China Town - Late August 2011

Oh rapture!!! one of my, admittedly smaller, dreams came true and I finally got to go to Chinatown! This is a large shopping complex situated in Bruma - East Gate, which is largely devoted to selling Chinese goods < - - as you might just have guessed.

Oooh look! Look! Oriental writing that I can't read and that could actually be a curse on all Caucasians and their fore-bearers! Yay, we must nearly be there!!


Okay first sight out of the car was the loos. Not to get titchy or anything but what is that brown stuff oozing from the walls? Walk on Jo, walk on!!


Inside the complex and WOW! Stalls everywhere! Things everywhere!! It's all so bright and garish! Of we go!!! And yes, suspicious looking lady, I am taking a pic of you!


Colourful!!! Doesn't it just make you want to dive right in and see what weird and wonderful things could be in there?! (This time I waited for the guy to stop staring at me before I took the pic, variety is the spice of life [Though pepper is good too]).

Beads! Beads! Beads! The amount of beading shops was astronomical! If there exists a bead in this world, then some of it's kith and kin exists in Chinatown!

Seriously, beads everywhere!
Okay but besides beads there were also:-

Toys - all sorts and varieties, some I'd never seen before and some I hope to never see again! Going to china town with a small kid or medium sized Jo is really not recommended!


Odd Chinese Stuff - Have you got the balls? I do! A nice green, musical pair! And too late, I've heard every innuendo and joke about it under the sun and over the moon, but thanks for trying all the same!


Weaponry - So if you want to rob the shop you have a wide variety to choose from!


Um - Well I suppose a wig can be useful... All these disembodied heads are a little creepy though, I sort of half expect the eyes to follow me as I go past! *Shivers*


Um?!?! - Want a last statue of Elvis? Maybe Michael Jackson to scare the kids? You want it, they got it!!

It was wonderful though! So much to see and touch and smell and try not to step in! I thoroughly recommend it as an adventure for the whole family! Just maybe go at the end of the month when funds are low, otherwise who knows what you'll step out with! "But Ma! Ah jus' had to have one o' them rotating Jesus statues with them thar perdy green light up eyes!!"
*Help*

The Cradle Mid August 2011

A weekend away? Why yes I'd love it!

So off we went to the Cradle resort, situated in the Area known as the Cradle of Mankind, (Origionality wasn't their strong point) about an hours drive from Randburg. I'd not done any research on the area or even so much as asked for clues about it through charades, so it was all terribly exciting! That whole, "I've no idea where we're going or what to expect, eeeek!" kind of feeling!
ROAD TRIP! (Short but it counts!!)


Traveling the long and windy roads to the Reserve, you notice everything is very beige and brown and crisp due to it being winter, but the weather was surprisingly warm and the car trip wasn't uncomfortable at all! I can just imagine how it could have gone... 5 people in a car when it overheats and strange, and best left unmentioned, odours start to permiate your senses! Thank you gods of weather for your kindness!

From tar roads to lumpy-bumpy sand and dust roads! Once inside the resort you drive for Kilometers yet to get to the chalets themselves. It's an up, down, up-down-down-up, ditch, ouch-my bum sort of ride!!
I think it would be nice for spotting animals but most seemed to be having an afternoon siesta when we drove down. Does a dust devil count?

There we are! hidden amongst all the twigs and grasses! Rattly branches and a forest-like feel made it seem like a scene from 'The Blair Witch project!' (Only the home vids we made were far more entertaining...)

This is the reception hut. Isn't it teeny? Very small and snug, though I don't recommend it if you're too much bigger then Jo height!

As everyone got their resevations sorted I made friends with the local wild life.

There was a lot of plant life and even a stream to explore. Alas, unlike weird Uncle Freddy, it didn't have any crabs! We walked all about it though spying on the various things it did have. Rocks.
A lot of rocks.

But there were a few odd creatures about as well! ^_^

This is the outside of one of the chalets. They're all connected by bridges that have that classic smell of pitch and tar to them. You had to keep all the windows and doors locked because the monkeys, who were not very photogenic, would come in and make off with your biscuits! Our neighbours discovered this the hard way.

