633 gorilla clad individuals (in fancy dress) taking part.
Some features: Was a real laugh, especially watching bypassers' reactions as you run passed them in the street. We crossed London, Southwark, Tower and Black Friar's bridge so was also quite a scenic tour of London. Best dressed gorilla went to a gorilla in a kissing booth costume but aside from that there were ballerina tutu's, mankini's and village people costumes to name a few. We were dressed as cowboy's (thats me in the black hat). I don't think I've sweated as much in my life, but good fun!

Nottinghill Carnival - London

2008-08-27T19:18:00.016+02:00

The Event: As the biggest European street party attracting over a million people to the streets of Nottinghill in the space of two days, the Nottinghill Carnival is a must. With the history of the carnival beginning with West Indian immigrants in London in 1966, the carnival is now a full blown Carribean carnival including Jamaica, Trindad, Bermuda, Barbados, Dominica and others. Also appearing in the carnival are Brazilian Samba bands and other festive groups who know how to party.

Some highlights: The floats and masquerades are spectacular. The streets are lined with Carribean treats like Curry Goat and Jerk Chicken and the all important Reggae Reggae sauce. There are stages set up all around the carnival music where DJ's and dancers keep the party loud and crazy. Steel bands play their Calypso tunes and Samba bands keep the rythm going in between the masqueraders.

Lovebox Festival - London

2008-07-20T15:37:00.018+02:00

The Event: In East London went to check out Saturdays Line up at the Lovebox Festival.

Some Features: Amongst alot of cool and wierd things going on around the festival enjoyed watching some pro skaters and BMX's on a 13.5 ft ramp.

Of the bands really enjoyed The Black Seeds, Groove Armada and, being by far the best concert I've seen, MANU CHAO!! Manu Chao were awesome - loads of energy and the crowd was going mad for them, lots of fun!

Getting Dirty - England

2008-07-20T15:35:00.008+02:00

The Event: As part of our 'helping hands' initiative at work, spent a day in Three Bridges cutting down invading birchwood and bracken to restore the natural heath. Nothing like a good day of physical labour!

Brighton - England

2008-07-20T15:33:00.009+02:00

The Place: In South East England close to the cliffs of Dover lies the arty town of Brighton.
Some features: Loads of musos and artists roam the streets busking or showing off their creations. Funky cafe's and juice bars, some with wierd names (Wai Kika Mu Kao). Fun fair sitting at the end of a peer. Pebble beaches??.

Paphos - Cyprus

2008-05-31T20:46:00.012+02:00

The Place: Built on the city where Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, was born, this was a meaningful spot for Martin and Becky (from a Cypriot family) to get married.

Some features: Spent a great weekend with Martin, Becky and their friends. Paphos is a centre for tourism and offers loads of places to go out and party, aswell as beaches and mountains a short drive away. Being total kids went on a banana ride behind a boat on the sea. Was actually a really cool way to sea the Cypriot landscape, primarily white and yellow cliffs dropping off into the sea, sparse white land dotted with fruit trees and small bushes. The wedding was in an amazing spot secluded from the bustling tourist hangout with great views of the mediterranian hills and seaside.

Cornwall - England

2008-05-22T21:16:00.008+02:00

The Place: To where the few English surfers exist, went on a trip to Cornwall with my capoeira group.

Some features: Camped on a hillside that eventually drops off down steep cliffs into the sea. Trained on the beach both Saturday and Sunday. Went to watch and take part in the Batizado of the Cornwall part of our group.

Itacaré - Brazil

2008-02-27T13:25:00.011+01:00

The Place: In Bahia lies the small one street tourist town of Itacaré.
Some features: Beautiful beaches including one 'secret' beach called 'Prainha' which takes 45min to get to by trekking thru dense forestry. Capoeira every day as detailed below. Great surfing or at least body surfing for me. Also a great place to meet and hang out with other like minded people.

