So I discovered a little Turkish restaurant this week too and had a really nice meze plate. Lots of little dollops and parcels of deliciousness. I love Mediterranean-middle Eastern cooking, so I’m not sure how I’ve been managing to walk past and not see it before now!

It’s pretty cold here this morning. There’s a grass frost! I know we’ll get more nice weather before winter, but my summer of skipping out at 6.30am in t-shirt and shorts to do the chooks is well and truly over. Next stop thermals and comfort food ☹️ And suddenly that early morning walk before walk doesn’t look quite so appealing…

Have a great trip Amazon!

Hi Fast Trackers and Hello World (You All know Who You ARE) 😉
A man to a psychiatrist: “How do you select who should be admitted to your facility?”

The psychiatrist replies: “We fill a bathtub with water and give the person a spoon, a cup and a bucket. Then we ask that person to empty the bathtub.”

The man smiles: “Ah, I understand, if you are sane you would take the bucket.”

The Psychiatrist replies: “No, a sane guy pulls the plug. Do you want a room with or without a balcony?”

• Have A Happy Weekend All You beautiful Losers 😆

Peace RT

Or if you’re sane you’re a lateral thinker?!

Until I got to the plug part I was thinking the quickest way to displace the water would be to sit in the bath 😀

Yes, I had thought of that P! Gone are the days when I could pull the plug to empty the bath… then stand up and release a tidal wave of water from behind me!

But in the context of the Friday funny we don’t know how big the ‘man’ is! He might displace a lot of water.

Also, if the bath was full to the brim, then even a small person immersing themselves would more quickly remove water than you could with a bucket….

But perhaps the same person wouldn’t just pull the plug and be done with it. Maybe admission to the facility would be preferable to the alternative (you’re homeless, it’s winter; there’s a mad axeman outside). In that scenario, the insane ones would be the ones that pulled the plug….

And poor RT thought it was just a simple joke!!! 🤣🤣😃P

Very good point Happy!!
That’s why sane people don’t eat every bit of food put in front of them, too. P

Oh, RT!!! And I was feeling sorry for you.
Good fast yesterday. Eating strawberries today to support the poor farmers. Not a difficult task 😊😋

The point is, Barata, all you have to do is slice the strawberries to ensure they have not been tampered with.
I bought 6 punnets and cooked up a storm for the family. 😄

we live in a world of crazy things with simple solutions we have bought up the reduced stock gleefully rather than waste good fresh food of course cut the fruit in half and problem is solved and businesses can survive jobs saved and futures secured going forward. Recent reports suggest its the consumer now tampering with product on the shelf’s of supermarkets,what the hell is happening to society very worrying times.

Congratulations to Collingwood winning their way into a Grand Final last night as the underdog it was a powerful performance Nama would be well pleased.Today Melbourne v West Coast I hope for a Melbourne victory which will be a big task over in Perth best of luck to both clubs I have a son who follow Melbourne another who follows the Pies and yet another who is West Coast so 2 out of 3 will be happy they made the Grand Final but only one can claim the championship.. I made a Big Fat Greek Salad last night tp have with some char grilled lamb loin chops with a cauliflower broccoli mash with butter and Parmesan and a hint of garlic and fresh ground black pepper gosh it was orgasmic…..Keep on keeping on Dear reader.
Peace RT

Hi Nana,

Great to hear from you again!

Should we start another thread ‘Keep Fasting (without Jo)’ ?!

Or perhaps more aptly, Amazon’s fasting warriors?!

Jo, you are suffering from benign paroxsmal positional vertigo (BPPV) which can be reversed with the Epley maneuver. Google it, then talk to your doctor. It can be done by anyone, following instructions. Drugs will not overcome it. I spent years and years to find this out.

