A New Leader for Britain

Prime Minister Tony Blair handed down the leadership of Britain and the Labor Party on Wednesday after ten years at 10 Downing Street.
Blair was serving his third term since being elected to office by a landslide victory in 1997. His former economic minister, Gordon Brown - a Scotsman at that! - assumed office in a election-less transition. This being a non-election year, Brown secured support from the Labor Party currently in control of Parliament, to install him as Brittain's new Prime Minister.

He inherits the issue of Blair's unpopular support of the US decision to invade Iraq, as well as domestic problems. The next election is in 2010 and the new resident of 10 Downing Street will probably start a long campaign to keep control away from the Conservative Party.

The downfall of all men...

Everyone we spoke to, told us that if we were to go on a cruise, we'd come back at least 5 pounds heavier. Both Marco and I laughed at this but it seems the last laugh was on us. Everywhere I turned, it seemed that there was food, it didn't matter what time of the day it was, whatever you desired, it was there at your fingertips. Who could resist sampling so many of the delightful culinary arts that were before our eyes?

Hanging Out at Night

A Fun Day at Sea

Antigua

Antigua, in my opinion, was on par with St. Thomas. It was absolutely gorgeous and I will forever kick myself that I didn't head Marco's urging to go explore the port area when we arrived. By the 6th day, all the ports were beginning to look similar so I opted to lay out by the pool and relax until the afternoon's snorkeling adventure. What a mistake that was!

Once again, the water of the Caribbean didn't fail and it was the most clear, blue water I've ever seen. Visibility was amazing, the temperature perfect.... The ride to the reef, the largest in the Caribbean, was spectacular. Antigua has more than 360 beaches so this was the perfect island for me! The resorts and houses that lined the coast were amazing and this is one island that I would definately want to return to for a longer period of time.

St Lucia

The morning we arrived to St. Lucia we decided that we'd tour the island with our new found friends. Both Morne and Wendy were superb bargainers and we were able to find a tour guide to give us a tour of the island for $20/ person - talk about a bargain!

The thing that I will remember most about St. Lucia are the roads. For those of us who love the nauseous feeling of your stomach dropping out from you, it was like being on a non-stop roller coaster at Busch Gardens. St. Lucia was gorgeous... once again, this island had more of a tropical rain forest feel to it than a beach vibe. We were able to visit the world's only drive-in volcano. The smells emitting from the vents were enough to put hair on anyone's chest. According to the guide, the large crater in front was caused by a guide who, during one tour when asked about the grounds stability, decided to jump up and down to prove the earth was solid. As he landed, the ground opened up and swallowed him to his chest. I guess that answered the question, no, the ground is not stable. Miraclously, the guide survived, albeit with severe burns, and now resides in a local fishing village.

Barbados

After the communication break-down in Dominica, we decided that in Barbados we should do a "tour", which offered all of the care-free relaxation a no-stress holiday is supposed to have. After careful consideration, we decided that we would do the kayak/ snorkeling with sea turles excursion. Well, true to form, if a company plans the trip for you, it's bound to be hassle-free and smoothly executed.

The water in Barbados was so clear. It's was amazing, as we kayaked through the ocean, we could see all the way to the bottom of the sea floor. It was so beautiful and completely different from what we have here in the Atlantic. My favorite part was just kayaking. I love ocean kayaking, it's so exhilerating! The sea turtles were cool too, but I must admit I felt a bit bad for them. All over the bay there were catamerans and other boats filled with eager tourists wanting to catch a glimps and snorkel with these magnificent creatures. Although the guide did specifically state, don't follow the sea turtles, it was like a congo line stretching as far as the eye could see. Everyone wanted a piece of the turtles!

Once we returned to shore, we decided that we'd tour the islandon our own for the afternoon. Sadly, the scooter shop was closed which meant we were forced to take a cabbie. Our toothless guide was filled with random facts about the island... the country side was beautiful. We visited several sights up in the mountains and the fresh air, cool breeze, and peaceful sway of the trees made for a restful afternoon. Overall, Barbados was probably my 3rd favorite island.

Dominica

Dominica was my least favorite island. Having spent the previous day at such a beautiful island as St. Thomas, Dominica was like eating boxed macaroni after having prime rib the night before. The moment we stepped off the boat the venders swooped down on us, like vultures diving down to their unlucky prey. Everywhere we went, people tugged, pulled, and baggered.

