Showing posts with label South AFrican travelz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South AFrican travelz. Show all posts
Sunday, February 10, 2008
LOST but FOUND!!!!!!! Luck of the Irish!!!!
Ok, the lost bag..... after much talking, asserting myself, and probably being downright rude...has been located! Once again, in South Africa, still at the airport..... But it took phone calls to three different airlines...with explanations about how it was lost and FOUND by ME last time still in AFrica!!! It was located, then sent to London, then to Chicago...in other words the route I took????? Then about midnight, a day later, I got the phone call to say they wanted to deliver it.NOW I was extremely jet lagged, and woken from a sound sleep...as well as DD who gets up about 5:45 AM in order to drive the hour into Nashville.I was very rude...and told the guy, heck no its not convenient for you to deliver it now...."ARE YOU HERE???" To which he replied that he was still in Nashville...and wouldn't get there until after 2:00 AM???!!!!! The HELL you say. I don't care how efficient you are...and that you are a 24 hr. delivery courier for the airlines. THEY lost my bag...and I am NOT staying up to wait for it to be delivered. He then tells me, rather cheekily, that MOST people are SO HAPPY to get their bag, they don't mind. Well, wrong thing to say to me , I told him, as happy as I AM to get the bag, he can leave it on the front porch....I'll take my chances!!!!! This is the US....and my daughter's mail(packages) have sat on the front porch all day....and don't seem to disappear! Besides it was below freezing and I figured most Thieves wouldn't be out cruising the cul de sac neighborhoods...looking for stuff left on the front porch to steal!!!! It did sit on the front porch all night, it was intact...still in its protective saran wrap cocoon, put on it in South AFrica at the airport to reduce the chance of ...anything being.....stol.....er ....I mean "falling" out at the baggage area. So all the stuff has arrived. quilt is intact... and now I am unpacking! Annie, will send off the parcel of "lucky draw " items as soon as I can. Thanks for the concern about the luggage..... but seriously.... how could they lose another bag? Still haven't sorted that one out. But the good news...is that the other bag, had all my stuff in it. So I am a "Lucky" Irish girl! You all have a great couple of days. I am going to try to get unpacked and sew on this baby quilt for DD. More later! Colleen
Friday, January 18, 2008
Good times...and BAD......
Ok, I am posting a couple of photos of some cushions and a purse...embroidered by xhosa ladies at the Aids project farm. These were the last ones I could get.... I love their embroidery, it is very rich...on very thick black ravelly cloth...but I did buy several last year to turn into a wall hanging...which is a UFO/MIP( masterpiece in progress) at the moment! But these will go nicely in my African room...so I had to pick them up.
On to the next thing.....I know...South Africa has some lovely lodgings we have been so happy to stay in...but recently we booked a 2 bedroom flat, for 4 ADULTS , 2 couples. And never having stayed there...I guess I DIDN'T ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS!!!! Actually I don't guess, I KNOW I DIDN'T!!!! We drove 4 hrs to Port Elizabeth and didn't stay in the place we usually do...since our friends were with us....and I knew they liked a pool, our normal flat place doesn't have a pool...but it is across the street from the beach...so it doesn't matter to me. But wanted our friends to be able to sit out by the pool...which they enjoy. So I asked the lady if it had a pool? She said that they did...so I booked the 2 bedroom flat for the four of us. When we got there..... the first thing was that I had to ring the bell at the locked gate 4 times to get someone to let me in, then a young girl gave us the key, with an electric gate key attached to it...but it wouldn't open the gate...( we were actually being given accomodation across the street...from MR Landlord) so I had to walk back across the street....so she then gave me another gate key.... a seperate one.... and it didn't work. I went back across the street...and she came out to inform me that there was a second gate....that that key worked for.... and that the original gate to which we had been directed...was in fact broken...and would be fixed in the morning! So we drove to the other gate...and sure enough that gate did open with the other key. Now these are remote electric gates... but in fact the broken gate, wasn't broken in the lock position...but could be pushed open by anyone...who touched it. 
A very scary....thing....especially when we entered the lounge of the "flat" where a message on the wall, said to always be certain that the gate was closed...as these are dangerous times! Again not reassuring....and the regular place that we have stayed at is only a block away. Not sure what the message was for....since the gate couldn't be locked??? But I still wasn't deterred from being at the sea. It is a pretty beach, and I do love this particular place on the Indian ocean. But the real surprise came when we went to the bedrooms. Behind door number 1, two twin beds..... Hmmmmmmmm...... then on to door number 2!!! Surprise, Surprise, BUNK BEDS!!!! YEP!!!! BUNK BEDS!!!! Now all 4 of us are at or above 50, 3 or us have had knee surgery....and I doubt any of us had slept in a twin bed, muck less bunk beds in years! CErtainly not since I have been married.....which is 34 years tomorrow.
