A Little Glitch Along the Way

Gene & I spent a wonderful week with Mike & Diane in Mt. Zion, WV. We had visited with Barb, who had fixed her scrumptious Cheeseburger Soup. The kids at Teen Missions love it also and line up for seconds. After a delicious dessert of blackberry cobbler, we were on our way from Ohio to WV.

We love visiting with Mike & Diane, but the roads to get there are not what us flatlanders are used to - a lot of curves and hills. There is no signal for cell phones in their "holler" and no internet service. It's secluded and peaceful and I enjoy sitting on the porch swing and watching the deer munch their way across the back yard.

On Saturday, they took us up to Sutton Lake & Dam and then onto Stonewall Inn for our birthday dinner (my birthday is the 22nd and Gene's is the 29th). It was a bountiful buffet and we ate our fill (and then some). We enjoyed playing Scrabble and Mexican Train (a dominoe game) with them on several nights. It was a relaxing visit with them and all too soon time to head on.

We left Mt. Zion with the intention of spending the next two nights at Mayberry Campground in Mount Airy, NC. The front driver side wheel was making a clanking noise which soon turned into a grinding noise. Gene drove about 25 mph until we came to the little town of Chloe. Our cell phones kept dropping the calls, so we went into the Chloe Auto & Hardware and Ken let us use their phone to call AAA. About an hour later, Pat arrived with his flatbed truck and loaded up our RV. He delivered us safely to Joe Holland Service Center in South Charleston. We spent the night at Microtel Inn nearby and the next morning Jeff called to tell us it was the hub (wheel bearing). They had it fixed by 10:00 and we were on our way again. We are so thankful we found a place to stop before it locked up, etc.

We traveled through Virginia and enjoyed the beautiful rolling hills and on to Mayberry Campgound, registered and then drove into Mount Airy, NC to see the sights. Andy Griffith graduated from high school there and Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show was patterned after his hometown. They have kept Main Street quaint with Floyd's Barber Shop, Opie's Candy Store, Snappy Lunch, Blue Bird Cafe and lots of stores where you can buy "Mayberry Momentoes". We ate lunch at Barney's Cafe. Their special was Sweet and Sour Chicken on rice, 2 vegetables and rolls for $5.00 with drink for $1.00 - such a deal!

On Wednesday, we went back to Mount Airy to see places we had missed the day before such as Wally's Service Station, and then we headed on down the road. We spent one night at the Forest Lakes Thousand Trails near Lexington, NC and ate great bar b que at Smokey Joes.

We traveled to Carolina Landing Thousand Trails near Fair Play, SC and will leave Sat. morning to visit family in Georgia.

It has been a wonderful trip and we have enjoyed visiting with family and friends along the way and meeting new friends. I think we have the best of both worlds - family at home and traveling to see new sights. Our Heavenly Father has truly blessed us and we are very thankful.

Until next time,

God's blessings and our prayers are with all of you.

Relaxing in Ohio

It's a gorgeous day. The temperature is in the high 70's and the sun is shining. As you can see, there's a bit of fall color in the leaves. We've been to town today to have the oil changed and ate lunch at Wendys. Their chicken, apple, pecan salad is delicious.

I have attached the picture of Joe and Kay Peterson, founders of Escapees in the 70's. When I walked up to her, she said, "Oh, you're tiny like me." They are delightful folks with a zest for life. I'm so glad I was able to meet them.

Saturday, Robert and Sue came down from South Charleston, OH and we rode with them over to Waynesville to eat at the Der Dutchman. They have a wonderful buffet and we all ate our fill (and then some). We walked next door to Carlisle Gifts & Furniture. They have some beautiful Amish furniture there. It's a lovely place to browse through.

Yesterday Gene & I attended the church service held here at Thousand Trails. We were delighted to see Larry and Linda whom we had met at Indian Lakes TT, and met new friends as well. During the afternoon, we became acquainted with our neighbors on either side of us. Juan and Francis are from Florida and Roger and Gale are fulltimers originally from Oregon. We spent a lovely time getting acquainted and swapping GPS stories, etc. This is part of the fun of traveling - not only do we see new places, but we meet such friendly people.

Tomorrow we'll be on our way again to visit dear friends Barbara and Paul and then on to West Virginia to spend time with daughter Diane and husband Mike. This will be the first in several years that I will spend my birthday with family (other than Gene of course). I'm looking at # 66 and thankful to be healthy and able to travel.

Until next time,

God's blessings and our prayers are with you.

Escapade was great

What a week of learning and fun. This was our first Escapade, but will not be our last. We attended many classes - sometimes together and sometimes choosing different ones. I've learned a lot about basic RV systems and maintenance. Now I'll organize the information into my RV notebook and make my list of things that need to be checked and fixed if necessary.

The Elkhart 4-H Fairgrounds was filled with 796 RV's of various sizes. We counted about 7 or 8 Roadtreks scattered throughout the fairgrounds, but only met the owner of one. As we pulled into our parking spot by the grandstand, we were delighted to see John & Ellie parked beside us. They had been parked behind us at the Gypsy Journal Rally week before last. We saw several other folks that had been at the Gypsy Rally. It's always great to see familiar faces

We met many wonderful people including John & Vera who are members of Christian Fellowship BOF (Birds of a Feather group). We joined them and about 2 dozen others for a special time of worship and sharing each morning at 7:00am. It was a blessed way to start the day.

We officially joined that group and the Florida Gateway Chapter 27. We will now be able to meet together with Escapees in our area. We have already signed up to go to the rally in early November.

