Dear Diary

Urs, on a scale of one to ten how are the Italian Restaurants in Germany?

Pitter,

I know I'm not Urs, but I've spent a bit of time in Germany. Like many other places around Europe, Italian food is a big hit there. The usual variety of quality for pizza and basic pasta is there, from travesties of Italian dishes to restaurants which provide excellent real Italian food (antipasti, fish, scaloppine, etc.)

If you want a recommendation for Italian food in Berlin, I can give you that!

KP

Dear Diary,

Back in cold London !! When I landed at Heathrow on Sunday morning, it was 2C, and since I was as sunburnt as a bolied lobster, everyone at the airport was staring at me (with envy or amusement, I could not make that out).

But now my skin has started peeling, and I am walking around with a paper bag on my head. And it is bloody painful. And my social life this week will go for a toss !!! Can't be seen out and abt with a face which looks like an egyptian mummy whose wrappings have decayed - can I ???

Jo'burg was great, had a fab time out there, except for the India-Australia cricket match, where we got walloped pretty badly. And I got my sunburn as I was comfortable in the belief that Indians wont get sunburnt (after all, we are so used to the sun) - but I did - and badly, guess I have been living in UK for too long !!! Was sitting in the stadium with abunch of Aussies during the match, and teasing was relentless, but it was all done in good fun. Guess that is why Aussies are my favorite people. But the icing in the cake was when I boarded my flight, and the person sitting next to me was an Aussie, who had been watching the same match in the stadium So I drank too much and went to sleep (so that I could snore loudly) - I got my revenge

On work front, frustraution have set in. Although I did get a pay hike (just enough to buy a better brand of underwear) I did not get any bonus, nor a promotion. My boss tells me that I have now become the highest paid employee of my department (even more than my boss himself), but I told him that this is no benchmark, and I have refused to accept the yearly letter from him. So he is not talking to me these days. I also told him that I will make myself available to other groups just in case there are any interesting vacancies coming up (which I already have ) and I really dont want to work in department which does not value hard work. So have created a bit of a strom here, and I am loving it. Let's hope that the transfer out of UK which I have been gunning for quite sometime now comes through towards the latter part of this year.

My face hurts !!! Next time, I will definately pack a tube of sun cream in my medicine kit, along with other (ahem) things which form such an essential part of a travellers kit

Hugz

Kitchenpete thank you for the italian-food-in-Germany tip. It will be some time yet before I make it to Berlin. I still haven't gotten over the border into Peru or Ecuador.

Dear Diary

Today I visited the Laguna de Sonso Wildlife Reserve with the Eco-Aventura group. I'd wanted to visit this great birdwatching site ever since I heard of it but never knew where the entrance was. The reserve consists of a mixture of wet and dry marsh habitat and stretches along one side of the river Cauca. During some periods of the year it's flooded and access is limited. It's administered by the CVC which is the equivalent of a national Conservation Department and to enter any of their reserves you have to ask permission by fax ahead of time including the names and cedula (id card) numbers of the visitors. This both controls usage (in a place where people aren't very good about following rules) and is a safety measure. The two I've visited in the state of Valle haven't ever had to be closed due to "public order" problems (guerrilla presence).

It was an early start. Ten of us met in Cali at five am and boarded a minibus for the hour long ride to the reserve entrance which comes just after you cross the Cauca river and about fifteen minutes before you get to Buga. There was some dawdling at departure so we reached the entrance at six thirty but it was the ideal hour as the birds were very active and boy were there birds! One of the first we saw right by the gate was the Common Potoo which remains motionless during the day and looks exactly like the tree it's sitting in. I find it's name in Spanish just as amusing as the English one: it's "Bienparado" which translates "well stopped". We continued on through open rangeland containing many shallow pools ideal for wading birds and indeed encountered huge flocks of Whispering Ibis and and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Yellow headed blackbirds were common in tall grass and Spectacled Parrotlets chattered from the trees. Raucous Southern Lapwings shared the shallowest pools with smaller shorebirds. Birds of prey were represented by Yellow Headed Caracaras, Crested Caracaras and Snail Kites among others. Altogether we viewed about thirty species by lunchtime and it was one of my most rewarding birding experiences in Colombia.

Pitter, I completely agree with what Kitchenpete said. Of course, since BigDice works in an Italian restaurant, we look for the real thing in Germany also. And there are really good places.

Dear Diary

Well, I've done it. I've booked my trip to Sweden for midsummer!

I've never been to the northern hemisphere in summer, and, after a rough year, I'm so looking forward to it. I just can't imagine what it's like to have almost 24 hours of daylight. We don't even have twilight here!

I'll probably make a quick trip to the UK (or somewhere!) while I'm there, so as not to wear out my welcome with friends (you know - 3 day rule!)

Wheeeeeeeeee!

margo, Congratulations for taking that important step of booking a trip to Sweden. Some people I know always talk about taking a trip, but never bother to "book" anything! I'm not sure what the handicap is, because I know they have the $$$. c.i.

c.i. - this is my fourth or fifth trip to Sweden, where I have good friends. But the warmongering Bush was making me hesitate.

I don't ever have a problem with the booking - only with the money!

Margo, I was in Sweden once for midsummer. You will have a great time! And the long hours of daylight are really something else. I'm sure you will love it.

Hi Margo ===== Yeah Sweden is a nice place to visit. I liked it when I went there back in the 70s. Stockholm is a good visit, lots to see and do and the forests take your breath away.
Yes you get almost 24 hours of daylight in mid summer. The top end of Scotland is similar.
You have a good trip and I trust your knee is up to the standard.

Hi Margo ===== Yeah Sweden is a nice place to visit. I liked it when I went there back in the 70s. Stockholm is a good visit, lots to see and do and the forests take your breath away.
Yes you get almost 24 hours of daylight in mid summer. The top end of Scotland is similar.
You have a good trip and I trust your knee is up to the standard.

there's another echo in this place or is it a boomerang ??????
or aylienssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

John

My knee's doing jes fine, I think! It's my pocket that's hurting! I haven't seen you on the London meet thread! 20 March looks like the day! (but not for me

Hi Margo ==== yeah Sweden is/can be pricey, at least beer is.

I must check out the London meet, see if I get it together.

If you do get to the UK this summer, let me know & I'll buy you a drink.

London meet? When, where, and how long? c.i.

Here's a link to the thread about the London Meet

Thanks, macsm11, for posting that link.

Gautam and I will be meeting Walter and anyone else who can make it - 20 March is the date. Venue to be determined, but it's and evening thing so no doubt some drinking and eating will be involved!

KP

No problem, Pete. If I can't get to London, perhaps I can help others get there!

"Some" eating and drinking ??? I don't drink in modest propotions <he he he>

John, would be lovely if you can also make it !!! And I will fight with you over who gets to buy margo a drink !!!

Dear Diary,

The face really hurts now. With oodles of skin peeling, I look like a half peeled potato. I am seriously thinking of keeping a paper bag over my head. And as one collegue (unkindly) remarked, my mask is coming off and the real me is about to be exposed.

On the brighter side, looks like we might beat Zimbabwe in today's world cup fixture.