Here's a piccie showing football is big everywhere:
I was just looking at my hotel key... wonder if anyone else noticed that maybe the swastika pattern wasn't the best design choice:
Saturday, 21 June 2008
Comin' Home
Well, fly back tonight. Was hoping to get a lie by the pool today, but it is crappy weather, so thats knocked that on the head. Maybe go shopping, but since I'll be back now in 3 weeks, there doesn't seem the urgency to stock up on cheap stuff anymore!
Here's a piccie showing football is big everywhere:
I was just looking at my hotel key... wonder if anyone else noticed that maybe the swastika pattern wasn't the best design choice:
Here's a piccie showing football is big everywhere:
I was just looking at my hotel key... wonder if anyone else noticed that maybe the swastika pattern wasn't the best design choice:
Sunday, 15 June 2008
Relaxin' at the Hotel Pool
Well, that's it for the weekend I think.
Tomorrow is the holiday I was telling you about, so I'll just work from my hotel room. Should be ok. Might have an extended lunch and get some rays if it's sunny.
The hotel pool is even colder than the sky diving one, but all the better for it.. a few dives in did me the world of good. Though I reckon if you tried to stay in for more than 5 minutes you'd have hypothermia.
Tomorrow is the holiday I was telling you about, so I'll just work from my hotel room. Should be ok. Might have an extended lunch and get some rays if it's sunny.
The hotel pool is even colder than the sky diving one, but all the better for it.. a few dives in did me the world of good. Though I reckon if you tried to stay in for more than 5 minutes you'd have hypothermia.
Go Kartin!
On the way back from my walk, I found a gokart track in the basement of the building opposite the hotel !
It's just a smallish track, but not too bad. Only R60 for 22 laps (aboot 4 quid) so had a go.
Anyway, ended up getting one of their fastest times. Just call me Stu-Coultard-Smith.
It's just a smallish track, but not too bad. Only R60 for 22 laps (aboot 4 quid) so had a go.
Anyway, ended up getting one of their fastest times. Just call me Stu-Coultard-Smith.
Ned Bank
Do you like a swallae ? A wee bottle of buckie to start the night off ? Maybe yer idea of a good time, is to wear trackie bottoms and wander aimlessly around street corners ?
And when it comes to financial investments, do you feel that there arn't any companies out there that really understand you ?
Well, we understand Neds just like you! In fact, Neds are the only customers we focus on!
Join NedBank today!!
And when it comes to financial investments, do you feel that there arn't any companies out there that really understand you ?
Well, we understand Neds just like you! In fact, Neds are the only customers we focus on!
Join NedBank today!!
Beggars
There are quite a few beggars on the street. Most have some sort of disability. A bit like in Egypt where that was the case. Whereas in the UK they just seem to be mostly hippies. Maybe there is no disability payments here. I dunno. Anyhoo, gave her some cash.
Breakie
Wimpey are over here! It's stuff like Wimpey that make you realise the strong historical connection SA has with Britain. Wee things too, like they have fish and chip shops (have you seen a fish and chip shop anywhere outside the UK?). I asked for tomato ketchup with my meal (sort of hedging my bets between USA 'ketchup' and uk 'sauce').. didn't know what I was talking about.. "oh.. do you mean tomato sauce".. again, just like the UK.
Had a wee breakfast and a nice coffee. Total less than 2 quid.
Here is a picture of downtown Pretoria:
Had a wee breakfast and a nice coffee. Total less than 2 quid.
Here is a picture of downtown Pretoria:
Stalls
Most streets have wee stalls that folk run. Sort of informal market stalls, but they look like they are probably permanent structures.
It's good to see the old singer manual sewing machines still in use! - loads of these around the street corners, offering sewing, etc: "curtains made from material: 18 rand" (about a quid), etc
Sunday in Pretoria
Quite day today. Got up and went for a wander downtown. The hotel staff advised against it, but I figured they were just being pussies. None the less, I left my passport and wallet, etc in the hotel , and hit my money in a sock down my pants.
Walked around the downtown shops and stall for an hour or so. Counted 2 whites in all that time (100s of blacks). Still, I am sure I blended in with my shades, camera and shorts and t-shirts while they went around with parkers and woollen hats on.. they probably just took me for a local. Master of disguise, that's me.
