I've had enough now and would rather be in my manky little bedsit in cold, dark, damp London. Sad but true.
It's definitely nice to see the sun, and to walk on some nice beaches (in the small moments of freedom I get).
Not so nice being drenched in sweat as it is so hot and there is so little shade - and even the shade is hot!
Not so nice being eaten alive every moment of the day by either sandflies (close relation of Satan) or mosquitoes the size of small bombers.
Not so nice being hungry - of course one ought not eat more then a slice of lettuce and figment of fish each meal in order to fit in that special outfit that cost more then a small country's annual budget.
Not so nice paying more then my weekly wage (almost) for a taste of melted chocolate that has sat on the shelf at the local store since 1979.
Not so nice feeling unhappy about being somewhere beautiful when I could be having such a wonderful time exploring this little tidbit of paradise...
Roll on Saturday...
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
My not so happy bird day
The other day I watched a bird fluttering about in front of a mirror on the patio and the butler mentioned that sometimes they fly into it and stun themselves.
Later that day I found a millipede and was taking photos of it and a bird low dived (I guess to get the millipede) and smacked head first into the window. I picked it up and found it to be suffering so I went looking for the butler wondering if he should put it out of it's misery. I couldn't find him and decided I would try to give the bird some water. It drank a little but I noticed it had a long tongue so thought maybe it was a nectar eating bird. I put a little sugar in the water and the bird drank with great gusto!
I took it back upstairs and sat under a tree while it decided just what it would do. It hopped off my hand onto the side of the pool and a tiny mite of some sort was foolish enough to wander past, the bird ate it - nectar eater? maybe not... But the happy ending came when it flapped it's wings a few time and then flew off.
Later that night I was in the Great Room and I heard another little thud. I searched around and found the most beautiful little Hummingbird! So tiny and so frightened - and so disheveled. I picked it up and was wondering what to do when it flew off up onto a ledge in the room - narrowly missing the fan!
About a half hour later, the butler found me and asked if I would rescue a bird for him... luckily I didn't find him earlier - he doesn't 'do' birds! I asked if it was the Hummingbird and he said yes. I found the poor little thing behind a table and carried it outside this time. It was in a poor way. It's little beak was open and it's eyes were struggling to stay open. I wanted to find it somewhere safe so the local cats wouldn't find it. I sat with it on my hand for quite a while watching it sway, barely managing to hold itself up.
Then suddenly it flapped it's wings a couple of times and disappeared off into the night! I decided it had found itself somewhere safe to hole up for the night...
Later that day I found a millipede and was taking photos of it and a bird low dived (I guess to get the millipede) and smacked head first into the window. I picked it up and found it to be suffering so I went looking for the butler wondering if he should put it out of it's misery. I couldn't find him and decided I would try to give the bird some water. It drank a little but I noticed it had a long tongue so thought maybe it was a nectar eating bird. I put a little sugar in the water and the bird drank with great gusto!
I took it back upstairs and sat under a tree while it decided just what it would do. It hopped off my hand onto the side of the pool and a tiny mite of some sort was foolish enough to wander past, the bird ate it - nectar eater? maybe not... But the happy ending came when it flapped it's wings a few time and then flew off.
Later that night I was in the Great Room and I heard another little thud. I searched around and found the most beautiful little Hummingbird! So tiny and so frightened - and so disheveled. I picked it up and was wondering what to do when it flew off up onto a ledge in the room - narrowly missing the fan!
About a half hour later, the butler found me and asked if I would rescue a bird for him... luckily I didn't find him earlier - he doesn't 'do' birds! I asked if it was the Hummingbird and he said yes. I found the poor little thing behind a table and carried it outside this time. It was in a poor way. It's little beak was open and it's eyes were struggling to stay open. I wanted to find it somewhere safe so the local cats wouldn't find it. I sat with it on my hand for quite a while watching it sway, barely managing to hold itself up.
Then suddenly it flapped it's wings a couple of times and disappeared off into the night! I decided it had found itself somewhere safe to hole up for the night...
