"YABBER-LINER" - ALL ABOARD

Hiya verbivore, can't offer you elephant rides, but happy to show you, kangaroos, emus and koalas. We even have a chocolate factory in the Adelaide Hills open to the public Is this enough to entice you downunder?

I do hope the news from the Brits is good and your application is successful. Looking really forward to Bazzas pictures. Ciao.

One mountain view is pretty much like another, and with that in mind.....I can comply (and one never likes to disappoint a lady) but if you wait for a bit, the cabin boy took 100 times more photos than I, and she's been so busy since we got back that there has been no time to download her snaps. Wooden chalets, flower-bedecked balconies, me on a Segway, memories of Salzburg, and much more besides. But her camera is in London with her right now.

Fabulous pictures McTag, thank you for sharing them with us. Have been all over Germany as I have many reletavis there but never made it to Austria. Not ever likely to happen at this stage of my life. Visiting our local hills is about as high I can get.

Grand pictures McTag.

Afternoon Crew

Thanks POMcT - loving the Austrian pics... so beautiful - I'm almost breaking into a llalallalllaaaaaaa Sound of Music

BEAgle - another poke in the eye a? Nasty 'ole business - makes me squirm even to think about a needle near the eye - glad MrsB is taking good care of you and that you can eat a hearty dinner. Do take care D. x

Bazza - hope you have slept some. x

AlexChap - good to see you, hoping you are well and happy and all is good in your part of the world. Do you have any travel plans coming up. ((Alex)) x

(((Missy)))(((Blue))) xox xx


Am still unwell here and fatigue is crippling me - my blood tests show i'm in an active flare with my ESR greatly elevated (which is unusual for me, even when i feel ack my bloods don't usually elevate too much) but i kinda knew there was something more than usual going on to take me out like it has - other blood tests aren't back yet but there's not a lot I or the doc can do other than wait it out, which could be a day, a week, a month - who knows, (unless my LFTs are out in which case they will have to do something with me then) - having to sleep just a few hours after I get up and have cranky swollen joints, then rest again... blech. Still intending on going to London town and may need to visit FQ as there's a lot going on... just need to figure out the best way of doing it.

and hey, at least i managed to do my hall and stairs before it really took hold

Boys have been good as gold as always - I think they have just planned to go back over to Tulips this evening - they've pretty much spent the entire holiday together which is lovely - they giggle like girlies all the time

Waiting on some phone calls now - gonna have a look around the board.

x

Flareups must be awful for you, Izzie. At least we can look at the nice photos McTag provided. I am also looking forward to more Verbivore and Barry photos.

Hey crew,still a bit jet lagged and have spent ages "sorting" pics so better get started....
Departed London Heathrow on one of these....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8DBzMN3Kio

Arrived in the very early morning so slept in a bit,then ventured out on the streets around the Hotel....



Street kids



Having a cuppa tea under a tree





The streets aint that clean....

This was a crows breakfast before I disturbed it


Folks living on the street under plastic sheeting (and they're the lucky ones!)....


This guy had one good arm and leg.What remained of his other leg was tucked under his body and wrapped in a plastic bin liner....

He was passing a place he could not afford

More later.

London has it's Marble Arch,Paris has it's Arc De Triomphe,Mumbai has it's Gateway To India....





And close bye is the Taj Mahal Hotel (which serves a very nice cold beer )....




Flowers


Wild flowers

Erk, Captain, sympathies. Does not sound too good.

Got the cabin boy back, we are talking about practicalities/ possibilities for the weekend in London. I must contact the Harbourmaster soonish.

Bazzzzzzzza - great job - hunni, phone me asap.... if you're still up, call me now... little change of plan.


McT - have sent PM re numbers... will ring you tomorrow OK

Hoping all works out for us to meet up on Saturday...




MaMaVerby - HOW DARN GORGEOUS ARE YOU????????? Love your pics. Penny was very clever.



FQ - love you soul sis - love you so much. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Okay, the McTags are good to go.

My, what a busy week.

YAY

Morning crew, how nice to wake up to a series of interesting and beautiful pictures from another part of our a2k world, thanks Harbourmaster you've done well.