Amigos do Itacaré - Brasil

2008-02-27T12:41:00.012+01:00

Good people: Top pic shows Mestre Jamaica on the left of me, Richard on the right, and some of the other capoeiristas. Together with Rich (from my capoeira group in London) took five portuguese classes (one a day) with profesora Márcia and got a great crash course in the language. Met some great people from other countries - Steve (aka Camarão cause of how burnt he got or 'Irish' cause, yep u guessed it), Liz (from Australia, who was given the nickname 'Risadinha' by Mestre Jamaica which means little laugh), Cole (an actor from Canada), Hana (from Brighton England), Captain Justin (from Canada who organised a legendary braai with chicken garlic and vegetable skewers for the hostel), Andy (Melbourne), and Ben and Shelley (from Perth whose claim to fame is getting held at gun point on Concha beach in Itacaré for 20 Reiais (+-£6) - silly gringos - heh heh). Good times.

Capoeira de Bahia - Brasil

2008-02-15T19:04:00.021+01:00

The Place: In Itacaré (Bahia) watched some brilliant capoeira of the group ´Tribo´ run by Mestre Jamaica. Played in 4 of the rodas. (Which they have almost every second night). Trained daily on the beach with Mestre Jamaica which was a great experience, doing the movements facing the trees, seeing palm trees instead of walls, and ending the classes by practicing back somersaults into the soft sand.

The Rodas: Was first intimidating to play against these guys. As the pics show the brazilian capoeristas start from a really young age, in fact they even encouraged a baby of one and a half to play in the roda! In Itacaré alone ( a one street town) there are at least three capoeira schools. As a result the older guys are ripped and really good, jumping into spinning kicks (parafuso´s, fulhasecos (excuse spelling), and au sem mãos (cartwheels without hands)). But their style is not as aggressive as the Rio groups which means more time for showing off and less fear of being struck down, so playing was great fun! Saying that tho I did get a meialua to the chest playing one guy whose capoeira nickname means bullet.

Ilhas de Paraty - Brasil

2008-02-08T19:06:00.032+01:00

The Place: With 50 main Islands and 43 main beaches (excluding the beaches on the islands), Paraty is a great place to travel by boat, which is what we did. Spent a sunny day going from island to island, snorkelling a bit to see the huge starfish, collecting coconuts to drink their milk and messing about with dives, jumps and somersaults off the top of the boat into the clear sea water.

Festivities in Rio - Brazil

2008-02-08T19:05:00.028+01:00

The event: During the carnival the Rio is full of festivities. There are blocos which are street parties happening throughout the week moving from area to area. This also gives areas a chance to throw there own parades with their own costumes and samba theme tunes if they're not competing at the sambadromo. The parties start early and go on throughout the night.

Went to the Laranjeiras bloco with Richard and followed the parade from the start to finish. It ended at a trendy spot in Baixo Gavea which is a good spot for brasilian students hang out for drinks. Went the next day with most of our group to check out the Copacabana and Ipanema blocos.

Rio Carnival - Brazil

2008-02-08T19:05:00.026+01:00

The Event: Took part in the Rio Carnival by joining the Escola de Samba ´Salquiero´. Standing in formation and waiting for fireworks to signal us to move, we had a quick crash course on some of the words to sing along with the Salquiero theme samba song. On turning the corner into the main street with towering grandstands on the left, and high blocks on the right forming booths for supporters, the sound and the atmosphere was incredible. The samba beat thundered and the crowds sang along, while we walked/danced about 800m of the parade.

The Result: Salguiero came 2nd to ´Beija-Flor´ overall in the competition.

Town of Paraty - Brazil

2008-02-08T19:05:00.024+01:00

The Place: Paraty is a very quaint town containing mostly old colonial style Portuguese houses and shops and a church. The town was formed after the discovery of gold in Minas Gerais. It´s now a very colourful tourist town with loads of paper mache and wooden artwork painted in bright colours. A very peaceful place to walk around and get lost in.

Making Berimbaus - Brazil

2008-02-07T14:39:00.000+01:00

The Place: In Cachambi, the neighbourhood of Mestre Celso from our capoeira group, Engenho de Rainha, we met to learn how to make berimbaus.

Some features: Equipped with the gourds, wooden branches, tires (the wire for the berimbau is stripped from car tires) and tools, we made berimbau´s (the main instrument used in capoeira) under the guidance of one of the brazilian masters of our group, Mestre Mozart.

Was a proud moment (for us and our instructors) to have made one from scratch in the heart of Rio. A Brazilian momento which will be well used back home in our rodas.

