Thursday, August 7, 2008
Let's hope they "unseal" it before the 16th!
Yesterday, leaders of Mauritania’s presidential guard took power from recently-elected leader, President Sidi Mohamed Ould Abdallahi and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf. The presidential palace and the PM’s office were reportedly surrounded by members of the military; both Abdallahi and Waghf were seized. The whereabouts of the president are not yet clear, although it is reported that the PM is being held hostage in army barracks close to the presidential palace. There are also unconfirmed reports that the former interior minister and two other ministers close to Abdallahi have also been seized. While soldiers patrolled the streets of the capital of Nouakchott in armoured vehicles, brandishing machine guns, the mood in the country was said to be calm, with no reports of violence or unrest, apart from one incident in which a group of some 50 supporters of Abdallahi were dispersed by the police with tear gas. However, the military sealed off the international airport in Nouakchott and state television and radio stations were shut down.
Coup in Mauritania
Oh Dear!
Johan phoned me yesterday afternoon, he is living in a tent in a place called A'in bin cilli - when you look at it with Google earth it just shows dark orange - he is right in the middle of the desert. He says every 50 kms or so they might see a camel pottering around but that's all. They are camped near a solitary tree next to the skeleton of a camel... the only water they have is what they could take with them for drinking, it is very hot, over 43 degrees and wind storms come up frequently. Sounds delightful!
And now there has been a coup in the capital, Nouakchott!!!
" This is the second coup which has occurred in Mauritania in the space of three years and is the first coup attempt made during the term of the democratically elected President Abdallahi. He was the first democratically elected leader since independence in 1960, thus the situation threatens the country’s nascent democracy. It is reported that both the president and the prime minister have been held hostage in the vicinity of the presidential palace, but exactly what happens from here is unclear. Those staging this coup are not novices at this game: Aziz was instrumental in bringing down long-time dictator Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya in 2005 and the coup leaders have already formed a "military state council" plus cancelling the nominations made by the president this morning."
Hopefully it will all have resolved itself by the time they come out of the desert in a weeks or so's time!
Johan phoned me yesterday afternoon, he is living in a tent in a place called A'in bin cilli - when you look at it with Google earth it just shows dark orange - he is right in the middle of the desert. He says every 50 kms or so they might see a camel pottering around but that's all. They are camped near a solitary tree next to the skeleton of a camel... the only water they have is what they could take with them for drinking, it is very hot, over 43 degrees and wind storms come up frequently. Sounds delightful!
And now there has been a coup in the capital, Nouakchott!!!
" This is the second coup which has occurred in Mauritania in the space of three years and is the first coup attempt made during the term of the democratically elected President Abdallahi. He was the first democratically elected leader since independence in 1960, thus the situation threatens the country’s nascent democracy. It is reported that both the president and the prime minister have been held hostage in the vicinity of the presidential palace, but exactly what happens from here is unclear. Those staging this coup are not novices at this game: Aziz was instrumental in bringing down long-time dictator Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya in 2005 and the coup leaders have already formed a "military state council" plus cancelling the nominations made by the president this morning."
Hopefully it will all have resolved itself by the time they come out of the desert in a weeks or so's time!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Eish! "johanscarinditchhithorse"
Just the thing for a peacful Sunday evening - an SMS saying your husband is upside down in a ditch!
Johan had left home at about 6.30 (already dark) to go to Meyerton to collect take-aways for supper (lazy wife obviously). On the main road he had suddenly run into 3 horses on the orad - he tried to avoid them by driving onto the verge but right at that particular spot the verge was very narrow and the car rolled sideways over and over down into a steep gully.
Rob & Beth found him - saw a dead horse on the side of the road stopped to look and saw Johan crawling out of the back window of the bakkie (door wedged against a tree trunk and difficult to open when upside down!) - but another person had also seen the horse so then there was Monica come to see what could be done, then the neighbourhood watch people and the police and the owners of the horses and then finally me - with a peppering of other residents who stopped to see what was going on! Johan was completeley fine - just cut his had from the windscreen glass when he opened his safety belt! An absolute miracle.
