Frankie's Non-Travels - Playing the tour guide

So this weekend two members of the German contingent were my guests.

So after two days of hurried cleaning and tidying and sweeping and wiping and shoving stuff into cupboards I met the Germ's and the whole group including the other hosts and we went to SAB World of Beer.

I thought the tour was pretty interesting but perhaps a little hardcore on the educational side for a Saturday afternoon.

The two free drinks after was quite a nice touch. I sampled a Sarita - It was dry but I could drink it... (nya ha ha ha)

My two guests were tired so I took them out for italian pizza for dinner and then (Shock! Horror! Oh The Shame!) We were all asleep by 10pm!! ...on a Saturday night!

On Sunday, after much discussion, we drove out to The Cradle and to the Maropeng Centre. For future reference, go to Maropeng with a school group and go to Sterkfontein Caves as adults. I don't think we got our money's worth out of the boat ride and educational buttons and displays.

Then we drove a little south east from the far deep West and went to Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens for a picnic lunch. We happened to run into another group of the German contingent and their hosts.

So we lunched together :)

Then we all went for a walk to the waterfalls to see the black eagles who were absent from their nest. Then for a walk up the hillside next to the waterfall to the look out point which was a tad steep. Then we walked up to the top of the mountain which was agony for the unfit Me and it was ridiculously steep.

Once we had finally made our way back down the mountain (aided by sips of warmish water - yuck) we decided to make the most of the afternoon sunlight and drove back into town and up Northcliff Hill to inspect the view.

Sadly with all the dust in the air, the view was obscured somewhat by the haze. We sat on the top of the mountain and watched the swallows and robins and other Little Brown Flying Creatures zip around in the air.

We finally turned my little greenblue car towards my castle and my guests kindly cooked honey mustard chicken on pasta for me. (and washed dishes!!)

To finish off the evening we played bavarian card games with... Wait for it... Bavarian Cards! My guest found out the sad reality that I am a little bit of a card shark hee hee.

Overall a busy memorable weekend... But this morning I was the very definition of exhaustion... Kept shutting eyes in the morning meeting (awkward!)

Frankie's Travels - More waiting

(wrote this in the airport around 4pm yesterday but didn't post because interwebs access accross the border is crazy bad expensive...)

My meeting went pretty well I think. I managed to get a lot of the answers I was needing and they organised a tasty fine lunch for us.

There was a man in the meeting with the most beautiful long eyelashes... And big ol' manly hairy moustache... Tried not to stare too much.

Our italian contractor was also at the meeting place due to meet with the clienr after us. And he had his nice young italian surveyor guy with him. Mmmmmm... Tried not to stare too much.

Now we're back at the airport with 90 minutes to kill until boarding and unfortunately at this airport there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the boarding lounge but chairs, a door in, a door out and a clock... Goona be one long ass 90 minutes :/

That's all... (Trying not to stare too much)

Frankie's Travels - Cross the Border

It's another red-eye morning. I am popping up to Botswana today. We got to slightly later flight out but I still landed up taking it upon myself to be up at the crack of dawn... So 2 and a bit hours before boarding time I am seated at the airport... Smelling the croissants and muffins and coffee. (Gonna wait for the line at the counter to ease and then Imma gonna hava soma java boys n girls :) )

I always get very very nervous driving to to airport. It usually is pretty dark at the times when I am in transit. I think It's the long-ish distance at speed with faster cars zipping past me and having to dodge trucks.

For serious I get shaking hands and break out in a cold sweat while driving that road. And It's always a huge relief when I finally turn onto the tiny stetch of highway that carries me through to the airport parking lots. Getting home is another story in itself...

So I am going on a business trip. Now in preparing yesterday, my laptop was giving me issues as well as asking me to change passwords and all and all and all... Anyway - I tried to check my mail this morning and I seem to be locked out!! So I got a few problems there. I just need to hope that I can still log onto my laptop or else Im gonna be in So Much trouble for not being able to take minutes of the meeting.

Now this meeting is gonna be kinda huge As in several parties all sitting down to discuss and hopefully agree. Double nervous on the premonition that Ill be the nominated Minute-taker!

For now I got my coffee and my freebie news paper and exactly 2 hours to go until take off.... So Imma gonna chillax for a while :)