The relief is incredible. BPPV, if untreated can become extremely debilitating.
My fee is in the mail. 😉😉
P

Yes, Jo, it sounds as if you had a very mild episode. The Epley maneuver, done properly, needs someone else to move your body. It isn’t an exercise, it is a one off movement, performed to move the granules in your inner ear that cause the vertigo. Full blown BPPV results in the inability to move without having to grab hold of something to stop yourself from apparently spinning out of control and/or vomitting. Rolling over, when lying down, causes the bed to roll back and over. Very scary out of control feeling. I had it on and off for years. Only get it very occassionally these days and know how to fix it. My dad used to get vertigo too. Not fun, but controllable with knowledge 😊
How is the fasting going? We still do it twice weekly to stay at our healthy goal weights. It is far too easy to slip back without it.
Cheers P

Hi everyone,

I’m home, exhausted but very happy after a fabulous trip with a great group of people and an excellent team of tour leader and driver/assistant.
We had so much fun 🤩

My main reason for going was to see wild dogs and we had a good sighting of a pack on day 3 which made all of us very happy indeed including the tour leader who hadn’t seen any this year until he spotted them lying under a tree by the side of the road and we screeched to a halt, reversed back down the road and spent 10 wonderful minutes watching them and pinching ourselves in disbelief.
I’ll write a proper account of my trip when I’m over being cream crackered 😉

I ate more than usual but didn’t go mad and skipped either breakfast or lunch most days.
The less said about the amount of alcohol consumed the better 😆

I’ve not weighed myself yet but I’m sure I must have gained a few lbs which I aim to get rid of asap. Having said that my clothes weren’t any tighter at the end of the holiday than the beginning.

I arrived home just after 8am this morning. I’ve had a nap, done the washing and been out to restock the fridge.

A nice healthy dinner, a hot bath and an early night are on the agenda.

Fasting starts again tomorrow.

Have a good one everybody 😜

Welcome home Amazon. I’m sure you’ve had a wonderful trip. Sleep well. P

Morning/evening all.

I had a good 12 hour sleep last night but am feeling under par this morning as for the past 2 or 3 days I’ve been trying to pretend that I wasn’t developing a cold! I’m now coughing for England 🤬
It could be worse though as several of the group succumbed to stomach bugs during the tour. I avoided it by thoroughly sterilising my system with copious amounts of alcohol 😉 but it didn’t stop the cold/cough which I think might be partly due to the wind chill factor from being out in an open vehicle on very cold mornings before the sun was up and the amount of dust inhaled.
So no gym for me this morning as I’ve decided to stay home and look after myself. I’m going to make some soup to keep me going but stay within my FD calorie allowance.

It’s very autumnal here this morning but the sun is out and the sky is blue.

Have a good one everybody 😜

Jo,

Pain in the back, knees and hips sounds like a back problem with referred pain into the joints and/or arthritis or RSI due to something you do regularly. Maybe bowling????

It might be a good idea to start an exercise/pain diary in order to identify the cause of the problem and then look into the best exercise to do in order to be fit and flexible without causing pain and ultimately permanent damage to your body.

I hope you are able to work out the cause soon as this seems to have been going on for quite some time and having had numerous back issues over the years I understand how debilitating and depressing such issues can be.

I had a sore hip for one day during my holiday which I think was caused by twisting my leg the previous day on very rocky and uneven ground while trekking through the bush. Apart from that I had no problems at all and considering I slept in so many different beds, including a camp bed and spent a lot of time climbing in and out of game viewing vehicles plus a lot of bush walking I’m very pleased.

RT, I do know that with Mr P, if he forgets to do his blood test ffandiurst thing and has a black coffee first, his blood sugar result will be slightly elevated. Supposedly even thinking about food can cause insulin spikes too.
If I know I won’t last the full 24 hours fasting (purely a state of mind, not real hunger), I’ll opt for a small bowl of barely cooked oats and unsweetened yoghurt these days. I figure it is much better than throwing the baby out with the bathwater!
Looking back on the original premise of 5:2…eat 500 cals 2 days, and whatever you like on the others…I think we all know that is neither healthy or sustainable. Change needs to be total. P

Yes. It is so important for us all to be sensitive to our own bodily needs. I think sugar and junk foods severely impede that self awareness. P

Morning/evening all,

Another fine morning albeit cooler than it has been. Autumn is definitely here.

I’m still suffering from this cold and cough and have only managed one FD this week and I’m aiming to make today the second.