The owners had recently had their gate repaired but apparently it kept opening and closing of its own accord (electric gate) - need I state the obvious - why were they keeping their horses in the area with a faulty gate? Huh, huh?
Then is was all waiting for the horse to be winched away, waiting for the tow truck etc - and the car is a complete write off so now Johan is back to the old white truck, cardboard window replacement tied on with bright orange baler twine, exhaust has holes in so it sounds like a tractor - Michael is going to be extremely embarrassed when that pitches up to collect him from school! And then there is the form filling in etc etc etc. Yikes.
Johan jetted off to Mauretania last night so at least he doens't need a car for the immediate future while it is all being sorted out!
Johan had left home at about 6.30 (already dark) to go to Meyerton to collect take-aways for supper (lazy wife obviously). On the main road he had suddenly run into 3 horses on the orad - he tried to avoid them by driving onto the verge but right at that particular spot the verge was very narrow and the car rolled sideways over and over down into a steep gully.
Rob & Beth found him - saw a dead horse on the side of the road stopped to look and saw Johan crawling out of the back window of the bakkie (door wedged against a tree trunk and difficult to open when upside down!) - but another person had also seen the horse so then there was Monica come to see what could be done, then the neighbourhood watch people and the police and the owners of the horses and then finally me - with a peppering of other residents who stopped to see what was going on! Johan was completeley fine - just cut his had from the windscreen glass when he opened his safety belt! An absolute miracle.
The owners had recently had their gate repaired but apparently it kept opening and closing of its own accord (electric gate) - need I state the obvious - why were they keeping their horses in the area with a faulty gate? Huh, huh?
Then is was all waiting for the horse to be winched away, waiting for the tow truck etc - and the car is a complete write off so now Johan is back to the old white truck, cardboard window replacement tied on with bright orange baler twine, exhaust has holes in so it sounds like a tractor - Michael is going to be extremely embarrassed when that pitches up to collect him from school! And then there is the form filling in etc etc etc. Yikes.
Johan jetted off to Mauretania last night so at least he doens't need a car for the immediate future while it is all being sorted out!
Friday, July 25, 2008
I'm back!
Hi Everyone
Many thanks for the condolences received from "my readers"
Back in sunny SA with so much news to catch up on I don't know where to start!
Egypt, UK etc but I think I'd better start with everyday life and recap when I can, otherwise I'll be stymied and never get going again!
Well, we got back on Mon 14th July after an exhausting trip - we hit the first snag at Manchester airport - all our luggage was overweight and we had too much and too heavy hand luggage - crisis! We were sitting on the floor opening suitcases, chucking stuff into the dustbin and trundling back and forth weighing, weighing and reweighing! Still too much, whatever we did!
In the end I asked Johan to go to the Emirates Customer service desk and ask whether we could leave a bag there for a friend to pick up - no problem - in fact there is a desk specifically for that where you pay 5 gbp and they keep it for someone to collect - why didn't they tell us that at checkin so that we could have avoided all this trauma!!
So, we arranegd for John to collect it the next day and then we will get it some day! So off we went - still straining at the shoulders with the hand luggage but it was allowed! The only really bad effect of the repacking was a stained glass lamp (which had been very carefully packed originally ) but got squashed in the resultant scramble and ended up very badly cracked - Emirates - you owe me!
The Emirates flights are very good - excellent entertainment channels but it just drags the whole journey out for so long - almost 8 hours to Dubai, sit around there for 5 hours and then another 8 hours to Joburg - very draining so one has to consider whether the money saving is really worth it when you end up as a limp rag at the end of it!