Capoeira do Rio - Brazil

2008-02-06T23:01:00.011+01:00

The training: Took capoeira classes with our group Engenho de Rainha, with Mestre Celso. Learnt rhythms of the berimbau, pandeiro and atabaque. Was great to play in roda's with the brazilians from our group since many of them are cordão amarelos, profesor's and contra mestre's in capoeira so the standard is much higher than in London.

Paragliding in Rio - Brazil

2008-02-06T22:34:00.005+01:00

The Place: Took a tandem paraglide onto the beach ´Praia de Pepino´ in São Conrado - Rio de Janeiro.
Some features: It offers a typical Rio view of tall buildings lining the beach, looming green and black hills in the background, with a view one of the biggest favellas ´Rocinho´ aswell. It´s an great when you feel like you´re sitting on fresh air high above the city. The glider who took me, Eduardo, tried to get as close to the tall buildings as possible on the decent which was an amazing experience.
Strange occurence: Having heard I was in Rio with my capoeira group (a few of us did the glide), as soon as we landed my guide started playing capoeira with me there and then on the grass!

Recreio - Brazil

2008-02-06T22:29:00.009+01:00

The place: Our group stayed in Recreio, about an hour and a half outside of Rio. We rented two neighbouring apartments just across the road from the beach.

Some features: Really chilled vibe, morning swims, cafe's with live forro, and samba music at night, cool coffee shops and lots of relaxation.

New Years Eve - Sydney

2008-01-03T19:53:00.006+01:00

The Event: Together with Ilse, Nick, Frances, Paul and Karen found a spot early on in the day to witness Sydney's spectacular fireworks at the harbour bridge to bring in 2008! The lights of the city, boats and fireworks iluminating the water were incredible to see, and the festivities were amazing!

Monkey Mia - Western Australia

2008-01-03T19:53:00.005+01:00

The Place: Our road trip took us as far up the west coast as Monkey Mia.
Some features: Viewing dolphins and pelicans up close on the beach. Spotting dugongs and visiting a pearl farm out at sea on a guided boat trip. Seeing more stromatolites just off a beach made up entirely of shells. The shells are so compressed that they used to cut bricks of shell out of the ground to use for building. Ate out in a restaurant in Denham close by made out of these shell bricks. Snorkelling 'The Gregories', one of many beautiful locations in the two large bays of Monkey Mia. While snorkeling swam over sting rays and got close to more dolphins that were swimming in the bay.

Strange Observation: The soft sand road to the snorkel spot made for some great 4x4 driving, with warnings to watch out for bilbies!

Lancelin - Western Australia

2008-01-03T19:52:00.007+01:00

The Place: Set off from Perth on a road trip with Ilse, Nick and Darren. About 1.5 hrs up the west coast of Australia from Perth we stayed 3 nights in Lancelin at Lancelin Lodge.

Some features: This spot is a a wind/kite-surfer's haven, so we were in the company of many foreign (mainly German and English) tourists who had come here with that in mind. We all had a go at windsurfing the first afternoon, hiring our boards, with Darren and Ilse both trying for the first time. Next day with the wind died down we spent sandboarding followed by windsurfing (Nick kitesurfing) and that eve went for sundowners in the dunes. We spent evenings enjoying sundowners either overlooking the beach or on top of the dunes. This spot was really great - so we made sure to book a spot here for our return journey to Perth from Monkey Mia, affording us the opportunity for more great windsurfing!

Kalbarri - Western Australia

2008-01-03T19:52:00.006+01:00

The Place: With destination Kalbarri in mind, an 8hr drive from Lancelin, Christmas day ended up being a continuous string of cool surprises.

Some features: After our first stop off at the Pinnacles which was planned, we then found numerous other cool places along the way, including a lake (Lake Thetis) containing stromatolites (living 'rocks' which are the oldest form of life on earth), a beach (Kangaroo point) where we swam with pelicans flying over our heads, the Natural bridge (see pic with Ilse) which is a feature that lies close to Kalbarri, and a sunset kangaroo chase (Nic and I had to do a little bit of bundu bashing before I finally got this shot of one of the 2 kangaroos we saw hopping about). A perfect ending to a brilliant day was Darren's gourmet Christmas meal of chicken, prawns, and beef all cooked to perfection in his secret recipe marinades.

The next day was spent snorkelling and playing frisbee before setting off for Monkey Mia.