I've never seen as many bloody hair dressers in my life. Every other shop is a frecking hair dressers. If it isn't a hair dressers, it's either a sex shop, a pub or a church. The churches are just 'shops' in amongst the other shops (see piccy). Being sunday, obviously they were full and in full gospel mode.
Never had any bother from anyone. Clearly my disguise worked. :-)
Walked around the downtown shops and stall for an hour or so. Counted 2 whites in all that time (100s of blacks). Still, I am sure I blended in with my shades, camera and shorts and t-shirts while they went around with parkers and woollen hats on.. they probably just took me for a local. Master of disguise, that's me.
I've never seen as many bloody hair dressers in my life. Every other shop is a frecking hair dressers. If it isn't a hair dressers, it's either a sex shop, a pub or a church. The churches are just 'shops' in amongst the other shops (see piccy). Being sunday, obviously they were full and in full gospel mode.
Never had any bother from anyone. Clearly my disguise worked. :-)
Saturday, 14 June 2008
White's Only
No, not really. But clearly sky diving is a sport for the 'white man' as far as I can make out. Much like cape town, the only black faces to be seen at the club were the guys cutting the grass.
Giving it a miss
So, we had a debrief of my level 3. Although generally happy with my stablity, etc the instructor was concerned that I didn't check my alti enough (or at least she couldn't see I was).
So, they wanted me to then start from level 5.
Level 5, 6 and 7 require one instructor rather than 2, but still cost R1000 (60 quid) a jump.
After them I'd then have my 2 sky dive solos again (level 8 and 9), then a final 'hop and pop' where you jump out the plane at 4500 feet and deploy immediately to show you can do this if there is an emergency.
Anyway, there is no way I am going to have time to do 6 more jumps. They were going to struggle to fit one more in today, and that would only leave sunday.
I really don't see the point of me doing levels 5+ again. Sure if I was going to take the sport up and continue, but I'm not. I prefer paramotoring.
So, all I'd achieve is being 200 quid lighter just to get to the point of doing a solo.
I think it would be worth it if I hadn't done a solo before, but since I got 2 nice solos in last time at Cape town, I feel there is nothing to be gained by continuing through the course again.
So, for now anyway, thats the end of the sky diving. until next time....
So, they wanted me to then start from level 5.
Level 5, 6 and 7 require one instructor rather than 2, but still cost R1000 (60 quid) a jump.
After them I'd then have my 2 sky dive solos again (level 8 and 9), then a final 'hop and pop' where you jump out the plane at 4500 feet and deploy immediately to show you can do this if there is an emergency.
Anyway, there is no way I am going to have time to do 6 more jumps. They were going to struggle to fit one more in today, and that would only leave sunday.
I really don't see the point of me doing levels 5+ again. Sure if I was going to take the sport up and continue, but I'm not. I prefer paramotoring.
So, all I'd achieve is being 200 quid lighter just to get to the point of doing a solo.
I think it would be worth it if I hadn't done a solo before, but since I got 2 nice solos in last time at Cape town, I feel there is nothing to be gained by continuing through the course again.
So, for now anyway, thats the end of the sky diving. until next time....
Let's Sky Dive
Well, I spent a few hours getting some refresher training with the instructor. They decided I should do a level 3 sky dive to start. Even though my last jump was a level 9, it was 18 months ago, and the rules say that for 'currency' you need to do a level 3 refresher. This is a jump with 2 instructors from 11K (so expensive.. aboot 100 quid), they keep you stable and then they try to release you, and you show you can remain stable, then do a 90 degree turn to the left.
At 5000 feet you pull.
The plane was a lot bigger and faster than the wee cessnas I was used to. There were 10 of us crammed inside. We all sit on the floor inside (no seats). I was stuffed in at the front facing backwards. All I could see was the end of the plane.
I'm not a very good backseat passenger in a car or train if I can't see where I am going and have external reference to my surroundings.. After take off the thing shot up into the air at about 45 degrees and started bumping around, and all I can see is the inside of the back of the plane...
Anyway, suddenly I'm sweating like a paedo in a playground. I can hear my ears buzzing that way they go when you are going faint, and I feel as if I'm about to be sick.
Not stress/nervousness I don't think, just not being able to see anything. Anyway, got through the first safety checks but by 5000 feet I was really feeling like I was going to be sick. The instructors were looking at each other, and clearly about to abort it all.