Botswana and Zimbabwe

I arrived in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe on Sunday lunchtime. We were met by our tour leader Rowan and his assistant Sofisu. We drove across the border into Botswana and arrived at our first stop mid afternoon.
We stayed in a very comfortable lodge with cabins set in a beautiful garden. There was a poolside bar and a restaurant and we had time to relax, swim and recover from our flights.
We were up very early the following morning for a game drive in Chobe National Park which was a 20 minute drive from the lodge. We spent most of the morning in the park and saw a lot of animals including a pride of lions.

I had camped in Chobe 14 years ago and some of the landscape was very familiar to me and brought back happy memories of my previous visit.

We returned to the lodge for a late breakfast and lunch was available an hour or so later for those who were still hungry…..
After a relaxing swim it was time to go out again. This time we were on a boat on the Chobe river which forms part of the border between Botswana and Namibia.
We took a cool box (eski) with us and sat on the boat watching game, getting to know each other as a group and sipping G&Ts (very civilised 😉 ) Once again we saw a lot of animals and birds.
The lodge provided a Braai (BBQ) dinner and there was also entertainment from a local group who played music, danced and sang for us and it really got us into the spirit of Africa.

The following morning we left for our next stop which was a newly refurbished lodge near to the Okavango Delta. En route we stopped on several occasions to look at animals spotted from the bus. We were just accelerating away after looking at a magnificent bull elephant when our tour leader saw a pack of wild dogs lying under a tree. We screeched to a halt, reversed back to where they were laying and spend a magical 10 minutes watching them.
Wild dogs are rare, elusive and endangered. It was the first sighting this year for our tour leader so we were very fortunate and privileged to have seen them We found out later from a local that they had taken down a buffalo (which is no mean feat for a pack of 7 dogs) the night before.

We arrived at our new camp which was beautiful, set in lush gardens by the side of the river with great views and very nice cool rooms with thatched roofs, something very common in that part of the world.
We had a couple of hours to relax with a drink or take a swim before heading out to a local restaurant for dinner.

The next morning we travelled by Mokuru (canoe) into the delta where camp was set up for 2 nights. We had to take everything we needed with us.
The Mokuru team came from a local village and they set up the camp and along with Rowan pandered to our every need.
We had 4 people in the group with special dietary needs so Rowan hired a local chef to accompany us and help with the cooking.

After lunch some of the group went by boat to a swimming area and those of us who stayed behind were alerted by the sound of an elephant trumpeting very loudly. We grabbed our cameras and along with some of the local ladies who were looking after us spent 20 or so minutes watching a family of elephants feeding very close to camp.

It was one of our group’s 50th birthday and when we returned from a boat trip and bush walk in the afternoon Rowan had decorated the tent of the birthday boy and also one of the chairs with balloons. After dinner we all sang “Happy Birthday” and Philip (the chef) presented a cake complete with icing and candles that he had managed to cook over an open fire. It was perfectly cooked too! The recipient was astounded by the whole thing especially the cake as he was a chef and realised what a feat it was to produce one. It was quite an emotional moment. Needless to say a good evening was had by all.

The next morning we went on a bush walk and then spent the hottest part of the day in camp relaxing, playing games, swimming etc before heading out for a sunset canoe ride.

We returned for dinner and afterwards were entertained by our Mokuru team who sang and danced, encouraging us to dance with them. I can testify that it is very difficult to dance in sand when wearing flip flops 😂🤣😅

We decided to sing a song and it was met with much surprise and obvious pleasure.
We found out afterwards that we were the only group who had ever done so.
We ended the evening all singing together before retiring to out vey comfortable tents.

The next morning we had a leisurely cooked breakfast before heading back to the lodge where we had left the bus, Sofisu and our luggage.

In the afternoon some of us took a plane ride over the delta which was fabulous and although expensive, worth every penny. We saw the delta from a different perspective and also saw a vast number of animals.
We had dinner at the lodge (where we had all been upgraded to premium rooms).

The next day we left for our final lodge in Botswana. We arrived at lunchtime and had a free afternoon. The lodge had an enormous swimming pool so I went for a long relaxing swim and was joined (for the first time) by some of the others.
We then sat and relaxed with a cold beer and chatted about the trip so far and how wonderful it had been.