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Machetes, fame and 7.3 of shaking earth
The locals tend to wander around with machetes in hand. I feel a little concerned that there is something they're hiding... Or maybe they just all do a lot of gardening.
The dog at our villa, Reggie, was a gift from His Royal Highness, Mick Jagger. So one could say I am one degree away from MJ himself... Yesterday Tommy Hilfigger arrived at our villa to check out the architecture as he is using the same man to do his villa. He left his flip flops behind, and his architech turned up this morning to collect them - they had tigers heads on them. If only I'd known - I could have sold them on ebay for a small fortune.
Yesterday there was an earthquake here - none of the staff at the villa have ever felt an earthquake. I was the only earthquake experienced person there. It went on and on and instead of carrying up the road with small boy in buggy under bending trees, we did a very quick turnaround and walked right home again. V, the maid was completely hysterical and praying very loud that we should all live through this. Dwayne the butler who had just arrived home in the buggy/cart thingy was oblivious to the earthquake and spent the next several minutes calming V. I have heard since that an office building collapsed somewhere and a woman was trapped in the rubble. She was found and all seems well. It measured 7.3 on the Richter (sp) scale I'm told and lasted 5 minutes - it was very long as every few steps I stopped to see if it was still going. and it was for a looooong time....
The dog at our villa, Reggie, was a gift from His Royal Highness, Mick Jagger. So one could say I am one degree away from MJ himself... Yesterday Tommy Hilfigger arrived at our villa to check out the architecture as he is using the same man to do his villa. He left his flip flops behind, and his architech turned up this morning to collect them - they had tigers heads on them. If only I'd known - I could have sold them on ebay for a small fortune.
Yesterday there was an earthquake here - none of the staff at the villa have ever felt an earthquake. I was the only earthquake experienced person there. It went on and on and instead of carrying up the road with small boy in buggy under bending trees, we did a very quick turnaround and walked right home again. V, the maid was completely hysterical and praying very loud that we should all live through this. Dwayne the butler who had just arrived home in the buggy/cart thingy was oblivious to the earthquake and spent the next several minutes calming V. I have heard since that an office building collapsed somewhere and a woman was trapped in the rubble. She was found and all seems well. It measured 7.3 on the Richter (sp) scale I'm told and lasted 5 minutes - it was very long as every few steps I stopped to see if it was still going. and it was for a looooong time....
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Mustique the mystic
Oh well, goodness me, I sit here typing away in the library on an island in the Caribbean which has a population (at peak tourist time) of 1300.
I'm surprised each time I look out my window by the beauty and uniqueness. I wonder if 11 days is enough to not be stunned by this place and to take it as ordinary...
I am here with a family I worked with a while back. They have 20 month and 3.5yr old boys and my job is to mostly take care of them at night while they get used to this time zone. If last night is anything to go by, I'll be busy!!
We flew from London yesterday to Barbados then hired a private planette) - ie a very little plane - to get to Mustique. That part was 35 minutes and compared to the 8.5hrs earlier, was a piece of cake. The boys were incredibly good on the whole journey and even though it was 11pm (UK time) when they went to bed, I couldn't complain at all. The fun started at 1am local time and lasted til 5.30am. Tonight I hope they will be a little more acclimatised.
This morning I was up with No2 at 6.45 but I had no complaints as the view was really something to behold - although No2 was not at all interested in anything but his glass of milk...
I have now made it down the hill to the library which looks better set up then the Chelsea library at home... The only problem I see with that sentence is the 'down the hill' bit. It is a serious hill and I have to walk up it again soon. Although on the way down I saw a tortoise (the land ones are tortoises... yes? no?) so I shall try to locate it - or any other wildlife that wishes to come my way by leg and preferably not by belly. Not so sure I want to see the slithery locals that much.
As soon as I find a way to download photos, I will oblige.
I'm surprised each time I look out my window by the beauty and uniqueness. I wonder if 11 days is enough to not be stunned by this place and to take it as ordinary...
I am here with a family I worked with a while back. They have 20 month and 3.5yr old boys and my job is to mostly take care of them at night while they get used to this time zone. If last night is anything to go by, I'll be busy!!