Dominica is not known for its beaches, it's more of a rainforest island. However, we had heard that Champagne Beach had some of the best snorkeling. Not only that, but this beach was highly unusual as it had underwater vents that bubbled up hot water. So, off the beaten track we went, looking for a taxi that would take us to this natural wonder.

Now communication is important in any relationship. When communication lacks or there is an interference with the transmission, communication break-up occurs thus leaving one if not both parties frustrated. As fate would seem fit, this is what happened in Dominica.

Having not vacationed a lot together, I knew at one point, this would come into play, I just didn't expect it so soon. Marco is an incredibly nice guy. He'll never say an ourtright "no", rather he'll use the expression "Oh okay, thanks, we'll get back to you just now"... literally translation I've learned, I'll get back to you within the next decade.

The first and only time I've seen Marco deal with hawking vendors was in Bali when he began to speak Afrikaans and flail his arms like a chicken at them. At that point I didn't know if I should laugh or be horrified... As Marco put it, that is not part of a stress-free vacation and he absolutely detests vendors like that. Looking back, that should have been a clue. After wandering around the streets of Dominica to get a feel, and promising every vendor we met, "we get back to you just now", I was beginning to get a little irate- Just Say No! I mean, that's one of the biggest campaigns we have here in the US...

How were we ever going to make it to the beach? Every driver we spoke with wanted us to do a rainforest tour and were not interested in taking us to Champagne Beach - it's not the local tourist route. At this point, completely frustrated I turned to Marco and said, "Would you stop telling everyone thanks, we'll get back to you just now! I'm feeling like Paris Hilton.... we've got the paparazzi on every corner waiting for us to make a decision because you've promised every cab driver in the area we'll get back to him! Just choose one cabbie and bargain with him."

Well, let's just say that if one person doesn't like hawking vendors, bargaining, and is just trying to be generally polite he or she would not be the person to send to bargain for a taxi ride. As soon as Marco left my side, I realized that was probably not the wisest move. I quickly bargained with a guy for $15 a piece roundtrip for Marco and I to the beach, but alas I was too late. Within a few moments Marco had returned, his face flushed and eyes flashing like I had given him the job from hell.... "Here's your taxi driver, $15 a person we're going with him." Now although I might fail in the communication department from time to time, there are certain looks I understand without words.

Upon arrival to the beach, it turned out our cabbie was charging $15/ person per direction.... $60 poorer, I realized that for that price, we could have done the rainforest tour and stopped off at the beach....

St. Thomas, USVI- June 11,2007

St. Thomas was incredible! I had spoken to Mel before we left and she suggested that we rent a scooter and explore on our own. That sounded perfectly ideal to me so Monday morning Marco and I set off to find a scooter shop. The port was gorgeous and if the view from the deck was any indication, the beaches here were going to be spectacular!

A scooter shop was found, a map given, and off we were to locate Secret Harbor. Well, after an hour we began to realize why Secret Harbor was named so, it truly was "secret". There are approximately 3 main roads with zillions of small roads so getting lost could happen if you're not a good navigator. Therefore, it was quickly decided that I would now navigate and Marco would drive.

I had forgotten how much I detest riding behind Marco on a scooter. When we were dating, I used to think he drove like that, so fearing for my life, I would wrap myself around him. We've been married 2 yrs now, and he still drives like that!

Upon finally finding Secret Harbor, we were ready to spend the day snorkeling and laying out. Wow, the beach was breathtaking! The white sand, crystal water, and shady palms were like something from a magazine. I would have to say it was one of the best beaches I've ever been too. It was probably on par with some of the Thai beaches...

After spending the entire afternoon there, we decided that before we headed back to the ship, we'd scooter around the island a bit and take a "short-cut" through the mountains for some photo ops at the lookout points. So off we zoomed, careening around corners with the wind whipping our hair. The first look-out point was a bit of a dud, the remnants of an old cable car track that used to take tourists up and down the mountain, now hosting a small bar only known to the locals.

The second point was amazing. You could see just about the entire island. After commenting on the view, asking the infamous, "Would you mind taking a picture for us?" and talking with a view other tourists, we checked our watch- 15 minutes till we had to be back to ship. Not a problem, the ship was right below us and it didn't look far to drive. We jumped on our scooter, hit the throttle, and ... nothing. "Try it again," I said. Nothing. Again? Nothing. "Now what?" I asked Marco.

