Battles That Shaped South Africa – Blood River. All the battles that decided the shape of modern South Africa took place within fifty miles of each other in what is now KwaZulu-Natal but was once Zululand. In 1838 the Boers def. Zulus and in 1879 the British def. Zulus. Like Wimbledon, the winners of the …
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African elephants are losing two battles – against Africans for their habitat and against the Chinese for their ivory. The numbers are truly staggering. When the white man started to “explore” Africa, there were reckoned to be 25 million elephants on the continent. There are now less than half a million. That’s 2% of their …
Kruger National Park. Kruger is one of the largest game preserves in Africa, a huge home to a lot of threatened species, and an overwhelming experience to drive around and see these beautiful creatures in their natural environment. But, compared to the vastness of the continent, Kruger is a postage stamp of protection for its …
March 2014. So this is the plan for the next couple of weeks. A motorbike loop with Ayres Adventures around the eastern half of South Africa along the Drakensberg Mountains, with stops in a few historical sites from the Boer and Zulu Wars, a day in Kruger National Park with a long lens, quick run …
Instructions for British Servicemen in France 1944 – Could easily be titled Instructions for British Tourists in France 2014. What a delightful and touching document. This little book was provided to each invading soldier and was, according to the Daily Express, “the gentlest and most human article the soldier carries to the wars”. The pamphlet …
Every motorbike in India has a chrome rack on the left side – Not because all Indian bikers put their luggage on the left side but because all Indian ladies sit sideways. This is the only way to ride for ladies wearing a sari and they do not want them tangled up in the wheel, …
India Bike Week 2014 – When we arranged this little vacation in Goa, we were planning on enjoying sea, sand, seafood, and yoga. As we left the airport, however, the first big billboard we saw was advertising India Bike Week – The Woodstock of Bike Festivals. Despite the hyperbole, how could I not go? Everything …
BHV – The Last Real Department Store Every homeowner in Paris eventually learns to love the Bazar de l’Hotel de Ville (BHV pronounced Bay-Ash-Vay) It is a complete and comprehensive department store where you can buy everything from appliances, to underwear, to soap, to glassware, to luggage, to you name it. Want to get a …
Big Kids and Little Kids in Paris – Walking in Paris on Christmas Day. On Blvd Haussmann walking past Les Grands Magasins with their window displays with good old-fashioned puppets operated by pulleys and strings – maybe these kids are marveling at something that is not operated by a touch screen – and sponsored by …
Living in Paris seems like living in a village because of the street markets. There are almost a hundred markets across Paris that are setup and taken away several times a week and shopping there is a huge part of the essential life of a Parisian. People know the oyster guy and that his oysters …
Colin's Travel Journal 