We flew from London yesterday to Barbados then hired a private planette) - ie a very little plane - to get to Mustique. That part was 35 minutes and compared to the 8.5hrs earlier, was a piece of cake. The boys were incredibly good on the whole journey and even though it was 11pm (UK time) when they went to bed, I couldn't complain at all. The fun started at 1am local time and lasted til 5.30am. Tonight I hope they will be a little more acclimatised.
This morning I was up with No2 at 6.45 but I had no complaints as the view was really something to behold - although No2 was not at all interested in anything but his glass of milk...
I have now made it down the hill to the library which looks better set up then the Chelsea library at home... The only problem I see with that sentence is the 'down the hill' bit. It is a serious hill and I have to walk up it again soon. Although on the way down I saw a tortoise (the land ones are tortoises... yes? no?) so I shall try to locate it - or any other wildlife that wishes to come my way by leg and preferably not by belly. Not so sure I want to see the slithery locals that much.
As soon as I find a way to download photos, I will oblige.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Time flies by...
I've been trying to get on here for weeks now. But with either no internet access or so slow I could have flown to NZ and back in between loading pages, or no energy - it was bound not to happen.
I got back from Canada and went back to No1 and No2 for what should have been a week. All plans changed yet again and I only did 4 days. I then took on a 10 day job and now in a 5 day job just to fill in a bit of a gap until I fly off to the wonderful Mustique with a family I know.
On Sunday mum had a few hours off and I was off so we met and walked to Westminster Abbey as it was Memorial Day. There was a memorial 'lawn' of crosses to mark all the service persons who have died in wars. The equivilant of Anzac day really. There was a little tiny bit of lawn for the NZ soldiers. People could buy a cross and write on it to remember a family member or friend and then put in the the ground in the appropriate site.
After mum went back to work I went on to Hyde Park Corner and had a close up look at the NZ memorial that had been erected in 2006. I had been past it on countless occasions riding on buses but never managed to stop. It is a darn sight better up close then it is from a distance... Interesting.
While I was there I heard the telltale sound of horses hooves on concrete and when I looked up the Queens guards were coming by - I guess to collect their team from the horseguards to go home for the night. So lovely - and almost no one to get in the way of my view!
Then it was home again to get on with the mundane part of life... packing my bag ready for work tomorrow.
I got back from Canada and went back to No1 and No2 for what should have been a week. All plans changed yet again and I only did 4 days. I then took on a 10 day job and now in a 5 day job just to fill in a bit of a gap until I fly off to the wonderful Mustique with a family I know.
On Sunday mum had a few hours off and I was off so we met and walked to Westminster Abbey as it was Memorial Day. There was a memorial 'lawn' of crosses to mark all the service persons who have died in wars. The equivilant of Anzac day really. There was a little tiny bit of lawn for the NZ soldiers. People could buy a cross and write on it to remember a family member or friend and then put in the the ground in the appropriate site.
After mum went back to work I went on to Hyde Park Corner and had a close up look at the NZ memorial that had been erected in 2006. I had been past it on countless occasions riding on buses but never managed to stop. It is a darn sight better up close then it is from a distance... Interesting.
While I was there I heard the telltale sound of horses hooves on concrete and when I looked up the Queens guards were coming by - I guess to collect their team from the horseguards to go home for the night. So lovely - and almost no one to get in the way of my view!
Then it was home again to get on with the mundane part of life... packing my bag ready for work tomorrow.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Viagara Falls...
Our three nights in Niagara, although the odd slip of the tongue meant it was called Viagra, were very pleasant.
We stayed at the very disappointing Hilton Fallsview. No fridges in the room for the wine, no sewing kit to mend my shirt, no shoe shine kit for my poor wet shoes, no comb for Jane, unhelpful front desk etc. Internet connection that failed to connect so none of the promised blogging actually got done. It’s another hotel chain to come off the near-top of the list along with the Marriots and Le Meridiens.
But back to Niagara Falls, Ontario. What a sight to behold! The falls are truly incredible. The power and beauty of the water is hard to comprehend. Niagara river holds 20%of the worlds fresh water… I never knew just how impressive it would be.