This is the inside! Small hey? Like a hobbit hole! the bathroom is behind that bulging lump of wall and privacy is well near not an option. Half the lights were on strike but luckily at least one worked! They do provide you with most everything you'd need for a self catering place though. Mind there was a spider on the curtain and I sure as heck don't remember ordering that!

I think this is either the electricity shed or a prop from Stephen king's 'Tommyknockers'! Open the door and find people in pickling juice having their brains sucked dry!!! Damn, the door is locked! Ah well, it's not that high up on my 'to do' list anyway!

So of course we all ended up taking tons of pics of the braai! That came out really well! (The pics and the food!). It was warm and snuggly as the night air became more and more chill! And SO QUIET!!

It was a nice little place to stay, and for a Couple (It gets a bit cramped when the numbers start leaping past 2), it would be a great get away from the worries and strife of modern civilization. (But with a fridge and cell phone signal because there have to be limits, you understand.) You couldn't stay a week, you'd get bored and turn cannibal, but for a weekend away it was, all in all, pretty dang nifty!!

Through slush and snow! 15 August 2011

Cor Blimey! Middle of August and the sun's been getting stronger, (a bit like your old tough Gramps after a mean bout of clenching constipation), and the days are getting warmer and warmer and really, who needs that extra blanket any more? And then...
BAM!!!!
You're slapped upside the head with one of the coldest days of the entire season!!
Do you call that playing fair?!

I was in the middle of my walk when the hail came down! I phoned Rob and we decided that going to the shops would be a much better idea in the nice, warm car. It turned out to be quiet the adventure instead!

The first sign we had of impending doom was a splotch of slush on the windscreen that vaguely resembled frozen bird poop. Then the stuff came spewing down looking for all the world like some sort of Slush-puppy mixture, maybe the original, unflavored variety that no one likes but slimmers pretend to and gulp down in large mouthfuls as their taste-buds desperately grasp for anything even vaguely resembling taste!


Rob went into daredevil mode and very confidently sliced through the ice and smoosh that had conquered lesser vehicles! The road was full of this frosty, ice chunky water that made the most ghastly sound when being thrown backwards into car steel by the tires, like a thousand mouse skulls being pulverized with the greatest of ease! KKKRRRRRRRRRAH!!!!


The stuff piled up in no time! It looked like such a classic winter scene! Wouldn't you just expect to see a shy wild reindeer out in the grasses? Or maybe a yeti, running free, with someone's kid under it's arm... Gives you a warm glowing feeling doesn't it?

I will admit it was a bit scary in the car with the elements going psycho outside, but also, curiously satisfying! It was like, "Haha! Rage all ye will, we shall triumph!" < - - Admittedly I only thought this AFTER we were safe and sheltered!

To be fair it was only for about 10 - 15 minutes before the deluge turned to just rain! It always feels longer when you're living it though!



When we did finally stop the car was covered in this beige / brown ice that did not look all that finger licking good! Ooooh and it was so cold! Cold cold cold cold cold!!

Just goes to show, don't count your summer days before they've dawned!!
Brrr!!

Keep warm everyone!

The Gardens - take two - Late May 2011

I recently blogged our first trip to the Walter Sisulu Gardens, where we bounded about exploring and oohing and aahing over interesting flora and fauna.

http://sparkyjoadventure.blogspot.com/2011/05/walter-sisulu-botanical-gardens-april.html

Well we decided to go back! And this time we did some of the small "hiking" trails about the park. Want to see some of what we saw?

This is the gate opening into one of the hiking trails, isn't it inviting? Mind we did the walk in such a willy-nilly fashion that we ended coming out this side instead! Eh, who wants to do things by the book all the time anyway?

Isn't that a scrumptious view? It's late May so winter was settling in with a 'Brr' like determination but it hadn't yet managed to conquer all the feisty green plants, hooray!

Don't these steps look like they might lead to somewhere far away and magical? Mostly they just lead to more hiking trail, but I'm sure that magical kingdom is just around the bend... (Oh wait, this map is upside down! And drawn by me! Oh dear...we're all gonna die, aren't we?)