The Pinnacles - Western Australia

2008-01-03T19:52:00.003+01:00

The Place: Set off after an festive Christmas breakfast with the other winsurfing tourists at Lancelin Lodge to the Pinnacles on route to Kalbarri.

Some features: The Pinnacles are great to see, and whats also quite an experience (and a very Aussie one) is the intense heat and the amount of flies that surround you. At one time you might find 20 flies sitting on you, while some get right in your ears, crawl up your nose or sit on your eyes not to be deterred by the constant slapping of your hand on your face!

Uluru - Australia

2007-12-24T08:04:00.003+01:00

The Place: In the Red Centre of Australia, Ayers Rock (Uluru) stands 348km high and 9.4km in circumference.

Some features: Spent an afternoon exploring the rock from its base. Saw it change colour from red to gold at sun set. Woke up at 4.30am to observe the rock at sunrise. Just as amazing was the colours of the sky and land, with bright greens, reds, whites and yellows all around.

Kata Tjutu - Australia

2007-12-24T07:43:00.000+01:00

The Place: 43 km from Uluru, Kata Tjuta (meaning 'many heads') rises more than 500m out of the ground. It's a collection of more than 36 heads and is considered sacred to the Anangu people who are the traditional owners of this land. Unlike Uluru which is sandstone, these structures are formed from conglomerate rock.

Some features: Spent the day walking different routes in some areas of these incredible outcrops, inluding the 7.4km Valley of the Winds walk which took us right inbetween these looming domes, showing us a great view of the flat and vast outback. Waited for sunset and was lucky enough to see a rainbow stretching out over the heads.

Sydney Beaches - Australia

2007-12-16T06:03:00.003+01:00

The Beaches: Spent the day just chilling on Bondi beach with Ilse after her arrival. It's is a great hangout for surfing backpackers. Arriving there immediately puts you in holiday mode where you can just chill on the beach or go for beer and a burger at beachfront cafe.

Played some frisbee and tried out a boomerang on Palm beach with Ilse, Nick and Lindsay. Spent a day on the beaches of Manly.

Strange Observation: The Aussie's seem to take Christmas to a whole new level! There are stuffed Santa's hanging from balconies, climbing the walls of houses, and riding motorbikes on the road sides. Dressing up as Santa is popular too, as evidenced by the Santa party in the Manly beach surf pavilion - pictured above.

Sydney - Australia

2007-12-10T06:20:00.002+01:00

The Place: What was almost a splash landing, touched down on the mini peninsula runway strip of Sydney airport after 24 hrs from London via Singapore.

Some features: Great to see that a major city can be as relaxed as Sydney. Met Nick and stayed at his place right on the waters edge. From there, getting into the city was a 10 minute ferry trip almost directly from his door step to the cities edge.

Had a great time seeing the activities around the harbour bridge and opera house - including the Scots college's +-50 strong, marching rendition of Walzing Matilda on a bagpipes & drums, and two aborigines playing traditional music on their didgeridoo and sticks mixed with electro phunk.

From the botanical gardens you get an amazing view of the opera house and bridge, with bats and cockatoo's that fly freely around the park.

Met a phillipino third order apostelic nun in a boomerang shop. After a lengthy chat she kindly went to fetch her veil for me to take a picture of her.

Visited the Taronga zoo to get a good look at some aussie animals. The zoo was a huge highlight with great bird shows, brilliant views of the city and funky wildlife including wombats, wallabies, potoroos, gliders, tasmanian devils, and the duck-billed platypus.

Strange observation: Watching a game of chess in the city park is wierd when the guy dominating the game is dressed in dirty clothes and is shouting obscenities to his park mates (also playing chess).

Pamplona - Spain

2007-07-11T20:24:00.001+02:00

The Place: In the north of Spain (Basque country) the San Fermin festival is held annually for the running of the bulls, where everday from the 6 - 14 July the bull run commences at 8am and the festivities never cease.

Some highlights: Camped out in Ezcaba (15 min from Pamplona) with Tim, Steph, Alexandra and Carlos. Our arrival was momentous since it seemed the bus drivers were having their siestas - had to walk for 2 hours along the highway with our luggage to the campsite. Enjoyed fireworks and float processions on the eve of arrival. Soaked up the sun and enjoyed swimming in the camp's pool. Walked the streets of pamplona with its bands and parades during the 4 days there and partied till late during the nights. Watched a matador show which was cruel yet spectacular. The atmosphere was amazing (and so was the sangria - which ended up all over us). Ran the bulls on the sunday with Tim, had a balcony viewing the mon and ran again tues.