On to the next thing.....I know...South Africa has some lovely lodgings we have been so happy to stay in...but recently we booked a 2 bedroom flat, for 4 ADULTS , 2 couples. And never having stayed there...I guess I DIDN'T ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS!!!! Actually I don't guess, I KNOW I DIDN'T!!!! We drove 4 hrs to Port Elizabeth and didn't stay in the place we usually do...since our friends were with us....and I knew they liked a pool, our normal flat place doesn't have a pool...but it is across the street from the beach...so it doesn't matter to me. But wanted our friends to be able to sit out by the pool...which they enjoy. So I asked the lady if it had a pool? She said that they did...so I booked the 2 bedroom flat for the four of us. When we got there..... the first thing was that I had to ring the bell at the locked gate 4 times to get someone to let me in, then a young girl gave us the key, with an electric gate key attached to it...but it wouldn't open the gate...( we were actually being given accomodation across the street...from MR Landlord) so I had to walk back across the street....so she then gave me another gate key.... a seperate one.... and it didn't work. I went back across the street...and she came out to inform me that there was a second gate....that that key worked for.... and that the original gate to which we had been directed...was in fact broken...and would be fixed in the morning! So we drove to the other gate...and sure enough that gate did open with the other key. Now these are remote electric gates... but in fact the broken gate, wasn't broken in the lock position...but could be pushed open by anyone...who touched it. A very scary....thing....especially when we entered the lounge of the "flat" where a message on the wall, said to always be certain that the gate was closed...as these are dangerous times! Again not reassuring....and the regular place that we have stayed at is only a block away. Not sure what the message was for....since the gate couldn't be locked??? But I still wasn't deterred from being at the sea. It is a pretty beach, and I do love this particular place on the Indian ocean. But the real surprise came when we went to the bedrooms. Behind door number 1, two twin beds..... Hmmmmmmmm...... then on to door number 2!!! Surprise, Surprise, BUNK BEDS!!!! YEP!!!! BUNK BEDS!!!! Now all 4 of us are at or above 50, 3 or us have had knee surgery....and I doubt any of us had slept in a twin bed, muck less bunk beds in years! CErtainly not since I have been married.....which is 34 years tomorrow.I couldn't back to the reception office quick enough....and the woman had the cheek to tell me, it was my fault....I hadn't verified the booking for two bedrooms....with double beds! 
I was furious...but customer service isn't the best thing over here....and she said they could give us seperate accomodation...as in 2 seperate 1 bedrooms flats...but it would cost another 100 dollars a night.....each! I couldn't believe...it . I had prepaid all room charges to hold the booking.... no refunds accepted less than 2 weeks prior to the booking date. I mean they had us coming and going...so the next time you travel in an unknown area, be sure and ask the right question! Oh, and remember I asked if they had a pool? Well, The question should have been is the pool clean enough to swim in...or Can we swim in this pool???? Because the pool they had although a nice size, had plastic bags and milk jugs floating in it...and the bottom of the pool was NOT VISIBLE!!!! So we decided not to chance it! Its all in semantics I guess! Even if I was going to be here long enough to make another trip to PE, I wouldn't be staying there FOR SURE! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.I am hoping to pack a bit...and sew a lot! Lots of Laughs this past week! Colleen
I was furious...but customer service isn't the best thing over here....and she said they could give us seperate accomodation...as in 2 seperate 1 bedrooms flats...but it would cost another 100 dollars a night.....each! I couldn't believe...it . I had prepaid all room charges to hold the booking.... no refunds accepted less than 2 weeks prior to the booking date. I mean they had us coming and going...so the next time you travel in an unknown area, be sure and ask the right question! Oh, and remember I asked if they had a pool? Well, The question should have been is the pool clean enough to swim in...or Can we swim in this pool???? Because the pool they had although a nice size, had plastic bags and milk jugs floating in it...and the bottom of the pool was NOT VISIBLE!!!! So we decided not to chance it! Its all in semantics I guess! Even if I was going to be here long enough to make another trip to PE, I wouldn't be staying there FOR SURE! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.I am hoping to pack a bit...and sew a lot! Lots of Laughs this past week! ColleenWednesday, October 3, 2007
latest Baltimore and by the SEA!!!!
Well, I finally got some of my photos uploaded onto a cd at the camera shop...so can share a few today. This is the gorgeous unspoiled coastline we visited last weekend. It was only cloudy the first day...but rained continuously after that. I managed to get a few photos to post during the next couple of days/weeks. This village is located on the Wild coast of South Africa..and it only had two streets...so very few homes. The hotel had its own pub and a very nice dining room to eat breakfast and supper. I enjoyed the buffet, varied foods....and the fabulous cooked puddings!!!! I love the puddings in South africa...kind of like a cake with a gooey topping poured over it as it comes from the oven. I have mastered a few. YUM!!!! LOve them!!!!! This was the view from the veranda of our room. The gardens were quite pretty...and we were right on the ocean. Very nice. I am also adding a photo of the two completed blocks for my Baltimore project...although I have a dilemma....I purchased the lovely background fabric in South Korea...no markings on selvage...and only enough for 3 more blocks. I really need more. If Dawn or Jen see this...can you search the fabric mart for more???? Have no idea which floor I even bought it on????Again what was i thinking not buying the remainder of the bolt!!!!! That was in April...not much chance of me finding more. So I have to come up with some way of making the quilt size expand to fit a bed.
Any ideas?????? I am stumped...as to how to proceed. I'll have
Any ideas?????? I am stumped...as to how to proceed. I'll have 
about 12 blocks I think....measuring between 14 inches square to 15 inches. Sorry for the condition of blocks...they need a good pressing...but you get the gyst.I am also showing the more difficult block in progress....I have used unusual choices...fall colors for a Baltimore! So this will be my first "Autumn" quilt. Forgive my foot...but wind was blowing terribly...much like my beloved West Texas wind!!!! Will post more later. I taught a scrapbooking class to some lovely farm wives who live about 45 min. away...and I am just plain tired out tonight!!! Hope you all have a lovely day. Colleen
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