Today we left Goshen and Elkhart Fairgounds and have traveled down to Wilmington Thousand Trails (which is actually closer to Lebanon, OH). We'll rest tomorrow after a very busy week.

Next post will have a very special to me picture of Joe & Kay Peterson - founders of Escapees - and me.

Until next time,
God's blessings and our prayers are with you

Parke County Covered Bridges

Yesterday was Covered Bridge Day. There are 31 covered bridges in Parke County. The annual festival is in October, but we prefer to avoid the crowds. We stopped at Neet Bridge first. It was built in 1904 over the Little Raccoon River.

Our next stop was Bridgeton Bridge (over Big Raccoon Creek) and Mill. This bridge has quite a story. It was burned in 2005 by arson. The community of Bridgeton and surrounding communities donated all the timber and other materials needed, labor and food to feed the workers. The project was begun in April 2006 and completed in time for the festival in Oct. 2006. What a testimony to people working together. The Mill next to it is owned by Mike Roe. He also has an interesting story. He bought the mill in 1995 and has since rebuilt the dam and millpond and is restoring the mill itself. He currently grinds flours & grains with huge millstones using a 1907 Trolley car engine for power. His plan is to restore the mill to turbine/water power as it once was. We ate lunch there - delicious homemade sandwich buns using flour ground there - and enjoyed a leisurely visit with Mike.

The roads taking us to the various bridges are narrow with no yellow lines. Another reason to be thankful for our "van" type RV!

We stopped at Roseville Bridge in Rosedale next. This bridge was built in 1910 over Big Raccoon Creek and is still used today. The sign indicated it had a 6 ton limit. We are only 5 tons, but didn't want to check it out. A pickup with livestock trailer came over it while we were taking pictures, so evidently the local folk have no qualms about using it.

Our last stop was Mecca Bridge, built in 1873 over Big Raccoon Creek. By that time it was 3:30, so time to head back to Horseshoe Lakes. On our way back, at the intersection of Mecca Road and Hwy 41 we saw the church sign we had seen in 2008 when we were here. "Est. Jerusalem 33AD". That says it all doesn't it?

It was a delightful day. Today Gene is watching U S Open tennis after installing a fan in back of our refrigerator to help it stay cool. I've done "computer stuff" and will prepare for our day of travel tomorrow. We're headed towards Goshen and the Escapade that starts on Sun.. Not sure what kind of wi-fi is available, so it may be a week before you see another post.

Until then,

God's blessings and our prayers are with you.

Little Italy Festival - Clinton,IN

What a fun day we had Saturday. Each Labor Day weekend in Clinton, IN for the past 45 years, they have celebrated Little Italy Festival in honor of the Italian and other immigrants that came to Vermillion county.

We first toured the Coal Town and Railroad Museum (free). It had photos, artifacts and video to help one learn about working in the coal mines. It was a terribly difficult and backbreaking way for a man to support his family. It was interesting to hear the comments of the local residents as they watched the movie taken in 1954 at the Big Oak Coal Mine near Blanford, IN. "My Dad and Granddad worked at that mine." Others recognized some of the 35 men who worked in that mine. The mine operated from 1940 to 1965. Now all the coal mines in the area are closed. The Wabash Valley Visions & Voices has a website that provides much information including the video/movie. You can find it at http://visions.indstate.edu

We walked through the midway and carnival rides and down Water Street where the vendors had their food booths. Ahhh the fragrances. It wasn't long until we were hungry, so we purchased a spaghetti dinner from Sacred Heart Church booth and enjoyed our meal. Each year they prepare 1,200 pounds of pasta and over 300 gallons of spaghetti sauce. Mama Mia! This was followed by an ice cream cone - chocolate & spumoni. Quite a treat.

At the end of Water Street, we saw the gondola float that had been in the parade the night before. The Re (king) and Regina (queen) are chosen in August to reign over the Little Italy Festival. The gondola was specially made and imported from Italy in 1967. Until 1979 visitors to the Festival could take a ride on the Wabash River in the authentic Venitian gondola. It was then sold to L.I.F.T. (Little Italy Festival Town) and used for promotion of the Festival in parades, etc.

Also at the end of Water Street is the Quattro Stagioni (Four Seasons) fountain, "the symbol and focal point of Clinton's Little Italy Festival." The Fountain was constucted in 1967 and has been renovated three times because of erosion.

We wandered back to the main festival stage in time to watch the sausage eating contest. The kids group had a plate each of ring sausage and onions weighing 2 1/2 pounds. The winner, a youngster from New York named Joey, consumed 1 3/4 pounds. The adult group had plates of sausage, onions & peppers weighing 4 1/2 pounds. The winner, Mary, consumed over 2 pounds.

One of the major highlights is the grape stomping. Three tubs were brought out for the Queen of Grapes, her court and audience participants to "stompa da grapes". It looked like they were enjoying themselves, but I didn't feel inclined to join them. The event is accompianed by Italian music, cheering and a festive atmosphere.

I wanted to see the Little Italian House on 9th Street, so I bought a ticket for the wagon ride, while Gene drove the RV over there. The tractor pulled wagon took us past the Coal Mine Museum, down Vine Street, then 9th Street to Piazza Immigrante. The Immigrant Square contains a bronze statue of an immigrant symbolizing all the immigrants that "came to this country to make a new way of life, to better educate our children, and to seek jobs to ensure our ambitions." The Square also contains a coal fountain - a monument dedicated to their past as coal miners, and a "Toro" drinking fountain - a replica of drinking fountains in Torino, Italy.