The run: The 1st time (8th July), in sheer terror, arrived in the arena before the bulls. Once all bulls are in they are herded out, and then 6 are released one by one charging into the arena to the cheers of the crowds. Half the fear was not knowing how long this would keep up for (roughly 40min) and the other half was knowing the bull was charging around dropping people like dominoes, out of sight because of the crowd. Got the hang of it and realised its better to chase behind the bull (so that he's in sight all the time) and then flee when he changes direction, then try to get behind him again.

The second run (10th July) was much more fun having picked up tips from the first. For starters actually ran with them in the street this time. Managed to touch a bull in the arena with my rolled newspaper and had one bull jump over me as I crouched with about 10 others at the gate from where they're released (they do this every time a bull is released and though sometimes someone catches a hoof I didnt see anyone get hurt).

Most intense adrenaline rush!! Will never forget!!

Capoeira - London

2007-05-31T18:08:00.001+02:00

The event: The 5th batizado of our London capoeira group (ACER).
Some highlights: Some great capoeira from the best - some from brazil and some from the UK. Maculele (a dance linked with capoeira) was displayed. Samba band and dancer getting the crowd excited. Getting graded!

Beachy Head - England

2007-05-30T23:01:00.000+02:00

The place: On the mainland's south coast lies the white cliffs of Beachy Head not too far from Dover (further west).

Some features: Cliffs . . . that are white. Had a great time with Ilse and her friends seeing the cliffs aswell as driving to some of the other little towns in the Sussex region.

Paris - France

2007-04-13T15:41:00.000+02:00

The Place: After getting my Schengen visa a day before departure (phew), I took the Eurostar under the English channel to arrive in Paris. Together with Ilse, Gordon and Lea we had an amazing easter weekend.
Highlights: Visited Rodin Museum to see his works including the famous ‘The Thinker’ and ‘The Kiss’.
Partied locally (near the hostel) in a jungle-house-acid-sort of-drum-bass little club till 3 in the morning.
Breakfast at the Sacré Cœur which was my favourite – a white 3 domed church looming on top of a steep green hill. If you’ve watched Amelie this is where she leads the weird id photo collector guy to return his briefcase.
Eiffel where we made a day of it chilling on the grass, watching some capoeira under the tower, waiting in queues and walking up. Great views of Paris from the top!
Found a salsa club in the latin quarter and watched some interesting moves between some weird couples – a good laugh.
Took a trip on the Seinne past major landmarks including the gargoyle-guarded Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Eiffel, and other impressive bridges and architecture.
Had supper at a greek restaurant (Les Argonauts) in Paris’ latin quarter – very vibey, lots ofs fun. The greek waiters/dancers picked up Lea and Ilse and made them dance on the tables!
Went out afterwards and danced the night away in a club next to the Moulin Rouge.
Our last morning took a trip to see the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees. Had some crepes at a sunny sidewalk café.
Last but not least went to take a peek at the Mona Lisa and wander in awe amongst the Louvre art galleries.
Strange observation: French waiters have to be in control of everything otherwise you get some serious attitude! Walk up to ask for the bill ‘L’appetite s'il vous plaît’ before they’re ready and they may simply command you to ‘Sit!’.

Transkei - South Africa

2007-03-28T11:08:00.000+02:00

The Place: On the wild coast, 3 hours from East London, including a 2 hour journey over muddy roads through the rolling green hills of Transkei, stopping for cattle or to hoot ‘hello’ to the locals we reached the Wavecrest resort.
The event: The marriage of Shaun and Leigh.
Some features: The resort’s sundeck with swimming pool and jacuzzi overlooks lagoon, beach and dunes, cows and horses roaming freely around the resort.
Highlights: Cricket on the beach on ‘the oval’ (a patch of beach between lagoon and sea), swimming in the lagoon and sea, afternoon booze cruise along the estuary.
18 March the sun, earth and moon aligned to call an enormous tide which in a day covered the entire beach. With the oval submerged and no beach we were left to wonder in awe at the enormous waves and the visibly powerful tide pushing into the estuary in sets of waves.
The weather cleared long enough for a great wedding (which was held indoors just to be safe), and to top it off a rainbow appeared outside the glass sliding doors as the vows were being told.
The wedding included djembe drums, African chorus, piñata smashing, drinking from the quafe (not sure of spelling), poi, and lots of dancing!