Bugger that, so I told them I was all better, and ran through all the jump rehersal (though still not sure how I avoided being sick). I figured I'd probably be ok once I jumped out.
We got to 11K, and got out of the door (you stand up in the door with your head out of the door in the airstream, check with the instructors (one either side) and then jump out in a star shape (your stable arch position).
I did this and got stable right away, however my left instructor was no where to be seen.
I checked with my right and was going to continue with the dive, then I saw the left instructor below me, making back up to join, so waited for her.
Once ready, I did my instructor checks, my practice touches (where you check you can find the pull), and then did my 90 fine. I shouted no more work at 6000 feet, and pulled at 5000. Chute came out fine, and after doing a flare, and 2 360s to test it flies ok, I glided down.
Still feeling like I was going to puke up at any minute I might add.
Anyway, with the competition on, I had to pilot my chute around the competitors, avoid the busy runways and helicopters, and land safe. That went fine, landed on my feet and level 3 complete.
However, I can't say I enjoyed it much, though I imagine the sickness didn't help.
At 5000 feet you pull.
The plane was a lot bigger and faster than the wee cessnas I was used to. There were 10 of us crammed inside. We all sit on the floor inside (no seats). I was stuffed in at the front facing backwards. All I could see was the end of the plane.
I'm not a very good backseat passenger in a car or train if I can't see where I am going and have external reference to my surroundings.. After take off the thing shot up into the air at about 45 degrees and started bumping around, and all I can see is the inside of the back of the plane...
Anyway, suddenly I'm sweating like a paedo in a playground. I can hear my ears buzzing that way they go when you are going faint, and I feel as if I'm about to be sick.
Not stress/nervousness I don't think, just not being able to see anything. Anyway, got through the first safety checks but by 5000 feet I was really feeling like I was going to be sick. The instructors were looking at each other, and clearly about to abort it all.
Bugger that, so I told them I was all better, and ran through all the jump rehersal (though still not sure how I avoided being sick). I figured I'd probably be ok once I jumped out.
We got to 11K, and got out of the door (you stand up in the door with your head out of the door in the airstream, check with the instructors (one either side) and then jump out in a star shape (your stable arch position).
I did this and got stable right away, however my left instructor was no where to be seen.
I checked with my right and was going to continue with the dive, then I saw the left instructor below me, making back up to join, so waited for her.
Once ready, I did my instructor checks, my practice touches (where you check you can find the pull), and then did my 90 fine. I shouted no more work at 6000 feet, and pulled at 5000. Chute came out fine, and after doing a flare, and 2 360s to test it flies ok, I glided down.
Still feeling like I was going to puke up at any minute I might add.
Anyway, with the competition on, I had to pilot my chute around the competitors, avoid the busy runways and helicopters, and land safe. That went fine, landed on my feet and level 3 complete.
However, I can't say I enjoyed it much, though I imagine the sickness didn't help.
Sky Diving
So, went out to Wunderboom airport this morning to try to get a sky dive.
They have a national canopy control competition on all weekend though, so I was told it will be a case of fitting me in where they can.
I watched some of the competition accuracy event. Here the competitors have to get as much speed as they can by doing 360 spirals down into the landing zone. Then they have to swoop down, break a light beam at the start of the water pool, then ride the length of the water (extra marks for feet dragging), before having enough energy left in the wing to lift out the water and land in the sand at the end.
Bloody Welsh
Right.. I've been working in Cardiff and having to travel there every day.... so now, finally in SA you would think I was safe from the Welsh..
In the lift this morning there are two welsh folk talking about how they live in Cardif....
The lift opens and there is a bloody delegation of the leak botherers in the lobby!!! arggggh!
Robots
Yeh.. I know what you are thinking... where is the fecking Robot ?
Well, its there. On the right...
that's what traffic lights are called here. When the first person tell you directions and tells you to 'turn left at the robot' you wonder if they are on drugs.
Hotel Pool
Here's a piccy of the hotel pool. Looks inviting ? Yeh... until you stick a foot in it. What with it being winter here, the water is bloody freezing. I've not seen a single person in it yet.
Phone Boxes Everywhere
Mobiles are just taking off in SA. Probably like UK 10 years ago. So everyone still uses phone boxes. It's strange to see them on most street corners in use. You only then realise that noone really uses them anymore in the UK.
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