Our next stop was the La Piccola Casa Italiana (Little Italian House). The kitchen was a delight to look at, but not one I would want to work in. It contained a wood stove, iron & enamel cooking utensils, and an ice box. The back porch contained the laundry tubs and wringer, and in the basement was the wine making equipment. Next to the house is Il Mercato -" a market furnished and decorated with salvaged items of the past to represent the early coal mining days." Next to that is La Cantina , the Winery (museum of cellar relics) which displays " wine presses, barrels, bottles, crocks and jugs once used by local residents". It was an extremely enjoyable trip into the past of this community.

The newpaper "Il Bollettino Della Piccola Italia", a special supplement of The Daily Clintonian, has been produced each year for the past 40 years. It contains many informative articles about the Festival, history, etc. I used this as my source of details.

Until next time,

God's blessings & our prayers are with you.

Busy Week - short message

We have had a great time at the Eastern Gypsy Journal Rally. Our heads of full of new information which will help us travel smarter and safer. Nick & Terry do a great job of organizing seminars and vendor displays to keep us up to date on information and products.

We have traveled from Elkhart, IN down to Clinton, IN (southwest IN right next to IL state line) today. Our GPS gave travel time as 4 hours. We always add an hour or two for lunch, gas stops, Wal-Mart, etc., so arrived about 3:30. Gene is catching up on TV watching (tennis mostly) and I'm catching up on emails.

We only traveled on the interstate for a short time. Our preference is to travel through small towns and enjoy the scenery. Our lunch stop in Lafayette was at Camille's Cafe. It was similar to Panera Bread, but had salads, sandwiches, pannini, & smoothies. When we left there, we passed right by Purdue University.

Our route had us crossing the Wabash River a total of 4 times. Although the river is wide, the level seemed quite low. One section showed many boulders in the middle - not a river I would want to travel in any kind of boat.

This weekend is Little Italy Festival in Clinton. We'll go in tomorrow to see the displays, booths and hopefully see the "grape stomping".

We'll be here at the Thousand Trails Horseshoe Lakes preserve for several days, so I'll be able to have a good connection.

Until next time,
God's blessings and our prayers are with all of you

On The Road

I am estatic that we're on the road again. South Africa was a wonderful experience, but I love traveling in our Roadtrek.

We left Ocala on Tues., August 17th and traveled to Elko/Perry GA where we stayed at a Passport America park - Twin Oaks RV Park. It's a lovely park, shaded sites, very clean restrooms and a large swimming pool. Since the temperature was in the 80's, a long, relaxing time in the pool was in order. Ruby Logan, our 15 year old granddaughter, joined me, but Gene chose to stretch his legs by walking around the campground.

The next day, we drove to Lawrenceville (north of Atlanta) to meet and have lunch with Gene's classmate, Frank Anderson. Sonny's served up it's fine bar-b-que and we had leftovers for supper. It was a great visit, ending with a tour of his condo and relaxing a bit before we hit the road again.

Gene & I joined Escapees in Jan. ( http://www.escapees.com/ ), so we decided to stop at one of their parks in Heiskell, TN - Raccoon Valley. It was misting/raining some, so we didn't do too much exploring. It's just off I-75, so we didn't have to go far to find it. The next morning we met Kris & Jim, who will be at the Escapade in Sept. We got our SKP hugs and enjoyed chatting with them.

It was a long haul on Thurs. We left TN and into KY, stopping at Corbin at the Wal-Mart for a few groceries and then lunch at Cracker Barrel. I drove for the next 100 miles, while Gene rested in the back since by that time the weather had cleared and it was easy driving on I-75. I do best in good weather and wide roads. On into Ohio and then Indiana where we stayed at Thousand Trails Indian Lakes for four nights. After a couple days driving, we like to stay put & rest up for a few days.

It was a good weekend to be there. They had a Luau dinner Sat. night with turkey, ham and bar-b-que pork and mashed potatoes. Others brought salads, green bean casserole and desserts. It was quite a feast. Ruby Logan finally was able to go swimming after the Luau. Even though it rained off & on most of the day, by late afternoon it had cleared. Gene had found tennis on the TV at the Lodge, so he was able to get his tennis fix. I relaxed and read.

Sun. we took a trip to Metamora - about 1/2 hour from Batesville, IN. It's a delightful little town with canal & railroad history. Our first stop was Grannie's Cookie Jars & Ice Cream Parlor. Such a collection of cookie jars! We watched the waffle cones being made, then all had a waffle cone with hand dipped ice cream. What a treat. Ruby Logan and I rode the canal boat drawn by two beautiful Belgium horses, then rode the train. We enjoyed browsing through the shops then ate supper at the Whitewater Inn. We were back "home" by 7:00 for a good night's sleep before the next leg of our journey.

Mon. morning we were on the road by 9:00 - not a common occurance with us, but we had a fair amount of distance to cover. We stopped for gas & lunch at Steak n Shake in Kokomo, IN, then on into Michigan. There has been just a hint of fall color in the leaves. I have difficulty thinking of August as "fall", but the temperature has been in the 70's to 80's during the day and down to 50's - 60's at night. A welcome reprieve after Florida's 90's with heat index in the 100's.

We arrived at Ruby Logan's home in Allendale, MI about 4:00pm, unloaded her suitcases, souvenirs, etc, ate supper with them and Gene watched some movies with Sage. On Tues., Gene went to the fair with them while I stayed to write in my journal and take a nice long nap.

Wed. am we left about 9:30 and traveled to Hastings area to another Passport America park - Welcome Woods Campground. It was another lovely park - shaded sites, a lake and nice & quiet.

We took a leisurely walk down to the lake and enjoyed the beauty of our surroundings.