London - England

2007-02-04T13:30:00.004+01:00

The Place: With easy access to Europe and a strong currency to make other countries affordable, London for me represents the centre of the traveller's world. Now in my third year of living and working here, there are a number of highlights that make London an amazing city.

Some features: My favourite sights on the river Thames are without a doubt St. Pauls Cathedral (2nd from top), Parliament buildings, and the tower bridge. What's great is that a stroll down the South Bank presents the opportunity to see all of these sights within walking distance from one another.

London is great for its art museums (Tate Modern and the Dali musem being my favourite) as well as its Theatres and Productions. Enjoyed 'Rocky Horror Show' in Wimbledon, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (performing Carmina Burana) at the Royal Albert Hall, and rhythm spectacular 'Stomp' on West End.

The parks are incredible in summer, especially since the sun goes down after 9 during that time, which enables a few hours after a full working day to still enjoy sunshine (though admittedly these days are few and far between). Went to the Hyde Park Calling Fesitival to watch Aerosmith, O2 Wireless Fesitival with my capoeira group to do some demos.

Modern London is also crazy. Canary Wharf (bottom), where I'm currently working, is like a glass antfarm with trails of suits scurrying in and amongst the skyscrapers.

Strange observation: The amount of nationalities in London. I stayed in a houseshare with 2 Poles, an Italian, Columbian, New Zealander, and Ghanian Londoner!

Johannesburg - South Africa

2006-12-26T13:02:00.000+01:00

The Place: Took a trip to Johannesburg to see my folks for Christmas and catch up with my buddies from school. Great to the see the few that I could. Unfortunately couldn't catch up with everyone in the fast-moving but fun five days.

Met most buddies at 'The Boomhuisie' which is a typically South African restaurant decorated in funky artwork, african design, and other novelties including a Volksy bus parked thru the wall with the front sticking into one dining room and the back into another. Also as the name says, a tree house stands proud and lit up outside the entrance.

Went to see my buddy Shaun and his fiance Leigh at a Christmas Charity lunch at Dorah's Arc in Roodepoort. Met their kid Nicholas. They played an active role in organising and preparing a cooked lunch for roughly 500 underprivileged people. The lunch was a huge success (after many unforeseen problems they had to overcome) and the kids and adults all ended the day with big smiles, hugs, handshakes and full stomachs. Particularly touching were the songs they sang including Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrica.

Had a delicious Christmas meal with my family on Christmas day after many gift exchanges, before heading back to London that evening.

Rust de Winter - South Africa

2006-12-26T13:00:00.000+01:00

The Place: About three hours from Johannesburg, took a trip in a landie to spend a day of knee boarding with Ian, Robin, and Ian's father Steve and brother Michael on Rust de Winter dam, a really secluded dam. It's a great spot for fishing and the water is clean and inviting. Although you may find yourself wiping leaches off your feet after standing for too long in the shallow water.

Was a great day of braaing, waterskiing and swimming in the sunshine.

Stange observation: Spotted a waterbuck with only one horn on the banks of the river.

The Bush - South Africa

2006-12-26T12:07:00.000+01:00

The Place: A trip on the wild side roughly an hour outside Johannesburg.

Took a drive thru a lion park with my sister Lauren and Mark. In one of four lion camps, all with about six lions, they keep white lions which are a magnificent sight (especially the massive blonde mane of the dominant male).

We saw one stupid tourist try to get better pics by driving closer to the lions (off the road). On entering the lion's resting ground he had 2 large females attack his bakkie. After getting bored of trying to jump on the bakkie, one lion lay down again but this time boxing in the overeager photographer by resting between his vehicle and the road. After about 5 minutes, the lion got up and walked out of his way, but as the guy drove off one of the lions actually jumped front paws onto the back of his bakkie, running after him with his back legs!