Well, never fear when Marco's near because he always has a plan. After attempting to talk to it, stroke it, kick start it, lay hands and pray over it, Marco turned to me and said, "It's dead." Well, what an amazing revelation- now what? "We ride down the mountain and hope we make it back on time." Somehow these words of comfort, did not quite do the trick. Suddenly images flashed through my mind of a scooter trip taken with my roommate where the same thing had happened to her, or the time Marco and I had taken a day trip into the mountains and his scooter died thus having to push his scooter to the nearest village shop. 3 times a charm...

So off we set. Thankfully the ride home was mostly down hill. I will admit, we looked rather humorous as the red light turned green and we're running with the scooter, "Jump on!" Marco shouted as we began our second descent down into the town. As luck would have it, we coasted into a mechanics shop to jump start the dead weight. That though would be too simple, and scooters cannot be jump started. So, off to a running start again, gain some momentum, and jump on... it was like something from a Bond film really...

2 blocks from the rental shop the road flattened out leaving us no option but to push the bike the rest of the way. As I took our snorkel gear from the bike, I had to laugh, who said this was going to be a stress free vacation?!

San Juan, PR

Okay, so I admit, I was a bit skeptical when Marco first approached me about the idea of a cruise. My mind conjured up a variety of images, none to appealing. The vacation that the love of my life was suggesting was one that I was unaccustomed to. A low stress, no maintenance, married vacation?! One in which I was going to have to trade in my trusted backpack that I've carried now since I was 16, for a suitcase with wheels!?! No hedging through crowded streets, no bargaining for a place to sleep, hot water that was going to be free of charge....

Marco and I have not taken many vacations together, largely due to opposite work schedules and the idea of what constitutes as "fun". However, since this was his idea and an attempt at us going away together, who was I to decline?

The flight to San Juan was uneventful. As we rode through new San Juan, it has an uncanny resemblance to 8th Street, Calle Ocho, here in Miami. It was crowded with the same type of constrution, litter, and vibe. Listening to the Spanish station playing in the background, I didn't think we had actually left Miami. Old San Juan provided greater hope. It's quaint, historic streets, lined with some beautiful homes, began to stir the ever so present eagerness to explore the unknown. I couldn't wait to drop our bags off on the ship and begin to wander the streets.

Unfortunately, check-in took longer than anticipated so by the time we were able to get back off the boat, it was close to dusk, meaning most things would be closing within the hour. Quickly I sprinted past Columbus Square with Marco in tow moaning about the fact that this was vacation and that we were suppose to be meandering, holding hands, enjoying the view... FYI, meandering is for old people, and if I wanted to do so, I would have stayed home and meandered with the rest of the retirees around the lake. San Juan was itching to be explored and I only had until the sun set so please pick up your pace!

Fort San Christobal was neat. I love anything historic and my imagination was able to run wild imagining what it was like to have been a soldier posted there. From the hidden tunnels to the amazing roof views, it was cool to see how the city looked now and to imagine what it was like when the first explorers set foot there. Even Marco enjoyed it!

Afterwards, we meandered throughout the town, exploring all the little side streets, nooks, crannies, and shops. The iron work in the architect was beautiful, the homes so gaily painted, street musicians of all sorts playing on various corners throughout the city... we stumbled upon an outdoor concert and it was so cute to watch all the elderly couples dancing together and enjoying being together... San Juan was definately more than I anticipated and we were off to a great start!

Missing In Action

My humble apologies for the lack of updates recently.

After returning from our fantastic Carribean vacation, everything else that is happening is kindoff an anti-climax. I'm cathing up at the office and also with my MBA course. Well, trying. This next month - while churning out the projects - we're devouring a few Marketing Management textbooks and related case studies, a subject I find truly intriguing and fascinating.

We are also busy switching all of our albums from Yahoo to Picasso, which we find to be more user-friendly and have more functionality and higher quality. Sarah is working on adding all our recent Carribean holiday pics - which I'm not too proud to realise that probably only our parents will check out! However, there are a few stunning shots that I'm sure to post soon.

The New Google Streetmaps!

Google has outdone themselves again with a truly ambitious update of their Google Earth function. Exploring neighborhoods at street level–virtually, is now possible.

Where Google Earth allowed you to zoom in on streetmaps anywhere in the world, in select cities, this new program gives you actual street level views. The pictures are high resolution, allowing you 16x zoom and 360 panning functionality.

It is fascinating and the implications of this technology now available to us commoners boggles the mind. There are, for obvious reasons, also complaints that privacy laws are being violated.
Click on the link below for Google's explanation of this new function:
http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/index.html

Nightmare Plane Ride!

This Trans-Atlantic flight takes the cake!
If you thought YOU've had a bad day, check out the experience of these passengers on Flight 1970, bound from Amsterdam to Newyark:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21943029-1702,00.html

Return from the Carribean!