Thurs. we were on the road again headed for Thousand Trails St. Clair. It was supposed to be 2 1/2 hours, but with traffic delay of an hour, stops for gas and stretching legs, stopping for pizza at Jet's pizza in Marysville, MI, we turned it into an almost 5 hour trip. We finally arrived, & settled in, glad to be still for a few days. I got my laundry done and checked my emails, etc. I hadn't been on the computer for 10 days, so was feeling the withdrawal symptoms.

Today we've caught up on our computer updates and downloaded pictures, so I can show you some of the sights.

On Mon. we'll leave for the Gypsy Journal Eastern Gathering in Elkhart, IN. This will be our 3rd Gypsy Gathering and we're looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new.

Until next time - God's blessings and our prayers are with all of you.

South Africa to Ocala

Gene was definitely antsy. He had been in South Africa since Nov. 18 and was longing for home. I lost track of how many times he packed, repacked, rearranged, etc, but it kept him busy. We had two small carry on suitcases, my canvas bag to sling over my shoulder, his Jansport backpack and a small plastic bag with snacks.

Louis drove us to the airport at 11:30 - plenty of time for our 2:30 flight. Our Kulula flight was delayed 30 minutes, but not a problem for connecting flight in Johannesburg. Gene paced, I bought "Faith Like Potatoes" and read.

The suitcases fit into the overhead bins, for which we breathed a sigh of relief. Our seatmate, Pam, enjoyed the pictures Gene had taken of Capetown and surrounding areas. She said it inspired her to make a trip there and reacquaint herself with the town.

At one point, the fluffy, white clouds looked like white islands on a sea of blue. They then changed to look like large mountains. It was like being in a fairy land.

We arrived in Johannesburg a few minutes after 5:00 and made our way to the Delta check in area. We were flying on "stand-by" basis, so waited to see if there would be seats for us. We had already heard from Penny that she & Emma had had difficulty getting home because of spring break. We later learned it took them 6 days and a circuitous route from Johannesburg to Amsterdam to Detroit to Washington DC (also Cherry Blossom Festival there) to Atlanta. We spoke with one group who had been coming to the airport since Tues. evening to wait for seats.
There is only one direct flight from Johannesburg to Atlanta daily. They also take on cargo, so if the weight limit has been reached, any more cargo & stand by passengers have to wait for the next flight. Only a couple of people made it onto the flight. The rest of us went to the ticket counter to get our stand by "tickets" for Saturday. Now, what do we do for 24 hours?

We saw a sign with arrow that said "hotel", so we followed the signs. Unknown to us at the time, a new hotel had been built on top of the parking garage and had opened only three weeks before. When we inquired about the rates, they told us there was a special that weekend. Instead of R1370 (approx $190) per night, it was only R1090 (approx. $150). Ok, my lightening fast mind calculated comfortable bed & shower vs trying to sleep on a bench in the airport and decided it was well worth the money. We settled in and Gene soon discovered the AC/heating unit would only give out cool air (we wanted warm). The door also had to be slammed to close properly. He went to the front desk to mention these items, and the night clerk returned with him to check it out. Although nothing could be fixed at that moment, the clerk said we would receive a complimentary breakfast the next morning "for our inconvenience". What a treat we had in store!

We had a great night's sleep. About 9:00am we sauntered to the restaurant where we had our "English" breakfast. A continental breakfast was fruit only. The "English", on the other hand, was eggs - cooked to one's specifications, bacon, sausage, ham, toast, a wide variety of fruits, nuts, seeds, coffee or tea, juice, yogurt, and cereals, if you desired. The atmosphere was serene and the servers were very attentive, clearing away used dishes and offering more coffee, etc. A most delightful experience.

Gene found an internet cafe where we could alert family to our delay. We decided to take advantage of the extended stay, paying a little extra to stay in the room until 6:00pm instead of checking out at 11:00am. I was able to relax and be in comfortable surroundings for the rest of the day.

We gathered our belongings, checked out and went back down to the Delta counter. Gene had been down earlier to check in with the "stand-by" clerk. What I didn't know was that he had told him if there was only one seat available, he wanted me to have it. He would wait for another flight. We saw some of the same folks we had spoken to the evening before. We were becoming a small family - listening to each others stories and reasons for going to the States. As several were given boarding passes, we would rejoice with them that they had made the flight. Then the young bearded man behind the counter called "Watson". I eagerly responded. There was only one seat. I knew I had to take it even though I didn't want to leave Gene. Gene wheeled the "trolley" down to security where he had to leave me. I got my suitcase, canvas bag, etc on the conveyor belt and passed through with no problem. This was not the time for a panic attack.
I repeated, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) several times as I got into the queue to wait to present my passport for stamping. I was just about to the desk when the young bearded man came up to me and said "Your husband". I replied, "He didn't make this flight." He turned and pointed back to security and there was Gene coming through!!!!! I was estatic!!!! I jumped up and down several times (didn't know I could clear the ground like that) and said "Thank you" about a dozen times. He said, "We need to hurry." I thought to myself, "Hurry is not my best speed." He took my canvas bag and I started off pulling my little suitcase behind me. It wasn't long before he and Gene caught up with me. Gene took the canvas bag and the young man took my suitcase. I now was free to trot along behind them as fast as my little legs could go. I am sure the sight would have qualified for "America's Funniest Home Videos." It seemed like a very long way before we came to the next checkpoint.
The bags were checked quickly and then we went though the "pat down". I'm glad they check everyone thoroughly, but we were a bit pressed for time. The young man escorted us all the way to the last point where our boarding passes were taken. I again thanked him profusely and we boarded the plane. We took our seats (in business class) at 8:10pm. The plane was to leave at 8:20 - it lifted off at 8:30. We were both thanking Jesus that we were on the same plane.