Some parts of the garden actually did look dead scary! You can imagine this scenery in a slasher movie where some abnormally large breasted girl in scanty clothing is running for her life while the baddy, who was miles behind her, pulls a short cut and leaps in front of her with a smile and a wink and a really high quality chainsaw!

Soft moss....*rub rub rub*
Oh that mark on my middle finger was where a hot pot got revenge on me! It's still not fully healed even now! If you'd like you can take a moment of silence...

Under the low hanging branches we go! Tall people might find this walk a bit more adventurous then us compact sorts. However small people will find their struggle amusing so it's a win-win situation!

EGAD!!! A SNAKE!!! Well at the gardens a hose pipe really is the closest thing you're likely to get to a snake. Can't say I was complaining!

Was trying to take a photo of a butterfly fluttering about here! Little demon moved so fast! BUT if you look closely on the pathway you can see his shadow!! I'm not sure why but I feel rather proud of that!

There were a lot of really pretty, sassy little flowers sprinkled all about the park. I wanted to take a zillion pics, but I'm realistic enough to know I'd be the only one who'd sit through photo after photo of pansies that were floral and not "just really fabulous people hunny!"

Here is the waterfall again. If you squint your eyes up all Asian like (though not as attractive), you can see the eagle nest on the left hand ledge, high up and far away. We thought they were empty but....


With the aid of a telescope conveniently placed there by birding enthusiasts, we managed to see the eagles! Both these pics were taken by having me arch over the scope and hover my camera just above the eye piece! Me thinks not too bad all in all! I even managed to get a pic of the male who flew off ten seconds after he was spotted! Oh Jo, what good timing!

Apparently the eagles nest there all winter so if you'd like to see it sometime, or maybe just go through the park on a hike or two with a woman with an extremely under-burnt middle finger, well, just let me know, I'm always game!

Gem Show @ Fourways - late May

Now I just had to go to this! I've never been to a gem show before and while you sort of get an idea what the show might be like, it's still wonderful to see! Rob and I tootled on off to Fourways mall to see what all the fuss was about. And ooooh! All those sparkly things!!!
Our budget was low so for us this was merely window shopping but still, was hard not to drool on some of the goodies, I mean just look!


Rough gems. Even so you have to admit you just want to pick them up and fondle them happily while the sales lady watches with a concerned expression on her face and a finger an inch away from the panic button!


You just didn't know what you were going to see as you walking through the isles! I'm not sure what I'd do with this, make a nice paperweight, but my eyes found it a feast to look at!


Every wannabe witch and Wiccan that ever there was, will gather there for certain because! classic crystals to like, cleanse your aura man!

Suddenly I have the need to have a pair of balls!
I'll take rose quartz and sun-stone if you please!


Okay so we each got ourselves a pair of magnets. These turned out to be a lot of fun and we spent the rest of the walk clicking them together and sticking them to this, that and the next thing! The pull is so strong that you can put one on the top of your hand and have the other clinging beneath it, rather a freaky feeling! These guys are stuck to the keys in my pocket!


Oooooh this felt awesome! If I ever get rich enough I am so buying a scratch patch big enough to lie full body in and then just cover myself with glittery, cool stones!
(Well maybe not in winter!)

Add to the fact there was jewelry of all sorts, strange carved stones, necklaces with giant prehistoric shark teeth and well a ton of goodies, makes me rather glad we went! And if you want to see all those extras I just mentioned, COME WITH NEXT TIME!!

It seemed like a good idea at the time?

Paint + lipstick + a heafty dose of just being me -

First apply and let dry! It's not easy when you wear glasses, you mostly go on faith!

Awww, who's sulky then? Actually was about to laugh but eh, works both ways!

From the side! Me thinks with a little work I could do something like this and add my zentai siut to it! Ooooh possibilities!!

Yeah, I donno either...

Don't you love the mess on my teeth? Can't say it tastes scrumptious...

Okay... tired now...

Okay, I might have tried washing it off with a little less enthusiasm...