Good to be home but we have arrived to find a war situation in our area. There were 3 housebreakings just before we arrived home and then 2 days after we were there (Johan away again already) there were 3 break- ins in one night - and one involved the shooting of my neighbour! The night before the dogs had barked incessantly and I had phoned Fred and Clay, got the armed response people out and finally the police - who went to Plot 7 and told them to shut their dogs up! In hindsight it seems as though the baddies may have been "casing the joint"
Anyway, some men broke in to Plot 2 at 11.30 in the evening and shot L. She was shot through the liver and the bullet went out of her back. V phoned me to ask me to phone the police and an ambulance which I did - as did C at plot 1. So in the end they had 3 ambulances arrive - but better 3 than none! As I said on the same night there were 3 incidences so we really are in a state of war and the neighbourhood is mobilising patrols etc. The night after the shooting we had a 24 hour guard at Plot 2, 6 plain clothed policemen lurking in the field opposite and when C went home he was followed by a car with 2 guys with machine guns who wanted to know who he was and what he was doing - so lets hope the baddies run away (although we would rather they got caught!)!
So, its been very exciting since we got back! Will fill you in on all the rest as I get a chance!
Bye for now
Di
Many thanks for the condolences received from "my readers"
Back in sunny SA with so much news to catch up on I don't know where to start!
Egypt, UK etc but I think I'd better start with everyday life and recap when I can, otherwise I'll be stymied and never get going again!
Well, we got back on Mon 14th July after an exhausting trip - we hit the first snag at Manchester airport - all our luggage was overweight and we had too much and too heavy hand luggage - crisis! We were sitting on the floor opening suitcases, chucking stuff into the dustbin and trundling back and forth weighing, weighing and reweighing! Still too much, whatever we did!
In the end I asked Johan to go to the Emirates Customer service desk and ask whether we could leave a bag there for a friend to pick up - no problem - in fact there is a desk specifically for that where you pay 5 gbp and they keep it for someone to collect - why didn't they tell us that at checkin so that we could have avoided all this trauma!!
So, we arranegd for John to collect it the next day and then we will get it some day! So off we went - still straining at the shoulders with the hand luggage but it was allowed! The only really bad effect of the repacking was a stained glass lamp (which had been very carefully packed originally ) but got squashed in the resultant scramble and ended up very badly cracked - Emirates - you owe me!
The Emirates flights are very good - excellent entertainment channels but it just drags the whole journey out for so long - almost 8 hours to Dubai, sit around there for 5 hours and then another 8 hours to Joburg - very draining so one has to consider whether the money saving is really worth it when you end up as a limp rag at the end of it!
Good to be home but we have arrived to find a war situation in our area. There were 3 housebreakings just before we arrived home and then 2 days after we were there (Johan away again already) there were 3 break- ins in one night - and one involved the shooting of my neighbour! The night before the dogs had barked incessantly and I had phoned Fred and Clay, got the armed response people out and finally the police - who went to Plot 7 and told them to shut their dogs up! In hindsight it seems as though the baddies may have been "casing the joint"
Anyway, some men broke in to Plot 2 at 11.30 in the evening and shot L. She was shot through the liver and the bullet went out of her back. V phoned me to ask me to phone the police and an ambulance which I did - as did C at plot 1. So in the end they had 3 ambulances arrive - but better 3 than none! As I said on the same night there were 3 incidences so we really are in a state of war and the neighbourhood is mobilising patrols etc. The night after the shooting we had a 24 hour guard at Plot 2, 6 plain clothed policemen lurking in the field opposite and when C went home he was followed by a car with 2 guys with machine guns who wanted to know who he was and what he was doing - so lets hope the baddies run away (although we would rather they got caught!)!
So, its been very exciting since we got back! Will fill you in on all the rest as I get a chance!
Bye for now
Di
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Off to Egypt! Bus comes in an hour! Whheeee!
Very excited!!! Have decided I'm going to look for a camel saddle blanket when I get there - those made of carpet - so have packed my small case which holds all my clothes and then put the small case into the big case - so I have room for my camel stuff!
We have a wonderful itinerary awaiting us!