Late afternoon we headed out to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans for sundowners. Due to very heavy winter rains the pan was actually a huge lake as the water had not dried up so we were afforded fabulous sightings of many wading birds and lots of flamingos and pelicans.

Next day after an excellent breakfast provided by the lodge, we headed to the border to begin our week in Zimbabwe. The border crossing was tedious and time consuming but apparently 75 minutes was good result as it often takes several hours.

We stopped in Bulawayo to stock up with food etc which gave us time for a short walk and a drink before heading to our home for the next 2 nights.
We stayed in a small lodge on the outskirts of Motopo NP.
There were only 9 rooms so we had the lodge to ourselves It was a really nice place with lovely comfy rooms, beautiful gardens, an open plan kitchen, dining and bar area and a hide from where we could see giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, warthog etc feeding. We also saw a large troupe of baboons.

The next morning John (the lodge owner) took us into Motopo NP to search for rhino. We were very lucky as after only 10 minutes inside the park, rhino were spotted near to our location.

We got out of the vehicle and walked with John and some of the anti poaching team into the bush. It was only 2 minutes before we saw a group of 5 rhino. We were very lucky as rhino are mostly solitary. We were able to get very close to them and spent 10 minutes watching them close up as they grazed

We then visited bushmen paintings followed by Cecil Rhodes grave before returning to camp for a Braai lunch.

We had another free afternoon to relax and most of us went to the hide to watch animals before a late afternoon walk up to a ridge which afforded great views of the surrounding area Our guide had carried chilled wine and beer for us to have a drink and watch the sunset.

It was another member of the group’s birthday so we had another birthday cake and round of singing after dinner.

The next day we travelled to our lodge on the edge of Hwange NP.
We were staying in a tented camp and our tents were big enough to hold a party in and very comfortable.

We went out on a night safari which is always interesting as the nocturnal animals can be seen. We saw numerous spring hares, owls, hyena and many animals that can be seen during the day such as elephant, impala, giraffe, baboons.

The next morning we were up early for a game drive in Hwange NP. We stopped on the way for a group of elephants who were crossing the road. They seemed to be in no particular rush and some of them even obliged by stopping in front of the vehicles and appearing to be scrutinising us which afforded great photo opportunities.

We saw quite a few animals in Hwange but not as many as expected which was due to the fact that summer had arrived early and it was much hotter than usual for the time of year so they were mostly resting in the bush, out of sight.
We still saw numerous animals and birds but the only carnivores sighted were crocodiles.

We had our last camp dinner cooked by Rowan and Sofisu which was a braai with steak and sausages and vegetarian options.
The following morning we packed up and headed to the town of Victoria Falls.

We had lunch in a restaurant and then checked in to our very nice hotel which was to be home for the last 2 nights of our stay in Africa.

We spent the afternoon at the falls, walking along the paths which connected a dozen or so viewpoints of different parts of the falls. It was spectacular 😎

In the evening we went out for dinner to the Victoria Falls Hotel which is a very old (and very expensive at $400p per night 😮 ) colonial style building. We had a delicious silver service dinner with cocktails

The next day which was our last, was free for optional activities such as helicopter flights, game drives, bungee jumping, white water rafting, zip wires etc. I opted for a relaxing day as there was nothing on offer that I wanted to do that I haven’t done before, so I had a leisurely stroll around town, did some souvenir hunting and then relaxed by the pool.

Our last dinner was on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi. The boat was quite small, there were 14 of us on a long table on one side of the boat (ie the whole group) and two smaller tables holding 10 in total on the other side.

We were served an excellent 4 course dinner which was of a very high standard and delicious especially considering the tiny open galley in which it was prepared and cooked.

We watched the sun set over the river and saw lots of animals including herds of elephant crossing the very wide and deep river, hippos, crocodiles and numerous birds. It was a wonderful way to end our journey.

The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast, took group photos and then headed off to the airport.

A thoroughly enjoyable trip with a good and well planned itinerary, a great team looking after us and a group that got on together incredibly well.
It could not have been better 😀

Have a good one everybody 😜