It wasn't until later that Gene shared the "rest of the story". He went back to the ticket counter to get his next "stand by" ticket for Sunday. The young man had raced past him, gone behind the counter and was typing away at the computer while talking to someone on his cell phone. He looked up at Gene and said, "Go!" As they were racing down the corridor, he said, "The plane is full, but I'm going to try to get you on." And that he did! God bless him!

The flight was anticlimatic after the race through the airport. We landed in Atlanta at 7:05am on Sunday - Easter. We had set our watches back 6 hours, so it's actually a 15 - 16 hour flight. Once in Atlanta, we had more security & passport showing to go through, then to the next gate to catch our flight to Orlando. The gate number had changed from B5 on our ticket to B21. When I asked where it was changed to, the lady said "B21 - at the other end and they are boarding now." "Of course it is and of course they are", I said. Gene put the luggage in a wheelchair and headed towards B21. I came along at my own semi-fast pace. When everyone with tickets had boarded, we approached the desk and explained we were "stand-by". There were 2 seats up front and they assigned us to them. Praise the Lord!

The hour flight seemed to be over almost as soon as it began. We were almost home. At the Orlando airport we rented a car and made the last leg of our journey. We arrived at our home at 1:30pm. Glad to be back, weary, but happy.

It was an exciting and wonderful trip. I am so glad we had the opportunity to go. It has whet my appetite for more travel, but I think I want to stick with our Roadtrek camper van for awhile.

Thanks for reading along.

God's blessings to all.

City Sightseeing Bus

Wednesday dawned a gorgeous day. Perfect for our trip on the City Bus Tour also known as "Hop on Hop off" tour. We rode past places we had visited previously - Castle of Good Hope and lower cable car to Table Mountain and then out to Camp's Bay. We rode on the upper deck and had a great perspective for taking pictures. At Camp's Bay we got off to eat lunch at Nando's. I didn't read the menu properly, so ordered "mild" chicken. It was actually mild peri-peri sauce on the chicken, which is anything but mild. It was delicious though. We took several pictures of the Bay, pretty white beach, etc and then boarded the next bus that came by. The buses run every 20 minutes, so it's never a very long wait. We traveled past Sea Point, the Waterfront, St. George's Cathedral, the Company Gardens (where we had taken pictures on Tues.) and then got off close to Cat & Moose. My legs were very happy with me.

The weather has been in the high 70's with very little rain. It gets quite windy sometimes, but it's very much like Florida weather without the humidity. As their seasons are opposite ours, it is just now starting into autumn. It's hard for me to think of Christmas in summer and Easter in the fall.

They drive on the left hand side of the road and I had to be careful to look both ways several times to make sure I was crossing the street at the right time. To quote the "Best of Capetown Central City" - "The driving is notoriously appalling. Changing lanes without indicating, unexpectedly veering across lanes upon missing turnoffs..that sort of thing." Just because the indicator light said it was safe to cross did not mean it was so. And they love their horns. For the least reason (or none at all), they give a loud toot or continuous blast. One has to develop nerves of steel.

Thursday was our wind down, do laundry, go to internet cafe, pack it up day. Gene packed & repacked several times. We weren't sure if the new suitcase would fit into the overhead when full, so wanted to make sure we had essentials with us if we had to check it instead of carry on.

I'll end here. Next segment will be our trip home - quite eventful.

God's blessings to all.

More Adventures from South Africa

We took a trip by train (Metro Rail) from Capetown to Fish Hoek on False Bay. The water was beautiful shades of blue and aqua. We saw a small fishing boat come into shore dragging the net and then closing it up into a circle. Several people on the beach, including small children, helped drag the main line into shore. We ate delicious calamari, hake and chips (french fries) there. The calamari is deep fat fried and very tender, unlike the calamari I've tried here.

We then boarded a City to City bus which took us to Simons Town and a taxi took us the rest of the way to Boulders Beach. We saw African penguins in their natural habitat. They are evidently used to people being around them as they didn't run away.

We returned to Fish Hoek, took the train to the next stop, Kalk Bay, where Gene wanted me to try some of the delicious ice cream sold across the street from the station. He was right - it was delicious. We met a lady who was visiting her son in Muizenberg and we chatted while waiting for the next train. She is originally from Boston and now lives in Wisconsin.

Our next "small world encounter" came as we neared our destination of Capetown. Gene took a picture of Table Mountain and I was telling the gentleman sitting across from me that we don't have mountains in Florida. A young student asked where we were from and to our reply of "Ocala", he said "No way - I'm from Melrose." (This is near Gainesville) He and 3 other students are studying at the university in Capetown for a year.

The next day (Tuesday) we walked down to the Castle of Good Hope and took the tour. It was built by the Dutch from 1666 - 1679. The British took it over, then the Dutch again, then the British again until it became the possession of South Africa in 1928.

Gene started the "practice pack" on Tuesday evening. We bought another small carry on suitcase to hold all our treasures we've bought. Gene has an amazing talent for packing twice as much into a space as I can. I gladly leave that task to him.

That's all for now. Will be back later.

God's blessings to all.

Staying in a Hostel

Staying at Long Street Backpackers and then Cat & Moose Backpackers Lodge was a new experience for me. Both of these hostels had dorm rooms and private rooms. At Cat & Moose our room was on ground level and we walked upstairs to the shared kitchen and dining area. The actual building was built in 1791. The owners names are Leo = Lion - hence "Cat" and the other fellow, very large, "Moose". This information was provided by John, one of the young men who manned the receptionist desk. In our room, some of the plaster had been cut away to show the original brick of the building. The floors were large tiles. There were no windows in our room, but with it facing the courtyard, it had an airy, spacious feeling.