Outside of the lion camps, they keep a variety of game including zebra, giraffe, gemsbok, springbok, impala and ostriches. Part of the attraction of the park is a lion cub petting zoo where the public get to play with the cubs. It's legal 'till the cubs reach 8 months old, afterwhich the playful cubs become too strong for the safety of tourists.
Though the experience of the lion park is not as authentic and grand as a game drive in the Krugerpark, it's great to know that if you're pressed for time (like I was, having only 5 days in Joburg), there's a selection of wildlife parks within an hours drive from the city.

Strange observation: If you look at the line of trees closely, you'll notice that the leaves of the whole row of trees stop in a dead straight line. That line is the height of the giraffes, since they eat every leaf within their reach off the trees.

Cape Town - South Africa

2006-12-20T10:28:00.000+01:00

The Place: Back home to the mother city, spent an awesome week in Cape Town, to meet old friends, great weather and good times.
Some Highlights: Entering as one of the crew (me being more of a spectator) in a sailing regatta at the Royal Cape Yacht Club with Rob and four others. We didn't do so well but being out on the water on the yacht was great, and offered an excellent view of table mountain and lions head.
Nick entered the downwind dash from Rivermouth to Doodles in Tableview. Anneli and I supported and followed the sky collage of kites and sails to the finish after which Nick and I went for a windsurf at sunset beach.
Party at Rob, Fro, and Rosie’s. They organised a pool party where they bought a portable pool for the back garden. Had sangria in the pool wearing wetsuits (cause of the windchill factor). Braaied up a storm (with Fro as braai master). Had an energetic ‘Fill Up 97’ reunion jam with Rob, Fro, and Melike, and then danced the night away. Great fun!
Went for a morning surf (7am) at Muizenberg with Rob, Fro, Anneli and Melike in the Revel adventures combi. A morning surf always has to end with breakfast at Empire Café, great crunchies, muffins and coffee!
After another surf the next day went on a wine route in Constantia to Steenberg and Klein Constantia wine farms. Free tastings, good wines, and great surroundings!
Good times.

Laax - Switzerland

2006-12-11T16:24:00.001+01:00

The Place: The team being (in pic from left to right), Dimitri (aka Gunter but his friends call him Pehter), Mike (aka Gustav), Dean (aka Shhtephan), Sean (aka Hans) and me (aka Claus), set off for a legendary ski/snowboard weekend in Laax (about one and a half hours drive from Zurich airport).
Some highlights: Getting to the slopes to find that only one slope (the Plaun - red/black) is open for my first outdoor snowboard session. After many wipeouts, bruises, somersaults and ribcrunches I got the hang of it. The day was a steep learning curve but loads of fun.
Invaluable practice at carving on the second day when a second slope opened up (blue – easier) which meant that Gunter (but his friends call him Pehter) got his first skiing session and I got to practice my carving.
Pehter and Shhtephan wiping out on the button lift and having to hike up the slope thru knee deep snow (an exhausting and prize worthy challenge).
Hans wiping in front of Gustav, who had to superman dive over him to avoid collision, somehow managing to clear both himself and his skis over his fallen race companion.
Great nights out in Laax (although with limited energy and battered bodies).
‘The Glacier’ slope which was only open on our 3rd skiing day. This slope had an incredible view from the top. The air actually glittered with snow flakes and the slopes were soft, wide and seemingly never-ending (in the best possible sense). We all got to do some of our best work with Hans spraying up a snowboard wake and landing some great jumps, Gustav picking up pace on his skis and cam cording the others while still in motion, Shhtephan practicing his 360 turns and jumps, Pehter getting into his groove on his skis and me practicing carving and picking up the pace.
The climax: We decided not to take a lift from the glacier slope down to the first slope but rather to ski down the mountain on an 'blue' slope. We thought being blue it would be easy but it turned out that most of the slope was ungraded. We had to follow other peoples tracks. Failure to do so resulted in wiping out in the soft powder, which is near impossible to get out of since you just sink when trying to pick yourself up. This meant keeping a high speed to make the uphills and avoid stopping and getting stuck. We reached great speeds, flew over ramps, hopped off ledges and wiped out a few times in the soft waist deep powder. We eventually arrived at the bottom ski lift, thankful that we weren't stuck in the middle of the mountain, and psyched that it turned into such an adventure!