We're back!

The past week was overwhelming and unforgettable. We daily ate five-star, were treated like kings, were exposed to fantastic Caribbean weather, breathtaking scenery - from mountain peaks to under the sea, and made great friends. We had the time of our lives.

We're setting up a photo album on Picassa and will send the link as soon as it's ready.

Second Honeymoon

It is wickedly late on Saturday night. I've just finished packing.
I'm taking Sarah on a weeklong cruise somewhere South through the Carribean towards Barbados and back. On the way we'll throw anchor at four different island-nations.

It's been a while since I had a proper holiday and we're both looking very much forward to it.
In a few hours we're flying to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we'll meet my brother and climb aboard.

Too much eating, little sleep, and loads of diving and island exploration looming.
Nag ou Grote!

Gas Price Hikes

Gas prices has shot through the roof during the past 4 weeks. While paying under $2.60/gallon in April, the price of gas is now hovering between $3.10 - $3.20/gallon. In the Northwest gas is more than $3.60/gallon.

Ouch!

Media Circus!

Today, in another series of media frenzy and absolute mindboggling absurdness, CBS News and Fox News interrupted their special broadcast from the Pentagon (!!!) to the aerial view of a very large, media-surrounded house, with these words: "She's coming out of the house. Paris Hilton is coming out of the house! She's going to the courthouse!" Ohaaahuu!

If everyone else finds this normal, then I must be certifiable. Well, ....uh... I've just realized that I've dedicated my Blog-space to her now by publishing this... Doh!

Grand Cayman from the Air

Friend Marius send me this stunning picture taken recently of his home, the Grand Cayman Island, just a "stone's throw" South of Miami and the Keys.
He surfs before and after work. Tough life!

We'll be anchored there sometime next week.

SA Optimistic about Future - New Study

Nearly 80% of all South Africans accross the board are much happier now than they were 15 years ago, according to Hennie Kotze, dean of the faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Stellenbosch. He based his statements about the changing values of the different segments of the Republic's population on a worldwide survey that has been done since 1981 by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Germany. (More than 3000 people partook in the survey.)

Ethnicity will be irrelevant to the upcoming young generation fifteen years from now, Kotze said.
Interestingly, comparing these findings with other developing countries with large numbers of very poor people, such as Brazil, South Africa came out on top by a large margin.
Politics came a distant fourth for importance among respondents, compared to a decade ago. Family, friends and leisure were more important.

The only negative mentioned was the courts failure to take tough action against brutal and serious crimes.

About 95% of all respondents were proud to be South African. The middle class has grown by nearly 10% from 1990-2001.
The future looks bright.


To see the Business Report-article go to:
http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?from=rss_&fArticleId=3866923

Paris Hilton in the Slammer

Here in the States relevant news are taking a back seat to sensational gossip, short for RUBBISH.
Splashed over all the covers is that Paris Hilton started her 20-something days prison sentence for DUI. BIG news on Tuesday.
Wednesday's big debate in the media was over whether she'd be allowed to keep her hair extentions on during her prison stay.

We're shaking our heads...

Brittain has David Beckham. Who does SA have?

May the 4th Be With You!

Grappetje.

Capitalism and the Freedom of Choice

Had 'n interessante debat vanaand in ons Ondernemings-Argitektuur-klas (korrekte vertaling?):
Een van die vier boustene van Kapitalisme is dan ook die Vryheid van Keuse wat ons as gebruikers van 'n wye verskeidenheid produkte het - en dit in die VSA, die grootste van die wereld se vryemarkstelsels. Maar die stelling blyk onakuraat te wees in sekere opsigte.

In Florida is daar slegs een elektrisiteits-verskaffer en in die Somer sal jy bars, maar jy sal betaal as kragverbruik styg en die prys verhoog. Geen keuse daar nie.
Daar is geen keuse tussen Florida se verskeie satellietTV-verskaffers (cable) nie en elke area word slegs deur een maatskappy bedien. Geen keuse daar nie.
Die vier groot motorversekeringsagentskappe in Suid-Florida (Florida se versekering is die 2de hoogste in die land.) se premies is almal banaal en die verskil in prys tussen die mededingers is in sente. Ini mini myni moe...
Die stygende petrolprys en die banale mediese versekering-kullery in hierdie staat is 'n dissertasie op sy eie werd.

Vryheid van Keuse blyk dus in vele opsigte bloot 'n illusie te wees.