I met a couple from the U.K. who had just come from Tanzania. He had worked in the library and she taught Journalism to the students there. Natalie and Leslie, from Belgium, had been volunteering in a day care center in Port Elizabeth and were now on "holiday". Jumpei & Momoe, a young couple from Japan, have been traveling throughout several continents since 2007, including Australia, North & South America. I watched in fascination as another young man from Japan showed them how to make "dumplings". It was a 2 1/2 hour process from cutting up cabbage, spring onions & garlic & mixing with ground beef, making the dough, rolling into small, flat circles, then filling with the mixture and pinching closed and cooking/steaming them. It was certainly a labor intensive project. Gene asked if this was a long time family recipie. No, he saw it on a cooking channel. Cooking is his hobby. We all got a good laugh on that. Momoe later wrote in Gene's journal that she enjoyed having me watch the proceedings "like a Mom".

We met Christian from Germany, John from U.K. and Eric from Colorado & Egypt. His uncle actually lives here in Ocala. Yes, it's a small world.

I only cooked a couple meals in the kitchen as eating out was fairly inexpensive. Besides, I was on "holiday." I'm so used to having my own pots & pans both at home & in the RV, that it stretched me a bit to figure out what I should use for what. I succeeded in serving up a meal of spaghetti (sauce from a jar) and salad. Gene seemed quite happy with it.

The main entrance and doors to many of the rooms had iron gates. One had to punch in a code at the main gate to gain entrance. This is to keep the street beggers, of which there are many, from coming in. There are signs posted not to give the street beggers money. Shelters and food are provided for them (much like the Salvation Army) if they choose, but tourists are approached on a regular & persistant basis asking for food or money. This was the only depressing part of the trip.

In Capetown, one hears Afrikaan and English spoken in a variety of accents. By the time I left, I could understand most of the English spoken to me, but still had to ask things to be repeated. I had to chuckle when the greeter at church said, "I love your accent." Gee, I thought I was talking normal and she had the accent.

All in all, I enjoyed my stay at the hostels, meeting people from around the world, hearing the various languages & dialects. I moved out of my "comfort zone", my perspective has been altered - and that's a good thing.

Until tomorrow - God's blessings to all.

Picture Time

On Table Mtn looking towards ocean & Devil's Peak.

A very persistant flower growing from crevice in the rock.

"Dassie" rock badger

African Penguins

Mural on wall at laundramat.

Table Mtn with "tablecloth" partly covering it.

Group of young people staying at Long Street Backpackers. They had just come from volunteering at a nearby orphanage. We watched the "carnival" (parade) together from balcony.



St. George's Cathedral

I saw several women carrying their toddlers in this shawl arrangement tied around them. The Mom has free hands and the child is safe.

South Africa Part 2

I guess I had better clear up the dates. I actually arrived in Capetown on March 18 and Gene & I will fly out from Capetown tomorrow (Apr 2) and should be back in Ocala on Sat. Apr. 3.

Usually I post my blog on our laptop when we're traveling, but I'm posting from an internet cafe - R5 for an hour - which is very reasonable.
It does put a time restriction on me, thus the hasty departure on last blog.

To pick up where I left off---Last Wed. after we left the internet cafe, we went to Mariam's cafe at Holiday Inn Express for another taste treat (for me). It was Chips Gatsby. French fries and ketchup are put inside the sandwich bun with lettuce, tomato and cucumber. It was delicious. We walked through Trafalgar Street where the flower vendors have the most amazing display of flowers for sale. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me. It was sensory overload with colors and fragrances of roses, beautiful lilies and many flowers I did not recognize.

We walked over to visit Evelyn at her booth, and she asked me to pick out something I liked. I found two candleholders with intricately carved elephants. I asked her how much and she said she was giving them to me.
What a blessing!

On our way back to our room, we stopped at Mr. Pickwick's for a milkshake. Gene had said they were delicious, but he understated it. It was almost a pint of ice cream in a little liquid. We shared it as neither one would have been able to master it on our own. That was our supper!

We met the girls in the room next to ours. One girl is in the Peace Corp here and her sister had come to visit from Atlanta, GA. She had been on the same flight on the 17th/18th as we were. It was a little strange hearing an American accent after the variety of accents we've been enjoying such as German, Scandanavian, Asian and a wide variety of English.

Thursday we did laundry R10 for the washer & R10 for the dryer. Afterwards we walked down to Green Market Square to give pictures to Evelyn, Sean, Phineas & Gerald. They really enjoy receiving the pictures. I guess not many tourists bring pictures back to them.

We took a minivan taxi ie suicide taxi down to Victoria & Albert Waterfront and took pictures of the harbor, Table Mountain, South Africa fur seals again and then went through the Aquarium. We watched the 2:00 feeding of the African penguins, then feeding of the predator fish. A mama stingray had given birth to 6 "pups" the night before and we were able to see them in a special tank. There were so many species of acquatic life that I had never seen before. I was enthralled with the box jellyfish. They are tiny, translucent creatures that seem too fragile to survive - until you consider the 4 long, trailing tentacles. My other favorite was the seahorses with their little fins propelling them around.
Gene's favorite was the ragged tooth shark (not man eating). We finally dragged ourselves away and walked back to our room. A longer walk than I had anticipated - about an hour, but on top of the walking I had already done, I felt like my little legs were nubs. I slept really well that night.