We had a view of the falls from our room - even though the Casino cut it in half it was still worth waking up to each morning. The first morning the sun came up in a colourful and stylish way, then the next 2 mornings were a bit grey. It rained quite heavily on our first day then we were lucky to avoid any more.
First afternoon we went out for a walk to get our bearings and get some lunch. We watched the Maid of the Mist make her short journey up stream to the American falls then the Horseshoe falls (Canadian side). It looked worthwhile and we’d been told by all to make sure we did it so next morning we headed out early’ish and put on our lovely blue rain ponchos - provided with our entrance fee - jumped aboard and headed off upstream. The view of the falls from below is even more spectacular. It becomes obvious from below just how much power there is in that water and what a mad bunch those are who have barrelled down the falls in years gone by!
Dear old Annie being the first person to go down the Horsehoe falls in 1901 - dressed in a skirt no less! She was 63 years old, a retired teacher who sought fame and fortune for her old age. Unfortunately neither came her way and she died lonely and penniless in the poor house just 2 years later. But she started a run of adventurers who wanted to do as she had. 15 people went over the falls in various vessels and 10 lived to tell the tale. One mad hatter even did it twice…
We stayed at the very disappointing Hilton Fallsview. No fridges in the room for the wine, no sewing kit to mend my shirt, no shoe shine kit for my poor wet shoes, no comb for Jane, unhelpful front desk etc. Internet connection that failed to connect so none of the promised blogging actually got done. It’s another hotel chain to come off the near-top of the list along with the Marriots and Le Meridiens.
But back to Niagara Falls, Ontario. What a sight to behold! The falls are truly incredible. The power and beauty of the water is hard to comprehend. Niagara river holds 20%of the worlds fresh water… I never knew just how impressive it would be.
We had a view of the falls from our room - even though the Casino cut it in half it was still worth waking up to each morning. The first morning the sun came up in a colourful and stylish way, then the next 2 mornings were a bit grey. It rained quite heavily on our first day then we were lucky to avoid any more.
First afternoon we went out for a walk to get our bearings and get some lunch. We watched the Maid of the Mist make her short journey up stream to the American falls then the Horseshoe falls (Canadian side). It looked worthwhile and we’d been told by all to make sure we did it so next morning we headed out early’ish and put on our lovely blue rain ponchos - provided with our entrance fee - jumped aboard and headed off upstream. The view of the falls from below is even more spectacular. It becomes obvious from below just how much power there is in that water and what a mad bunch those are who have barrelled down the falls in years gone by!
Dear old Annie being the first person to go down the Horsehoe falls in 1901 - dressed in a skirt no less! She was 63 years old, a retired teacher who sought fame and fortune for her old age. Unfortunately neither came her way and she died lonely and penniless in the poor house just 2 years later. But she started a run of adventurers who wanted to do as she had. 15 people went over the falls in various vessels and 10 lived to tell the tale. One mad hatter even did it twice…
Lack of internet...
It's been a challenging few weeks with very sporadic internet access. I don't like it!I've so much to catch up on. so will start here and also back date some ramblings in the future...
We’re on the train from Niagara Falls Ontario to New York, New York.
We arrived at the station this morning and awaited our train which was due to pull in at 10.30. It didn’t get to us until about 11. So we crossed the Niagara river and pulled into Niagara, New York State. Customs then boarded the train and we had our passports processed and another massive delay for some unknown reason. Although the murmurs were all about immigration - lovely happy people that they were.
We finally set off again about 2 hours late. Better late then never I guess. I cracked open the Baileys Irish cream not long after and here I sit now, gone 8pm and almost finished the last drop…
We are now changing engines at Albany and when we get going again we’ll have about 1.5 hours left to go.
We’ve played amazing amounts of Backgammon, Polish Poker and Yatzee, looked for every opportunity for an internet connection, slept (me), played computer games and looked out the window. Now it is pitch black and remarkably boring. The lights are out while the engine is changed.
Niagara and it’s rushing waters are long gone...
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