Amigos de meus viajems - De tudo na mundo

2006-09-19T16:08:00.000+02:00

With my travels having come to an end (for now) I'd like to thank the amazing friends from around the world that I've made along the way. I hope that we meet again and I hope that you recieve me one day in your respective countries! Until we meet again!

Mis amigo's que hablais español. Muchas gracias por todo! Espero que nos encontramos muchos mas vezes! Quiero visitar ustedes en sus paises. Espero tambien que mi español mejorar y nos hablando solomiento en español!

Meus amigos brasiliero que falar portugues. Tudo Bem? Beleza!! Obrigado por tudo! Eu gosto muito as festas de Rio!!! Muito divertido! Eu lembre sempre nos cantante "Rio esta Bonito!(x2)...Beleza (x8)...Legão(x8)...". Tchau amigos! Uma dia eu quero voltar para Rio! 'Ta Bom!

As Praias de Rio - Brazil

2006-09-08T23:52:00.000+02:00

The Place: Stayed in Copacabana a walk away from the beach. From this beach (2nd photo from top) you can see Pão de Açucar (Sugar Loaf) hill (second pic from top) and looking back at the city through the looming buildings, the statue of Cristo Redentor.

A walk away is Rio´s other famous beach, Ipanema (other pics), which has a really great vibe. It´s full of people playing soccer (a frisee´s substitute in Rio), volley ball, and tanning in the sun.

Surfers meet at the point of Ipanema (Posto 7) for some good surfing.

Went surfing about an hour south of Ipanema at a beach called Praianha.

On Sundays and public holidays they close 1 of the 2 traffic lanes that pass the beaches and open this road to pedestrians. You see loads of cyclists and joggers. If you follow the sound of the berimbau you´ll also find some jogos de capoeira.

Strange observation: Was lying on the beach with my shirt over my face. When I peered out I observed 2 mahassive guys clad in bling sitting right next to me. Didn´t take me long to get up and go.

Meeting the Mestre's - Brazil

2006-09-07T19:16:00.000+02:00

From top to bottom: Had lunch with Mestre Celso in his house in Cachambi (a good lesson in Portuguese as he speaks no English). Mestre Celso and his group in Cachambi. Mestre King and Mestre Celso in Tijuca (at a Batizado). Student, Contramestre Chicote, Mestre Franho, Mestre Hulk in Vila Isabel. Students, Mestre Hulk and André Lopes in Vila Olympica - Gamboa (scenic favela in back ground).

Capoeira - Brazil

2006-09-04T23:33:00.000+02:00

The Place: Rio de Janeiro is home to Mestre Celso of my London capoeira group (run by Prof. Rodrigo). It's also home to Mestre Hulk and Mestre King who attended the London Batizado in May this year.

The Capoeira: Met Mestre Hulk for some capoeira lessons. Working as a phys ed coach at a school for the handicapped (I fitted in so well there), he was kind enough to give me some coaching for an entire day (9 - 5) in between which I played basketball with some of the kids.

They had a party there which I went back for two days later. Met some of the other mestre´s (Mestre Franho and Contramestre Chicote) and we did a capoeira demo for the school.

Went for a 3rd capoeira session outdoors with Mestre Hulk, this time in a really poor area (Gamboa) about an hour busride from Copacabana where he works (Vila Olympica). Met another experienced capoeirista André Luiz Lacé Lopes(68 yrs) whose written 4 books and numerous articles about capoeira. Apparently he chose the capoeira name for Mestre Celso. Was lucky to be given one of his periodicals signed by him. Heard gunshots from the favela next to the sport centre.

Went and joined a jogo de capoeira on Ipanema beach where I met Mestre King. It was a great beach day and a well-attended roda. Loads of kids played aswell, all of whom were brilliant. They played some maculele aswell and danced a bit of samba. Definitely worth seeing capoeira Brazilian style!

Met Mestre Celso in Cachambi (bout an hr from my hostel) where I was lucky to have a lesson and play lots of capoeira. Went together with Mestre Celso and 2 students (Elton and Luiza) to one of Mestre King´s festa´s on saturday where we watched their group play and two students get graded. Witnessed some gravity-defying moves! Ta bom!

Strange observation: It´s amazing that at 66 Mestre Celso still showed me 3 consecutive Meia Lua kicks! A Meia Lua is a quick round kick where you spin, kicking, with one hand on the ground and your head continuously watching the front underneath the kicking leg.