Friday was another exciting day. We took a taxi to lower cable car and rode it up to the top of Table Mountain. Gene had hiked part of it previously. I knew better than to even attempt it. As our car went up, the cloud cover came down. When the cloud covers the mountain, they say "the tablecloth is on the mountain". Very appropriate because you cannot see a thing. We knew this was my only chance to see the city, harbor, bays, etc below, so we stayed and prayed it would lift. We purchased a heavy scarf for me and cap for Gene in the gift shop. It was breezy, damp and cool. We spent our time walking the paths. I took some interesting pictures of rock formations in the mists, little flowers growing out of rock crevices and "dassies" - a rock badger. We had hot chocolate & oatmeal cookies, (met a delightful young couple from Switzerland who had been to Florida) then pizza later. After 3 1/2 hours of patient waiting, the cloud lifted and we were rewarded with the dazzling sight of the ocean on one side and the city below on the other. We took pictures as fast as our little fingers could press the buttons. Forty minutes later, the mist came rolling in again. We took the cable car down and I set my camera on "movie". The floor of the cable car revolves, so I was able to get a wonderful panorama coming down the mountain. We took a taxi back to our room and since I still had some life in me, we walked to Caramello's for supper. I had Fillet Medalilons (beef) in red wine & mushroom sauce with potato wedges and salad. Gene had Chicken al Furno also with potato wedges and salad. For those of you who know I was restricting my carb intake to shed a few pounds, I'm eating all the carbs I can get to keep my strength up! My dessert was a chocolate eclair - oh was it ever good!

I will bring this segment to a close while I have time to sign off properly.
The remainder of our adventures will be posted from home.

God's blessings to all.

Greetings from South Africa

Hello to all

I'm having a wonderful time seeing the sights and meeting new friends. Penny, Emma and I left Atlanta on May 17th, 7:00pm and arrived in Johannesburg May 18th at 10:00am origin time and 4:00pm Jo'burg time. The flight was smooth, so much in fact, that I felt like I was sitting in my chair at home watching the movie (The Man From Snowy River). I had a good nights sleep and excellent meals. When we landed, Penny stayed with me to the last security before I went to waiting area for Kulula flight. She would have gone further if she could, but as she did not have a boarding pass, they would not let her through. She & Emma were being picked up by TMI staff and going back to their base for the week to do sewing and teach puppet ministry. I am so thankful for her guidance and companionship for the whole way from Orlando to Jo'burg.

My flight left Jo'burg at 7:00pm and I arrived at Capetown at 9:00pm. As I entered the terminal and scanned the crowd, I saw the most handsome man in the whole wide world waiting for me. He had been here in SA since Nov. 18th visiting with his son and daughter-in-law, hiking and seeing the sights. It was a joyful reunion. A friend had brought him to the airport and waited with him until I arrived, then took us to the Long Street Backpackers. We had a private room just beyond the dorm room with bathroom next door. There were stairs to various levels, a lovely courtyard, kitchen where you could store & prepare your own food, TV room and balconies on each level facing Long Street. At night, Long Street resembles what I think New Orleans would be like - music coming from many cafes and people walking up and down the sidewalks.

Friday morning we ate breakfast at Mr. Pickwicks Cafe for the Mr. Energy breakfast - 1 egg, toast, bacon, tomatoes, fried potatoes & onions, "sausage" (in reality a hot dog) and a Frappaccino - oh so good! Bottled water is called "still" water here. We ate on the balcony overlooking Long Street. There are murals and paintings on many of the walls. You can see Table Mountain from there - actually you can see it from most anywhere in Capetown. Gene introduced me to the people who work there. They were glad I was finally here & had arrived safely.

We walked down the street to Ice, a clothing store, I browsed but found nothing I wanted to purchase. Next stop was Funkadelik Strawberry. I tried on a couple outfits that looked lovely on the hangers, but weren't styled for my body shape. Gene did find a blouse of muted greens & blues that looked very nice on me, so I purchased it. An American dollar is approximately 7 Rand, so I'm learning how to multiply x 7 real well. The blouse was about $11.00.

Gene took me down to the Penthouse where he first stayed when he came to Capetown and showed me around. Again, wonderful murals, etc. on the walls and doors - very colorful. The hallways and stairways are like a maze. He took me to the top where we had a birds eye view of the surrounding buildings, Table Mountain and Devil's Peak.

Next stop was Music of Africa store. Only the CD cases are displayed - actual CD's are kept safe elsewhere. An interesting concept. From there we walked to Green Market Square where the booths for crafts, souvenirs, etc are set up. By that time I was getting weary, so I didn't browse.
I did meet Evelyn, Susan & Nonzeme who have a booth on the corner. She has a set of chess pieces Gene is interested in.

Although I was still full from breakfast (4 hours previous), we went to Kanai and I had a chicken snack wrap and a fruit smoothie. Again, delicious. A visit to the internet cafe R5 for 1 hour so Gene & I could check emails and let family know I was here safely.

There is a section of the Berlin Wall at St. George Square where Gene took my picture. Across the street is the St. George Cathedral - beautiful architecture! I later took a picture of it.

Back to our room. The windows are open and there are no screens, but I have only seen a couple insects. I took a much needed nap while Gene (Mr. Energy himself) took his SD card to have some prints made to give to people.