Looks like you have a great weekend coming up Izzie, hope it works out well and you're feeling ok. Keep smiling. xxx

Hi crew,here's some more India pics.
Before leaving the UK,I booked a private tour of the city but with a street level point of view.
A great place to get some tea.The guy in the striped shirt is Amish,my guide and now a friend.He has to get married by the end of the year so ladies,I have his number if you're interested


or,if you prefer some sugar cane juice


Styled to look and sound like Big Ben.It chimes exactly the same every quarter but plays a different tune every hour


We jumped on a number 123 bus



and got off here


because a very famous man lived there




then a stroll through the market



We then rode the train....



....to see the biggest human washing machine in the world






Onto C.S.Station

where all the carriages are clearly marked


My thanks goes out to Mr Amish Sheth for his knowledge and friendship....
http://mumbaimoments.com/

Hiya Harbourmaster, fabulous shots, thoroughly enjoyed them. Good to see how other people live, basically all the same but presented in differents forms. Take the market for instance, same food I can buy at our market except it is differently displayed. Anymore of verbivore and husband?

Got an early flight from Mumbai to Kochi (around 1000 miles) to meet up with two very special people,Verbs and her hubby Eby,who did all the driving.We drove for ages in air conditioned comfort to a village where a Harvest celebration was about to take place.


Thousands of people lined the street.Eby made a couple of phone calls and got us up on top of a flat roof for a better view.

Verbs with two of Eby's Aunties


The parade was lead by these magnificent Jumbos



Followed by a cast of thousands







Eby,Verbs and two of Eby's Aunties,whose roof we were standing on


Time for some lunch


Back into the car for a drive to Jew Town and a mooch around the shops



This reminded me of the London jumbos.About the same size to


Then onto a show



We then drove onto a tiny little ferry and on to the hotel for an overnight stay.So ended a very special day in my life.Unforgettable.I loved every second!

Harbourmaster you must have read my mind. LOL. Another series of fabulous photos nicluding our beautiful verbivore and her handsome husband. I would imagine this parade with a cast of thousands must have been quite spectacular and something you'll remember forever. I can't get over the size of those magnificent elephants, unbelievable. Once again thank you for sharing your memories with us, it is greatly appreciated.

Verbs and Eby collected me at 05:30 for what turned out to be a drive up the mountains to a tea plantation and nature reserve.Here's a few sights along the way.

I must remember that exiting an aircon'd car into the heat causes condensation


A quick wipe soon got things sorted



Came across this little fella,only three and a half years old



Oops,photos missing Back when i've found them.

Panic over.Photobucket playing with me.Where were we?



We had a very long wait for the bus to get to the nature reserve.We were nearly at the front of the queue when a party of 8 yanks arrived and tried to push in at the front.I was NOT having this so I had a word! "But we've paid more than you to get in so we're entitled to go in front!" was a lady's reply.That was a red rag to a bull! "Look here" I said "I'm a Brit and your a Yank.We have a special understanding between our two countries.Here is that understanding.If you're gonna push in,you DO NOT push in in front of me and my party!" "But we've paid more" she replied."That's your fault.Next time get a travel agent who knows the cost of entry.Now get to the back of the queue like the rest of us had to!" They shuffled off,never to be seen again.


Still pictures cannot do the beautiful scenery justice but movie cameras are not allowed



Eby said we had to spot an extinct breed of goat.Doesn't look very extinct to me!


Drove back down the mountain to the place where we saw the baby elephant.This time he had a friend.Her name is Laxmi.Elephant ride time!



Then it was one mad dash to get me to the airport for the return trip to Mumbai.Only thing is the heavens opened.I have never seen it rain this hard ever.Just like driving through a waterfall,and we were doing 80mph! .
Got there just in time and we quickly said our goodbyes.Off they drove and into the terminal I went,only to find that the flight had been canceled due to bad weather! The airline arranged a hotel room for me.I phoned Verbs and Eby,told them of my plight,and they returned to the Hotel where we spent a very relaxed couple of hours chatting.I left Kochi 11:20 the following morning.
Never seen an airport waiting lounge like this before....

Arrived in Mumbai with just enough time for a quick bit of retail therapy (shopping!).

Huge thanks to Verbs and Eby for making my brief stay with them sooooooo memorable.They went above and beyond the call of duty! I love them dearly.

Baz, I think you must be my doppelganger.

When I went to India, I went to Mumbai and Kochi, same as you, and when I was on the ferry at the weekend, I had your same conversation with a French family who were trying to push into the breakfast queue!
A man after my own heart,

Still, the Indians are not too great at queuing either. You need sharp elbows at the railway station tickets line.

Good man, keep them pictures rolling.