29 May 18h45 Check in at the Egypt Air Counters at Johannesburg International Airport 21 h45 Depart Johannesburg on flight MS 840
30 May 06h45 Arrive Cairo airport, meet your Emeco representative who will assist you through passport control and transfer you to the
Ramses Hilton Hotel 1115 Corniche EI Nile Cairo
Tel: 20-2-2577 7444 Fax: 20-2-2575 2942
10h35 You will be collected from the hotel for a Half Day tour of the Citadel, Mosque and Bazaar including lunch at a Local restaurant
15h30 You will be returned to the hotel
19h30 You will be collected from the hotel for your Sound and Light show at the Pyramids
You will be transferred for dinner aboard a Felucca
31 May 06h30 You will be collected from the hotel for a Full Day tour to Alexandria including lunch
20hOO You will be returned to the hotel
Dinner at the Ramses Hilton hotel
01 June 09hOO You will be collected from the hotel for a Full Day Tour to the Cairo Museum Pyramids and Sphinx including lunch at a Local restaurant
16hOO You will be returned to the hotel
20hOO Traditional dinner at a Felela restaurant
.
02 June
Check out from the hotel after breakfast.
10hOO You will be collected from the Hotel for a Half Day Tour to Memphis and Sakkara including lunch at a Local restaurant
15hOO You will be returned to the Hotel where you will have the afternoon free to explore local shops or relax at the Pool.
19hOO You will be collected from the Hotel for a Nile Cruise dinner 22hOO Transfer to the airport for your International flight
03 June 02h40 Depart Cairo on flight MS 839
09h40 Arrive at OR Tambo International Airport - and back to a full days work!
Need my energy pills for this one!
We have a wonderful itinerary awaiting us!
29 May 18h45 Check in at the Egypt Air Counters at Johannesburg International Airport 21 h45 Depart Johannesburg on flight MS 840
30 May 06h45 Arrive Cairo airport, meet your Emeco representative who will assist you through passport control and transfer you to the
Ramses Hilton Hotel 1115 Corniche EI Nile Cairo
Tel: 20-2-2577 7444 Fax: 20-2-2575 2942
10h35 You will be collected from the hotel for a Half Day tour of the Citadel, Mosque and Bazaar including lunch at a Local restaurant
15h30 You will be returned to the hotel
19h30 You will be collected from the hotel for your Sound and Light show at the Pyramids
You will be transferred for dinner aboard a Felucca
31 May 06h30 You will be collected from the hotel for a Full Day tour to Alexandria including lunch
20hOO You will be returned to the hotel
Dinner at the Ramses Hilton hotel
01 June 09hOO You will be collected from the hotel for a Full Day Tour to the Cairo Museum Pyramids and Sphinx including lunch at a Local restaurant
16hOO You will be returned to the hotel
20hOO Traditional dinner at a Felela restaurant
.
02 June
Check out from the hotel after breakfast.
10hOO You will be collected from the Hotel for a Half Day Tour to Memphis and Sakkara including lunch at a Local restaurant
15hOO You will be returned to the Hotel where you will have the afternoon free to explore local shops or relax at the Pool.
19hOO You will be collected from the Hotel for a Nile Cruise dinner 22hOO Transfer to the airport for your International flight
03 June 02h40 Depart Cairo on flight MS 839
09h40 Arrive at OR Tambo International Airport - and back to a full days work!
Need my energy pills for this one!
..And a piggy stole from the shed
" It'd hold eight kids 'n' four hound dogs and a piggy we stole from the shed
We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun on Grandma's feather bed "
Well we swopped the pig for a cat and were lacking a couple of kids but I think we made a fair approximation of John Denvers memories! The lyric definitely did spring to mind the other night!
In the middle - Samantha - with Biggles (dog) lying across the top of her head
On left side of Sam was Johan
On the left side of Johan, was Frodo (dog)
On the right side of Sam - Me
On my feet - Leo (cat)
Curled behind my knees - Taffy (dog)
At Johans feet - Jenny (dog)
And it is just a normal double bed - a very full one!
We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun on Grandma's feather bed "
Well we swopped the pig for a cat and were lacking a couple of kids but I think we made a fair approximation of John Denvers memories! The lyric definitely did spring to mind the other night!
In the middle - Samantha - with Biggles (dog) lying across the top of her head
On left side of Sam was Johan
On the left side of Johan, was Frodo (dog)
On the right side of Sam - Me
On my feet - Leo (cat)
Curled behind my knees - Taffy (dog)
At Johans feet - Jenny (dog)
And it is just a normal double bed - a very full one!
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