Later in the evening, I took a nice hot shower and we went across the street to Mama Africa for dinner. It's a very busy place and reservations are suggested. We had a table next to the window where we could see the hustle and bustle on the sidewalk. Gene ordered Grapetizer and Appletizer for us - a carbonated grape juice and apple juice - a very refreshing drink. If I had known how big the salad was going to be, I would have passed on the entree. The "garden" salad had cherry tomatoes (sliced so they wouldn't go flying when you put your fork into it), squares of cheese, cucumber, corn relish, 3 bean salad and pineapple beautifully arranged on a bed of lettuce served with a variety of breads. Gene ordered the Mama Catch of the Day and I ordered the Karoo Lamb Chops - both served with rice. I made it through 1 1/2 lamb chops (there were 4 on the plate) and a little rice before I hit the full mark. There was a band playing in the next room and we stopped to listen for a little bit, then back to the room.

Sat. morning Gene was up bright & early and went to the kitchen to eat his cereal. I, not quite so energetic, slept in until 9:30. He said I still looked pretty wiped out when he came back to the room. I went to the kitchen for breakfast, then back to my room to wait for Gene and finish waking up (no coffee to help). When he came back he surprised me with a close haircut. He hadn't had one since he arrived in Nov, so was looking pretty bushy.

We took off for City Centre to meet a vendor friend of his meeting "Eggman" on the way. He has a collection of items (including eggshells) put together that he balances on his head and walks around. When I get home and download my pictures to my computer, I'll be able to show you as truly a picture is worth a thousand words. I purchased a giraffe pair and then we went to McDonald's at Golden Acre (a mall) for lunch. I decided another day was needed to explore the mall.

Back to our room and I rested a bit, then we walked back down to Green Market Square to see the concert. We decided it was a good time to grab a bite while everyone was at the concert, so went back to Long Street Cafe for pizza. The crust is extremely thin - much thinner than US - and very tasty.

That night was Carnival and I had a prime seat on the balcony. Gene went down to the street to stand by the lights where he could get good pictures. It's the first parade I have been able to see without someone tall stepping in front of me. It was the best parade I have ever seen - lots of music, groups in costumes/traditional clothing and high energy dancing. Then, to my delight, the parade turned around and came back by. I took movies so I could catch all the music and dancing. There was a group of young people on the balcony with me who had been doing volunteer work in an orphanage nearby. They were from England and one girl from Sweden. They were a delightful group and I enjoyed spending the evening with them.

Sunday was a busy day (like the others weren't?). Gene & I packed our belongings and moved them down to Cat & Moose (yes, moose) Backpackers Lodge for the remainder of our stay here.
After breakfast, we took a taxi to the Metro Rail terminal, Gene purchased our tickets and I was introduced to yet another new experience. Gene chose seats where I could see Table Mountain the whole way (except where buildings blocked it) and I was able to see different trees, plants and flowers. On Sundays they have "train preachers" who ride the car and preach the gospel to those on board. On the way to Plumsted, the preacher spoke English and used much Scripture to present our need for Jesus as our Savior. He was very good. We arrived at the Plumsted terminal and walked a short distance to Plumsted Baptist Church for the service at 10:30. Gene introduced me to many wonderful people and I felt right at home. Pastor Jason brought an excellant message from James 4th chapter.

After service, we took the Metro to Retreat. Another new experience of riding in a "suicide" taxi. It's actually a van that only charges R5 to take you to your destination rather than a metered taxi that charges by distance or time. They have capacity for 12 - 14 people and sometimes put more in - hence the term "suicide". Our driver was a very responsible driver and went out of his way to take us to our destination. We had intended on visiting a friend in Zeekoevlei, but she wasn't home. The driver waited for us and when we determined she wasn't there, he took us back to the Metro Rail terminal. Gene paid him more than he asked because of his helpfulness. Scripture tells us "a workman is worthy of his hire" and he certainly was. We waited for the train to take us back to Capetown. Gene bought a Coke and candy bar for me - I needed some caffeine & sugar at that point - and boarded the train for the trip "home".

It has been a delight to see the variety of clothing of different cultures here. It's called "little Europe" because of the diversity of cultures. I have seen women carrying small children on their back in a shawl carrier, women balancing loads on their heads, men & women in Indian and Muslim dress. At the Lodge we have met young people from Germany, England, Italy and many parts of Africa.

Back at Capetown, we walked back to the Lodge through Company's Gardens - a cool and peaceful walk. We have seen camera crews filming in various places. We think these are advertisements for upcoming World Cup to begin in June. We heard part of a speech as we walked through the Gardens - Monday the 22nd is Human Rights Day.

I was delighted with the room at Cat & Moose. It is right off the courtyard and you can hear the water running into the pool throughout the day. The kitchen is upstairs with TV room and balcony. Some young people are on holiday, while others stay here in a dorm room rather than rent a flat. Gene took a walk to the store for supper while I rested. He brought back a delicious salad for both of us and we enjoyed it in our room.

Monday dawned a beautiful day. We ate our breakfast of cereal & fruit upstairs in the kitchen, then walked down to the City Centre where we caught a taxi/van and went to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront. There is a large mall there, restaurants and working marina. We took pictures of boats, Table Mountain, Lion's Head, entertainers (including a Native American!) walked over to the Aquarium, which was closed because of the holiday, and saw a seal who obligingly flopped up onto the dock so we could take pictures. In the mall, I stopped at Crabtree & Evelyn's and the salesperson showed me "fragrance layering" with Rose cream & a spritz of Eau de Toillette. I left truly "smelling like a rose" - a lovely moment.

We took a taxi back to the Lodge, Gene went again to the store for supper, I ate & went to bed early. My little legs were protesting at the walking I had done .

Yesterday, Tuesday was rest day for me. We walked to the store & purchased items for supper, then Gene rubbed linament on my legs and I slept/rested the rest of the day. He ran errands, etc. I fixed spaghetti & salad for supper. I, who have such a set routine at home, have become quite flexible.. My time is up. Goodbye for now.