Cape Town

These are photos from our trip to Cape Town.
toto je cvicny text, abycho overila, jestli se tady da nebo neda neco psat...

Renovations

Being new in foreign country is not a winning price when you want to renovate your house. I was happy I could barely drive, given the fact that we drive on the different side back home. And boy, did I get lost often!!
Anyway the renovation requires lot more than that. One needs the right workers, the right materials, the right ideas etc. For that we have hired Carmen. It was her idea to knock down the walls and thanks to her, we have very beautiful house today!

This is how it looked during the renovations.

This is Carmen, Ian and Nico.

Clive's accident

Talking about accidents. On a different skiing trip in Austria, just before we moved back to SA, Ian’s brother Clive has tore his ligament. Luckily this time we had our own personal physio with us. This trip was a full family one: Colleen, Clive, Britt, Haydn, Ian and me.

So far we believe it was the best skiing resort we have ever been to. But this year we are planning to visit Verbier and there is a lot to be said about Switzerland hospitality.

Here Clive is icing his sore leg.

Ian in blue, Britt in yellow and Cols in white.

Skiing

I was looking through our photos and I have found these old ones from holiday in Austria, where Haydn has broke his colar bone. What a fine photos!

Haydn's colar bone still in one piece.

And here, Haydn perfectly strapped by and austrian specialist! :)

Walking safari in Ingala

To be able to walk whole day in the open game reserve is one of my best experiences from Africa.
Both Ian and I have enjoyed this trip to Ingala. We had fantastic game ranger, who was like a book. The food was delicious and as a bonus we were sleeping in tens – Ian’s dream.
At this trip I have discovered that I will never come to liking rusks!

http://www.ringo.com/photos/album.html?albumId=38457690

http://www.ringo.com/photos/private/photo.html?photoId=98483509

New House

On 13 of April 2006 we have bought our house.

This is how it looked the day we visited it for a first time.

http://www.ringo.com/photos/album.html?albumId=38473055

At first we thought we would just move in and use the house as it is. But after few weeks the decision has changed and we have started changing bit by bit the whole house. Till today we are not finished with all the reconstructions.

This is one of the major changes done. We have knocked down the joining wall between TV room and living room. There were doubts, Haydn was even angry with us for it, but the final look is fantastic.

before - the wall that you are looking at does not exist any more today

Matekula - Fishing

Anne has invited us to spend a weekend at her cottage in Matekula. And what a lovely weekend it was!
This was my first time I met Anne. During the first half an hour I got profiled based on random questions about my family. One has to admire Anne for her relentless interest in people. I do.
We also met Anne’s little angels, with which we would in future spend a lot more holiday.
Till today I cannot forget the dream like bedroom with fireplace next to bed. It would be my top 10 experiences to fall asleep with fire cracking wood.
Ian had a chance to fish a little. Check it out.



More photos here: http://www.ringo.com/photos/album/photo.html?photoId=127271133&albumId=39457765

Botswana, Tuli Nature Reserve

This was my first ever visit to Botswana. For a moment I doubted that I will get visa, but eventually after piles of paper work and couple hours at the Botswana embassy we met with very nice lady, who found me trustworthy enough to grand me 14 days visa. :)

For more photos click on this link: http://www.ringo.com/photos/album.html?albumId=39458619

Ulalapa

Friends of Dougleses have invited us to spedn a week at their share house in Ulalapa.

Ian has just bought his new camera - beloved Sony H5. It turned out to be a hit of the holiday. Two more guys have bought the exact same model after we have returned. :))

It was a nice bunch of people.

Ian unfortunately had to fly to work for one day.

Tladi lodge

Life would have been very different if we haven’t meet Ian and Sylvia, the friendly owners of Tladi lodge in Johannesburg.
They always had an ear for us over the evening beer, when we were startled over the situation in JNB.
They looked after us for a sensitive period and it was done with the most generosity.
We owe them big thankyou!

This is our little chalet in Tladi.

and here is a picture of our room.

Arrival

We have moved to SA in April 2006 and since then we didn’t have time to stop and think about all the things that have happened. Life is suddenly like a roller-coaster.
After few months at the Tladi lodge we have moved into our new house in Duxberry. There is a fun story about that purchase, which you must ask Ian to tell you, but all said and done, we were very lucky. Although one could argue that after many months of living in an apartment in Budapest without electricity, gas or hot water anything is a step forward.

Ian loves his new job and he loves to be reunited with his family. For those who know him I do not have to say that he loves to be back home.
Since the first weeks he was busy planning our many trips to the bush, recently even camping in the wilderness. I recon there was a hidden plan to make me fall in love with the country.

He must have succeeded. J There is a lot to be said about this country. For a foreigner like me it is a never-ending quest to understand and learn ways to adapt.
I have lots to learn about the spirit of this country, but that is one of the reasons why I enjoy being here.

Lets walk through some of the events that have happened to us.

Introduction

Looking around on internet we were forced to admit that our web needed an update. We starting our site again from the scratch, so forgive us, if there is not much yet.
Radka & Ian